ALL NOVEL Chapter 27
“The greatest hero in the Phantom works is undoubtedly Julius Caesar! A man who nearly toppled the Republic and became Emperor purely through his own abilities! Who can even compare to him?”
“Hey, our Admiral Lee took down 133 ships with just 12! Plus, he’s literally an undefeated legend on the sea! Can you stop trash-talking just because he lost to Vercingetorix?”
“Shut it! Who else can part the sea with a stick? Whether it’s Caesar or Admiral Lee, both would end up as fish food if you throw Moses into the mix! Everyone would end up gone!”
“Ugh, damn! You guys can’t even read the context of the play! Words just don’t mean anything to you!”
“Enough! Drop it! I hereby declare war on the morons who don’t know a thing about plays!”
“Fire! Show those cockroaches what we’re made of!”
Whoosh!
Thud, splat! Thump!
Finally, the sounds of impacts began, coinciding with the eruption of fury.
But thankfully, it wasn’t a physical clash resulting in violence.
Instead, it was none other than flying desserts…
“What, are they having a snowball fight with desserts?”
Desserts baked at a high-end patisserie near the Academy.
Breads smeared with whipped cream, chocolate, almonds, and fruit jam were flying like cannonballs.
Where did they even get those? Over a barricade built with desks and chairs stacked high.
Some of it even resembled inhumane biochemical terror that one shouldn’t touch, used purely for provocation.
“Cough, what the heck? Mint chocolate?! Who threw toothpaste at me?!”
“Grrr, damn it! It’s raisins! Even in war, you’ve crossed the line, you bastards!”
“Gah! Why the heck is coconut cream in bread! It tastes like filthy water!”
The sweet aroma of sugary cakes spread thickly in the dessert war.
I was left speechless at this unexpected food fight.
“I don’t get it. Is it really worth this much evil?”
“Is it that hard to understand? They just can’t accept that their favorite work might not hold as much value compared to someone else’s.”
“Who cares if it’s worth less? So what? It’s all Phantom plays anyway!”
“It does matter. Which fan would gracefully accept belittling their most beloved work? It’s toxic to uplift your favorite by downing someone else’s.”
“Ugh, seriously.”
Criticism isn’t something to be used like a mud fight among fans.
Great director Orson Welles, who filmed the masterpiece ‘Citizen Kane,’ once said, “Criticism is the essence of creativity.”
By examining and evaluating certain works from various perspectives, it paves the way for better results in the future.
In fact, criticism has grown alongside the emergence of art.
Since the classical Greek era, hasn’t philosopher Aristotle’s Poetics been a standard in evaluating goodness and badness, highs and lows, and various perspectives?
But to abuse such a noble act solely for ranking works, tsk tsk.
“By the way, the topic students love the most is still heroes, right?”
Maurice shrugged, looking a bit troubled as he continued.
“So a childish conflict exploded. The work with a greater hero is objectively the superior one, that kind of nonsense.”
It’s a battle over the superiority of heroes.
Thinking like that, I guess it makes sense why [Chaplin's Comedy] and [Dialogues] aren’t on the list.
[Chaplin's Comedy] is a light series of comedies, not a grand heroic saga.
[Dialogues] is merely a drama closely documenting the life of a philosopher.
“Oh, right. I heard the Princess and Senior Rosalyn were indirectly involved. The Princess supports Julius Caesar, the elegant queen Cleopatra’s lover, and Senior Rosalyn backs Moses, who is raising the Phantom as the Protagonist of the Sword?”
My close friend shrugged as if he just remembered.
With a sly smile, he looked at me and teased.
“Wow, what about you? If you take one side, the other will shoot you dirty looks full of resentment! This is why you shouldn’t mess with flowers in both hands, you playboy!”
“Shut up, jerk.”
Maurice has always treated someone like a harem master. Both of them are way out of his league, though.
Still, I had to calm down that heat, or rather madness.
“Is Caesar someone who simply brings changes to the imperial family?! The societal impact he’s had is on another level!”
“If we’re talking about impact, isn’t it thanks to Admiral Lee that the Wentford family returned to politics? The Empire’s knights have boosted their battle strength too! Sea tactics have improved as well?”
“Hey, it’s because of the Exodus that the Phantom was raised as the Protagonist of the Sword~! Those who’ve failed to produce a hero need to pull back and watch their mouths!”
In the philosophical realm, there exists a so-called ‘Socratic Problem.’
To summarize, it’s a discussion around who Socrates was and what he actually thought.
Despite being Plato’s teacher and the source of Western philosophy, Socrates himself never left behind any writings.
Thus, the debate over what Socrates’ genuine thoughts were has been endless.
Even his contemporaries engaged in fierce arguments over the meaning of his teachings.
In a way, the current uproar here is an extension of that.
With only the difference being that the towering figure Socrates has now been replaced by Phantom and his works.
“What do you think? Seems like you could just step in and decide to settle this.”
Maurice suggested I play the judge.
But I firmly refused.
‘Getting involved on one side of such a tangled matter just makes things worse.’
It’s rare for someone to acknowledge defeat graciously.
Especially if their pride is on the line, it becomes even less likely.
Furthermore, the question of ‘Which work is better?’ is purely subjective.
Even as the original creator, one can’t just waltz in and dictate the terms.
“…But hey, I’m now the Protagonist of the Sword, right? Then I should resolve this with my pen.”
I said, stretching leisurely.
I was already brainstorming material for the next piece. Since consumers were crazy about hero stories, I figured I’d announce a new hero showdown to subdue the fighting.
Choosing a character everyone, regardless of age, can cheer for.
Focusing on genres like action and romance that any audience can enjoy.
“Is that all you have to say, Legion Commander?”
“I-I’m sorry! But please, I hope you’ll take my words to heart. This is absolutely not something trivial…”
“Enough. There’s no value in listening further.”
In the icy winds chilling the northern end of the continent, at the shadowy lair where the Demon Race was gathering strength, a Legion Commander was being interrogated.
After Phantom’s [Exodus] performance, the morale of the Iron Wall Fortress Paladins skyrocketed abruptly.
In order to hold him accountable for the humiliating defeat they suffered and the blocked advances.
And right now, the one personally reprimanding him was the Grand Lord seated on the blazing magic throne.
Since the ancient days when the Great Demon King was sealed, he has guarded the Demon Race’s stronghold as a regent.
“I thought you were talking about a wandering Protagonist of the Sword when you said ‘Protagonist.’ Legion Commander.”
The Grand Lord glared down with distorted eyes.
“Even if she’s a young pup, a Protagonist is still a Protagonist. It could’ve at least made sense if the morale and combat power of the Paladins suddenly rose due to that half-elf girl.”
Protagonists can be quite the nuisance in many ways.
Even though the Great Demon King has vanished from the world, humanity hasn’t forgotten the dire fear.
To preserve humanity’s legacy, the search for fresh exceptional individuals to carry on the title of hero continues.
Among the current generation of successors, the Demon Race was most focused on the ‘Sword Protagonist.’
An offspring born between humans and elves, they’ve become notorious for possessing significant potential in swordsmanship.
Of course, it’s said her talent is yet to bloom fully.
…However, the excuse coming out of the subordinate commander’s mouth was utterly ridiculous.
“A pen? A pen?! Of all things, the Protagonist of the Sword is with a pen?”
The commander couldn’t even lift his head, stammering.
The Grand Lord, glaring at him, shouted in a furious voice.
“Are you joking with me, Legion Commander?”