ALL NOVEL Chapter 29
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Phantom Writer. What an honor it is to meet a recluse in person!”
“Not at all, Professor. Actually, I found myself intrigued by the culture of the Elves while brainstorming a new work. So, I’d like to borrow elements from the Eastern style for my new piece.”
“Ah, I see. So that’s why you invited me to such an expensive place?”
Slurp! Professor Gabi sipped her dark tea from a ceramic cup.
The meeting was taking place at a restaurant called ‘Yeojeong’, located in the bustling capital’s district.
The interior, resembling an ancient Eastern guesthouse, was quite impressive.
This place served traditional dishes from the World Tree, hosted by Elves who were residing in the Empire for various reasons.
Of course, an average Academy student would find it hard to open their wallet here, but I had no such concerns.
Chuckles “After all, the royal seal-embossed ring will cover it for me.”
A credit card gifted by the palace to maintain the dignity of the great writer Phantom.
When I presented it, the Elven staff bowed and led us to the room with the best view.
“Elven-style new work? Quite an interesting idea, Phantom Writer.”
As the professor picked up some Dongpayeok with chopsticks, she narrowed her eyes slightly.
Chew chew. As she swallowed the well-marinated pork, she asked.
“However, you understand that there’s a significant difference between Elven plays and human plays, right? Actors not accustomed to the Elven way can’t mimic that overnight.”
“That’s exactly why I called you, Professor. You’re an expert in Elven arts, aren’t you?”
Professor Gabi was an elf who had lived for nearly 200 years.
Thus, she was a jack of all trades when it came to the arts and physical education she taught.
Swordsmanship, artistry, composition— you name it, she excelled at all of them.
Finding what she couldn’t do might be a faster task.
“I’m putting a lot of effort into this work. So, I want to receive all the help I can get, including your expertise, Professor. If possible, I’d love to utilize your connections as well.”
As I spoke, I subtly slid out the initial concept notes for The Hegemon-King Li’s Consort which was still in progress.
The paper contained rough ideas on how to adapt the life of Xiang Yu, the Western Chu Hegemon who shook China during the Chu-Han Contention with sheer might.
“Certainly interesting, Phantom Writer.”
The professor examined the notes closely, running her fingers over the words.
Squint Raising her eyebrows, she looked at me.
“Let me correct myself. We’re beyond interesting; honestly, it’s at a level that evokes admiration. You seem to have a profound understanding of the Elven culture, don’t you? It’s rare to see a human grasp Eastern culture this well.”
“Thank you for the compliment.”
In truth, I had a specific genre in mind since I decided on the concept of Elven-style Peking opera.
Titled Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, The Deer and the Cauldron, Fearless, A Chinese Ghost Story, and so forth. These were all martial arts films from Taiwan/Hong Kong that dominated the latter half of the 20th century.
Although inspired by Peking opera, the reason for reminiscing about classic films full of flashy martial arts and wire action was simple.
When the martial arts film genre was initially born, a lot of acrobat-trained Peking opera actors participated, laying the foundation…
‘…Honestly, Xiang Yu’s life itself is no different from a martial arts story.’
Represented by invincible martial arts.
A revenge plot to draw a sword to avenge the fallen kingdom.
Fate intertwined with the reclusive sage Fan Zheng.
And a tragic romance that ended sorrowfully with Wu He.
Seriously, if this isn’t martial arts, then what is?
Gulp Well, I planned to go all-in on Orientalism just like Admiral Lee’s time.
Having decided to realize Hong Kong-style martial arts movies on stage, I wanted to create something refreshing yet familiar for the Imperial audience.
“Alright then. Since you know Elves so well, it would be unreasonable to refuse your request.”
Returning the crumpled notes, the professor smiled.
“Particularly since it’s an action-focused new work, we’ll need some intense stunts, right? I’ll introduce you to an Elven acrobat troupe that’s currently residing in the capital. We can have them take on the action segments.”
“I would appreciate that.”
“However, accurately representing the Elven style is still going to be a challenge. Human actors probably won’t be able to adapt quickly enough, and human audiences might find unprecedented techniques a bit off-putting.”
“Don’t worry. I’m well aware of that.”
Unfamiliar cultural elements tend to provoke physiological disgust rather than curiosity.
So, any aspects that might lead to strong negative reactions from human viewers would be carefully adjusted or removed in collaboration with Professor Gabi.
The unique screeching singing style of Peking opera.
Excessively heavy makeup that would be burdensome to look at.
Chaotic choreography that feels overly dynamic, among others.
All of it needed to be tweaked.
Only then could we present a work that would captivate the people of the Empire while being fresh yet comfortably familiar.
“Additionally, there’s another issue, Writer. This is a story about Elves waging war, correct? Set against imaginary nations built around the World Tree?”
“That’s right. Is there something wrong?”
Since the concept was a Hong Kong-style martial arts film, the cast would consist entirely of Elves.
Xiang Yu would be an Elf, his rival Liu Bang would be an Elf, and all other characters as well.
In terms of both mystical visual appeal and the concept’s realism, this would make much more sense.
“Ah, Professor? Is it about casting Elf actors? You needn’t worry about that.”
To cover that part, The Hegemon-King Li’s Consort planned to collaborate with the Geloroushina Theater Company.
Given that it was a troupe dedicated to entertainment, there were plenty of tall and handsome actors, making it easy to dress them as impressive Elves.
They hadn’t secured additional contracts since Chaplin’s Comedy, but presenting the script for The Hegemon-King Li’s Consort would surely make Isabella, the theater company manager, ecstatic.
“No, it’s easy to just dress human actors as Elves. I’m aware of that. As long as they do reasonable makeup and make their ears pointy, it wouldn’t matter to the audience.”
Then the professor shook her head, indicating otherwise.
“But there’s a more pressing issue. If it’s an action-driven war play, what will you do about the protagonist for The Hegemon-King Li’s Consort?”
“The protagonist?”
“By design, the protagonist should be at the center of every battle, right? It would be difficult to just grab any human actor to perform, as they wouldn’t be able to portray that role if they haven’t practiced martial arts.”
“Then, should I ask an Elf acrobat for that role as well? If they can manage complex action, then…”
“That would be troublesome. Acrobats are performers, not actors. They might excel at stunts, but they won’t vividly portray their assigned roles. Especially not as the protagonist who leads the play, that’s out of the question.”
“I… I see?”
I realized I had overlooked that point, and it turned out to be a predicament.
Previous works always had seasoned protagonist actors prepared with ease.
However, this time, with so many requirements, that issue suddenly floated up.
But without an actor to portray Xiang Yu, it would all fall apart.
Telling Geloroushina’s actors to handle it probably meant they wouldn’t have honed their martial arts skills.
…Should I just postpone the production and begin with action lessons for the actors? But that would drag out the timeline.
“Hmm, you mentioned you’d like to receive help from my connections?”
At that moment, Professor Gabi, who had been tapping the table with her index finger, made a suggestion.
“If it doesn’t have to be a professional actor, I could recommend a candidate from our Academy students for the protagonist.”
“Hmm? A student from the Academy?”
“I read your project proposal, and since the special performance will primarily take place in the evening for a relatively short period, wouldn’t it give our students a good experience if they could participate without much pressure?”
She glanced quickly at the notes she had returned earlier.
“Well, our students can participate without overlapping with class times and unlike your previous works, it won’t be scheduled for regular performances.”
Ah, indeed.
The Hegemon-King Li’s Consort I envisioned was a limited-time edition, swift yet impactful.
Thanks to the misinterpretation of lessons from Dialogues, the students had started bickering.
To end that tussle, didn’t I make the scale of the play relatively small?
The Elven acrobats would provide entertainment and accompaniment for The Hegemon-King Li’s Consort.
Maintaining collaboration with them is impossible for both parties in terms of scheduling.
“It so happens that I have a suitable candidate among my students. He’s trained in swordsmanship for many years, and his acting and singing skills aren’t poor at all.”
“Is that so? A very versatile student, huh? Who is it?”
As I asked, the professor smiled broadly and replied.
“It’s Balthazar Arture. He’s a member of the noble Arture family from the southern part of the Empire.”
Hack, cough! Hahh, kehk!
“Uh, are you alright? Did you get a fish bone stuck in your throat?”
“Oh, no. I just choked for a moment, cough cough!”
Wiping my mouth with a floral-patterned napkin, I pretended to be calm.
But inside, I was panicking, my thoughts scattered like leaves in the wind.
Who? Me?
Wait, why suddenly? When did you start regarding me as a talent in the arts?
“I see, the young master of the Arture family, huh? That’s interesting. What makes you recommend that student specifically?”
“I’ve been mentoring him since his first year, and he really has a lot of talent,” Professor Gabi replied with a chuckle.
“I have a keen eye for talent, and I never miss out on those exceptional students. So, I’ve been closely observing Balthazar.”
“…He must have made quite an impression.”
“Of course. As part of the curriculum, we had a dramatic reading, and his aptitude shone through. However, since he hasn’t acted much, he does have some rough edges that need refining.”
Ah, that dramatic reading from first year? Admittedly, I had put in some effort for good grades.
Aside from being a fun and enjoyable class, Professor Gabi was rather strict about grading.
By the way, I did poorly in a cosplay competition when I played Brutus.
I thought I lacked talent in acting, but it seemed the professor’s judgment was different.
Am I seen as an unrefined pearl yet?
“Well… That works. If it’s Gabi Professor’s introduction, I can trust it. But aren’t Academy students quite busy? I would think they’d have no time due to their studies.”
Lies. Honestly, ever since I drank the Philosopher’s Stone, I’ve had more than enough time.
Literally an overwhelming level of writing speed. Thanks to that, tasks that take others hours, I can complete in ten minutes.
Then, Professor Gabi shrugged, speaking playfully.
“For now, we’re just tossing the idea to him. If he turns it down, that’s that, but it’s still worth a shot.”
“Hmm.”
“And this is purely a personal request, so if he accepts, I’ll pay him adequately for it. That should be enough to entice him, don’t you think?”
“Pay? Are we talking about the revenue share from The Hegemon-King Li’s Consort?”
“Ah, sharing profits is certainly a given for the lead role. What I’m speaking of is the reward I can grant as a professor. Hmm, if I had to put it this way…”
After pondering briefly, the professor smiled brightly.
Then with a cheerful tone, she looked at me and said.
“How about I guarantee an A+ for the upcoming midterms? I was planning to assign an alternative task related to arts industry collaboration anyway.”
“……”
“Hey? Phantom Writer?”
Absolutely, with no doubt.
I’m going to do it. No second-guessing.
I’m writing a play to make money, and on top of that, I can act as a protagonist while getting a free A+?
There’s no way I’m turning that down. Absolutely not.