Chapter 5
Chapter 5
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 5
Chapter Title: The Dice Have Been Cast
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My beloved daughter, Rosalyn Wenford.
Is life at Brond Academy going well for you?
I am delighted to share this good news with you.
A long letter carrying heartwarming tidings had arrived after quite some time.
Shedding a single tear, Rosalyn Wenford, daughter of Lord Wenford, clutched it gently to her chest.
"Father..."
Luscious, half-curly red hair blooming like summer roses.
Vibrant green eyes fresh as young leaves.
A slender face radiating pure yet intellectual charm.
A soft smile graced the lips of the girl counted among the academy's top beauties alongside Princess Diana.
It had been several years since her father fell from the emperor's favor and was demoted to the frontier.
Once her family lost its power, Rosalyn's life had instantly turned into hell.
Those she had been close to turned their backs one after another.
All that came her way were insulting, cold stares and direct or indirect slights.
Because of that, the academy life that other youths embraced with excitement was nothing but an extension of being treated as an invisible ghost for her.
Yet as the saying goes, fortune is as fickle as the wind—her family's fate had turned overnight.
Now her father commanded the empire's ground forces as the Minister of the Army.
And she had risen in status as the minister's one and only precious lady.
All this miracle was thanks to a single play.
"Playwright Phantom..."
She didn't know if he had truly written the script using the emperor and her father as models.
Whatever his intentions, the butterfly effect it caused was beyond imagination.
"Thank you. Thank you so much."
To Rosalyn, who had lived like a tragic heroine, Phantom was no mere creator.
He was the benefactor who had saved her from a painful life.
A hero among heroes, like the prince on a white horse from a fairy tale.
Of course, it wasn't just gratitude that made her revere him.
Even setting aside the personal connection, Admiral Li was a work of genius.
It wasn't merely because the story was entertaining.
Phantom's scripts possessed a strange power that drew people in.
An immersive pull that made the characters feel like real, breathing people rather than fictional creations.
A depth of engagement impossible from half-baked tales that captivated audiences.
Who else but a literary giant could produce such an immortal masterpiece?
"...Pfft."
She had been praising Phantom fervently when a laugh bubbled up unbidden.
How long had it been since she could relax and feel this joy?
It felt like returning to her carefree childhood, free of worries or troubles.
Carefully folding and storing her father's letter, Rosalyn quietly turned the dormitory doorknob.
On the day this unexpected blessing had come to her, there were people she ought to share the joy with.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ A short time after the premiere of Admiral Li: The Final Battle.
"Wh-what did you say came to the theater?"
I asked blankly, my mind hazy.
"Sponsorship funds! A massive amount from the imperial family! They want the emperor's household to attend the next production together!"
Renua replied with a beaming grin.
"The young prince earnestly persuaded His Majesty! Apparently, he's an avid fan of Admiral Li! They even joked that if the sequel had been delayed much longer, he might have mobilized the imperial guard to track you down!"
...It's a joke, right? The imperial guard bit is just a joke, yeah?
"We'll talk details inside! We need to discuss the profit distribution. Your script deserves the lion's share, of course! Hahaha!"
Renua clapped my shoulder heartily, laughing boisterously.
The theater's reputation had soared thanks to Phantom, and he looked thrilled.
But I could hardly join in the merriment.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "Haa..."
On the way back to the dormitory after leaving the Killigrew Theater Company.
Having shed my disguise and changed into my regular uniform, I let out a long sigh.
'Can't exactly tell them to take the sponsorship back...'
The old Ha Eun-seong from my past life would have been over the moon.
A huge payout from performance profits, plus imperial sponsorship.
Just two works had piled a mountain of gold into my bank account.
But as Balthazar Arture, my perspective was a bit different.
'This isn't like some ordinary rich guy sponsoring an artist!'
Sponsorship was fan support, but also silent pressure to hurry up with the next installment.
After giving so much, they'd be furious if the sequel didn't come soon.
And it had to match their tastes while retaining the original quality.
Suddenly, a horror flick from 1990 flashed through my mind.
'Aaaah! How dare you kill my Misery!'
'After all I've done for you, you slack off? Ungrateful hack!'
'Your work is the best, Paul-writer! So I'll break your legs to keep you from going anywhere!'
Misery, Stephen King's tale of an author's worst nightmare.
Amusing fantasy in my past life, but here it could become reality.
"Ugh, crap! Goosebumps!"
I shuddered, recalling the scene where Annie Wilkes smashed the protagonist's shins.
But the situation was spilt milk anyway.
I already knew it wasn't money I could refuse.
Rejecting it would be disloyal.
Taking it and ghosting would be treason.
Besides, backing out now would drag the theater folks down with me.
Finding another playwright guaranteed to sell like Phantom? Good luck with that.
In the end, I trudged back to the dormitory with a throbbing headache.
And the moment I opened the door...
"Hey, roommate."
Morris, slightly tipsy, sat on the bed waving.
"Balthazar! You're back!"
And, inexplicably, Rosalyn in our guys' dorm room.
"Rosalyn-senpai? What's brought you to my room all of a sudden?"
Rosalyn Wenford had kept even close friends at arm's length due to political reasons.
Of those, only Morris and I had been somewhat close to her.
Our families had deep ties going back ages.
Even so, we'd kept a polite distance out of deference to the emperor's watchful eye.
"Well, Father was officially appointed Minister of the Army today. His Majesty finally recognized his loyalty."
"I-is that so?"
I'd heard the rumors lately.
Lord Wenford, the loyal general exiled to the frontier for the emperor's displeasure.
Word was he'd mended ties and was prepping a political comeback.
I'd dismissed it as gossip without solid proof, but Rosalyn's reaction confirmed it was 100% legit.
"It's all thanks to Playwright Phantom. Father returned to the capital because of that script."
At that, Rosalyn clasped her hands as if in prayer, her eyes sparkling.
"Phantom is truly a genius sent from heaven. The dialogue that tugs at heartstrings so delicately, the characters' intense charisma and pull, and the perfect pacing. To me, he's a savior of my life and soul."
...That Phantom is me.
Feels weird hearing my alter ego praised so effusively right in front of me.
Wheee!
Morris whistling teasingly from behind.
His giggling face was so annoying I wanted to punch him.
A bit embarrassed, I quickly steered the topic elsewhere.
"That's great. But did you come all the way here just to sing Phantom's praises? Girls aren't supposed to enter the boys' dorm."
Brond Academy strictly separated male and female living areas.
Neither boys nor girls could invade the other's common spaces per school rules.
Sure, hormonal teens broke it on the sly, but it was unexpected from the ever-model-student Rosalyn.
"N-no, that's not why."
She smiled softly at my question.
Stepping lightly forward, she whispered.
"I just wanted to thank you and Morris. Especially you."
"Thank me?"
"Your kindness helped me endure the tough academy days. When others treated me like dirt, you approached with warm words and gentle looks."
"..."
"You said it back then, right? Fortune turns like a spiral. Life is unpredictable, so endure and dawn will break again."
She grasped my hand gently and bowed her head.
A faint blush colored her peach-smooth cheeks.
"Thank you. Your words kept me from giving up, leading to this miracle. You and Phantom are my lifelong benefactors, Balthazar."
Endure, and dawn will break again.
It wasn't some profound wisdom.
Just pity for her being ostracized through no fault of her own.
Combining my past and current lives, I'd lived over 50 years.
Having weathered all sorts of storms, "fortune is fickle" felt like the truest adage.
Yet a casual encouragement from me and two offhand plays had saved her life.
A subtle pride welled up in my chest, unfamiliar till now.
Seeing this, my parents back home would surely be proud of their son's "achievement."
...Come to think of it, they still don't know I'm Phantom.'
Only my bro Morris knew.
I'd finished the scripts and returned to the dorm school too soon to explain to them.
Thus, two Admiral Li tickets arrived by post from home.
Under the pretense of a romantic date with a girl I liked.
'No bandwidth for dates anyway.'
Especially now with imperial sponsorship.
I had to churn out material and finish the next script ASAP.
A heroic epic rivaling Admiral Li's grandeur, tailored to the emperor's family and nobles' tastes.
But now that pressure hit, my mind blanked.
No way a figure as spectacular as Admiral Yi would pop into my head.
Oblivious to my turmoil, Morris raised a glass from the communal table.
"Hey, Balthazar! Sit down already! Rosalyn-senpai brought top-shelf wine to celebrate! She's got dice ready for when you join—three of us playing!"
"Wine's one thing, but dice? You a kid?"
"S-sorry, Balthazar. I suggested it 'cause I wanted to play. Too childish, huh?"
"...It's full of childlike innocence and purity, senpai! Even adults need a hobby that doesn't change!"
Damn. Talulah incoming.
As I sweated glancing at her, hyped-up Morris jabbed at my seat.
"Sit already, man! Let's start! The dice have already been cast here!"
"Ugh, shut it."
What dice crap? My head's killing me.
Don't care if you've rolled or not... Huh?
The dice have already been cast?
'Th-that's it!!'
A brilliant idea flashed like lightning in my brain.
I inwardly cheered, clenching both fists.
Phantom's next work after Admiral Li.
I knew exactly who its protagonist should be.