Chapter 16
Translator: True Detective
Chapter 16: How to Turn Antis into Fans
“What? You’re adapting another person’s novel into a play? Hmm, surely you are adapting a classic masterpiece or a folktale, right? Not that? An entertainment novel that recently gained popularity? Goodness… do you have no pride!”
If you’re going to do that, break your pen right now!
It’s embarrassing, so don’t go around saying you’re an author!
Feeling the shouts of their acquaintances still ringing in their ears, the three playwrights mobilized for the theatrical adaptation of 「The Bridges of Imperium Town」 moved their gloomy steps.
Who would want to bite into such a hot potato willingly?
Pride doesn't feed you.
Realizing that fact to a hateful degree, they had no other choice.
Authors are people too.
They have to eat to live.
As they say, old habits die hard; they wanted to make a living doing something related to writing and pursue their own work, but this wasn't easy.
Because jobs requiring writers aren't overflowing in the world, and they have to compete with other writers for limited jobs.
Since hiding one’s pen name and writing entertainment novels wasn't an easy task either, there was no other choice.
『Even if I have to do manual labor, doing such a thing makes no sense!』
There are those who claim one must keep their integrity like that, but reality isn't easy.
If one suffers alone, they can endure, but becoming a head of a household and failing to support the family is a serious matter.
Choosing the responsibility and weight of being a breadwinner over an author's pride and integrity, the trio of adapters crossed the threshold of the Grace mansion.
‘Let’s think positively. If I handle just this one well, I can secure a solid sum and focus on writing without any worries for a while.’
‘Whether it’s vulgar writing or whatever, there must be something to gain while adapting it. This popularity and box office success alone are real. If I can analyze that and make it mine… it’s a good opportunity.’
‘My wife and children are starving at home, what does pride matter? It’s not like I’m committing a crime, and 「The Bridges of Imperium Town」 is worth participating in adapting.’
It was too much money to refuse the job.
The adapter trio hardened their resolve, thinking there would be things to gain in the adaptation process and they couldn't suffer from financial hardships forever.
However, they felt uncomfortable inwardly, feeling hopeless thinking about writing while minding a noble's mood and following the instructions of a vastly younger girl.
She achieved great success at a young age.
Whatever critics or the literary world disparaged, the fact that 「The Bridges of Imperium Town」 was an unprecedented hit remained unchanged.
Thinking how full of hot air Lady Noel Grace would be due to that success and how she would ignore people, everything went black before their eyes.
They resolved to put down their pride and endure, but thinking of actually experiencing a noble's arrogance made their stomachs churn.
It seemed like a thought heavily captured by prejudice, but it couldn't be helped as it stemmed from actual experience to some extent.
Because the nobles they met receiving work as scribblers were all like that.
When asked to write a biography and they wrote it, the nobles made a fuss asking what is this, so writing a hymn full of bluff was basic of basics.
There was even a time one wrote a crazy text about making love with an animal after signing a confidentiality agreement with magic.
As long as they earned money using nobles' vanity and eccentricity, they knew they had to match the client's will… but it wasn't a very pleasant feeling.
Based on such experiences, since Lady Noel Grace even achieved literary success with 「The Bridges of Imperium Town」, they presumed she would act even more arrogantly.
However,
“Nice to meet you, three of you.”
Noel Grace, whom they actually met, was completely different from what the adapter trio worried about.
Rather──.
“「The Old Man and the Boy」 was really good because I felt a fresh perspective and contemplation on life and death.” “「The Dawn of the Empire」 was interesting as it detailed the other side of history that people rarely pay attention to.” “「Decision to Cut Off」 is truly surprising in its expression where the agony of how far one can give up for a dream is felt strongly.”
It was shocking in a good way.
“Did you perhaps… read all our works?”
At the trio asking unable to hide their surprise, Noel answered as if it were natural.
“Of course. You are the ones who will adapt my novel into a play, so shouldn't I read at least your representative works to grasp what style you have and what parts are your strengths?”
At these words, the adapter trio felt something hot surging up.
They were ashamed.
Who was truly arrogant?
Thinking she would be arrogant because she tasted success with 「The Bridges of Imperium Town」 was wrong.
‘This girl… is an existence more author-like than anyone.’
‘If someone this serious and sincere about their work isn't an author, who is an author?’
‘I want to tell those old fogies of the critics. That Noel Grace—Homer—is truly an author deserving of respect.’
She went as far as grasping the styles of writers mobilized for the work in detail for a good adaptation.
They had no choice but to be impressed.
The adapter trio naturally harbored affection for Noel, who read even their works to cooperate well and told them what points were good.
Seeing that appearance, Noel smiled with satisfaction thinking things would work out well.
To tell the truth, the works mentioned earlier… she didn't read them.
More precisely, she tried to read them but gave up because they were unreadable.
Should she say it was understandable why they were buried?
Eventually giving up reading them all, Noel asked Sophie Ember instead to read and summarize them for her.
Asking her to just summarize the characteristics or direction and story of each work.
It meant she made her biological AI summarize the key points.
Naturally, Sophie, who received the request, suffered saying it was as hard to read as Noel giving up reading, but,
“If you do it, I will forgive you for showing the draft to others without permission before.”
Since she had committed a sin, she obeyed her pupil’s ‘request’.
Thus, based on the review written by Sophie Ember with a penitent heart, Noel succeeded perfectly in winning the favor of the adapter trio.
As always, better results can be obtained when doing something voluntarily than forced.
‘With this much, the group project… seems like it can be solved smoothly.’
Historically, an author knows an author’s heart well.
An author who achieved popularity and success recognizes and respects their works that were buried without anyone knowing?
They can’t resist this.
Seeing the changed eyes of the adapter trio, Noel smiled with satisfaction.
If it were a storyboard for webtoon adaptation, she would know, but she knew nothing about scripts for plays.
So the role of the adapter trio is important, and with this much, she seems to have won their favor and boosted their morale sufficiently.
Thinking she just needs to proceed with the adaptation using them like biological AIs from now on, Noel requested points not to forget when doing some adaptations.
She tried it because she thought it would be good to apply some directing techniques she noted while watching Makjang dramas in her past life to the play.
Also, although she didn't have much experience, she recalled memories from the few times she went to see plays and reflected them.
Directions she thought were quite novel even to her, a layperson.
She intended to actively introduce them to the theatrical adaptation of 「The Bridges of Imperium Town」.
And the things Noel requested and talked about in this way,
‘What on earth…?! To implement this, we would have to make new stage equipment. But… I want to try it!’
‘Amazing. How on earth did she think of this directing method? As expected, this girl is different!’
‘Emphasize the sound of water to give the feeling of actually falling from a bridge? Interesting!’
Gave incredibly surprising inspiration to the adapter trio.
Noel was talking nonchalantly, but those were all techniques of modern theater that had undergone repeated development.
Even if a layperson spoke roughly about what she saw without knowing well, to the people here, it was bound to be a tremendous sensation.
As a single example, Noel said to express it as if the background moves and changes moment by moment so that Elise and Leon, the two protagonists, really seem to be dating.
To make the background move in that way, they would have to develop stage equipment from scratch, but if that works, they could break away from existing static plays and reach a new horizon.
Because they could break away from the limited place called the stage and present the feeling of actually walking the streets to the audience!
Naturally, implementing this would cost money for stage equipment development and practice, but what did it matter?
The Ashley Troupe under the Imperial Family is free in that regard.
Because the Ashley Troupe is famous for trying various things that don’t make money to lead the development of Imperial culture.
The development of new stage equipment doesn't deviate from that either.
Especially if it’s for making a hugely popular work like 「The Bridges of Imperium Town」 into a play, fans everywhere would run over yelling to use their money as soon as they hear it’s difficult due to lack of funds.
This was an opportunity in a way.
‘It’s a golden opportunity to try new challenges to our heart’s content with other people’s money!’
The adapter trio enthusiastically recording what Noel told them.
However…….
“Pardon? Slap the cheating woman’s cheek with pasta?”
“Yes.”
“W-Why?”
“Well, because I want to s── ahem, because only then can Elise’s anger at witnessing her fiancé’s affair be shown clearly.”
At Noel’s assertion that a Pasta Slap must appear out of nowhere, the adapter trio’s minds went blank.
‘Does she mean to give a strong impression from the very beginning…?’
‘Even so, splashing water would be better, why a pasta slap?’
‘Is this… right?’
Other things were unusual too, but this was truly a sensibility in a realm they absolutely couldn't understand.
Is this the eccentricity of a genius?
The adapter trio just decided to stop trying to understand.