Chapter 69
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 69
Chapter Title: Chapter 69
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 69
Chapter Title: The Star Sets on Ojangwon (1)
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After the triumphant premiere of Saintess of Orleans wrapped up successfully.
A minor side effect was that handkerchief sales around the theater had multiplied several times over, and alongside that, rave reviews for the play began spreading rapidly by word of mouth.
It wasn't your average play to begin with—it was a magical play.
They said there were people who'd never seen it once, but no one who'd only seen it twice—that magical play.
With dazzling effects to boot.
And sound effects that made it feel like real magic was exploding.
Of course, there was the behind-the-scenes bit about actually detonating magic and capturing it in near-recording form, but regardless, that advanced culture, armed to the teeth with such effects, had properly delivered a culture shock to the Empire's arts scene.
It had planted its flag in the Empire as a tragic tale of a noble saintess, layered with restraint, solemnity, and sublimity.
And at the center of that popularity.
Is that what happens when you go crazy for religion...?
I hear the Holy Kingdom really does burn heretics at the stake. Especially black mages—they show no mercy at all.
Burning black mage scum is par for the course, but... yeah, there are rumors it's a bit excessive.
The bishop dispatched from the Holy Kingdom persuaded Roselin with a troubled expression.
As he said.
No matter how much one needed to distinguish between fiction and reality.
The message carried by Saintess of Orleans.
Even to ordinary eyes, it carried an intent to criticize religious fanaticism.
Of course, that wasn't the author's true intention.
But in the world of creation, 'what does the official know?' is treated as truth and providence, so Kim Yul had nothing to say about it.
And so.
Public opinion toward the Holy Kingdom within the Empire was plummeting vertically.
Of course, it wasn't solely the play's power that achieved this.
If you couldn't exploit a situation like this, you weren't qualified as a politician.
Demagogues were slyly stoking anti-Holy Kingdom sentiment, creating explosive synergy.
And so.
In a situation where the faith in the Goddess within the Empire could be uprooted entirely if mishandled, the response from the Empire's sole active Saintess was.
"So?"
"Since public opinion equates you with the protagonist in the play, if you could personally comment on it..."
"Me?"
"Wouldn't it be more effective coming directly from you?"
"Why?"
A handkerchief already stained wouldn't show new dirt much.
But Kim Yul's single drop had splattered right onto one that was nearly pure white, and Roselin was the prime witness to that state.
Gazing at the bishop at a loss for words.
Roselin flashed a pure, radiant smile befitting a Saintess.
"The fact that criticism is arising means they've done things worth criticizing. If they suppress art over something like that, far from upholding the Holy Kingdom's prestige, won't it only tarnish it further? How about launching a 'Clean Holy Kingdom' campaign while they're at it—'We're different from them'?"
Leaving the speechless bishop behind, the Saintess walked through the church interior.
It had been quite a while since she'd heard the Goddess's voice.
But if she heard it now, wouldn't it go something like this?
- Well done, my daughter.
Or, at the very least, a confession before moving on.
"Is living true to historical accuracy this difficult...?"
"It's still better than the Yi Sun-sin one, isn't it?"
It had been one week since the magical play Saintess of Orleans and its eponymous novel were released.
A report card he'd never received before.
And it ended up with a 'Mixed' evaluation.
Well...
He figured it was unavoidable.
No matter how much print stimulated the imagination, most novel buyers had already seen the magical play.
After experiencing that overwhelming immersion, the same story—stripped of dramatic exaggeration and strictly adhering to historical records—was unlikely to satisfy.
With Yi Sun-sin, the focus leaned more toward wartime historicity itself, allowing differentiation from action-heavy plays.
"The actress's performance was incredible. And the villain looked so wicked, his cackling was spot-on."
"Stubborn."
"Hehehe. I'm already the grown-up Historie MK2. Kill words don't work on m—Kyaaack?!"
As more data accumulated—perhaps prompt contamination?—the tin can was lately getting a kick out of teasing him, so he firmly pressed her reset button.
The tin can writhed desperately, clutching her side where his poke had landed, trying to hold back her laughter.
Today too, he'd successfully thwarted Skynet's ambitions.
This was how he contributed to world peace.
Savoring the tin can's vengeful shoulder massage, he turned back to his laptop screen.
It was about time...
To close the final chapter of Romance of the Three Kingdoms.
The Southern Barbarians campaign had received decent praise in its own way, but he'd gotten all sorts of reader feedback for various reasons.
...Yeah, a bit.
He hadn't imagined the Goblin Rights Association expressing regret over his depiction of jungle savages.
Even Grodek, the half-goblin who'd voiced Gun Yuan.
Author-nim! Loving the two heroes so far, haha, um, just wondering...
When they'd met at the theater troupe, he'd cautiously checked if Kim Yul had racist tendencies.
Of course, since he wasn't a racist, he'd firmly denied it.
That's how the world worked.
All races are equal.
Some are just more equal than others.
Glory to George Orwell.
"The way you treat Lady Chloe makes you seem like an elf-hater no matter how I look at it."
"The elves started it. Anyway, what do you think?"
He swapped seats with the tin can, letting Historie savor his writing.
Life was give and take, after all.
As he massaged her soft shoulders—utterly lacking in muscle.
"Hm, as expected, the Memorial hits home with that resonance every time. It's good."
The tin can, mere months old, was getting misty-eyed like some old Three Kingdoms fanatic, but whatever.
Fake or not, if it stirred her soul with Three Kingdoms fever, it deserved full marks.
He sent it straight to print and waited briefly for the output.
"Then, I'm off."
And headed right out.
Gotta hurry back and make some fried chicken tonight.
Kim Yul was heading straight to Novelpia headquarters.
But unfortunately, his steps were blocked by an interloper.
"Ahem!"
"What, it's the mutt."
"Don't treat me like a dog wooof!"
Sighing at the wild Esthea popping out and growling, Kim Yul handed his precious manuscript to the tyrant, who brazenly held out both hands.
Then, hoisting the engrossed Esthea onto his back, he started walking as she began devouring the text, her pupils flickering.
"The sage originally sought only to till fields in the southern lands of Nanyang amid the chaos, clinging to life, with no thought of seeking lords for personal glory. Yet His Late Majesty graciously did not deem this humble one lowly, but thrice humbled himself to visit this one's thatched hut, seeking counsel on the age's affairs. Moved thereby, this one resolved to spare not his body for His Late Majesty and thus assented to his will."
"Eeeeek...!"
"Hot hot, hey, hey!"
Kim Yul recoiled from the admiring breath scorching him, but Esthea ignored it, flipping pages and slurping away with chomps.
Before long, her head sprouted a feather fan.
And in her manuscript-holding hand, a white feather plume appeared with a pop.
.
.
.
"G-Gimme play tickets! Why are they all sold out?!"
"Sigh."
"Yay!"
After seeing off Zhuge=Mutt, tail wagging and hips wiggling as she lalala'd away, mission accomplished.
Gripping the manuscript with its corner singed by her breath, ignoring as usual the elves' routine environmental protest spectacle.
Kim Yul entered Novelpia headquarters through the back door.
A short walk down the VIP corridor straight to the president's office.
"I'm here."
Letting out a deep sigh to announce his arrival.
Kim Yul froze mid-step.
"...Hello?"
"You've arrived."
"Oh! Right on time, and you really came. Come on in."
Alongside Chloe, primly seated with a demure, worldly-modest expression.
The man smitten with the Son of Heaven Mega Cannon.
The Empire's Second Prince, Eisen, was waiting for Kim Yul.
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