Chapter 160: Classic Masterpiece [The Frog Princess] ※ (Revised from Frog Girl > Frog Princess)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 160: Classic Masterpiece [The Frog Princess] ※ (Revised from Frog Girl > Frog Princess)
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S-Class Gate: Classic Masterpiece [The Frog Princess] – Distributing roles...
Analyzing the connection between the First Prince and Baek Tae-yang...
No significant connection found, but the attribute of being 'First' is deemed similar.
Role of the First Prince assigned to Baek Tae-yang.
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The messages floating before my eyes were the only means of gathering information in fragments.
Now that I knew the Gate had changed, the next most important thing was information on this "classic masterpiece."
The Frog Princess, huh...
It wasn't The Frog Boy, nor was it The Princess and the Frog.
Judging by the title, it was likely a story about a woman turning into a frog.
One thing was for sure: it wasn't a Korean folktale. I’d read almost all of those when I was a kid.
If I haven't heard of it, it must be from overseas... and probably one that isn't incredibly famous.
A work that had reached the status of a "masterpiece" without being globally renowned. The criteria for a masterpiece are objective, yet the subjective evaluation varies by country.
That was likely the case for [The Frog Princess].
For now, there's nothing I can do but wait.
I had already experienced this once in [Chunhyangjeon]. Concept-type Gates based on classic masterpieces put you in total isolation until roles are assigned.
The upside was that you could use this time to warm up or test your abilities freely. But after doing it a few times, it lost its meaning as it lacked practical combat value.
If Kim Min-su were here, I could’ve at least used him as a punching bag.
Tsk.
As I sat there, wasting time and smacking my lips in boredom, a new message window finally appeared.
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[Fixed Role] Third Prince, the youngest, Ivan – Role assignment complete.
[Fixed Role] The Frog Princess, Vasilisa – Role assignment complete.
King and Queen – Stand-in replacements complete.
Second Prince – Role assignment complete.
The Second Prince’s Bride – Stand-in replacement complete.
The First Prince’s Bride – Role assignment complete.
First Prince – Role assignment complete.
All character roles required for the Classic Masterpiece [The Frog Princess] have been assigned.
The Classic Masterpiece [The Frog Princess] has various endings. The Gate will be considered cleared regardless of who reaches an ending.
Be faithful to your role and achieve the best ending possible!
Now, entering the story.
Whoosh!
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It’s starting.
A brilliant light erupted beneath my feet, and a new world came into view beyond the radiance.
It was time to live the life of the First Prince, Baek Tae-yang.
++++++++++++++++++++++++
Ba-ba-ba-baaaam! Ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-baaaam! Bam! Ba-ba-ba-baaaam!
As the bright light faded, the blaring sound of trumpets jolted my senses.
Boom. Boom. Boom. Boom.
It wasn't just trumpets; there were drums and even tubas. Listening closely, it sounded like they were playing some sort of march or royal procession theme.
Where am I?
A red carpet stretched across the floor, and ornate chandeliers hung from the ceiling. Heavily armed knights stood in two rows, facing each other.
And at the far end, a throne.
Inside a castle... specifically, a place where a king would be...
Was I in the audience chamber?
Indeed, a man with a long white beard sat on the throne, wearing a jovial smile. He was likely the King.
Beside him was a chair slightly less ornate than the throne. Naturally, a woman who appeared to be the Queen was seated there.
Next to me... two others in the same attire as mine. Okay, I think I understand the situation.
I wasn't sure what was happening yet, but it was clearly a gathering for the King and his three children. The role assignment had mentioned three princes, and there were exactly three of us here.
Since the fixed role for the third prince is Ivan, that must be Kim Min-su... and the second prince is Baelson.
And the story of [The Frog Princess] would revolve around the third prince.
Just as I finished my immediate deductions, the King spoke up at the perfect moment.
"The time has come for you all to marry."
"Sniff... sob... To think you're already at that age... to leave your mother's embrace for other women..."
"Haha, there is no need to be so heartbroken. We shall soon see our grandchildren, will we not?"
"...You are right, Your Majesty... hic..."
The Queen seemed to truly love her children. To weep so sorrowfully just at the mention of them being of age to marry—I couldn't tell if this would be a help or a hindrance.
"Princes, take up your bows."
"""Yes, Father!"""
As soon as the King finished speaking, knights presented bows they had prepared in advance.
As I stood up to receive mine, I glanced to my side. Kim Min-su and Baelson must have been thinking the same thing, as our eyes met.
Confirming my suspicions, we quickly exchanged looks.
'Anyone seen the ladies?'
'I've been here since I opened my eyes.'
'Same here. Looks like we were separated because of the role assignments.'
As we gripped our respective bows, we continued to exchange silent signals. We judged that if we didn't communicate now, we might not get another chance.
In a situation where we didn't know the story, having a long, out-of-character conversation could be risky. No one knew what kind of butterfly effect it might trigger.
'Anyone read The Frog Princess?'
'Never heard of it. It's not from our region...'
'Me neither. For now, um... shouldn't finding the ladies be our priority?'
I decided to ignore Kim Min-su’s gaze. I might have listened if he were being helpful, but he’d been obsessed with women since the moment we arrived.
We couldn't spend all day exchanging looks, so I gripped my bow to keep the story moving. There was nothing special about the bow; it seemed to be made of ordinary wood. It didn't appear to possess any special magical properties.
The moment the King saw us holding our bows, he spoke again, as if following a script.
"Listen, Princes. As I said, you have reached the age of marriage. Shoot your arrows wherever you wish, and go to the place where your arrow lands to take your bride."
It was clearly a line to trigger the plot.
So that's how the story goes.
Three princes. Three brides.
There was a similar story back home.
I assumed it would follow a similar format. Old classics tended to share common narrative structures.
"Yes, I understa—"
"I cannot do that!"
I was about to follow the King's lead and go along with the story, but Kim Min-su cut in. He rejected the royal command with a remarkably determined look and a resolute tone.
For a second, I thought the guy had realized something profound. He was the protagonist, after all; I wondered if he was finally showing some brilliance.
"I have ladies waiting for m—Gack!"
Of course.
I was an idiot for expecting anything from Kim Min-su.
Before he could continue his nonsense, I spun around and delivered a sharp kick to his shin. It was a low kick so clean and perfect it could have been in a textbook.
As Kim Min-su collapsed to the floor, I immediately drew my bowstring to avoid suspicion.
"Do not even think of defying the King's command! This is our destiny and the path we must walk! Get a hold of yourself, Ivan! How long do you intend to act like a child?"
It was a desperate attempt to keep the situation moving and prevent Kim Min-su's behavior from being scrutinized.
And one more thing.
I intentionally loosened my grip on the string and fired the arrow with very little force.
The King hadn't specified where to shoot; he just told us to shoot. In this audience chamber, there was nowhere for an arrow to go except through the windows.
Which means the landing spots are already predetermined.
Whizzzzzz!
Thwack!!
As if to prove my point, the arrow I fired soared toward the ceiling regardless of my aim, smashed through a window, and vanished.
"The First Prince's arrow has landed at the house of a nobleman!"
"Ho ho! It seems you shall have a very fine match."
"Thank you, Father."
The servant announced where the arrow landed, the King gave his assessment, and I gave my reply.
I guess we're repeating this two more times.
The real story would likely begin after this.
"The Second Prince's arrow has landed at the house of a merchant!"
"Ho ho... Excellent. This kingdom shall grow even wealthier."
"Thank you, Father."
After Baelson fired his arrow, only Kim Min-su remained.
Is he going to hit a frog?
Looking at the Gate messages, the only ones with names were the Third Prince and his wife. It was a typical classic tale where the main couple does everything while everyone else is a total extra.
Twang!
The arrow Kim Min-su fired left the bowstring pathetically.
"The Third Prince's arrow has fallen into the marsh!"
"Ho ho... My third son, you truly are an unpredictable one."
"...Uh... yeah, I guess so...? I mean, uh... yes, Your Majesty."
Once the landing spots for everyone's arrows were determined, the King rose from his seat.
"Each of you, go to where your arrow landed and bring back your bride. Then, return to me. I shall have a grand wedding feast prepared."
Thud!
With those final words, we were practically ushered out of the audience chamber.
"For now, let's just follow the story. Our information is too limited right now."
"I agree. Let's do that."
"Baek Tae-yang, why did you hit me earlier? You basically ruined my noble chastity—"
"Shut up."
After shutting Min-su up, we immediately went our separate ways.
A nobleman's house, huh.
I never thought I'd be getting married inside a novel.
While I felt it was unavoidable, a part of me was actually looking forward to it.
If things go well, I might be able to kill two birds with one stone.
Maybe I’ll even get to hear someone call me "hubby."