Chapter 52
From long, long ages ago—long enough that even dragons no longer remembered it—the continent had spoken a single language.
But of course, languages naturally take on regional and ethnic flavors, so their origins could hardly be the same.
Among them, the most alien was the demon language.
It could be read in the continental tongue, but its bizarre forms could never be interpreted as continental language.
A chaotic shape, as though a mischievous devil had cackled while searing a turtle shell with fire.
That was why demon language—maeo, a scholarly term with an awkward sound and little everyday use—was not a particularly popular field of study.
Yet there is always some fool who, upon seeing the blue traces in a riverbed dried to a brittle husk, runs off shouting that it's a blue ocean.
The Republic's foremost scholar of demon language, and an authority in demon linguistics.
That was precisely Sordinang.
Of course, he had no regrets about choosing his major.
Like most who choose to major in the humanities, he was also a madman.
So much so that he would even buy and read a collected volume of serialized novels published in the Empire instead of simply reading domestic fiction.
And then he.
“Oh, ooooh──!”
Shivered.
A demon language found only in fragments in very ancient legends.
Among them were especially the 'set phrases'—expressions whose meanings survived while their origins could no longer be traced.
Samgochoryeo, to sincerely seek someone out and invite them into service.
Peach Garden Oath, for like-minded people to gather and move together.
Su-eojigyo, a friendship as close as water and fish.
Every one of those meanings, in perfect coherence.
Appeared in the Empire's novel 'Two Heroes.'
The way they were quoted in exactly the right places and shone so brightly that it felt as though they had truly originated in a scene from the novel.
Even in the latest installment, as the story moved on to Wu.
Gwalmok-sangdae. To look at someone in a new light──
Even that was properly woven in, borrowing the anecdote of Lü Meng and Lu Su.
It was too persuasive to be the imagination of a single person.
No matter how often such expressions are used in everyday life, it would be impossible to arrive at such a correct interpretation without a deep understanding of demon linguistics.
It had only recently been established in academic circles that the 'peach' 桃 in the Peach Garden Oath actually meant peach.
Then how could some mere novelist have known that and created a story beneath the peach trees?
It was obvious.
This guy is a genius of Maeo studies.
‘麴窮盡膵 死而後已’.
‘勿令妄動 靜重如山’ and several other difficult academic riddles.
Not only the literal interpretation of the characters, but even the meanings passed down with them were obscure; there would surely be much to discuss.
He happily picked up his pen and dashed off a letter.
* * *
“Kim Yul. A letter has arrived.”
“Who is it?”
“It's from overseas—Professor Sordinang from the Maeo research lab in the Graduate School of Language and Literature at the Republic's No. 1 University said that──”
“Kieeeek!!!”
I usually only use one exclamation point!
But just now, no fewer than three burst out of my mouth!
A university, and a professor!
One look is enough to know!
Again, they'll whisper 'you've got talent' like a devil, lock you in grad school, and make you churn out papers; if you don't, they'll work you like a dog—first tell you to get ready to drive because there's a dinner tonight, then ask you to scout out a decent bar nearby for entertaining people because there's a field trip coming up, and then ask when you're getting married──
“Please calm down, Kim Yul.”
“Mm.”
Thanks to Historie holding me back.
I was finally able to shake off my PTSD.
“Shred it immediately.”
“Understood.”
Buuung── dreuk-dreuk── gagagak──
The sound of the shredder gave peace to my screaming soul.
Mm-mm.
Still, the sound of things being shredded is pleasant to hear.
So long as it's not my spine.
.
.
.
Though a minor incident had sent my heart and sanity crashing down, I quickly got over it and returned to my main work.
The Battle of Red Cliffs was steadily being reborn as a web novel.
After briskly writing the part where Huang Gai personally embodied the Thirty-Six Stratagems' sacrificial gambit and made a straight-up panic run to Cao Cao's camp.
“Phew.”
With a blank page open on my laptop screen,
I organized my thoughts while reading historical records of the Imjin War and the official memoir, Nanjung Ilgi.
By the way.
Speaking of panic runs, I was newly struck by awe at Runjo, the fastest lord's 5G-class mobility.
An adult's average walking speed is 4 to 5 km/h.
And yet Yi Yeon, born with a talent for all-out escapes, managed to cover 40 km a day—nonstop, one after another—on a country-crossing march.
Even the famous VTuber Voldarong, whom I used to enjoy watching in my past life, once went on a country-crossing trek, and their broadcast blew up and crashed and burned that very day. That's how terrifying a country-crossing march is!
Seeing that, I suddenly felt just how amazing the fastest lord was, having sprinted all the way from Hanseong to Uiju......
I worship you...... truly, a benevolent deity......
“Looks like you're having trouble writing because you're full of stray thoughts.”
“I guess so, a bit......”
Thanks to the cutting-edge AI tin can, Kkangtong-i, my thoughts were once again read perfectly today.
“Indeed...... at this rate, you'll get roasted.”
Literally.
Even if I wrote a novel by calmly listing only historical facts,
it would be exactly the sort of thing that gets people cursing at it.
The problem isn't whether it's entertaining.
Of course, an angst-filled section would inevitably have to be in the middle, but with the power of Skip I could get through it quickly.
The problem was one thing.
“It's even more fantasy than fantasy.”
“Right.”
Even I thought it was at a level that made no sense.
Overall record: 23 matches, 23 wins, 0 losses.
Even by KDA, he's a 99.9-rated man of substance.
And during all 23 sea battles, he didn't lose a single ship?
I may not be a navy expert,
and since I've never been here to look at the sea, I don't even know if this world has a navy.
If anyone involved saw this, rather than shouting 'Whoa! That's freaking awesome!' they'd probably yell that this makes no damn sense and hurl my novel straight into the fireplace.
If I were them, I'd do the same.
As for General Yi Sun-sin's battle scenes?
Well, there weren't even that many ways to ramble on, like saying a preheated shell fired from the port-side main gun bent the Japanese pirates' waists like bows, or anything like that.
In fact.
I came, I saw, I conquered!
That was the only summary it could come down to.
A battle scene only tastes good if the enemy has to struggle; this was just a one-sided beating.
So the question was.
“How do I make it hype?”
“The narrative of a hero saving the nation right before it falls is already powerful, isn't it?”
“But if you're not careful, it can easily turn into, 'With just this one thing, he beats every general you people stan.'”
“That's true too.”
Come to think of it, the original history was so overpowered that it felt hard to write.
Putting a great hero onto the page was such a weighty task.
* * *
A wandering lamb.
In the end, Kim Yul couldn't solve the problem on his own.
Instead, to relieve the stiffness in his lower back, the ache in his wrists, and the throbbing in his head,
the paragon of divine-power pouches, a walking human IV drip,
he went to see Roseline.
“Oh my, Writer-nim!”
Roseline greeted Kim Yul warmly as always with her bright smile.
Of course, there is no such thing as a free lunch.
“Wooooow......! It's so thick!”
“I worked hard on it.”
“Please tell Miss Historie thank you too!”
Taking up a masterpiece by Jane Austen that tells the love story of Emma Woodhouse and Mr. George Knightley, Roseline diligently drew out all the fatigue piled up throughout Kim Yul's body.
Given that even imperial nobles were taking numbered tickets and lining up, yet nobody had managed to receive Roseline's divine power,
just clicking out a romance novel and offering it up could be called a very cheap price.
With a holy smile blooming at the corners of her lips, Roseline carefully stored the bundle of paper in a reliquary as though it were a treasure.
“Writer-nim, do you have time today?”
“Huh?”
“If you're done with the manuscript, would you like to go out with me for a bit?”
“Hmm......”
Kim Yul hesitated for a moment,
but he had no good reason or justification to refuse.
Since he'd previously run into a minor problem while looking into a place to move to, maybe this was just to follow up on that.
Kim Yul had thought as much.
But a little while later,
the place Kim Yul arrived at was a little different from what he had expected.
“A play?”
“Yes! You've never seen one before, right?”
“Hmm......”
Kim Yul didn't bother shattering Roseline's fantasy.
Of course, before the trip, he had frequented small theaters quite a bit.
Of course, after being sickened by that bizarre, unheard-of culture of watching corpses, and then being hit by the added bad luck of grad school, he hadn't stepped into one for several years.
Kim Yul had even gone all the way to Japan to see it in person—the legendary masterpiece, the forbidden song Bungok Dance, which should never have appeared even once in a century.
For that reason.
He swallowed his disappointment in silence.
The novel itself already had plenty of things to complain about—could plays or musicals really keep up with modern Earth?
“It'll be really fun! It's good for a change of pace, too.”
“I see.”
Still, well.
The saint was recommending it this strongly.
If he went and enjoyed it, at least he'd feel better inside.
Kim Yul had thought that.
.
.
.
“Take this! My holy sword, Fire Sword!”
“Hwaaaah! Damn it, what the hell kind of power is that!”
The ultimate evolution tree of the high-tier fantasy school.
Until I saw the magical play for myself.
Nothing at all got through to me.
The vivid staging of the holy sword, as if real flames were roaring from it, and the realistic makeup captivated Kim Yul.
And the moment the sword was slammed down, hot flames shot up from the earth,
and from the demon king's gaping mouth burst an ice breath so refreshing it could make even viewers feel cool.
“That is...... what on earth......?”
“That's magic too, you know? Hmm, I don't like the direction this is going. The kidnapped princess has completely vanished into the background...... sigh......”
Trying hard to ignore the flames in Roseline's eyes blazing even fiercer than the effects, Kim Yul forced his gaze back to the front.
The lead actors.
Behind the demon king and the hero performing brilliantly,
a battle between monsters and holy knights hovered there like a hologram, not as polished or sleek as modern CG but still rather thrilling.
Like an SSR card from 'Hero Assembly.'
Come to think of it,
if you could permanently embed AR-style effects into cards, then of course they'd be usable on a theater stage like this too.
A large-scale naval battle with plenty of impact, too.
And the turtle ship, too……!
The moment the original novel was published,
if they filled the highlights with a play and sent it viral?
Kim Yul's head went off like a firework.