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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 7
Chapter Title: The Magic of Recording
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I sat on a sofa placed a suitable distance from the stage and set the recording device down beside me.
The playwright, who had scurried over to my side, began to explain the play he had prepared.
“This time, I've prepared a love story between the wizard of the century and a commoner girl.”
Oh, nice. I like these kinds of Cinderella stories. A cliché is delicious in its own right.
“The public perception of wizards isn't very good these days, so I was considering scrapping it… Will that be alright?”
The playwright, Pitol, fidgeted as he watched my reaction. I thought about wizards.
Wizards. Those born with magical power, hailed for their very existence in this world. Their magic always drew people's attention and earned their reverence.
Wizards were arrogant. They themselves knew best how extraordinary they were. They constantly sought to climb higher, wanting everyone to know of their greatness.
To control the wizards, the imperial family spread malicious rumors about them.
People gradually began to shun wizards.
The wizards felt it was unfair. What they had wanted was respect and power, not fear.
They began to fight for themselves.
It was an inevitable step for the wizards and the Emperor to clash in a power struggle.
Even now, knights and soldiers from the imperial palace were often dispatched to suppress wizards and bandits.
Eventually, it even escalated to a riot. It was a battle of such a large scale that even Ryan was sent out, and as the male lead, he showcased his skills and achieved great distinction.
Of course, his swordsmanship was exceptional, but the decisive reason he could win the battle was thanks to a magic tool.
He had seized victory by using a magic tool that could transport items and a storage space that could hold anything, allowing him to move food and weapons without any trouble.
It could also be said that the power of the wizards, who ultimately knelt before the imperial family, had been stronger.
There was one strange thing I noticed when reading this part.
Since it was the first battle, it was an important scene, so I even remembered the exact sentences.
[This battle was Ryan’s first against the wizards. He told Reshuan to be careful, his feet heavy as he departed.]
The number of wizards isn't small. Considering all the wizards scattered about, there must be several thousand.
There's no way all of them would have lived obediently according to the Emperor's orders...
So how could Ryan have never fought a wizard before? Why was that?
It was a well-known fact that the Emperor, Kies, went into battle himself.
Why didn't he send Ryan?
While his willingness to risk danger as an emperor earned people's reverence, to me, it was an unsolved mystery.
Because Kies wasn't the kind of virtuous ruler who would risk his own life to protect his people.
“Perhaps we should change it to something else...”
Pitol was sweating bullets. Finally snapping out of my thoughts, I shook my head.
“I don't mind, so just proceed.”
It's not like I have a grudge against wizards. What's important is the content of the script. Pitol was the most popular playwright these days, so I intended to respect his story as much as possible.
Even I found his stories entertaining.
He knows how to balance frustration and satisfaction.
In my opinion, Pitol had an undeniable talent for sensational dramas.
“Th-thank you!”
Pitol's face brightened. He looked as if he'd met his savior.
“And give some thought to what I mentioned before.”
I subtly dangled the bait about the sensational drama I had mentioned to Pitol before.
The stories here are just too cliché.
“Yes, yes. Of course.”
And Pitol took the bait. With a beaming face!
Good, everything is going according to plan.
Pitol bounced excitedly back to the stage. Everyone was waiting for me to speak.
Being the center of attention for so many people is making me nervous.
Clearing my throat to compose myself, I pointed to the recording device and began to speak.
“The reason I've gathered you all here is to inform you that today's play will be recorded.”
“…Pardon?”
“…Pardon?”
Everyone looked dumbfounded. They probably didn't understand the concept of recording.
“…Did you say 'recording'?”
The first to speak was the male lead of this play and currently the most popular actor among the young ladies, Lidro.
His hazel eyes, visible between strands of well-groomed red hair, were beautiful. As befitting someone who performed for nobles, he was handsome.
The moment I saw his face, I realized something new.
…The last time I saw him, Lidro was so handsome it was dazzling.
He's still handsome now...
But sadly, his handsomeness didn't feel as impactful as before.
Darcy has raised my standards for beauty too high.
“Could you please explain what you mean?”
Lidro asked politely. It was time to explain the magic tool.
I first took a deep breath and widened my eyes. First impressions were crucial if I wanted to continue doing business with these actors.
I crafted a moderate smile—not as wicked as the Marso of rumors, but not too soft either. Smiling was familiar to me. Not many people approach someone with a blank expression.
“I'm going to capture the play as it happens inside this magic tool.”
“Capture the play…”
“Showing you directly would be the best way.”
I picked up the magic tool and rose from my seat.
I held the magic tool out in front of them.
“I plan to use this magic tool to record it and watch it by myself. That's why I've raised the contract fee to ten times the usual amount.”
Actors' earnings depend on the success of each play. It's a system that forces them to rely on an unstable income.
Since I had no intention of making them repeat the play over and over, I decided to add a lot more money to their usual salary. I would be providing a contract fee for each play, so it would be quite lucrative.
“First, let's start recording.”
For the people here, the very act of recording a play would be a new experience. A thorough explanation was needed first.
Moreover, since people have a strange aversion to magic tools, I needed to personally demonstrate what this one was about.
“Just act as you normally would. I'm going to capture your actions exactly as they are on this screen. I'll store it in here and then play it back.”
Pitol tensed up. He seemed nervous because it was a magic tool.
“How interesting. Should I just stay like this, then?”
Lidro, whose eyes had sparkled at my words, waved his hand in front of the magic tool. The way he spoke while looking straight at it showed he wasn't scared at all.
“Yes, that's right.”
I replied to Lidro while observing everyone's reactions.
Unexpectedly, no one showed a strong aversion to the magic tool.
After some thought, it made sense.
These were people who came here despite knowing the nasty rumors about Marso. They weren't about to show fear over mere rumors about a magic tool.
I turned on the magic tool and started recording the back of the theater.
The actors stood rooted to the spot, staring as if my actions were fascinating.
“Everyone, look here.”
I filmed the people on stage again. The actors, except for Lidro, waved with awkward expressions.
When I asked them to say something, their serious "Hello" and "Good day" greetings were rather cute.
If there was one thing they had in common, it was the look on their faces that said they had no idea what I was doing.
After finishing the recording, I had the actors on stage sit in the chairs below. I turned off the lights, just as I would when a play starts. The actors tilted their heads in confusion.
I aimed the magic tool's screen toward the stage and pointed at it.
Everyone, I will now show you a new world.
“Wait, that's…!”
“Our faces are on there!”
The actors murmured in surprise. I reassured them.
“There's no need to worry; it's a magic tool I designed and commissioned myself. To doubt this magic tool is the same as doubting me.”
At my words, the murmuring subsided. I continued my explanation of the magic tool.
“This is closer to a blessing than a curse. It's a magical object that can capture time that has passed.”
I truly believed that.
Everyone misses past times and memories. But memories wear down and change over time.
What an incredible invention, a machine that can preserve a moment exactly as it was.
I started the magic tool's playback.
The first thing that appeared was Lidro's face as he greeted the camera during the recording. His close-up face was flawless.
He was so skilled and composed in front of the camera, you could believe he was a modern actor. It made me wonder if this was what talent looked like.
“Hello!”
“Good day~”
The other actors who had greeted the magic tool were also captured perfectly.
“You have an awkward smile.”
“Look who's talking. You're as stiff as a board.”
The crowd whispered as they watched themselves on the magic tool. Seeing their own faces seemed to ease their tension.
After a brief moment of marveling at each other's appearances, they rested their chins on their hands, seemingly lost in thought as they watched themselves.
They looked like they were pondering something.
After the recorded video finished playing, I spoke.
“So, you capture what you see onto the screen inside, and then you can play it back.”
“I understand.”
“Me too. What a fascinating object.”
“I don't feel any strange energy from it...”
Even the frightened Pitol was now peering curiously at the magic tool.
The best way to eliminate fear is to touch and experience it directly.
I gave the actors a chance to look at and touch the magic tool.
“How does this work?”
“Could this really be a blessing from the gods?”
Though shocked to hear the price, everyone was eager to try using the magic tool.
Above all, the fact that they could watch their own actions again seemed to be the most appealing part.
“Alright, now it's time to see the play.”
After all the preparations were complete, I sent the actors back onto the stage.
With an audience of one, a performance solely for me began.
