✦ Chapter 34 – Xiang Yu (5) ✦
「Translator – Creator」
𒋝𒋝𒋝𒋝𒋝
“Here it is, Your Highness. A model sword crafted by the finest artisan to replicate Xiang Yu’s Dragon Heaven Blade.”
“Oh, wonderful! Well done, Bernhardt!”
A spacious room in the lavishly decorated imperial palace.
A black-haired boy received the toy presented by a bear-like subordinate.
Smiling brightly, the boy then spoke in a somewhat serious tone, requesting a status report.
“How is the ongoing Mana Swordsman Training Project? Is it progressing smoothly?”
“Of course, Your Highness. We haven’t perfectly replicated the martial arts from <Farewell My Concubine> yet, but we’ve established the basic concept of a military unit that combines magic and swordsmanship.”
“Good work! And don’t worry about the funding for the project! I, Wolfgang, the Imperial Prince, will persuade Father to continue investing!”
“As you command. I’ll take my leave.”
The burly subordinate excused himself with a polite bow.
Left alone, the black-haired boy, Prince Wolfgang von Clausewitz, picked up the toy with an excited expression.
“Zhang Han, general of the Qin Dynasty! Come forth and receive the Sword of the Hegemon-King!”
This specially made replica, commissioned with all his allowance, was inspired by his obsession with <Farewell My Concubine>.
He was delighted with its meticulous details, identical to Xiang Yu’s sword.
Observing the prince, the Imperial Princess, who’d been reading at a nearby table, reprimanded him.
“Wolfgang, are you skipping your lessons again to play Hegemon-King? Father will be angry if he finds out.”
“Ugh, Sister. Please don’t tell on me…”
“Heehee.”
She smiled gently, looking at her brother’s pleading eyes.
Despite their significant age difference, the two siblings shared a deep bond.
Shortly after Wolfgang’s birth, their mother, the Empress, had passed away from illness. Naturally, Diana, as the elder sister, had taken on the role of Wolfgang’s mother.
And that is why, Wolfgang respected and revered his sister as another parent.
“You like Xiang Yu that much, Wolfgang? To the extent you imitate that elf all day? You weren’t this obsessed when Phantom’s other works came out.”
“Of course! He’s the greatest hero, Sister!”
Wolfgang nodded excitedly in response to Diana’s question.
The 12-year-old boy raised his toy sword, swinging it around as he declared:
“Behold! This is the might that uproots mountains and overturns the world! The valor of the Hegemon-King that challenges all! Who dares to stand in Xiang Yu’s way!”
“Behold” (何如)— Xiang Yu’s catchphrase from <Farewell My Concubine>.
A phrase that perfectly captured his arrogant nature, despite always being at the forefront of battle.
Diana smiled enigmatically, watching her brother impersonate his hero with such gusto.
“Well, I’m not so sure, Sister. Do you really think Xiang Yu will be the final victor?”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
“What do I mean? We both know Phantom’s work, don’t we?”
Flip!
The princess turned the page, accompanying her rebuke with a gesture.
It was a first edition of <Dialogue>, which she’d read countless times since its publication.
Diana, her gaze lingering on the inscription “Know Thyself” on the cover, added quietly—
“Every human action is driven by motivation, Wolfgang. Everyone carves their own path in the world with their own unique reasons.”
The same was true for all the “heroic” protagonists in Phantom’s plays.
Admiral Lee’s driving force was his noble loyalty and unwavering belief in serving his country and its people.
Caesar’s driving force was his personal ambition and sense of noblesse oblige.
Moses’ driving force was his unwavering faith and duty to save his people.
“But what about Xiang Yu? What motivates him?”
“Uh, um… a sense of justice?”
“Rage. And vengeance, Wolfgang.”
Rage against the Qin Dynasty who stole his homeland, vengeance against the enemies who murdered his uncle Xiang Liang, and the blade aimed at those who dared to defy him — that was the most crucial difference between Xiang Yu and all the previous protagonists.
And to Diana, this difference didn’t feel like a mere coincidence.
“Xiang Yu will never be the ultimate victor, Wolfgang. His own nature will be his undoing, leading him to commit grave mistakes and collapse under his own weight.”
“N-Nonsense! Xiang Yu cannot be defeated! He’s an unparalleled hero who brought a million soldiers to their knees!”
“Oh? Then how about we make a bet? The premiere date for the second part has just been announced.”
Diana rested her chin on her hand, watching her brother’s outburst with amusement.
She glanced at his collection, proposing—
“If Xiang Yu wins, I’ll give you the most precious items from my collection. But if he loses, I get to take some of yours. What do you say?”
Both Wolfgang and Diana had inherited a collector’s instinct.
After becoming avid fans of Phantom, they’d eagerly amassed related collectibles.
This inevitably led to competition between them for unique items.
Wolfgang, his face brimming with confidence, responded—
“Oh my! So you’re a Liu Bang supporter, Sister? Fine! Let’s make a bet! Don’t come crying to me when you regret it!”
“Heehee, alright, alright.”
And so, Prince Wolfgang, believing in the rise of the Xiang Yu coin, invested all in.
…Unaware of the impending crash looming in the future.
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A few days later…
The performance of the first part of <Farewell My Concubine> in Geloroushina was halted , and a poster for the second part was put up in its place.
Like before, it was a captivating watercolor painting featuring the hero, Xiang Yu.
However, the catchphrase for the play had changed completely.
While the first part’s catchphrase had been ‘Unparalleled Heroism, Strength to Uproot Mountains, Might to Shake the World’…
…The second part’s catchphrase was ‘Masangdeukji Masangchiji’.
“One can conquer the world from horseback, but one cannot rule the world from horseback?”
A man tilted his head, puzzled, as he read the translation below the Elvish script.
“What does that even mean? It’s cryptic, like a riddle.”
“Eh, we’ll find out once we’re inside. Let’s hurry in, I’m curious to see what happens to Xiang Yu.”
The audience entered the theater, murmuring among themselves.
They chatted excitedly, eager to witness Xiang Yu’s legendary feats once again.
…And behind the curtain, Rosalyn gulped nervously, eavesdropping on their conversations.
“Are you nervous, Rosalyn?”
“Mmm, a little.”
Senior Rosalyn turned to me, flashing a shy smile. I was dressed as Xiang Yu.
She was wearing the costume of Consort Yu, the other main character in the second part.
Perhaps it was because Consort Yu’s character design had been heavily based on Rosalyn… but the delicate, elegant costume suited her surprisingly well.
It felt as if the real Consort Yu, a legendary beauty from history, was standing before me, not just my senior.
“But it’s okay. We’ve practiced a lot.”
“……….…”
She said it was okay, but I could tell she was still nervous. It was her first time on stage.
I’d gone through a similar phase when I’d impulsively accepted the role of Xiang Yu, tempted by the promise of an A+ grade.
So, I reached out and took her hand.
“Hm? Balthazar?”
“Just stay still for a moment.”
“Eep?!”
Rosalyn flinched, her shoulders tensing. A healthy flush spread across her cheeks, turning them cherry red.
…Of course, I wasn’t doing anything inappropriate.
I was simply applying pressure to certain points on her palm to relieve her nerve tension.
After a while…
“How do you feel? Is the stiffness gone?”
“…Yes, I feel much better. Where did you learn such a useful technique, Balthazar?”
“Oh, well… my family has a martial arts background. It’s a sort of first-aid technique my father taught me.”
“First-aid? Balthazar, you know so many interesting things!”
That was a lie. It was just acupressure, something I’d picked up as a Korean familiar with traditional medicine.
I’d learned it for fun, but it turned out to be surprisingly useful.
“Well, you’ve always been very knowledgeable. You know so many obscure facts and have unique perspectives that other people don’t.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Sometimes, it’s like you’re not from this world. Like you wandered in from some completely different realm.”
Gulp.
Senior Rosalyn’s words were casual, but for a moment, I nearly flinched.
After all, my inner self was a blend of Ha Eun-seong from my past life and Balthazar from my current life.
“Does it make you uncomfortable, then? Because I come off as a bit strange?”
Rosalyn shook her head at my teasing question.
Her lips curved into a gentle, beautiful crescent moon smile.
“Not at all. In fact, it makes you more intriguing. I’m genuinely glad to be with someone like you, Balthazar.”
“I-Is that so?”
Man, even if she doesn’t mean anything by it, it’s a bit embarrassing.
Oh, Rosalyn… so innocent and pure. It was endearing, but she was completely oblivious to her captivating beauty.
Just then, the stage manager’s call came from the side.
“Alright, we’re starting the performance! When I count down from ten, rip through the poster and run out!”
In response, I extended my hand as if escorting her.
“Shall we go, my Yu Ji?”
“Heehee, yes.”
Matching my gesture, senior Rosalyn radiated a smile as bright as a summer rose’s bloom.
Her emerald eyes glittered as she looked at me, and she answered sweetly.
“Let’s go, my Hegemon-King.”
As we prepared to step out together like a pair of lovers,
“Oh, by the way, did you receive the revised script notes, senior?”
“Revised script notes? Yeah, I got it. Why?”
“Oh, no reason.”
…But did she really get it? She didn’t seem to know what I was talking about.
The script for the second part had undergone several minor revisions for greater impact.
The core plot remained unchanged, but the direction and romance elements were constantly refined.
After the final rehearsal, just before the opening, there was one last-minute revision…but Rosalyn had been meeting with her father and had missed the discussion.
And, crucially, the scene involving Xiang Yu and Yu Ji that was added…
“Um, senior? Are you sure you got the revised script notes? There was one more—”
“Three, two, one! Start now! Actors, get in position!”
But there was no time to ask further.
The grand music began, and the curtain rose on the second part of <Farewell My Concubine>.
✧❅✦❅✧
Boom boom boom—!!
[Against the crashing waves, the boiling blood in my chest burns hotter than the crimson sun~♬]
[Iron-like courage, steel-like bones, grand ambitions in my chest, eyes shining across a thousand miles~♫]
The theme song of <Farewell My Concubine> played, performed by the Elven acrobatic troupe before the start of the performance.
The audience hummed along to the upbeat melody, bursting into laughter.
This was because, during the first part of <Farewell My Concubine>, the ‘protagonist’ would make a majestic entrance by tearing through the central painting in tandem with the music.
“Haha, it’s finally starting!”
“Come on out, Xiang Yu! Show us your amazing martial arts again!”
The audience cheered, eagerly anticipating the appearance of the Hegemon-King of Western Chu.
And as if in response to their calls, someone ripped through the watercolor painting and leaped onto the stage.
…But it wasn’t Xiang Yu.
[Hahaha! Did you all expect Xiang Yu to make an appearance?]
The son of the Red Emperor, clad in a crimson uniform and mantle.
Liu Bang, Xiang Yu’s arch-rival, appeared, wearing a smug grin.
[Hegemon-King of Western Chu! Surely you haven’t forgotten your sworn brother, Elder Liu Bang, have you?]
Shing!
The actor playing Liu Bang drew his sword, slicing through a giant white serpent.
[Rising from the humiliation of the Feast at Hong Gate, King Liu Bang has returned! Let us contend for the hegemony of the realm once more, hahaha!]
✧❅✦❅✧
Liu Bang of Han made a dramatic comeback to vie for the world, his momentum unmatched at the outset.
However, despite his initial vigor, his achievements were less than impressive.
A vast number of troops dissatisfied with Xiang Yu flocked to Liu Bang’s side.
They managed to temporarily seize the capital of Chu, Pengcheng, using the overwhelming numbers of the coalition force…
…only to be shattered to pieces by a mere detachment led by a returning Xiang Yu.
[Liu Bang! You dare to challenge me—!!]
Xiang Yu’s roars filled the battlefield as he cut down Lord Sima Ang of Yin and Lord Xin of Hainan one after another.
The Battle of Pengcheng shocked the world as Xiang Yu decimated an enemy force of 560,000 with a mere 30,000 of his own troops.
A battle that defied all common sense and military strategy… marked the opening of the second part of <Farewell My Concubine>.
“Hahaha! I knew it! Run away, coward Liu Bang!”
“The outcome was obvious from the start! How could a mere king like him challenge the Hegemon-King?”
“Chase him down and crush him, Xiang Yu! Show him the consequences of defying the Hegemon-King!”
Liu Bang fled, abandoning his family, subordinates, and everything else.
The majority of the audience roared with laughter at his pathetic display.
Meanwhile, the few fans of Liu Bang swallowed their tears and cried out in despair.
“Ugh, King Liu Bang! I thought he’d accomplish something after that impressive entrance…!”
“Aaargh! What was that?! I had high hopes! Author Phantom, please buff King Liu Bang—!!”
Regardless, the Battle of Pengcheng ended in a decisive victory for Xiang Yu, the Hegemon-King of Western Chu.
Out of the 560,000, a total of 100,000 died in the fierce battle, and 200,000 were taken prisoner by Chu’s forces.
Seeing this overwhelming victory, the audience was convinced that Xiang Yu would dominantly seize the world just as he did in the first part.
…But then, the story took an unexpected turn.
[I’ve fought day and night to annihilate the wicked Qin and restore the ancient order of the World Tree. And you dare to rebel against this Hegemon-King, deceived by Liu Bang’s silver tongue?]
Xiang Yu, seated on the golden throne of Chu, attired in dragon scale armor and wielding the Dragon Heaven Sword, attended to state affairs.
Furrowing his brow with his characteristic arrogance, he suddenly issued an unimaginable decree — an event that had been briefly omitted in the first part by Phantom’s creative discretion, the infamous Massacre of Xin’an.
He commanded, verbatim—
[General Long Zhe. Bury all 200,000 allied prisoners alive. There will be no mercy for those who disrupt Xiang Yu’s order.]
“What, what, what, what did you just say?!”
“B-Bury the prisoners alive? All 200,000 of them?!”
The audience was aghast at the Hegemon-King’s command, their eyes wide, voices stumbling.
Of course, the slaughtering of prisoners was not unheard of in the medieval fantasy context of this world.
In an era where human rights consciousness was relatively lacking, and the value of a person’s life was perceived as low, such brutal acts were not uncommon.
But even so… ordering the live burial of 200,000 innocent soldiers was an act that defied all reason.
Even the characters in <Farewell My Concubine> agreed.
[Hegemon-King! Please reconsider! You cannot commit such a heinous crime—!!]
Fan Zeng, Xiang Yu’s lord and mentor, clung to his robes, pleading with a horrified expression.
[We rose up in arms to destroy the evil of the Qin and save the people! If you kill them all, everything we’ve accomplished will be for naught! This is not befitting of the Hegemon-King!]
[Let go, Uncle! What do you mean, not befitting of me?!]
But Xiang Yu brushed off his mentor’s plea, as if annoyed.
Then, he turned to the audience, his face contorted with rage, and bellowed—
[I crushed my enemies with my sword and established peace centered around Chu! So, I will respond to those who dare to defy the natural order with my sword as well!]
[Hegemon-King! This is too much! Perhaps for King Liu Bang and his generals, but these are innocent soldiers!]
[Innocent soldiers? Don’t make me laugh! Those who oppose Xiang Yu’s order are no different from the Qin, they are evil! This is the most befitting decision for me, so say no more, Uncle!]
The atmosphere of the play had shifted 180 degrees.
The audience, unable to keep up with the sudden change, were dumbfounded.
In front of them, the actor playing Fan Zeng recited a monologue, filled with dismay—
[Alas! It’s the Heart Demon! Oh, foolish Fan Zeng! How could I have missed the Hegemon-King falling into the Slaughter Calamity?!]
“H-Heart Demon? Slaughter Calamity?”
“What? What are those?”
[The Heart Demon and the Slaughter Calamity! What are they?!]
The narrator appeared, explaining the martial arts concepts to the confused audience.
The Heart Demon was a manifestation of the darkness deep within the heart, gaining immense power.
The Slaughter Calamity was the accumulation of cruel karma through indiscriminate killing, leading to increasingly ruthless and evil acts.
The audience’s faces turned pale as they listened.
“S-So, you’re saying…”
“…He’s become corrupted without even realizing it, because he relied too much on violence?”
Tales of heroes succumbing to the devil’s temptations and falling from grace were common in this world, similar to Christian narratives.
The audience could easily grasp the metaphorical meaning of the situation.
Xiang Yu, the Hegemon-King of Western Chu, who had appeared as a hero vanquishing the demonic Qin in the first part…
…Had now transformed into a tyrant, no different from Qin Shi Huang, in the second part.
— End of Chapter —
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