Script (1)

Elise arrived at the meeting place. It was a small theater they had rented for the next two weeks. They planned to rehearse the script here and perform the play on the festival day in two weeks…

Before entering, she first pressed her ear to the door.

—This assignment was a real disaster. I mean, who the hell smashed all the desks?

—Exactly. But don't you think it gave us more discernment? Those who can't do Magic Body dropped out immediately because they couldn't stand the cold. I managed to last 23 hours.

23 hours.

For reference, Elise's record is less than 15 hours.

The urge to turn around and run away was overwhelming, but she suppressed it desperately and knocked on the door.

—Ah. Elise must be here.

"Haah...."

After taking a deep breath, she opened the door.

Inside the theater, the gazes of the six people she had personally cast were focused on her. All the contempt in their eyes was suspect, but she spoke calmly.

"Is everyone here?"

"Yeah. All six of us are here."

Wendy answered. As she spoke, she licked her lips slightly.

Why is she doing that? It's like she's mocking.

Elise walked over and sat down on a chair.

"Shall we start?"

She spoke as businesslike as possible.

She intended to limit today's topic to official matters only. Anything related to the College Board or grades was strictly off-limits.

"Huh? We're starting like this? Isn't Shion missing?"

Senior James asked. Elise asked back in a low voice.

"Why do you ask about that person?"

"Well, wasn't he the one writing the script?"

"That's right."

As she answered, she pulled out seven copies of the script from her Charment bag.

Charment is a high-end luxury brand. Not just any noble can afford it, and the company even considers the buyer's reputation and fame when selling this ultra-expensive artifact handbag.

"Shion Ascal wanted to do 'The Bard' for the play. What do you all think?"

"What? The Bard is a bit...."

"...Exactly. The Bard is not so great."

This is the normal reaction. Cultured people who have properly learned Latinel react this way. It's one of the least appreciated plays among the 23 Latinel lines, so they can't help but show their disapproval.

"He says he'll adapt it himself, but we don't have time until then. We only have two weeks until the festival."

Elise handed out the scripts one by one.

"It's 'The Cunning King'. I adapted it."

She had written it herself and even had it bound in hardcover.

[The Cunning King – Author Elise]

As she stroked the cover, Elise shrugged her shoulders with a sense of pride.

"Ah~ The Cunning King? Nice."

"It's the most comfortable to act. Because it's familiar."

The Edsilla University students chimed in. Miller and Sasha. These two were theater and film students aspiring to be actors, minoring in Latinel, so they were trustworthy.

Their cultural knowledge and wisdom were far—much deeper than Shion Ascal's.

"Right, we're acting this in Latinel, aren't we?"

"Yes. The acting is in the common language. There will be a few Latinel lines mixed in the dialogue."

The theme of the festival play is [The Popularization of Latinel], but if the performance is in Latinel, a language unknown to the public, it won't be able to attract the public's attention.

"But we don't need staff?"

College student Miller asked.

"I can pick out a few people. Those who are currently active in the industry."

The budget for this festival play set by Endex is 100,000 Ren. Of course, she could ask her mother for help, but it's also necessary to have the experience of doing it on her own.

"That's good. If there are staff who want to do it, send me the list. I'll select."

"Do we not need to pay them? I mean, they-"

"We should. I'll set it to the industry average."

Considering the cost of stage props, appearance fees, and rental fees, it's going to be very tight, but if the ticket price is appropriately set, it should be covered to some extent.

"Then..."

Elise looked around the table.

Shion Ascal is nowhere to be found here. Therefore, the invitation will naturally become her responsibility.

Of course, this wasn't the plan from the beginning.

A fair competition was rather what Elise had hoped for.

It's all because of the peculiar play, The Bard, that the bastard with a weird taste got himself into.

"Shall we start the script reading?"

Elise opened the first page of [The Cunning King]. The smell of the paper reaching her nose was fragrant.

______________________________________________________________________

Saturday afternoon at 6 o'clock, the senior-only floor of the Endex library.

[First crime scene. Please come to the alley of Geldio by 1 a.m. on Monday.]

Soliette's message is written on the shared notebook on my desk. It's the first field trip with the client.

I wrote a reply.

[Confirmed.]

Nothing after that.

It's awkwardly noticeable.

After some thought, I added a sentence.

[Are you okay?]

[I'm fine. It's my fault for trusting you. You are a betrayer.]

Soliette wrote back as if she had been waiting.

[What are you talking about. You betrayed Gerkhen Kal Doon too.]

[It was a planned betrayal. Yet you...]

The sentence that was being written roughly was cut off, and it continued in a slightly elongated handwriting.

Even that is extremely aristocratic handwriting.

[Enough. Please come to the alley of Geldio by 1 a.m. You should not write personal conversations in this shared notebook.]

Anyway, she's upset. I put the notebook in the pocket of my uniform.

I stared at the completely empty note, the very reason I came to the library, for a while.

On the day when the grueling 30-hour college board ended, I am trying to write a script.

"...Ah. Why don't I want to do it?"

But I just can't find the motivation.

Is it because of the hangover from the college board, or because I've never written a play script before?

[Title : The Bard]

I can't move beyond the title.

Should I just give up now?

It's quite bothersome.

I just poked at the poor notebook and looked around.

"...?"

Suddenly, a coffee machine caught my eye.

Installed in a corner of the library, the machine was emitting a faint aroma of coffee beans.

Coffee.

Caffeine.

One of the 48 habits I had quit a long time ago, in a promise to become healthier.

"Hmm…"

But, let's think about it again.

Is caffeine really bad for the body? Is it utterly harmful like cigarettes or drugs?

Probably not.

Despite this, should I be deprived of the joy and effects that caffeine can provide, simply because I'm a cancer patient?

That shouldn't be the case.

Drinking coffee doesn't stop tomorrow from coming.

Rather, it might lead us to a brighter tomorrow by focusing us on today…

"Okay."

I abruptly stood up. I placed a paper cup in the coffee machine and pressed the button.

The machine whirred, filling the cup with a brown liquid.

As I blankly stared at it, a question arose.

What would happen if I added Perion to this coffee?

Could Perion 'upgrade' the 'awakening effect' of caffeine?

If possible, it seems like it would be a great help for writing.

Why not give it a try.

I drew upon the magic from the Magic Core.

A colorless stream of energy flowed from my palm. I poured it into the liquid.

"…Did it work?"

I gently shook the paper cup. The coffee sloshed around. On the surface, it seemed unchanged.

"It shouldn't be a carcinogen."

An alkaloid compound that awakens the brain and activates metabolism, upgraded by my magic.

Even if it were a carcinogen, it wouldn't matter since I already have cancer, but just in case, I took a small sip.

I smacked my lips, tasting it, and waited quietly.

"Nothing special."

It's disappointing, but what dramatic effect could I expect from just upgrading the caffeine in coffee? It would be fortunate if it could just chase away sleep.

As I was thinking this and putting down the paper cup.

"──?"

My pupils dilated. My heart pounded rapidly, and a passion surged from my brain. It felt like a fierce flame was flowing from my essence.

It was an awakening.

I quickly sat down. I gripped a pen and stared at the notebook.

A blank page of the notebook, only titled "The Bard."

The blank page, like a silver screen, replayed a memory from some time ago.

The theater where Theia Esil almost dragged Gerkhen Kal Doon and me.

A time before the regression, now gone.

The scene from then vividly came to mind, and I felt as if I was being drawn into that place…

─The Bard tells stories. Among the stories are tragedies and comedies. He tells comedies as if they are tragedies, and tragedies as if they are comedies.

The actor's lines echo. The audience's breaths can be heard. The fine dust and air of the theater touch my skin.

I am now sitting in a seat at the Edsilla Opera House.

When I turn my head to the side, I see Theia Esil, engrossed in the play.

When I turn the other way, I see Gerkhen Kal Doon, similarly absorbed in the play.

"…What the…"

I hastily shook my head. In that moment, I was out of the opera house.

Again, it was the Endex library.

"Chills."

A memory from the past that felt so real it could confuse reality. An experience that was too vividly intense.

I almost got buried in the 「Notepad」 without realizing it.

"Phew…"

I took a deep breath. After calming down for a moment, I took another sip of coffee. But this time, I consciously restrained my focus.

Like lying on a sofa watching TV, from a suitable distance, immersion, not burial.

—The Bard sings stories.

In front of me, the lines of the musical that rise like a drama and the expressions of the actors.

I transferred them directly to the notebook.

______________________________________________________________________

"It's over…"

Feeling dizzy, I leaned back in my chair. I dropped the pen and notebook from my hand. Only about three sips of coffee were left, and it was already 11 o'clock at night.

[The Bard]

The script is, probably perfect.

After all, I melted the entirety of that musical, which I revisited through memory, into a script.

"Ah, I'm tired."

My whole body feels like it's melting, and my head is quite dizzy. Is it the aftereffect of caffeine awakening? Or because I focused too much?

I clumsily gathered my notes and got up.

Clang-

But the door opened first.

At the time when ordinary people's work ends, there was a human who came carrying things to study.

Of course, it's Elise.

"What's with you."

"..."

Elise didn't say anything. Her complexion wasn't good either. Probably because of this college board. Because she dropped out of the middle rank.

She sat down anywhere and opened a book. It was a college textbook again.

"Hey. The script is finished."

I said so and approached her. Elise still didn't answer. I put the script on her desk, which was only looking at the textbook.

"Read it. Don't be gloomy."

"Shut up."

She's not gloomy.

"Anyway, since you're the lead, memorize all the lines."

At that, Elise's pupils shook slightly. She seemed to have something to say, her lips slightly puckered, but soon she shook her head without saying anything.

"Yawn… I'm leaving."

I yawned and went outside.