I Became A Playwright In Medieval Fantasy-Chapter 44

Well, if he fainted from fear as a horror fanatic, I guess it’s understandable that he’d want to reward the writer. But still, offering up his own sister as a prize in negotiations? That’s too much.

Honestly, does he even know who’s behind this mask? He doesn't know my status, appearance, or even personality.

Just as I was about to say something to stop the overly excited kid—

"Oh?"

Suddenly, a cold voice, tinged with amusement, came from behind me.

"I heard you fainted, so I rushed over, only to hear something quite interesting, little brother?"

"Eek?! S-sister!"

It was Diana von Clausewitz, the Crown Princess of the Holy Empire and Wolfgang’s sister, standing with her arms crossed and a smile on her face.

…However, it was far from a normal smile.

"So, Wolfgang, why are you trying to arrange your sister's marriage without her consent?"

“Uh, uh, th-that’s…”

The prince’s pupils quaked as if an earthquake had hit, and it seemed like he finally realized what kind of mistake he had been making.

He looked like a mouse that had just come face to face with a cat.

…Watching this unfold, I sighed and decided to defend the poor kid.

"Your Highness, please calm down. The prince just woke up and is still quite disoriented."

"Hmm?"

"What he said just now was nothing but delirium after fainting. I’m the one at fault for carelessly inviting him to a horror play, so please don’t blame him."

"Ph-Phantom…!"

The 13-year-old prince's eyes sparkled with gratitude, clearly moved by my actions.

At that moment, the Crown Princess uncrossed her arms and let her glossy golden hair cascade sensually over her figure.

"Is that so? I see."

In the next instant, a radiant, captivating smile blossomed on her lips like a sunflower.

"Then, I suppose I should be scolding you instead of my brother, right, Wolfgang?"

"What?!"

The prince's face turned pale, as if struck by thunder.

The Crown Princess, still with that sly look in her eyes, glanced at her brother.

"Didn’t you just say that it was all Phantom’s fault? Then naturally, he’s the one who should be punished. Don’t you agree?"

"Uh, uh, no… Sister, if you put it that way—"

"Well, what are you waiting for? Phantom, come with me outside."

The princess ignored her flustered brother entirely, turning with graceful movements as she walked out of the room.

She made a point of walking slowly and deliberately, her soft voice echoing as she strolled ahead.

"You’d better prepare yourself for a serious punishment. I’m really angry right now."

"S-sister! Wait! It’s a misunderstanding! Sister! Sisteeeer—!"

The prince was left stammering, unable to decide what to do, as his circuits shorted out. Following the Crown Princess’s command, I quietly left the room, trailing behind her.

<><><><><><>

"So? How would you like to be punished, Phantom?"

We had left the prince’s room and arrived at a sunny terrace in the royal palace. The Crown Princess leaned back against the balcony, basking in the sunlight, as she asked me the question.

I shrugged.

"Well, I don’t particularly want to be punished."

"Oh? Are you mocking me, the Crown Princess?"

It wasn’t mockery.

"Aren’t you teasing the prince a bit too much? He was really panicking, thinking he was going to be punished for real, and he had just regained consciousness too."

"Well, he did try to sell his sister off without permission. I’d say he deserves at least that much."

Her lime-colored eyes sparkled playfully as she gazed at me, no longer bothering with the pretense now that her brother wasn’t watching.

Seeing her like this, I couldn’t help but ask the question that had been on my mind.

"But, Your Highness, what is that outfit? Pardon me, but no matter how I look at it…"

"Ah, I see. As expected of the original creator, you recognized it right away."

The Crown Princess playfully lifted the hem of her dress, a smirk playing on her lips.

"Well? Does it suit me? I’m wearing the outfit of the heroine from Modern Times."

It was the exact outfit from the iconic ending of Charlie Chaplin’s masterpiece Modern Times, complete with a floral hat, a cute ribbon around her neck, and a body-hugging dress. She didn’t look like a haughty princess, but rather a lively and charming city girl.

‘Has she developed a taste for cosplay after Cleopatra?’

I chuckled and responded.

"Is there anything that wouldn’t suit Your Highness?"

It wasn’t flattery. Diana could pull off any outfit, thanks to her impeccable sense of style.

She had the face, the figure, and the graceful poise that made everything she wore look magnificent. If only her personality weren’t so…fox-like, she’d be absolutely perfect.

"I heard that your Cthulhu Mythos was a birthday gift for my brother."

Then, tilting her head slightly, Diana asked me a question.

"I’m curious. My birthday is also coming up soon. Will you give me something as well, just like you did for Wolfgang?"

"…Are you asking me to prepare a birthday gift for you, Your Highness?"

"Well, siblings tend to get jealous when one gets a gift and the other doesn’t."

"I see."

That certainly made sense. Even in the best sibling relationships, feelings of envy could arise when one received something and the other didn’t. I had seen it before with my twin nieces in my previous life.

"So, what would you like for your birthday, Your Highness? Like the prince, would you prefer the opportunity to choose the theme of my next play? I’m already planning my next work now that the Cthulhu Mythos premiere has ended."

"No? I’m not particularly interested in that. Rather…"

The Crown Princess’s slender arm slowly rose, and her right index finger gently tapped my chin.

Her sweet fragrance, as enticing as ripe fruit, enveloped my senses.

"How about this: once you finish your next work, why don’t you go on a date with me? Just the two of us—no guards, no attendants. A quiet outing between the Crown Princess and Phantom."

"…Excuse me?"

A date? As in, the kind of date I’m thinking of?

"Are you serious? Or are you just teasing me again?"

"Who knows? Why don’t you think about it, Phantom?"

With that, Diana turned her back to me and walked away down the corridor. As I watched her graceful steps, I was left in utter confusion.

Was she serious?

No way. Surely she was just messing with me, like in the countless teasing letters she’d sent me before.

<><><><><><>

The day after the incident with the prince fainting in the royal palace:

“Sanchi Pinchi, Sanchi Pinchi~ ♫”

Humming the theme song of a Japanese anime that had turned Cthulhu Mythos into a moe parody, I walked leisurely with light steps.

I was heading toward the Wanderbine theater.

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After all, didn’t the prince faint during the performance under the troupe’s roof? The rest of the troupe needed to be informed about the aftermath, so I was going to relay the news personally.

“Shanti Shanti Kare Kareya~ ♬”

I softly sang the tune of Love is the Slave of Chaos, a song associated with Norazo, a parody melody that only true fans would know, as I entered the Wanderbine theater tent.

And the next moment…

“He’s here!”

“W-we, we, we didn’t mean it! Please forgive ussss!!”

“Please, have mercy on us! It wasn’t intentional, I swear!!”

All of the troupe members, lined up in rows with frightened faces, immediately fell to their knees in a deep bow of apology.

From Fluffy, the troupe leader, to Morgan, the novice witch in charge of the technical equipment, and all the other non-human members—they all fell in unison.

“We, we didn’t mean any harm! We’re just lowly traveling performers! We had no intention of causing harm to His Highness the prince, not even a sliver of it!”

“That’s right! We’re just daily laborers trying to survive! Why would we plan rebellion? It was truly an accident!”

“It, it’s all my fault for directing the play to be too scary! Please, if you must punish someone, take me, Fluffy the leader, as an example, but spare the rest of the troupe!”

“N-no! Actually, it’s more my fault for mixing the hypnosis spells too effectively! I-if you wish, I’ll offer my lowly body as a novice witch in exchange for mercy…!!”

Fluffy was banging her forehead on the ground, genuinely apologizing, while Morgan was preparing to offer up her body if needed.

Seeing the pitiful sight, I hurriedly spoke up.

“Leader? It’s me, Phantom. I’m not a royal messenger.”

“Ah! You’re Phantom, the writer…!”

Only then did the troupe members, still nervous, slowly rise to their feet. It seemed they had been terrified that the royal guards might burst in at any moment.

Fluffy cautiously gauged my expression and asked.

“How is His Highness the prince? Is he badly hurt?”

“No, he’s fine. He just fainted from shock, so there’s no need to worry.”

I gently reassured them, stroking the mask I was wearing to maintain a soft and cordial tone.

“And the royal family will not be punishing the Wanderbine troupe for this incident. The responsibility lies primarily with His Highness the prince.”

“Is that true? Can we truly rest easy and continue with our livelihoods?”

“Of course. As a candidate for the Hero of the Pen, I can vouch for that.”

With my words, the tension in the room eased, and Fluffy collapsed into her seat with relief.

Morgan, who had been standing beside her, also sprawled onto the floor, breathing heavily.

The reactions of the other troupe members were similar.

“But everyone, there’s something important I need to share with you.”

Clearing my throat, I prepared to deliver the message from the royal palace.

“Listen carefully, everyone. Regarding the performance, His Highness Prince Wolfgang has decided…”

“Eek?! So, was the reassurance all a lie? Is the prince enraged and sending soldiers to arrest us?”

“Kyaaa! No, no! We’ll grovel in apology! To show our sincerity, we’ll even strip naked and grovel if needed—!!”

“No! That’s not it! Please, calm down!”

Amidst the growing panic, I pulled a card from my pocket.

It was a small identification document coated in high-quality transparent material.

“His Highness has bestowed a gift upon the Wanderbine troupe. He was thoroughly impressed by the Cthulhu Mythos performance and wishes for your continued success.”

“A gift?”

“A gift? What kind of gift would we receive?”

I smiled as I handed the card to Fluffy, the troupe leader.

“A permanent free pass for the teleportation network. You and all the members of the troupe can use it indefinitely, not just as a group but individually as well.”

“Wh-what?!”

“A free pass for the teleportation network?!”

Fluffy and the troupe members exchanged shocked glances, unable to tell whether they were dreaming or awake.

The teleportation network was a travel system strictly managed by the imperial court for many years.

The approval process and conditions for its use were notoriously strict, and it was usually reserved only for government officials and wealthy nobles.

But now, this troupe, made up of lowly non-humans, had been granted such a privilege? It was a shocking development, to say the least.

“His Highness has instructed you to use it freely for domestic travel, so long as it aids your performances. Be sure to thank him for his generosity and continue focusing on your puppet shows. Understood?”

“Is, is this really ours? Is this real, not a joke or prank?”

“I’m hurt. Do I seem like the kind of person who would joke about something like this, Leader? Of course, it’s real.”

“…”

A heavy silence fell over the group.

Neither I, Fluffy, nor the troupe members spoke for a moment.

That silence was broken by the sound of Fluffy’s overwhelmed sobs.

“Sniff, sob…”

Tears welled up in Fluffy’s eyes.

After standing there for a moment, she wiped her eyes and spoke.

“Thank you! Truly, thank you, Phantom!”

“Huh? Thank me for what?”

“This is all thanks to the script you wrote for Cthulhu Mythos! It’s because of you that we’ve been given such a gift!”

Fluffy’s shoulders trembled as she smiled.

It was a beautiful smile, full of joy and gratitude.

“Of course, our treatment won’t change dramatically overnight! But, but now, at last, even we, wandering performers, feel like we’ve been acknowledged as legitimate members of the empire! We will never forget this kindness for as long as we live!”

“That’s right! Thank you, Phantom!”

“You’re our benefactor! Hahaha!”

“Sniff, sob! Truly, you’re a great writer! To think you’ve blessed our Wanderbine troupe with such a gift through your new work…!”

As the troupe echoed Fluffy’s enthusiasm, I couldn’t help but let out a small laugh.

‘When you think about it, H.P. Lovecraft was quite a notorious racist.’

Cosmicism, the fear of the unknown and destruction, was somewhat connected to his racist views.

His works often depicted a fear and distrust of foreign cultures, particularly those of non-Western civilizations.

He even supported conspiracy theories about Jews, advocated for strict racial segregation to prevent societal collapse, and regarded Black people as an inferior race that tainted Western society.

And yet, in this otherworldly setting, non-human races like orcs and beastmen—beings that might have been the subject of Lovecraft’s fear—were now the ones bringing his horror to life.

Perhaps this was the ironic fear he alluded to in his work, The Haunter of the Dark?

<><><><><><>

Although there had been incidents of people fainting, Phantom's new play, Cthulhu Mythos, continued without significant disruptions.

In fact, the fact that horror enthusiasts like Prince Wolfgang and other fans of the genre had passed out became a form of noise marketing.

As a result, the Wanderbine troupe enjoyed a surge in popularity in the capital for a time.

They used the data collected from the intense opening performance to tailor the experience to suit the audience’s preferences.

There was a "spicy" version for hardcore horror fans and a "mild" version for the general public who wanted to experience fear without being overwhelmed.

…However, that didn’t mean there weren’t still incidents during the performances.

“Bweeghk, glurggh!”

“Quick, get him outside! Make sure his airways aren’t blocked!”

“Kiheeek, heek! To be honest, I think Cthulhu is weaker than Hastur…”

“What are you even saying, pink elephant?”

“What are these people even babbling about? Get them to the priests quickly!”

With every performance of Cthulhu Mythos, patients continued to emerge.

Hardcore fans of the spicy version were no exception, and even those who underestimated the mild version ended up fainting.

Sometimes, even the emergency medical team waiting backstage would collapse after watching the show.

It was a bizarre phenomenon—two people would enter, and four would be carried out.

“Damn it! Why is every Cthulhu Mythos performance such a hassle?!”

“Shit, another rookie fainted?! Who’s his supervisor?!”

“Damn it, the patients are multiplying!”

As these strange happenings continued to occur day by day due to Cthulhu Mythos...

Suddenly, bizarre rumors began circulating in the streets.

“The Necronomicon is a real magical book!”

“H.P. Lovecraft was not a fictional character but a real person!”

Half-truths and outright lies blended into strange and mysterious rumors.