Chapter 1: Chapter 1: The worst stage of my life
Laius let out a painful groan.
Drip , drop.
The hot blood flowing down the sword drew a circle on the clean marble. Arthur, with a sad expression, began to speak.
“…Don’t feel too responsible. Arendt von Eckhart is a high traitor who betrayed the Knights Templar and His Majesty the Emperor.”
“Yes, that’s right. but…”
Only then did Laius slowly take his eyes off Arendt’s body.
“This place… this position of protecting His Majesty the Emperor is sometimes so heavy.”
After a while, he uttered one sentence that clearly revealed his complicated feelings. Laius also knew it well. As a knight, he shouldn’t show such weakness.
However, just for today, the other leaders did not rebuke him either. Because they fully guessed how he felt.』
It was a passage he read several times. At this point, he didn’t think it would be strange for him to have memorized all the lines.
“What’s the big deal when you kill a traitor?”
A small grunt came out of his mouth. He focused on the letters on the palm-sized screen of his cell phone for a long time. How much time has passed…
Soon, he clicked his tongue and put down his phone.
Instead of the next episode, there was an unpleasant notice.
Due to the author’s circumstances, this work is on hiatus.
It had already been a few months since this notice was posted.
The writer, who was said to have circumstances, never thought of returning. However, there was not even a single angry comment on the notice.
It was such an unpopular novel.
Actually, he was able to understand.
There was no refreshing taste… The main character who drove the story was overly upright. He also did too many useless things.
Even with empty words, he couldn’t say that it was a novel that people these days would like.
Lee Soo-hyun also wouldn’t have bothered to read this novel again and again if it wasn’t free.
Since it was not something that was monetized in the first place, it was not strange for the serial to be discontinued at any time if the author got tired of it or became busy with their job. Lee Soo-hyun had half given up on reading the next chapter.
Lee Soo-hyun raised his head.
The theatre was dark except for the minimal lighting that was left on for cleaning.
An empty stage came into view.
The unique coldness of the stage with the lights off felt chilly.
The place he sat on was a small staircase that was used as a prop in today’s play.
Lee Soo-hyun glanced sideways. A mop stayed quietly in place, leaning at an angle on the stairs.
In the end, he had no choice but to shakily stand up.
“Just my luck…”
A short sigh resounded softly on the empty stage and Lee Soo-hyun began to continue the cleaning that had stopped for a while.
“You bastards. How can I do this on my own?”
The worn-out lights flickered precariously a few times.
It had already been several hours since today’s play ended.
The audience that had filled the small auditorium had all left, and the troupe colleagues had already left work a long time ago. The only one left was Lee Soo-hyun, who lost in rock-paper-scissors and had to clean up after them.
Sigh.
There was an unpleasant screeching noise coming from somewhere.
Lee Soo-hyun clicked his tongue.
There was nothing that wasn’t worn out on this small stage.
After taking over a theatre that had been neglected for a long time, the members swept, cleaned, and polished it to maintain it, but there were also limitations. This was because proper maintenance was not possible due to funding issues.
“When will I enjoy wealth and fame…”
Although he grumbled with his mouth, his hands moved steadily. The damp mop moved over the same spot over and over again, but that didn’t help the faded stage regain its original color.
Lee Soo-hyun suddenly raised his head and looked toward the audience.
There was a slight strangeness in his eyes.
At that moment, he was standing in the very center of the stage. Thanks to that, he could see the entire empty auditorium at a glance. The chairs that were arranged in a circle so that everyone could comfortably view the stage were all facing Lee Soo-hyun.
The hazy light shining down on Lee Soo-hyun standing on the stage was similar to the moonlight in the middle of the night.
Lee Soo-hyun held the mop with one hand, crossed his legs, and straightened his back to face the audience.
“…”
This small theatre was barely able to operate under the hands of those belonging to the theatre company. In fact, it was difficult to even fill this place with audiences, let alone secure sponsors.
No matter how hard the members worked together, the number of audience members continued to decrease every year.
Perhaps it was natural.
It was a time when all types of entertainment could be enjoyed with just a cell phone. Meanwhile, there couldn’t have been many people visiting a theatre run by an unremarkable theatre company.
Now, at best, it was possible to keep this theatre open, but it was obvious that it would soon reach its limit.
Lee Soo-hyun leaned against the mop and sighed.
“Ugh.”
In such a situation, it was naturally difficult to expect to make money through performances. Thanks to this, each member had to make a living.
The same was true for Lee Soo-hyun. After finishing cleaning the small theatre, he had to immediately rush to his part-time job.
Everyone who knew his situation told him to come to his senses and find a proper job.
Until now, he’s been covering his ears, pretending not to hear…
“Umph.”
Lee Soo-hyun let out a short grunt and scratched the back of his head.
To be honest, even as a joke, he couldn’t say that this troupe’s future was bright.
If they gave up this dilapidated theatre and focused on other ways to make money, their individual circumstances would certainly be much better. Presently, each person had to make up for the extreme deficit with their own money.
“To live or to die. That’s the problem… is it?”
Although the case is a bit different, real-life death is much more frivolous than this.
Even if you don’t go to extremes like the main character in a drama, you can go as far as you want. If you don’t have money, it’s like dying socially.
“Tsk.”
Was there another enemy?
The bank account that was emptying day by day was the enemy, and in such a situation, this theatre that was constantly making a loss and harassing people was the enemy.
Still, everyone was holding on stubbornly.
The reason he couldn’t leave the theatre even in this situation is because he wondered what on earth he expected from this worn-out stage.
“To expect… ”
Even such grandiose words did not fit into this shabby place.
He didn’t even know if he should say it was a regret.
If he were to say goodbye to this place that was his enemy, he thought that he would be able to eat a few meals comfortably. However, despite complaining like that, Lee Soo-hyun was also one of the foolish people who could not leave this place.
Yes, regret…
The reason he couldn’t leave this stage where he didn’t even have money was because of the regret that he couldn’t let go of… maybe it was because of a glimmer of hope.
Lee Soo-hyun’s feet glided on the stage.
It was a little different from the listless steps he had been taking until now while focusing on cleaning.
“To die is just to sleep. Isn’t death the end we most desire?”
A fairly clear voice filled the empty stage.
Lee Soo-hyun started mopping again. Yet his mouth did not stop.
“Because of the anxiety about the unknown world, we endure this pain.”
The voice grew louder and louder, echoing around and digging into his ears.
Before he knew it, he was facing the empty auditorium with his chest and arms spread out. The precariously swaying lights poured down on his shoulders.
After a moment of silence, Lee Soo-hyun became embarrassed and withdrew his arms.
If there had been a few people in the audience, there would have been some applause out of courtesy, but the world was just silent.
Still, he seemed to feel a little better.
Lee Soo-hyun resumed cleaning with lighter movements than before.
No, he was going to resume.
Crack.
An ominous sound came from right above his head.
Lee Soo-hyun reflexively raised his head.
“Huh?”
He noticed that the light that had been blinking a while ago was shaking precariously. By the time the sense of crisis activated in his mind a beat later, it was already too late.
Ttuduk.
A rebar broke right above his head.
Lee Soo-hyun’s eyes widened.
There was no time to escape.
A large light that had lost its connection to the ceiling fell helplessly under the pull of gravity.
Above none other than Lee Soo-hyun’s head.
“Uh…?”
The hazy lighting still did not lose its shine even when it came right in front of Lee Soo-hyun’s nose.
It was like a falling moon, he thought for a moment, a foolish thought.
A few seconds that felt like an eternity passed.
And.
Kwaaaaang!
The lights and the stage clashed.
A shattering explosion of sound resounded throughout the small theatre.
Patter, patter.
The light and the noise of fallen wires and debris continued for a while.
But that was all.
After some time passed… Even the thick cloud of dust settled.
All that remained in the small theatre was silence.
Suddenly, a clear voice penetrated his dazed mind.
Lee Soo-hyun, who couldn’t understand the situation, blinked dumbly.
“You’ve been told many times that you can still do that because you’re young. But not now. If you have an excuse, make one!”
“Eh? Yes? An excuse?”
The moment he asked that question, a sharp sword flew in front of his eyes. His body reflexively fell backwards and fell down with a crash, and at the same time, a frivolous scream came out.
“Hey! What are you doing! What did I do?”
“Stand up. If you have a mouth, answer. What were you doing downtown at that time? Were you having a private meeting with someone whom His Majesty has ordered secret surveillance?”
The cool blade of the sword came close to his neck.
Lee Soo-hyun became dumbfounded.
What on earth was this?
A man was glaring at him, clenching the hilt of his sword. It was not a look he could commonly see anywhere.
The dark blue Western-style uniform, well-toned shoulders, and overly handsome face were anything but ordinary.
Lee Soo-hyun looked around inadvertently and he couldn’t help but freak out once more.
All the knights surrounding him were pointing their swords at him. It felt like if he made the slightest mistake, there would be a hole in his body at any moment.
The next moment, the man in front of him shouted again.
“Arendt von Eckhart! You’re still a knight!”
“Arendt?”
It was at that moment that a spark flashed in his head.
Arendt von Eckhart.
It was a name that was not unfamiliar. So, obviously… It was a character in a novel.
Then that man.
Lee Soo-hyun muttered without realizing it.
“Captain Laius?”
Meanwhile, the voice that came out of his mouth also sounded unfamiliar.
What’s happening? His mind went blank.
“Uh…?”
Wait, wait.
Cold sweat began to flow.
Laius glared at him with eyes that gave no sense of warmth.
Suddenly, he felt a strong sense of déjà vu.
When he thought about it carefully, it wasn’t an unfamiliar situation. Lee Soo-hyun knew this scene.
Clearly, this was a scene he had ‘read about’ somewhere.
『Striving to suppress his mixed feelings, Laius stared quietly at Arendt. Arendt just glared at Laius with the eyes of a cornered wild animal and kept his mouth shut.
Laius recognized the twisted hatred towards him in his young face. That hatred was probably the biggest reason that pushed Arendt to this point.』
Lee Soo-hyun looked around again. Laius and Arendt were seen facing each other in the training hall, and knights were buzzing around them.
It was definitely real.
It was a scene immediately after Arendt von Eckhart’s betrayal was discovered. He was arrested here and executed shortly afterwards.
Laius’ cold voice was heard again.
“I will decide on your treatment in three days. Lock this guy in the dungeon.”
Without Arendt even having time to make an excuse, Laius turned around and left the scene. Then, as if they had been waiting, other knights rushed over and grabbed Arendt’s arms and forced him up.
Lee Soo-hyun was just dragged along by them.
This was unfair, but he couldn’t say it out loud right now even if it was unfair.
‘Crazy…’
He didn’t know what happened, but one thing was certain.
He was screwed.
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