Overwhelming Firepower

Lucen started writing and started revising the story he knew to fit his current worldview. He could remember only parts of it, but that was good enough for now, since he didn’t really need to copy the entire thing; he just needed the base.

The details later could be refined after drinking the memory potion. For now, he needed to make the outline.

It took Lucen a few hours to finish what he was writing. It was rought but the main idea was already there. Lucen wanted to quickly go out to meet Harry, but when he saw it was already nighttime, he decided to do it tomorrow instead.

’Well, if it’s Harry, he would have been happy to see me any time. Most likely hound me and tell me to abandon everything, just continue making plays.’

Lucen grinned as he truly liked how colorful the people he knew were. Each one of them were quite entertaining to talk to.

Lucen could already imagine the look on Harry’s face when he read this new script he had written. A script taken from whom Lucen believed was the greatest playwright in his old world, Shakespeare.

***

The following day, Lucen woke up and, unlike his usual routine, he did not head straight to train.

Lucen was carrying the draft of a script headed to Harry Nidouhi’s theater. Unlike when they first arrived in Ironhold, the Theater had grown.

In the past, there were few things to entertain the people of Ironhold. When Lucen created the board game Territory War, the people of Ironhold finally got something else to do aside from training or drinking.

When the Theater group first arrived and showed the Man of a Thousand Quests, the people of Ironhold became excited.

They thought that something like a play would cost a lot to watch, but Harry’s theater group charged individuals depending on the seating arrangement. So there were affordable seats even for those who had little money.

Now, Harry’s Theater group has become a welcoming inclusion in Ironhold. The building they were using was located in the inner walls and had grown a little bit larger over the year.

Unlike when they first arrived in Ironhold, Harry Nidouhi’s theater no longer felt like a temporary troupe’s refuge.

The building had expanded sideways rather than upward, its stone-and-timber structure now seamlessly woven into the inner wall district.

Reinforced beams and iron brackets lined its exterior, practical additions meant to survive Ironhold’s unforgiving climate rather than decorate it.

A broad wooden sign bearing the theater’s name hung above the entrance, its paint refreshed often enough that it stood out even among the fortress’s austere architecture.

Inside, the air carried the familiar scent of polished wood, mana lamps, and faint traces of incense used to steady illusion magic.

The old auditorium had been widened, the aisles made cleaner and easier to navigate. What were once simple benches had been replaced by tiered seating; worn smooth by hundreds of spectators, they testified to just how often the hall was filled.

The stage itself had changed the most. Thicker rigging now crisscrossed above it, reinforced pulleys and counterweights allowing faster scene changes without breaking immersion.

Illusion runes were no longer improvised but embedded directly into the stage frame and rafters, their glow subtle and precise.

Where early performances relied on spectacle to impress, the current setup supported nuance, controlled lighting, layered scenery, and sound that carried clearly even to the farthest seats.

Lucen was quite amazed by the sight. To think the theater that came here would grow this nicely.

’I guess they did gain a lot of fame since I did give them the first chance to do the plays I write.’

While Lucen was looking around, he suddenly felt a presence approaching him at a fast pace. He already knew who this was, and as he turned around, as expected, the person who appeared was Harry Nidouhi.

”It’s been such a long time, Lucen. Have you finally come to your senses and decided to commit to your true talents fully? And keep on writing works that could make people feel like they can do more.”

Harry, who was practically the same type as Robert, was rather excited at the moment and was looking at Lucen with a manic expression.

”Um, no, not really. I just came here to give you this. It’s a draft of something I want you to perform.”

Lucen took out the script he written, and the second he showed it, Harry took it from him. Harry read through the script like he wanted to devour it.

He tore through each page with frightening speed, fingers smudging ink as his eyes devoured line after line.

His expression shifted constantly, brows knitting, lips twitching, pupils dilating, as if he were watching the scenes unfold directly in his mind.

’I wonder what Harry would think of my revised version of Shakespeare’s Coriolanus, which I basically turned upside down to fit the narrative I want.’

Harry’s expression shifted constantly: brows knitting tightly, lips twitching, eyes dilating as if he were seeing each scene play out before him. He leaned forward, then recoiled slightly, tapping his fingers against the page.

It took Harry a while to finish reading the draft, and once he was done, he looked at Lucen in a weird way.

There was a moment of silence between the two as they stared at each other before Harry’s eyes started tearing up as he finally spoke.

”I... I just can’t... To think I would be able to live in an era where such a genius exists. The Goddess of the Arts, Marda, must truly love me. This work of yours stands apart from the ones you have already written! I must insist that you stop doing other things and focus on writing.” Harry spoke in a rather passionate, manic tone.

”I don’t think I would do that. So let’s not talk about that, let’s talk about the script. Do you think you can do it?”

”It would take a lot of coin to make this script into a play, to make it as spectacular as you wrote it. I would want to take that challenge. To make this masterpiece of yours that would most likely be forever remembered in the annals of history, into a play that no one would doubt its greatness.”

Lucen nodded his head. ”I know you can do this. I trust in your skills as well as your actors. Which is why, as the one who wrote this and wants it out there, I’ll be sponsoring the entire thing. Don’t worry about the coin. Bring in as many mages, equipment, or whatever you need.”

”Heh, I feel honored that a genius such as yourself would trust my troupe and me this much. I will make sure that the words written here will fully come to life.”

”That’s just a rough draft, so just prepare with that in mind. I’ll give you the final script a little later. I need you to prepare as fast as you can. If possible, get ready in a month or two, at most three months. I need this play to be known throughout Norvaegard.”

Harry’s expression changed the moment Lucen mentioned the timeline. ”A month or two, is it... For this masterpiece, that’s going to be tight,” he muttered, then looked up sharply. ”I think I might know why you want this out before then. I’d better do my best. I’ll make sure that everything’s ready before then.”

”I’m confident you can do it. As for publicity, I’ll deal with that by using the bards again, the same as the other times.”

Harry then showed a wild smile as he spoke. ”This story of yours will make the people think, will make the people realize, and will make a few nobles frown. The three things I like. Then, since you are in a hurry, I’d better start preparing now.”

”Oh, right, you shouldn’t perform that play here first. You need to start in Caelhart and end your tour here in Ironhold.”

Harry looked at Lucen, confused at first, but after thinking about it for a while, he had a thought as to why Lucen wanted to do this. ”I see, I’ll make the proper preparations.”

Lucen gave a short nod and turned to leave, already feeling the weight of the coming months settle onto his shoulders.

As he stepped outside, the noise of the theater faded behind him, replaced by the familiar sounds of Ironhold.

Training shouts echoing from distant yards, the steady rhythm of hammers against metal, the low murmur of people going about their lives.

’Okay, now that’s done with. I should prepare what the bards could say. An epic story about honor, betrayal, and duty. Something along those lines. I’d better finish the proper script as well. Heh, I wonder what the reaction of those nobles wishing for the Thorneharts’ downfall will be to this.’

Lucen couldn’t help but chuckle at the thought. He then continued walking through the busy street were people greeted him along the way.