They don't want me to try anymore.

We absolutely cannot let this opportunity slip by!

Since it's an emulation system, how could they not accept an XP card?

[You also revealed your true identity to Alice. The encounter between an unconventional prince and an unconventional princess made her deeply feel the wonder of fate, and her respect, sympathy and admiration for you increased even more. Affection +1]

In the years that followed, you, a plagiarist, produced a great many excellent works, becoming Van Dan's most outstanding playwright.

Alice, who has always used the alias Nina, has been supporting you from behind the scenes; she is both a good fan and a good boss.

[...But she doesn't know that you're secretly plotting to defy your superiors, eat rice noodles, and kiss your boss.]

[You copied and modified a lot of Shelley and Byron's poems and gave them to Alice. Alice's favorability towards you increases by 1.]

[You invited Alice to participate in the scriptwriting process and added more romantic elements to it. Alice's favorability towards you increases by 1.]

[You personally cooked the first plate of dumplings in this other world for Alice, increasing her affection for you by 1.]

【…】

Richard discovers that, unlike Elsa, who is solely focused on treasure, Alice genuinely loves life and art, has many sensitive points, and is easy to please.

Seeing that he had almost finished, Richard decided to pack up his line.

But at this moment...

As the year draws to a close, a squad of Imperial Guards storms into the theater.

Chapter Eighteen: Art is an Explosion!

On this day, Alice's uncle, Prince Vandern, launched a palace coup.

He conspired with the Praetorian Guard to poison his ailing brother, killed all his brothers, nephews, and nieces, and also captured Alice, intending to send her to a monastery to be imprisoned for life.

Alice wanted to stay away from politics, but politics is never far from anyone.

Faced with her uncle's orders, the princess had no power to resist and was forcibly taken away by the royal guards.

Overnight, the theater troupe's world collapsed.

Faced with the sudden and drastic change, Richard paused for a few seconds, but quickly made a decision.

The strategy guide is almost complete. Do I still need to choose what to do next?

Of course, we should save people!

However, it would be too difficult for a prince from a small state who had lost his magic to intervene in a coup in a major power.

This matter needs careful consideration; we can't rush it.

Although Alice was placed under house arrest, the troupe did not disband. Many nobles in Vandan admired you and were willing to become your new investors.

Many of these people are henchmen of the new emperor, hoping to demonstrate their refined taste by showing you favors.

You realize that if you agree to these people's demands, it would be a betrayal of Alice.

Many members of the troupe, grateful for Alice's kindness, refused to back down and resigned to return to their hometowns.

But you eventually agreed.

[For a time, although you appeared to be more successful on the surface, many people secretly ridiculed you for being treacherous and morally corrupt.]

[You don't regret it... You know very well that in order to ultimately rescue Alice, you need a sufficiently significant identity.]

Richard sighed and resolutely began to carry out the plan.

With the help of your new patron, you have become a top playwright, and even the new emperor of Van Dan after his usurpation often comes to see your plays and praises them highly.

Instead of indulging in this honor, you quietly accumulated wealth and connections.

You keenly realize that the new emperor is not a wise man; he is ambitious, cold-hearted, and ungrateful, and many people inside and outside the palace are dissatisfied with him.

[And the entirety of Vandan was also at a crossroads in its era.]

[Servants of God count tithes in churches built with the people's hard-earned money; elegantly dressed nobles indulge in lavish and decadent parties; while wounded soldiers from the wars of the past few years are left to wander the streets, begging alongside landless peasants.]

[With several natural disasters, prices have skyrocketed, and people on the streets are complaining: What in this world is cheap? Only suffering is cheap; only suffering is worthless!]

[Your past life experiences have taught you that beneath this country lies a volcano waiting to erupt.]

So you called yourself the Hunchback of Notre Dame, and after combining and localizing the knowledge from your past life with your experiences in this one, you secretly began writing a series of not-so-gentle books.

[The Fourteenth Remarks, The Civilizational Contract, On Divinity, Humanity and Reason, How to Make a Bomb, How to Make a Bomb V2.0, How to Make a Bomb with Enhanced Power, How to Make a Bomb: The Art of Cocktails...]

These books were confiscated and banned by the Vatican authorities as soon as they were published, but you still used your secret funds and connections to gradually spread them among the lower classes.

[As it turns out, even in a world where gods and magic truly exist, some ideas can still resonate deeply with people.]

As social conflicts intensify, you use the shrewdness and insight you've honed through your tumultuous past to secretly win over a group of people dissatisfied with the current king.

During this time, you learned that your father was seriously ill, so you secretly returned to Connaught once. Before you returned, as you expected, the Imperial army marched south.

[...Connaught has undoubtedly fallen, something no one can stop now. Instead of letting grief overwhelm you, you rallied and helped those unwilling to surrender to the Empire escape their borders.]

Those who wanted to settle down were settled by you, and the rest who wanted to do things were reorganized into a mercenary force of one hundred people.

Finally, it's the Flower Festival again, and the Emperor of Vandan announces he's coming to see your new play.

You realize this might be your best chance.

But the prairie fire is not yet ripe. If you start it now, whether it succeeds or not, you will not escape death.

Richard had anticipated this outcome.

In this simulation, he has far fewer resources at his disposal than when he was working as a street lamp holder in the first simulation. Even with the help of the opportune moment when Vanderbilt was enjoying immense popularity, it would be impossible to achieve success in just a few years.

But so what?

It's just a simulation, so if you die, you die!

Richard disregarded life and death and decisively began to act.

[You secretly contacted all the trustworthy helpers, and used a large sum of money to dismiss the ordinary people in the troupe, replacing them with conscientious confidants.]

On the night of the Hundred Flowers Festival, you led your newly "revitalized" troupe to welcome the Emperor's arrival.

The play you prepared for him is Hamlet, and you will personally play the lead role.

[After the first two acts, the emperor senses something is wrong; he thinks you are mocking him. But you don't care and continue the performance.]

Finally, the emperor could no longer restrain himself and ordered the imperial guards to go on stage and arrest all the actors.

"To be or not to be, that is no longer the question."

[You sang a revised line, then raised the prop sword in your hand—or rather, the magic sword you bought at a high price and disguised as a prop—to the nobles and dignitaries below the stage.]

A black and red light bathed the entire theater as you attacked the Emperor. Your companions drew their weapons and launched a fearless charge.

【However……】

The Emperor's guards blocked your attack.

Outside the theater, countless imperial guards, having received the news, rushed to protect the emperor. Layers upon layers of armor formed a wall, making escape impossible.

It seems you are destined to die here.

But, take your attack as a signal...

Oppressed citizens, champions of justice, thugs seeking easy gains, ambitious individuals looking to rise in rank, and mercenaries simply seeking profit—all began to take action in the city.

Because the guards' attention was drawn to the theater, their operation went exceptionally smoothly, and the entire city was thrown into chaos.

Meanwhile, the most elite and secretive mercenary force, under the cover of the chaos, headed straight for the monastery where Alice was imprisoned...

Under the moonlight, countless fireworks exploded in the night sky.

Upon seeing the familiar pattern, you know that your comrades have succeeded and Alice is safe.

[I suppose your suicide note has already reached them, hasn't it?]

That's good.

Now, it's time for you to face the end of this cycle.

A new era also requires sacrifices.

Facing the emperor's shouts and the surrounding imperial guards, you nonchalantly lit a cigarette, then shamelessly flicked the butt into a hole at your feet...

[Underground, there are tons of explosives you planted beforehand.]

At this moment, Richard silently thought to himself:

Art is an explosion!

【boom! 】

[With a towering explosion, half of your body was sent flying into the sky, only able to maintain consciousness for a few final seconds thanks to the power of the demonic sword.]

[In mid-air, you see the Emperor of Vanderbilt, covered in blood, unconscious beneath a protective magic shield. Though severely wounded, he is not dead.]

At the same time, you discover that a giant dragon is rapidly approaching from the northern sky, unleashing a deafening roar filled with sorrow and rage.

You're puzzled, wondering where the dragon came from, but you don't have the energy to think about it anymore.

[With regret at not being able to see Alice one last time, you exhaled your last breath and died at midnight on the Flower Festival.]

[End of simulation]