Chapter 1096: His Expertise
Translator: Transn Editor: Transn
It was Rolandâs first time meeting this preeminent actor and screenwriter, his hair half gray, his face half hidden in his bushy and tangled beards, his black tuxedo crisp, and his tie neatly around his neck. Like a man from a portrait, he looked old-fashioned and antiquated.
Roland pictured his portrait hung on a wall, with a caption underneath.
Although Kajen was an elderly man, his eyes had not yet aged. After a bow, the screenwriter directly rested his eyes on Roland. Apparently, it was not his first time having an encounter with a royal family member.
"Your Majesty, this is Sir Kajen Fels," Barov introduced the man while massaging his hands in exuberance. "Heâs the best actor and screenwriter in Graycastle and is also very well known across the Four Kingdoms. Back in the old kingâs city, I was a frequent visitor to the Central Theater and I liked Mr. Kajenâs work very much."
"You act like a child... Youâre the Hand of the King. Canât you behave more like an adult?" thought Roland while twitching his lips
"Good morning, Your Majesty," said Kajen as he clapped his hand over his chest. "Now I know why you donât watch new plays."
"Really?" Roland seated himself in the host chair and said, "Why?"
"Youâre... too young," Kajen replied slowly. "Youâre much younger than I thought."
"Are you saying that a person who doesnât have a great deal of experience of life doesnât have the capability to understand your plays?" Roland would have been a little affronted at such imprudent comments if he had still been the lord of Border Town. However, as he grew older, he became more unflappable in such a situation.
But his tone, which dropped dramatically at Kajenâs words, clearly indicated that he was not very pleased.
Barov shot Kajen a warning look.
"No, Your Majesty. Iâm not referring to your age but your spirit," Kajen explained while shaking his head. "Youth has nothing to do with a personâs age. Iâve seen many nobles who live like old men in their prime. Likewise, a man who has crept in his decrepitude doesnât necessarily mean heâs old." His smile became a little self-mocking at this point. "I thought I was very young, but now I realize life doesnât have a limit."
"Can I take your words as a compliment?" Roland said as he raised his brows.
"We canât say a young spirit is good and an old spirit bad, Your Majesty." To Rolandâs surprise, Kajen did not answer his question directly but went on, "A person with a young spirit can be motivated, audacious, curious, and the list goes on. However, he may also lose himself or even bring upon himself swift destruction while pursuing his goal, so..."
"Ahem, Mr. Kajen â" Barov interrupted him in a low voice.
"Ah, sorry, please donât take my words too seriously," said the dramatist, who had just realized he had spoken more than he was allowed to. "Iâm an old man who has seen a lot of things, so I often have some crazy ideas. Please forgive my impertinence."
"Thatâs fine," said Roland, who waved his hand and started to take a liking to Kajen. "Letâs get down to the business. Barov told me that you want to work on my plays or join the Star Flower Troupe. Whyâs that?"
Kajen replied straight away, "I want to know more about the Magic Movie."
"So heâs trying to achieve his goal in a roundabout way after I turned him down," thought Roland.
"You donât mind working on plays you disdain?"
"Iâm not saying those plays arenât good..." Kajen explained. "I just feel that each show should be well planned beforehand so that actors can learn from it. Otherwise, they not only waste their time and talent but also fail their audience."
"But your audience isnât nobles, and I donât have much time for rehearsals. If you join the Star Flower Troupe, very likely youâll be forced to act in a play that doesnât meet your standards, and your name would potentially be ruined. Did you still want to join us?"
"Your Majesty, I..."
"I donât think itâs a good idea for you to join the Star Flower Troupe," Roland talked over him. "The plays I plan to put on show are all meant to entertain the masses. Most of the actors will be from the Star Flower Troupe. Iâm afraid I donât have any plays at the moment that will suit your taste or reflect your talent."
This time, Barov started to eye Roland.
"However..." Roland ignored Barovâs meaningful blink and said, "I have something else for you."
"Yes, please," Kajen said eagerly as he leaned forward.
"In fact, Iâm planning to write a play about a romance in a dark time, which actually happened during the rebellion of the Church of Hermes." Roland then briefly introduced the basic structure of the story. "Iâve heard that youâre expert in plays about love and redemption, so letâs make it a pilot project. If your play turns out to be a great success, Iâll consider about your request next time I film the Magic Movie. How does that sound?"
After Roland seized the new and old Holy Cities, he told the public that the culprit of all the atrocious crimes was the false pope. The real pope had been killed a long time ago. Now, a new church agent had been appointed and he would fully support Graycastle to fight the Battle of Divine Will.
After more than one year of advertisement, the public gradually accepted the "new history". Now it was time to further uncover the origin of the Battle of Faiths and the church. Once the masses learned the truth, they would view the new church as a completely separate organization from the usurperâs and the church that had persecuted the witches. The new church, therefore, would become a part of Neverwinterâs political body.
"Is the play youâre talking about based on a true story?" Kajen asked. "Can I meet the two main characters in the play?"
"Theyâre currently in the Kingdom of Wolfheart, waiting for rescue." Roland said, shrugging. "But I think you should know what âbased onâ means..."
"Of course," Kajen confirmed with a nod. "The plays I wrote in the past are also based on royal legends and myths, and I had to avoid using any identifiable family names and family history, but..."
"But what...?"
Kajen hesitated for a moment and replied determinedly, "Your Majesty, although itâs definitely a new experience for me, I would like to join your rescue team if you allow me to. I want to watch this operation. Itâll be very helpful for me to understand their story."
"Even though this requires you to pay a visit to the Kingdom of Wolfheart?"
"I donât think I can picture those details in my head, and I donât want to miss the opportunity youâve given me," Kajen said cordially. "I can assure you that I wonât cause any trouble to your team. My health has not failed me yet, and I have my student to take care of me."