Translator: Dreamscribe

Heina tightly shut her eyes and picked up the armor.

To her, who had always lived covering her entire body, it was an extremely indecent outfit.

‘It is my lord’s command. My lord’s command….’

Heina's body trembled slightly.

Her lord’s command was absolute.

She had to obey no matter what. Heina looked at Jinwoo with desperate eyes.

Seeing that look in her eyes, Jinwoo nodded as if he realized something.

“Ah, sorry.”

“You were joking, weren’t you? My lord does have a mischievous side….”

Kugugug!

Jinwoo used magic to raise a stone wall, creating a dressing room. Heina was at a loss for words at the sight.

“What are you doing?”

“I, I shall obey….”

As Jinwoo gestured for her to change quickly, Heina, moving like a stiff robot, stepped into the dressing room.

After a while, Heina came out, clad in the new armor, walking with an extremely awkward gait.

“Oh.”

Jinwoo was impressed by Heina's appearance.

Heina was an exceptional beauty, and now that she was wearing armor suited for a modern game, her beauty shone even more.

The people of Arsilan were generally good-looking.

Since they were beings descended from the now-missing Goddess of Light, this was natural.

Although Jinwoo’s retainers and the Rainsword knights had gone through many hardships that had taken a toll on their appearances, Heina, under the protection of the light, was an exception.

Heina herself paid no attention to her beauty. A knight protects their lord with the sword and safeguards Arsilan with their convictions. She simply acted in accordance with that value.

Feeling awkward about her exposed midriff and legs, Heina fidgeted uncomfortably.

“It suits you well.”

“D-does it?”

“Perfectly.”

Heina didn’t know how to react to Jinwoo’s praise.

Her fiery red hair complemented the armor beautifully. Though her expression was cold, in truth, she had the warmest heart. She looked perfect but had an endearing clumsiness, radiating a unique charm!

Wasn’t there a term for this in subculture? Gap moe?

'My lord has praised me!'

Hasman and Hallon watched Heina, who was both embarrassed and overjoyed. Then, as if they had reached a mutual understanding, they exchanged glances, nodded, and began to take off their clothes.

“What are you doing?”

“Ahem, if it is for our master, this Hasman! I shall willingly sacrifice my body….”

“This must also be the will of the light. Is it not the great Archmage’s will that we return to the embrace of light as we were shaped by nature?”

Hasman and Hallon’s eyes were filled with unwavering resolve.

Jinwoo shook his head firmly.

No gamer would forgive characters like Hasman and Hallon stripping, especially when they weren’t even handsome characters.

“Enough. Just wear this.”

“Huh?”

Jinwoo threw them thick black robes. Just putting them on made them look suspicious. Hasman and Hallon clumsily wrapped themselves in the black robes.

Once they had them on, they looked the part.

“Now, we’re going to do some acting.”

Heina, Hasman, and Hallon didn’t quite understand what Jinwoo meant, but they nodded regardless.

“Explaining would take too long, so just think of it as the first great step toward saving Arsilan.”

The salvation of Arsilan.

That was the desire of every living being breathing in Arsilan.

If Arsilan could be saved, they would do anything.

They would endure any pain.

Everyone in Rainsword had sworn to this long ago.

“Now then, Hallon.”

Jinwoo handed over grotesque accessories shaped like intestines and bones.

“Eek! My goodness! Elash, have mercy!”

Hallon jumped back in horror.

“Hallon, put that on and give me a sinister laugh.”

“U-ugh! Lord, what in the world….”

“You want to save Arsilan, don’t you? Then do it.”

Hallon hesitated for a moment before donning the accessories and attempting an awkward laugh.

“H-ha… haha.”

“Hmm, that’s too stiff.”

Jinwoo approached Hallon and placed a hand on his shoulder.

“You are now a truly sinister villain. A devious cardinal plotting to corrupt this land.”

“…My lord, I am a priest who follows the Goddess of Light… and I was even the Pope.”

“Forget that.”

“…Forget it?”

Jinwoo nodded.

"From now on, you are the worst Dark Priest who finds ecstasy in tormenting others."

“I-I am a D-Dark Priest… H-huh….”

"Become a complete scumbag."

“Keuhk!”

Hallon staggered.

“Hallon, think of this as another trial bestowed by the light.”

“…May I take a moment to pray?”

“Go ahead.”

Hallon dropped to his knees and prayed. Then, he stood up.

“This too is a trial of the light… If it is for the salvation of Arsilan….”

Muttering to himself, Hallon’s eyes became vacant.

Jinwoo, Heina, and Hasman watched him.

"I am a Dark Priest… Ugh, hehehe…"

Hallon’s lips stretched unnaturally wide, pulling up to his cheeks.

His gaze narrowed, and a sinister gleam flashed in his partially exposed pupils.

“Ugh, uhuhehehe….”

A creepy, villainous laugh flowed out.

“Oh, method acting….”

It was a phenomenal performance!

Jinwoo couldn't help but applaud at how utterly evil Hallon looked. He had a talent for acting.

“Oh.”

“Hmm.”

Heina and Hasman also admired Hallon’s transformation.

“Wriggle your fingers while laughing.”

“Ugh, uhuhehehe!”

“Even more sinister!”

“Ugh… hehe!”

“Perfect. That’s it.”

Hallon had completely become a Dark Priest!

Now, it was Hasman’s turn.

"Hasman, you're Hallon’s subordinate, a wicked Lich who carries out his schemes. You control an army of undead."

“I-I will do my best!”

As Hasman raised a skeletal staff, magic surged from it, sending dark currents swirling around him. Being highly skilled in Dark Magic, he was perfect for this role.

“Ku… Kuhahaha! Tremble in fear, mortals!”

“Make it sound cheesier.”

“Ku… Kuhahaha! The power of darkness shall corrupt you all!”

“Cover one eye with your hand.”

Jinwoo nodded.

Distinctive personalities were nice, but sometimes classic tropes worked even better. Concept videos meant for developers or investors typically leaned that way.

‘My goodness.’

Heina squeezed her eyes shut at Hasman’s display.

Taking a deep breath, she straightened herself. If this was the path to saving Arsilan, she would endure it.

Heina swallowed hard and looked at Jinwoo.

"Heina, you…."

Jinwoo paused for a moment, looking at her, then gave her a thumbs-up.

“Hmm, I think you’re perfect just as you are.”

“…Pardon?”

“You’re perfect just like that.”

Heina blinked.

"Perfect… I see. I am always ready to carry out my lord’s command."

With Jinwoo’s praise, Heina straightened her shoulders and regained her confident expression.

As expected, when someone was beautiful, anything suited them.

“Alright then…”

Jinwoo explained the overall story. Since this was a demonstration video to show how the game would be developed and what kind of atmosphere it would have, there was no need to worry about the details.

‘I should use Illusion Magic.’

A standard video wouldn’t be convincing enough. That’s why he intended to use Illusion Magic and record the entire space itself.

A beautiful knight engaging in a spectacular swordfight against the dark army, with the villain delivering a despair-inducing final laugh, this was essentially a condensed version of the opening of the main story written by Tia.

Jinwoo assigned the roles to the three, then raised his hand. The surrounding space distorted, and the once peaceful land turned into a blackened wasteland. It wasn’t actually changing, this was all Illusion Magic.

Ssssshh!

At Jinwoo’s gesture, a magic circle appeared on the ground, and golems made of earth emerged. He reshaped them into skeletons, gave them weapons, and turned them into classic undead monsters.

Heina drew her sword and charged at the skeletons. Hasman fired Dark Magic, which Heina blocked with her sword before being flung backward.

“Great! That was good! Make your movements even bigger!”

Jinwoo directed the overall scene. As his praise continued, Hasman and Heina became even more immersed in their roles.

“Khehehehe!”

Hallon sat on a throne made of bone and flesh, letting out a sinister laugh.

‘Hmm.’

It was a cool visual, just as he had imagined, but something still felt lacking. If an engaging story were added to the flashy action scenes, it could stir emotions much more effectively.

They needed a reason to fight.

When he paused the shoot for a moment, the three of them caught their breath and approached him. While Heina smashing skeletons with great force was satisfying, something was still missing.

“Ah!”

What if he added a slight restriction?

If he introduced a Saintess, and the undead forces were trying to eliminate her while Heina struggled to protect her, it would create a compelling scenario that could be easily understood without any dialogue.

“The Saintess, you say? Shall I summon her now?”

Hallon suggested.

“Do you mean Saintess Tabetha?”

“Yes. She is the only Saintess to have received the guidance of the light.”

“Isn’t she nearly 200 years old by now?”

“Well, she is a Saintess.”

Tabetha was a highly respected Saintess. However, she was far from the kind of Saintess typically seen in games. She was a kind old woman. In Arsilan, becoming a Saintess required enduring countless hardships, so the image of a young and beautiful Saintess didn’t exist.

A Saintess was, in essence, a battle-hardened veteran.

“Hmm….”

As Jinwoo was lost in thought, he heard laughter from the side.

“Hehehe! I am the undead army!”

“Wow! That was perfect!”

“Kyaa!”

The children who had been watching started running around, mimicking Hasman.

Hasman’s face turned red.

“Kids! It’s time to go home now! Come here.”

A woman approached the children.

She was an enchanting beauty. With silver hair and a dangerously alluring figure, even thick clothing couldn’t fully conceal her curves.

It was Airi, the succubus who ran the orphanage.

After the Demon Realm was destroyed due to Erosion, she had fled to Arsilan and survived among the people.

“Oh.”

She was perfect for the role of the Saintess.

“You, be the Saintess.”

“Hiiik! M-me?!”

Jinwoo placed his hands on Airi’s shoulders and nodded.

“But I’m a succubus! A-a wretched race that can only seduce people?!”

“Excellent. That’s exactly why you’re perfect.”

“Wha-?! W-wait, blasphemy!”

Wouldn’t that make for an interesting new kind of Saintess?

Airi spotted Hallon and shrieked in horror.

“Your Holiness?! Kyaaah!”

“Ahem… I am the former Pope.”

Hallon could erase Airi from existence with just a gesture.

“I am now… a fallen Dark Priest, one who shall plunge the world into darkness….”

“…What?”

“Hu, huhuhu… I am the lowest of the low. Kukuku.”

Hallon was still completely immersed in his role.

Heina looked dazed.

“A succubus as a Saintess, and Hallon-nim as a Dark Priest….”

No one paid attention to her murmuring.

Still, based purely on appearance, it was convincing.

Jinwoo instantly created a nun’s habit and handed it to Airi. She hesitated but eventually put it on. Strangely, even though the habit couldn’t completely conceal the succubus’s allure, it somehow gave her a sacred aura.

It wasn’t an ordinary nun’s habit, it was the kind you’d see in anime.

“I want one too!”

“Me too!”

The children looked up at Jinwoo with sparkling eyes.

Looking around, he noticed that a considerable number of the territory’s people had gathered.

“My lord, is there anything we can help with?”

“Before I took an arrow to the knee, I was quite famous, you know. Hoho!”

“I don’t know what this is, but I want to help!”

The people of the territory understood that Jinwoo was doing something for Arsilan. And it looked quite fun.

Until now, Rainsword had been drowning in despair, with the entire land weighed down by the looming destruction. But now, there was a bit of life returning to the air.

Jinwoo could see the excitement and anticipation on their faces.

Laughter.

It had been so long since he had heard it.

“Hmm… I guess it’s fine if the scale gets a little bigger. Alright! Everyone, gather around!”

As word spread, the surrounding area quickly became crowded with territory residents. Seeing this, Hasman and Heina smiled slightly.

“Heh, it’s been a long time since I’ve seen this kind of liveliness.”

“This is my first time.”

“In the past… laughter used to fill the land like this. Their eyes held the light of the future.”

Heina looked at Jinwoo and the people of the territory.

If she could create scenes like this in the future, she resolved to endure any pain necessary.

“Uh, um… is this really okay? I mean, I am a demon born from darkness, after all.”

A storm of confusion swirled in Airi’s eyes.

Hasman looked at her and nodded.

“Well, even the former Pope is fully immersed in being a Dark Priest… so, just do your best.”

“Hiiik!”

Clap, clap!

Jinwoo clapped his hands, drawing everyone’s attention.

“Alright, let’s get started. Everyone, get into your roles. It’s best to get used to this, there’ll be plenty more of this kind of thing in the future.”

Jinwoo activated the spatial recording device and immediately began filming.

Throughout the shoot, he used magic to enhance the atmosphere, capturing breathtaking scenes that CGI could never replicate. By the end, the field was left devastated, but the footage was powerful enough to put Hollywood films to shame.

“Haha!”

“Guhk! I died! Guhk!”

“That felt real! I think my head just flew off!”

The residents, experiencing acting for the first time, were quite excited.

“Unnie! Saintess!”

“Waaah!”

The children ran around Airi, shouting loudly.

Airi collapsed to the ground, trembling. The more they called her ‘Saintess’, the more her body shrank.

“I-I’m going to be purified…! T-the Church will b-burn me at the stake… Huuurk!”

Regardless, the filming results were outstanding.

With some editing, it would be even better.

Jinwoo was genuinely looking forward to the day he would unveil the final product.

“Hm.”

They might just faint from shock.

*****

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