EP.11 S1. 황자와 꽃과 레지스탕스 -1 (GM 시점)

EP.11 S1 The Prince, the Flower, and the Resistance -1 (GM's point of view) If you were to ask me what the most important thing in TRPG is, my answer would be motivation. Players need to have a strong motivation. If a player were to plead, "My neighbor Hyeshin was taken by a giant squid," realistically, if a neighbor's child were taken by a monster, one wouldn’t take matters into their own hands and intervene, considering the ineffectiveness of the police. If Hyeshin was having a sweet affair with a player and happened to be abducted by a monster, it's natural for a person's heart to hesitate until the circumstances appear dire and the police seem incompetent. In that sense, there is no motivation as convincing as a threat to life. Naturally, one becomes desperate if a gigantic monster is coming to tear one’s limb. So, it's time to have an impromptu session with the Second Prince. What kind of session to open, what the core conflict is, and how to capture the motivation... If I had known about the visit of the Second Prince a week ago, I could have made some preparations. I would have done some research and delicately adjusted the atmosphere of the session to fit his personality, but... It’s a sudden visit. An order has come in, and it's time to serve the guest. First, let's check the available ingredients. The fantasy modeling is mostly completed. The martial arts genre is still far from being put into action, and there are parts of the modern setting that are reluctant to be pushed onto the Second Prince. After all, would it not be better for the prince to visit the modern world for food and entertainment? Furthermore, there is a critical issue based on the modern setting. Trained subculture readers are well aware of clichés. If a grandfather clock suddenly stops, it means someone is about to die, and lines like ‘So-and-so can't lose! They are the best!’ means that they will either win or be threatened. So, if I behave a certain way, it is understood and the characters can be sympathized with. If I suddenly mention a gloomy atmosphere with dark clouds rolling in, they would prepare their hearts for something to happen. But the Second Prince is not an ordinary person who knows all this. I judged that an intuitive plot was necessary. "This is a time travel angle." "T-Time travel…?" Matapju, lying in the massage chair, stuttered with a sweet voice. This place can be described as... the control room. It's a virtual reality space for manipulating virtual reality. Here, I manipulated the virtual reality while munching on popcorn. First, I looked at the Second Prince and tossed him into a secluded forest. I need to buy some time. Since I caught the scent of time travel, I thought the future looked good. Fortunately, I had just taken a fresh shot of a steampunk future city. The skyscraper was also a great 3D model that gave a strong impression just by looking at it. The name of the city is 'Nightwatch'. I pasted the steampunk future city 'Nightwatch' next to the secluded forest. Because the skyscrapers are tall, it will be easy to find the path. If the Second Prince just goes to a place with a slightly open view, he will see a tower piercing the sky and be led out of the forest. Now, since it's a steampunk city, there's something I couldn't leave out. "Matapju?” “Yes?” “Could you make some unbiased modeling? 10...” “Huh?” “9... 8...” “???” “7...” Matapju Yuna got up and started chiseling away at the unbiased modeling. It was a fearsome speed, as if she were a great mage. She even had the sense to chisel the outside while ignoring the inside. While scheduling urgent matters, she focused on the monitor. When the Second Prince looked at the wooden modeling with concentration, it made me feel like I wanted to explain it in a soliloquy. -You seem to have realized something. Was there something special around you? Second Prince: "The species of this wood only grows near the capital of the empire. It was obtained by ordering alchemists to commemorate the birthdays of the five emperors." What? "You did the wood modeling, Matapju." “Ah, the unbiased one is finished... Ah, well? Uh, yes. I did it.” “This wood only grows near the capital of the empire.” “Yes!” So, you can't use the steampunk future city 'Nightwatch'. I imposed a punishment on Matapju for not explaining the wood modeling by giving her a head massage. "Uhbububu." Alright, I can still use the steampunk future city 'Nightwatch'. I flew the skyscrapers from the ambitious future city 'Nightwatch' before the Second Prince could look back. I hastily called for the modeling of the capital of the empire and attached it. Then, I inserted hints of future time periods here and there. I even made some scratches on the castle walls, and added meaningless clock hands and steam engines to buildings. "...Then it won't lead to the city without the skyscrapers, right?" "Uhbwoo." "Matapju, go for the unbiased attack! Hover and guide him to the city from here!" I guided the Second Prince with the unbiased model, which had a slow movement speed to the point of suspicion. And here, it was time for the effect of the fantasy magic to come into play. In reality, the time it took to travel through the forest was only five minutes, but the 'time perception delay' made it feel like an hour. a.k.a military training ground. While skipping as needed, I carefully took care of the reality. I had also finished processing the capital modeling work for five minutes. I quickly inserted the sentence to replace the empire's flag. Mixing roughly three sentences from different kingdoms made it look decent. Just visiting the future empire wouldn't have any sense of crisis. Crisis is important. Without suspense and action, it could be rather dull. When I thought about showing Matapju around Korea, I hesitated about whether to include an incident. Crisis. Crisis. Crisis… “Matapju, tell me a few things that come to mind when you think of the empire." "Bolese is a soga rock noke mahaji?" "Oh." I let it go. "Slave system, a militaristic powerhouse, actively mixing royal blood with nobles?" "Okay." Then, let's go to the world of social inversion. Let's bring the golden hair that symbolizes royal lineage down to the level of a slave. Controlling the NPCs, I cast glances saying, 'Wow... Golden hair? Is he a slave?' When the Second Prince received these looks for the first time, his expression was visibly heated. While the Second Prince waited in the security line, I neatly organized my thoughts. The main theme: a world of social inversion. And... Success story? Yes, that would be great. He must have been born with so much already in his hands. But he probably hasn't experienced climbing up from the bottom. I wanted to give a taste of the catharsis of rising from the very bottom to the very top. To do that, you first have to push him down. -"Halt. Reveal your identity. Where is your master?" - "If you're not a slave, what—maybe just a mongrel? With filthy golden hair, he still holds his head high." - "So an unfortunate little slave... Do you mistake your master's authority for yours? No matter how high and mighty your master may be, you're just a lucky little slave. Understand?" I lashed out with words and then escalated the situation. I pressed his forehead with my index finger. When this happened at the company, I almost threw a punch. It seemed to have an impressive effect even in another world, as the Second Prince let out a loud statement of authority. Second Prince: "Behave properly, soldier! I am Irid Crown, the Second Prince of the Empire—!" I hesitated. The balance between discomfort and amusement had to be perfect. Using a 'sweet potato to soda' strategy, I shouldn’t start by having the player's character kill off everyone from family to friends and lovers. Doing that might just end with the player punching me in anger. I had to scratch just enough to not make the player really uncomfortable, then immediately toss in the soda to make the strategy work. So, I didn’t use profanity worse than that. Just a bit more scratching. Just a bit. -"The reason the people of the empire live groveling lives like slaves is none other than Irid, the 'Zero Emperor'!" Interesting setting, isn't it? To think that the future me would be the last emperor of the empire. And while this is a backstory, the 'Zero Emperor' is a slander by the 'Kingdom Union.' They conspired with dark mages and spread false prophecies after occupying the empire. "........." "Uh, your Highness, you look like a dead fish...?" "Huh, what?" "A-Are you okay?!" No, it's not okay. It's screwed up. I didn't intend to hurt him this much! I thought he was the type with a high pride, so I scratched hard, but it seems like his self-esteem is lower than expected...? This was a miss. Was I too impulsive in doing a TRPG after a while? "This is fiction, Your Highness. This is fiction..." I had to let him know that this was all a fantasy, just a game. But speaking directly wasn’t an elegant method. I lowered the Second Prince's sense of sight as an NPC by steadily decreasing his cognition points. Maybe it will just feel like gently tapping. Look, doesn't it seem strange? To hit someone with a stick but just feel like tapping? That doesn't make sense, right? In this way, I indirectly let him know that this was fiction. - "You... seem absent-minded, as if you've lost your mind. Even as the security guards swarm you with sticks, what reverberates in your mind isn't agony, but countless 'whys?'" No, it's not that I'm not feeling the shock, it’s just that I’m really not feeling it. I mean, I'm getting hit with an iron stick, how am I supposed to think straight? Not going to work. I have to execute the emergency "Deddenade" strategy. --------------------------------------------------------------- This guy just avoids the events so well. An event where a retired soldier who takes the Second Prince away after seeing the look in his eyes => The Second Prince runs the moment the retired soldier is brought in. Failure. An event where someone brings a big wallet in front of the Second Prince and tells him to go have a nice meal using the money => He passes by out of fear of there being a tracking magic inside. Failure. An event where the Second Prince is giving out bread to people as part of a 'free bakery event' => He runs because he is certain it will turn into baguettes on his end. Failure. Placing wealthy and generous ladies at every corner to support the Second Prince => Suddenly climbing over a wall and running away, failure. "Aren't you a party pooper?" Did you just want to experience pain on your own? Is he avoiding all these events that I prepared to mock me? But looking at his deadpan expression, it doesn't seem like that's the case...? "......Hoo." I have no choice to use my last move. I bring out a cute girl. A boy meets girl in classic traditional cliques, high-impact. A serving girl in an inn with a sensibility of the common people. A water-bucket-spilling spawn. Letting the water pour down... - "S-Sorry! I didn't know anyone was there..." Ah, the girl made a mistake. Now, she apologizes and stirs up a sweet event with the soaked Second Prince... Oh, he ran away again! I quickly add to the setting. In truth, she is not a serving girl at an inn. She is a resistance girl in disguise as a serving girl. I bump up her physical specs. I made her fall from a cliff by sliding down a wall groove. Did you catch the subtlety in this? A delicate, girlish girl who seems like she wouldn’t be able to lift a pink dumbbell is daring enough to fall from the third floor. And, not to mention— Exposed beneath her fluttering skirt is remarkably mature underwear, contrasting sharply with her innocent appearance! This is perfect. Look up quickly now. Look up and shiver, Irid, Second Prince! This is the panty modeling that I chiseled with my soul...! "Ugh!" Why are you looking away...! Feeling frustrated and indignant, I collapsed right there. And Matapju was there, looking at me with a pitiful expression...