Chapter Twenty-Nine: The Subject of "Yes, Prime Minister" / Chapter Thirty: Filming Begins on Episode One of "Yes, Prime Minister"!

"Oh, no need, no need. We might not even need half that many for this production." Chen Qi waved his hand. A hundred people? Even for scenes requiring more people, there probably wouldn't be more than twenty. Most members of the Reunion Movement could even make cameo appearances.

However... the people Chen Qi intended to "borrow" for filming were destined not to be ordinary people.

He still needed Theresis's assurance.

"The third matter is that once we finish filming, we will leave Londinium. When that time comes, I ask that Your Highness the Regent and your subordinates do not stop us."

"Of course." Theresis nodded. He had no intention of employing Chen Qi and his crew for the long term. Although he wanted to bring so many talented people under his command, if they only maintained a superficial harmony... then it would be better not to use them at all.

"Then those are all my demands for now."

"I trust that Your Highness the Regent will not go back on your word." Seeing Theresis agree so readily to all three conditions, Chen Qi asked this directly.

"Most Sarkaz are mercenaries. As a commander and a regent, in order to win the trust of subjects who were largely transformed from mercenaries, I naturally possess the virtue of keeping my promises."

Theresis smiled faintly. "For mercenaries, the most important thing is credibility. Once Sarkaz mercenaries accept a contract, they honor it."

"Manfred will draw up a contract for everything agreed upon today. The two of us will press our bloodied fingerprints upon it, and thus a Sarkaz Blood Pact shall be formed."

"Any Sarkaz who violates a Blood Pact will be scorned, even if he is the Regent."

"Then let's not delay. Let's sign it now." Chen Qi sighed in relief at those words. Although Theresis's easy agreement felt somewhat strange, once they signed this contract, there was no doubt that he and the crew would be much safer.

Seeing how eager Chen Qi was to sign, Theresis found it somewhat strange as well... He always felt that Chen Qi had seen through something and remained deeply wary of him.

Though puzzled, Theresis still had Manfred act as witness and signed the pact with Chen Qi. The two pressed bloodied fingers onto the two sheets of paper, each taking one copy.

"Then, regarding the actors, I'll need Your Highness the Regent's help right away!"

After accepting the Blood Pact, Chen Qi immediately intended to put his plan into action. Smiling, he looked at Theresis and said, "I already have a preliminary idea. I need a lead actor."

"Simple. I can have Manfred take you to choose someone." Theresis waved a hand after putting away the Blood Pact.

But before Manfred could take Chen Qi to the army, Chen Qi immediately shook his head. "No, no, no. This person is different. He's the lead actor, so he must fit the temperament I have in mind for the role. In fact, all the leads I need must be elite-level figures."

"For example, this lead actor must... well... look like someone of status."

Chen Qi asked tentatively. Theresis and Manfred exchanged glances, not understanding what he meant, but gestured for him to continue.

"He must have grand ambitions." Seeing that Theresis did not stop him, Chen Qi cautiously continued.

"He should have a rather imposing appearance."

Theresis's expression began to turn strange. He instinctively wanted to laugh, but could not laugh aloud.

"It would be best if he had extensive experience in politics."

Manfred was beginning to realize what Chen Qi was getting at. His gaze unconsciously shifted toward Theresis.

"And he should possess an instinctive air of intimidation, making the other actors submit to his authority."

"...You mean me?" Listening to Chen Qi's "praise," Theresis's expression shifted slightly, though he still restrained his emotions as he asked.

"I never expected Your Highness the Regent to possess such clear and accurate self-awareness."

At last, seeing Theresis take the bait, Chen Qi promptly delivered the perfect flattery. He clapped as he spoke to Theresis, leaving Manfred beside them thoroughly embarrassed.

Theresis himself was embarrassed as well... He had merely thought that Chen Qi's description sounded very much like him. He had not believed Chen Qi would actually dare to ask him; he only spoke up to name himself and keep Chen Qi from going too far.

But now that the flattery had been offered, and he had accepted it, the Sarkaz—who were rather slow when it came to social maneuvering—even Theresis could not think of a way to take back his words.

The scene left Theresis somewhat dazed. It felt like back then, when he had needed the kings of the Royal Court to support him, and had no choice but to let the kings who already supported him explain his merits and the benefits he could bring to the others...

Back then, they had tested one another this way. Every so-called "merit" they named was really a "promise" Theresis would have to fulfill after taking power.

And now, Theresis himself had fallen for the same trick. This was the first time in his life that he had come out worse in a conversation...

The Casting of Yes, Prime Minister

"Your Highness the Regent does not need to answer my invitation immediately. I know you have not read the script yet, and someone of your status would naturally feel some resistance toward acting."

"But trust me. In a few days, I will give you a satisfactory answer. I already have an idea, and I can assure you that this will absolutely not be some shallow comedy that people laugh at and forget."

"Of course I will not have a group of important people get onstage to play clowns. You can rest assured of that. Your roles will perfectly match your identities and standing."

After Chen Qi left Theresis's chambers, his words continued to linger in Theresis's mind. For some reason, every time he spoke with Chen Qi, Theresis—a long-lived Sarkaz who had commanded armies on battlefields a century ago—often felt like an ignorant child in front of him.

Chen Qi's expertise belonged to a field Theresis had never understood, or even encountered.

Yet when Theresis first watched The Godfather and saw how much confidence and cohesion it had brought to the people of Syracuse, he keenly sensed that entertainment might also be an important field.

Every race felt pressure. It was simply that the Sarkaz had endured harsh living conditions for generations, and after experiencing war, they sought little besides survival.

As a result, Sarkaz armies had lower logistical requirements than the armies of other nations.

They could adapt to and endure harsher conditions, making them fiercer and more resilient than other countries' troops.

Therefore, entertainment was generally a luxury and something unfamiliar to the Sarkaz. Even the ancient monsters of the Royal Court, who had lived for who knew how many years, either immersed themselves in the pleasures of racial instinct or had only the same few entertainments to pass the time.

Theresis had never expected that, as someone who knew nothing about entertainment, he would become the "lead actor" Chen Qi needed.

He was not worried that Chen Qi would assign him the role of some ridiculous clown. If he did, Chen Qi would only prove that he valued his life too little... But Theresis did not know whether someone like him could really be effective in a comedy.

After all, Theresis had great confidence in his impassive expression and the willpower honed through years on the battlefield. He was suitable for speeches, and suitable for playing an iron-blooded monarch, but acting was surely beyond him...

"Since I have made this decision, then as Regent, I should show my best side, even in a field I am not good at."

Having thought it through, Theresis sat up from his bed. The thought of his "performance" being broadcast through televisions—not only watched by Victorians in Londinium, but also by the Sarkaz—made him feel that he could not behave in a way that disgraced his status.

Even if he was not good at acting, he had to do his best! With that thought, Theresis immediately called out, "Confessor!"

"Here, Your Highness the Regent. What are your orders?"

Very soon, after Theresis's call, the Confessor appeared at his side like a ghost, dressed head to toe in black robes and wearing a golden mask, ready to receive orders.

The Confessor had assumed that Theresis's summons so late at night concerned some urgent matter. Instead, he only heard Theresis speak coldly.

"Turn on the projector. I want to watch The Godfather."

"...Your Highness the Regent, forgive my bluntness, but you have not slept for two days because of that movie." The Confessor's voice carried a rare note of difficulty.

"I need to hone my acting. I do not wish to disgrace the dignity of a monarch before the public."

Theresis's tone was resolute. Whatever order this iron-blooded monarch gave always seemed beyond question—though if he were speaking of politics rather than acting, his bearing would have seemed far more majestic.

And the reason he had summoned the Confessor was an embarrassing one... He had never tried to figure out how to use the projector.

Faced with his monarch's command, the Confessor, who had rushed over in the middle of the night, fell silent for a rare moment before answering evenly, "Yes, Your Highness the Regent."

Several days later, when Theresis had stayed up honing his acting until he believed it was nearly adequate, Chen Qi—who had been "creating" for a long time—finally brought his work to Theresis.

This time, Chen Qi had not come only for Theresis. He had previously asked Theresis to summon the other two "lead actors" he had anticipated—Manfred and the Bloodborne Archon.

"...Your Highness, having me deal with the tedious social calls of those Victoria city nobles is one thing. But asking me to obey a Yan man and come out to perform like some fool meant to amuse people is another matter entirely."

"I ask that Your Highness the Regent tell me the reason. Or have this Yan man before me tell me himself."

The Bloodborne Archon was a pale, handsome white-haired vampire who appeared to be a young man. In truth, everyone knew that he had lived for who knew how many years. As one of the kings of the Royal Court, his lifespan was certainly longer than Theresis's and Manfred's combined.

"Because this may be more meaningful than dealing with noble social calls." Theresis spoke indifferently to the Bloodborne Archon.

"Since you are tired of social calls, why not give this a try? I believe that as long as it does not bore you more than social calls do, you will not resist it."

"An interesting argument. I never knew Your Highness the Regent had the potential to tell jokes." The Bloodborne Archon did not object. He had likely become rather irritated after attending so many banquets lately. As one of the few Sarkaz capable of appreciating art, he turned to Chen Qi and asked coolly, "Then let me hear it. Since you are a guest invited by His Highness, I hope you can raise a topic that interests me, playwright."

"I'm not a playwright, only a director. And of course I'll tell you about this production."

This was Chen Qi's first time seeing the Bloodborne Archon from such close range. The reason he was unafraid was that the three people before him were all gray neutral units on the Mini-map. From that, he could judge whether someone held clear hostility toward him.

Chen Qi increasingly felt that the Mini-map had been well worth buying.

Coming back to himself, he began explaining his television drama. "I previously told Your Highness the Regent that we would be making a comedy this time. But our comedy is rather special, because Your Highness requested that we subtly make Victoria's residents in Londinium lose faith in their country."

"Therefore, I have decided on the subject matter: a political satire comedy called Yes, Prime Minister."

"A political satire comedy?" the three of them asked in unison.

Chen Qi's words left not only Theresis and Manfred, who knew little about the subject, but even the well-traveled Bloodborne Archon—who had lived for countless years—somewhat stunned.

They understood the words politics, satire, and comedy individually, but when put together, they somehow became hard to understand.

Politics was cruel and tedious; they all knew that. Satire was sharp and powerful, and could indeed shake a nation's people's confidence to some degree. Comedy, meanwhile, was meant to make people laugh and had to be lighthearted and enjoyable.

These three concepts were nearly complete opposites. How could they possibly combine and still become interesting?

"I have to admit, this new term has piqued my interest." The Bloodborne Archon was the first to recover. This time, he wore a sickly smile of genuine curiosity. "Go on, Director."

"This drama avoids portraying political conspiracies and darkness as much as possible. Instead, through a witty and humorous approach, it mocks and satirizes the inaction and flaws of Victoria's politicians and civil servants—the things that subtly bring about Victoria's gradual decline."

"Through their contradictory views and the ways civil servants and politicians protect their own interests, it makes people roar with laughter."

Chen Qi briefly explained the characteristics of Yes, Prime Minister, then told the three of them, "Because the three leads each have different interests, most of the jokes center on them. That makes the lead roles especially important."

"Who are these three roles? Introduce them to us." Theresis asked calmly.

"The first is Harker. He is the Prime Minister, the highest-ranking figure beneath the monarch, overseeing all of Victoria's state affairs. To a certain extent, he is Victoria's chief steward. While the monarch must make the final decision, his opinion can largely determine the monarch's opinion. Therefore, in the eyes of civil servants and politicians, he is effectively the monarch."

"But he did not gain this position through ability or talent. It was simply because the other candidates showed tendencies toward splitting their parties, so the civil service system fully supported the mediocre Harker's election as Prime Minister."

"Thus, though he is Prime Minister, he is constrained by the interests of many civil servants and politicians. He is full of passion and wants to achieve something, but his dreams are often limited because he lacks enough support."

"—That sounds like the current relationship between the Royal Court and the generals." Manfred spoke instinctively, only to immediately realize there was something wrong with what he had said.

After all, the Bloodborne Archon was a member of the Royal Court, while Theresis had personally promoted Manfred. Saying that was tantamount to tearing away the thin veil concealing the two sides' superficial harmony.

The Bloodborne Archon was not especially supportive of Theresis. He merely regarded him more favorably than the other Royal Court members did, though he also had certain grievances against Theresis. That was why Manfred had said this situation resembled the relationship between the Royal Court and Theresis.

"Very well, then it is obvious that the role of the 'Prime Minister' belongs to Your Highness the Regent." The Bloodborne Archon immediately understood that Chen Qi had designed the roles around their respective circumstances. Smiling, he asked, "What about the other two?"

"The other is named Humphrey. He is a civil servant and a senior bureaucrat. His interests are directly tied to the civil service system. As one of the people who originally backed Harker for Prime Minister, he believes he deserves credit for helping elevate him."

"Furthermore, he hates change, so he opposes many of the Prime Minister's new policies."

"Most of the conflict in the story comes from him and the Prime Minister. Since these two roles are very important..." Chen Qi turned his gaze to the Bloodborne Archon, making his meaning obvious.

"Then it seems this role belongs to me. I do not dislike it." The Bloodborne Archon smiled faintly. He felt that he might play this role well—perhaps because... it suited him so closely?

"Then only the last one remains. General Manfred, this one belongs to you." The Bloodborne Archon turned his gaze toward Manfred. Though Manfred remained unflinching before armies by the thousands, when it came to acting alongside Theresis and the Bloodborne Archon, he was unusually nervous.

"Then, Director Chen Qi, my role is...?"

"It is a character named Bernard. He is the Prime Minister's private secretary. He had already served as Harker's secretary before Harker became Prime Minister, so Harker trusts him deeply." Chen Qi began explaining Manfred's role.

"When Harker became Victoria's Prime Minister, Bernard played a part in encouraging his rise. In addition, Bernard himself had a promising future, and Harker deliberately promoted him, making him his private secretary in one leap. Bernard, who had risen to the top in a single step, is loyal to the Prime Minister."

"But the difficulty of this role is that he not only directly serves the Prime Minister; like Humphrey, his interests are also directly linked to those of the civil servants, and he also answers to Humphrey. Thus, he serves as a lubricant in the story."

"He must help the Prime Minister, and occasionally help Humphrey as well, but most of the time, he remains loyal to the Prime Minister."

"That sounds like..." Manfred instinctively wanted to say, "That feels a lot like my current situation," but he immediately noticed Theresis's scrutinizing gaze and hastily changed his words.

"That sounds like... a role I can take on."

"Then let's not delay, Director Chen Qi. Give us the scripts, and we will prepare to begin filming next week."

Seeing that neither Manfred nor the Bloodborne Archon had objections, Theresis accepted the script for the first episode of Yes, Prime Minister from Chen Qi.

After Chen Qi handed scripts to each of the three, Theresis said, "Next week, we must finish filming the first episode as quickly as possible. Therefore, every one of us must do our best. Understood?"

As soon as Theresis finished speaking, both the Bloodborne Archon, who felt the role suited him, and Manfred, who felt he was about to lose his job after misspeaking twice, exchanged glances.

Then, in perfect unison, they said to Theresis, "Yes, Prime Minister." X2

...This was probably the best casting possible for Terra's version of Yes, Prime Minister, wasn't it? Chen Qi watched the three, who were already somewhat "in character," and felt something subtly strange.

When I film this drama, won't I end up subtly turning them directly into Terra incarnations of Harker, Humphrey, and Bernard?

Yes, Prime Minister, Episode 1: Filming Begins!

"Then, none of you have any further issues with the first episode's scene, right?"

"I've already had everyone prepare the equipment at 10 Austerity Street. We can begin filming at any time."

A week of preparation passed quickly. During that time, both Theresis, busy with government affairs, and Manfred, occupied with army preparations, could be said to have been overwhelmed. They handled serious business during the day and memorized lines at night—busy, yet seemingly enjoying it.

Many of the guards and Confessors around Theresis noticed something was off... Manfred, Theresis, and the Bloodborne Archon, three people who rarely met in ordinary times, gathered every night to discuss the script and rehearse scenes together.

From time to time, they would even burst into laughter—usually started by Manfred, with the Bloodborne Archon quickly following.

This made the guards and Confessors feel rather unsettled... The Bloodborne Archon belonged to the Royal Court and was not one of Theresis's supporters. He merely did not oppose him. He should not have been so close to Theresis and Manfred.

And laughter...? It was an unfamiliar concept to most Sarkaz. Anyone who had endured cruel war and hardship rarely laughed happily, aside from those with particularly twisted personalities. Most Sarkaz simply worried their way through life until the next day.