“We will now resume the performance of <Exodus>!” 

 

“All paladins, return to your seats and prepare for the second act!”

 

The officer’s declaration summoned the paladins back to their seats as he called for the recommencement of the play.

 

As the actors and crew bustled about, preparing for the play to resume, Paladin Marc settled back into his seat, his heart pounding with anticipation.

 

It had been a long time. Such a long time since he had felt this kind of vivid excitement while watching something.

 

“………..……”

 

Truth be told, when he and the other paladins first heard about the play, they hadn’t been particularly thrilled.

 

They figured it would be no better than the usual religious dramas they had been shown. Repeating clichéd messages, attempting to force life into their weary bodies.

 

And until the curtain rose on <Exodus>, they had all shared the same cynical outlook.

 

But this play… this play was different. It held a compelling narrative that drew them in strongly. Its sacredness, which resonated beyond a mere story, captivated them.

 

‘Indeed, it’s not uncommon to create parables that aren’t directly in the scriptures for educational purposes.’

 

Stories of ordinary men tempted by evil, of devout girls who received divine blessings, allegories that illustrated the teachings of the Celestial faith… it wasn’t uncommon for tales to be invented to extol the virtues and powers of God.

 

And at first, he assumed that <Exodus> would be no different—a celebration of God’s greatness, even if it used fictional characters and settings. After all, the God depicted in the play had been the epitome of benevolent agape.

 

But there was something else that drew the paladins into the narrative. Something more.

 

‘It’s… similar.’

 

So similar to our own situation.

 

Marc felt an unexpected kinship with the Hebrews under Egypt’s yoke, rather than with the protagonist, Moses.

 

The Hebrews in <Exodus> suffered from the uncertainty of endless darkness. They prayed fervently every day for a light to shine in their lives, just as Marc and his comrades did, their bodies and spirits slowly crumbling under the relentless holy war.

 

‘It’s… as if a prophet has come to offer us solace.’

 

It was supposed to be an ordinary religious play. Yet, Marc and his comrades found themselves drawn deeper and deeper into the narrative.

 

The playwright, Phantom, had woven a tale so intricate, so believable, that it had become real for them. It offered solace to their weary souls. They saw their struggles reflected in the plight of the characters.

 

✧❅✦❅✧

 

[Pharaoh! Ruler of Egypt, king of pagans! Let my people go!]

 

Upon his return to Egypt, Moses wasted no time and went straight to the palace, just as God had commanded. He stood before Pharaoh and demanded that the Hebrews be set free to worship the one true God—not the false idols of Egypt.

 

[You dare to give me orders, Moses?]

 

As expected, Pharaoh met Moses with scorn.

 

Instead, he decided to mock Moses’s presumption by doubling the Hebrews’ suffering.

 

[Double their workload! And see that they gather their own straw for making bricks! If they complain, tell them it is the fault of Moses and his foolish tongue!]

 

And just like that, the Hebrews’ situation went from bad to worse. As their toil increased tenfold, so did their resentment for Moses.

 

[Damn you, Moses! This is all your fault!]

 

Moses, disheartened by the failure of his mission, found himself facing the wrath of the very people he had tried to help.

 

[Why have you made our lives even more miserable?]

 

[Indeed! Since when did a pampered Egyptian prince become one of our brethren!]

 

[When did we ask you to be our leader? Did we ever make you our judge?]

 

Moses had hit a wall—a wall named Pharaoh.

 

The Hebrew extras weren’t the only ones disappointed by this turn of events.

 

“……………”

 

“……………”

 

The paladins, having held a subtle hope that Moses would showcase some clever twist, also wore faces of frustration and looked with sympathy upon the protagonist.

 

They had been hoping for a cathartic moment — a moment of triumph where the oppressed were delivered from their suffering—and they had placed their faith in Moses to deliver it. Now, it seemed, their hopes were dashed.

 

[Moses, my son, do not despair.]

 

However, God consoled Moses and told him to wait for the morrow, reassuring him that Pharaoh’s disregard was to be expected

 

[At dawn, lead my people to the banks of the Nile. You will all witness my miracles strike upon Egypt.]

 

As time passed on stage and the backdrop shifted from night to the light of dawn, the divine punishment known as the Ten Plagues began to unfold upon Egypt.

 

And the first of these plagues was…

 

Blub, blub, blurp—!!

 

“The… the river?”

 

“It’s blood! That’s blood!”

 

“Gods above! The entire river has turned to blood!”

 

A long, beautiful replica of the Nile River, projected onto the stage with illusion magic, 

 

The once clear waters rapidly boiled and turned into a crimson flood.

 

The paladins shifted uneasily in their seats, murmuring among themselves.

 

Even those who had lived their entire lives in faith had not imagined that divine wrath could be portrayed so grotesquely and chillingly.

 

[Do not be alarmed, children of God! ]

 

[God has promised to ease your suffering! To deliver you from all evil! ]

 

Mr. Renoir, in character as Moses, boomed, his gaze sweeping across the audience. His words were clearly intended for the paladins as much as for the play’s fictional audience.

 

[He has watched over all your pains and has pledged to guide you on the path to salvation!]

 

[Behold, you lambs of God! Witness the divine retribution that awaits those who would dare to hinder the deliverance of God’s chosen people! ]

 

“Oh…”

 

“Aah…”

 

The paladins, gradually influenced by Mr. Renoir’s powerful performance, were beginning to get more than just entertained by <Exodus>. They were starting to identify deeply with the Hebrews, seeing themselves mirrored in their plight.

 

This was the cue for the carefully selected choir from the church to shine.

 

[O foolish ruler of a heathen kingdom, Pharaoh, hear the word of the Lord~♬]

 

As the section detailing the ten plagues began, the choir’s song lifted the scene; starting with a sinister and cold tone, the choir slowly raised their pitch, transforming the hymn into a grand and terrifying requiem.

 

[For you have refused to let the Lord’s people go, so He has sent these plagues~♫]

 

[He will strike down Egypt with a mighty hand and show the world that there is no other God! ♪]

 

[All of Egypt shall weep with blood as the price of your arrogance and foolishness~♩]

 

Against the backdrop of this requiem, the divine punishments depicted with the latest otherworldly technology and magic began to unfold on stage in a spectacle.

 

While the original holy text described the plagues occurring sequentially over time, I took inspiration from the musical segment ‘The Plagues’ from the movie The Prince of Egypt, adapting the events to unfold in a simultaneous, spectacular fashion.

 

‘This way, the audience can be completely captivated without a moment of boredom.’

 

“Oh, God!”

 

“That is the punishment God delivers to the foolish unbelievers!”

 

“That is the resolute will of God to save His suffering people!”

 

The breathtaking special effects, which could rival modern-day CGI, drew gasps and exclamations from the knights, their eyes sparkling with awe.

 

Before their very eyes, an immense swarm of frogs came forth, covering the entire land.

 

Swarms of flies and pests plagued all of Egypt as festering disease and boils struck down livestock and people alike.

 

Fiery hailstones rained down from the sky, and ravenous locusts devoured every grain in their path.

 

Under the relentless assault of one calamity after another, the mighty authority built by Pharaoh was utterly demolished.

 

And through it all, it was the innocent people of Egypt who suffered the most.

 

[Pharaoh! King of pagans!]

 

Moses cried out, his heart filled with pity for the people as they cried out in fear and agony. He implored the stubborn ruler to relent.

 

Standing at the far right of the stage, bathed in a spotlight, he raised his voice.

 

[Release the Hebrews! Cease this torment! Free my people as God has commanded!]

 

But Pharaoh’s pride would not be swayed.

 

[You amuse me, Moses, you false prophet of the wilderness!]

 

Standing at the opposite end of the stage, representing his opposition to Moses, Pharaoh raised his arms, his gestures encompassing both Moses and the suffering Egyptians.

 

[I am Pharaoh! I am the living embodiment of Ra, the Sun God! I will not be cowed by the tricks of your desert deity! I will not free the slaves!]

 

“That—that arrogant—!”

 

“To blaspheme against the great and only God by calling Him a desert deity—?!”

 

“Grr… Pharaoh! How dare you—!!”

 

The paladins bristled, enraged by the words of the actor playing Pharaoh; to them, it was blasphemy.

 

And I found myself breaking into a cold sweat.

 

‘… I used to say the same thing in my old world.’

 

As a non-believer in my thirties, why would I have worshipped Jehovah ? I had added that line to the play on a whim, a callback to my internet trolling days. I hadn’t expected such a visceral reaction.

 

It was a good thing they were directing their anger at a fictional character and not at me, the playwright.

 

[Oh, Pharaoh, you are blind and foolish!]

 

Even when Egypt was plunged into darkness for three days by a total solar eclipse, Pharaoh refused to yield, clinging stubbornly to his pride.

 

[Then have it your way!]

 

Watching this, Moses made a solemn declaration with a crestfallen face.

 

[Your pride will bring upon you a punishment a thousand times heavier!]

 

And Moses’s words would prove prophetic.

 

The final and most dreadful plague, the death of the firstborn, unfolded.

 

The Angel of Death swept through Egypt, taking the lives of every firstborn son, from the humblest peasant household to the grand palace of Pharaoh…

 

…and this included Pharaoh’s own son, his heir.

 

At this point, not even Pharaoh could withstand it any longer.

 

Once a stage that echoed with the cries of Hebrew parents who had lost their children, it now resounded with the anguished screams of Egyptian parents mourning the loss of their firstborns.

 

Defeated and heartbroken, Pharaoh at last yielded.

 

[…You have my permission… Take the Hebrews… and leave Egypt.] 

 

Finally, from his lips came the decree of freedom for the Hebrew slaves.

 

Turning his back on the despairing Pharaoh, Moses led his people out of Egypt.

 

Overjoyed, men, women, and children followed Moses, eager to begin their new lives.

 

[Glory, glory, hallelujah! ♪]

 

[Glory, glory, hallelujah! ♩]

 

The choir’s beautiful hymn filled the air, singing praises to the Lord’s miracles as the Hebrews took their first steps towards the promised land of Canaan, a land flowing with milk and honey.

 

And just as the Hebrews celebrated their liberation, so did the paladins in the audience.

 

[Lord, who among the heavens can compare to thee? ♪]

 

[Who is as mighty and holy as our God? ♬]

 

[With Your love, You have led the people and bestowed the grace of freedom upon us~♫]

 

“Hallelujah!”

 

“Emanuel! Emanuel…!”

 

Tears streamed down the faces of the battle-hardened paladins as they watched, their hearts stirred by the music, by the choir’s voices, and by the actors’ passionate performances.

 

They saw their own struggles reflected in the plight of the Hebrews.

 

And they clung to the hope that their suffering, too, would one day be rewarded, that their God was not silent but was watching over them.

 

‘But it’s too soon to be overwhelmed with emotion.’

 

The true climax was yet to come.

 

As the scene transitioned, and Moses and the Hebrews rested at the shores of the Red Sea…

 

Bam-bam-!!

 

A blaring military trumpet signaled alarms from the distance.

 

[Moses! Moses! It’s terrible! Pharaoh… Pharaoh has broken his word! ]

 

An extra came running onto the stage, his face etched with panic, and delivered the news.

 

[He’s coming after us with his army, intending to slaughter all the Hebrews!]

 

— End of Chapter —

 

⚘ ⚘ ⚘

 

Translator’s Notes :-

 

The word Pharaoh kinda reminds me of this cool quote:

 

My enemies are many. My equals are none. In the shade of olive trees, they said Italy could never be conquered. In the land of pharaohs and kings, they said Egypt could never be humbled. In the realm of forest and snow, they said Russia could never be tamed. Now they say nothing, they fear me, like a force of nature, a dealer in thunder and death. I say I am Napoleon. I am Emperor!