After wrapping up the climactic final battle scene, which had been the biggest hurdle of this film, the remaining scenes were swiftly deleted.
One of the distinctive features of such films is the necessity for a greater amount of time spent on post-production and CGI work.
To meet our targeted release date, the schedule was somewhat tight.
Nonetheless, now that we had completed the final battle scene, much of what remained were rather straightforward tasks.
Nana, Heavenly Yuah, and the rest of the actors in this movie all proved to be consummate professionals, ensuring the process ran smoothly.
“Why do I keep getting killed off?”
“…I’m not sure?”
Perhaps the only minor issue was that Moon Suyeon, once again cast in a role where her character dies, complained with a slight pout.
Moon Suyeon’s Gumiho, a short but pivotal role, was crucial in awakening Nam Baek-soo through her death. As her time to “die” approached, there seemed to be some regret.
In ‘Gold Rush, Joseon,’ Wolhee also perished.
In ‘Mother’s Song,’ the daughter died.
And now with her demise in this film, it was starting to seem questionable if there wasn’t something behind this recurring motif.
But then again, this woman herself is a brave soul who has achieved the remarkable feat of death-and-run.
Could the recurring roles where she dies be akin to a form of real-life authenticity?
Since she knew the role involved death when she accepted it, there wasn’t much to argue about.
There were other small issues, but one way or another, we managed to get through them.
Due to scheduling conflicts, two supporting actors who had temporarily returned to Korea were two days late coming back.
Because of that, the entire schedule was pushed back by a day.
There was also the case of a young actress who went back to Korea for a fan event and returned carrying a lot of tiger plushies, which she eagerly pounced on me with.
Chun Yuah and Moon Suyeon, who had gradually become comfortable speaking to this girl due to her charm, still remained wary of Ellie.
Mostly, these were minor issues and didn’t significantly impact the filming schedule, and under Director Nam Hyun-a’s thorough management, the movie production was completed.
And today, after the final shoot, the after-party before returning home was in full swing.
From the stunt team Libertad members, who after this project would be taking a brief hiatus, to the quintessentially Korean movie staff who would rather die than not drink, all the way to the actors who didn’t need to hold back since they were returning to Korea tomorrow, everyone gathered to enjoy themselves.
Especially noteworthy were the Libertad friends whose exuberance utterly dominated the gathering.
Despite our staff only speaking English and the Libertad crew primarily conversing in Spanish, it was amazing to see how they so easily mingled.
Could it be something in the DNA?
If Libertad were modern-day Southern Sea Swordswomen, perhaps the inborn anti-Waegu sentiment in their DNA created a sense of inner intimacy with us.
Though it’s obviously an unfounded, imaginative idea, it did seem somewhat plausible to me.
“Hey, Siwoo, want to have a smoke?”
“Nah, I avoid nicotine.”
“Very responsible of you.”
While stepping out for some fresh air, I came across Ellie with an e-cigarette in her mouth.
Not surprising at all really.
This person has always liked to smoke something, just like the old days in Martial Forest.
In Ellie’s case, it’s somewhat reassuring that it’s just nicotine rather than something stronger like marijuana or heroin.
Though, it’s understandable given she hails from South America.
Of course, it’s not that I particularly cared about nicotine, though.
“It’s been a fascinating experience. Being an actress, things went smoother than expected. Maybe Siwoo is my lucky charm?”
“Not at all, what exactly did I do?”
“It just feels that way. For some reason, Siwoo doesn’t feel like someone I’ve just met.”
It could be a stroke of luck, after all.
This film is just a Korean release, but it’s also been contracted to be on an OTT platform.
With its subject matter and impressive CG quality, it’s expected to fare well in other countries too.
Ellie, with her striking looks and superior action skills, will surely attract producers looking for young, attractive female action stars.
She, for her part, is ready to earnestly pursue acting with this opportunity, and perhaps I’ve helped a little.
Though that’s not really due to anything I’ve done; this is likely the fruition of her own virtue.
I mean, Southern Sea Sword Queen has decades of pirate-clearing experience.
She’s up there with a third of Admiral Yi Sun-sin’s level, after all.
Though it might be an error to have been born in a problematic place like Venezuela, her beauty certainly acts as some form of compensation.
Considering the accumulated virtue despite her unfortunate childhood, it’s time for her wings to spread and soar.
In that sense, I hope that she shines as the beautiful action star Ellie Ponz in the future.
“By the way, who exactly are you?”
“Huh?”
“You and Luna. Surely it’s not both of them, right? Oh my. That would be incredibly cool though. Woah…”
“…Why would that be cool? That’s not the case anyway.”
Though amusing, this girl quickly became quite close to me, sensing some kind of inner intimacy, and now she’s surprisingly straightforward.
Especially when it comes to risqué topics, almost at the level of experts.
In Martial Forest, it was the same, and it seems it continues here.
There’s restraint around Yuah and Suyeon, but talking about other women, her enthusiasm often surfaces spontaneously.
It’s for this reason she, with such an attractive appearance, remains without a serious relationship.
The Libertad team seems to see Ellie less as a woman and more as just a cool friend with an easygoing attitude.
So, apparently, even Ellie was curious about me and the two women.
Which is not strange at all; it would be stranger if she wasn’t.
When anyone approaches me, the two instantly appear. How could she not notice?
Especially when she deliberately gets closer to drag them toward herself.
Admittedly, Moon Suyeon and Heavenly Yuah are the epitome of the Southern Sea Sword Queen’s tastes.
“No, really, it’s Siwoo. You’re always looking at Yuah and Luna. Their appearance makes your eyes fixate on them, doesn’t it?”
“…Surely not…”
“I have a sense for these things. If you think about it, I might be right?”
Since it was an obvious fact, I initially brushed it off, but this girl insists.
“Your gaze always follows them. To a degree that’s almost without blind spots.”
“…”
Two of them circling around me is a fact I know, so it felt natural that they were in my sightline, but was it really that way?
Was I unintentionally keeping them within my vision, matching the frequency of their presence around me?
Elle, quite astute in these matters, and someone who has no reason to lie to me, wouldn’t say something wrong.
Damn, have I been living like this alongside the Heavenly Demon and Moon Suyeon? It’s ridiculous, but maybe I’ve unconsciously been swept into “Yoo” and “So” without realizing it.
Could it be that, in this life, things have already gone awry?
“Though it’s a shock that the subjects are Yuah and Luna, I’m a free spirit. An exceptional individual like you deserves to manage multiple women.”
“Eh, how come you have such low integrity even here?”
“…What?!”
“Nothing, just muttering to myself.”
Nevertheless, this girl remains consistent in everything.
Even during the anti-pirate campaigns, she attracted and successfully romanced a student from the Haeryong School.
A total lack of integrity when it comes to romances.
Moreover, she has evolved since then, casting flirtatious glances in other directions as well.
“Maybe if you need a new thrill, you can contact me. I’m not into men much, but with Siwoo… it might be okay? I fully welcome 3P or 4P.”
“…That’s not going to happen.”
“- Uh? Where has Siwoo gone now?”
“What? Well, it might as well be. Siwoo, your fiancée is looking for you. Better go see her.”
“Alright, let’s head back.”
This is really an incredible girl.
The next morning, the Libertad team left for LA, and it was quite the cool departure, leaving everyone, including Heavenly Yuah and Moon Suyeon, completely perplexed.
“Hey, what’s going on?”
“What do you mean?”
“No parting memories, no hint of romance. She just disappeared like that?”
“…Yeah, that’s what I said. I told you there was nothing going on between me and her.”
“Then why did she get so close to Siwoo? She was always hovering around during practice, wasn’t she?”
“Isn’t there something between them?”
So, that’s the problem, is it?
I guess I should explain at least to some extent to these two, who are so surprised.
“Because she had a purpose, of course.”
“Purpose?”
“What kind of purpose?”
“Did you exchange numbers with Ellie?”
“Yes, of course. You should keep an eye out for her if you’re around her.”
“That’s Ellie’s purpose. To connect and stay in touch with the two of you. The Southern Sea Sword Queen has a particular preference for beautiful women.”
“…Huh? So, for women?”
“Yes, women. And she doesn’t impose her preferences on others. She simply likes beautiful people and often befriends them as female companions. There are plenty of female actors in Ellie’s phone who starred with her in movies. Just take a look…”
“Yes, she’s a woman of charm.”
“Exactly. And if she finds someone she connects with, things happen, yeah, that feeling.”
After I moderately explained Southern Sea Sword Queen’s (Ellie’s) preferences, it left the two of them quite shocked.
Moon Suyeon, in particular, seemed particularly resistant.
“That’s ridiculous.”
“What is?”
“So why did she get close to Siwoo?”
“That’s obvious.”
“What’s obvious?”
“She approaches me because you two immediately appear. And it’s easier for her to approach me than top stars like you two.”
“Ah, so…”
“In that case, it wouldn’t be bad if we stayed friendly. I did think she was a good person.”
“Yeah. She wasn’t an enemy at the very least.”
Certainly, they are from Martial Forest where all kinds come together, and it appears they can also respect someone else’s preferences.
Surprisingly open-minded.
However, Ellie’s mention of 3P, 4P is a secret I should keep.
There’s no need to tell women about something that was discussed between men.
Even back when I was with the Southern Sea Sword Queen, similar jokes were made. It’s just like a joke, no reason to scratch and create trouble.
In that way, I concealed Ellie’s final secret and boarded the plane home to Korea.
