Chapter 65

Truth be told, the reason Ragnar decided to hold an auction for which hero would appear in his anime was pretty much nothing special.

No, actually, he hadn’t really given it much thought at all.

He’d just figured that after holding the auction, he could casually milk the reapers from other countries for a bit of extra cash—nothing more, nothing less.

And now…

“Ah, shit. Did I make a mistake suggesting this?”

Less than ten minutes after officially starting the auction, Ragnar already regretted his decision.

Because…

“We don’t care about anything else! We’ll pay double whatever amount the Federation offers!”

“Ha, funny! Then we’ll go for triple—or even quadruple!”

“Hmm, I’ve heard the Berisilla City Union hasn’t been doing so well financially lately. Aren’t you pushing it a bit too far?”

“Ha! Even if we have to take out loans, we’ll find a way to pay. Watching some random hero appear in an anime made by Mr. Ragnar is far worse than any financial strain, isn’t it?”

…

The situation had escalated beyond simply showcasing national heroes for profit—it had turned into a full-blown pride battle between nations.

That’s right.

Ragnar had grossly underestimated the influence his anime had on the entire continent.

When he created works like “The Mysterious Disappearance of Eli and Hammel” or “Knight Shin Chronicle,” his anime only gained popularity within the Empire. But when Richard Kingdom started exporting them, the performances Ragnar showcased blew up across the entire continent.

In short, Ragnar’s anime had become the one and only medium capable of influencing the entire continent, surpassing even the Empire itself.

So what happens if another country’s hero gets all the screen time while your own doesn’t?

Simple: your nation’s reputation plummets overnight.

Money? Who cares about money when national pride is on the line?

‘…These guys are insane. Why are they freaking out here?’

From his front-row seat, Ragnar felt like tearing his hair out as he watched everything unfold.

Why?

Because there was always a chance this mess would blow back on him later.

If these two ended up blaming him for sparking their beef over some anime, someone might come knocking with complaints.

So fight somewhere else, not in front of me!

Just as Ragnar was about to step in and stop things before swords came out…

‘Wait a second.’

A sudden idea flickered through his mind.

‘Maybe I don’t need to stop them after all?’

Deep down, all Ragnar wanted was a quiet life—a laid-back existence as a slacker living off the grid somewhere peaceful.

But fate had tangled him up with emperors and high-ranking figures like Karlreya, forcing him into a life of making anime against his will.

Still, he clung to the hope of one day escaping like Dobby to freedom.

Now, thinking carefully, he realized this situation might actually help him achieve that dream.

‘What if instead of stopping them, I stir things up further?’

These were official reapers representing their respective nations visiting the empire.

What would happen if he subtly provoked them?

Chances were, even though they couldn’t lash out at him directly due to his current position of power, they’d remember his rudeness and report it to the emperor during their next audience.

And if the emperor got wind of this and became disappointed enough to exile Ragnar…

Well, wouldn’t that be the ultimate blessing in disguise?

For anyone else, falling out of favor with the emperor would mean certain doom. But for Ragnar, it was the dream scenario.

‘Heheheh…’

Not bad at all.

Even better than expected.

Originally, he thought it would take around ten years to retire comfortably. But if things went smoothly, he could quit tomorrow and live the slacker life he craved.

With that plan in mind…

“Tsk.”

He deliberately clicked his tongue loud enough for both reapers to hear.

“I’m deeply disappointed, both of you. Is this really the level of two great nations representing the southern continent?”

“Huh?”

“Mr. Ragnar, what do you mean by that—”

Ragnar’s sharp words left the two reapers momentarily stunned.

But they didn’t know the worst was yet to come.

“To be honest, I’ve always been fascinated by the two southern nations. Especially their myths and legends. I even considered featuring them heavily in my next work.”

(Of course, Ragnar knew nothing about history, let alone the origins of the Knight King.)

“But clearly, I’ve overestimated you. Watching you bicker like this has convinced me otherwise. Rest assured, no heroes from either of your nations will ever appear in my works.”

“W-what?!”

“Mr. Ragnar, that’s—”

“There’s also a saying: ‘A child reflects their parents.’ Looking at how you’re behaving now, I can only imagine what kind of people your national heroes must have been. Or am I mistaken?”

…

…

Seeing the reapers’ faces turn bright red at his audacious remarks, Ragnar decided to deliver the final blow.

“I don’t know much about your national heroes. But knowing their descendants are willing to slander each other just to get featured in an anime… I doubt those heroes would approve.”

Ragnar’s tone was polite, but the content was brutally disrespectful.

He insulted the reapers, mocked their nations, and threatened to exclude them from his anime altogether.

At this point, if they didn’t lose their cool, something would be seriously wrong.

‘You’re pissed, right? Go ahead, tell the emperor everything!’

Just as Ragnar was celebrating internally, the reapers suddenly burst into laughter.

“Hahaha! You’ve got us good, sir!”

“This is priceless! Who would’ve thought you’d pull something like this?”

…

This wasn’t the reaction Ragnar expected.

Shouldn’t they be mad and yelling at him right now?

Why do they suddenly look so wise and composed?

“Ah, now I understand. Director, you’re the type who pulls stunts like this. Didn’t you do the same thing when creating ‘Knight Shin Chronicle’?”

Hearing this, the reapers turned curiously toward Karlreya.

“Is that true? What happened during the production of ‘Knight Shin Chronicle’?”

“Back then, our empire still discriminated based on origin, class, and hair color. The director aimed to break that cycle. That’s why all the heroines in ‘Knight Shin Chronicle’ come from different backgrounds and have different hair colors.”

“Impressive indeed!”

“Truly remarkable. This is very much in character for Director Ragnar.”

Ragnar, meanwhile, was utterly confused.

What are you talking about? I just wanted rainbow-colored hair for aesthetic reasons!

“You don’t need to play the villain, Director. Everyone here understands your intentions perfectly.”

“Villain? What are you talking about?”

I just wanted to be a low-tier villain who schemes endlessly and ends up exiled to a quiet countryside village!

“Isn’t it obvious? You provoke them because you seek world peace through your anime. Isn’t that right?”

Karlreya smiled warmly as she spoke, but Ragnar was completely baffled.

Since when did I pursue world peace?

Am I really that noble?

Really?

“Remember ‘Knight Shin Chronicle’? And ‘Book of Life and Death’? In every project, you’ve included themes celebrating humanity. How could you not feel disturbed by these two gentlemen squabbling over national pride?”

As if agreeing with her, the reapers nodded approvingly.

“You’re right. Your words struck home. I see now how foolish and disgraceful my behavior has been.”

“Our national heroes were proud and honorable individuals. Featuring them in an anime under these circumstances would tarnish their legacy.”

Watching them create such a warm, harmonious atmosphere, Ragnar nervously asked:

“Uh… So, what about the auction?”

“Ha! Who are we to dictate how an anime should be made? Do as you please, Director. Letting you follow your vision will surely result in a better product!”

“Absolutely. This turns out to be a win-win. Guessing which hero will appear adds excitement!”

…

No… I was planning to swindle you guys out of a lot of money through this auction…

I was going to use that money as my retirement fund…

Why is this happening?

Why?

Just then, Kaizel quietly approached Ragnar and whispered in his ear:

“By the way, our kingdom hasn’t given up yet. If you’re okay with it, we don’t mind turning our heroes into girls—”

“Kaizel.”

“Yeah, Ragnar? What’s up?”

“Shut up. Seriously.”

“…Sorry.”