Chapter 10

“The Mysterious Disappearance of Eli and Hammel” caused an incredible sensation in the district, and not long after…

I wasn’t in the district but had instead returned to the Baronage Terison after quite a long while.

The reason was nothing special.

No matter where you went in the district, all you could hear were stories related to “The Mysterious Disappearance of Eli and Hammel.” I just wanted to rest quietly at least in my hometown.

But unfortunately, it seemed like my travel companion who came down to the Baronage Terison with me had no intention of understanding my feelings.

“Ragnar! Father says that ‘The Mysterious Disappearance of Eli and Hammel’ has been chosen to screen not only in the district but also in other major cities! Over 50 theaters are already lined up for its release!”

“Ah, really? That’s impressive.”

To Serika’s excitement, I nodded with a somewhat indifferent expression.

And then, Serika looked rather perplexed at my reaction.

“What’s wrong, Ragnar? Your anime is a success, yet why do you seem so lukewarm about it?”

“Well, I expected ‘The Mysterious Disappearance of Eli and Hammel’ to be a success from the start.”

“…What?”

“If I anticipated this result, wouldn’t it be weirder to get excited over something so predictable?”

That’s right.

From the beginning, I was confident that once “The Mysterious Disappearance of Eli and Hammel” hit the screens, it would undoubtedly succeed.

‘If it failed despite mixing Disney and Ghibli’s essence, I’d have to kill myself.’

Though people in this world could never know, I practically used a cheat code to create the anime.

On the contrary, if “The Mysterious Disappearance of Eli and Hammel” hadn’t succeeded, I would’ve been genuinely shocked.

‘Mr. Miyazaki, can you see me? It seems your talent resonates even with the uncivilized people of this fantasy world…’

I took a moment of silent prayer to Mr. Miyazaki of Studio Ghibli, who I considered my mentor.

Mr. Miyazaki back on Earth must surely be smiling proudly seeing his disciple’s achievements.

Meanwhile, Serika, unaware of my inner thoughts, exclaimed with admiration.

“Of course… Ragnar, you truly are an artist. Seeing how confident and proud you are about your own work, it’s clear that such an attitude is what leads to success…”

“…”

Even though I’m someone who looks up at the sky without a speck of shame, hearing these words made me feel oddly pricked inside.

“So, when are you planning to make your next work?”

“…Next work?”

“Yeah. Honestly speaking, as one of your fans, I have high expectations for whatever you create next. Now that ‘The Mysterious Disappearance of Eli and Hammel’ has become a hit, it’s time to move onto the next project, isn’t it?”

Saying this, Serika opened her eyes wide and sparkled with anticipation.

“So, what do you plan to make? A sequel to ‘The Mysterious Disappearance of Eli and Hammel’? Or maybe ‘Nymph and Goblin’? If not those, perhaps a completely new work with a fresh universe?”

“Uh, well…”

‘The truth is, I haven’t planned anything for the next work.’

That’s right.

Initially, I created “Nymph and Goblin” to capture the attention of noble brats.

Then, I made “The Mysterious Disappearance of Eli and Hammel” to debut Serika as a voice actress and to cash in on secondary creation rights.

Now, with the success of “The Mysterious Disappearance of Eli and Hammel,” merchandise and goods related to it are flying off the shelves, earning me a fortune.

Even after taking 20% production costs and intermediary fees from merchants, the amount coming in is unimaginable.

With my bank account swelling to the point of bursting, why would I bother making another work now?

Of course, I haven’t entirely given up on creating animations.

Just that, under current circumstances where I’m so content, there’s neither reason nor motivation to create more.

‘So, let’s casually think about the next work a few years down the road, shall we?’

However, my perfectly laid-out plan crumbled before it even got started.

Because…

“Mi, Master! It’s a disaster!”

“What’s wrong? What happened?”

“Master, someone from the Imperial Household has come looking for you here at our estate. From… the Imperial Palace.”

“…The Imperial Household? Why me?”

“I-I don’t really know…”

In the end, I had no choice but to allow the messenger from the Imperial Household to be brought in.

Although I dislike getting involved with high-ranking officials,

ignoring someone sent by the Imperial Household was simply out of the question.

It’d be akin to declaring ‘the World Tree is just a big tree’ in front of elves—suicidal behavior.

And…

“Greetings, Lord of the Terison Estate. I am Hildegarde von Mittermaier, maid to Her Highness Princess Karlreya von Loengram.”

I thought some stern-looking old man might show up since it was someone from the Imperial Household.

But unexpectedly, a very young and beautiful woman in her early twenties arrived.

“I apologize for visiting your estate without prior notice. However, Her Highness gave such urgent orders that we couldn’t help ourselves.”

Saying this, Hildegarde bowed deeply towards me.

And I could only look at her with confusion.

“…A maid to the Empress? So that means…”

“Her Highness sent me here. She requested that I deliver this message respectfully.”

Saying this, Hildegarde handed me an elegant piece of paper.

This turned out to be…

“…An invitation?”

“Yes, that’s correct. Her Highness wishes to invite the Lord of the Terison Estate to the palace. The reason… I believe you already know.”

‘It’s because of the anime.’

“The Mysterious Disappearance of Eli and Hammel” is causing a huge social phenomenon across the Empire due to its massive box office success.

Apparently, the Imperial Household has developed considerable curiosity about me, the creator.

Well, it wasn’t entirely unexpected.

Politicians tend to stick their spoons into any social issues that arise.

But…

‘I really don’t feel like going.’

Ordinary nobles might have cried tears of joy upon receiving an invitation from the Imperial Household.

However, honestly speaking, I found the idea of being summoned to the palace extremely bothersome.

My dream is merely to be an unemployed slacker, and animation is just a hobby I indulged in.

If I accept the Empress’s invitation and get entangled with high-ranking figures, it feels ominous, like my dream of a carefree life will vanish, replaced by endless nuisances.

Still, outright ignoring an invitation from the Imperial Household is absolutely impossible.

Thus, I had no choice but to resort to a cheat code to avoid this crisis.

“…I’m sorry, but I cannot accept Her Highness’s invitation.”

“Huh? What do you mean? Are you refusing an invitation from the Imperial Household?”

Facing Hildegarde, who looked utterly baffled, I calmly explained.

“To be honest… I’m currently planning a sequel to ‘The Mysterious Disappearance of Eli and Hammel.'”

“…A sequel to ‘The Mysterious Disappearance of Eli and Hammel’?”

“That’s right. And I’m currently experiencing the pain of creation in real-time. Creating something from nothing is never easy, after all.”

Truthfully, I use plenty of plagiarism and clichés, so I never experience the agony of creation.

But I intentionally paused here.

Then, with a wry smile, I gazed at her with melancholy eyes and said,

“The reason I came down to the Baronage Terison is precisely because of this. I hoped that returning to my hometown and taking some rest might spark some good ideas. And…”

“…Not long ago, I did come up with a decent idea for the next work. However, it’s still just a jumble of unorganized dreams, so I need some quiet time to sort it out.”

“Ah…”

“This is why I cannot accept the invitation from the Imperial Household. I apologize.”

“…”

Upon hearing my explanation, Hildegarde bowed her head.

And I felt a sense of satisfaction watching her.

The cheat code often used by web novelists or manga artists—”I need some time to recharge my creative juices”—is something you can’t counter.

Surely, Hildegarde must have understood why I couldn’t visit the palace.

“…I see.”

“Yep.”

“I understand what Lord Ragnar has said. I’ll relay your message directly to Her Highness.”

Saying this, Hildegarde bowed deeply again, apologizing.

Before she left the baronage, I even gifted her some concept art from “The Mysterious Disappearance of Eli and Hammel” along with my autograph, upon hearing that the Empress was a fan.

After bribing the Empress like this, she surely wouldn’t complain later, right?

Smiling contentedly, I believed everything had been resolved peacefully.

However, in conclusion, it was a mistake.

Because a few days later, Hildegarde returned to the baronage and told me this:

“Her Highness says she will personally visit the baronage.”

“…What?”

“Her Highness says she doesn’t want to disturb your creative process, so she intends to visit the baronage herself.”

“…”

Shit. What kind of bullshit is this?