Chapter 46

It was the late ’90s to early 2000s—a golden era long before today’s MZ-gen weebos were even born. Back then, us old-school otakus reminisce fondly about those days, even as we teeter on the brink of total cancel culture now. Nowadays, people lament, “There’s nothing good to watch!” But back then? Every single day brought a flood of amazing anime—so much that it felt like living in an age of warring kingdoms, where fans of countless shows clashed and feuded endlessly.

It was a dog-eat-dog world where everyone claimed their favorite anime was the best while dismissing others’ tastes as trash-tier weebo behavior.

Yet here we are, over two decades later, and most of those once-mighty franchises have faded into obscurity, remembered only by scattered entries on Namuwiki or some other forgotten corner of the internet.

But amidst this sea of forgotten memories, one mega-franchise still reigns supreme, boasting legions of loyal followers even today. Sure, it started out as some 18+ visual novel romance nonsense, but hey—it’s since evolved into a full-blown gacha game empire, churning out cash and fangirls like nobody’s business. And wouldn’t you know it, the Emperor himself wants an anime based on the Knight King legend, while my mentor insists on something with a Mage protagonist.

Hmm… Could this franchise be the ultimate answer to both their demands?

“Hmm… This could actually work,” I muttered to myself, running through various calculations in my head. After all, this is the kind of property that kept me glued to my screen throughout middle and high school. Seriously, half my angsty mid-life crisis (read: “middle school”) came from obsessing over this series.

“Man, how did I ever resist rooting for noble heroes slicing through moral dilemmas left and right?” I thought, reminiscing about the thrill of watching someone coldly sacrifice one life to save a hundred. Classic stuff!

Back in the day, when teachers asked who I admired most, I’d always mumble under my breath, “Emiya Kiritsugu.” Their confused stares still haunt me. “Who’s that?” they’d ask, totally missing the depth of his tragic heroism. If only they understood…

Anyway, if this show made such an impact on me back then, surely turning it into an anime would guarantee success! Right?

But then…

“The Knight King… as a girl?” Kayla whispered nervously, her voice trembling slightly. She looked at me like I’d just proposed making pigs fly or something equally absurd.

Even Serika and my mentor wore similar expressions, though theirs leaned more toward skeptical bewilderment.

“Director, with all due respect… isn’t that taking things too far? Changing the Knight King’s gender might alienate fans outright.”

“Huh? Why?”

“Well, changing the Knight King’s gender isn’t inherently bad,” Kayla admitted hesitantly. “In fact, it could add freshness. BUT…” She sighed deeply. “Don’t forget—the Knight King isn’t some mythical figure whose gender can be swapped around freely. He’s the founder of this Empire, a real historical figure written in textbooks. Making him female essentially amounts to…”

“…insulting the Imperial Household and the Emperor himself,” my mentor finished grimly.

Oh crap. In my excitement, I’d momentarily forgotten that this wasn’t just any fantasy world—it was a rigid class-based society where feudal traditions reigned supreme. Even if the Emperor promised not to meddle in our creative decisions, this went beyond mere artistic license. Messing with the Knight King’s identity could easily be seen as undermining the authority of the entire Imperial Family.

Of course, as a progressive thinker, I didn’t necessarily agree with these outdated notions—but there’s no denying the potential backlash. For instance, British audiences seemed perfectly fine when someone changed the Knight King’s gender in another adaptation, even praising it as refreshing! And let’s not forget the Japanese hit novels where middle-aged men reincarnated as young female soldiers. So why couldn’t this fantasy realm handle a little innovation?

As I wrestled with this unexpected roadblock, Serika finally spoke up after staying silent for so long.

“Hey, Ragnar…” she began hesitantly. “Speaking of which, Father mentioned wanting you to adapt a few stories he had in mind…”

“Wait… the Duke too?” I groaned. “Why does everyone suddenly want me to make anime?”

“What ideas did he suggest?”

“Well…” Serika paused, clearly unsure how to phrase this. “Something about collecting seven magical orbs that grant wishes… Or maybe a story about a half-demon protagonist gathering fragments of a shattered gemstone that enhances demonic powers?”

“WHAT?!”

Did I hear that right?! Magical orbs granting wishes?! Shattered gems enhancing demon strength?! What kind of bizarre concepts were these?!

“And oh yeah…” she continued awkwardly. “He also suggested a tale about a main character joining an organization to rescue his sister-turned-demon… Or perhaps a rivalry between two brilliant geniuses trying to kill each other using brainpower. Oh, and he said the protagonist should be named ‘Ruanoksu.’”

“Ruanoksu?!” I blurted out incredulously. That sounded suspiciously close to Luanoxx, a genius-level name worthy of reshaping history itself!

Serika glanced at me anxiously. “Uh… You don’t think these ideas are… uh… weird, do you?”

“Nope, they’re solid,” I replied after a moment’s reflection. “Definitely worth considering seriously.”

Truthfully, the Duke’s ideas weren’t just good—they were BRILLIANT. If he’d been born on Earth, he’d probably already have launched another global phenomenon after One Naburu.

Could it be possible… that he’s secretly from Earth like me?

Nah, not the time to dwell on that now. What matters is whether his ideas contain anything worth stealing for my next project. Specifically, that last suggestion…

“A clash between two prideful geniuses engaged in a battle of wits…” The moment those words left Serika’s lips, a familiar spark ignited within me. A certain early-21st-century masterpiece immediately sprang to mind—one that transcended anime and dominated movies, dramas, musicals, and everything in between.

This wasn’t just entertainment; it was philosophy wrapped in suspense, exploring profound questions like, “Is killing evil truly justified?” It was pure brilliance.

So here I stood, faced with a choice: Should I pursue the Knight King legend or adapt the Duke’s concept instead?

After much deliberation, I reached my verdict.

“I’ll go with the Duke’s idea first,” I announced. “We’ll save the Knight King saga for later.”

“What?!” Serika and Kayla exclaimed simultaneously, their shock palpable.

“You’re serious?”

“That’s exactly why,” I explained calmly. “A blonde mage fighting as the Knight King? Meh. No motivation there.”

The room fell silent.

‘Goodbye, Saber,’ I thought silently, bidding farewell to the legendary swordswoman etched forever in my heart. If I can’t turn the Knight King female, then maybe I’ll just give them a lightsaber instead. Compromises gotta be made sometimes.

And with that, I moved forward, ready to craft a new epic inspired by dueling intellects rather than clashing blades.