Chapter 61

And so, not long after the conclusion of the once wildly popular “Book of Life and Death,” which had sent all citizens of the Empire into a frenzy…

Before they knew it, the day of the highly anticipated lottery for the “Book of Life and Death” replicas that nearly everyone in the Empire had been waiting for had finally arrived.

For reference, countless people had attempted to secure tickets to theaters showing plays and musicals just to get their hands on a lottery ticket.

As a result, it was said that over 100,000 tickets had been released to the public.

This meant that at least 100,000 people would be visiting theaters to watch plays and musicals—an impressive turnout by any measure.

If this had been Earth, the number 100,000 wouldn’t have seemed particularly extraordinary. After all, in Korea, even movies that weren’t especially entertaining could easily attract over 100,000 viewers, and games labeled as “god-tier” often aimed to sell at least a million copies.

But those standards applied only to Earth.

In this world, 100,000 was an absolutely staggering number.

Even the largest theater in the land could barely accommodate more than a thousand people, and most theaters were considered full with just 100 attendees. Thus, the figure of 100,000 was truly astronomical.

Of course, while many had bought tickets mainly to enter for merchandise giveaways, a significant portion had already seen the ending of “Book of Life and Death” through its anime adaptation and thus didn’t feel the need to attend the play or musical.

Still, much of the money spent on these tickets ended up benefiting the theater and musical industries, making it a win-win situation for all involved.

The lottery for the “Book of Life and Death” replicas was set to take place in the plaza in front of the Imperial Palace, with the Imperial Household itself overseeing the event.

Initially, Ragnar had planned to outsource the task to a suitable merchant guild, but with 100,000 tickets being distributed and the potential for massive profits, the Imperial Household decided it was best to step in directly.

With over 100,000 people watching, ensuring a fair and transparent process was crucial. Any mishap during the lottery could turn the crowd into a mob, making the Imperial Household’s involvement a necessary precaution.

Although, let’s be honest—it wasn’t purely altruistic on their part.

“When the Imperial Household guarantees this lottery…”

At Karlreya’s request, the Emperor looked somewhat reluctant.

“Hmm, I’m sorry, but there’s no obligation for the Imperial Household to handle such matters. Our name isn’t something to be tossed around lightly, especially when there’s a risk of backlash if anything goes wrong—”

“Of course, it’s not free. The director has promised to present you with this in return.”

With that, Karlreya handed the Emperor an item.

“Is this…?!”

The Emperor’s eyes widened in surprise.

“The replica of the Book of Life and Death is a special edition, with only twelve copies existing across the continent, each numbered from 1 to 12.”

“…However, the director prepared some unnumbered special editions as a precaution. If you agree to help with this favor, we’ll present you with the zero-numbered copy—”

“Deal! What do you need me to do? Should I throw all the complainers into the dungeons? Or execute them all?”

Anyway, with the Imperial Household officially overseeing the lottery, no one dared question its fairness.

As the day of the lottery approached, the plaza filled with people, much like during the festival for “Knight Shin Chronicle” in the past. The crowd included not only those who entered the lottery but also curious spectators eager to see who would win the coveted prize.

“Now, let’s begin the roulette lottery for the twelve unique replicas of the Book of Life and Death.”

Karlreya, volunteering to host the event in case of any issues, spoke clearly and confidently.

“Through magic, balls numbered 1 to 100,000 will be randomly selected. Please note, even we don’t know which numbers will come out. Both the Imperial Household and all magical towers across the Empire have guaranteed there will be no tampering. Remember, this is purely a matter of luck.”

Hearing this, the audience below nodded in agreement.

“If the Imperial Household guarantees it, then it must be trustworthy.”

“And the strict magical towers verified it too. Are you seriously suggesting the Empress herself would rig it?”

“…No, I haven’t said anything yet.”

Having silenced the crowd with the authority of the Imperial Household and magical towers, Karlreya began the official lottery.

“Let’s spin the roulette now. If your number is called, please step forward…”

Whirrrr!

Karlreya gave the roulette a vigorous spin.

“Please, please let it be 5231…”

“I’ve got twelve tickets! My chances are ten times higher than anyone else’s; there’s no way I won’t win!”

People watched anxiously as the roulette spun.

“74589! Congratulations to number 74589!”

“74589?! Haha, I won! I actually won!”

One by one, lucky winners emerged, defying astronomical odds to claim their prized replica.

“Dang, I envy those winners so much.”

“Yesterday, a certain baron’s family even posted an announcement offering 10,000 gold for a replica.”

“Ten thousand gold? That’s enough to buy a decent mansion in the city center, right?”

“That guy’s gone completely crazy. Last I heard, he was just some unemployed bum.”

Each time, the majority of the audience couldn’t hide their jealousy as they watched the lucky winners.

Eventually, eleven of the twelve replicas had been awarded, leaving only one remaining.

“Normally, we’d proceed with the twelfth draw, but that won’t be necessary. You see, someone here has collected ten Super Lottery Tickets.”

“What? What did she say?”

“Ten Super Lottery Tickets? Is that even possible?”

At Karlreya’s announcement, everyone in attendance was left stunned.

A Super Lottery Ticket was obtained by collecting ten regular tickets, granting slightly better odds. Collecting ten Super Lottery Tickets meant automatic ownership of a replica, bypassing the draw entirely.

But collecting ten Super Lottery Tickets implied gathering 100 regular tickets—an almost superhuman feat.

“Monster… He’s a complete monster.”

“He’s lost his mind.”

“At this point, he’s basically a fanatic who’s gambled his life on ‘Book of Life and Death.'”

Amidst the astonished murmurs, a hooded figure stepped onto the stage.

“Congratulations! It must have been quite the effort to collect those ten Super Lottery Tickets.”

The hooded man silently nodded in acknowledgment before quietly descending the stage with his prize.

Only after reaching a secluded spot did he remove his hood.

“Haa, finally, I can breathe easy.”

It was none other than Baron Grinevalt, Deneb El Grinevalt.

Despite losing five tickets in a bet with a duke a week prior, Deneb had persevered, using every resource at his disposal to secure ten Super Lottery Tickets.

“Hohoho, this is the replica of the Book of Life and Death… the very tool protagonist Louis used to judge evildoers in ‘Book of Life and Death’!”

Deneb caressed the cover of the book with a reverent expression.

To his knowledge, this replica possessed numerous functions akin to the real thing from the anime.

Permanently enchanted with duplication and regeneration spells, it effectively had infinite pages. Additionally, with consent, one could inscribe someone’s name to cast a minor curse.

But the most important feature was…

“Mew?”

“Ah, I can finally see it.”

True to Ragnar’s dedication to authenticity, the Book summoned not a grim reaper but a spirit—customizable in appearance. Deneb had chosen to transform his spirit into a white cat.

While the classic dark-winged grim reaper look wasn’t bad, Deneb preferred the cuter feline form.

“Since this is a new form, it deserves a new name. Not ‘Ryuk,’ how about ‘Kyube’? It was the name of a cat I used to keep. Shall we make this contract official?”

Mew!

The spirit-cat nodded as if understanding, causing Deneb to smile brightly.

In this moment, Deneb felt like the happiest man alive.