Chapter 66

“Ragnar, can you take a look at this for me?”

“…What is it now.”

“Ah, so our doujin circle just released a new collaboration doujinshi combining ‘Knight Shin Chronicle’ and ‘Book of Life and Death.’ To be honest, my OTPs are still Eilian and Saya, and that will never change. But the protagonist from ‘Book of Life and Death,’ Mari, has a pretty solid design too. So I thought, why not blend the two worlds? What do you think?”

“…..”

Honestly, I was about to die of embarrassment.

Ever since we arrived, Kaizel had been rambling on nonstop about his doujinshi right here in front of all the gathered Shinigami representatives from every nation, while clinging onto me like some kind of weird fanboy.

‘Shit.’

I wanted nothing more than to slap a hand over Kaizel’s mouth right then and there, but unfortunately, there were way too many eyes watching us.

Meaning, as a second son of a baron’s family, I had absolutely no legal grounds to shut Kaizel up in such a public setting.

Just as Kaizel and I were deep into our cringe-worthy otaku talk, someone chimed in:

“…So, Lord Ragnar used Duke Grinevalt’s idea to create ‘Book of Life and Death,’ correct?”

“To be precise, Father’s ideas were more like half-baked fantasies. The real genius was Ragnar transforming those rough concepts into a masterpiece.”

“…”

Serika and Karlreya were singing my praises to the Shinigami delegates from other kingdoms.

But Serika… Seriously? Talking bad about your own father in front of foreign dignitaries?

And besides, ‘Book of Life and Death’ wasn’t even fully my original work!

No matter which way I looked, there was no escape. As I sighed and gazed skyward, another question came my way.

“Ah, by the way, what title does Lord Ragnar hold?”

“…Huh? You mean the director’s title?”

“Yes. Rumor has it that Lord Ragnar hails from a prestigious family. Someone who could effortlessly create masterpieces like ‘Knight Shin Chronicle’ and ‘Book of Life and Death’ must have received an extraordinary education, surely?”

At this, Serika and Karlreya exchanged awkward glances before sighing.

“Well, actually, the director doesn’t hold any noble title.”

“…Excuse me?”

“The director is the second son of a baron’s family, and the family already has an official heir.”

That was true.

While I was technically of noble birth, I didn’t hold any formal title like duke, marquis, count, or viscount because my older brother was the designated heir to the barony.

Not that I cared much for the headache and responsibilities that came with being a lord anyway.

Meanwhile, the Shinigami delegates’ expressions shifted subtly upon hearing Karlreya’s words.

“…Really? So he holds no title at all?”

“And he’s from a baron’s family? Come on, does that even make sense?”

And suddenly, I felt a flicker of hope.

What, are you guys finally mad that the guy who dissed you earlier is actually just a nobody without a title?

Yeah, in Korean web novels, don’t we often see nobles treating people beneath them like dirt, looking down on commoners as if they’re bugs?

Could it be that these Shinigami envoys from the Empire were cut from the same cloth as those typical noble villains?

Finally, something interesting might happen!

Would they escalate this into a diplomatic issue between the Empire and their countries?

With newfound anticipation, I silently awaited their next move.

Unfortunately, reality turned out to be far colder than I expected.

“Truly disgraceful. Is this how the Empire treats its talents?”

“Lord Ragnar’s animations have already made waves across the entire continent, elevating the Empire’s status astronomically. And yet, the Empire hasn’t even granted him a proper title?”

“We’d offer him one in our country. If he were ours, we’d have showered him with honors long ago!”

“In that case, Lord Ragnar, would you consider naturalizing to our country? We’ll guarantee you prime lands taken from useless freeloaders!”

“Hold on! Who’s cutting in line? Lord Ragnar, the smartest choice would be to join our country in the southern continent—”

“…”

Stunned by this unexpected turn of events, I lost all words.

On the side, Serika and Karlreya listened intently, wearing serious expressions.

“Come to think of it, Ragnar really deserves at least one or two titles. At the very least, a baroncy, or perhaps even a viscountcy wouldn’t be out of place.”

“That’s right. I was planning to formally propose this to His Majesty soon. For the director to be treated equally with members of the Imperial Household, a barony at the very least would be necessary.”

“…Wait a minute. Equal treatment?”

“Yes. Is there a problem, Serika?”

“Don’t play dumb! Your sudden interest in giving Ragnar a barony—it’s because you’re after him, isn’t it, Karlreya? Everyone knows you need at least a baron’s title to form ties with the Imperial Family, right?”

“Oh my. That wasn’t my intention, but now that you mention it, such interpretations could indeed arise.”

“Karlreya! Ragnar and I have been childhood friends for ten years. There’s no room for anyone else beside him!”

“Ah, speaking of which, I recall Prince Kaizel once saying something along these lines during our manga discussions: ‘Childhood friends are destined to lose,’ or something like that?”

“…”

Things were getting messy.

Though I couldn’t fully grasp the conversation between Serika and Karlreya, one thing was crystal clear:

Getting involved in this exchange would be suicidal.

“…In that case, for your next project, how about adding a blonde-haired beauty like Eilian from ‘Knight Shin Chronicle’? Or, better yet, turning the Knight King into a blonde-haired beauty? A love story between the Knight King and a current academy student sounds like something the audience would enjoy—”

“…”

You know what?

You’re consistent, and that’s admirable.

Keep living life like the ultimate otaku you are.

Just as I was half-listening to Kaizel’s ramblings, he glanced toward the group of Shinigami and whispered.

“Hey, Ragnar. One question.”

“Hmm? What is it?”

“Do you really plan to include those heroes from their countries in your next work? Based on your attitude, it seems you haven’t given it much thought.”

I shrugged.

“Depends. If it fits the story, I’ll include them. If not, I won’t.”

For this upcoming project, I’ve decided on eight heroes in total. Four spots are already filled, leaving four open.

If their heroes fit the tone and atmosphere of the story, there’s no reason why I couldn’t add them.

The Shinigami have already promised not to interfere with my creative process, so I don’t need to worry about pleasing them.

“…Wait, you said four heroes are confirmed?”

Kaizel tilted his head in confusion.

“You told me before that you planned to include the founding hero-king of the Empire, the Great Mage, and the Knight King. So who’s the fourth one?”

“Why does it have to be a past hero?”

“…What?”

Kaizel wore an utterly baffled expression, but I had no intention of explaining further.

Because revealing that would spoil the biggest twist in my next work.

Otaku trope alert.

Watching my past and future selves battle it out would drive fans wild.

Will future-me acknowledge present-me and lend a helping hand at the end?

I mean, come on, I can’t handle that level of cheese.