Thus, it had been a whole month since the PV of “Fate’s Sky” was officially released.
And that month felt like an eternity to everyone who had been anxiously waiting for Ragnar’s new work.
This was no different for Prince Kaizel of the Richard Kingdom.
In fact, unlike ordinary people, Kaizel had to endure a far more arduous and exhausting time.
Because, though most people in the world didn’t know this, Kaizel actually possessed three episodes of the pre-release version of “Fate’s Sky.”
Kaizel had managed to secure various rights related to “Fate’s Sky” after concluding some kind of ‘deal’ with Ragnar involving knights and kings.
Among these rights was the ‘pre-screening privilege’ that even past emperors and dukes of the empire had once acquired.
Truthfully, this was evidence of Kaizel selling out his ancestors to pursue the path of a hardcore otaku, but disgusting as it may be, Kaizel himself was highly satisfied with the deal he struck with Ragnar—a win-win situation where no one got hurt.
However…
“Ragnar, I deeply appreciate you giving me the pre-screening rights to ‘Fate’s Sky,’ but… I don’t think I’ll use them anytime soon.”
“Huh? Why not?”
When Ragnar tilted his head in confusion at Kaizel’s words, the gravity of the situation became clear.
After all, this was the pre-screening right for “Fate’s Sky,” something every anime fan across the continent was eagerly anticipating.
Any true anime enthusiast would sell their parents for such a privilege. Indeed, both the emperor and Duke Grinevalt of the empire had gone through ridiculous lengths just to obtain this very right from Ragnar.
But…
“Because it’d be boring.”
“What did you say?”
Kaizel’s response was beyond anything Ragnar could have imagined.
“You’re right; watching the early parts of an anime that others don’t know about can be quite thrilling. But… it feels kinda lame, doesn’t it?”
Kaizel shrugged as he said this.
“Isn’t it like how water tastes best when you’re really thirsty, or how relieving yourself feels best when your stomach is really hurting? The same applies here. Wouldn’t it be twice as enjoyable to watch an anime only after enduring and reaching the limits of your patience?”
“…”
As Kaizel spoke, Ragnar blinked repeatedly, unsure of what to say.
Well, everyone enjoys anime differently, so Ragnar decided not to comment further on Kaizel’s peculiar approach.
He just regretted ever befriending Kaizel in the first place.
Anyway, despite having the pre-screening rights to “Fate’s Sky,” Kaizel chose not to use them and instead continued to exercise endless patience.
And thus, the day of the official premiere of “Fate’s Sky” finally arrived.
“Your Majesty, wouldn’t it be wonderful if we watched the first episode of ‘Fate’s Sky’ together?”
“…Fine, you’ve won. Let’s do it.”
That way, the king of the Richard Kingdom ended up deciding to watch the first episode of “Fate’s Sky” with Kaizel, unable to resist his son’s relentless persuasion.
Though, truth be told, even without Kaizel’s pestering, the king was curious to see how the Knight King, the hero of the kingdom, would appear in the anime.
Additionally, there was another reason.
“I must admit, I’m quite looking forward to this. Chris, the hero of the Federation, right? I wonder how they’ll react when their revered hero appears as a villain.”
Indeed, the Richard Kingdom wasn’t particularly fond of the Federation.
Because during the war between the kingdom and the empire, the Federation had sided with the empire and provided assistance.
While the Federation only offered indirect support to the empire, preventing direct harm to the kingdom, the Richard Kingdom still harbored ill feelings toward them.
Just then, Ragnar informed them that in the first episode of “Fate’s Sky,” Chris, the hero of the Federation, would appear as a villain.
Knowing that the Federation was celebrating Chris’s appearance in the anime, the thought of their joy turning into despair brought a strange satisfaction to the king.
With these mixed expectations, the long-awaited first episode of “Fate’s Sky” finally began.
The animation started with the protagonist Yuri waking up with the help of Karin, his junior from the academy.
“Sorry, Karin. You woke me up again today.”
“No, don’t worry about it. It’s something I enjoy doing.”
“But how can I not worry? As a token of appreciation, I should prepare breakfast today.”
“That’s okay. I’ve already taken care of breakfast.”
Karin smiled warmly as she chuckled.
“So, senior, why don’t you take a shower? I keep telling you, this is something I genuinely enjoy doing.”
With that, Karin disappeared somewhere, leaving Yuri behind.
“…”
“…”
The king and Kaizel couldn’t help but blink as they watched the scene unfold.
“Wow… That guy sure has it good.”
Unconsciously, the king muttered under his breath.
A beautiful junior visiting every morning to wake him up and prepare breakfast? What does that mean?
Even queens and noblewomen of other nations wouldn’t easily receive such treatment, yet this Yuri seemed to take it all in stride.
At that moment, while the king clicked his tongue in envy, Kaizel observed the scene with a slightly different perspective.
“Hmm… Karin… Her face and personality fit my taste perfectly. Perhaps replacing Mari from ‘Life and Death’ with Karin in my next doujin collaboration wouldn’t be such a bad idea…”
“…”
Choosing to ignore Kaizel’s mutterings beside him, the king remembered that he was not just a king but also a father who respected his son’s privacy and hobbies.
After enjoying a pleasant breakfast with his junior, Yuri led an incredibly mundane school life.
Later, due to a request from a classmate, he stayed late at the academy into the night.
“Hmm?”
Suddenly, he sensed an intense fluctuation of magic coming from the school grounds.
Despite being hundreds of meters away, the clash of magic was so violent that it shook the earth beneath him.
Sighing, Yuri realized it was probably the magic students causing trouble again.
In the past, similar incidents occurred where students practiced dangerous spells on the field late at night, supposedly out of consideration for others.
But somehow, they never seemed to realize the inconvenience they caused.
To prevent things from escalating, Yuri headed towards the field.
“Ahh.”
There, he saw two figures locked in a fierce battle, seemingly trying to kill each other.
Instantly, Yuri realized something.
These beings were not human.
They moved with a fluidity far beyond human capability, engaging in combat that humans could never replicate.
“Amazing…”
Watching the dazzling fight, the king couldn’t help but exclaim in awe.
It was nothing short of an art form.
Until now, the king had dismissed anime as mere moving cartoons.
Even moments ago, he hadn’t thought otherwise.
But witnessing this intense battle between unidentified entities changed his perspective.
Anime might not necessarily surpass manga, but it undeniably possessed dynamism and tension that manga lacked.
As the battle continued for over a minute, one of the warriors suddenly turned around, sensing someone’s presence.
“Who’s there?”
“!”
Realizing he’d been noticed, Yuri hastily fled.
But…
“Hey, you’re pretty fast.”
“Ah.”
Yuri was unsurprisingly caught by the warrior.
“Sorry, but there’s nothing I can do. Looks like I’ll have to kill you here.”
With a single thrust, the man’s spear pierced Yuri’s heart cleanly.
A merciful end, perhaps.
“How absurd. Claiming to be a hero while taking the life of an innocent civilian.”
The man’s voice trembled faintly as he muttered these words.
His tone revealed self-loathing and disappointment in himself.
“But there’s nothing I can do. I serve a new master now. As a warrior, I follow orders.”
With that, the man glanced at Yuri briefly with an apologetic look before quietly disappearing.
“…”
Yuri’s vision blurred.
Just before meeting his death, he saw an unknown woman gasping at the sight of him.
And with that, the first episode of “Fate’s Sky” concluded.
“…”
“…”
Meanwhile, the king and Kaizel were shocked, albeit for different reasons.
Of course, this was expected.
After all, Ragnar had crafted the first episode specifically to confuse and enrage viewers who had seen the PV, especially those upset by Chris’s portrayal as a villain.
And Ragnar’s plan worked perfectly.
Like this:
“Wha, wha, what…!”
The king’s body trembled uncontrollably as he tried to process what he’d just witnessed.
“What…what the hell is that guy doing!?”
Finally, the king slammed his fist on the table in frustration.
“What kind of man lets himself be saved by a passing mage? Idiot! He should just get rid of that thing! Pathetic!”
“The prince’s assessment is correct. Ideally, the protagonist should have died in the first episode.”
Kaizel, who found Yuri annoying from the start, strongly agreed with the king.
“And wasn’t that man the hero of the Federation? He’s quite admirable. Even if it goes against his beliefs, he follows his master’s orders faithfully. Isn’t that the epitome of chivalry?”
If the Federation considers such a cool guy their hero…
Maybe they aren’t as bad as we thought.
“Hmm.”
Kaizel paused thoughtfully before speaking.
“Speaking of which, what do you think about establishing diplomatic relations with the Federation, similar to our relationship with the Empire?”
“What?”
“Even though we’ve had grievances with the Federation, that was centuries ago. Holding onto that grudge and continuing to shun them would be rather childish, wouldn’t it?”
The king listened silently to Kaizel’s words, nodding slowly.
Hmm, indeed.
Under normal circumstances, the king would have scoffed at Kaizel’s suggestion.
But now, after watching “Fate’s Sky” and feeling pumped about Chris, it somehow sounded plausible.
Perhaps it’s time…for diplomacy?
