Thus, it had been nearly two months since Ragnar’s new work “Fate’s Sky” began airing across the Empire.
During those two months, Ricardo’s operation, ‘My Struggle,’ had grown to almost twice its original size.
Because of this, Ricardo’s power over ‘My Struggle’ had become incomparably stronger than before.
The half-student who had once wallowed in failure after not getting into art school was nowhere to be seen anymore.
The man standing here now was a major player controlling one of the largest organizations within the Empire with ease.
However, unlike most commoners, Ricardo hadn’t lost sight of his初心 (original purpose).
In other words, he hadn’t forgotten why he founded ‘My Struggle’ or what he intended to accomplish through it.
So, roughly speaking, what exactly was Ricardo currently up to?
“…Has everyone taken their seats?”
A voice filled with charisma worthy of the commander of an organization with tens of thousands of members. It radiated such authority that even the nobles present involuntarily flinched.
“Good. Since all necessary attendees seem to have arrived, let’s begin.”
With that, Ricardo stood up from the podium and clenched his fists as he declared:
“Let us now officially start our discussion on who the true heroine of ‘Fate’s Sky’ is!”
Clap clap clap.
Everyone in attendance erupted into enthusiastic applause.
Indeed.
The Heroine Cup.
An age-old tradition hosted by ‘My Struggle’ ever since “Knight Shin Chronicle” aired, it was both a sacred duel fought for the honor of one’s favorite heroine and a battle testing the depths of fan loyalty.
Even though “Knight Shin Chronicle” had concluded and Ragnar provided individual endings for each heroine, reducing some controversy…
…the debate over who the true heroine of the ongoing “Fate’s Sky” was raged fiercely.
Without delay, the first person to speak up was none other than Deneb, the young Duke of the Grinevalt family.
“I’ll cut straight to the chase. To be honest, I think this entire discussion is utterly meaningless.”
“Hmm? Why do you think so?”
“Because the true heroine of ‘Fate’s Sky’ has already been decided—it’s Sain, Yuri’s classmate.”
Deneb said this with a somewhat smug tone.
“After all, Sain saved Yuri’s life in the very first episode of ‘Fate’s Sky,’ becoming a literal savior figure. Moreover, she’s helping the novice mage Yuri navigate the Full Moon Ceremony. If Sain isn’t the heroine, then who could possibly be?”
Deneb’s argument was so logically sound that it made listeners instinctively nod in agreement.
A true heroine isn’t just a trophy at the protagonist’s side but a reliable partner who faces hardships and trials together.
In that sense, there was arguably no better partner for Yuri than Sain.
But…
“Listening to you makes me realize how absurd your argument truly is.”
“Huh?”
At that moment, a man sitting opposite Deneb, his face hidden under a black hood, sneered openly and spoke up.
This man, known among ‘My Struggle’ members as ‘Kaizer,’ was shrouded in mystery. Despite his unknown identity, he possessed piles of limited-edition merchandise that even nobles struggled to acquire.
It was Kaizel.
“You’re declaring someone the true heroine just because they saved another’s life? That’s ridiculous. There’s another woman far more suited to claim the title of true heroine.”
“What did you say?”
“The knight who has countless times saved Yuri’s life—she’s the real heroine. Not only does she save Yuri repeatedly, but she also selflessly fights to protect her during the Full Moon Ceremony.”
“Tch. What you’re saying is completely baseless nonsense.”
Deneb smirked coldly and retorted.
“The reason that knight saves Yuri is solely to win the Full Moon Ceremony and achieve her own desires. She doesn’t care about Yuri personally; she’s merely using her for her own selfish goals. How can we call such a woman the true heroine?”
“Grr! If that’s the case, then Sain also helped Yuri to win the ceremony-”
“No, those are fundamentally different situations.”
Deneb cut Kaizel off mid-sentence.
“Sain saved Yuri’s life before the ceremony even began. In other words, her actions were purely out of goodwill. Placing these two women on the same level is ridiculous. Honestly, I’m starting to doubt if you’ve even watched the anime properly.”
Though Kaizel trembled with frustration at Deneb’s words…
Unfortunately for him, every single point Deneb made was spot-on, leaving no room for rebuttal.
After all, even Kaizel, a die-hard fan of the Knight King, couldn’t deny that the current attitude the Knight King showed toward Yuri was excessively cold and professional.
‘What an ignorant fool… He doesn’t even realize the simple fact that characters like her, once they start falling for the protagonist, drive fans wild.’
Still, Kaizel wasn’t entirely without counterarguments.
Military strategy teaches that a great general chooses battlegrounds advantageous to them.
Why shouldn’t Kaizel follow suit and steer the conversation toward a theme favorable to his side?
“Hmph, fine. I concede that Sain saved Yuri’s life without any ulterior motives.”
“Hmm, so you admit it. A man who lacks taste in women but knows how to admit his mistakes. Now, shall we finalize Sain as the true heroine of ‘Fate’s Sky’-”
“But that’s only when comparing them from the perspective of being ‘life saviors.’ When viewed from the perspective of ’emotional connection’ between the protagonist and heroine, things look a bit different.”
“What? Emotional connection?”
“Yes. Esteemed ladies and gentlemen, what exactly do you think defines a true heroine in an anime? Aren’t they more than just partners to the protagonist? Aren’t they companions who journey through life alongside them?”
Nods.
That was undeniably true.
Just look at Eilian and Saya from “Knight Shin Chronicle,” who garnered immense support precisely because they stood by Kai through every trial and tribulation.
“In episode 7 of ‘Fate’s Sky,’ Yuri and the girl share a scene where they witness each other’s pasts in a dream. Without exchanging a single word, they understand and empathize with each other’s circumstances through their shared history.”
“On the other hand, Yuri and Sain don’t even share such emotional connections. They merely engage in strictly professional discussions about how to proceed with the battles ahead. Between a woman who has deeply connected emotionally and one who only discusses combat strategies as a mere colleague, isn’t it obvious which one is the true heroine?”
As Kaizel spoke, Deneb’s face contorted with anger.
“Hah! Laughable! Even if that girl exists, she’s practically a walking corpse who died long ago. Besides, she probably looks young but is older than most elves. Are grandmothers considered heroines these days?”
“Episode 7 reveals that the girl’s mental and physical growth was halted due to magic. In terms of physical age, she’s much younger than Sain!”
“Physical age? Ha! No amount of magical tricks can change the fact that she’s significantly older than Sain!”
And thus, what started as a formal debate quickly devolved into a chaotic market brawl as factions supporting either the Girl or Sain argued passionately about who the true heroine was.
Amidst all this chaos…
“…”
Evangelin, who usually participated enthusiastically in such debates, quietly rose from her seat with a somewhat gloomy expression and slipped out of the building.
The reason was simple.
She was the voice actress for Karin, Yuri’s junior, a character no one in the room seemed to care about.
“…Too depressing. I thought at least one person would argue for Karin as the heroine…”
Even Chloe from “Knight Shin Chronicle,” who faced constant criticism throughout the series, had supporters claiming her as the heroine.
Was Karin from “Fate’s Sky” really so overlooked that she was treated like air?
As Evangelin gazed skyward and sighed unknowingly…
Click.
Someone placed a hand on her head and consoled her gently.
“Don’t lose hope yet. It’s not over until it’s over.”
“Director Ragnar…”
It was Ragnar, who had tagged along with Evangelin out of boredom to spectate the Heroine Cup.
“This is actually a secret, but after the main series of ‘Fate’s Sky’ ends, I plan to create an OVA—a route where Karin becomes the heroine.”
“Really…? A story featuring Karin as the heroine…! Since Karin is an ordinary girl unaware of the Full Moon Ceremony, it will undoubtedly be a tale brimming with happiness and love, ending in a happy conclusion, right?”
“…”
However, Ragnar turned his head away when Evangelin asked.
Well…
Instead of happiness and love, the story would be filled with bloodshed and violence.
Most damningly, Karin’s final line in that route was supposed to be, “If this keeps up, I might end up killing grandma next!”
Hmm… Does that line even make sense?
Something felt off about it…
Anyway, sometimes ignorance is bliss.
Thus, Ragnar decided to remain silent for Evangelin’s sake.
It was his warm consideration for her.
