Chapter 9 - Darkmtl
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Chapter 9



Karlreya von Loengram.

The Empress of the Empire, and simultaneously perceived as the most precious treasure in the Imperial Household.

Her innate beauty was so renowned it spread beyond the Empire to the entire continent, and her wisdom was unparalleled, earning her the deep favor of the Emperor himself.

Not only that, but her character was also incredibly compassionate and gentle, making her a perfect example of noblesse oblige.

Still, even this seemingly flawless Empress had one flaw.

It was the fact that she was an extreme workaholic with absolutely no hobbies.

Some might question why being a workaholic is a flaw, isn’t it good that she gives her all to her duties?

But the people working under her couldn’t agree. Because when their boss doesn’t go home, how could they possibly say “I’m heading out first, haha”?

Moreover, since she had no hobbies, she often came to the office on weekends too.

She’s highly competent as a superior but also someone you’d never want to work under.

Anyway, it was during one such weekend that she came across the recent buzz around the theatrical anime “The Mysterious Disappearance of Eli and Hammel.”

While reading a report on the latest happenings among the Nobles, she frowned at the strange word ‘anime.’

“Uh… Hilde.”

“Yes, Your Majesty?”

“What exactly is this ‘anime’? I’ve never heard of it before.”

In response, Hilde smiled gently and explained.

“Oh, you mean anime? It makes sense you wouldn’t know, Your Majesty. It’s a new form of art that’s recently become popular in the Empire.”

“…A new form of art?”

“Yes. As far as I understand…”

And thus, Hilde gave a basic explanation of anime and mentioned the huge hit “The Mysterious Disappearance of Eli and Hammel.”

“So, if I summarize correctly, anime means moving picture stories. But why is it so popular among the Nobles?”

“It’s fun!”

“…What?”

“I watched ‘The Mysterious Disappearance of Eli and Hammel’ last weekend, and it was incredibly entertaining. Unlike plays or operas which can sometimes be dull, this was thrilling. I totally get why people are crazy about anime.”

At this, the Empress furrowed her brow, clearly confused.

“I’ve never found plays or operas enjoyable, so I can’t relate to what you’re saying.”

“Aha, well, Your Majesty has no interest in those things anyway.”

“But your explanation has piqued my curiosity about this anime.”

“Yes? What aspect, Your Majesty?”

“If what you say is true, then even children or illiterate individuals can easily follow the story. Perhaps anime could be useful for educating the populace, unlike plays or operas that people often find boring.”

“…Ah, yes.”

Hilde looked slightly awkward.

Well, obviously. The Empress, being a notorious workaholic, wasn’t going to change overnight.

“Therefore, I should probably watch this anime myself.”

“…Yes?”

“So, where can I watch ‘The Mysterious Disappearance of Eli and Hammel’?”

Thus, the Empress decided to take time out of her busy schedule to watch the movie over the weekend.

That evening, after watching “The Mysterious Disappearance of Eli and Hammel,”

“…”

The Empress stared blankly into space for a while before finally speaking in a dazed voice.

“Uh… Hilde.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“You were right; this anime is quite interesting. It was a delightful experience for both eyes and ears.”

“Isn’t it? I told you so, didn’t I, Your Majesty.”

As Hilde listened to the Empress, she couldn’t help but smile broadly—but unfortunately, the Empress wasn’t done yet.

“But… even though I watched ‘The Mysterious Disappearance of Eli and Hammel’ from start to finish, there are still some scenes I don’t fully understand. And some parts I don’t remember clearly.”

“…Yes?”

The Empress, known for her extraordinary memory, shouldn’t have any trouble remembering something like this, especially something simple enough for kids to grasp.

“Therefore, I think it would be necessary to watch the anime again tomorrow after work.”

“Huh?”

“I overheard at the café near the theater that I’m not alone. Some people have watched ‘The Mysterious Disappearance of Eli and Hammel’ over ten times and still don’t fully understand the creator’s deeper intentions.”

“That’s… ”

Hilde almost said “You’re obsessed with anime,” but bit her tongue.

Because if the Empress left to watch the movie, maybe—just maybe—it would be a rare opportunity for everyone else to leave on time.

Wouldn’t that be the perfect world where no one gets hurt?

Plus, if the Empress developed a healthy hobby, it wouldn’t be so bad.

So Hilde stayed quiet—for the sake of everyone who usually suffered under the Empress’s workaholic tendencies.

The next day, as soon as work ended, the Empress rushed off to watch ‘The Mysterious Disappearance of Eli and Hammel’ once more.

A week passed.

And…

“Hilde.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“You said you watched ‘The Mysterious Disappearance of Eli and Hammel,’ right?”

“Yes, but…”

“In your opinion, which spirit in ‘The Mysterious Disappearance of Eli and Hammel’ is the cutest?”

“…Excuse me?”

“I saw a souvenir shop outside the theater selling Undine and Ifrit spirit figurines. I debated for ages about which one to buy. Both Undine crying ‘Un-di-ne’ and Ifrit crying ‘If-if-rit’ were equally adorable.”

“…Why don’t you just buy both?”

“How irresponsible! Don’t you know that loving everyone is the same as loving no one? What do you think, Chief Butler?”

In the middle of handling official business, the Empress suddenly started conducting popularity polls for characters…

“Tch. Those guys talking about ‘The Mysterious Disappearance of Eli and Hammel’ at the café all day are really something else.”

“What does that mean, Your Majesty?”

“Well, I casually discussed the anime with them on my way out of the theater, and I got completely demolished in the debate. Seriously, these hardcore fans who’ve watched the anime over ten times know every single detail inside out.”

“…”

To think that the Empress, who usually avoided talking to anyone beneath her level, would casually engage in anime discussions with random people on the street…

“Sigh… No matter how I think about it, the ending of ‘The Mysterious Disappearance of Eli and Hammel’ is really unsatisfying. Why didn’t the creators give it a happy ending?”

“…Isn’t that already a happy ending? I thought the lingering emotions were nice.”

“No, it’s not. Returning to the human world with the promise to meet Eli and Hammel someday? That’s just a frustrating and unpleasant ending!”

“…”

By constantly bringing up topics related to ‘The Mysterious Disappearance of Eli and Hammel’ at inappropriate times…

Thanks to this, Hilde and others working under the Empress quickly realized she was deeply hooked on anime.

‘Well, although it breaks the usual image of Her Majesty, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing.’

‘Since Her Majesty is such a workaholic, having an outlet like this might be okay.’

However, because the Empress had always maintained such a good reputation, people didn’t think much of her newfound obsession.

Therefore…

“I must find the anime’s creator.”

One day, when the Empress suddenly stood up and issued this absurd command, no one expected it.

“…Pardon?”

Naturally, everyone in the Empress’s office questioned their own hearing.

“This ‘The Mysterious Disappearance of Eli and Hammel’ nonsense is distracting me from work. I need to talk directly to the creator to resolve this.”

“…”

“…”

“Don’t look at me like that. This is for the good of the Empire. If I can’t focus due to my inner turmoil, it will harm the Empire.”

“…Understood, Your Majesty.”

But what could they do? It was a direct order from Her Majesty.

Realizing she had no veto power, Hilde quietly sighed and bowed her head.

Then…

“Oh, by the way, if you find the creator, tell them not to be rude. Treat them as an honored guest. They’re a priceless talent to the Empire. And…”

The Empress fished something out of her pocket and handed it to Hilde.

It was none other than…

“…Paper and pen?”

“If you meet the anime’s creator, ask if they can sign it. It would be even better if they write my name too.”

“…”

Clearly, the once wise Empress had crossed a point of no return.


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Animation Producer in a Fantasy World

Animation Producer in a Fantasy World

판타지 세상 속 애니메이션 제작자
Score 10
Status: Ongoing Type: Author: Released: 2024 Native Language: Korean
I lived as an unremarkable animation producer in Korea until I died. So, I made a wish just before dying. “Please make Japanese and American anime ordinary.” “Understood.” The wish was granted. By reincarnating into another world where Japanese and American anime not only became ordinary but completely disappeared. No, seriously, this is going too far. Really.

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