Before his reincarnation, during the time he worked as a freelance animator unaffiliated with any company in Korea…
Ragnar couldn’t even begin to describe how much he resented being a freelancer without any backing.
The reason was simple.
Because everyone else in the same industry looked down on him as if he were nothing but a speck of dust.
At first glance, being a freelance animator might seem like the life of a free spirit untethered by obligations…
But in reality, it basically meant being an easy target for exploitation since there was no big studio backing him up.
So, Ragnar’s everyday life was filled with getting pushed around left and right, as is typical for freelancers who only get subcontracted work…
But there was one small perk to not being tied to a company – something that made him feel good…
“Toasts to all the staff who worked hard on ‘Fate’s Sky’! Cheers!”
“Cheers!”
“To our esteemed voice actors playing the main roles! Thank you for your hard work!”
“Director! You must have a drink too! After all, you’re the star of this gathering tonight!”
“…”
That was it – not having to attend these mandatory after-parties.
Companies are notorious for forcing all employees to gather after completing a project or on weekends for drinking sessions. Total nightmare fuel for introverts.
Naturally, this kind of social obligation didn’t suit Ragnar’s loner personality at all.
However, not celebrating after finishing an entire long-form anime series just wasn’t done.
Thus, Ragnar found himself dragged along by Kayla and Serika among other staff members to this forced dinner party.
Normally, junior staff would be expected to entertain their superiors at such events…
But fortunately, tonight’s gathering seemed to have plenty of natural energy without needing forced cheer.
“…I leave myself in your hands. As you know, I’m far from dependable. So please, watch over me.”
“…You.”
“Don’t worry, Sain. I’ll try harder too from now on.”
In the middle of the bar, the television was playing the final scene of Episode 38 of ‘Fate’s Sky’ – the touching farewell between the archer and his master Sain.
After his duel with Yuri, he had realized that his ideals weren’t wrong after all, allowing him to accept their parting with a smile.
This ending scene that Ragnar poured his heart into impressed not just regular viewers but the production staff as well.
As the ending credits rolled, the staff began murmuring in admiration…
“Wow! The director truly is amazing! With seven heroes in ‘Fate’s Sky’, he managed to give each of them spectacular endings!”
“It sounds easy, but preparing seven different stories is no small feat. Something unimaginable for mere mortals like us.”
“Hmph.”
Hearing these comments, Ragnar let out an involuntary cough, though he certainly wasn’t feeling any guilt about using shortcuts or copying source material.
Isn’t it always the case in Korean web novels where the protagonist grabs all the good stuff meant for the original hero, then complains “Why is the original protagonist so weak?” when they should be rejoicing?
Same here.
Since nobody in a fantasy world could judge him for using shortcuts, Ragnar decided to fully embrace his shameless ways.
“But Director, why did you choose to end Episode 36 with the Hero King’s defeat and then show his dramatic demise in Episode 37?”
“Yeah, that caused quite the uproar last week. Wasn’t the Hero King’s end a bit too anticlimactic?”
“If I were the director, I would’ve included both scenes in Episode 36 to minimize complaints. What was the director’s intention?”
“There’s no way he was trying to upset or manipulate the audience… Hmm, understanding the intentions of geniuses like the director is beyond mere mortals like us.”
Of course, Ragnar had deliberately crafted the story to frustrate and manipulate the audience’s emotions.
But even Ragnar knew better than to wrap up the Hero King’s legendary last words with just “Damn you!” lest he gets forcibly retired.
Thus, he ensured the Hero King’s final moments had proper dramatic flair before disappearing.
Just as Ragnar was suppressing a sigh and taking a sip of beer…
“Director, may I ask a question?”
“Hm? What is it?”
One of the staff asked hesitantly, “Are you considering making a sequel to ‘Fate’s Sky’?”
“A sequel?”
“Yes. There are still so many unresolved plot threads both within and outside the story. Many fans are asking for a sequel or side stories.”
Ragnar knew this very well.
The Duke Grinevalt had already approached him about animating the story of Yuri’s father’s involvement in the Full Moon Ritual ten years ago.
And Deneb had even suggested animating Full Moon Rituals from other worlds altogether.
‘Am I insane?’
Obviously, Ragnar had no intention of fulfilling these requests.
The original work of ‘Fate’s Sky’ had countless spin-offs and side stories as befitted its massive IP status.
How could he possibly animate all of them when he already had a hot-blooded mecha series lined up next?
Yet completely ignoring fan demands wasn’t an option either.
Thus, Ragnar had to take drastic measures.
Which was…
Static crackled on the screen…
“Huh?”
“What’s happening?”
After the credits, a new scene began playing that neither Ragnar nor the staff had created.
Could this be a bonus scene?
Or perhaps alternate endings like in ‘Knight Shin Chronicle’?
Then an unexpected character appeared on screen.
“Karin?”
“Karin… Yuri’s junior who only appeared briefly in the early episodes and has no connection to the Full Moon Ritual…”
“Why is she in the post-credit scene?”
An old man’s voice echoed.
“So, this ritual has ultimately failed, has it.”
“Meh, can’t be helped. It was flawed from the start. Adding amateurs as main characters practically guaranteed failure.”
The grating voice continued.
“Though… there is one regret. If… purely hypothetically… little Karin had awakened as the true vessel…”
“The outcome might have been different.”
Karin took a step forward on the water surface without sinking, revealing her magical abilities.
With every step, the water darkened mysteriously.
Suddenly, the heroes involved in the ritual began being consumed by the blackness.
“■■■■-!”
One by one, the seven heroes were absorbed into the black sludge.
“…Then next time, I shall obtain the Vessel of Heaven.”
[‘Fate’s Sky’ Side Story – Soul of the Sky]
[Currently crowdfunding for production]
[Target Amount – 50 million gold]
[Your support is appreciated]
“Wait… Crowdfunding?”
“So… he’s asking for investments from the general public?”
“Why is this coming up now?”
This was Ragnar’s cunning plan to legally avoid making a sequel.
Now he could tell Duke Grinevalt or Deneb that “We can’t start production until the crowdfunding reaches 50 million gold.” What could they do about that?
To prevent the unlikely scenario of the funding goal being reached too quickly, Ragnar set the amount at an absurd 50 million gold – equivalent to the price of fifty mansions.
Surely this would silence any sequel requests for the foreseeable future.
‘Perfect.’
No need to make more anime for now.
…Right?
Probably?
Elsewhere, at the Grinevalt Dukehouse…
“Hmm… Crowdfunding, you say…”
Duke Grinevalt and Deneb stared at the screen.
So… For a mere 50 million gold, Ragnar would make the second season they wanted so badly?
A mere 50 million gold…
Compared to the potential profits…
That sounded like…
A steal, didn’t it?
