Animation Producer in a Fantasy World

“…An extraordinary fellow.”

After Ragna left, the duke sat in the reception room and muttered in a small voice.

He had roughly guessed from hearing Serika’s story, and now he was convinced by meeting him directly.

The man called Ragna Tersian was by no means an ordinary person.

Moreover, he was an unprecedented genius who had pioneered a new genre of art called animation.

Normally, the duke would have been very pleased to see such a Ragna.

Because the duke was a person who loved art very much, and he himself was someone with some knowledge of art.

But.

‘A man who dares to be close to our Serika? And to the extent that Serika visits his house without any hesitation?’

Only one thing, the fact that he was Serika’s ‘male childhood friend’, was thoroughly irritating the duke’s nerves.

‘…Damn it.’

That’s why the duke really didn’t like Ragna.

The duke, who loved his daughter very much, had an intuition about one fact.

If he simply allowed her to cooperate in the production of animation as Serika requested.

The relationship between Ragna and Serika would only get closer, never farther apart.

“…..”

That’s why the duke made an unreasonable proposal to him.

He threw a proposal to publicly release the animation he made for a fee in exchange for helping Ragna.

The duke thought Ragna would unconditionally oppose his words.

And if Ragna expressed opposition, he planned to use that as an excuse to boldly cut him off from Serika’s surroundings.

But.

“I will accept your condition, Duke. However, I have one additional condition.”
“…You’re going to set a condition?”
“Yes. You set a condition, so I think it would be an equal deal if I also set one condition, wouldn’t it?”
Ragna went beyond simply nodding to the duke’s demand and even presented him with one additional condition.

Honestly, it seemed a bit impertinent, but more than that, it also aroused curiosity.
Until now, it had been extremely rare for anyone not to be intimidated in front of the name Grinewald Duke.
Therefore, seeing Ragna maintaining a confident attitude in front of him, Duke Grinewald couldn’t help but feel curious about what this young genius was going to say.

And the words that came out of Ragna’s mouth were quite unexpected.

“Give me all the rights to the secondary copyright.”

“…Secondary copyright?”

“Yes. That means I want to have the income generated if spin-off works derived from the animation, or business related to the characters, are carried out. Oh, in exchange, I’ll concede some of the ticket-related income to you, Duke.”

Listening to Ragna’s words, the duke made a bewildered expression.

To be honest, it was the first time he had heard the term secondary copyright, but nevertheless, it was easy to understand what it meant.

That’s why it was even more incomprehensible.

‘That Ragna… does he think the animation he’s going to make will definitely be successful?’
To the extent of securing those rights even while giving up some of the ticket sales to the duke?

Thinking logically, that’s impossible.

The genre called animation is a new genre that has just been born from Ragna’s fingertips.

An alien art genre that is not only unfamiliar but even considered foreign to most people.

Unlike plays or operas, wouldn’t it be impossible for people to willingly open their wallets to watch animation?

Thinking logically, the duke’s thoughts were correct.

But.

‘That Ragna, he was making a strangely confident expression.’

Then does that mean Ragna has an innovative method to produce an animation that will perfectly hit the public’s taste and make them open their wallets, even if it’s paid?

‘…That’s impossible. No matter how much of a genius he is, it’s logically impossible to create such a great animation at once.’

But the duke didn’t know.

The fact that currently in Ragna’s mind, there was only the thought of plagiarizing the theatrical animations he had enjoyed watching in his previous life.
Even if he’s a duke, how could he predict that Ragna would use a cheat key that transcends dimensions?
In conclusion, Ragna was just a bastard.

Some time after such a conversation took place between Ragna and the duke.

In the art world of the empire’s capital, “Gradiel”, a single piece of paper was causing a huge sensation.

==========
[Job Posting – Animation Voice Actor]

Recruitment Period: Within one month from now

Number of positions: Minimum 10 to 20 people

Preferred qualifications: Actors with experience in theater or opera

Job description: Voice the characters in the animation

Special note: If there are more applicants than expected, we plan to select applicants through an audition

If you are interested, please contact the Tersian Barony or the Grinewald Duchy.

==========
It was a common job posting in this field.

Normally, no one in this field would have paid attention to such a trivial job posting.

But for two reasons, everyone was paying attention to this job posting.

First, the fact that those who posted this job posting were the Grinewald Duchy.

Because the Grinewald Duchy had always shown favor to artists and provided huge sponsorships, it was impossible to just casually overlook that posting.

And second.

“What? Is Lord Tersian finally conducting a public audition to select voice actors for the animation?”

“Where do we audition? Do we just go to the Grinewald Duchy? Or to the Tersian Barony?”

“I had given up because I heard they were using the Grinewald Duke’s daughter as a voice actor, but as expected, Lord Ragna had a plan all along. Then I shouldn’t miss this opportunity either…”

For some unknown reason, some theater actors and opera singers were making a fuss about going to audition as soon as they saw this job posting.

Of course, most people couldn’t help but question their behavior.

Why are they reacting like that?

It’s not like they’re making some great masterpiece, it’s just about making a work in a strange genre called ‘animation’ that no one has ever heard of?

“…Ah. Yeah, yeah. This is really nothing, so you guys just don’t mind it.”

“That’s right. It’s just because I have a hipster tendency. Well then.”

They just grinned and said such things, without giving a proper explanation.

In the end, as the saying goes, the impatient one digs the well, the artists of the empire began to gather information about what this ‘animation’ was.

“…This can’t be.”

“I can’t believe it. To think that such a genre of art existed in this world?”

They too could quickly realize how valuable the animation created by Ragna Tersian was.

“If I can participate as a voice actor in animation… it means I can become a pioneer of a new genre. Maybe my name will go down in history.”

“And they say the Grinewald Duchy is helping to make the anime. Then it seems we don’t have to worry about money?”

Also, what it means to participate as a voice actor in animation.

It didn’t take long for most of the theater actors and opera singers in the empire to decide to go for an audition.

“So, what kind of anime is Lord Ragna trying to make this time?”

“Well, that is…”

They were able to find the title of the animation written in one corner while rummaging through the notice.

“Huh? I thought they were making a sequel to ‘Nymph and Goblin’, but it seems that’s not the case?”

“What? So they’re making a completely new anime? Then what’s the name of that anime?”

“It says… ‘The Disappearance of Elsha and Hayul’?”

“…’The Disappearance of Elsha and Hayul’? That’s the title of the animation? It’s quite an unusual title, isn’t it?”

“Well, he’s a genius, so he must have his own thoughts.”

Two months after the audition to select voice actors for the animation was conducted.

Ragna was able to complete the world’s first theatrical animation, “The Disappearance of Elli and Hamel”.
Originally, he was going to release it under the name “The Disappearance of Elsha and Hayul”, but in the end, Ragna had to slightly modify the movie title at the last moment.

No matter how shameless Ragna was, he just couldn’t bring himself to use the name ‘Elsha and Hayul’ as it was.

That was Ragna’s last bit of conscience.