Chapter 4: A Resolve to Change the Era
Re-written date: 5 / 15 / 2025
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After watching the servant leave with the letter, heading toward the nearest courier station, Edward stretched his body. His joints cracked slightly as he lazily slumped into his chair, as though trying to release five days' worth of exhaustion all at once.
On the other side of the room, Winry—who had once again gone through the KonoSuba script from beginning to end—couldn't help but ask:
"Lord Durin… are you planning to somehow spread this story to make money?"
"Mm. That's the general idea," Edward replied with a nod.
"But… why this kind of story? I haven't read many novels myself, but I have looked into the current trends. All the popular knight or adventure novels these days follow the same pattern. The protagonist overcomes one obstacle after another, gathers companions, defeats the Demon King, and wins the princess's heart after great sacrifice. Your story is really fun, don't get me wrong… but it just feels strange…"
Hearing Winry's confused question, Edward looked up from the notes he was scribbling—he'd been thinking about how to localize the script for this world—and gave her a relaxed smile.
"You're right. It is strange. And any normal person would probably say the same. But that's exactly where our opportunity lies. That's our hook!"
"Those stories you mentioned—the epic, heroic tales—sure, they're classics. Tried and true formulas with stable fanbases. But you know what? Most of those readers… are already bored of them."
He stood up, his tone growing animated.
"What we're going to offer is the complete opposite—a twisted tale. A counter-narrative! No Demon Kings being slain. No beautiful princesses falling in love. The protagonist of KonoSuba suffers constantly—due to others and his own stupidity. And yet… isn't it hilarious?"
Winry thought for a moment, recalling the absurd antics and unpredictable turns in the script, then slowly nodded.
"You're not wrong. It really was funny…"
"Exactly!" Edward exclaimed, snapping his fingers. "As long as it's fun, that's all that matters! In an age with so little entertainment, anything that can make people laugh, cry, or just feel something will naturally attract attention!"
"Whether it's classic or unconventional, mainstream or niche—none of that matters. What matters is fun. If it's interesting, it'll spread like wildfire!"
Winry, still struggling to fully grasp the broader implications of what Edward was saying, simply nodded along, half-understanding.
But Edward himself was on fire.
He could no longer sit still.
He rose to his feet, spun on his heel, and loudly declared to the empty study:
"This world is far too boring! Sure, we have advanced papermaking. But the publishing world is still stuck in the dark ages! And sure, magic is sophisticated—but only a select few get to enjoy it! The rest of the people? They just live their dull lives, day after day!"
He clenched a fist, passion surging in his chest.
"I don't care about changing the world! But I will change this situation! No, I have to change it!"
Winry stared, stunned. She'd never seen Edward so fired up. His usual laziness had been completely burned away by a sudden blaze of purpose.
The more he worked on the script these past few days, the more he realized just how underdeveloped this world's entertainment industry truly was.
There were no external threats, no wars, and the economy was booming thanks to magical advancements… and yet, people's lives were dull.
The nobles threw parties, danced, and rapped. (Seriously, why rapping?) But even that got old quickly.
As for the common folk? All they had was work—and then gathering at the tavern to drink and talk. That was the extent of their entertainment. No plays. No games. No culture.
Sure, they had paper and novels—but every novel was the same old "hero slays dragon" drivel. Sometimes a BL novel would pop up, and that alone was considered groundbreaking innovation.
As a man from the modern world, Edward could tolerate this world's awful food.
He could endure the medieval-level hygiene.
But what he absolutely could not accept—was the boredom.
He had so many ideas in his head. Concepts and visions carried over from a world far more advanced, far more creative.
And he had the means—the tools—to bring those ideas to life.
So then—why would he just sit around, letting the days pass by in monotony?
No.
If one had the power to change something… then doing nothing was the real crime.
With that thought steadying his heart, Edward adjusted his robes and turned to Winry.
"Winry, if I recall correctly… among the squires of our household knights, there's a young man named Zat. What's he doing these days?"
Winry tilted her head slightly, thinking for a moment before answering.
"You mean that boy who joined the Durin Family with his father when he was little? I'm surprised you still remember him. If I'm not mistaken, he's currently managing a village near the castle. Word is, he's doing quite well—tax collection is stable, and the villagers all speak highly of him."
"Is that so? Good. Bring him here. I need to speak with him."
Zat.
Edward hadn't thought of that name in years.
Back when they were kids, Zat had often played with him and his younger brother, El. As the son of a knight, Zat had always been full of energy and clever schemes—just as likely to propose a game as to come up with a plan to sneak past the guards and escape the castle grounds.
But after Edward left for the Mage Tower, and El joined the military, Zat had remained behind, eventually becoming a full-fledged household knight.
By then, though, Edward had long stopped keeping up with such things.
Now, as he brainstormed the cast for the KonoSuba adaptation, Zat's image came back to him.
A naturally charismatic boy. Sharp. Good instincts. And more importantly—excellent acting chops.
Back in the day, Edward and El had relied on Zat's silver tongue and quick thinking to evade their guards time and time again.
If he still had even half that talent, then…
Yes. He would do nicely.
After a short while—just as Edward was finishing up a localized rewrite of KonoSuba's opening scenes—the door to the lounge opened with a creak.
"Lord Durin," Winry announced, "Zat has arrived."
Edward immediately stood, pushing his chair back as he turned toward the door.
A tall, grey-haired young man stepped into the room. Though still youthful, there was a clear tension in his posture—he no longer had the easy confidence of the boy Edward remembered.
"Long time no see, Zat. Looks like you've been doing well for yourself," Edward said with a light chuckle.
Zat lowered his gaze respectfully.
"Yes, my lord. It's all thanks to the former head's guidance."
He was nervous. Understandably so. They were no longer just playmates from the same estate—Edward was now a nobleman, and Zat his retainer.
Realizing this, Edward gave a gentle smile and waved his hand.
"Relax. I see you're not in the mood for reminiscing. In that case, I'll cut to the chase—Zat, how's your acting these days?"
The question struck Zat like a bolt of lightning. He blinked, confused—then surprised.
But as memories of their childhood flashed through his mind, he gave a sheepish smile and nodded.
"Lord Edward, you should know better than anyone. I always thought it was a useless skill… but yes, I'm confident in my acting."
Edward gave a satisfied nod.
"I wouldn't call it useless at all."
Now certain that Zat had matured into a reliable young knight, Edward continued with a grin.
"There's a lot I'd like to talk about, but now's not the time for a walk down memory lane. I'll be honest—I have a project that'll need your full acting ability. If you're willing to take it on, I'll promote you to my personal guard. With a raise in status and salary, of course. How about it?"
Zat's eyes widened in shock.
The offer had come out of nowhere.
But even so—after just a beat of hesitation, he dropped to one knee, lowering his head respectfully.
"It would be my honor, Lord Edward."