As a servant took the letter to the post station, Durin stretched his limbs, sinking into his chair with a laziness that seemed to release all the fatigue from the past five days.
Winry, who had been rereading the KonoSuba script, couldn't help but ask, "Lord Edward, are you planning to spread this story somehow to make money?"
"Yes, that's the general idea."
"But why a story like this? I may not read much, but I'm familiar with the popular knight and adventure novels of our time. In those, the protagonist always goes through countless trials, gathers all sorts of companions, and finally, after great sacrifice, defeats the Demon King and wins the princess's favor. Your story, Lord Edward… while it's very funny, it just feels… odd."
Hearing this, Durin, who had been brainstorming how to localize the script, looked up with a smile. "It is odd. And most people will probably react just as you have. But that, Winry, is our opportunity. It's our selling point! The tales of heroes fighting demon kings that you mentioned are the orthodox, the 'royal road' of fiction. They have a stable audience, but that audience has also grown tired of the same old stories."
"What we're going to produce with KonoSuba, however, is a truly unorthodox story. It doesn't have the thrill of a hero slaying a dragon, nor the romance of a hero saving a beautiful maiden. The main character is, for various reasons, a total wretch. But don't you find it incredibly interesting?"
Winry thought about it carefully before nodding. "You're right. The story is definitely interesting."
"Exactly! In an age with so little entertainment, being 'interesting' is enough. Anything interesting will grab people's attention and win their affection. Whether it's orthodox or unorthodox, only an interesting story can captivate an audience and be spread quickly!"
As Winry nodded along, only half-understanding his passionate speech, Durin became more and more excited. Forgetting his fatigue, he shot to his feet, glanced around the room, and declared, "This world is just too boring! The paper industry is developed, but literature is stuck in its most primitive stage! Magic is incredibly advanced, but it only benefits the few and does nothing for the common people! I may not have the ambition to change the entire era, but I want to change this status quo. No, I must change it!"
Winry stood frozen, unsure what to say in the face of his grand declaration. Fired up, Durin could no longer stand to be idle. The more he worked on the script, the more he felt the cultural stagnation of this world. The human kingdoms had no external enemies, and the economy was growing thanks to magical advancements, yet everyone lived such dull lives.
The nobles had their banquets with singing, dancing, and even some awkward rapping, but the common folk had nothing to do after work except gather in taverns to chat. There was no real entertainment. The knight novels were all clones of each other—hero slays dragon, the end. He felt that even finding a single Boys' Love novel would be a mark of innovation.
As a modern man, Durin could tolerate the terrible food and questionable hygiene of this world, but he absolutely could not tolerate the boredom!
He had so many ideas from another world in his head. He had the ability to change everything. Who would choose to do nothing and just watch time slip away?
With his thoughts organized, he turned to Winry. "I remember we have a retainer knight in the castle named Zatt, correct? What is he doing now?"
Winry thought for a moment. "You mean the boy who joined the household with his father when he was young? I'm surprised you remember him. If I'm not mistaken, he is currently administering a nearby village. I hear he's doing an excellent job. The tax collection is stable, and the people hold him in high regard."
"Is that so? Call him here. I have something for him."
Durin remembered Zatt. When they were children, Zatt, the son of a knight, would often play with him and his brother, Al. In a way, they were childhood friends. But after Durin left for the Tower of Mages and Al joined the army, Zatt had stayed behind. He'd heard Zatt had become an official retainer, but Durin had been too preoccupied to pay it any mind.
Now, as he considered the main cast for KonoSuba, Zatt's face immediately came to mind.
From what he remembered, Zatt had always been clever and a remarkably good actor. In the old days, Zatt's acting was the main reason he and Al had been able to sneak out of the castle past the guards.
He wasn't sure what Zatt was like now, but based on Winry's report, Durin believed the upstanding young knight would fit his requirements perfectly.
A short while later, after Durin had made some localization changes to the opening of the script, the living room door slowly opened.
"Lord Edward, Zatt has arrived."
Durin stood up and looked at the gray-haired young man in the distance. He seemed nervous, not nearly as carefree as he had been in his youth. Durin smiled. "It's been a long time, Zatt. You look like you're doing well."
"Yes, my lord. It is all thanks to the old lord's patronage."
Zatt was clearly more tense than he had ever been. Understanding that the difference in their status was making him uncomfortable, Durin just shook his head with a small smile. "Alright, it seems you're not in the mood to reminisce. In that case, I'll be direct. Zatt, are you a good actor?"
Zatt was stunned that his former friend, now his lord, would ask such a question. Memories of their childhood flashed in his mind. He quickly nodded. "As you know, my lord, my acting is quite good, though I've always felt it was a useless skill."
"Heh, I don't think it's useless at all," Durin said with a grin, pleased to see that Zatt had indeed grown into a fine knight. "I have many things I'd like to talk about, but now is not the time for catching up. To be blunt, Zatt, I have a job that requires your acting skills. If you agree, I will promote you to my personal guard, with a raise in pay. What do you say?"
Completely surprised by the offer, Zatt took a moment to process it, then immediately dropped to one knee. "Of course, Lord Durin. It would be my honor."