Chapter 2
Chapter 2
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 2
Chapter Title: Reincarnation (2)
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The Tersion Baron's territory was, by all accounts, a pretty harsh place for people to live.
There were far more treacherous mountains within the barony than arable land suitable for farming.
But that didn't mean the barony was hopelessly poor, either.
The reason was simple: the barony sat at a key transportation hub, sandwiched like a filling between various imperial territories right in the heart of the Empire.
Thanks to that, the barony raked in substantial profits from tolls and relay trade.
To put it in perspective, it was like Switzerland in Europe.
A bat-like nation nestled between great powers, sucking up the sweet and the sour, then swiftly declaring neutrality the moment things got dicey for itself.
Because of these traits, imperial nobles frequently gathered in the Tersion Baron's territory for meetings.
The reason was straightforward. It was conveniently located at a traffic nexus, making it easy for everyone to convene.
It wasn't a bad deal for the Tersion Barony, either.
Every time nobles visited, they'd splash money around lavishly just to save face.
But for me, these noble visits were nothing more or less than a source of stress.
Why?
"I hate it, hate it! This boring countryside village has nothing fun at all!"
"Hmm. Sorry, but there's nothing I can do about it, Charlotte. Even your father here isn't visiting this backwater barony out of fondness."
Sure, that wasn't wrong, but it wasn't something to say in front of the second son of that very backwater barony family.
"So, young heir of Tersion, I have a favor to ask. I've heard rumors you're an exceptional mage. Surely you can use some magic to alleviate my daughter's boredom?"
"..."
The noble before me seemed to think I was some circus performer doing street tricks.
Having come from the Magic Tower where I'd been a rare talent steeped in #regret #obsession #despair tags, this treatment grated on me something fierce.
But I couldn't just tell off the noble standing there.
If I caused a scene like that, cleanup aside, no nobles would ever visit our barony again.
Which would naturally tank the barony's income.
And I'd lose my cushy life as a freeloading bum just killing time in the barony.
My father and brother were already over there, wearing desperate expressions pleading, "Please just bear with it this once."
"...Understood, Count."
So, steeling myself, I decided to put on a show for the count's lady—no, this ferret of a girl—using magic.
Heck, entertaining one little ferret was child's play for someone who'd experienced 21st-century Earth culture.
"Fly."
⚡ SKILL ACTIVATED ⚡ Fly "Kyaaaaah!"
A Zyklon Drop and Viking ride using Fly and Reverse Gravity.
"Water Bomb."
⚡ SKILL ACTIVATED ⚡ Water Bomb "Cooooold!"
A Flume Ride conjured with powerful water magic, even in a place devoid of water.
"Summon Necromancy."
⚡ SKILL ACTIVATED ⚡ Summon Necromancy "Daaaaddy!"
All the way to an instant haunted house using dark necromancy magic.
The count's lady, having experienced a fantasy-world Everland, fled calling for her dad with a dazed, soul-shaken expression—clearly deeply moved.
I watched her go, then nodded to myself.
'As expected, Everland was about 500 years too advanced a civilization for the barbarians of this fantasy world.'
With that level of culture shock, she'd never beg me to play again.
Now I could return to my freeloading bum life of leisurely wasting time.
But to cut to the chase, that was wishful thinking.
"I wanna ride the Zyklon Drop too! Me next!"
"I want the Viking! The one that spins 360 degrees like a helm!"
"I wanna do the haunted house! Do they really have a dullahan dripping blood from its neck?"
"..."
I thought the ferret who'd run to her dad last time had left a one-star terror review, but nope—she'd apparently posted a glowing five-star rave.
Seeing brats from all over the nation flock to our territory confirmed it.
In the end, I became the tragic soul forced to entertain noble kids with magic every time they held meetings in our lands.
'I can't live like this.'
One day, after scraping every last bit of mana in my body to load the kids onto the Zyklon Drop.
I racked my brain endlessly over how to escape this fate as a magical babysitter blankie for the brats.
'What could instantly captivate kids' attention without me having to step up personally?'
After rolling it over all night, I reached one conclusion.
'I'll make an anime.'
That's right.
As a kid, I'd preferred holing up at home watching anime over going to amusement parks.
Likewise, this world's brats would ditch begging me for magic once they got hooked on this newfangled thing called anime.
I dove right into production.
Normally, making even a short anime solo would be near impossible.
But with the magic I'd mastered, it wasn't much trouble.
Copy magic handled drawing endless key frames, and making the images move naturally? Just animate them for real.
Two weeks later, it was done.
The world's first isekai anime, Nymph and Goblin.
Right before going public, I decided to test the critics' reactions first.
And that critic was none other than the A-grade war criminal who'd turned me into a living Everland: the count's lady ferret.
"Raguna! I'm here! I wanna ride the Flume Ride today! And the carousel too!"
"Hmm, that's fine, but actually, big bro here has something even more fun than Flume Rides or carousels to show you today."
"More fun than Flume Ride or carousel? What's that?"
"Ever heard of anime?"
I led the ferret straight to an unused barony warehouse... er, theater, and screened Nymph and Goblin for her.
"Fun! So fun! It was awesome! I wanna watch it again!"
In the end, I scored thunderous applause and a barrage of high-fives from the ferret.
"Just as planned."
Grinning slyly, I watched her devour the anime, having completely erased any thought of Everland from her mind.
Now, whenever bratty nobles visited the barony, just pop this on and problem solved.
I'd reclaim my perfect freedom.
Alas, this too was pure delusion.
Because everything was just getting started.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
"Hey, Dad."
"Yes? What is it, Isabel?"
"When are we going back to the Tersion Barony?"
"...The Tersion Barony?"
The head of the noble house ruling the Empire's eastern reaches, Duke Grinebalt, tilted his head at his baby girl's out-of-the-blue question. She was the apple of his eye, pain-free even if poked.
"Well, the last informal noble gathering there wasn't long ago, so probably no visits this year."
"...No visits this year? Hiiiing."
Isabel's face fell visibly at her father's reply.
Naturally, the doting dad with zero tolerance for his youngest's pouts couldn't just let it slide.
"What's wrong, Isabel? Do you want to go to the Tersion Barony? But it's such a rural backwater; there's not much to see."
Shaking her head vigorously, Isabel spoke up.
"Anime."
"Huh?"
"My friends at the academy say the barony shows something called 'anime.' And it's super fun—they all talk about nothing else. But I haven't seen it. I can't join their conversations."
"...Anime?"
The duke stared at his youngest in bewilderment.
He'd never heard the bizarre word "anime" in his life.
"I wanna see it too. They say a nymph relentlessly teases and torments a goblin. I'm dying to know what happens!"
"Hmm..."
Troubled by his youngest's whining, the duke wore a perplexed look.
He wanted to storm the Tersion Barony right then and demand they show his girl this "anime" or whatever.
Regrettably, he was swamped with unskippable schedules.
No way to carve out time for a barony visit with his baby girl.
Just as he was about to apologize and suggest postponing the anime binge a bit.
"Don't worry, Father. I'll take Isabel to the Tersion Barony myself."
Serika El Grinebalt—Isabel's sister and the jewel of the Grinebalt Duke's family—spoke up.
"No reason to deny Isabel something she wants so badly. And—"
A certain smile played on Serika's lips as she continued.
"...I've been wanting to see my childhood friend's face again after so long."
And so, Serika visited the Tersion Barony with Isabel and watched this "anime" together.
"...!"
That day, she beheld her destiny.
It was the historic moment the world's first anime fangirl was born.