Chapter 5
Chapter 5
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 5
Chapter Title: First Anime (3)
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To be honest, it hadn't even crossed my mind to suggest that Serika try her hand at voice acting.
I mean, come on.
In modern terms, Serika was practically the only daughter of a chaebol family—an absolute powerhouse—while I was just the second son of a tiny little company, barely scraping by.
If we're talking caste systems, it was like the difference between a Brahman and a Shudra.
Asking a woman of her stature to dub an animation? That'd be downright insane.
Hell, even now, with her chatting so casually with me about voice acting stuff, I was on the verge of a meltdown from the sheer pressure.
But...
'No matter how I think about it, her voice is just too damn good.'
That was the truth.
Serika's voice was so perfect you could say it sounded like jade beads rolling—without any exaggeration.
Sure, she had that awkward newbie vibe since she'd never trained professionally, but even accounting for that, her voice was captivating.
If she'd been born on modern Earth, she could've made it big as a voice actress, a VTuber, or even whispering ASMR on YouTube—her voice alone would've carried her to success.
As an animation creator myself, there was no way I could just let a talent like that sit idle.
So, crazy as it was, I'd thrown caution to the wind and made the suggestion.
"Me... voice the nymph? You're joking, right?"
Serika sounded utterly bewildered as she asked, but I was dead serious.
"You think I'd joke about my own work?"
Of course, if our chaebol heiress showed even a hint of dislike, I'd pivot to "just kidding" in a heartbeat.
"..."
Serika stared blankly at my words for a moment, then nodded as if she'd made up her mind.
"...Alright, fine. This whole thing started with me, so I'll help you out. But first, I need to get permission."
"...Permission? From who?"
The word "permission" sent an instinctive chill down my spine.
It was like peering into an abyss I shouldn't touch—eerie as hell.
"Don't worry. It shouldn't take long."
With that, Serika left the Tersion Baron's estate.
And not long after, she sent me a letter.
Thankfully, no mysterious USB or video tape inside—just content that hit me like a truck anyway.
The letter was long, but boiled down to one sentence, it was simple enough.
[Dad wants to talk to you about the animation stuff. Can you come to the duke's estate?]
"...Fuck."
I never should've opened my big mouth.
Why do bad feelings always nail it?
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
The Grinebalt Duke's family—one of the Empire's four great ducal houses and among the noblest bloodlines—wasn't too far from the Tersion Baron's estate.
About two days by carriage, roughly.
And that was some seriously bad news for me.
No excuses like "It's too far, can't make it."
'Shit.'
So, feeling like a lamb led to slaughter, I arrived at the Grinebalt Duke's estate.
"I've been waiting, Raguna Tersion."
Upon arrival, the duke himself was graciously waiting in the drawing room.
"...Sorry to make you come all this way."
Besides him sat Serika, her little sister Isabel, and...
"..."
Her brother, Deneb El Grinebalt, with "displeased" written all over his face.
'Ah.'
One look and it was obvious: both he and the duke were hopeless Serika fanboys.
They'd been glaring at me with prickly expressions since I walked in.
"Have some tea first. We have important matters to discuss."
"Yes, sir."
Was it just me, or did showing up as a guest feel more like being dragged into an intelligence agency?
The moment I sat across from the duke and took a sip, the inquisition kicked off like clockwork.
"So, I hear you've been childhood friends with our Serika?"
"Yes. We became friends back when I was at the Magic Tower."
"Hmm. The Magic Tower, eh? That must've been the blind spot."
"...Pardon?"
From there, the duke unleashed a barrage of questions.
"They say you were a promising talent there—what made you leave?"
"Any plans to study magic again? Or become the Magic Tower Master's disciple?"
"If magic's not your thing, what do you plan to do with your life?"
He grilled me like a father interrogating a prospective son-in-law.
As a sense of futility crept in—why the hell was I even here?—
"...Father, that's enough. Raguna's my childhood friend."
"Yeah, Dad! Don't be so hard on Raguna! He's my sister's friend."
"...Ahem. Alright, Serika. And Isabel."
Serika's intervention abruptly ended the duke's hearing.
Know the Grinebalt power ranking?
Serika #1, Isabel #2, duke #3.
"Sorry about that, Raguna. With all the creepy bugs buzzing around our Serika lately, I had to vet you properly."
"...Yeah, I get it."
Obviously a doting daughter fanatic, so holding back this much showed serious restraint.
"Now, to the main point. According to Serika, you've created a new art form called 'animation'? Like... pictures that move and live?"
"Yes, exactly."
"And you want our Serika to provide the voice for it?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
The duke's gaze sharpened, but I answered calmly.
Having been an untouchable subcontractor for animation studios back in the day, I knew exactly what to say.
"Because out of every voice I've ever heard, Serika's was the most beautiful."
The duke's face shifted subtly, and Serika's turned beet red.
"As an artist, I believe adding her voice to my work would make it a masterpiece for the ages. Surely you, as her father, weren't unaware of that?"
"...Ahem. Was it?"
"I can say it with certainty. Her voice outshines most actresses or singers. For her own family not to realize that... well, it makes me question your judgment a bit."
It might sound insulting, like dismissing his discernment.
But I clearly saw the duke's lips twitch.
...Our daughter's voice is more beautiful than the Empire's top actresses and singers?
Her voice could turn a work into a masterpiece?
Of course! Damn right!
Kid, you've got good taste.
"...Ahem."
Deneb, who'd been eyeing me sourly, had twitching lips too. I'd nailed their weak spot perfectly.
"Your point has merit. And since Serika's an artist in her own right, I see no reason to oppose."
"Really? Then—"
"But there's one condition."
Suddenly, the duke dropped the doting-dad act for cold noble mode.
"This 'animation' of yours. So far, you've shown it for free to noble kids?"
"Yes."
To draw in the kids of this world, naturally.
"I can't allow that."
"...Pardon?"
"I won't tolerate a work infused with Serika's effort being given away for free. The value of Grinebalt blood isn't that cheap."
He stated it like an absolute line in the sand.
"In that vein, I have a proposal."
"...What is it?"
"Instead of free screenings, why not charge for it?"
"...Charge money? You mean release my animation to the public for a fee?"
"Exactly. Not just nobles, but commoners too. Rent out big theaters or opera houses and screen it there—it should be plenty profitable."
The duke smirked faintly.
"No deal, no permission for Serika to help. Take it or leave it; I lose nothing."
"Father! That's such a ridiculous condition! Who's gonna pay to watch animation?!"
Serika shot up from her seat.
She clearly thought it was absurd.
But.
"Sounds good."
"...What?"
"I'll accept your proposal, Duke. Hell, let's give it a shot."
His words genuinely intrigued me.
Simple reason.
'It's just making a theatrical anime, right?'
And I knew exactly how to make a theatrical hit.
'Disney and Ghibli are gods. And I'm invincible.'
Those legendary studios everyone on Earth knew.
Just plagiarize—no, benchmark—their works, and it'd be a breeze.