Creating Anime In A Fantasy World - Chapter 46: Casting the Actors

Edward and Daphne had been inside the cave for over half an hour, and the guard, growing increasingly impatient, finally decided to go in and check on her.

However, the Headless Horseman, following Edward’s orders, gave them a casual glance.

The overwhelming aura of a warrior of Belldia level almost brought the otherwise capable guard to their knees.

Just then, two figures slowly emerged from the cave.

“My Lady?!”

The guard, excited to see her, prepared to rush forward.

However, the guard noticed something was off about Daphne.

The shy expression and tear-streaked face raised alarms, prompting the guard to draw their sheathed sword and shout, “Baron Durin, what have you done to my lady?! If you don’t give a reasonable explanation, even if you’re favored by the Duke, I’ll fight you to the death!”

“Wait, you’ve misunderstood—” Edward hadn’t even spoken before Daphne interjected, “Edward didn’t do anything to me. No—he did do something–wait, um, why don’t you explain, Director Edward…”

Edward, looking at the girl who had just been scared out of her wits, calmly explained, “As Daphne said, you misunderstood. I only frightened her a little. I brought her into the cave, erased my presence, and silently left her alone for a while. It seems this child has never experienced such a situation before and got so scared that she nearly wet hers—”

“Stop!! Don’t say any more!!!”

Clearly mortified by her embarrassing behavior, Daphne quickly cut off Edward’s revelation.

Seeing her reaction, the others began to understand what had happened, though they still didn’t grasp why Edward had done this.

Edward, noticing their confusion, explained casually, “It’s simple. For the sake of the film, the opening scene involves the female lead in a state of panic. I wanted to see if Daphne could portray the emotions I needed. To my surprise, she exceeded my expectations. She’s perfect for the role. After filming that scene, I can say that no one else could play the female lead better than her.”

“Wait, what?! Director Edward, you filmed it?!!!”

As Daphne finally realized what had happened, Edward casually waved the magic recording device in his hand, saying, “Ah, yes. I made sure to enhance the lighting, so the effect is absolutely perfect, even down to the clear liquid on the ground—”

“!!!”

Although Daphne immediately lunged to snatch the recording device, it was futile.

As a Grand Mage, Edward easily evaded her attempt, hopping behind her and gently placing a hand on her shoulder, smiling as he said, “Well then, I look forward to working with you, Miss Lead Actress.”

“No, I’m not interested in playing this kind of role—!!”

Seeing the duke’s daughter in such a panic, Edward merely chuckled, “Haha, that’s not up to you. If you don’t want this footage leaked, you’ll need to cooperate fully with the filming, Miss Daphne~”

“You’re a demon—Director Edward, you must be a demon reborn!!”

“Such praise! But I’m hardly a demon. At least I wouldn’t sell this footage on the black market.”

“………”

With Daphne finally conceding defeat, the group soon returned to the Northern Adventurers’ Guild main city, Winter City.

On the way, there was a brief incident where Daphne’s maid secretly approached Edward, offering a large sum for the right to view the recording.

Edward, however, declined, citing commercial confidentiality.

……

After settling down in the Northern Adventurers’ Guild, Eliza, in her capacity as Guild Master, assisted Edward in recruiting actors.

After all, once a script is finalized, casting naturally follows, and auditions must be held for the roles.

Though the profession of “actor” didn’t exist in this world, most adventurers inherently possessed the necessary skills because Edward needed them to play themselves.

This type of natural performance often yielded surprising results, just as it had when filming KonoSuba: God’s Blessing on This Wonderful World.

At worst, Edward could enhance the less confident actors with a suggestion spell.

However, since the North lacked the kind of public interest found in Nosrick City City in the South, many people were baffled when they heard about the movie project.

They had no idea what the beautiful Guild Master was asking them to do.

In the end, only a few of Eliza’s devoted followers were willing to help, and they were far from a suitable cast.

Given the situation, Edward had no choice but to return to Nosrick City City to gather actors. Firstly, because the film had already been released there, most people understood what being an actor entailed.

Secondly, the supporting roles required impulsive, reckless characters, and Northern adventurers appeared too seasoned, clearly not fitting the “newbie” mold.

Thus, Edward made the decision to return.

Back in Nosrick City City, Edward posted an announcement at the Adventurers’ Guild, stating that Edward Studios was casting for its next film.

This quickly drew a crowd of adventurers and non-adventurers alike, all eager to learn more.

Even the Guild’s own members, including the Guild Master and receptionists, were curious enough to try securing a role in the upcoming movie.

Under these circumstances, Edward soon found a suitable cast.

This included three new adventurers destined to die in their first scene, a female receptionist from the Adventurers’ Guild, and Northern adventurers recommended by Eliza…

All in all, after the auditions ended, Edward made a subtle realization: while the supporting roles had been filled, he still hadn’t found an actor for the lead role—Goblin Slayer.

Though Goblin Slayer’s appearance was concealed under filthy armor, meaning there were no strict requirements for the actor’s looks or demeanor, as a director, Edward didn’t want to assign the role carelessly.

For the lead, Edward wanted someone with real experience in dealing with monsters.

The actor didn’t need to be exceptionally powerful, but they needed to be an adventurer with extensive experience.