Spirit Adventure (1)

“…Count Ragna is truly an amazing person.”

In the royal palace of the Rihard royal family, Kaisel’s office.

Right there, Kaisel was in the middle of a conversation with the court musician belonging to the royal family.

“I don’t think there’s been anyone as great as him among the people I’ve met so far. I didn’t believe until now the saying that a genius that appears once in ten years… no, once in a hundred years exists, but now I think I can acknowledge it. The fact that such a person actually exists in reality.”

And Kaisel looked at the court musician, who was speaking with some kind of excited air, with a strange expression.

“Oh, this is… interesting.”

“…What do you mean, Your Highness?”

“I think it’s the first time I’ve seen you praising someone else like this. As far as I remember, you weren’t this kind of person…”

As far as Kaisel knew, the court musician before him was a genius among geniuses whose skill related to music was unrivaled throughout the Rihard Kingdom, but.

At the same time, he was also famous for being very eccentric, neurotic, and mercilessly critical of those who didn’t meet his standards.

But for such a court musician to praise a person called Ragna, no matter how noble he might be, to this extent?

The court musician, seemingly agreeing with Kaisel’s words to some extent, frowned and said.

“That’s unavoidable. Because to me, those who call themselves geniuses all look like nothing but loudmouths with only their mouths alive. But-“

“Ragna, that friend was different. Is that what you mean?”

“Yes, that’s right, Your Highness.”

He spoke with his eyes shining.

“He asked me to compose two songs, ‘Butterfly’ and ‘Seeds of Sadness, Fruits of Happiness’. And through those two songs, I was able to taste a new world that I had never experienced before. It was truly… an incomparably ecstatic time.”

At such an appreciation from the court musician, Kaisel tilted his head.

“Hmm… Was it to that extent? Of course, I’ll admit that those two songs are extremely pleasant to listen to, but were they at a level that you would evaluate so highly?”

“Yes, that’s right, Your Highness.”

He spoke in a tone as if expounding some truth.

“Of course, I’m not saying that the two songs Count Ragna commissioned from me are unprecedented masterpieces that easily surpass the level of all music that has existed until now. Because in the field of art, we can only assign relative values, not absolute superiority or inferiority.”

For example, on Earth, music composed by masters like Mozart, Bach, or Vivaldi is still loved by many even after hundreds of years have passed.

However, that doesn’t mean we can definitively say their music is unconditionally superior to modern music.

Because while some people might consider Mozart’s music the best, others might not think so.

“The reason I said Count Ragna is a genius is… because he casually created a genre of music that had never existed in this world before.”

“…He created music that had never existed in this world?”

At that moment, Kaisel blinked his eyes hearing those words.

“That’s right. Originally, most of what artists put out claiming to be new is nothing more than slightly twisting or modifying something that already existed. But even that, few can do properly.”

But Ragna was different.

Ragna had shown him, in the true sense, a new genre of music with unknown origins that had never existed in this world before.

“It feels like I’ve seen something that was completed after decades of development in this genre of music. This is equivalent to him introducing to the world a genre that could be called the final evolved form of comics, which is animation!”

In the court musician’s words, there was a slight mixture of awe towards Ragna and envy towards his truly demonic talent.

“Your Highness, is he really human like us? How can one person display his genius so abundantly in so many areas?”

“…I understand, but don’t raise your voice. You seem a bit too excited.”

Kaisel said with a slight sigh.

“And actually… I’m not sure about the true extent of that friend’s abilities either. He’s someone who pioneers new fields as easily as eating. How can I dare to evaluate a monster who succeeded in three consecutive different genres like “Machine God Chronicles”, “Book of Life and Death”, and “Sky of Destiny”?”

Although it’s not an officially serialized comic but just in the realm of doujinshi.

Kaisel, who also claims to be a comic artist of sorts, knows well.

That no matter how skilled a comic artist is, if they draw a comic in a genre different from what they usually draw, they can’t fully demonstrate their skills.

Of course, what Ragna creates is not comics but animation, but.

That doesn’t mean the difficulty of producing different genres would be less than comics, if anything it would be more.

Yet Ragna, as if mocking him, casually produced three different genres of animation, and even went on to make them huge successes.

How could a mere ordinary person like Kaisel arbitrarily evaluate such a monster of a human with demonic talent?

“Anyway, so what do you think?”

“…Pardon? What are you referring to?”

“You must have seen a preview of the upcoming PV for the next work while working with Ragna this time, right? I heard from him that the next work is a mecha show like “Machine God Chronicles”, was it really like that?”

“Hmm…”

At Kaisel’s question, the court musician unconsciously scratched his head.

“Well… To be honest, I’m not sure. It’s certain that the next work is a mecha show, but if you ask whether that PV is entirely related to a mecha show, that’s…”

“…What?”

For a moment, Kaisel couldn’t understand what he meant at all.

What does this mean?

If it’s a mecha show, it’s a mecha show, and if it’s not, it’s not, isn’t it?

Why on earth is he saying such ambiguous things?

“…Well. I don’t have the confidence to explain any further than this. But.”

“But?”

At that moment, the court musician spoke with a bitter smile on his lips.

“You’ll understand when you see that PV yourself. What kind of work Count Ragna is trying to create this time.”

---

And so, a whole month had passed since the end of “Sky of Destiny”, which had given shock and horror to everyone in various ways.

Originally, by this time, as it had been in the past, the ignorant masses would have been craving Ragna’s new work for a fresh supply of dopamine, but.

Fortunately or unfortunately, the voices demanding a new work from Ragna were not very loud.

The reasons for this were mainly two.

First of all.

“Waaah…! Knight King…! Why, why did you choose to return to your original time and face death instead of staying in the modern era…!”

“Does Ragna the director truly not have a human heart? Why on earth does he give such a sad ending and make us so distressed?”

“So, when will the story of the Knight King resting in the fairy realm and Yuri who became a spirit reuniting come out! When on earth!”

If you put it nicely, it was an ending that left a lingering impression, and if you put it badly, most viewers were suffering from deep aftereffects due to the sad ending where the protagonist and heroine part ways, and.

Secondly, it was none other than.

“So, you’re saying it’s a PV related to Director Ragna’s new work?”

“Yeah. According to information leaked by someone from the production team, a PV related to the new work is supposed to be released soon. They say the genre is a mecha show like “Machine God Chronicles”.”

Although it’s unknown where the information leaked from, rumors had spread widely that Ragna would soon release a PV related to his new work.

Of course, people from not only the Empire but all countries cheered at the six words ‘New work PV release’, and.

Whether in response to people’s enthusiastic cheers or out of resignation, Ragna went ahead and released the PV related to the next work after “Sky of Destiny” to the world.

And.

“…Huh?”

“This… What on earth is this?”

The first impression that viewers who saw the PV felt was puzzlement.

It wasn’t like the “Machine God Chronicles” PV where cool-looking mechas appeared in large numbers.

Nor did it make people’s hearts race with all sorts of meaningful directing like the “Sky of Destiny” PV.

That PV, just-

“Could it be… space?”

“Those things floating in the night sky, they don’t seem to be stars?”

“They’re battleships. Those shining things, they’re all enemy battleships and attacks from battleships!”

As if responding to the viewers’ words, someone wrapped in shadows opens their mouth with a bold voice from atop a gun turret.

“Oh. So, should I think that all the lights existing in the night sky are enemies?”

“…Indeed, opponents who lack nothing. Then why don’t we just twist this entire universe?”

“…But Commander, that’s too reckless-“

“Reckless, you say? No, that’s not true.”

“Nothing is impossible for us. Who do you think I am!”

Along with the man’s declaration, the battleship he’s riding on begins to emit a huge wave-

Bzzt-

At the same time, everything goes dark and the screen turns black.

Step.

“…Hm?”

“That… who on earth is that?”

In the blackened screen, the back view of a boy appears.

A small, petite, and seemingly unremarkable young boy.

The back view of a shabby boy who looks like he might sit down and give up everything at any moment.

But that boy, as soon as the song starts playing, begins to walk towards somewhere.

Even if no one exists around him.

Even if no one comforts or supports him.

Truly manly.

Just silently.

Forward without stopping, overcoming everything.

And-

“…What’s that?”

“A spiral… heart… and a flower…?”

This PV, eventually becomes a legend.