Creating Anime In A Fantasy World

“Juno, please go get the wine jars from the storage room. And while you’re at it, bring out the idiot who snuck in to drink and passed out drunk in there.”

As Zat finished speaking, the Beastkin girl hiding her true identity immediately set aside her task of serving guests and dashed into the underground storage room. Sure enough, just as the knight had said, a certain blue-haired girl had somehow snuck in and was now incapacitated from heavy drinking.

Helpless, Juno endured the strong smell of alcohol emanating from the girl and carried her out of the storage room. Just as she was about to take a break, Helena, who was usually the tavern’s storyteller and entertainer, started arguing with an adventurer who had questioned her words.

Seeing the two about to come to blows, Juno, worried about the tavern being destroyed by fire magic, immediately stepped between them to mediate. After physically resolving their conflict, she barely had time to catch her breath when Viz called out from afar in alarm, “Why does the bill seem wrong again? Juno, help me, please!”

“……”

Completely unable to understand why such a small tavern had so many issues, Juno helped Viz find the mistake in the bill. Exhausted, she was about to find a place to rest when Saeki suddenly appeared and said, “The person upstairs needs some magical materials. I’m busy right now, so I’ll leave it to you.”

“Uh… okay!”

Unable to ever get used to Saeki’s completely emotionless demeanor, Juno, feeling her life becoming increasingly difficult, instinctively took the note handed to her. Without any time to rest, she rushed out again to purchase the magical materials.

<+>

That night, as soon as Juno got off work, she collapsed onto her bed, reflecting on her exhausting time working here. Despite being a professionally trained intelligence officer from the Black Blade and the top graduate of her cohort among the Beastkins, she now found herself working in this place with grueling 16-hour shifts—starting at 5 a.m. to open the tavern and ending at 9 p.m. after closing. It was inhuman.

The worst part was that while everyone else had the same job, they were far better at slacking off. Aside from Viz and Zat, who were at least somewhat diligent, the others were a mess. Aya and Helena barely put in any effort, while Belldia and Saeki frequently disappeared mysteriously, leaving Juno to cover for them.

As for Viz and Zat, though they worked hard, Viz often made bizarre errors, such as miscalculating simple sums, while Zat spent so much time keeping the troublemakers in check that he couldn’t focus on his tasks.

After working here for several days, Juno belatedly realized that she, a trained spy, was somehow the most diligent worker among them. Viz even seemed to be grooming her as a successor.

Yet her investigation into the filmmakers still hadn’t yielded any useful results. She lacked the courage to venture upstairs and observe directly, making progress nearly impossible.

Was she wasting her time?

This thought flashed through her mind, but she quickly shook her head to dispel it.

To be honest, reflecting on her time here, Juno realized this was the first time she had stayed in such a lively place for so long. Always a lone wolf, she couldn’t help but compare it to her days in the Black Blade, where her life had been nothing but endless training and discipline. She couldn’t decide which was better or worse.

But at the very least, if she could go back and choose again, she would never agree to interview at this tavern. Between the bizarre colleagues and her own unsuitability for the job, it had been a disaster. Having grown up under the Black Blade’s specialized training, she had no experience with customer service, and her early performance had been worse than that of an average person. Though she had improved, she still wasn’t great at interacting with people. Oddly, though, the customers didn’t seem to mind her cold demeanor—some even seemed to enjoy it.

If Juno knew the phrase “a baptism of fire,” she would definitely feel she had gone through one during her time here. Working in such an environment for a few days would drive anyone to the brink of a nervous breakdown.

And in this chaos, the long-awaited reply from the Oracle finally arrived.

“Juno of the Black Blade, I have read your letter. The information about the filmmakers is indeed astonishing. While I do not understand how such a terrifying undead has blended into human society, it is clear that the place you are in is a den of dragons and tigers. Rest assured, the kingdom will not overlook your efforts. If you manage to return safely, I will personally petition His Majesty the King to award you first-class merit. Even if you perish, your name will be inscribed on the kingdom’s monument, a legacy to inspire generations of Beastkins.”

“Of course, things aren’t as dire as they seem. From your letter, I can infer that the relationship between these powerful undead and the humans isn’t truly harmonious. At the very least, if their identities were exposed, the human empire would not tolerate those who betray the gods and their race so easily. Therefore, they are unlikely to disrupt the surface stability. Even if they discover your identity, they are unlikely to act rashly.”

“As for the abnormal entity on the second floor, whose power may even surpass that of the Headless Knight, I suspect that this being is the inventor of the film. Although its motives remain unknown, the strained relationship between the undead and humans suggests that this entity’s relationship with humanity is likely not favorable. It might even be scheming something specific within the human empire. This could very well be an opportunity for the Beastkin kingdom. You must uncover this entity’s identity and purpose, but do not approach recklessly.”

“From your investigation, it is undeniable that some sort of incomprehensible change is happening within the human empire. Whether this change is good or bad remains unclear, but for the safety of the kingdom, we cannot remain idle. Incidentally, the second round of negotiations between the Beastkin kingdom and the human empire is about to commence. I will be attending this conference as the Beastkin kingdom’s representative. The human empire will at least send an Arch Mage-level mage to participate. At that time, I will find a way to discern the empire’s current state.”

“Juno, you should patiently remain at the headquarters of the filmmaker and continue investigating the matter of the film. Should any problems arise, inform me immediately. However, if unexpected situations occur, you must find a way to resolve them on your own. Rest assured, the kingdom will not forget your contributions.”

“Finally, regarding Fate/Zero—to be frank, the matter is extremely complex. Even I dare not draw conclusions before directly seeing this so-called film. Still, there are some matters I can share with you, even though you are not a mage.”

“The so-called Holy Grail is indeed a real concept in the history of the world and has even sparked great conflicts in the past. However, this matter involves far too many intricate details for me to elaborate on here. What I can tell you is that during those times, the human empire had not yet been established and thus was not involved. The non-human nations that participated in those events have remained silent about this history, and even written records lack detailed accounts.”

“What should have become a relic of history is now being brought up again. Why the human empire has revived this matter, or how they came to know about the Holy Grail, I cannot comprehend. But there is one thing you need not worry about: the Holy Grail is now nothing but the dust of history. Very few even know of it today—perhaps only the reclusive elves might have relevant knowledge. It’s likely that the human empire has heard only rumors and legends.”

“In contrast to the Holy Grail, the many details described in Fate/Zero are even more baffling. I have studied it extensively, but even with my knowledge, I cannot grasp its intricate logic. The more I read your account of its story, the more I feel drawn into its depths. For such an incomprehensible phenomenon, I have no explanation.”

“As for resolving this mystery, we will have to wait for the negotiation conference. I intend to personally witness this so-called film at the border of the human empire. I sense that by then, the shroud of uncertainty that has loomed over the Beastkin kingdom may finally begin to dissipate.”

“For now, let us end our idle talk. Regarding the film and Fate/Zero, I have assembled a dedicated research team from the few mages within the Beastkin kingdom. Though they cannot personally visit the human empire to view the film, they can analyze its essence based on reports from agents like you. This matter concerns the kingdom’s survival, and I am determined to study it thoroughly.”

“Juno, as the main contributor of this intelligence, I have already included your name on next month’s commendation list for the Black Blade.”

“The human empire is fraught with dangers, and though I cannot aid you directly in navigating these crises, I trust in your abilities as a professional spy. In short, any emergencies that arise during your infiltration must be handled by your own judgment. Even if it means eliminating certain individuals, do not hesitate.”

“For now, humans and Beastkins have enjoyed peace for many years, thanks to the wise decisions of successive rulers and the mutual desire for peaceful development among our peoples. However, as the saying goes, too much stability breeds shadows. These shadows may come from the upper echelons, the lower classes, or even external sources. Our task is to find a way for the Beastkin kingdom to advance through the storms that lie ahead.”