<h4>Chapter 43: nning to cast a dragon</h4>


    (Lucy Morningstar POV)


    I eyed my advisors skeptically. Arthur? The same Arthur who couldn''t even summon a decent fireball? How in the nine hells could he have made a film influential enough to boost our economy and tourism?


    "It must be a coincidence that our kingdom is suddenly popr with other races," I said, my voiceced with doubt. "There has to be another exnation."


    My advisors exchanged uneasy nces. Lord Azura, ever the enthusiast, piped up, "But Your Highness, how else could our demon kingdom be so popr without reason?"


    I fixed him with a cold stare, watching with satisfaction as he shrank back. Good. A servant should know their ce. My magical prowess far outstrips his; he''d do well to remember that.


    "I''m not saying there''s no reason for our kingdom''s sudden poprity," I said, my voice sharp. "I''m asking for a reasonable exnation. Anyone?"


    Lady Crimson cleared her throat delicately. "Your Highness, perhaps it''s due to Luck Marbas''s recent victory in the sabrepetition?"


    I pondered this for a moment. "Hmm... I wasn''t aware sabrepetitions had such a wide appeal." An idea struck me. "Still, we should capitalize on this. Let''s use Luck as a brand ambassador for the kingdom."


    As I began outlining ns, I noticed Azura lurking in the corner, a look of poorly concealed resentment on his face. Irritation red within me.


    "Do you have something to add, Azura?" I asked, my tone deceptively calm.


    He bowed stiffly. "Please, Your Highness. Just give ''The Demonfather'' a watch." Without waiting for a response, he turned and left the room.


    I bit back a growl of frustration. Stubborn bastard.


    Part of me wanted to have him reprimanded for his insolence. But another part, a quieter part, whispered that maybe there might be something to the film after all.


    I shook my head, dismissing the thought. No. Arthur couldn''t possibly have created something so impactful. Could he?


    What if Azura was right? What if Arthur''s film really was as remarkable as Azura imed?


    I sighed, massaging my temples. Perhaps... perhaps it wouldn''t hurt to give this "Demonfather" a watch. Just to put the matter to rest, of course. Nothing more.


    ***


    (Anus Hades POV)


    The acrid smell of brimstone hit me as soon as we stepped off the airship. Ah, the sweet stench of home. I grimaced, already missing theparatively fresh air of Empirica.


    "Remind me again why we''re here?" I muttered, more to myself than anyone else.


    Don Leviathan, his serpentine form coiled elegantly beside me, chuckled. "Vacation, my boy. Even demons need a break now and then."


    I snorted. "Vacation? In the Morningstar Kingdom? A few weeks ago, that would''ve been a punchline, not a n."


    And it was true. Compared to the human, dwarven, or elven kingdoms, our homnd was... well, let''s just say it wasn''t winning any awards forfort or entertainment. Sure, other races might look down their noses at us, but at least they had decent plumbing.


    But here we were, joining the throngs of tourists - demon and non-demon alike - all because of a film.


    "The Demonfather," I mused, shaking my head. "Who''d have thought a demon-made movie could cause all this fuss?"


    Don Leviathan''s forked tongue flicked out, tasting the air. "Never underestimate the power of a good story, Anus. Especially one that shows our world in a new light."


    As our car wound its way through the streets, I couldn''t help but notice the changes. The city seemed... livelier somehow. Less doom and gloom, more hustle and bustle.


    "It''s been a long time since I''ve seen my hometown," Don Leviathan said, his usually stern face softening with nostalgia.


    I nodded, not really sharing his sentiment. My eyes were fixed on the road ahead, watching as the sprawling expanse of Great Neck came into view.


    "There," Don Leviathan said suddenly, pointing with his tail. "That''s where Sonny died."


    I followed his gaze to a toll booth in the distance. Even from here, I could see the cluster of tourists, cameras shing as they posed at the infamous site.


    "Unbelievable," I muttered. "They''re treating it like some kind of amusement park."


    Don Leviathan shrugged, his scales shimmering in the dim light. "It''s bringing in money, isn''t it? And attention. Maybe that''s what our kingdom needed all along."


    I fell silent, pondering his words. As much as I hated to admit it, he had a point. For better or worse, "The Demonfather" had put us on the map.


    As we pulled up to the Infernal Heights, I found myself wondering about the demon behind it all. This Arthur Morningstar. What kind of prince makes a film that turns his whole kingdom upside down?


    ***


    (Arthur POV)


    These past few days, I''ve been burning through Entertainment Points like there''s no tomorrow. One hundred thousand points for just the script of the first "Lord of the Rings" movie. It''s steep, but worth it.


    I didn''t stop there. In the novel category, I snagged "Harry Potter and the Philosopher''s Stone" for a cool 200 thousand points. It''s not cheap, and the prices for the subsequent volumes and "Lord of the Rings" movies are even higher. But I''m not too worried. Each of these will help me rake in both entertainment points and cold, hard cash.


    It''s funny, really. One of the reasons I went for "The Good, The Bad, The Ugly" was its rtively low cost. Who knew it''d end up being such a headache to produce?


    Back in my old world, it would''ve been a breeze to film - minimal CGI, straightforward production. But here? It''s turning into a logistical nightmare. Finding a country willing to let a demon studio film on their turf is like pulling teeth from a dragon.


    The backdrop we need - vast dusty ins and craggy mountains - isn''t unique to Empirica. But other countries with simrndscapes are giving us the cold shoulder. Same reason as Empirica: apparently, I''ve offended their religion.


    That''s why I''ve pivoted to "The Lord of the Rings". Surprisingly, it might be easier to film here. There are locations right here in the kingdom that are dead ringers for Middle-earth, no illusions required.


    The province bordering the Ashen ins? It''s a spitting image of Mordor, minus the whole nd of shadow" bit. The Gloomstone Forest could pass for Mirkwood or Fangorn with minimal set dressing. And the rolling hills of the eastern province? Hobbiton, here wee.


    It''s almost too perfect. In a world already filled with fantasy elements, "The Lord of the Rings" feels right at home. We won''t need nearly as much CGI as the original films did. Real magic, real fantastical creatures - it''s a filmmaker''s dream.


    Of course, it''s not all smooth sailing. We''ve got our own unique challenges to face. Butpared to the political minefield of "The Good, The Bad, The Ugly"? I''ll take orcs and elves any day.


    But casting for "The Lord of the Rings" was going to be a headache and a half, but one problem loomedrger than the rest: how in the nine hells was I going to cast a dragon?


    Sure, my father and eldest brother each had a wyvern at their beck and call, but I needed a proper dragon. The kind that could make Smaug look like a lizard with delusions of grandeur.


    Problem is, dragons only live on the Eden Continent, home to the "Forest Kingdom" of the environmentalist elves and most of the dwarven kingdoms. It''s a massivendmass, big enough to house creatures of that size and temperament. But it might as well be on another for all the good it does me.