NOVEL NEXT Chapter 1: The Plan
In the Imperial Year XXX, spring.
Baron Durin Edward walked down the corridor of the castle. The magic stone in his hand illuminated the stairs in the night, and the young man’s expression changed with the flickering of the light.
Edward was a traveler from another world, a legitimate one from the Celestial Empire. He had once lived an ordinary life as an anime enthusiast and had never expected to find himself in a different world.
But, in reality, that day had come, and it had come without warning.
“Sigh, no phone, no computer, no anime to watch, no novels to read. When will this kind of life come to an end…”
Yes, compared to the excitement of a typical protagonist’s journey to another world, Edward was a complete hater of such transmigration. He preferred the simple happiness of staying at home, watching new episodes every season, changing waifus every three months, and playing games he could never win. His life back in the crumbling castle, where he couldn’t even watch television, was thousands of times more fulfilling.
However, after numerous failed attempts, Edward had to admit that he couldn’t find a way back, so he reluctantly accepted this reality and spent his days in the castle trying to pass the time.
As these days continued for some time, the memories of the previous Edward slowly started to resurface in his mind.
Durin Edward, scion of the declining Durin Family in the southern reaches of the empire, the heir of this generation. He had a natural affinity for elemental magic, which led his parents to send him to the Imperial Mage Tower to study magic from a young age.
Once he entered the Mage Tower, Edward’s talents were unleashed. He not only graduated from the apprentice mage stage at the fastest rate but also climbed the ladder of mages at a terrifying speed, becoming the youngest grand mage before the age of 20.
However, even though he had astonishing magical abilities, Edward’s true interest lay in another field – Alchemy.
Whether it was the complex magic energy circulation inside uncuttable magic stones or the magical engineering that would make a regular mage dizzy, he had an unwavering determination to research it.
For this, he skipped classes every day and devoted himself to his passion, even publishing a thesis on magical reform in the Tower.
Naturally, that thesis was promptly rejected by the elder mages and even led to arbitration by the Mage Tower.
Due to that incident, Edward, who could have continued his studies in the Mage Tower, was forcibly expelled by the elemental magic monarch and not only banned from setting foot in the Tower again but also stripped of his title as an Imperial Mage.
In the end, a despondent Edward returned to the southern reaches, where he stayed secluded in a small room in the castle, mixing various alchemical items among other things, until the old Baron Durin passed away, and he inherited the Durin Family’s name.
Of course, while it could be said that he inherited the name, he mostly stayed in his room all day, unwilling to interact with others, only tinkering with the magical alchemical devices he created.
With this situation, everyone in the castle believed that Edward would lead the Durin Family to decline. But then, by chance, another world’s Edward transmigrated into his body.
….
Opening the room of this world Durin Edward, Edward glanced around and eventually focused his gaze on a device in the corner of the room.
“Magic video recorder and imaging crystal… I never noticed these two incredible items before. They’re like cameras and film in this world…”
Recalling his memories, Edward was surprised that something this world Edward had accidentally created back then turned out to be such an amazing thing. At this moment, he couldn’t help but feel a rush of excitement.
Edward hadn’t felt this kind of excitement for a long time. The long and monotonous daily life and the mundane responsibilities of being a lord had driven him to the brink of a breakdown. Even though he was aware of the powerful magic he could use in this body, he couldn’t muster much enthusiasm for it. Instead, he was more interested in the ending of the new Jojo series from another world.
So, seeing these two items that could potentially change the era, Edward couldn’t help but mutter, “It might sound a bit foolish, but if, just if, I could film those anime I watched in another world in this one…”
Yes, the reason Edward had come all the way to this remote room in the castle was precisely this. When he heard that this world had advanced papermaking and printing technology, he had once felt the urge to write novels in this world. But because of his personal writing skills, he had to give up in the end.
However, right now, as he looked at this groundbreaking magical camera, Edward couldn’t help but reignite his enthusiasm for bringing the culture of anime from another world to this one.
“KonoSuba,” “Spice and Wolf,” “Goblin Slayer,” “Re:Zero – Starting Life in Another World,” “The Familiar of Zero,” “Overlord,” “Shakugan no Shana,” “Fullmetal Alchemist,” “The Rising of the Shield Hero,” “Restaurant to Another World,” “Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?”…
As all these classic isekai anime that Edward had repeatedly watched flashed through his mind, he silently made a resolution!
He was determined to bring the familiar world of anime he had watched in the past into this true alternate world. He wanted to film and promote them, letting the mundane people of this world understand the joy of watching anime and the pain of waiting for new episodes!