Chapter 31: Exclusive Agency Rights
The celebration continued until late into the night, with a group of adventurers gathering around Durin, eager to learn about the sequel to "Konosuba God Blessings on This Wonderful World." However, Durin declined to divulge any details. Using his identity as a Grand Mage, he dispersed the crowd and quietly left the guild hall, heading upstairs.
Upon returning downstairs about two hours later, Durin was surprised to find that the crew members hadn't left and were still waiting for him in the now deserted hall.
"Why are you still here?" Durin inquired.
Responding to Durin's question, Winry, who was assisting with the cleanup, spoke up first. "They're waiting for you, Lord Edward. Since we won't see each other for a while, it's important to bid farewell properly at a time like this."
Similar to a modern film crew, the crew Durin had assembled was only together for a short time. Given the financial constraints of the Edward family, unable to support even themselves, financing a film crew was out of the question. Consequently, after filming concluded, everyone had to part ways, only to reunite when filming resumed. It was simply inevitable.
"..."
Noticing the disappointed expressions on everyone's faces, Durin realized belatedly that he hadn't discussed the future with them. With a wry smile, he admitted, "I forgot to inform you all..."
"Forget to inform us? What do you mean?"
Confused by Durin's words, Helena received only a mysterious smile in response. Then, Durin produced a densely written piece of paper with his left hand and continued, "Yes, I forgot to tell you. The Southern Border Adventurers Guild has granted me exclusive agency and broadcasting rights for 'Konosuba God Blessings on This Wonderful World' in the Southern Border. They'll provide the screening venues, and the film's income will be split 80-20, with us receiving 80% and them 20%. The only condition the guild master imposed was that the Adventurers Guild exclusively manages the film's screening in the Southern Border."
Indeed, this was what Durin had accomplished in the past two hours. He had negotiated with the guild master of the Southern Border Adventurers Guild regarding the future screening of "God Blessings on This Wonderful World" in the Southern Border, and they had ultimately signed a comprehensive contract. The Southern Border Adventurers Guild would handle the film's screening entirely, receiving 20% of the income from the screenings.
The term "exclusive agency" refers to the comprehensive responsibilities, including venue investment, promotional activities, and a significant amount of manpower and resources. In this case, they only receive 20% of ticket sales revenue, which can be considered quite a modest fee, even inconceivable in another world.
The reason why the Southern Border Adventurers Guild chose to do this is twofold: first, they recognized the potential of this new form of expression called "film," and second, the guild master of the Southern Border Adventurers Guild foresaw the changes this film would bring to the Southern Border!
There's a modern term called "infectiousness." When a film is excellent, it allows viewers to involuntarily immerse themselves in it, following the story's development and even being obsessed with doing what the protagonist does.
Although people in this world cannot yet comprehend the concept of infectiousness, at least the guild master of the Southern Border Adventurers Guild's initial reaction to Durin's film "Konosuba God Blessings on This Wonderful World" was—how he wished to become an adventurer!
Despite being the guild master of an adventurers' guild, he found himself longing to set aside his boring duties and live a simple yet exciting life like the protagonist in the story. This bizarre desire stemmed from the infectiousness brought about by the storytelling, which was potent enough to change one's worldview and influence a group of people's interests.
The reason why the story filmed by Durin possesses such terrifying infectiousness in this world, which is not present in another world, is naturally because this world is a genuine fantasy world.
Watching "Konosuba God Blessings on This Wonderful World" in another world, viewers see it as a story of crossing into another world, lacking the infectiousness to turn fantasy into reality. After all, no matter how much one indulges in delusions of casting a fireball spell, it's simply impossible to do so. Even the strongest infectiousness will gradually fade away in the face of mundane reality. But in this world, if someone with a talent for delusions actually exists, casting a fireball spell is not just a fantasy!
Likewise, transforming a fireball spell into becoming an adventurer is the same. For the people in this world, being an adventurer is a readily achievable goal, a manifestation of their adolescent fantasies.
Moreover, the most important thing is that unlike magic, which requires personal talent and effort, becoming an adventurer has no barriers at all, and even the entry standards are ridiculously low.
In such a scenario, if "Konosuba God Blessings on This Wonderful World" were to be screened in the Southern Border and became a hit, the outcome is self-evident!
For so long, the Southern Border, which has suffered from a shortage of adventurers due to the occasional appearance of the undead, will undergo a profound transformation. Countless young people, inspired by "Konosuba God Blessings on This Wonderful World," will voluntarily come forward to become adventurers!
Recognizing this opportunity, even if it meant risking everything, the guild master of the Southern Border Adventurers Guild couldn't afford to pass it up. He offered an astounding price to secure the exclusive agency and broadcasting rights for "Konosuba God Blessings on This Wonderful World" in the Southern Border from Durin, a deal Durin couldn't refuse.
Upon hearing Durin's explanation...
"Exclusive agency and broadcasting rights? What's that?"
Aya's question echoed the sentiments of most people present. After all, these terms were entirely foreign to them, as they were just unfamiliar concepts from Durin's explanation.
Seeing the surprised and puzzled expressions of the crowd, Durin realized that they couldn't grasp the significance of what he was saying. So, he decided to demonstrate his point in the simplest and most straightforward manner possible.
He slowly pulled out a magic crystal card issued by the Empire's largest commercial guild and said, "A whopping 5,000 gold coins. This is the initial payment offered by the Southern Border Adventurers Guild to secure the exclusive agency and broadcasting rights. It also serves as an investment for our next film. Additionally, after the official release, the box office revenue will be calculated separately. Do you understand now? Our film crew won't disband, or rather, we've only just begun!"