Re-written date: 7 / 13 / 2025
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Chapter 30: Test Screening (Part 2)
As planned, KonoSuba began to play.
And just as Edward had hoped—no, beyond what he'd hoped—the results were better than he imagined. Scene by scene, cut by cut, the footage looked even more satisfying under a real screening than it had during playback. The camera work, the magical image quality, the visual pacing—it all felt right.
And then there were the viewers: the rowdy audience of adventurers packed into the guild hall.
At first, they were more curious than engaged. Some looked at the projection with the expressions of scholars analyzing an ancient magical artifact. The focus wasn't on the film itself but on the how—the imaging crystal, the enchanted recording devices, the very idea of magical cinema.
But that all changed when the protagonist made his wish:
"Then... I want to take the goddess herself with me."
The moment he declared that as his condition for reincarnation into another world, the room erupted into noise.
Adventurers leaned forward in their chairs, eyes lit up.
Because, let's face it—everyone loves a good isekai adventure.
Even in a world already filled with swords and monsters, the fantasy of crossing into another world still stirred something deep. They'd long since grown bored of old-school knight tales, but this? This had punch.
As the story moved on, the protagonist found himself not on some heroic quest, but doing hard labor at a construction site.
And that's when the laughter started.
Real, unfiltered, belly-deep laughter.
It echoed through the adventurers' guild like a tavern during a festival.
But beneath the laughter, there was something else. A quiet kind of recognition.
After all, the crowd watching was made up of real-life adventurers.
Who among them hadn't once dreamed of legendary glory? Of building a team, slaying mighty beasts, earning songs sung by bards across the land?
And yet... reality was not so kind.
For most of them, adventuring amounted to little more than odd jobs. The kind people barely remembered. They called them "quests," but in truth, they were just temp work—dangerous, unsteady, and unglamorous.
Seeing the protagonist toiling on a job site wasn't just funny. It was real.
Pathetically real.
But that's what made it so compelling.
. . . . . . . .
As the story moved forward, and the hero finally snapped—deciding to throw aside manual labor and go on an actual adventure—the whole guild seemed to hold its breath.
They were in.
Everyone in that room had fully stepped into the shoes of the protagonist.
But just as they began to hope, as they leaned forward wondering what epic path he'd take... the film delivered a sucker punch.
He got flattened.
Turns out, being an ordinary guy in a fantasy world wasn't all that useful.
And the so-called goddess by his side?
Gorgeous, yes. Divine? Technically.
Useful? Not even a little.
The adventurers groaned and laughed, some nearly falling out of their chairs.
Disappointment? Yes. But the absurdity kept them glued to the screen.
And then... the party formed. The cast came together. And eventually, the Dullahan made his debut.
The room went dead silent.
Not because they were afraid—Edward had told them that Belldia had only been acting.
But because of something else entirely.
"...Wait a sec. Are we... in the movie?"
"Is that... that's me! That's when they said it was a magic experiment!"
"M-Mom! Look, I made it into the film!"
"AAAAHHH why do I look so lame?! This is definitely going to haunt me!!"
A wave of reactions rolled through the hall like a ripple of magic through still water.
Some were thrilled. Some were mortified.
All of them were loud.
And through it all, Edward sat back quietly, watching it unfold.
He knew better than anyone that the film had its flaws. The limitations of their filming methods, the lack of real post-production—these things dragged the movie down from what he had originally envisioned.
But watching the crowd's reactions now—
He also knew that none of that mattered.
For this world, KonoSuba was already something revolutionary.
A brand-new form of storytelling, powered by Magitech.
A comedy that flipped the usual heroic narrative on its head.
Even if it wasn't perfect... Edward could already see the ripples it would cause once it spread.
But no matter what kind of stir this film might cause in the world, Edward had already made up his mind—he wouldn't stop.
Because if no one ever took that first step to create, then nothing would ever change.
Edward refused to live out the rest of his life in a world where the concept of entertainment was still stuck in the dark ages. Even if it brought backlash. Even if it made enemies. Even if people started seeing him—and his film—as a threat. He would keep going.
And as the story entered its final act, the atmosphere in the adventurers' guild changed once again.
Even though they'd already seen the shoot with their own eyes—even though they knew Belldia was just acting—that overwhelming pressure radiating from the screen sent shivers down their spines.
This wasn't some magic-camera trick.
It was pure, unfiltered Belldia.
The Dullahan's terrifying presence seeped through the screen, gripping the audience by the throat.
One by one, the adventurers subconsciously swallowed hard. They were sweating. Muscles tense.
And then—just when the tension peaked—the film hit them with another twist.
The story didn't follow the usual beats of heroism and triumph.
It went off-script, in the best way possible.
And just like before, that anxiety turned into roaring laughter.
When the hero party destroyed half the town and ended up owing 40 million instead of earning their 300 million reward—
The guild exploded into a storm of laughter.
Tables shook. Drinks spilled. Someone actually fell out of their chair.
Even people outside on the street started peeking in, wondering what on earth was going on in the adventurers' guild.
"Wait, that's it? It ends there?"
"Come on, I wanna see how they're gonna pay that off!"
"Forty million debt— Suddenly, my two gold coin loan feels like nothing!"
As the cast and crew credits finally appeared on screen—albeit in a very rough, hand-scrolled format—the crowd let out a collective groan of frustration.
It wasn't just that they wanted more.
It was that this didn't feel like the end.
Because it wasn't.
What they had just watched wasn't a full film. It was just a teaser.
An appetizer, served before the main course.
And that reaction was only natural.
These people lived in a world practically devoid of real entertainment.
Even in Edward's former world, when people caught a truly good anime for the first time, didn't they wish the weeks would fly by, just to see the next episode?
Seeing their eager faces, Edward stepped up to the front of the room.
He reached up and carefully removed the imaging crystal, then turned to address them.
"I know what you're all thinking," he said with a grin. "And yes, you're absolutely right—this was just a teaser. A special preview version. Whether or not the full series gets made will depend on how much interest this version generates."
"OHHHH! So there is more coming?!"
"Yes! Yes!! I knew it wasn't over!"
"Please make a sequel! I wanna see those idiots screw up even more!!"
The entire guild hall lit up with cheers.
Edward raised a hand to quiet them down and continued:
"But that's for later. For now—tonight is about celebration."
"All of you, even those who just appeared as background extras, are officially part of this film. That makes you cast members. And as cast members, you're all invited to the wrap party."
That final announcement sent the guild into a frenzy.
The adventurers had already been hyped at the idea of being in a movie. But now? With Edward outright confirming their "roles"?
The pride they felt—however silly or small—was very real.
In a world where most of them barely left a mark on history, even the smallest role in something like this felt monumental.
Meanwhile, those who had skipped the Dullahan encounter out of fear now sat quietly in their seats, pale-faced and full of regret.
They didn't need anyone to scold them.
They were already imagining it—going back in time and slapping their past selves for running away.