Re-written date: 7 / 13 / 2025
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Chapter 31: Exclusive Distribution Rights
The wrap party lasted late into the night.
At one point, a swarm of adventurers surrounded Edward, bombarding him with questions about what would happen next in KonoSuba. But of course, Edward wasn't about to spoil anything. After waving them off with the authority of a high-ranking Grand Mage (and maybe a bit of intimidation magic), he quietly slipped away from the guild's main hall and made his way to the second floor.
Nearly two hours passed.
When Edward finally returned downstairs, he was surprised to find the main hall nearly empty—except for one group still lingering: his filming crew.
Even now, with the celebration long over and most attendees already gone, they remained, waiting patiently.
"You're all still here?" Edward asked.
It was Winry who stepped forward, still helping to tidy up the mess of bottles and plates. "We were waiting for you, Lord Durin. Since we likely won't be seeing each other again for a while, we thought… it would be right to say goodbye properly."
Edward paused. For a moment, he didn't know how to respond.
In truth, just like any production team in his old world, the group he'd gathered was never meant to be permanent. With the Durin Family still burdened by debt, Edward barely had enough to support himself—let alone fund a full-time crew.
This wrap marked not just the end of the film, but the scattering of a team that had come together for a fleeting moment. The next time they would reunite… who knew when that would be?
"..."
Seeing the downcast looks on their faces, Edward suddenly realized—he'd never told them about what came next.
Letting out a small, awkward laugh, he finally spoke. "Ah. Right… I forgot to mention something kind of important."
"Huh? What do you mean?" Helena tilted her head in confusion.
Instead of answering immediately, Edward gave the broke little mage girl a cryptic smile. Then he pulled out a sheet of parchment covered in tight, neat handwriting.
"I forgot to tell you… that I've signed an exclusive licensing deal."
"Licensing…?" Helena blinked.
Edward held up the parchment like it was a treasure map. "That's right. The Southern Territory Adventurers' Guild has officially signed a contract with me for the exclusive rights to distribute and screen KonoSuba across all of the Southern Territory."
His voice echoed slightly in the quiet hall.
"The screening venues will be handled by them, and the revenue split is 80–20. We get 80. They get 20. In exchange, the only condition they asked for… was that all screenings in the region be conducted through them."
That was what Edward had spent those two hours upstairs arranging.
He had met with the Southern Territory Guild Master—who had traveled through the night to personally attend the screening—and struck a deal that gave the guild full operational control over the film's regional rollout.
In modern terms, the guild had agreed to fund the venues, handle advertising, manage logistics, and provide all the manpower necessary for screenings… all for a mere 20% cut of ticket sales.
In the old world, that would've been an unbelievably generous deal. In this world? It was practically unheard of.
So why had the guild agreed to it?
Because they had seen the potential of this new medium. Because the Guild Master had recognized the power this film—and the films that would follow—could have on the entire region.
There's a word in modern entertainment called "emotional resonance."
When a story is strong enough, when it connects with the heart, it draws you in and makes you feel like you're living through the characters. You forget your own world and step into theirs.
The people of this world didn't know that word. But the Guild Master had felt it all the same.
After watching Edward's film, his first, visceral thought had been—
'I want to become an adventurer again.'
Even though he already held a respected position. Even though he'd long since left behind the days of danger and youth. Something about that story, about those characters, made him want to throw it all away and chase something bold and uncertain again.
And that—that—was the terrifying power of cinema.
The power to shake a person's worldview.
The reason why the story Edward created had such a terrifying emotional impact in this world—something it could never achieve in his old world—was simple: this was a real, honest-to-goodness fantasy world.
Back in Edward's old world, KonoSuba would be just another isekai—an escapist fantasy where viewers followed a transported protagonist through magic, monsters, and comedy.
But no matter how compelling the story was, no matter how deeply the audience wanted to believe… in the end, it remained fiction. A kid with chūnibyō tendencies couldn't actually throw a fireball, no matter how hard they tried.
Reality always pulled them back.
But here?
In this world?
If a kid with chūnibyō had a bit of talent and training… then one day, they could actually cast a fireball.
Here, fireball wasn't just fiction. It was a spell anyone might one day learn.
And becoming an adventurer? That wasn't some distant, glamorous dream. It was a job. One you could literally sign up for tomorrow. No complicated entry exams. No social barriers. Not even a real requirement for magical aptitude.
All you needed was the desire to try—and perhaps, a bit of reckless courage.
In a world like this… a story like KonoSuba wasn't just a fantasy. It was a spark. A call to action. A reason to live boldly.
If the film became a hit in the Southern Territory, then what would happen was obvious:
A wave of change would sweep across the land.
The Southern Territory, which had long suffered a shortage of adventurers—especially after the undead outbreaks—would suddenly be flooded with eager young recruits.
All of them inspired by a ridiculous, heartfelt film.
All of them chasing a dream they now believed was truly possible.
That was why the Southern Territory Guild Master had gone all-in.
He'd seen the future this film could bring. And he wasn't going to let that future slip through his fingers.
So he gave Edward a deal he simply couldn't refuse—an unbelievable offer, by any standard.
Exclusive distribution rights and screening authority for the entire Southern Territory.
And when Edward finished explaining all this to his crew...
"Exclusive distribution rights and... screening what-now?"
Aya tilted her head in utter confusion. Her question echoed the expressions of nearly everyone in the room.
After all, these were concepts completely foreign to people born and raised in this medieval fantasy world. Nobody had ever heard of things like film rights, contracts, or regional licensing. It was like explaining the internet to a dragon.
Edward chuckled. He had expected this.
These people didn't understand the significance of what he had just told them. They couldn't comprehend how massive a deal this really was.
So he decided to show them—in the simplest, most direct way.
He slowly reached into his coat, pulled out a shimmering crystal card embossed with magic runes, and held it high for everyone to see.
"This," he said, "is a magic crystal debit card issued by the Empire's largest trade guild."
The room went quiet.
Edward flicked the card lightly. "It's been loaded with five thousand gold coins. That's the initial payment the Southern Territory Adventurers' Guild gave me for the exclusive rights to distribute and screen KonoSuba. It also counts as an advance investment... for our next film."
He let that sink in for a moment.
"Once the actual screenings begin, we'll earn even more from ticket sales," he added casually. "So... does that answer your question?"
He grinned.
"Our production team? We're not disbanding."
He looked at each of them, one by one.
"If anything... we're just getting started."