(Arthur POV)
I've been milking my past life knowledge dry, trying to optimize these damn taxes. "Lord of the Rings" hit it big, and suddenly everyone wants a piece of the pie. But I know when it's time to pack up and move on.
This whole relocation plan kicked off when Lucy slapped that film tax on the kingdom. Turns out, moving a company's a real pain in the ass. Been at it for months, and the paperwork's endless.
Even roped in Anubis, that mob boss, to grease some wheels. Fat lot of good that did.
Picked Horn Kingdom 'cause it's a stone's throw from Morningstar and way more business-friendly. Plus, with all that bad blood between us and Thorn Kingdom, Horn was the obvious choice.
Getting those Horn Kingdom business permits's been like pulling teeth, but it should be moving along by now. Still, officially cutting ties with Morningstar? That's gonna take a while.
Sometimes I wonder if all this hassle's worth it. But then I think about Lucy and her greedy tax schemes, and I know I'm making the right call. Just gotta keep pushing forward.
Been putting my past life knowledge to good use, optimizing taxes left and right. Invested in bonds, shifted assets to Horn Kingdom - place is a goldmine of advantages. No Value Added Tax? It's like they're begging for businesses to set up shop.
***
(3rd Person POV)
The next day, Arthur had just finished briefing James on his musical vision when a familiar face showed up.
"Long time no see. How's everything shaping up in Horn Kingdom?" Arthur eyed the demon before him.
It was Richard Yu, the Tax Specialist from Horn Kingdom who'd been juggling Arthur's assets and orchestrating the big move. They'd first crossed paths a few months back, right after "The Demonfather" hit it big.
One meeting to hash out plans, then Richard vanished back to Horn Kingdom.
Since then, Arthur has only been able to communicate with him through letters.
But damn if the guy hadn't proven his worth. Not only was he wrangling the move's paperwork nightmare, but he'd also been a whiz at optimizing the "Lord of the Rings" box office taxes. Sure, Arthur's past life knowledge had laid the groundwork, but Richard and his team? They were making it happen.
"Mr. Morningstar," Richard nodded, all business. "After months of pushing paper, we've finally got the green light."
Arthur's eyes lit up. "About time."
Richard hesitated, then asked, "Not to overstep, but... how's the royal family going to take you skipping town?"
Arthur could see the fear in Richard's eyes. Guy was terrified of ruffling royal feathers.
"Don't sweat it," Arthur said with a reassuring smile. "The royals washed their hands of me a long time ago. I'm just another schmuck looking for greener pastures."
Richard nodded, sweat still beading on his forehead. "Now we just need your local government's stamp of approval, and you're set for Horn Kingdom."
Arthur nodded. "So my only hurdle is telling Morningstar authorities I'm skipping town." He eyed Richard. "You're helping with that too, right?"
Richard squirmed. "Sorry, Mr. Morningstar. Can't touch anything in Morningstar. My services stop at Horn's borders."
"Still scared of my family, huh?" Arthur chuckled.
"You'll need to hire your own legal team here," Richard said, not budging.
"Relax, I'm just messing with you," Arthur grinned, watching Richard's shoulders sag in relief.
Days ticked by. Arthur's local government applications inched forward. He sat through interviews, his legal team battling the paperwork beast of regulations.
Then the media caught wind of it all. Headlines blared about Arthur's plans to ditch the kingdom.
Lucy stormed in, eyes blazing. "What's this about you leaving? You're just abandoning your family's home?"
Arthur met her glare head-on. "Since when do you care? I'm not family anymore, remember?"
Lucy faltered. Arthur pressed on, "When I asked for help, you said I wasn't a prince anymore. No favors for exiles, right?" He shrugged. "So now I'm moving Hellfire's HQ to Horn Kingdom."
Lucy stood there, speechless. There wasn't a damn thing she could do about it.
As she left, Arthur couldn't help but feel a twinge of satisfaction. The tables had turned, and for once, he held all the cards.
The next day, Lucy tried to throw a wrench in Arthur's plans. Getting approval was like pulling teeth, but Arthur's legal team was working overtime. Plus, with the media's eyes on everything, Morningstar couldn't risk scaring off other businesses by playing dirty.
For once in his life, Arthur found himself thankful for the nosy media. Sure, they probably wanted to paint him as the bad guy, but they'd accidentally made his exit a whole lot smoother. The royal family couldn't flex their muscle without spooking the whole kingdom's economy.
Lucy, not one to give up easy, went straight to daddy dearest. "Father, are we really just letting Arthur walk away like this?"
King Luke snorted. "Are you using that head of yours? Stop him, and we'll have every business and investor running for the hills. You want to tank the whole economy?"
"But... we're just going to let Arthur and his cash cow films go?" Lucy pressed.
"Hmph," Luke grunted. "One little Hellfire Studio doesn't make or break an industry." He waved a dismissive hand. "Besides, he can't keep churning out hits forever."
"There are these behemoth studios in the industry like Titan from Evros and others that are crafting films. They'll surely surpass Hellfire," Luke said, gesturing at the newspapers strewn across his desk.
Lucy still looked uneasy. Lord Vermillion, kneeling beside her, chimed in, "The world's changing rapidly, Your Highness. Arthur won't be the only one with a VFX studio for long. Other studios are swiftly catching up. Even our local major studio is constructing their own VFX setup. They'll be producing films as profitable as 'Lord of the Rings' in no time."
King Luke nodded, "Precisely. Don't fret about taxing films. There are plenty of other studios' pictures you can levy for revenue."
Lucy mulled it over, finally accepting the inevitable. "So we're just letting Arthur depart."
"He's grown arrogant with two successful films, Your Highness," Lord Vermillion added. "But he'll face difficulties soon enough. Mark my words, he'll return seeking our aid before long."
***
Arthur's plan to leave Morningstar hit the headlines like a thunderbolt. The Lava Brothers and Bryan Brothers, Hellfire's partners, came rushing to confirm the news straight from the source.
When Arthur confirmed it, Fart couldn't hide his concern. "Mr. Morningstar, we haven't even seen your third film yet. Are you planning to release it in Horn Kingdom first?"
Ray, Fart's brother, looked just as nervous.
"The film's still in editing, so I can't show it to you yet," Arthur explained. "As for the release? Yeah, Horn Kingdom might get first dibs."
Fart and Ray fell silent, their worry palpable. They'd grown fond of Hellfire Studios, not just for the quality films, but for the hefty profits.
Arthur, sensing their unease, smiled reassuringly. "Relax. I'm changing addresses, not partnerships."
"You'll still release your movies here?" Ray asked, surprised.
"What do you think?" Arthur chuckled. "New home doesn't mean I'm abandoning this market."
Fart furrowed his brow. "What's the point of moving then? Your films will still be taxed here."
"Yeah, but not as heavily," Arthur explained. "They'll tax me as a foreign entity now - standard rate, not the local gouging. Foreign films have different tax obligations."
"You're giving up the kingdom's incentives for local production?" Ray asked.
"Yeah. They didn't do much for me anyway," Arthur shrugged.
And that was the truth. Arthur had yet to see these so-called government incentives - or maybe his family was intentionally withholding them. Either way, it only strengthened his resolve to move out.