(Arthur POV)
Shooting Michael's son's Communion celebration wasn't overly complex, but the bustling set drew a crowd of onlookers.
I spotted photographers in the distance, undoubtedly working for the media. Local news outlets would surely speculate about my new film. While I couldn't stop them entirely, I had security and Anubis's men chase them away when they got too close.
Dressed in a suit, I knew any "Demonfather" fans would immediately recognize me as Michael Corleone. I directed the shoot while in character, capturing the interactions between cast members, then filming Michael's conversation with Senator Pat Geary, portrayed by a white-haired, aged-up Rupert.
After four takes, we took a break. I reviewed the scenes on the monitor, sipping my iced coffee and checking for mistakes. The ghosts handled the difficult camera shots surprisingly well.
I wondered if they could act as proficiently. I had plans for these specters in future projects, like the ghosts in Harry Potter. With enough training, they might pull it off. {Heartstrings} doesn't work on ghosts, so I'd have to rely on old-fashioned coaching.
"Arthur."
A soft voice interrupted my thoughts. I turned to see Firfel approaching, her eyes filled with a mix of emotions.
"Do you... have a moment?" she asked hesitantly.
I nodded. "Having trouble with your acting?"
Firfel shook her head, settling beside me. "It's not about the acting... I just wanted to..." She trailed off, seemingly reluctant to continue.
"You wanted to...?" I gently prompted.
She took a deep breath. "I wanted to ask about the ring on your finger."
What? I felt a surge of caution. Could Firfel have sensed something unusual about my ring? Surely she couldn't have detected that it was more than an ordinary accessory.
That should be impossible. The {Devourer Ring} is at level 3 and can disguise itself as a common ring. I'm certain even my father, the demon king, wouldn't spot the difference.
"Why do you ask?" I probed, keeping my tone neutral.
Firfel didn't hesitate. "The amulet we bought at the auction is acting strangely around it."
As confusion crossed my face, she revealed the amulet hidden beneath her clothes. To my astonishment, it was visibly trembling.
"It's actually shaking!" I exclaimed, genuinely surprised.
Firfel nodded, pointing at my golden ring. "It seems terrified of your ring."
I raised an eyebrow, feigning skepticism. "How can you tell it fears my ring?"
"I channeled my magic into it," Firfel explained, concern evident in her voice. "Somehow, I sensed its feelings. The artifact's fear is directed at your ring."
Studying the ancient amulet, I realized it must be extraordinary to sense the {Devourer Ring}'s true nature despite its disguise. I needed to think fast.
"I just bought this ring from a vendor," I lied smoothly. "It's not even real gold."
Firfel's expression grew serious. "I think that ring is cursed or contains something evil. You should throw it away."
Throw it away? Ridiculous. I'd never discard the {Devourer Ring} so carelessly. "No, I don't believe there's anything wrong with my ring. It's certainly not cursed."
Then, I played an uno reverse card. "I think the amulet you're holding is the cursed one."
"What?!" Firfel exclaimed, shock evident on her face.
I nodded confidently. "I believe my ring has an evil-repelling effect. The amulet, clearly cursed, is afraid of it."
"I don't think so..." Firfel's confidence wavered. "This amulet reportedly belonged to the third queen of Roses Kingdom..."
I shrugged, seizing the opportunity. "Maybe the queen cursed it. After all, it wouldn't have sold at auction for mere thousands of dollars otherwise. The owner was probably trying to dispose of it while still turning a profit."
As doubt crept into Firfel's eyes, I felt a mix of relief and guilt. I hated lying to her, but I couldn't risk anyone discovering the true nature of the {Devourer Ring}.
"Do you really think the amulet is cursed?" Firfel asked, her voice trembling with concern.
I hesitated, guilt gnawing at me. Her worried expression was just too precious. Any man seeing her like this would feel an overwhelming urge to protect her, to ensure not even a fly would come near her.
"How about I take a look at that amulet?" I finally offered. "I'll return it, don't worry. I just want to see what might be wrong with it."
Firfel looked conflicted but ultimately nodded. "Okay..." She unclasped the amulet from her necklace and handed it to me.
"Please take care of it. Don't lose it," she said firmly.
"Don't worry about it," I smiled reassuringly. As soon as the amulet touched my palm, it began trembling intensely.
'What am I going to do with you?' I thought, studying it closely. Perhaps I should peek at its secrets? It must have something special to sense the true nature of my ring...
I tucked it into my wallet and turned back to Firfel, gently caressing her back. "Don't worry. I'll investigate what kind of curse might be on your amulet."
Firfel didn't shy away from my touch, but doubt lingered in her eyes. "Are you sure you can handle it?"
I chuckled, "Come on, haven't you noticed how much I've improved in magic?"
She nodded thoughtfully. "Now that I think about it, when I first worked with you, you were obviously weak in magic, but now... You've somehow changed..."
"Let's not dwell on that. We should focus on the shooting for now," I said, swiftly changing the subject.
As I guided Firfel back to the set, my mind wandered to the "Dragon Ball" manga distribution. It should be hitting the shelves in my Hellfire stores across Horn City right about now. I wondered how many people had read it yet...
***
(Ichiro Yamato POV)
Coming to Horn City for relaxation was indeed the right choice. From the Dragon Walled City to the "Twinkle Ferry" with its beautiful sea views, the city offered a charm distinct from my home kingdom, Japon.
While the city presented many novel experiences, I found myself missing the comfort of comics and manga during quiet evenings. Sure, interesting novels like "The Legend of the Monkey King" from Morningstar and "Harry Potter" were available, but they lacked the visual storytelling I craved.
My travels to Empirica had satisfied this need with their comics, but Horn City's offerings felt lacking, limited to unpopular, boring Empirican comics in hotel rooms.
As I wandered the city, camera in hand, a commotion outside "Hellfire Bookstore" caught my attention. A demon barker shouted, "Listen, everyone! Hellfire Bookstore now has a new entertaining manhua created by Arthur Morningstar himself! Come on, come on! Everyone can have a look!"
The word 'manhua' piqued my interest more than the mention of the ex-prince. "A manhua? Where can I read it?" I asked eagerly.
The demon pointed towards the store, and I found myself drawn inside the crowded shop. My eyes locked onto a shelf labeled "Arthur's First Manhua Here!"
The cover art of "Dragon Ball" immediately captured my attention. I grabbed a copy, skepticism warring with curiosity as I flipped it open.
I knew Arthur Morningstar for his films, but manhua? What could he possibly know about the art form?
True, we in Japon had borrowed the concept of comics from Empirica and Ancient Morningstar Art, even adopting the Morningstar ancient word "manhua" for our "manga". But we'd elevated the medium, establishing it firmly in our own culture. It's already immensely popular in Japon, and we're also working on spreading it internationally.
But I am curious what the Morningstar can offer. They're even reviving the word "Manhua" for this work called "Dragon Ball".
As I delved into the manhua, I couldn't deny it - the story was intriguing, to say the least. It followed a young boy named Goku, and just the first chapter brought a smile to my face.
The banter between Goku and Bulma, coupled with Goku's innocence, was genuinely amusing. Their quest for the "Dragon Balls" was engaging, and even the introduction of the short antagonist emperor Pilaf and his crew didn't dampen my enjoyment. If anything, these characters came across as more comical than threatening.
Flipping through the pages, I chuckled at Goku mistaking Shu and Mai's airship for a bird.
The design of the air vehicle seemed odd - how could it fly without sails? But I reminded myself this was fantasy; I shouldn't scrutinize the logistics too closely.
I lost track of time as I reached the part where Goku encounters a turtle. As he's helping the creature, a primal demon tiger appears, demanding the turtle on Goku's back for a meal.
Goku defeats the primal demon, but what truly caught my attention was his interaction with the turtle afterwards. He asks the turtle if he's delicious, to which the turtle fearfully shakes his head. Goku then remarks, shaking his head, "Some people just eat anything. Not me though," referring to the primal demon.
"Kid, you literally just ate anything, from centipedes to wolves—" I found myself saying out loud, caught up in the story's humor.
My outburst was cut short by a stern look from a fiend demon. I realized with a start that this must be the store owner.
"Are you buying the manhua or not?" he asked pointedly.
Embarrassment washed over me as I became aware of how long I'd been standing there, engrossed in the story. "I- I'll buy it!" I stammered quickly.
As I fumbled for my wallet, I marveled at how easily the manhua had drawn me in. I'd come to browse, and here I was, purchasing a copy without a second thought. The story's charm, the characters' quirks, and the world's unique blend of the familiar and fantastical had hooked me more thoroughly than I'd expected.