Re-written date: 7 / 13 / 2025
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Chapter 32: The Afterparty
Compared to his old world, where film producers only saw a portion of their earnings after box office cuts, theater shares, marketing costs, and taxes, the terms from the Adventurers' Guild were overwhelmingly generous.
Not to mention—technically speaking—Edward hadn't spent a single copper on production. It was all pure profit. So of course, there was no reason to turn them down.
And when he told everyone that KonoSuba had finally paid off, what should have been the end of the wrap party turned into something else entirely.
No one wanted to go to bed.
Not when they were this excited.
So the crew, actors, and even a few random adventurers wandered out of the guild hall and stumbled into a nearby tavern—where they promptly booked out a private room and launched into the second wrap party.
"I still can't believe we actually made that much money off it," Zat said in awe. "I mean, I never would've imagined this back when we started filming, Edward."
These past few weeks had rekindled the bond between Edward and Zat. Their friendship had returned to the way it was in childhood, and Zat's way of addressing him had softened accordingly.
Edward didn't mind. If anything, he welcomed it.
Taking a sip of sweet spiced wine, Edward chuckled, "This is just the beginning. The real profits will come once full distribution starts. Right now, we're only seeing the surface level. But I'm betting the Southern Territory Adventurers' Guild won't let this die down."
That was more than just optimism.
It was strategy.
The Southern Territory Adventurers' Guild wasn't looking to make money. Their real goal was to attract adventurers—revive the dying profession and inspire a new generation.
For that, they'd push this movie harder than any theater chain ever could.
They'd distribute it to every village and town, no matter the cost.
And the potential? Just thinking about it made Edward's mind race.
Nosrick City alone had a population of ten thousand.
Throw in the surrounding villages, and the number easily doubled.
The Southern Territory didn't have proper censuses, but it was safe to assume that over a million people lived within its borders. If even one in ten got to see KonoSuba…
Edward didn't want to jinx it, but five thousand gold was nothing compared to what could come next.
Still, to avoid letting the others get ahead of themselves, he kept that to himself and steered the conversation elsewhere.
"Anyway," Edward said, setting down his cup, "we're going to need to start planning the full version of the movie soon. It's going to take a lot longer this time—maybe half a year or more."
He glanced around the table. "So before anything else, I need to ask: what are your plans? If you've got conflicts, let me know now. I can adjust the schedule."
He wasn't exaggerating.
The next part of the story involved snowy mountains, mobile fortresses, and other logistical nightmares. That meant months of filming and planning. He couldn't afford to have cast members disappear halfway through.
"I'm free whenever," Zat said confidently, wrapping an arm around Aya. "Or rather, I'm your personal knight now, Edward. My schedule is whatever you say it is."
Edward nodded with a small smile. That was one less person to worry about.
Then he turned toward Helena.
She gave a tired shrug. "I'll need to return to the Mage Tower in summer to file a formal leave of absence. Otherwise, they'll list me as missing or dead. But now that we're actually making money, I can go home and tell my family I found a real job. That should make things easier."
"Right... I remember you mentioned your family's finances weren't great. But still, racking up that much debt? What were you even trying to do?"
"It was for a great cause! One you mere mortals couldn't possibly comprehend!"
"Yeah, yeah. Can you finish paying off your mortal debts before preaching about your 'great cause' next time?"
Edward sighed, shaking his head, then turned to the last of the core cast—the quiet girl who played Darkness. The one who still hadn't even told him her real name.
When he looked her way, she flinched—visibly startled.
But after a moment of hesitation, she straightened up and quietly said she didn't have any urgent commitments. If filming continued, she would be there without fail.
And by the light in her eyes, it was obvious that she'd completely fallen in love with acting—this strange, exhilarating way of living a second life.
Viz and Belldia, being technically undead fugitives, weren't exactly going anywhere. Without Edward, they had no real place to stay, so they'd basically clung to him like stubborn ghosts.
With the core cast locked in and no one else likely to pose a problem, the crew for the full version was essentially set.
"Alright, now that all that's settled…" Edward turned to one of the few people who hadn't spoken yet. "Lawrence, it's your turn. Remember that ad we talked about filming for your shop?"
"Ah, right. I do remember that, but…" Lawrence scratched his head, looking a little embarrassed. "The leasing fee you gave me already covers everything I need to keep the monster shop going. Wouldn't it be kind of a waste to—"
Edward waved him off with a grin. "Relax. I already talked to the Adventurers' Guild, and they want me to include a little promotional bit for them too. So throwing in your ad won't be a problem. Consider it product placement."
"Well then," Lawrence said with a grateful bow, "I appreciate it."
Edward glanced around. "By the way, where's that beastkin girl who's always following you?"
"She was getting really sleepy, so she headed back. But I can tell she really liked the film. During the party, she wouldn't stop pestering me about the rest of the story. Kept asking what happens next. Hahaha!"
Hearing that made Edward smile softly.
"If most people end up feeling the same way she did," he muttered, "then this whole thing's going to be a massive hit. The later parts are even better."
The moment he said that, the rest of the cast—who had been holding back out of professional courtesy—immediately perked up.
Zat, of course, was the first to pounce. "Alright, spill it. What happens next? I'm the protagonist, right? I better get some epic artifact or go on some legendary quest or something!"
Edward just laughed and shook his head.
"No way!" Aya cut in instantly. "I—err, Aqua—was the one who totally carried that last fight. She clearly showed the dignity of a true goddess! Without her divine power, there's no way we could've beaten the Dullahan!"
Edward shook his head again, still smiling. "I've told you guys before—this is a comedy. There's no leveling up, no grand transformations. Don't expect your characters to get stronger or start glowing or anything."
After that, he clammed up. No spoilers. Especially not for this bunch.
One: he wanted to keep the story's mystery intact.
Two: if they did learn what happens next, they'd start spoiling it for everyone else. And Edward wasn't about to let his carefully crafted story become a tavern gossip topic.
Predictably, after realizing they weren't getting any sneak peeks, the cast quickly shifted into full debate mode.
And of course, just like every fanbase in the other world loved arguing about "who's the strongest," these guys now started bickering over who contributed the most in the last fight.
"If Zat hadn't found Dullahan's weakness, we'd never have won!"
"Get real! It was clearly Aqua's divine power that turned the tide!"
"Explosion magic was the MVP. Accept it!"
"D-Darkness... Darkness held the line longer than anyone..."
Each actor proudly defended their own character's contribution. But the truth was, without any of them, the whole scene wouldn't have worked. It was a team effort. No question about it.
Which meant... no one was going to win this argument.
That was when a very familiar deep voice cut in from the side.
"You're all wrong," Belldia muttered bitterly. "None of you could've beaten me if Edward hadn't killed me off in the script! That was a blatant plot assassination!"
"..."
Edward stared blankly at the bickering cast. Watching them now, completely absorbed in the fantasy, shouting over each other like unruly kids, he couldn't help but laugh inwardly.
'Yup. I absolutely made the right choice.'
'Bringing anime to this world was the smartest damn decision I've ever made.'