WebNovels

Chapter 18 - Chapter 18 – Thanks from the Official Blogger, and a Kiss!

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Extra chapters available on patreon ❤️‍🔥

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"Thank you. Truly, thank you."

On the screen, the man leaned slightly forward, his expression sincere and calm.

"Ethan Reed, it's an honor to sing this song. Thank you for trusting me with it, and thank you for handing me the core idea."

Ethan smiled politely and replied in the same calm tone.

"You're being too generous, Leo Hart. I should be the one thanking you. Your voice fits this song perfectly. To be honest, I never imagined you'd agree to sing it for free. That alone caught me off guard."

Leo Hart laughed.

"No, no, no. I should be thanking you. This song—give it to any singer with solid skills, and it'll become a hit. If you wanted to sell it, selling it for over a hundred thousand wouldn't be a problem at all."

"You're exaggerating," Ethan replied modestly. "I honestly think only your voice could bring out the soul of this song. Your control between chest voice and falsetto is flawless. And maybe it's fate—we both share the same surname. This song was meant for you."

The two exchanged polite compliments through the video call, each pushing praise onto the other.

Behind Leo Hart, however, his manager stood stiffly, wearing an awkward smile that looked almost painful.

Only she knew how close she had come to making a terrible mistake.

---

When the email first arrived—a small game company asking Leo Hart to sing a song—her reaction had been instant dismissal.

A game company?

And not even a well-known one?

She had checked the company name: Northstar Games. A small studio, barely noticeable in the market.

In her mind, there was no way such a company could afford—or deserve—someone like Leo Hart.

She had been ready to reject the offer outright.

But Leo Hart was a veteran gamer.

When he heard that the company had created "Night of the Full Moon", a game that had tortured him for weeks with its difficulty, his interest was immediately sparked. He asked for the demo song before any refusal could be sent.

That decision changed everything.

The moment he read the lyrics and listened to the composition, Leo Hart had jumped to his feet.

"This is the song! This is the one I want to sing! I must sing it—even if it's for free!"

His manager still remembered that moment vividly.

After hearing Leo Hart rehearse the song once, she had almost slapped herself.

She had nearly pushed away a masterpiece.

And now, standing behind him during this call, her smile was stiff because of that lingering regret.

But honestly, it wasn't entirely her fault.

Who could believe that a game company's lead planner, barely in his twenties, could produce a song like this?

In Leo Hart's own words, this was the kind of composition only industry veterans—people who had spent ten or twenty years immersed in music—could create.

And yet, here it was.

Created by someone young.

If word spread through the music industry, who would believe it?

Still, Leo Hart's judgment wasn't wrong.

There were countless singers in the world—but good songs were rare, especially in this age of fast, disposable entertainment.

Because of that, no one in Leo Hart's company objected to his decision. His manager fully supported him this time.

Because if Leo Hart himself had gone looking to buy this song…

It would've cost at least two hundred thousand.

---

"So, the handover is complete?" Ethan asked.

"Yes," Leo Hart nodded. "But I should clarify something. I can't help promote the song publicly. My image rights belong to my agency, and I don't have permission to act as a spokesperson."

"That's completely fine," Ethan replied with a smile. "We'll just release the song quietly. No extra promotion."

That alone was already more than enough.

Having a top-tier singer perform a song for free was already unbelievable. Expecting him to act as a public endorser?

That would've been pure fantasy.

Only giants like Skybound Entertainment could afford that.

Still, Ethan couldn't help thinking—

If I can produce more songs like this in the future… maybe that dream isn't impossible.

With that thought, he ended the call.

---

Moments later, Ethan initiated another video call.

The screen connected quickly.

A woman appeared, wearing a face mask. Her hair was tied into a large, practical bun, and only her eyes were visible.

"What's wrong?" she asked casually. "Something happen?"

"Boss," Ethan said with a grin, "the song has been recorded. Want to hear it first?"

The woman on screen was Vivian Frost.

Her face was so small that the mask nearly covered it entirely, forcing her to fold it slightly at the sides. Without makeup or elaborate styling, she looked young—almost deceptively so.

"Yes, yes, yes!" Vivian nodded eagerly. "Send it over!"

Ethan sent the file.

Vivian listened quietly.

She nodded along during the intro.

Then, when the singing started, she froze.

"…Wait," she murmured. Then her eyes widened. "Hold on—this voice… is that Leo Hart?!"

"You got him?" she asked sharply.

"Yes," Ethan replied calmly. "He was the perfect fit."

Vivian immediately tore off her mask.

"How much did this cost?" she demanded. "Do we even have that much money right now? Are you planning to make me use my personal savings again?"

She genuinely didn't want to ask her family for money anymore.

She had just started showing results. Her mother had praised her recently.

If she asked again, she'd definitely get the money—but the lecture would be brutal.

"It didn't cost anything," Ethan said. "He sang for free. I still own the copyright, but after the release, his company might contact me to buy it."

"…Huh?"

Vivian stared at him.

A top-tier star.

Singing for free.

She didn't believe it.

At all.

"Huh what?" Ethan chuckled. "If I sold this song, it'd start at a hundred thousand, maybe more. Why wouldn't he sing it for free? We need skill. He needs exposure. It's a win-win."

"But—"

"No buts, Boss," Ethan interrupted lightly. "You just need to trust my ability."

Vivian rolled her eyes.

"It's not that I don't trust you. If I didn't, I wouldn't have invested everything into Sword & Fairy IV. It's just… this feels unreal."

She stared at him.

"You can make games. Write plots. Write songs. Draw. Are you some kind of omnipotent monster?"

She sounded deeply wronged.

She couldn't do any of that.

All she could do was play games… and eat.

Ethan glanced at the third-party reward system, thought briefly, then nodded with a grin.

"Yes, Boss. I am omnipotent. So you'd better treat me well. If I ever leave, this company is finished."

Vivian snorted.

"I'm not scared. Northstar Games is your company too now."

Then she hesitated.

"…But seriously. If you're this capable, why games? Wouldn't the entertainment industry be brighter?"

"That's… a long story," Ethan replied quietly.

I'm already bound here, he thought. What choice do I have?

"If you have to blame something," he added aloud, "blame fate."

Then his tone shifted to business.

"Let's talk about the Night of the Full Moon gift. The art designer will finish in two days. Once it's ready, post it on the official blog, tag Card Master Caleb Knox, and then… use your charm."

"I'm not acting cute," Vivian said proudly.

"Of course not," Ethan soothed. "You never act cute."

She smiled, satisfied.

Ethan had learned one thing over the months—

Vivian Frost was like a stubborn mule.

You had to stroke her fur the right way.

And as he handed over the next tasks, he knew—

After this…

Northstar Games would enter dormancy.

Because everything now revolved around one core project.

Sword & Fairy IV.

---

August 21st – 1:07 AM – Official Blog

After months of silence, the official Northstar Games account suddenly updated.

Like a dormant system coming back online.

Post Content:

> Northstar Games Official:

Good morning, players!

Your beloved official blogger is back (˙˙)

We've seen all the discussions and discoveries recently. Here, we sincerely thank BiliZone creator @Card Master Caleb Knox for discovering the hidden Easter egg.

Yes—that's right. The Little Carpenter is not dead.

To thank Caleb Knox for his contribution, our Lead Planner personally invited a big star to create a song for the Little Carpenter and Little Red Riding Hood.

The song is in the video below.

This is a small gift prepared for all Night of the Full Moon players.

We hope you enjoy it.

Attached: a 4-minute video.

At first…

Nothing happened.

With only twenty or thirty thousand followers, expecting an instant explosion was unrealistic.

Vivian had no illusions.

Thousands of comments?

Likes flooding in?

Dream on.

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patreon.com/Samurai492

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