Re-written date: 7 / 13 / 2025
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Chapter 48: Goblin Slayer Audition
"I want to rent you and this house for a few months," Edward said flatly. "This is the down payment. Once the job is done, the actual pay will be at least twenty times that."
Saeki looked stunned.
The bag of coins Edward placed on the table easily held two hundred gold coins—an amount that would take a silver-ranked adventurer half a year of grinding just to earn, if not more.
"Rent… me and this house?" Saeki asked, clearly confused.
Before he could misinterpret anything, Edward continued, "Yes. I'm going to shoot a film. I want to use your house as a shooting location, and I want you to play the leading role."
"??"
Saeki blinked, not understanding a single word.
As a Northerner who'd never heard of movies or actors, he was understandably at a loss. But Edward had expected this. Without missing a beat, he began to explain the concepts: what a movie was, what acting meant, and how it all came together.
Once Saeki had a rough understanding of what was being asked, his face hardened.
"…I'm sorry, Mr. Durin. I can't accept."
Though his eyes briefly flicked toward the hefty coin pouch—an amount that could easily feed him and the children for years—his tone was firm.
"I don't want to get dragged into anything troublesome anymore," Saeki said. "And with my current identity, there's too much risk. I can't jeopardize the children's safety."
"For the sake of those children," Edward interrupted calmly, "you should consider doing this."
Seeing that money wasn't the issue, Edward dropped his polite tone.
"You haven't taken any adventurer jobs in a long time, have you? These coins alone could cover whatever debts or costs you've been quietly piling up. And if you complete the job, you'll earn enough to ensure those kids never want for anything again. That's not a bad deal."
"But I'm a monster now," Saeki countered quietly. "If word gets out, the Church will come after me. And if something happens to me, the kids will be in real danger. I can't take that chance."
Edward leaned forward, eyes narrowing as he dropped the real bait.
"Then what if I told you there was a way—a real way—for you to return to human society?"
"…What?"
Saeki stared, clearly shaken.
"Take it easy," Edward said, gesturing casually. "Things aren't as hopeless as you think. Your identity hasn't been exposed yet, which means you still have options. Right now, this is one of them."
He tapped the coin pouch lightly with a finger.
"You can accept my offer. Take the money, take the role, and maybe earn a way back to the life you lost. Or you can stay here, scraping by, eating stale bread and hiding in the wilds, always looking over your shoulder. It's your choice."
Even as Edward spoke, he mentally cringed a little.
'At this rate, I'm starting to sound less like a director and more like some shady cult leader pitching a scam…'
But his words had landed.
Saeki didn't reply immediately. He glanced behind him at the children. His expression wavered.
And then, unexpectedly, the oldest among them—a girl about fifteen or sixteen—spoke up with a smile.
"Don't worry about us, Uncle Saeki," she said gently. "We've all known for a long time. You've always wanted to return to the life of an adventurer. To travel. To see the world. To become the kind of legend that bards write songs about. But now… you're like a bird with clipped wings, or a fish out of water. This quiet life… it's not really you."
"…Nora, you—" Saeki started, his voice catching slightly.
Saeki froze. He hadn't expected Nora—the quiet, well-behaved girl who never raised her voice—to say something like that.
From across the room, Edward chimed in with a casual grin. "She's right, you know. Becoming an adventurer… wasn't that always your dream? You want people to call you the great and powerful legendary adventurer Saeki—not 'Hey, check it out, it's Saeki the farmer.' That's not what you want, is it?"
"…"
Eventually, Saeki picked up the pouch of gold coins with a complicated expression. It wasn't an easy decision, but in the end, he agreed to Edward's proposal. Not just because of what was said—but because the truth was, he was already drowning in debt. If he didn't find a way to pay it off soon, he'd lose even the right to live near the outskirts of town. Edward's offer was, in more ways than one, a lifeline.
Of course, what Saeki didn't yet realize… was just how much this decision would end up changing the course of his life.
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Northern Territory – Adventurers' Guild, Winterhold
Following the casting notice put out by Guild Master Eliza, the guild was now packed with adventurers and hopeful extras who had passed the first round of auditions.
Among them were several rookie adventurers from the South, a pair of receptionists from the Adventurers' Guild, and a few seasoned veterans from the Northern Territory Adventurer's Guild. Also present was none other than Daphne and her loyal bodyguard, having returned as requested.
"Milady… are we really not going back?" her bodyguard whispered. "Running off to the Northern Territory without telling the Duke… he'll be furious if he finds out."
Daphne crossed her arms and declared, "Of course we're not going back! I passed the audition—how could I leave before finishing the movie? Even if Father shows up himself, I'm not quitting!"
Faced with such unwavering determination, her bodyguard had no argument left. She simply sighed and glanced at the crowd gathered in the guild hall.
It was easy to tell the difference between the southern and northern adventurers at a glance. Their posture, their energy, even the way they waited for instructions—it was like watching two completely different species. And their expectations about the upcoming film? Couldn't be more different.
"This is insane—they actually let us use a teleportation circle to get here! First time I've ever used one in my life!"
"Same here! I wonder what kind of movie we're filming this time. Maybe it's a sequel to KonoSuba! Think we'll get a shot at the main roles?"
"Hah, you're dreaming. If we manage to show up in the boss battle scene, we should count ourselves lucky."
The excited chatter of the rookie adventurers rang out across the guild hall.
Daphne, who already had a decent grasp of the script, listened in with a subtle twitch of her brow. Part of her wanted to tell them the truth. But… in the end, she decided to let them find out for themselves.
Before long, the room went quiet.
Eliza and Edward walked in side by side, and the tension instantly shifted. All eyes turned toward them—some filled with excitement, some with anxiety, some just plain terrified.
Edward stepped forward and addressed the group with a calm, commanding voice.
"Ladies and gentlemen, please settle down. In a moment, under Guild Master Eliza's supervision, you'll each be handed a script and character sheet. After that, we'll begin the next stage of auditions."
He paused just long enough for the murmurs to die down completely.
"Once your roles are confirmed and you've memorized your lines, filming will begin immediately."
Edward made it sound almost too casual, but that was the truth of it. These weren't professional actors. They didn't need weeks of rehearsal. As long as they could act naturally—and with a little help from Edward's suggestion spell—they'd be more than ready to perform.