Lord of Entertainment

(3rd Person POV)

The scaled demon, Qing, knelt before the High Arbiter. "Your suspicions about Arthur's heritage are correct, High Arbiter. The exiled prince is not the son of Morningstar Kingdom's Demon King."

The High Arbiter nodded slowly. His investigation into Arthur hadn't been random - a week ago, he'd discovered an old newspaper questioning Arthur's lineage, suggesting the prince wasn't King Luke's son. The article had piqued his interest enough to launch a deeper inquiry.

"So Arthur is the Queen's child by another man?" he mused, taking another sip of wine, recalling the old newspaper's allegations about Arthur's heritage.

He sleeps for decades at a time, finding life dull and uneventful. But when he awakens, he takes a keen interest in the gossip and drama among the world's elite. To him, it's like watching ants scramble over meaningless conflicts—small, predictable, and oddly entertaining.

Qing's head shake cut through his musings. "No. Arthur is neither the king's nor queen's child, despite what the public believes."

The High Arbiter's eyes widened with genuine interest. "Fascinating. If he's not their son, how did the Morningstar family present him as their youngest prince?"

"Though not the king and queen's child, Arthur carries Morningstar blood," Qing replied with a knowing smile.

"So not adopted. Continue," the High Arbiter leaned forward slightly.

"My investigation revealed that Arthur is actually the son of King Luke's deceased younger sister."

"Ah," the High Arbiter nodded. "That would explain the royal family's apparent disdain. Continue."

Qing straightened slightly. "King Luke and his sister, Thyone Morningstar, reportedly shared a typical sibling relationship. Nothing remarkable - until Thyone's sudden, unexpected pregnancy."

"Did you uncover the father's identity?" the High Arbiter asked.

Qing shook his head. "Thyone maintained she was a virgin, claiming the pregnancy was mysterious. The royal family found it preposterous - a scandal brewing if word spread that their talented, renowned Princess Thyone carried a child with no known father."

"The family attempted to keep it secret," he continued. "King Luke urged abortion, but Thyone refused. She died giving birth to Arthur."

"A virgin birth..." the High Arbiter mused. "Where have I heard such a tale before?"

Qing observed his master's contemplation silently, aware that the High Arbiter's age - four or five hundred years - far exceeded the normal lifespan of 200-300 years.

The High Arbiter drummed his fingers on the table. "Thank you for your service, Qing."

"I apologize that a week's investigation yielded only this much," Qing replied. "Though I wonder - you could simply demand answers directly from King Luke."

The High Arbiter smiled. "Oh, I can certainly do that," he said, his tone laced with amusement. "But where's the fun in that? I wanted suspense—the thrill of waiting for the answers I desire, the curiosity that keeps me on edge. It would be far too dull if everything I sought came to me so easily."

He turned his gaze to Qing and continued, "That's why you're here—to gather answers for me. Even if they're incomplete, it doesn't matter. I've never expected the full picture—just enough to keep the intrigue alive."

Qing fell silent, understanding his master's peculiar approach to gathering intelligence.

***

{Horn Kingdom, Horn City}

Arthur's firm refusal of Dwalric Corporation's offer hadn't deterred Thorvald in the slightest.

The next day, Thorvald stormed into Arthur's office with a bold proposition. "Eight billion dollars. That's my new offer," he declared, his voice brimming with confidence.

It was an astronomical sum, one Thorvald believed no one in their right mind could reject. Yet, Arthur didn't even blink.

"Still no," Arthur replied curtly, his tone as cold and unyielding as stone.

Thorvald's composure faltered, his face darkening with anger. The rejection stung his pride, and as he left the office, his thoughts churned with malice.

By evening, Thorvald had retaliated by unleashing a media storm. Headlines blazed across every outlet:

"Arthur Pendragon Rejects $8 Billion Offer from Dwalric Corporation – A Missed Opportunity to Join the World's Top Ten Richest!"

The news spread like wildfire, sparking shock and debate among the public.

At the newsstand, strangers couldn't help but strike up conversations with one another as they read the news.

"Eight billion dollars! That's insane!" exclaimed a fiend demon, his fiery red eyes wide with disbelief. "Arthur isn't even a century old, and he's already making waves like this."

A monkey demon in a sharp suit shook his head and sighed. "He's too young to grasp what that kind of money means. If it were me, I'd have taken the deal in the blink of an eye."

Another demon snorted, crossing his arms. "Arthur's just arrogant. He probably thinks he can earn that kind of money over time with his films. He's in for a rude awakening."

Nearby, a skeptical demon frowned at the headlines. "I don't get it. All that money over some black-and-white stripes? Anyone could slap random stripes and numbers together."

A gruff voice interrupted him—a dwarf, broad and stocky, with a bushy carrot-colored beard. He lowered his newspaper and snorted in disdain. "Those 'stripes' you're mocking represent complex technology far beyond your little demon brain. It's not just random lines and numbers. It's math, algorithms, and precision. Arthur's invention, the computer, generates unique codes tied to products, and the barcode scanner communicates with the computer to decode them instantly. It's revolutionized commerce."

The skeptical demon flushed, offended by the dwarf's bluntness, but he kept his mouth shut, unwilling to embarrass himself further in front of the growing crowd.

As the chatter continued, one thing was clear—Arthur's decision had set tongues wagging across the Horn Kingdom, with opinions as divided as ever.

***

The media frenzy over the 8 billion dollar offer barely registered with Arthur, though his friends - Firfel, Vivienne, Rocky, and others - expressed amazement at his rejection of such wealth.

It was an enormous sum, no doubt—a fortune that few could turn down.

Yet, Arthur had no regrets about his decision. His vision extended far beyond barcodes. Computers and the internet were gradually making their presence felt in the Horn Kingdom. While these technologies hadn't yet reached the point of mass adoption, the groundwork was being laid. Companies were beginning to invest in computers and subscribe to the Hellfire Communication Network's services. It was a modest start, but a significant one, signaling the dawn of a new era in technology.

Even previous opponents like Spell Count System, whose calculator artifacts and accounting spells faced obsolescence, began adapting. They recognized the inevitable shift and sought new opportunities in the computer age rather than fighting it.

Yet some corporations, like Magic Script Enterprises, remained stubbornly resistant. They continued their smear campaigns against computers while watching their market share erode. Their enchanted typewriters and automated spell-scrolls still commanded significant sales, but computer adoption steadily chipped away at their dominance.

Magic Script's bitter attacks on computer technology revealed their fear of change. But their resistance was futile - they were fighting a battle already lost, unable to see that their traditional magical tools would soon be relics of the past.

The Horn Kingdom government's adoption of computers and the Hellfire Communication Network marked a crucial turning point. Their influence helped legitimize the technology, while the systems dramatically reduced operational costs. Government documents and files, now digitized, could be accessed and printed instantly.

Though security concerns limited casual communication, Hellfire Messenger revolutionized internal government correspondence. The efficiency gains were undeniable.

By late May, as Arthur celebrated another birthday, he could see his innovations transforming Horn Kingdom's economy. The kingdom's technological advantage hadn't gone unnoticed - governments and royal families worldwide observed with growing interest.

Other kingdoms' representatives prepared to negotiate for these innovations, eager to implement computers and barcodes in their own territories. Each wanted their slice of this technological revolution.

Yet for many citizens, Arthur's technological achievements paled beside anticipation for his newest film. The horror movie's trailer sparked intense speculation - could it actually frighten demon audiences? While media outlets predicted failure, such negative headlines had become routine. Arthur's track record suggested otherwise.

The public watched the kingdom's modernization with distant interest, but they watched trailers for Arthur's horror film with rapt attention. Whether he'd succeed in scaring demons proved more compelling than debates about economic transformation.