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Chapter 50: LOTR Casting

The name alone sends a chill down my spine. Morningstar. Rulers of the largest chunk of the Anatolia Continent. The family that has demon generals and lords at their beck and call. I've seen what one demon lord can do - the kind of power that could wipe our entire race off the map without breaking a sweat.

And now, here's one of their princes, crouching in our humble village, smiling like he's come for afternoon tea.

I grip my staff tighter, hoping the tremor in my hands isn't visible. Every instinct screams at me to run, to hide, to do anything but stand here facing this impossibly powerful being. But I'm the chief. I can't show fear. Not now.

"What can I do for you, my lord?" I manage to ask, proud that my voice doesn't quaver.

As I wait for his response, my mind races. Why is he here? What could a Morningstar possibly want from us? We're nothing in the grand scheme of things, just simple forest dwellers trying to live our lives in peace.

I steal a glance at Eli, my daughter. She looks pale, her eyes wide with a mix of fear and... is that guilt? What does she know about this?

I push the thought aside. Whatever's happening, whatever this Arthur Morningstar wants, I need to handle it carefully. One wrong move, one misspoken word, and it could spell disaster for our entire village.

The fate of our people rests on this conversation.

***

(Arthur POV)

I size up the troll chief standing before me. He's a bit taller than the others, with an air of intelligence that sets him apart. But what really catches my eye is the fear - not just on his face, but mirrored in every troll around us. It's like they're expecting me to breathe fire or something.

Time to put them at ease. Or at least, as much as possible.

"I'm here for a proposal, Mr..." I trail off, realizing I've forgotten a crucial detail. "You are?"

The chief straightens up a bit. "I'm Earl Trek, my lord."

"Earl Trek," I repeat, letting the name settle. "Well, Mr. Trek, I have a proposition for you and your people." I gesture to the crowd of wide-eyed trolls. "I'm offering you a job."

You'd think I'd just announced the sky was falling. Earl's jaw drops, and a wave of shocked murmurs ripples through the crowd.

"A job?" Earl echoes, like he's never heard the word before.

I nod, fighting back a grin. "Yes, a job."

Earl's brow furrows. "What job, my lord? We are nothing but trolls, mere forest dwellers."

Now it's my turn to smile. "That's exactly why I need you. Your magic, your ability to control the ancient trees - that's what I'm after."

The murmuring grows louder. I can't understand a word, but the mix of confusion and excitement is clear enough.

Earl translates their sentiment. "You need us for controlling the ancient trees?"

I nod again, then launch into an explanation of my film project. As I talk, I can see the fear in Earl's eyes slowly being replaced by curiosity, maybe even a hint of interest.

Especially when I get to the part about trading city resources - food, tools, things they can't easily get out here in the forest. It's like watching a flower bloom; Earl's posture relaxes, his eyes light up.

Who knew? Turns out trolls and demons aren't so different after all. We all like a good deal.

***

(Klein Schemer POV)

Two days since Boss Arthur headed off to Gloomstone Forest, and I've been up to my horns in casting calls. Who knew finding the right extras and supporting roles could be such a headache? But we're getting there, slowly but surely.

The elves were a mixed bag. Firfel's on board as Arwen, thank the dark lords. Having a familiar face – and a talented one at that – is a relief. The rest of the elven roles? Not as tricky as I feared. Turns out there's no shortage of elves eager to be part of a Hellfire Studios production.

Dwarves were a breeze. Plenty of them call Morningstar Kingdom home, and they're not shy about stepping in front of a camera. Though I didn't have to cast Gimli – George, the boss's dwarf buddy, practically strong-armed his way into that role. Hope he can act as well as he can tinker.

While casting elves and dwarves has been a breeze, finding our "Hobbits" is proving to be a whole different kettle of fish. Boss Arthur was very specific about what he wants for these roles, especially for the main character.

"Hobbits" - this fictional race Boss dreamed up - they're not your average mythical creatures.

Fortunately, we've found that half-human, half-dwarf individuals fit the bill pretty well.

It's like Arthur had them in mind when he came up with Hobbits. We've managed to cast a bunch of them for the supporting Hobbit roles, but finding our Frodo Baggins? That's turning into a real headache.

Arthur's description of Frodo is ridiculously specific. He needs to have this innocent look, but with a hint of determination in his eyes. Not too tall, not too short (even for a half-dwarf), with curly hair that's just the right shade of brown.

We've seen dozens of hopefuls, but none of them quite hit the mark. Too tall, too gruff, not innocent-looking enough - the list of "almosts" is growing by the day. I'm starting to wonder if this perfect Frodo exists outside of Arthur's imagination.

The worst part? I can't even fall back on using pure humans or pure dwarves. Arthur's adamant that the Hobbits need to be distinct from both races. It's like trying to find a unicorn in a stable full of horses.

Just when I'm about to tear my horns out over this Frodo casting, the perfect candidate walks through the door. This half-human, half-dwarf guy shows up and nails the audition. He's got that innocent look with a hint of determination that Boss Arthur's been harping on about. I'm practically salivating at the thought of finally filling this role.

But before I can even open my mouth to offer him the part, a familiar voice pipes up beside me.

"What's your name?"

I nearly jump out of my skin. It's Boss Arthur, appearing out of nowhere like some kind of magical jack-in-the-box.

"Boss? You're back so soon?" I stammer, trying to hide my surprise.

Arthur just nods, his eyes fixed on our potential Frodo.

"My name is Kurt Vault," the actor says, looking a bit starstruck.

Without missing a beat, Arthur says, "You'll be having the role of Frodo Baggins. Welcome."

And just like that, it's done. Days of searching, and Boss swoops in to make the final call in seconds. That's Arthur for you – always full of surprises.

After Kurt leaves, Arthur turns to me. "How's the casting here?"

I puff up a bit, proud of our progress. "It's going well, boss."

Arthur's smile has that hint of mischief I've come to recognize. "Speaking of which, how's our human casting going in Empirica? Any good news?"

Oh, right. I nearly forgot about that in all the Frodo excitement. "Actually, yeah. Mochi and the crew just sent word. They've locked in actors for Gandalf and Saruman. Seems Eric Roosevelt's been a big help with the casting over there."

"Very good," Arthur nods, looking pleased. He claps me on the shoulder. "I'm heading back to the Eastern Province. We're fixing up a spot for the Hobbit houses there."

Wait, what? "Eastern Province? I thought you were in Gloomstone Forest, boss."

Arthur just chuckles, like I've said something amusing. "Time waits for no demon, Klein. We've got to keep moving, hit all our filming spots, get everything ready. Tomorrow, we're off to the dark province by the Ashen Plains."

Before I can ask any more questions, he's gone, leaving me standing there with my mouth hanging open like some slack-jawed imp.

As I watch him disappear around the corner, my brain starts to catch up. Hang on a second... Didn't he just say he came from the Eastern Province? And now he's going back? And tomorrow he'll be in a completely different part of the kingdom?

I shake my head, trying to make the pieces fit. How in the nine hells is he moving around so fast?