Lord of Entertainment

(Cici Hyena POV)

I sit before this colored screen, my fingers dancing between the "keyboard" and "mouse" as I wade through an endless stream of messages directed at my new employer, the famous Arthur Pendragon.

Two weeks into my role as Arthur's secretary, and reality has thoroughly shattered my initial expectations.

I'd imagined myself wielding enchanted typewriters, organizing schedules with traditional magic, perhaps even catching the eye of the famous demon himself - after all, I'd beaten thousands of other applicants for this position. Instead, I find myself tethered to this increasingly popular device called a "computer."

Those first days were a struggle with the unfamiliar technology, but I've grown oddly comfortable with it. The computer simplifies document management, file organization, and scheduling to an impressive degree. Everything flows seamlessly through this single device.

Yet with that efficiency comes an unexpected burden. Beyond managing Arthur's affairs, I must now field an ever-growing flood of messages directed to him.

What started as a trickle - just a few messages daily - has swollen into hundreds.

Most come from business owners and media journalists who've managed to obtain boss Arthur's "Hellfire Messenger" contact information. Now they're abusing the privilege, with some resorting to constant spamming.

I notice yet another string of repeated messages from a user named "Jacob Star" - his profile prominently displaying the title 'business-owner' beneath his name.

With practiced restraint, I type: "Dear Mr. Star, Please be advised that message spamming violates our communication protocols. As Mr. Arthur Pendragon's executive secretary managing his correspondence, I must inform you that continued spamming will result in account termination. Thank you for your cooperation."

Sending the warning, I return to the endless stream of messages awaiting my attention.

Staring at the screen all day was taking its toll on my eyes. The computer fascinated me, but sitting here for hours left me exhausted. I sipped my coffee, trying to stay alert as I sorted through more messages.

Then something caught my attention - a message from "Morningstar Empire's Economic Minister." Not a personal name like the others, but an official title from one of the most powerful positions in the massive Morningstar Kingdom.

My eyes widened as I read the contents. I immediately jumped from my chair and rushed out of my office. A message this important needed to reach boss Arthur directly.

I hurried to his office, but my knocks went unanswered. "Boss Arthur left for the Hellfire Electronics building," a nearby employee informed me.

I sighed in relief - at least the electronics building was close to Hellfire Studio HQ.

***

(3rd Person POV)

Arthur stood in the game department with Drake and Josh, examining their progress. The team had reached the halfway point on their 8-bit project "Music Legends Quest" - a game Arthur had proposed months ago.

The story followed two protagonists, James and Frederick, who wielded musical powers to defeat enemies across various levels. Their main antagonist, Caleb D., awaited at the journey's end.

The computer monitor displayed a simple menu with just "New Game" as its sole option - save game technology hadn't been developed in this world yet.

Drake pressed the keyboard controls, and two pixelated figures materialized on screen: James and Frederick in their 8-bit glory. Selecting James, the level began with the character wielding a guitar. Each strum sent visible sound waves rippling across the screen, striking enemies in their path.

Arthur nodded, studying the gameplay. "The chiptune cover of Nirvana's Lithium fits perfectly, though we could polish it further."

He couldn't help but be impressed. Drake and Josh had only started leading the game team months ago, learning programming and game development from scratch. Yet the dwarf duo had successfully guided their inexperienced team to create something remarkable.

The team members watched proudly as their creation came to life on screen. Then suddenly, James clipped through a wall during a jump sequence, getting stuck in the level geometry.

"Sorry about that, boss," Drake's face reddened. "We're still working out collision detection bugs."

"Don't worry," Arthur waved it off. "For our first 8-bit game, this is exceptional work. You've mastered the fundamentals - using limited pixels effectively, creating distinctive sprites, and maximizing the graphical potential within 8-bit constraints. The game already has personality."

The team beamed at his praise, their pride in their creation evident despite its unfinished state.

Arthur watched the game team's progress with mixed feelings. While proud of their work, he couldn't help but think how much faster development would be with his clones - if only they weren't so problematic.

The replacement of "chakra" with "magic" had created unexpected complications. Though his clones inherited his appearance, basic skills, and limited memories - even recognizing themselves as "Arthur" - they lacked his complete knowledge. Most critically, they couldn't access his understanding of computers and programming.

This partial inheritance left each clone with their own distinct personality, making them unreliable for complex tasks. His attempts at using them for game development had proved disastrous - their coding was chaotic, and they couldn't maintain consistent project planning.

Instead, he'd restricted their use to simpler creative tasks: manga production, comic illustration, animation work, or serving in the Hellsing Organization. Even these limited roles caused problems.

Every time a clone vanished, their accumulated knowledge and memories forcibly transferred back to him. When dozens or even hundreds of clones disappeared simultaneously, the mental backlash was overwhelming.

These harsh side effects had forced Arthur to scale back his clone usage. He now focused on quality over quantity, developing clones with larger magical reserves that could last longer if they conserved their power. It wasn't ideal, but it was better than the constant headaches from mass clone dispersal.

A knock interrupted the game team's discussion. Faer, a trainee programmer, opened the door to reveal Cici - her feline features perfectly groomed, wearing a tailored black suit that marked her as one of Hellfire's executive staff.

"I'm Cici, Mr. Pendragon's secretary. Is he here?"

Faer's wide mouth closed as he nodded. Cici strode in, immediately spotting Arthur among the developers. She approached and whispered urgently in his ear.

Arthur's expression turned serious. "Apologies, boys. Important matter requires my attention."

Drake, Josh, and the team nodded their understanding as Arthur followed Cici back to Hellfire Studio HQ.

In her office, Arthur settled before her office computer to read the message from Morningstar Kingdom.

"Your Highness, I don't know if you remember me, but we often passed each other in the palace corridors during your time here. I am Perah Gray, Economic Minister of Morningstar Kingdom. I write to inform you that His Majesty, your father, has expressed great pride in your achievements in both film and technologies.

The king, in his mercy, extends his forgiveness and wishes to restore your position as prince upon your return. This represents a unique opportunity - one the benevolent demon king graciously offers.

Regards,

Minister Perah Gray"

Arthur chuckled darkly at the message. Make me a prince again? For what? He could see through their motives clearly. They think reinstating me means claiming everything I've built. Not happening.

"Boss, isn't this wonderful news? They're restoring your title!" Cici couldn't contain her excitement.

Arthur rose from his chair, expression cold. "I thought this was something important - perhaps Morningstar officials offering support for computer expansion. Instead, it's just nonsense."

"Nonsense?" Cici's ears twitched in surprise.

"Exactly. If you see messages like this again, delete them."

"You... don't want to be prince again?" She stared at him, bewildered.

Arthur let out a derisive snort. "Prince? That title means nothing." He turned to leave, his parting words hanging in the air. "In this world, money reigns supreme."

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