(3rd Person POV)
The Horn Kingdom Stock Exchange had quickly become one of the hottest focal points in both local and international media.
The integration of computing systems, near-instantaneous trade processing, and transparent market data had turned it into the most modern and efficient stock exchange in the world.
Reporters constantly swarmed outside the HKSE headquarters, eager for interviews with Princess Mary, the architect behind its transformation. Her name frequently trended in economic circles, with analysts calling the HKSE a miracle in the making.
While the stock exchange basked in the spotlight, Arthur was quietly preparing the official launch of his revolutionary bank. The legal groundwork, licensing, regulatory documents, and backend infrastructure had all been meticulously prepared months in advance.
Thanks to Arthur's influence over the Horn Kingdom's Prime Minister and several high-ranking officials, the process had moved swiftly—though he took care to keep his involvement subtle, careful not to raise political suspicion.
Simultaneously, he was overseeing post-production work for Titanic. Even after wrapping the filming, there were still voiceovers to record with Firfel and other cast members, final editing passes, and musical scoring sessions.
In another part of the studio, Cecilia was in the recording booth, lending her voice to the emotional climax of the film with the original soundtrack. Esmeralda had also finished recording her assigned track, which was already in the final mixing stage.
On top of that, the award ceremony Arthur had founded—known as the Golden Globes—was about to commence in early March.
The event aimed to recognize excellence in television, film, short features, and more. While the Hellfire Studio technically owned the ceremony, Arthur had established an independent academy composed of respected figures from rival studios, guild representatives, veteran actors, and entertainment critics to decide nominations and winners—maintaining the illusion of impartiality.
Even so, Hellfire continued to dominate the film categories. Among the top nominations were The Two Towers, The Return of the King, and Star Wars—all Hellfire productions. Only one film from a competing studio managed to secure a nomination, underscoring Hellfire's stranglehold on cinematic prestige.
---
At the Overwhelm Theatre in Dragon Walled City, the atmosphere buzzed with energy. The red carpet stretched beneath gilded arches, cameras flashed nonstop, and the crowd pressed eagerly behind barricades.
Directors, writers, and actors from all corners of the world had gathered for the inaugural Golden Globes.
Famous stars such as Lewis Light from the U.S.E., Mario Chesterfield from Aztec, Sumaya Liwanag from the Eagle Kingdom, Bintang Suryawan from the Nesia Kingdom, Toshiro Shimura of Japon, and Bobby Morningstar of the Morningstar Kingdom walked the carpet.
In their home countries, these names would've drawn riots of fans and flashing lights.
But here, they were just part of the crowd—respected, yes, but overshadowed.
The real cheers came when the Hellfire stars appeared.
"Vivienne Westwood!"
"Firfel! Firfel Evergreen!"
"Clint Foster!"
And when Imkrag—the twisted, unforgettable face of his character from Lord of the Rings—stepped into view, the crowd practically erupted. His portrayal had etched him into pop culture. People waved banners and shouted his name with fervor.
Even John Joseph Nicholson, a fresh Hellfire talent only beginning to gain traction, received louder cheers than most international veterans.
Across kingdoms—from Horn to Empirica, Evros to Eden—the ceremony aired live on the Hellfire Network. Millions tuned in.
In the crowd, one fan shouted over the chaos:
"Lewis! I'm cheering for you!"
"Eomer!" others cried out. After all, Lewis had played Eomer in Lord of the Rings. He smiled and waved, used to the chaos but clearly impressed by the scale.
"This… is something else," he muttered to his assistant, eyes scanning the crowded press lanes. "Even the Cannes carpet back in the Gaul Kingdom didn't have this kind of energy."
Actors—both seasoned and green—watched the cameras whirl around them, photos being snapped by the second, reporters lining up for interviews like it was a battlefield of microphones.
And then, the atmosphere shifted.
Arthur arrived.
As he stepped onto the carpet, the crowd roared. Reporters stood straighter. Even the security tightened. Arthur waved calmly, the lights hitting his tailored black suit, his expression poised yet unreadable.
From the sidelines, several filmmakers murmured to themselves:
"The mastermind has arrived..."
It was still hard to believe that this young demon, only in his twenties, had already conquered cinema—and was now building an empire of his own.
Bobby watched Arthur approach with a solemn gaze, but the jealousy in his eyes was impossible to hide. 'The so-called miracle filmmaker... Oh, brother... How did you manage to achieve all this? It's just not fair…'
Arthur walked the red carpet with poise, greeting actors, directors, and industry figures from around the world. He offered firm handshakes and appreciative words.
"Thank you all for gracing my award ceremony," he said sincerely. "I promise you—the Golden Globes will be fair and transparent."
Eventually, he stopped in front of Bobby. He gave a polite nod. "Thanks for showing up to the first Golden Globes, former brother."
Bobby scoffed, eyes sharp with disdain. "I'm only here to watch you turn this whole show into a tribute to yourself—and your films." He smirked. "I can already hear the protests about this being a biased circus for Hellfire productions."
Arthur chuckled lightly. "Don't worry, Bobby. This ceremony will be fair to everyone, not just Hellfire."
"We'll see," Bobby said coldly.
Arthur's expression sharpened. "I'm not like you, Bobby," he said, voice calm but cutting. "I don't rig award shows just to walk away with a trophy."
The words landed hard.
Arthur turned and walked off without waiting for a response.
Bobby's smile faded. His jaw tightened, and a shadow flickered across his eyes. 'He's talking about that night…' His hands curled into fists at the memory—the night his influence robbed Demonfather of the Pure Flame Award. 'Damn it…'
Without a word, he turned and strode into the grand theatre, the weight of that memory pressing on his shoulders as he took his seat.
---
After some time, the Golden Globes finally began. Across the Horn Kingdom and beyond, people tuned in to watch the first live broadcast of the event. To everyone's surprise—and to some, amusement—Arthur himself took the stage as the host.
Viewers at home whispered or joked among themselves:
"So Arthur owns the Golden Globes and he's hosting it too?"
"What is this, a tribute to himself?"
"Watch him turn every category into a celebration of Hellfire and make the rest of the industry look like extras."
Weeks before, several media outlets had speculated just that, sparking debates and snarky headlines about whether this new award show was just a glorified vanity project.
But when the event began, those assumptions slowly started to fall apart.
Arthur wasn't alone on stage—his co-host was the charismatic old vampire demon, Rocky, best known for his iconic role as Don Corleone in Demonfather.
The two had known each other for years, and their natural chemistry lit up the stage. Their jokes, banter, and occasional jabs kept the atmosphere light and the audience entertained. One thing was certain: Arthur respected Rocky deeply, and it showed.
Then came the actual awards.
When the Best Supporting Actress category was announced, many were sure the trophy would go to a Hellfire telenovela actress. Instead, the presenter read:
"The award goes to... Violet Acalan, from Aztec's 'World Is Mine'!"
Gasps rippled through the theatre. Violet Acalan, the Aztec telenovela actress, sat frozen for a moment before rising with wide eyes. Her director and co-stars stood with her, equally stunned. As she made her way to the stage, her expression was a mix of disbelief and awe—still struggling to grasp that she had just won.
The audience buzzed with surprise. Even viewers at home couldn't believe it—Hellfire was actually letting others win.
As the ceremony continued, this trend became clear. Hellfire didn't dominate as expected. While a few categories naturally went to their productions due to quality—like The Lord of the Rings winning Best Drama Picture, and Star Wars picking up a technical award—the majority of wins were spread across different studios and nations.
Firfel took home Best Actress. John Nicholson won Best Actor, a rising star under Hellfire's wing. But the night wasn't a sweep.
By the end of the show, as applause rang out, Arthur stepped back on stage and delivered a closing line that raised eyebrows:
"This evening was brought to you by... Hellfire Bank."
The audience fell quiet.
"Hellfire... Bank?" puzzled voices whispered throughout the theatre.
Before the confusion could settle, the venue screens and TV broadcast cut to a short commercial. To everyone's surprise, the spokesperson was Princess Mary herself.
In the ad, she introduced Hellfire Bank and unveiled its revolutionary tools—the Debit Card and Credit Card—explaining their features in simple terms even common citizens could grasp.
What began as curiosity among viewers quickly turned into wide-eyed interest. In homes, taverns, and public squares across the world, people leaned forward.
A new idea had just been planted—and it came not from a government or merchant guild, but from Arthur Pendragon and Hellfire.