I’ll be honest.
I like Vtubers.
No, I really like them.
So much so that I once flew all the way to Japan just to attend a Vtuber’s solo live performance.
That’s why, when NewTube was launched and I found out it had a function to create pantegi (customized avatars), I was overjoyed.
It meant I could watch Vtubers again.
But that joy was short-lived, as one worry after another started to arise.
Would Vtubers really be able to establish themselves in this world?
Even if they did, would they still be the Vtubers I knew?
Right now, they say that if you use the pantegi creation feature, you’ll only get avatars tailored for hardcore otaku tastes.
But will that really last?
There was nothing I could be sure of.
I’ll be honest.
I wanted to see the kind of Vtubers I knew.
If I were a woman, I would’ve debuted as a Vtuber myself and led the industry forward.
The possibility?
It was definitely there.
After all, I had years of experience watching Vtubers.
But I’m a man.
So the option of debuting as a Vtuber myself was off the table.
A world where male Vtubers dominate is not the world I want.
Besides, I’d never even seen a male Vtuber before, so I didn’t have the confidence to succeed at it.
So, if I couldn’t debut and shape the Vtuber industry I envisioned myself, there was only one option left.
To create it.
The kind of Vtubers I know.
Of course, this was far from an easy task.
Finding the right people to join was the first hurdle.
Someone interested in Vtubers, who didn’t feel any aversion to the niche and unconventional art style, who could afford to invest time in streaming even without any immediate profit after debut, and who had at least one talent that could make them a successful Vtuber.
Finding someone who met all these criteria—do you think that’s an easy thing to do?
But then, someone who met these criteria appeared.
That’s right.
The Third Princess.
The Third Princess spends her academy life in a laid-back manner.
She doesn’t passionately attend numerous lectures, stand out significantly in the ones she does take, or actively interact with her peers at the academy.
If she stood out too much, it might provoke the First and Second Princes to take notice.
At the same time, unlike the First and Second Princes, she doesn’t actively participate in external affairs.
Doing so could lead to misunderstandings that she’s interested in the throne.
What does this mean?
It means she has plenty of time to stream.
On top of that, as a princess, she doesn’t need to worry about money.
And judging by the fact that she quickly created and briefly used a high-quality pantegi, she didn’t seem to have any aversion to niche art styles either.
And then she went and mimicked a maid on her own?
That’s when I was sure.
The Third Princess was a talent.
The kind of talent I couldn’t afford to let slip away.
And so…
“Would you like to try doing this seriously?”
The moment I reconfirmed that the first Vtuber’s “red pill” was none other than Princess Isabella, I couldn’t hold back anymore.
“…4?”
The instant I saw the Third Princess’s flustered expression after hearing my words, I was convinced.
This was the perfect timing to unleash all the lines I had prepared in advance without pause.
“I saw potential in your broadcast, Your Highness. A potential to rise to the top, to shine brightly.”
“…What?”
“I have been waiting for a raw gem to fulfill my ideals. And that gem is right in front of me now.”
“W-Wait a second, what are you—”
Before the Third Princess could say anything further, I firmly grabbed her shoulders with both hands.
It was to disrupt her ability to think even a little more.
“You are going to become a Vtuber with me! I will guide Your Highness to the top!”
“No, what are you even saying? And what’s a Vtuber—”
“Your Highness, you have talent! Are you planning to let that talent go to waste?! You mustn’t! If you don’t debut as a Vtuber, it will be a massive loss to the Vtuber industry!”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about—”
“Your Highness.”
I released her shoulders and lowered the tone of my voice, instantly changing the atmosphere.
The overly excited Ray Volcan from just moments ago was gone.
Now standing here was a completely serious and determined Ray Volcan, a figure radiating sincerity.
“…Yes.”
Naturally, the Third Princess’s expression stiffened slightly.
“Do you have a dream you hold in your heart, by any chance?”
The Third Princess didn’t answer my question.
Judging by her reaction, I assumed she didn’t.
It wasn’t entirely unexpected.
After withdrawing from the competition for the throne, the Third Princess had been able to do whatever she wanted as long as she didn’t stand out too much.
But even though she had entered the academy, where endless opportunities awaited, she had never shown any sign of being deeply engrossed in anything.
Of course, there might be aspects of her I didn’t know about, so it was too early to jump to conclusions…
but taking into account her reaction to my question just now, I figured my assumption wasn’t far off.
So, was that a problem?
“Well, it’s fine if you don’t.”
Of course not.
It wasn’t a problem at all.
“But,”
I continued.
In fact, I was hoping she didn’t.
“Have you ever thought about what it would be like to pour your passion into something, even just once, in order to achieve a dream?”
Because if she didn’t have a dream, it would only serve as material for persuasion.
“Have you ever found yourself admiring someone who runs toward their goal with everything they have?”
Which is why…
“I will give it to you. A dream that can ignite your passion.”
I made my case with genuine conviction.
“I will give you my dream.”
So that the person in front of me might waver, even just a little, and be inspired by my words.
I had no intention of threatening the Third Princess with the “red pill.”
Using such a weakness to coerce someone was never the right approach.
Even if you forced someone to act under the guise of blackmail, how long would it last?
In the end, their own will was what truly mattered.
“Wow…”
Did it work? Did my fiery passion get through? Is the princess about to debut as a Vtuber?
“Aren’t you embarrassed?”
“I’m not embarrassed.”
Hmm, it seemed my passion hadn’t quite hit the mark.
Of course, giving up on recruiting the princess as a Vtuber just because of her reaction would be premature.
She hadn’t yet heard the benefits of becoming a Vtuber.
Now was the time to pitch the advantages of Vtubing in a way that would pique her interest, like a true salesperson.
Confidence?
Of course, I had it.
If I didn’t, would I have even dared to approach the princess on my own?
I quickly started organizing my key selling points in my head.
Just as I was about to state my first one—
“…The person who proposes to me in the future is going to have a hard time. Coming up with something more passionate than this won’t be easy.”
The princess smiled faintly, almost as if joking.
It was undeniably a positive response.
“Does that mean…?!”
“I’ll at least hear you out. Tell me your proposal.”
At that moment, I was sure.
It’s done!
The Third Princess of the Empire was now the world’s first Vtuber!
How much time had passed since the secret meeting between Ray Volcan and Isabella?
Isabella sat quietly in her room, sipping tea.
Her personal maid, who had been silently observing, cautiously opened her mouth to speak.
“…Your Highness Isabella, how did things go earlier today?”
“It worked out well enough. At the very least, there’s no need for you to worry about anything troubling happening, so you can rest easy.”
“I see.”
The maid didn’t inquire further, as if there was no need.
Isabella, who had been gazing at her maid momentarily, recalled the events from earlier that day.
Ray Volcan.
The man who, after seizing the princess’s weakness, immediately let it go.
The man who was obsessively fixated on something as strange as “Vtubers.”
Truthfully, Isabella still didn’t fully grasp what a Vtuber was.
But there was one thing she did understand.
Ray Volcan spoke with the premise that Vtubers would become something tremendously successful.
It was a kind of conviction.
The belief that Vtubing was something he could pour his passion into.
The determination to stake his life on it.
The belief that Vtubing was worth that much.
What, exactly, did he see in those strange fragments of art?
What had he discovered in the fleeting moment Isabella had tried to erase and forget?
What had he seen in her that had driven him to the reckless act of approaching the Third Princess alone?
She knew what such a person was called.
A madman lost in his own world.
Or a genius ahead of his time.
Was Ray Volcan a madman, a genius, or perhaps both?
She found herself intrigued.
And Isabella had enough freedom to satisfy her curiosity.
That was why she decided to accept Ray Volcan’s proposal.
…It was definitely not because she wanted to experience the guilty pleasure she had felt while mimicking a maid once more.
The next day.
“…What is this?”
Isabella held a few sheets of paper that Ray Volcan had handed her.
“Your RP, Your Highness.”
The first sentence written on the paper read:
Lily
A maid searching for a master to serve.
However, due to her master’s overly high standards, she has yet to find someone worthy to serve.
“…Is this, by any chance—”
“Didn’t you want to become a maid Vtuber, Your Highness? Well, I suppose maid Vtubers are a bit overdone these days. In that case, how about… a succubus Vtuber who hates anything lewd? Or maybe an academy gyaru could work well here…”
“……….”
In Isabella’s mind, the scale regarding Ray Volcan tipped ever so slightly toward the madman side.