Drawing Manga in a Romance Fantasy

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One of the Empire’s notable landmarks, the circular arena.

During peacetime, this place is familiar to Rupert, hosting jousting competitions for knights or swordsmanship matches.

“Feels like just yesterday we were at the Agora.”

Since the Agora, which is considered a duel among nobles, took place in this circular arena, Rupert was reflecting on the nostalgia.

Unlike before when he was called as a participant in the Agora, this time he was here to prepare for the finals of the Dual City he is planning.

“Be careful while moving that, it’s extremely expensive specialized glass!”

Employed workers were bustling about in the center of the circular arena, installing booths made of special glass.

This was a duel room specially prepared for the final four rounds of the Dual City happening in reality.

“I can actually make it like a game arena on Earth.”

Since Rupert loved both comics and games, he thought about making the stage, from the final four to the finals, like a game arena.

This wasn’t just for show; it was also a decision aimed at improving the quality of the matches.

On the day of the event, the arena would be filled with spectators, so preparations against unforeseen circumstances were necessary.

For example, to prevent unintentional fouls due to audience noise or distractions, they decided to create a duel room.

Additionally, the existing duel table was limited to creating card illustrations, but this duel room could actually implement attacks and field effects beyond mere illustrations.

“I spent a lot of money on this.”

Carrying the plan for the duel room, Rupert headed to see Kroon as usual.

“Are you really going to build this?”

Kroon’s words, which no longer needed to be elaborated on, implied that expensive parts were needed, and it was evident Rupert would be shocked hearing the price.

“Can’t we just use good materials?”

Rupert, however, casually suggested using expensive materials, indifferent to Kroon’s concerns.

“What the—! Who are you!!! What have you done to Rupert!!”

Kroon was shocked by Rupert’s bold decision, wondering if someone was impersonating him.

“Father, I think I’ve paid back our family’s grudge now.”

Regardless of Kroon’s surprise at his grand decision, Rupert was filled with pride.

-Professor Rupert is trying to contribute a little to the cultural life of the Empire.

After finishing his private meeting with the previous Emperor, Rupert had celebrated all night with Esteban.

The reason for their joy was not only that their plan had gained royal approval.

“Using someone else’s money!!! And royal funds at that!!!”

It was because the satisfied Emperor decided to grant them a support fund.

The two, who still remembered how they had once boldly embezzled royal funds for their business when they first created the [Kingdom of Ice] comic, were now contemplating how to misappropriate funds again.

“But that’s a bit risky, isn’t it?”

“It is indeed. Back then we had the protection of the princess, but now we could be hit directly.”

Of course, Rupert and Esteban knew that if they played tricks with this support fund, everything they had built could come crashing down.

“Then, should we just pump some money into the duel room?”

“That’s really good! If we build it with the support fund, it’s not our money anyway, and we can take credit for it!”

Loving to freely spend other people’s money more than anyone else, they quickly decided to construct the duel room using the support fund.

And then, there was unexpected demand.

“I want to buy a duel table.”

Originally, the duel table was not meant for sale but to attract people.

Yet, contrary to their expectations, there was demand, yielding unexpected income.

“The duel tables at the Somerset Goods Store or theaters are too crowded.”

“Right? It’s so distracting when you try to play a card game with everyone staring.”

“Oh, if only there were a quieter place to play games.”

In locations like the Somerset Goods Store or theaters, where duel tables could be used for free, the constant stream of duelists made some nobles reluctant to go there.

Certainly, they sold play mats as a sort of board game for cases where there was no duel table.

However, those nobles who had already seen the dazzling features of the duel table were not satisfied.

And the individuals looking to purchase duel tables in response to such nobles were the salon owners.

Salons were places where nobles could socialize, chat, and drink, and after one of these salons directly ordered a duel table to be installed from the Somerset Workshop, they doubled their clientele and revenue.

Thus, nearly everyone competitively began installing duel tables.

Subsequently, duel tables were becoming a basic option in places where the Empire’s nobles gathered.

***

The official preliminary round of [Card Monarch] was simultaneously being held across the Empire.

The preliminary rounds at each Yuren Merchant Association branch were being conducted in a unique manner.

“Look at that man! He’s already won.”

In the preliminary rounds, every participant was given a card named “Glory of Victory.”

Naturally, being cards made by the Somerset Workshop, they were impossible to counterfeit, and collecting at least ten of these cards through duels was the condition to pass the preliminary round.

And now that the preliminary round had begun, there were already some who started dueling and received results.

A winner leisurely organizing his cards and a loser in disbelief at his defeat.

“Well, if the rules are like this, it wouldn’t be unfavorable to hold the preliminaries in the capital.”

The victorious man thought as he stored his organized cards back into his deck case.

When news broke that preliminaries would be held at each Yuren Merchant Association branch, it was expected that populous cities, including the capital, would be battlegrounds.

However, due to the rule of just needing ten cards, it could be safely said there was no discrepancy between regions.

“That was a good match.”

“Ugh… how could there not have been any rumors about such a duelist until now?”

The man who had just lost the duel and was robbed of his card could hardly believe it.

He enjoyed collecting and studying cards with acquaintances in a social club for nobles called the Doujin Club.

Among them, he was regarded as a skilled duelist, but he unexpectedly faced defeat on the first day of the preliminaries against someone he was dueling for the first time.

“Now I need eight more cards, huh?”

Prince William thought while receiving the Glory of Victory card from the loser, contemplating the remaining duels ahead.

So far, fairy tale books or comic books had not captured his interest, but the card game, filled with fierce strategy, was truly his taste.

Some might call it a game of luck, yet to him, what mattered most was devising strategies and reading his opponent’s psychology.

And in that, William was more confident than anyone in the Empire.

***

“This card’s effect can only be ‘used’ once per turn, so if its activation is negated, it can’t be used again.”

The Empire’s guards were feeling exhausted from the recent surge in duties.

“No! Didn’t we decide last time that it could be used again?”

“Isn’t it written that it can be ‘activated’ once per turn? In that case, it says in the rulebook that even if its activation is negated, it can still be used again.”

Recently, the official preliminary rounds of [Card Monarch] were ongoing, causing constant disturbances that forced the guards to intervene.

Under normal circumstances, they would take everyone causing a ruckus into custody, but since this tournament was being held with the Empress’s approval, the Empire’s guards were tasked to arbitrate when controversies arose in the matches.

As a result, the guards had to study the card game rulebook in addition to the Empire’s legal code they already memorized, which was quite a headache.

“Is there really such a vast difference between activating and activated?”

“What’s the difference between selecting and picking?!”

“This is driving me crazy. How are there so many exceptions…?”

In fact, it was normal for them not to know the card effects properly.

Even those who enjoyed dueling sometimes were not fully aware of certain effects, and knowing all the varying effects that changed based on a single word was a daunting task.

However, since they were part of the Imperial Guard responsible for ruling during disputes, they were forced to memorize the rulebook, and now no duelists dared defy the decisions of the Empire’s guards.

“This is cheating!!!”

Moreover, those who could not accept the ruling could be dragged away to the guardhouse on the spot, making them the highest authority as judges.

“Rach! We gathered all ten cards!!!”

“Argh!”

With ten cards in hand, Aida cheered, joined by Rach barking in agreement.

“That little girl is really good!”

“Right? I thought she could see the opponent’s cards while dueling.”

“Is that all? Her luck is unreal; she got exactly the cards she needed.”

After the man who had thrown a fit over being humiliatingly defeated by a little girl was taken away by the guards, the onlookers all praised Aida’s skill.

The Somerset Territory had quite a number of experts in card games, and in that battleground, Aida had proudly secured her ticket to the finals.

And after this revelation, the Marquis and Rupert wondered,

“Surely she didn’t beat anyone up to get it, right?”

causing a small commotion as Aida pouted, making for a peaceful day in Somerset.