Drawing Manga in a Romance Fantasy

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“There’s no use trying to hide behind the wizard’s hat. The hidden hat of the Dark Sorcerer is right here, isn’t it?”

Yuki activated the combo of the Dark Sorcerer and the Wizard’s Hat to counter Flying Horse’s AniWorld.

However, Flying Horse, who saw through it all, precisely targeted the wizard’s hat where Yuki had hidden the Dark Sorcerer.

But then—

“What was inside the wizard’s hat you attacked wasn’t the Dark Sorcerer! Activate Spell Card: Spell Arrow!”

“What?! I clearly hid the Dark Sorcerer here…”

What popped out from the destroyed wizard’s hat wasn’t the Dark Sorcerer but a magic card.

With the effect of the Spell Card: Spell Arrow activated, Flying Horse’s AniWorld field vanished instead.

“You don’t know, do you? The power of the bond that my other partner believes in!”

At Yuki’s words, hope rekindled within him, causing Flying Horse’s expression to finally falter.

“Getting all cocky just because you lived once? But don’t forget, the Balrog summon you had is still a cute Ani Balrog!”

Recently, the battle between the protagonist Yuki and Flying Horse, the owner of the Thousand Eyes, the final boss of the Battle Island arc, began, and those who witnessed it cheered for the intense mental battle.

“I thought there was absolutely no way to counter this Thousand Eyes, but using another self was ingenious.”

“It wasn’t just a simple exchange; it was a counterattack that could only be accomplished by trusting each other as partners!”

Readers who had seen Kaito, the protagonist’s rival in the previous episode, helplessly lose against the power of the Thousand Eyes were feeling despair.

In a card game where information is more important than anything else, they couldn’t figure out a way to defeat an opponent who could read their thoughts.

Moreover, Flying Horse was the creator who discovered the ancient tablets that were the origin of the cards and thus held cards that were all extraordinarily powerful.

In such a situation, curiosity naturally centered on how the protagonist Yuki would overcome it, and his use of the Thousand Puzzle, another Thousand Item, to break through the crisis provided great satisfaction to readers.

“I am the Dark Yuki!”

“Then I will be Kaito!”

“Why are you guys the only ones getting to be cool characters?!”

Among the goods of King of Cards, the best-selling and most successful was undoubtedly the card packs themselves.

However, the Thousand Item goods, like the Thousand Puzzle which had become synonymous with the protagonist, were also highly popular among children.

“I want to lower the price as much as possible to give this as a gift to children rather than selling it at a high price.”

Since Rupert was already making enough profit from selling card packs and duel tables.

He proposed selling toy goods that children adored as cheaply as possible, allowing parents to buy them for their kids without much burden.

Because of this, it wasn’t uncommon to see children around the neighborhood wearing the King of Cards merchandise, the Thousand Puzzle, around their necks.

Of course, even though it was cheap, it was a product meticulously crafted with the best techniques from Somerset Workshop, so it wasn’t quite as low-priced as it first seemed.

“Card games and puzzles help in the cognitive development of children and can also aid adults in preventing dementia and aging.”

After a distinguished scholar from the Empire wrote a simple report on King of Cards, parents with children rushed to purchase them, leading to widespread distribution.

“Reveal your identity now, oh god of commerce!”

“To double the overseas sales figures, the guild leader really is the god of sales!”

On the day of the publication of Manapia, Rupert and Esteban would gather in the second-floor office of the main branch to observe the people’s reactions.

They met to carefully assess whether their plans were going well or if any adjustments were needed.

As they achieved success every time, it had long since transformed into a celebration party.

Even now, Rupert and Esteban clinked their wine glasses, bursting into bright laughter and joyous screams.

It was no wonder that everything was going perfectly.

“Being appointed as a professor at the Imperial Academy is truly proving to be helpful; the future is really unpredictable.”

“Indeed. I never imagined that that strict professor of the Public Administration department, Adam Smith, would write such a report.”

Rupert and Esteban had caught wind of the subtly growing anti-Somerset sentiment among parents in the Empire.

‘How can there be such goods that can’t possibly be sold?’

‘The kids aren’t studying and are engrossed in comics every day; I am worried.’

‘Of course, it’s fortunate they are learning to read due to the comics, but the increasing expenses is not just a feeling!’

In fact, given the tremendous impact of Rupert’s Fairy Tale Book and Comic Books, there was bound to be some backlash.

Especially among children, it was almost like they were fanatical devotees of Somerset Workshop.

Because children tend to have difficulty accepting that their friends have merchandise they don’t, many parents were suffering under their children’s demands.

Moreover, even if they were sold cheaply, for commoners, regularly buying books and goods was inevitably a burden, causing some discontent to build up.

In this situation, Rupert employed a little trick.

‘Miracle Fruit XXX! If you eat this every day, it prevents aging, helps with dieting, and beautifies the skin…’

Rupert recalled how when doctors or experts appeared on TV to talk about a specific product, the next day, it would sell like hotcakes on home shopping and online shopping malls.

‘What if we spread the word with an expert that our products help in children’s development…?’

It was already a proven fact that card games or toys helped in children’s emotional development by modern research, so it wasn’t technically a lie.

Thus, Rupert went to visit Professor Adam Smith of the Academy where he was a professor, particularly the Public Administration department known for its intellectuals and bureaucrats.

‘I can’t just throw around my opinions. While your ideas aren’t entirely ridiculous, people tend to be…’

Of course, things didn’t come to fruition all at once.

However,

‘What is this?! Are you trying to bribe me with money?’

When Professor Adam Smith initially saw the small kindness Rupert offered, he erupted in fury.

But soon, he realized upon seeing the contents that it was a sum too large to refuse.

And as a result.

‘Wow, so it really helps in children’s brain development!’

‘Is that not enough? It’s said to also be effective in preventing dementia for older people!’

‘A true miracle product! I can’t let my child fall behind!’

Even those who had previously hesitated to spend money on toys for children opened their wallets in an instant.

Moreover, until now, the purchases had felt like a reluctant obligation for their children.

‘Mom said you have to play card games today! Did you do it?’

‘I already played with the kids…’

‘If you keep being lazy, how are you going to avoid being stupid! Get out and play more!’

Now, almost forceful suggestions to make children play card games were ongoing throughout the Empire.

‘I heard it’s trendy among tutors to teach using the Somerset Fairy Tale Complete Collection.’

It became a trend among not only commoners but also among nobles to educate their children using Rupert’s Fairy Tale Book and educational books, resulting in a massive cultural wave across the Empire.

“The increase in overseas sales this time is definitely unexpected.”

While Rupert was shifting the perception of comics and toys in a positive direction, Esteban was not just playing around.

He recently began to feel the unusual demand for Rupert’s works overseas and started to take direct action.

This was possible because the Vera Merchant Guild was assisting with internal sales in the Empire.

Until now, they had been so preoccupied with internal sales within the Empire that they hadn’t been able to manage the overseas market directly, but now, with direct involvement, the overseas sales figure doubled in an instant.

“It can be seen as nothing short of the goddess’s grace that people from countries that usually harbor extreme aversion towards the Empire accept it so favorably.”

“Culture, unlike anything else, should be allowed to permeate like water.”

While Esteban was shocked by the unbelievable success, Rupert expected it to some degree.

‘Just look at the relationship between Japan and Korea; it’s quite strange.’

The relationship between Korea and Japan appeared to be hostile on the surface, but it was, in fact, a unique relationship where they actually liked each other’s cultures.

It wasn’t uncommon for people in Korea to love Japanese comics or anime, and likewise, many in Japan enjoyed Korean music and audiovisual content.

Even in America, the center of the global cultural industry, while many countries dislike America, there are no countries that are unaffected by American culture.

Cultural influence serves as a silent cannonfire in an approach toward hegemony.

“By the way, now that the Battle Island arc is wrapping up, the next arc, Duel City, is just around the corner.”

“Yes, the construction of the duel room is progressing without issues, and I was informed that the preliminary rounds have also concluded?”

“Indeed. We have secured the list of duelists who passed the preliminaries, and once the date for the main match comes, they will gather in the Empire’s capital to compete.”

Rupert felt the effort was worth it as excitement swelled within him.

The King of Cards Duel City arc was the pinnacle of the manga, and being able to recreate it in real life was, for a former otaku like Rupert, a dream come true.

“One day, there might be an event where duelists from other countries gather to contest the title of the strongest duelist on the continent.”

Esteban jokingly remarked, but Rupert nearly spat out the wine he was drinking.

‘How did he know?’

Rupert had already set plans in motion to host the King of Cards Sylvania Continental Cup.