NOVEL WEB “Can you read it just one more time?”
The red-haired girl, Jenia, pleaded earnestly with the man reading the village’s comic book aloud.
“What? This is already the fifth time! My throat is on the verge of cracking!”
“Please, I’m begging you.”
With a sigh at Jenia’s pitiful expression, the man reluctantly started reading ‘Kingdom of Ice’ from the beginning again.
It felt like just yesterday that all the villagers gathered around to read the public comic book together, yet now nearly every household had purchased their own copy.
As a result, the village’s shared comic book had practically become Jenia’s exclusive treasure.
‘So beautiful.’
Seeing that the comic was created by the same author who illustrated her beloved fairy tale book left her in shock.
She knew that the version she had read was a shoddy counterfeit, but she had no idea the difference could be so vast.
The illustrations by the author in the comic book distributed by the Princess captivated Jenia in an instant.
‘I heard the author is a noble Young Master…’
Both the fairy tale and this comic seemed to comfort her in her own way.
How could someone like a noble Young Master create works that soothe someone in her situation?
Elza from ‘Kingdom of Ice’ felt like a reflection of herself.
“Jenia, you must never show your abilities in front of others!”
Her parents had strictly advised her never to reveal her special ability before they passed away.
Elza also had to live concealing the powers bestowed upon her by the curse of the Ice Witch.
But in the end, she became the heroine who saved the kingdom with that very ability.
Lately, Jenia had often imagined if she could do the same.
Finally, as the man finished the fifth reading, he returned home.
Jenia remained alone in the village plaza, peering into her comic book.
Having heard the story dozens of times, she could roughly decipher the meaning of the words and began reading the comic by herself again.
During her rereading, her favorite scene finally appeared: the battle scene where Elza extends her hand and freezes the evil antagonist.
Even though she had seen it many times before, Jenia couldn’t help but feel excited and also reached out her hand like Elza.
If Elza could freeze, then she could surely burn.
Looking around cautiously, she saw no one in sight. Jenia subtly stretched out her hand, glaring at the empty air.
Suddenly, a fireball appeared in the air. She extinguished it quickly, knowing that if she maintained it for too long, her body would tire easily.
Watching the spectacle, Jenia let her imagination take flight.
Although she knew it was wrong, she envisioned herself saving everyone in the village if a monster ever invaded with this ability of hers.
Imagining the villagers and her uncle’s family, who had disregarded her because of her orphan status, applauding and cheering her on sent thrilling shivers down her spine.
“Jenia, you’re the hero of our village!”
But her sweet reverie shattered.
She thought she was alone, but a voice came from behind her.
“You can manipulate mana, can’t you?”
Turning around, she saw an elder cloaked in robes standing there.
“Oh… ahhh.”
Jenia felt as though her world was crumbling. The ability her parents had told her to keep hidden was noticed by someone else.
Unsure of what to do, she struggled to formulate a response.
“Don’t worry too much, red-haired child. I mean you no harm.”
As the elder’s hand rested gently on top of Jenia’s head, she squeezed her eyes shut in fear.
Yet, nothing happened. She merely felt a soft, warm energy swirling around her head.
“Ha, so there really is someone with the bloodline of the ‘Eldor’ clan.”
Eldor? Jenia didn’t fully understand what the elder was talking about, but it seemed he had no intention of harming her, which made her relax just a little.
“Do you have parents?”
“…”
Jenia simply shook her head at the elder’s question.
“I am called ‘Yustaf.’ Though I may not look it, I’m quite a well-known wizard.”
The elder raised a finger in front of Jenia’s eyes.
From the tip of his finger, a blue flame sprang forth.
Jenia’s eyes widened in surprise. She wasn’t the only one with strange abilities after all.
“Will you follow me?”
At the elder’s question, Jenia found her mind blank.
A clash of thoughts filled her head: her parents’ warnings about never following a stranger and the terrible home of her uncle she was supposed to return to.
And then,
“…will I be able to become a hero if I go with you?”
“A hero?”
Yustaf, revealing himself as the elder, glanced at the comic book Jenia was holding.
She wanted to be like the princess, the protagonist of ‘Kingdom of Ice’, considered the latest sensation?
Feeling proud, the elder patted Jenia’s head.
Someone with an inherently powerful magical talent needed a suitable environment, but it seemed clear that Jenia didn’t have a great one.
Her parents’ passing and her tattered clothes spoke volumes.
Her hands were bruised and battered, suggesting she had gone through some hardships.
Typically, such circumstances might lead one astray, yet this child’s desire to be like the hero in her comics was commendable.
She had a good heart.
Yustaf nodded slightly at Jenia’s response, then extended his hand.
Without a word, Jenia took his hand.
*
“This is what being a noble is like.”
Lately, the dining table had been getting more and more lavish.
The soup was so packed with goodies that it could qualify as a meal on its own, and the bread was crispy on the outside but moist inside, tasting delicious even without a dip.
More importantly, the different kinds of meat served daily were a highlight.
Yesterday, they roasted a chicken, and today they showcased tender veal steak.
Not just me, but even my father and Aida seemed to be overindulging at mealtimes, gaining weight.
To be honest, I thought Aida was getting rounder, which I found quite cute.
“Miss, you mustn’t gain any more weight. You need to exercise restraint!”
Apparently, the maid taking care of Aida thought otherwise. Though, she was indeed constantly munching on snacks these days. But honestly, kids and pets are just cuter when they’re plump.
I once got caught trying to sneak Aida some hard-to-find desserts from the capital. Boy, did I get a scolding!
Whenever I felt tired from work, squeezing Aida’s chubby cheeks and her soft little face would often relieve my fatigue. I would miss it if she ever lost that chubbiness.
“Oh, speaking of which, Rupert, are you really not planning to go to the Academy?”
As I was lost in thought watching Aida munch on her bread, my father suddenly brought up the topic of the Academy.
“Yes, I’ve thought about it, but I just don’t have the time.”
My father, sounding disappointed, urged me to reconsider, but my mind was made up.
I initially considered going to the Academy, but now, it didn’t feel necessary at all.
‘Imperial Academy’
The Academy, a cradle of talented individuals, is not just for nobles of the Empire but also accepts commoners, as long as they have exceptional abilities.
“Rupert got in for his artistic talents.”
Even with a talent that tends to be undervalued like drawing, his skills were undoubtedly sufficient for acceptance.
The Academy gathers such talents without regard to their status, preparing them through the teachings of the Empire’s finest instructors to mold them into remarkable individuals.
Because of this, entry into the Academy is difficult, but graduating is no small feat either. Many places would gladly welcome someone who can claim to be an Academy graduate.
Knowing the circumstances of my family, I had even considered attending the Academy just to make a living.
But now that I’m earning through business, I didn’t feel the need to go.
In fact, all it would do was cut into my time for drawing comics.
Moreover, the Imperial Academy is the very setting of the original novel.
Starting with the Third Prince who will enroll this spring and Amelia, the main characters would soon gather there, and I didn’t see any reason to jump into that fray.
“Things have been getting a bit dangerous lately with all this business involving the royal family and the Duke of Bluewell.”
I did want to meet the protagonists of the original story at least once, but I certainly didn’t want to become friends with them.
After acknowledging my father’s suggestion to reconsider, I excused myself from the table.
Since I wasn’t going to attend, my mind immediately began to churn out ideas for my next work, and I headed straight for my workshop.
“Young Master, you look too frail right now. You need to at least do some basic physical training.”
Suddenly, I remembered Sir Mularus, the only knight in the family, telling me this every day as I locked myself away in the workshop.
Indeed, taking care of one’s health ahead of time is the right thing to do.
If my back were to give out one day, I might end up like that one particular author from my past life.
The title of ‘God of Comics’ wasn’t an exaggeration, but he used to take years off at a time as if it were a meal.
Fans thought he was busy gaming, but when they found out he could no longer work due to back issues, they shed tears
The profession of a manga artist is inherently a 3D field; your body is your wealth.
Even in another world, if I’m struggling to create comics like this, it’s all in pursuit of a good life, and sacrificing my health defeats the purpose.
“Alright, starting tomorrow, it’s time to exercise!”
Since Sir Mularus suggested physical training, it’s only right to take the opportunity to build my stamina.
The knights in this world possess amazing abilities that make them resemble superhumans, and if I could just keep up, I would be able to draw comics for the rest of my life without worrying about my health.
Of course, starting today might be a bit abrupt, so let’s say tomorrow. You know, everything starts tomorrow!
“Now, what should I choose for my next work?”
Indeed, after the tremendous success of ‘Kingdom of Ice’, I had a discussion with the guild leader about a new project.
The guild leader had proposed to re-release the three-volume set of Disney fairy tales as a comic, but to be honest, I wasn’t really drawn to that idea.
Fairy tales and comic books have different hierarchies. Just because something is made into a comic does not guarantee it will be more fun or popular.
All three tales: Cinderella, Snow White, and The Little Mermaid contain stories that aren’t very dynamic – they fit better as animation than in comic form.
“That said, I can’t just randomly pick any comic either.”
I certainly can’t just grab any popular manga.
If a work doesn’t fit the setting of this world too well, even if I try to adapt it, it would undoubtedly feel awkward.
For instance, if I were to transplant a cyberpunk story into this world, could people even grasp its worldview and settings?
Even after reaching the workshop, I continued to ponder over what to do for my next project.