One of the biggest advantages of magazines was that they could feature a variety of contents in a single book.
“Wow, six works included! This is just the best!”
After [Pinocchio], the queue that had disappeared for a while reappeared in front of the branches of the Yuren Merchant Association.
However, the competition was not as fierce as during the previous comic book releases, and it was not because of a drop in popularity.
– The comic magazine ‘Manhwapia’ exists solely in a standard edition.
Until now, fairy tale books and comic books had all been released in three different types, which made competition extremely intense, but this comic magazine was released in only one type, so the rush to queue up was greatly diminished.
Of course, even so, there were still people eager to catch a glimpse of Rupert’s new work, which led to longer lines.
Moreover, the fact that works chosen through the highly publicized comic contest could be seen in the magazine contributed to its popularity as well.
The prize money was so large that a multitude of submissions flooded the contest, and many were curious about how entertaining the winning works would be.
“Could it be that Sir Saint has drawn a comic?”
“Right? No matter how good the money is, how could he give up the prestigious position of the royal family’s exclusive painter?”
“Considering he was also a professor at the Academy, he must have had enough money. It probably has to do with something else.”
Furthermore, the inclusion of Saint Salier among the comic magazine’s authors stirred quite a buzz among the nobles.
Most commoners didn’t know who Saint was, but among the nobles, he held a certain level of fame.
After all, he held the title of the empire’s best painter, had served as the royal family’s exclusive painter, and boasted a brilliant career as a professor in the Academy’s Art Department, making him the most famous figure for paintings before Rupert.
For someone like Saint to abandon all positions and honors to challenge himself with comics was ample fodder for gossip.
“Now, the first work is titled ‘Puppet Theatre’.”
Finally, as the person at the front of the queue purchased the magazine first, people flocked to him like a cloud.
And what caught their eyes was the very first work titled [Puppet Theatre] in the front page.
*
Every time a book was released, Esteban would always observe the scene outside from the window of his office on the second floor of the main branch of the Yuren Merchant Association.
“What a scam, this magazine was nothing but a bait product.”
As Esteban watched the long line of people waiting to buy the new comic magazine, he muttered to himself.
In truth, he had been opposed to the publication of the comic magazine.
It didn’t seem like a better profit compared to standalone books, especially since he didn’t fully understand what a magazine was yet.
Esteban felt it was a loss to have to sell in one magazine what could be sold as six separate volumes.
However,
“Magazines are magazines; naturally, standalone books should also be published.”
“Huh? Are you saying you’ll publish the same book again?”
“Few people are satisfied with just a magazine. As always, readers wish to own their favorite works completely in standalone format.”
At Rupert’s words that they would publish the original standalone format once a certain volume of content had accumulated in the magazine, Esteban decided to follow suit wholeheartedly.
His success as a merchant wasn’t just due to exceptional insight.
He believed the most crucial talent for success as a merchant was the instinct to smell opportunity above all.
Every merchant is a gambler.
In the gamble of commerce, which relies on any means necessary, Esteban believed he had been victorious up to this point because he always trusted his instincts in the end.
And now, his instincts were telling him to accept Rupert’s proposal, so he prepared for the publication of the magazine without hesitation.
It was too early to judge the outcome, but seeing people scattered across the streets reading the comic magazine gave him a strong feeling that his instincts were not wrong.
*
The three-story building installed in the garden of Count Somerset’s household.
Commonly referred to as the book factory, the place was officially called the Somerset Workshop, and it was currently in chaos.
“Hurry up! We’re falling behind on the quantity!”
“Damn it, who didn’t fill the ink in print number three?”
“Hey, we bound them in the wrong order! Don’t you check?!”
After the completion of [Iron-Blooded Alchemist], the first-floor workshop had nothing to do but research and development for a while but was now overwhelmed with the large-scale production.
Yet, amidst the shouting, the swift resolution of problems and the quick creation of books showcased the craftsmanship that truly deserved the title of artisan.
The same was true for the second floor of the workshop.
“To ensure uniformity of the film, we need a device that applies constant pressure from the top down.”
“How about a compressor used in the smithy?”
“That sounds good. But we need to adjust the intensity…”
They were also racing against the clock to improve for the first public launch of the projector, working day and night.
Particularly, they had progressed from mere cooperation with the Mage Tower and Alchemy Guild to a phase of joint research.
Thanks to this, wizards from the Mage Tower and alchemists from the Alchemy Guild were dispatched to the workshop, diving into a continuous cycle of development and experimentation.
However, the results were significant, and the research team was fired up with enthusiasm.
Previously, any problems would take a long time to resolve due to needing to confirm with the Mage Tower and Alchemy Guild, but now they could identify issues immediately as they arose, saving a lot of time.
The final floor, the third floor of the Somerset Workshop, was exceptionally quiet compared to the others.
It was not due to a lack of people but rather the stillness created by a single book being read.
‘How could this be…’
Saint turned the page, sighing in admiration without even realizing it.
What he had just read was Ioleen’s work [Puppet Theatre].
“‘If you’ve decided to smile, then you cannot cry, understood?’”
Gaton said while tightly hugging the boy, and a massive wall was collapsing behind him.
It was impossible not to be drawn in as the comic featured a mechanical doll similar to himself, making it his first choice to read.
However, Saint was feeling a sense of self-doubt.
He was one of the few who knew the identity of Ioleen, who was using the pseudonym Lin.
‘What a talent Your Highness the Princess has…’
Ioleen’s dynamic artwork was undoubtedly rough and unpolished, but it stirred the hearts of its viewers with an intensity that surpassed that.
Not only that, but the story of the comic also unfolded in a refreshing way, making it hard to believe that this was truly her first work.
From outstanding characters to stunning designs and incredibly gorgeous battle scenes, Saint felt it was as if the work stood at the complete opposite of his own.
It wasn’t only Saint who thought so.
‘Saint, I truly failed to recognize a talented person.’
Ioleen was also reading Saint’s work first.
The piece titled [The Man of the 2nd Century], which at first appeared hard to grasp, was a remarkably serene comic compared to her own work.
But despite the calm atmosphere, the content of the work rapidly immersed Ioleen.
“‘It may be difficult to understand, but humans are beautiful in their imperfection.’”
“What?”
“Your freckled face, and your slightly protruding buck teeth.”
– That is the uniqueness that defines you. That uniqueness gives a person their individuality.
Upon hearing David’s words, the man unconsciously touched his freckles.
What he had always thought was ugly now felt for some reason really special, as the humanoid machine David put it.
“Imperfection makes humans special.”
As David spoke while watching the man touch his freckles, his face remained expressionless externally, but for some reason, it felt as though a sense of envy mirrored within.
[The Man of the 2nd Century], unlike Ioleen’s work which featured intense battles or sensational elements, captivated its audience entirely.
‘There is not just one way to unfold a story.’
Particularly, specialness easily attracts people’s attention.
But Ioleen thought that this work was demonstrating that there is something special within the ordinary.
This kind of story was the type she wished to write but could not at present.
It was a flower named experience that had bloomed in the soil of time.
This was the part she felt she could not yet surpass, leaving her somewhat disappointed.
Just like Saint and Ioleen were realizing the shortcomings in their own works by reading each other’s pieces, the same went for the others.
‘I never saw the ocean, yet such a beautiful landscape exists.’
Sena harbored rivalry specifically against Ismael among the other authors.
She was the youngest among the writers, with Ismael being next in line, so she desperately did not want to lose.
It was understandable that other authors had substantial age differences, but with Ismael being close to her age, she was determined not to fall behind.
Having learned directly from Rupert, she worried that if she lost to Ismael, who hadn’t learned from anyone, it would make Rupert disappointed, thinking she lacked talent.
Yet, Ismael’s work, [Whale of the Deep], had already given Sena the feeling of defeat from the start.
The story of a boy trying to rescue his father, swallowed by a legendary beast from the sea called the whale, felt thrilling even for Sena, a girl.
Especially, the scene depicting sunlight reflecting off the waves when the ocean came into play was breathtakingly beautiful.
At the same time, Ismael was experiencing similar thoughts.
‘How could this art be created?’
While reading Sena’s comic, Ismael was captivated by the delicate backgrounds and stunningly dressed characters.
By meticulously dotting every detail in his drawings, Sena created a dreamlike and mysterious ambiance; her work was entertaining even just to look at it.
Of course, the story itself might have been seemingly ordinary.
It resembled one of Rupert’s fairy tale books and shared elements with knight literature, familiar tales woven into the comic.
Yet, that was what frightened him even more.
He had assumed that his work would especially please boys, especially young ones, as Rupert had said.
However, Sena’s work seemed enjoyable and accessible to anyone, regardless of gender or age, which left Ismael feeling conflicted.
‘To think she’s younger than me and already creating works like this, that kid is a genius.’
He couldn’t help but marvel at Sena’s artistry.
*
“Cough… This is it! This is exactly the kind of work I’ve been looking for!!!”
On the day Manhwapia was released, the variety of works left people buzzing about the stories they had just seen.
However, among the multitude of pieces, two works stood out as the highlight.
Duma’s [The Count of Monte Cristo] and Rupert’s [Van Helsing].
My site has received a lot of DMCA notices, lol. From now on, I will update the MTL on https://darkmtl.com/.
The site is fast and lightweight because there are no ads yet. However, the theme is different from Cybor-TL, so take some time to familiarize yourself.
Support me by donating at least $10, and you'll have the right to request any novel from Novelpia (excluding 19+ content) using a newly developed tool.
Thanks for da chapter
Love it, please update again soon.
Ahh yes “The Count of Monte Cristo”
I hope the dude he hate the most will read it
Thank for the chapter!
Oh shi?! That was count’s story?! I knew it felt familiar….