Meeting the Goddess, Rupert could now act according to his own will, and he set one goal.
‘I must advance the culture of this world and reach its ultimate stage.’
What Rupert wanted was to disrupt the status quo of this world.
To be precise, he hoped to first showcase things that were yet to be developed and released, with the expectation that the works of this world would follow suit.
Having witnessed how pioneers changed markets on Earth, Rupert was convinced this method would work.
For example, there was a time when Apple released smartphones, and a flood of competing smartphone brands emerged globally.
The surviving ones became the smartphones of today, and Apple, having paved the way as a pioneer, became one of the most renowned companies in the world.
Rupert wanted to be a pioneer of the cultural industry in this world.
‘That’s not just a dream.’
One of the ideas discussed with the guild leader Esteban was Somerset Land.
Rupert’s grand plan to create a massive amusement park based on the fairy tale books and comic books he was currently drawing, turning it into a landmark of the Empire.
Though it was unrealistic to include roller coasters or free-fall rides, it’s perfectly feasible to create merry-go-rounds, Ferris wheels, or haunted houses, which were the plans he had generated.
However, at that time, he abandoned the idea due to the massive capital required and concerns about whether enough people would gather in Somerset Territory to maintain that amusement park.
But seeing the increasing popularity of fairy tale books and comic books led by Somerset Goods Store, Rupert was convinced this could work.
“I need to make money. This time, I’ll rob everyone equally!”
Of course, such a plan required an incredible amount of funding, so it had to be secured.
The result was [The King of Cards].
“TCGs yield substantial first-mover advantages, so this will be a robust funding source going forward.”
The [King of Cards] Rupert planned to create was a comic based on the trending card games from Earth.
Among the successful trading card games (TCGs) on Earth, Pokémon and Yu-Gi-Oh! stood out, both being card games based on their original works.
In other words, for a card game to succeed, it must have the charm to make people want to collect those cards, and that potential comes from the strength of the original work.
If the cards seen in the comics were to be released in reality, people would covet them, creating a cycle leading to a successful card game.
‘To make that happen, I first need to establish a good game setting from the planning stage.’
Of course, just because a card game is based on a comic doesn’t guarantee success.
‘After all, the original also had concepts of winning by smashing the moon or machines rusting over time as an excuse.’
In fact, many successful card games started without considering the elements necessary for card games.
Instead, they found success and later turned into profitable card games.
This often meant that hastily created settings for card games would lead to inconsistencies in the comics.
A prime example is Yu-Gi-Oh!.
When he was younger, he thought there couldn’t be a more absurd card game than the chaotic original manga.
But once he understood it was born from the need to quickly create rules due to overwhelming popularity of the card game, Rupert finally grasped it.
Thus, he intended to thoroughly consider balance right from the planning stage while drawing.
‘I can’t just create a magic card to draw three cards and let players discard one for zero cost.’
Since [White Whale] still had two weeks until completion, it was crucial to nail down the rules and settings as meticulously as possible by then.
Once a certain portion of the comic was out, Rupert planned to sell the cards in the goods store, so he needed to establish a factory to produce the cards too.
‘Oh, speaking of which, the animation theater is also underway.’
Despite being overwhelmed with various tasks, Rupert couldn’t help but feel joyous, knowing that everything would signify the end of hardship and the beginning of happiness once it all commenced.
*
“The line has inexplicably grown longer than before.”
“Well, another incident happened that’s just like the comic, right?”
“That’s true. I can’t believe such a tragic event happened in Sleepy Territory.”
On the day of the release of Manhwapia.
Lines at Yuren Merchant Association branches were usually long, but today they were particularly stretched.
“This comic was drawn after receiving a revelation from the goddess!”
“I can’t believe those vampires actually existed.”
“Have you heard about Baron Sleepy? There are rumors that he, a hidden master, sliced through dozens of vampires in a single stroke…”
Rumors that began circulating recently had received confirmation from the Imperial Family and Church, making them credible.
The Night’s Kin, who had been tainted by the abyss, attempted to plunge the Empire into crisis, but now Baron Sleepy had stepped up and fought against them to victory.
It was said that thanks to the support of the Somerset Family, they could fend off the enemies, though unfortunately, the battlefield of Sleepy Territory suffered catastrophic damage, a story that made waves across the Empire.
At first, people didn’t understand what Night’s Kin was, but once the announcement came, they were all shocked.
“Are those the vampires from Van Helsing?”
Rupert’s [Van Helsing], serialized in Manhwapia, was indeed a popular comic, boasting a large readership.
They could immediately recognize that the Night’s Kin resembled the vampires from [Van Helsing].
“The last Abyss Cult incident was said to have closely mirrored the Imperial Alchemical Circle in the Iron-Blooded Alchemist.”
As people pondered the eerily coinciding events in the comic and reality, an announcement arrived to confirm everything.
– Sir Rupert Somerset has saved the Empire from crisis following the Goddess’s revelation.
The announcement from the Goddess Church, particularly the representative Saintess, sealed the deal.
‘This is something I absolutely have to see!’
‘Designate Van Helsing as required reading for the Empire, and make sure libraries and bookstores have it available…’
‘I have to get the new issue of Manhwapia! Van Helsing is practically a prophetic text!!!’
With this turn of events, nobles and commoners alike lined up, eagerly awaiting the release day of Manhwapia, leading to an unprecedented long line.
“I’ll buy all the initial prints of Manhwapia! I’ll pay ten times the original price!”
“Is he insane? Just ten times? I could sell it for over twenty times that in a bookstore. Have you ever seen such a scammer?”
Moreover, it became a ridiculous situation where works created by Rupert, including [Van Helsing], were treated almost like religious artifacts containing the Goddess’s revelations, causing prices to skyrocket.
But not everyone in line was there solely to profit.
“I enjoy war.”
A horrific scene unfolded before their eyes, as the dismembered bodies of the lowest-ranking members of the Van Helsing organization formed a bloodbath.
In the middle of it stood a man quietly beginning to speak.
“I find war utterly delightful.”
With each step, the squishing sound of blood splattering beneath his shoes accompanied his voice like a haunting melody.
“I love skirmishes, attrition battles. Full-scale wars are good, and of course, blitzkrieg is wonderful!”
– In forests! On plains! In snowy mountains! In deserts! I cherish wars where blood and foes abound, wherever it may be!
The man poured forth his words like a rapid-fire gun, and his eyes sparkled with sheer joy.
“Do you desire war?”
“War! War!! War!!!”
“Yes, that’s it! For hundreds of years, we have required no ordinary war. Only a grand war shall suffice.”
In the man’s voice, hundreds of gleaming eyes hidden in the darkness cheered.
“Our thousand vampires shall turn the continent into a sea of flames!”
Gulp.
“Now that’s a real lunatic.”
“I agree. How can such madness be felt even through a drawing?”
“This guy must be the ultimate foe in Van Helsing!”
The unveiling of the hidden secret organization’s antagonist in this installment left the audience breathless, unable to take a breath while reading the comic.
While previous villains had their charm, the Dracula from this chapter truly captivated the audience.
Though a villain and an enemy to the protagonist and others, the overwhelming madness presented in this chapter was enough to envelop everyone, leaving them consumed in talks about Dracula.
“By the way, speaking of which, [White Whale] will surely wrap up next week, right?”
“Considering the developments this week, with Moby Dick finally meeting its end, there’s no more content to add.”
“Oh, look at this!”
The attention of those who had read the buzzed about [Van Helsing] turned immediately to the next work: [White Whale].
Over the past few weeks, the story had ramped up at a rapid pace, leading to the start of the battle between the protagonist and the white whale ‘Moby Dick’ that swallowed the protagonist’s father.
Finally, this week’s published content showed the protagonist and his comrades defeating Moby Dick, making readers marvel at the exhilarating plot and magnificent scenes.
However, questions arose since Moby Dick, the main subject and ultimate boss of [White Whale], meeting its doom signified that the story was reaching its conclusion as well.
And what caught their eye was a single line written on the last page of the magazine.
– Next week: The long-awaited final of [White Whale], and the start of the new series [The King of Cards]!
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