“Jenia, are you secretly reading comics again?”
“Ah! No, I was just looking at it for a moment after finishing my studies… really!”
The red-haired girl, Jenia, innocently hid the comic book behind her back as she defended herself.
Yustaf could tell from her words that there was some truth to them.
After all, the remnants of Jenia’s mana still lingered in the room, indicating that she had indeed been studying magic until just moments ago.
‘Not only is she naturally talented, but she’s also quite bright.’
In Yustaf’s experience, having nurtured countless students, Jenia undoubtedly stood out as the most gifted among them.
He had a wizard’s instinct that she might someday surpass him.
When he first brought her here, he was amazed to find that she could read to some extent without any formal instruction. When he asked her about it, she replied, “I learned from books… fairy tales and comics.”
The unbelievable fact that she had taught herself to read was astonishing.
And it wasn’t just that; although he had written his magic theories as clearly as possible, even the undergraduate students at the academy struggled to comprehend them.
Jenia, however, understood and accepted them so effortlessly, almost as if it were second nature.
‘If this child were to go down a dark path…’
Yustaf was relieved that Jenia had such a pure-hearted character as his final student.
Had she strayed into wickedness, the Empire might have faced a grave threat in the near future.
“Now I’m curious about just how interesting this new comic book is that you’ve been reading.”
“…Here you go.”
Jenia’s expression was quite ambiguous as she handed over the comic book she had hidden behind her back.
The conflicting feelings of not wanting to give it up but feeling she must show it to her inquisitive teacher made for a rather entertaining sight.
‘A “Iron-Blooded Alchemist”?’
Yustaf primarily researched magic, but he was also familiar with the basics of alchemy.
While it was common for wizards to appear in novels, a book centered around an alchemist—especially a comic—piqued his interest.
Before he knew it, he had settled in and was eagerly reading “Iron-Blooded Alchemist.”
And soon enough, his eyes began to widen.
*
“Kroon! Look! We made a tremendous profit again today!”
Sena burst in, shaking her pockets with a bright smile.
“Hmph. Of course, the pieces and accessories I made can’t possibly be compared to those made by mere humans.”
“But why can’t you make a glass coffin?”
“That’s….”
As always, Kroon was about to boast about his craftsmanship when the topic of glass coffins silenced him.
The mystical glass coffin created by the dwarfs in the fairy tale “Snow White” to protect the princess, who fell into a deep sleep from poison, came to mind.
‘What on earth is that!!’
Kroon felt a sense of injustice. How could he possibly create a magical item that preserves the person inside just as they are?
And to carve it from glass? Such delicate craftsmanship was only possible for the most outstanding artisans among dwarfs.
It wasn’t that he lacked skill; the difficulty of making it was simply too high.
‘Wow, even Kroon, being a dwarf, can’t make it? But the seven dwarfs managed it.’
Sena’s repeated provocations were driving him insane.
“Those seven dwarfs, those seven dwarfs!”
“Where on earth did that author meet such ridiculous dwarfs to come up with this nonsense description?”
“Well, thanks to Kroon, I was able to buy this comic book.”
“Hmph, it’s no use praising me now, you little rascal. And I told you to buy something to eat, but you insisted on getting this instead.”
Kroon’s creation of wooden jewelry and figurines stemmed from a desire to repay Sena for her kindness, especially since she often faced hunger due to her circumstances.
Yet this little brat really wouldn’t listen at all.
Instead of bringing back some meat, she blew all her money on this new comic book she just had to see.
“But look here! Another item made by a dwarf appears!”
“What?”
Kroon jolted at Sena’s words.
He was fearful of what wild creation that crazy author had come up with now, using dwarfs as an excuse again.
It was evident she would mock him again for not being able to make whatever it was.
“Look, Kroon! They show a new Golem’s Arm here, and it’s described as a prosthetic limb crafted through dwarven vision!”
“New Golem’s Arm?”
Inside the comic book Sena opened, there was a prosthetic limb and arm unlike anything he had ever seen before.
‘What on earth is this?’
A steel item that moved just like a real arm, connected through nerves.
It was labeled a New Golem’s Arm.
Kroon examined every scene where the New Golem’s Arm appeared without missing a beat.
‘Could it be that the author really has a dwarf by their side?’
He couldn’t help but feel awed. While the book didn’t detail the applications, he could sense how it might function just by its shape.
“Wait, they must have used steel of different strength for this, but more importantly, this connection needs special materials or else it won’t move flexibly like a joint…”
Before he knew it, Kroon was engrossed in reading the comic book.
Sena was surprised at Kroon’s unusual focus. He usually just scribbled away when making figurines or jewelry, often chatting playfully while doing so.
Seeing him so invested was a first.
‘Buying a comic book was definitely better than meat.’
Sena thought as she watched Kroon concentrate.
*
“Wow, this is seriously impressive.”
I couldn’t help but express my admiration.
In my hand was a silver, antique pocket watch.
Its exterior had the magic circle I designed myself from the comic book neatly engraved on it, making the overall design beautiful enough for practical use as a timepiece.
Even someone unfamiliar with the comic would think it looked like an exquisite pocket watch.
Moreover, when I opened the watch, a photo of the protagonist siblings with their mother, which I had illustrated, was inside the lid.
‘The essence of merchandise lies in the details.’
Thanks to emphasizing elements that must be included, it was beautifully adorned.
“As a merchant myself, I can confidently say this item would sell exceptionally well.”
Esteban, the Merchant Guild Leader, also seemed impressed with the watch’s quality, examining it from various angles and showering it with compliments.
However, he soon let out a sigh.
“Ha… are you really planning to sell just 12 of these, or will it be a lottery instead?”
“Well, you can’t mass-produce something like this anyway.”
“That’s true.”
I had no intention of selling the nation’s certified alchemist’s pocket watch, which was the first product of the Iron-Blooded Alchemist goods.
I planned to give it away for free through a lottery for those who purchased the comic book.
When the Guild Leader first heard my plan, he called me crazy, but I was confident.
‘This is definitely going to be a hit.’
This pocket watch merchandise couldn’t be produced in bulk.
With artisans handcrafting each piece, even if the factory operated day and night, only 12 could be made at most.
In short, to make money off of this, I would need to price it ridiculously high.
Even if people wanted it, charging an exorbitant price would likely have negative long-term effects.
So, it was better to put it up as a lottery prize instead.
Growing the comic book sales, which was crucial, was certainly more important than pocketing a small profit and damaging my image.
Moreover,
“For each comic book purchased, one lottery ticket will be obtained, so those who desire this merchandise will surely buy multiple copies.”
“Indeed, I hadn’t considered that. Getting people to buy multiple copies of the same item is truly… remarkable.”
That’s right, a devilish marketing tactic.
Are you watching, Korean idol agencies?
Your offspring is once again bringing honor to the nation here.
Isn’t this what Mr. Kim Gu meant by cultural victory?
Spreading K-marketing to another world.
If this were known in Korea, my proud image would have undoubtedly been broadcasted from the 9 o’clock news to patriotic YouTube channels.
What a pity.
“By the way, are you really okay with this?”
“What do you mean?”
“You could certainly trust me to pick someone to help with the illustrations.”
Ah, that?
Lately, with working on the second volume of Iron-Blooded Alchemist and the fairy tale book at Aida’s request, I felt like I needed ten hands.
So, I had discussed with the Guild Leader about hiring an assistant.
When I insisted that I wanted to personally choose, he wondered if that was really necessary.
But this was something I had to do.
While a simple assistant could get by with just being good at drawing, I needed someone who could offer more than that.
‘I used to know an author who couldn’t draw at all.’
There was an author from Japan, who could be called the original creator of comic books, that had their work serialized with child-like drawings and adapted into an anime.
While drawing is undoubtedly an important aspect of comics, it isn’t everything.
I needed someone who understood the works I created and could support me in that.
That’s why I insisted that I would personally oversee the assistant interviews.
I was a bit worried, though. There was no guarantee I would find such talent, even in a world where comic artists had become mainstream.
But worrying about it wouldn’t help, so I set it aside and reviewed the merchandise production process with the Guild Leader once more.
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