“The vast grounds of the mansion are no longer what they used to be.”
Alain remarked as he glanced at a new building being constructed on one side of the mansion.
Reflecting on the once lush garden now replaced by emptiness after the fall of the family, Alain couldn’t help but feel a deep sense of nostalgia.
“I think it’s better to build it big this time.”
Rupert, standing beside Alain, was also observing the newly rising structure.
Originally, there were two separate factories built on the grounds for books and merchandise, but even though they were close, traveling back and forth felt cumbersome, prompting them to consolidate everything in one place.
The plan was to have the heavy book factory on the first floor, the various merchandise factory on the second, and finally, a space on the third floor for the new animation business.
“Thinking about it again, this isn’t a bad thing; it’s actually a great opportunity.”
Looking at the new factory, Rupert couldn’t help but recall events that occurred at the Imperial Palace.
The emperor, pondering on how to reward Rupert, who had turned down the position of the crown prince’s chamberlain.
Yustaf, who stood beside Rupert with a thoughtful frown, finally spoke.
“Your Majesty, didn’t Sir Saint, the royal painter, retire not too long ago?”
“Indeed. He wanted to pursue something else and requested to resign.”
“He also held a position as a professor in our academy’s art department, leaving a vacancy upon his resignation.”
“Hmm… The academy is the future of the empire, and a sudden vacancy could be troubling, Yustaf.”
“Exactly. That’s why I’d like to recommend Sir Rupert Somerset for that position.”
“Oh, I see. That could work.”
As the emperor and Yustaf made decisions without consulting Rupert, the latter found himself bewildered.
Suddenly being thrust into the position of an art professor at the Imperial Academy was daunting, especially since he never intended to go there in the first place.
However, even Rupert couldn’t refuse the emperor’s command twice. The first refusal was justified for inheriting the family lineage, but there was no valid excuse to decline the academy position.
The only weak excuses were his young age and adequate skill, but since the emperor approved and deemed it fine, dismissing it would imply questioning the emperor’s judgment.
In the end, Rupert became a professor at the academy without any resistance, achieving the record of being the youngest professor at the Imperial Academy at 17.
Having left the palace, Rupert wanted to confront Yustaf for recommending him without consent, but Yustaf was now his superior.
Moreover, he lacked the courage to confront the grand mage of the empire, whom even the emperor treated with utmost respect.
Yet, Yustaf gave Rupert some hope amidst his gloominess.
“I heard your research proposal has been estimated at the Mage Tower.”
“How did you…?”
“I had my reasons. Anyway, the academy provides a rather generous research support fund to its professors. Enough for you to proceed with the research you estimated.”
Yustaf’s interest in Rupert’s peculiar aura, which prompted him to investigate secretly, was left unsaid, but Rupert was already hooked on one vital phrase.
“Research Support Fund”
Thinking of the sweet phrase reminiscent of the imperial support fund that once helped him set up his merchandise factory, Rupert started making calculations.
Previously abandoned due to financial issues, the animation business.
If he could cover the most significant hurdle, research and development funding, the rest could be managed with investments from himself and the Yuren Trading Company.
After returning from the palace and discussing extensively with Esteban, they decided to seize this opportunity.
The time taken away by the academy was not as demanding as initially thought. A couple of lectures here and there were all that was required.
In contrast, the benefits were numerous.
The research support fund was essential, and the academy was the perfect place to recruit the most prized asset for starting the animation business: talent.
Recruit promising artists and musicians, both essential components of animation, from there as well.
With an engineering department, developing animation-related tools could also be requested there.
The academy seemed like a never-ending treasure trove, much like a certain magic pocket, rather than just an academy.
“Commuting is possible, so it’s not bad.”
Unlike students who had to live on campus, professors could live wherever they pleased.
Those burdened by commuting could be assigned accommodations, while others could use the magic transfer circle near the academy’s main gate.
Since the decision was already made, Rupert aimed to extract every ounce of benefit from the academy, leading to the construction project he was now witnessing.
Having confirmed the smooth progress of the construction, Rupert returned to his studio to continue working on parts 7 and 8 of ‘Iron Blood Alchemist’.
Simultaneously, he roughly sketched out the storyline for a new children’s book, ‘Pinocchio’.
Thanks to previous sketches, the work was smooth.
“Academy, huh….”
Rupert wanted to finish ‘Iron Blood Alchemist’ before entering the academy, but it was simply not feasible time-wise.
Volumes 7 and 8 seemed possible, but volumes 9 and 10 might need to be completed at the academy.
With just a month left until the entrance ceremony, Rupert knew he had to push himself to work hard and felt some worries creeping in.
“There wasn’t much in the entrance ceremony episode.”
The original novel ‘The Youngest Son of the Royal Family’ showed its romance-fantasy nature in some parts, yet it also failed in others.
In the beginning, like a typical romance fantasy, the light-hearted comedy played out as the male protagonist, the Third Prince, and the female protagonist, Amelia, became conscious of each other.
However, when the enemies attacked the academy later on, it was hard to discern whether it was still a romance fantasy or a typical academy story.
“The original storyline has already been twisted.”
The Abyssal Order disappeared from the empire, yet they were initially the group that attacked the academy, so relying on the original plot was unwise.
“The Scarlet Witch Ignicia”
The person responsible for changing Ariel’s hair from red to blue suddenly came to mind.
Ignicia, the witch with blood-red hair, was one of the antagonists who attacked the academy.
She intended to take a forbidden magical book hidden within the academy, and in the process, became interested and obsessed with the Third Prince, leading to a predictable storyline.
As a significant antagonist throughout the latter part of the story, she was infamous for her crimes across the empire, spreading the dread of her red hair.
Her profound hatred for humanity made her a highly dangerous figure.
Rupert knew that unlike the sword master Third Prince, he’d be roasted alive if he ever encountered her.
“The only thing to do is to prevent Yustaf from ever leaving the academy.”
The original reason the antagonists could attack the academy was largely due to the headmaster’s mysterious absences.
If Yustaf remained in the academy, nothing short of a dragon appearing could have shaken it.
Despite regularly working out with Mularus after his recovery, Rupert’s physical strength barely rivaled that of an average adult male.
He had no means to navigate crises through sheer force.
Though relying entirely on Yustaf was unsettling, Rupert couldn’t stop worrying and felt trapped without any feasible solutions.
Woof!
Out of nowhere, Rach approached the troubled Rupert and barked softly.
Seeing Rach barking as if asking if there were any worries, Rupert chuckled dryly.
“Are you really a dog?”
Woof!
Rach seemed to avert its gaze as a response to Rupert’s question, but attributing it to imagination, Rupert simply stroked Rach’s fur.
“Should I really take Rach with me?”
Remembering how Rach had subdued a dark wizard before, it seemed like a reliable guard dog, but Rupert quickly dismissed that thought.
Upcoming foes were incredibly vicious, and imagining Rach getting hurt and Aida crying for days was not something he wanted to entertain.
*
“Still, Snow White is my favorite.”
Sena, now well-versed in drawing after learning from Rupert, could draw quite proficiently.
Of course, her brilliant talent played a significant role, but Rupert’s systematic art education tailored for her in the modern era also facilitated her development.
She could now significantly assist with Rupert’s work, but Rupert still prevented her from working for extended periods.
In her spare time, she would either play with Aida or draw alone.
What Sena often drew were characters from Snow White.
For Sena, ‘Snow White’ was a meaningful work that had helped her meet her dear friend Kroon.
She liked it the most out of Rupert’s numerous works and often emulated it in her drawings.
“But a princess looks prettier with long hair!”
She would change things up a bit when drawing and would sometimes alter the story slightly as well.
The enchanting story of the beautiful sleeping Snow White who ate a poisoned apple.
Imagining how she would alter the story was incredibly enjoyable.
Using what she’d learned from aiding Rupert, Sena started outlining her envisioned story in a storyboard.
The alluring concept of a sleeping princess was kept intact.
However, instead of the poisoned apple, a witch’s curse seemed more intriguing.
“Still, a prince’s kiss to awaken her….”
Adding this and that to her imagination, Sena continued drawing her storyboard.
Unbeknownst to Sena, a little kid was secretly watching her curiously.
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