Chapter 82

On the first day of Rupert’s art major lecture, everything went smoothly.

Even for a typical professor, it’s not easy to teach while completely ignoring the student’s family background, but Rupert had no qualms about evaluating students solely on their skills.

So, whether they were commoners or nobles, the students of the art department had to put in a desperate effort to finish their lectures on time and avoid receiving any further assignments.

“I distinctly remember assigning 10 sketches, so why do I only see 7?”

“Professor, we’ve never drawn so harshly before, and it’s too hard! Keeping up with other lectures while doing art assignments is overwhelming!”

“Go!”

In the face of Rupert’s assignment to submit 10 sketches in just 3 days, a student’s woeful plea to reduce the workload was evident.

But Rupert shook his head resolutely.

“Everything that the students wear—uniforms, shoes, meals—none are free from the blood and sweat of the Empire’s citizens.”

“-If you’re going to give up because it’s hard, then quit the academy and go back to your family immediately.”

Rupert’s rare commanding voice resonated.

“Neglecting assignments is something that cannot happen in an academy responsible for the future of the Empire. The only way to repay the Empire is to study hard and put in effort.”

The students lowered their heads upon hearing Rupert’s words.

Indeed, the Imperial Academy received considerable funding every year from the royal family to nurture talent, and that money came from the taxes of the Empire’s citizens.

Since the academy’s students, who were learning so much, felt pride in being the very talents that would lead the Empire’s future, they couldn’t afford to complain just because an assignment was tough.

‘Hmm, you all must not become lazy; if so, you won’t be able to keep up with me in the dreams… no, you must improve your skills.’

Sketching is the fundamental foundation of drawing, and Rupert absolutely could not compromise on this.

Often, those who think they have talent in drawing easily overlook the basics, which are sketches.

They spend hours, sometimes dozens of hours, perfecting a single picture and feel proud of the result.

Of course, if it’s just a hobby, then that’s fine, but if they truly want to draw properly, it’s something that absolutely cannot happen.

Practicing sketching to develop observational skills may not be immediately noticeable, but upon reflection, it becomes a solid foundation for their artwork.

Rupert believed that the difference between those who didn’t practice out of laziness and those who did consistently would eventually show in their fingertips.

Thus, sketching was an indispensable assignment in the crucial process of forming one’s unique drawing style.

And without a doubt, the skills of the students doing Rupert’s heavy assignment were significantly advancing.

In the first place, those with outstanding talent in the field of drawing had gathered in the Empire, and Rupert’s systematic education was filling in the essential areas for their development.

However, they simply did not notice it yet.

“Soria student?”

“Yes?”

Rupert’s eyes sparkled as he checked the students’ assignments.

Soria, a student’s name, had submitted 20 sketches.

The assignment was clearly for only 10, but Soria’s submission, double the required amount, stood out distinctly.

“Drawing 20 sketches, that’s amazing.”

“Yes, it’s just that I don’t have any particular hobbies, so I end up drawing in my spare time…”

With Soria’s answer, Rupert’s eyes gleamed even brighter.

Sketching was about capturing the essence neatly; it was never about hastily drawing something.

Unlike other students, whose works often appeared rushed to fill a number, Soria’s sketches, despite being 20, felt like they were thoughtfully captured and conveyed.

“Soria, do you have any plans for this weekend?”

“…No, but why do you ask…?”

“It’s nothing special; I just want to invite you for a meal since I see you as an exceptional student.”

Soria’s expression lit up as she approached Rupert, who was smiling warmly while inviting her to dine at the Somerset mansion this weekend and see his book workshop.

“Really?”

“Of course, I’ll invite you right away this week.”

Both a thrilled Soria and her envious classmates looked on.

They were readers of the fairy tales and comic books that Rupert created, so witnessing the workshop where such books were born sparked great interest.

‘I really need to work hard on my assignments to visit too!’

‘I don’t like it, but since Rupert Somerset is close to the royal family, it wouldn’t hurt to befriend him.’

‘I heard there are dwarves at the Somerset workshop; I want to see them too.’

Unexpectedly, the students felt motivated, while Rupert thought to himself that he’d have to hide the weary artisans during Soria’s visit this weekend.

*

“Your works seem rather difficult.”

“Really? I do feel like they might be too complex myself.”

While Rupert was enchanting students at the academy, on the third floor of the workshop, a heated discussion was taking place between Saint and Sena.

“Sena, your work has really improved!”

“Really?”

“Yes, with this, it’s definitely a story that even boys and adults would enjoy.”

The two were sharing feedback on each other’s works, striving to enhance their creations.

Ever since Rupert informed them about plans to feature their works in an upcoming comic magazine, both Saint and Sena were filled with excitement and enthusiasm to create great works.

In particular, they were trying hard to address the points Rupert had pointed out. In Saint’s case, he had received advice to consider the readers more than his imagination.

While his story about a mechanical human was novel and unique,

‘Am I reading a comic or an educational book?’

Perhaps it was because he tried to inject too many of his thoughts and drawings.

There were issues that made it hard to read and required a second look for understanding.

As a result, Saint was given the task of reducing the number of panels per page and the amount of dialogue, and he was working hard to fix this.

Of course, he had to ensure that the essence of his work remained intact, making it a very challenging task.

On the other hand, Sena’s feedback concerned the story’s direction.

“Sena, who do you want this book to be read by?”

“I want it to be read by many people, just like the Young Master’s works.”

“Then how about adding a story that might be appealing to regular people, like men or adults?”

Sena’s tale about a princess cursed by a witch to sleep was undoubtedly an attractive story.

However, the problem was that its audience was primarily limited to girls, particularly children.

Compared to the fairy tales Rupert created, which often had varying audiences based on gender and age, the new comic magazine would need elements that could intrigue a broader range.

Hence, Sena transformed the protagonist from a princess to a hero.

To save the princess who fell asleep due to the witch’s curse, one must defeat the witch.

The plot centered around the hero’s adventures, meeting companions, and facing trials along the way.

“What if other works gain more popularity than ours?”

“Well, there’s no guarantee that other authors won’t surpass us.”

The two put in so much effort to improve their works not just for themselves.

In a way, they were Rupert’s direct apprentices.

They feared that if their works were not well-received or were rated poorly compared to those winning competitions, it would reflect poorly on Rupert’s honor.

After all, if their skills were lacking, it wouldn’t be good for Rupert, who was currently fulfilling the role of a professor at the academy.

Moreover, knowing how passionate Rupert was about the upcoming comic magazine made them even more anxious.

What if their works ended up being subpar and affected the magazine’s success? Such thoughts plagued their minds.

Rupert always told them their works were interesting and that they didn’t have to worry, but they couldn’t help but feel concerned.

Thus, they chose to collaborate, giving feedback on each other’s works to improve them in whatever small way they could.

What they could do right now was to create more entertaining works.

*

“Wow, brother, aren’t you a bit too busy these days?”

“How’s your wedding preparation going?”

After a long time, the Crown Prince and the Second Prince finally had a moment to chat.

Only recently had they started to engage in conversation, even though the Second Prince had always been attentive towards the Crown Prince, it was the Crown Prince who had kept his distance.

However, it was surprising for William when the Crown Prince spontaneously said to him,

“Why don’t we go see Mother together?”

For someone who usually received only half-hearted replies when speaking to his brother, the Crown Prince initiating a conversation felt like a remarkable change.

When the rumors circulated about the Crown Prince changing, William had dismissed them as mere gossip, so his brother’s attitude felt strange to him.

Yet, witnessing his brother make the effort to approach him, William was now convinced he had truly changed.

‘What on earth happened?’

‘I’ve learned that the pain I went through was not something special, and that people must overcome it and grow.’

The once immature and impatient figure of his brother looked immensely more mature lately.

While he used to be someone who wouldn’t embrace anyone, he now exuded the regal presence of someone aiming to embrace the entire Empire.

“Don’t even mention marriage. Isn’t this all your fault?”

“Hahaha, your foolish brother has caused you trouble, hasn’t he?”

“I just wanted to know where you went yesterday!”

“Yesterday? Oh, I was at Ioleen’s palace for her request.”

“Ioleen?”

William’s gaze sharpened at the Crown Prince’s answer.

William had previously investigated Ioleen and Edric’s whereabouts after they left the palace, which was why he reacted this way.

‘Both of them seem very suspicious.’

He had heard that Ioleen had taken to walking outside a lot lately at night.

Moreover, she maintained a distance from her attendants and guards, often meeting with someone.

His covert guards had reported that the princess was also allegedly engaging in something through her covert guards.

Edric, the Third Prince, was also quite suspicious.

It was no secret that he had modified a room at the imperial workshop.

Even though he had entered the academy now, there were reports that he had been consistently engaging in external activities and secretly joined a covert Doujinshi Club prior to his enrollment.

‘Doujinshi Club, huh?’

Given that it was such a secretive social club, it was difficult to join, and even his own covert guard had failed to gain membership.

On the surface, they seemed to gather out of shared hobbies, but the level of secrecy made it seem quite suspicious.

‘What kind of schemes are they up to?’

William had once cared little about which of the two would become emperor, but now his attitude had changed.

Now that his brother had grown so astute and remarkable, William believed that the next emperor should be the Crown Prince, Alex.

“Ioleen looked at my arm and got so excited, saying she needed a little time.”

“Your arm?”

Certainly, the new Golem’s Arm Alex wore looked fascinating and cool, no matter how many times one glanced at it.

But was that really enough reason for her to call him over for a closer look?

William’s suspicions about Ioleen didn’t easily dissipate.

“I think she was earnestly sketching something while looking at me.”

Oblivious to William’s inner turmoil, Alex was simply thrilled to have a conversation with his sister after a long time.

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