Chapter 90

The Second Prince of the Empire, William Bell, was known as a lecher.

However, the truth was that he didn’t really like women that much. He was merely playing the part to avoid unnecessary attention and controversy.

Now that his elder brother, the Crown Prince, had solidified his position, he was engaging in activities that reflected his true hobbies instead of meeting women he had no interest in.

“Interesting,”

William made a face of amusement as he read the information provided by his Dark Guards.

Each member of the Imperial family had assigned Dark Guards, and they all served different purposes based on their role.

In William’s case, he typically tasked his Dark Guards with gathering information, so while it wasn’t as extensive as the Imperial Intelligence Department, he had a considerable amount of data.

What he was reading now contained details about the recent activities and movement patterns of the Princess and the Third Prince, tracking their every move.

If there was something even his father, the Emperor, didn’t know, it would likely be William, who took after him the most.

– “Our youngest, even though mother is no longer with us, always follow the Emperor and the Crown Prince well.”

The reason he had remained quiet until now was solely due to his mother’s dying wish.

However, his true nature was closer to coldness, and in some aspects, he was sharp enough to be cruel.

He had no hesitation in eliminating elements that posed a threat to himself and the Imperial family, and he had secretly handled those with ulterior motives by utilizing information without them even realizing it.

The process was so seamless that even the Intelligence Department dismissed it as mere coincidence, leaving only William and his Dark Guards aware of the truth.

“A comic contest, that reckless Ioleen is always doing things her way.”

Ioleen, the flower of the Empire, was seen as a danger despite public opinion, as William suspected.

Of course, it wasn’t that her nature was evil.

She was just too innocent.

She would cling to whatever piqued her interest and then promptly lose interest, more like a child than anything else.

Yet her talents were far too remarkable to dismiss her as a mere child.

Until now, she seemed uninterested in the throne, but if she ever set her sights on it, could he stop her? That thought lingered in his mind.

So, what was she scheming recently that even involved his Dark Guards, which led him to conduct a covert investigation, resulting in a report that completely caught him off guard?

“Now that I think about it, the first comic book, The Kingdom of Ice, was also created under her guidance.”

Was she no longer satisfied with just reading reports?

The fact that Ioleen participated in a contest hosted by Rupert and the Yuren Merchant Association and won first prize was certainly surprising. Still, it was positive that her interest had shifted toward comics.

What should truly be noted was the Third Prince side.

“The Prince of Sylvania not only attended lectures but also joined the same club….”

William recalled his younger brother.

The youngest, while similar to Ioleen, had distinct differences.

If Ioleen were a natural genius, then Edric was undoubtedly talented but had earned his abilities through hard work.

Even Edric’s pride, swordsmanship, had not been that exceptional at the start.

However, having practiced swordsmanship every day for ten years, William knew very well that he had reached his current level.

He thought, among those who could dive deeply into something with passion, if anyone had both genius and effort, it would unquestionably be Edric.

“Is this really a coincidence?”

Should he consider the involvement of the Prince from another country, along with the powerful nobles from the north, the Bluewell, near his brother?

Once suspicion begins, it never truly ends, and even if he wanted to pass this off, it felt too coincidental.

William assumed that the Imperial Intelligence Department had likely already commenced an investigation into this situation.

“Above all, it’s bothersome that this guy keeps standing out.”

– Report on Rupert Somerset.

The materials regarding Rupert Somerset started off with content that made his head spin from the very first page.

“It seems he has a very close relationship with the Crown Prince and appears to be connected to the Princess as well.”

Moreover, he was surprised to learn that the Emperor, his father, had even offered him the position of Head Attendant.

No one was more untrusting than his father, and he wouldn’t make such an offer out of mere gratitude.

“It’s also noted that he has met the Third Prince at the Academy as a professor and student and has maintained close ties with the House of Duke Bluewell.”

The report stated that not only was the Crown Prince connected to everyone in the royal family besides himself, but he was also closely linked with the Empire’s powerful figures, surprising William.

If he had planned this from the start and approached them, he couldn’t help but think he was a truly formidable individual.

“I’ll have to meet him in person; until then, I’ll withhold my judgment.”

No matter how suspicious and how much evidence seemed half certain, a verification process was still needed.

William believed further research was necessary.

*

“I really like the theme of revenge. But right now, it’s too focused on revenge to the point where it’s burdensome for viewers.”

Duma nodded along to Rupert’s words as he took notes.

Certainly, the current work was more like Duma’s autobiography, making it feel a bit odd for a comic.

“Of course, the realism and intense emotions are significant advantages. So, while maintaining that aspect….”

While Rupert continued giving feedback on Duma’s work, others were engrossed in creating their pieces.

With the serialization schedule set for a month later, they had little time to spare.

– If even a single work fails to meet the standards, there will be no magazine serialization.

When Rupert’s warning about the need for consistent quality and speed for stable magazine serialization was enforced,

Saint, Sena, and even Ismael and Duma, who had just been selected, sat daily at their desks, pen in hand.

‘Feedback is enough at this point; adding more would be a bad idea.’

Finishing up his feedback on Duma’s work, Rupert decided not to interfere any further with their creations.

He had already laid out the directions for improvement, and if he got too involved, it would become Rupert’s work instead of theirs.

In that case, there would be no reason for selecting them with such effort.

While it was important for Rupert as an editor to produce better works, it was equally crucial to preserve the uniqueness of the authors, so he chose to step back.

‘Well then, I should create another piece myself.’

With his new comic, The Van Helsing, already completed up to three chapters, he had the time to spare.

Thus, Rupert decided to create a new fairy tale book that had been paused since Pinocchio.

There wasn’t any particular reason for this new fairy tale creation other than the fact that quite a while had passed since the completion of Iron-Blooded Alchemist.

Moreover, once he entered magazine serialization, it seemed he wouldn’t have time to create fairy tale books for a while, so releasing a work while he still had leeway felt wise.

And, of course, the main reason was,

“Let go of Aida, you bad Oun!”

The recent sight of Aida and Oun in a comical scene left a strong impression.

Determined to face the recently vigorous and energetic Aida, Oun had employed various tactics and schemes.

First, noticing that Aida had frequently been fleeing on Rach,

‘This is the best way to calm an elite white-haired calf.’

Woof!!!

He utilized food to entice Rach, taking away Aida’s mobility, which had amused Rupert.

When he witnessed Rach, who had developed a taste for expensive meat, discreetly turning away from Aida’s calls and playing hard to get, he thought, “Is that really a person?”

However, even though he had been betrayed by Rach, capturing Aida wasn’t easy.

That small figure dodging here and there made her look like a ninja from a comic.

Yet Oun was no ordinary opponent; he had acquired some well-known snacks and cookies from a famous confectionery in the capital.

He scattered them around the mansion little by little,

“Don’t!”

When Aida followed the path made of candies and cookies, eagerly picking them up, it was one of the most impressive things he had seen recently.

Indeed, humans are creatures that need to use their heads.

“The next work will be Hansel and Gretel.”

One of the most impressive fairy tales he had seen as a child was Hansel and Gretel, particularly the scene where they remembered the path by scattering breadcrumb.

The fantastical element of the house made of candy also intrigued him back then.

If he could show this piece to Aida, she would surely think twice about being distracted by sweets.

That wasn’t all.

In this world, parents abandoning their children were far too many, resembling the feudal times.

The situation in Germany back when Hansel and Gretel was created bore a striking resemblance to the current world.

Back then, Germany suffered from severe famine post the Thirty Years’ War, leading many parents to abandon their children.

This fairy tale, born from that backdrop, felt a tad… no, very bittersweet to Rupert.

After all, a discarded child would naturally cling to something, just as he had immersed himself in comics.

Of course, for children, it was simply a delightful story about punishing a wicked witch, so it was fine.

Still, knowing that adults would read his fairy tales, Rupert hoped they would reconsider abandoning their children after reading this.

He knew all too well that the world was filled with things far scarier than witches for abandoned children.

*

“Are you suggesting you want to go with this script?”

Club activities typically took place freely after weekday lectures.

However, the comic club had limited time, so they often met on weekends as well.

That’s how the expressions of the club members looked extremely serious.

The reason was none other than Adrian, the one in charge of the screenplay, who had brought a brand new script.

“I know this is a rude request to overturn everything we’ve worked on so far. But…”

Seeing a tense expression on Adrian, who was always calm and collected, everyone turned their attention to his next words.

“This one is more interesting.”

His statement was straightforward.

It was simply a pretentious claim that the new script was more entertaining.

However, creating a new work now meant starting all over again, leaving everyone in awkward expressions.

‘Turns out this was too much?’

Adrian understood the members’ reactions.

He knew that suggesting a complete restart could be viewed as his selfish desire.

“This one is more interesting. I want to go with this.”

Yet, Edric, the Third Prince, who had read the new script first, asserted,

“I also believe this work is more suited for animation than the original.”

Amelia agreed with that opinion, expressing her support.

Thanks to their reactions?

The members, who had initially looked puzzled, began reading the received script.

Adrian’s newly written script was simple yet intriguing.

It involved an old horse abandoned by a knight traveling to a city with an animal band alongside a dog, cat, and chicken in similar predicaments.

The moments where the abandoned animals met were slightly heart-wrenching, yet the camaraderie to defeat the villain was exhilarating, bringing a much more dramatic element.

“What did you title it?”

In just ten minutes, the imagination-filled, dream-like script fitted perfectly for a work had the club members excited.

While the previous work was good, everyone thought this one was perfect for an animation.

“I titled it The Sylvania Music Band.”

Thus, the first work of the comic club was decided.

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