Drawing Manga in a Romance Fantasy

Chapter 156

"Oh no, it’s already 5 o’clock!"

“It really is! Hurry, or we’ll miss the beginning!”

The children playing in the village square checked the time and dashed off as fast as their legs could carry them.

Their destination? The Uren Trading Company branch in town.

• “The duel begins now!”

In front of the Uren branch, a small crystal orb had been set up. Connected to a screen, it played the highly anticipated new animation, The King of Cards.

Children, and even adults, gathered to watch, their eyes glued to the screen.

“Hey, mister, you didn’t pay for a ticket, did you?”

“Well, I… uh….”

“If you’re not a Uren membership holder, you’ll have to pay for a ticket.”

“Fine, fine, I’ll pay right now!”

The man, caught by an attendant, quickly fished coins out of his pocket to pay for entry.

“Honestly, how stingy can you get? Uren’s membership costs practically nothing, and members earn loyalty points when they buy things too.”
“Not to mention they let you watch the animation! It’s like they’re giving it away!”

Those gathered to watch The King of Cards shook their heads at the man’s folly.

This new animation was unlike anything audiences had seen before.

“Unlike Frozen Kingdom, this will be a 24-episode series rather than a single film.”

When the King of Cards animation was first announced during the tournament, many had been skeptical.

The ongoing manga already had substantial material, making it hard to condense into a single film, and adapting a still-serialized story raised even more questions.

But Rupert, ever the innovator, had anticipated such concerns and unveiled yet another groundbreaking solution.

“I’ve been collaborating with the Mage Tower on a new technology.”

When Rupert initially developed the projector for Frozen Kingdom, he had felt limited by its scope.

“Films like Frozen Kingdom work well in theaters, but long-running series like The Iron-Blooded Alchemist or The King of Cards need a different format.”

Animations traditionally came in several formats: theatrical releases, TV series, and OVAs.

However, with no infrastructure for TV broadcasts and no practical way to implement it, Rupert had ruled it out entirely.

This left OVAs—Original Video Animations. While uncommon in the Empire, OVAs were a well-established medium in countries like Japan.

They allowed longer stories to be divided into multiple episodes, distributed through DVDs or similar mediums.

The problem? The projectors Rupert had developed were far too expensive to distribute to individual households. They were suitable only for theaters like Somerset.

“If we screen these longer series in theaters, we’d need 24-hour showings to accommodate demand. That’s not feasible.”

Rupert began collaborating with the Mage Tower to develop an alternative.

“How much content can a playback crystal currently store?”
“About 30 minutes of footage.”
“The runtime is fine, but it’s not just any footage—it has to be animation.”

The Mage Tower had previously assisted Rupert in creating the projector for Frozen Kingdom. At the time, many mages had doubted the necessity of the project.

“Why bother developing this when playback crystals already exist?”

But once Frozen Kingdom premiered and took the Empire by storm, those same mages were astounded by the projector’s revolutionary impact.

“This… this is the future of magic!”

The innovation reignited a sense of purpose among the Mage Tower’s younger members.

Historically, some mages had succumbed to the allure of black magic, using their powers for personal gain or harm. Recent events—like the foiled plot to summon a demon lord in the Imperial capital—had further tarnished their reputation.

While figures like Yustaf had improved public perception through acts of heroism, many still viewed mages as mysterious and dangerous.

Rupert’s innovations shifted this narrative. More mages began focusing on research that improved daily life, rather than combat or arcane dominance.

“We wish to collaborate with Somerset!”

Rupert’s proposals were so impactful that ambitious young mages vied for the chance to join his research efforts.

Their collaboration led to a groundbreaking breakthrough: integrating Rupert’s animation frames into playback crystals, allowing serialized animations to be played like films.

The result was a new form of entertainment accessible to both urban theaters and local trading company branches.

The partnership between Rupert and the Mage Tower didn’t just revolutionize animation—it transformed how magic was perceived and used across the Empire.

- Uren Trading Company Membership Now Available!

• Just 1 Silver a Month! Enjoy a Variety of Benefits:
• Earn points for every purchase at Uren Trading Company (redeemable like cash above a certain amount).
• Monthly subscription discount of 50 Copper.
• Watch new animations, including The King of Cards, and other shows quarterly—free for members!

In tandem with the development of the new animation playback crystals, Uren introduced a groundbreaking marketing strategy: a membership program.

“At first glance, this looks like a loss, but in the long run, it’s a highly profitable model.”
“Exactly. People might balk at paying a subscription fee at first, but they’ll soon realize the benefits far outweigh the cost, and membership signups will skyrocket.”

The model anticipated a phase where initial losses would eventually give way to exponential growth as membership numbers increased.

“What a brilliant strategy!”

Even Esteban, the savvy head of Uren Trading Company, clapped in admiration at the ingenious plan. To him, Rupert wasn’t just a visionary but a walking goldmine—or rather, a living treasure made of orichalcum or mithril.

However, such a subscription model was notoriously difficult to establish initially.

Despite the many benefits, people were naturally resistant to spending money on something they might not immediately need.

“Membership? Bah! Why pay extra for goods when I can just buy them directly?”

It’s human nature to hesitate over intangible benefits, even if word-of-mouth spreads their value.

But,

“I subscribed just to watch The King of Cards, and it’s been worth every penny!”
“Same here! I even switched entirely to Uren, and the membership points work at the Somerset Goods Store too. It’s fantastic!”

What drove the early success of the membership program was none other than the King of Cards animation.

Even though the newly developed playback crystals for animation were still prohibitively expensive for general purchase, Rupert had devised a workaround: scheduled weekly screenings.

Every week at a set time, Uren branches across the Empire hosted public screenings of The King of Cards. People flocked to these events, signing up for memberships to gain access.

By now, every Friday at 5 p.m., Uren’s outdoor screening areas were packed.

In some areas, demand was so high that multiple screening locations had to be set up. In the capital, the crowds were so overwhelming that Uren had to convert nearby open spaces into dedicated screening venues.

“The popularity is extraordinary. People count down the days until Friday!”
“I understand why nobles might avoid these screenings—it’s absolute chaos with all the kids around.”

Those who preferred quieter, private viewings began purchasing personal playback crystals for home use. Although still expensive, they were affordable enough for many nobles.

“Where have you been today, Rupert?”

“Oh, do you remember Joy, the child who faced Ada in the tournament finals?”

“Ah, the one who put up such a great match against her?”

“Yes. Ada has been keeping in touch with him, and she insisted on visiting his home.”

Unable to refuse his sister’s request, Rupert accompanied Ada on a trip to Joy’s estate, spending the day with her there.

“You don’t seem to be in good spirits for someone who just had a pleasant outing with their sister.”

Esteban noticed Rupert’s somber expression and asked. Rupert sighed deeply before responding.

“Joy seems to have always been frail. He overexerted himself to participate in the last tournament, and now even sitting up in bed is a struggle for him.”

“That’s unfortunate….”

Ada, who had been eager for another intense match with Joy, burst into tears upon seeing his condition, leaving Rupert scrambling to console her.

‘Joy… Ada was heartbroken to see you like that.’

Seeing his sister so upset, Rupert couldn’t shake the thought of finding a way to help Joy, though he wasn’t a healer or a priest capable of using holy magic.

“My big brother can do anything! So don’t worry, Joy—he’ll make you better!”

Rupert recalled Ada’s bold declaration while introducing him to Joy. Her faith in him gave him a renewed sense of determination.

‘I can’t let Ada down. She’s counting on me.’

With that resolve, Rupert began planning a special gift for Joy—one that might bring some light into his life.