Drawing Manga in a Romance Fantasy

Chapter 166

"Do you know what lies beyond the eastern continent, Rupert?"

"Well, the sea, of course. And across that sea, the Eastern Continent, as far as I know," Rupert replied, leaning back slightly as he examined the detailed map spread before him.

Earlier that day, Ashley Lambus stood outside the imposing gates of the Somerset estate, taking a deep breath to calm his nerves.

"This is my last chance," he muttered to himself, clenching his trembling hands into fists in an attempt to steady them.

Approaching the gate, he was quickly stopped by one of the guards.

“Halt! This is Somerset territory. No one may enter without an appointment.”

“I’m Lambus! Ashley Lambus. I made an appointment through the Yuren Trading Company.”

“Wait here,” the guard said, pulling out a notebook to cross-reference the day’s visitor list.

Ashley held his breath as the guard’s finger scanned down the page.

“Ashley Lambus,” the guard read aloud.

After verifying Ashley’s name and identity pass, another guard entered the estate to relay the news.

The verification process complete, Ashley let out a long sigh of relief. The opportunity to meet Rupert Somerset was one he had begged his uncle—a branch manager for the Yuren Trading Company in the East—to arrange. His uncle’s long-standing friendship with Esteban had made this meeting possible, a rare and valuable chance.

“This way. Lord Rupert has agreed to meet you,” said the returning guard.

“Yes, of course! Thank you!” Ashley replied, following the guard into the estate.

Walking through the grand grounds, Ashley found his gaze wandering in awe.

"So, that must be the famous Somerset workshop," he thought, noticing a large, three-story building nestled on the estate grounds.

Eventually, he was led to the estate’s main entrance, where a sharp-looking, golden-haired young man awaited him.

“Are you Mr. Lambus?”

The man’s striking appearance, with his cold blue eyes and elegant demeanor, was unmistakable.

"That must be Rupert Somerset!" Ashley thought.

Rupert was a widely recognized figure in the Empire, and his renowned appearance preceded him: golden hair, piercing blue eyes, and a demeanor that seemed both aloof and refined.

“Rupert! It’s an honor to meet you. I’m Ashley Lambus from the East, and today—”

“Please, come inside. My schedule is tight, so we’ll need to keep this brief,” Rupert interrupted, gesturing for Ashley to follow.

“Ah, yes! Thank you!”

Ashley barely managed to contain his excitement as Rupert led him into an elegant sitting room.

Rupert, observing Ashley’s attire and demeanor, noted that he didn’t seem like a noble.

"Is he here to beg for a rare book? Or worse, a personalized item?" Rupert thought, sighing inwardly.

He had dealt with countless visitors over the years, many of whom approached him with absurd or selfish requests.

From parents requesting limited-edition fairy tale books for their supposedly ailing children—who, upon investigation, turned out not to exist—to scammers offering fake gold mines, Rupert had seen it all.

And then there were the fervent fans, the ones who truly unsettled him.

Some slipped past the manor’s gates, demanding early access to unreleased works. Others had concocted elaborate schemes to kidnap Rupert and force him to produce artwork around the clock.

Though those plans had fortunately been foiled, the memory still sent a chill down his spine.

As Rupert handed Ashley a cup of tea, he decided to give the man the benefit of the doubt.

“So, why were you so eager to meet with me?” Rupert asked.

Ashley, visibly nervous, hesitated for a moment before reaching into his coat. Rupert instinctively tensed, his mind flashing to past threats, but Ashley only pulled out a sheet of paper.

“A map?”

“Yes. This is one of the most detailed maps of the continent you’ll find,” Ashley explained, unfolding it for Rupert to see.

“And why are you showing me this?”

“Lord Rupert, do you know what lies beyond the eastern continent?”

Rupert raised an eyebrow. “The sea, of course. And across that sea, the Eastern Continent.”

With a confident gesture, Ashley tapped the eastern edge of the map.

“That’s true, but only up to a point. What I want to show you is what lies beyond that,” Ashley said, his eyes shining with determination.

Rupert leaned forward slightly, his curiosity piqued.

“And you think you know what that is?”

“Yes, my lord,” Ashley said firmly. “I believe I’ve found a route that could lead us to what lies beyond the Eastern Continent. A discovery that could change everything.”

"That's correct. Over there, in the Eastern Continent, they call our Silbenian Continent the 'Western Continent,'" Lambus explained, pointing to a rough depiction of the Eastern Continent on the map.

But his hand didn't stop there. It moved further eastward.

"Now, what if we sailed even farther east from the Eastern Continent?"

“Excuse me?”

“Take a look at this.”

Lambus pulled out several notebooks from his bag and spread them open for Rupert to examine.

“Are these star charts?”

“You recognize them! Yes, they are. These are records of how constellations shift with the seasons.”

Rupert was intrigued as he leafed through the notebooks. Though not particularly refined, the drawings clearly depicted the movements of the stars over time. In a world where astronomy was practically nonexistent, this was a rare and valuable find.

“Astronomy originally evolved from agriculture,” Rupert mused.

On Earth, the study of stars—astronomy—had been closely tied to farming, as it helped people track the seasons and plan their harvests.

In this world, however, farming was heavily reliant on magic and divine blessings, rendering astronomy largely obsolete. It was similar to how visual recording crystals stunted the development of traditional art forms like painting.

“Some believe the world is flat, but I disagree. I’m convinced it’s a sphere!”

Rupert listened as Lambus excitedly elaborated.

“So, I thought to myself—if there’s something beyond the Eastern Continent, wouldn’t it be faster to reach it by heading west instead?”

“It’s an interesting idea. But why bring it to me?”

“That’s because…”

Lambus hesitated. Rupert could sense there was more to the story than just the excitement of exploration.

“I want to sail into the unexplored western seas to see if my theory is correct,” Lambus finally admitted, his voice growing softer.

“I’ve gone to other trade companies and potential investors, but they all said the same thing: they won’t waste money on such nonsense.”

Despite the recent enthusiasm for maritime adventures sparked by The Great Treasure, no one was willing to invest in Lambus’s unproven ideas.

“So, you came to me?”

“Yes. I heard the Somerset family is building a ship. This is my last hope, my final straw to grasp at.”

“That ship is being built for a different purpose.”

“…I see.”

Rupert’s matter-of-fact response caused Lambus’s shoulders to slump in disappointment. He had truly pinned all his hopes on this meeting.

“You know,” Rupert began, “if you were to say you were searching for the Sea God’s curse or treasure from The Great Treasure, you might find investors.”

“That’s true. But I didn’t want to deceive anyone.”

Even though some of his acquaintances had suggested using the popular Great Treasure storyline as a pretext, Lambus’s pride wouldn’t allow it.

“When I tell people I want to explore the western seas, they laugh at me, calling it foolish.”

Lambus recalled the naysayers from his past:

His father, a fisherman, who said, “All you need to do is catch fish. Why dream of anything more?”

Merchants who insisted there was nothing beyond the Eastern Continent.

Friends who mocked him, saying the edge of the world was nothing but a cliff to fall off.

“But I’ve dreamed of sailing those waters since I was a boy,” Lambus said softly, a bittersweet smile forming on his lips.

“You can’t lie to your dreams, can you?”

“Mr. Lambus.”

“Yes?”

Rupert looked him directly in the eye.

On Earth, Rupert had heard similar doubts and criticisms:

“You can’t make a living drawing comics.”
“Webtoons? Only a tiny fraction of creators ever succeed.”
“Why chase such unrealistic dreams? Just get a stable job.”

At the time, Rupert had vowed that if he ever encountered someone with a dream like his, he wouldn’t discourage them—he would help.

“Have you ever sailed on a long voyage?”

“Yes, of course. I’ve participated in trade expeditions to the Eastern Continent a couple of times.”

“You’ll need a solid plan.”

Rupert stood from his chair.

“Excuse me?”

Lambus blinked in confusion, unsure of what Rupert meant.

“You’ll need a solid plan,” Rupert repeated. “Because we’re going to find it—romance.”

Rupert had made his decision. He would support Lambus’s journey.