Drawing Manga in a Romance Fantasy

Chapter 177

“You must henceforth value honor above life, fear cowardice more than death, protect the weak, and uphold virtue as a noble of the Empire.”

—Bradley, head of the Somerset family, hereby appoints you as a baronet in the name of Emperor Leonius.

In the grand hall of the Somerset mansion, the air was uncharacteristically solemn. Marquis Bradley stood before Esteban and Duma, who knelt at his feet, and gently tapped their heads and shoulders with a ceremonial sword.

“I now grant you the surname Rude. From this moment onward, Esteban Rude is declared a baronet and a noble of the Empire.”

“Thank you, Your Grace.”

The marquis’s declaration announcing Esteban as a newly minted noble echoed through the hall, quickly followed by a thunderous round of applause and cheers from the gathered crowd.

“How impressive.”
“Indeed. It’s practically impossible for a merchant to rise to nobility.”
“It’s thanks to the Somerset family’s fairness and willingness to give opportunities that this could happen.”

Merchants who had dealings with Somerset or Yuren had also been invited to the ceremony. Watching the event unfold, they exchanged envious remarks.

Merchants were among the wealthiest and most successful commoners, often considered a privileged class.

However, in reality, they occupied an ambiguous middle ground—despised and belittled by the nobility.

‘How dare these money-grubbing merchants meddle in the affairs of the realm!’

No matter how much wealth they accumulated, merchants were forever at the mercy of nobles, who monopolized legislative power.

In many cases, nobles deliberately borrowed money from merchants only to fabricate excuses to harass or ruin them, treating merchants as nothing more than walking purses.

Even Damian, the marquis behind the Vera Trading Company, preferred to operate from the shadows rather than expose himself to scrutiny.

Typically, ennoblement ceremonies were reserved for knights who had proven their valor.

In this context, Esteban’s appointment as a baronet—even if it was an honorary title—was a groundbreaking moment that drew admiration and jealousy from other merchants.

“Duma, I now grant you the surname Alle. From this moment onward, Duma Alle is declared a baronet and a noble of the Empire!”

“…Thank you, Your Grace. I swear that neither I nor my descendants will ever forget this honor.”

Following Esteban, Duma was also appointed as a baronet.

“Who is that man?”
“I’m not sure, but he must be closely connected to Lord Rupert.”
“Receiving such a precious title—there must be more to this story.”

The majority of the attendees were associated with the Somerset family or Yuren Trading Company, so few recognized Duma.

“You’re one step closer to your goal, Uncle.”

“Yeah, I hope I can help him even just a little when that day comes.”

“Do you think he’ll get mad if we keep calling him ‘Uncle’ now?”

In a quiet corner of the hall, Sena and Ismael watched Duma’s ceremony and offered their private congratulations.

‘Duma, I can’t help you seek revenge right now.’

Rupert had once spoken these words to Duma, one of the few people he deeply cared about.

Unlike Ismael, whose dream was to sail the seas in search of his father, Duma’s dream was something Rupert couldn’t easily support—not yet.

‘The Haxen Viscounty.’

The family that ruined Duma’s life and caused the death of his fiancée, Mercedes.

No—calling them enemies was an understatement.

Between Duma and Haxen, there could be no peace. Their feud would only end when one of them was dead.

But the Haxen family was protected by Imperial law.

If they had been closer to Somerset, Rupert might have exploited a territorial dispute to start a conflict.

Unfortunately, the Haxen family’s domain lay far to the west, beyond Rupert’s reach.

Rupert had devised a plan to help Duma.

‘Give me ten years. Just trust me and wait for ten years.’

‘Lord Rupert, I’m willing to sacrifice everything if it means I can have my revenge.’

After hearing Rupert’s plan to bring down the Haxen family, Duma vowed to dedicate his entire life to Somerset.

“Wait for me. My revenge is a ten-year plan.”

Duma walked alone through the Somerset estate’s garden after the ceremony, softly murmuring the opening words of his long-prepared vengeance.

*****

While the ennoblement ceremony was in full swing at the Somerset mansion, the branches of the Yuren Trading Company were swarmed with people engrossed in reading the latest manga.

“It was definitely worth the wait!”
“Rupert’s battle scenes are the best—no one can top him!”
“Wow… That instant-kill technique—it’s used by a villain, but it’s still amazing!”

Readers marveled at the latest issue from Manafia.

Just like with Van Helsing, Rupert’s unparalleled ability to depict thrilling battle scenes had captivated audiences, and now they were fully immersed in The Great Treasure.

While Rupert’s previous works progressed at a breakneck pace, leaving readers breathless, The Great Treasure unfolded more slowly, with the adventure still barely underway.

“I like this slower pace for a change.”
“Me too. I’m excited to meet new crewmates every chapter.”
“Do you think Uson will join the crew this time?”

Readers were now speculating about who would join Yufi’s crew next.

The sword-wielding first mate and the temporary navigator had already become fan favorites, thanks to their distinct personalities and charm.

Currently, the story arc featured Captain Caron, and Uson was introduced as a potential new companion.

‘This guy? He’s so unimpressive.’
‘He can’t even fight properly, and all he does is lie.’
‘Forget him. Kirby, the navy recruit, was a much better fit.’

Uson’s initial appearance as a boastful weakling failed to impress readers.

However—

“This guy actually stepped up when it mattered!”
“I’m starting to like him. He acts cowardly most of the time but really comes through at the end!”
“Did you see the final part of this arc?”

The latest chapter concluded Captain Caron’s storyline, leaving readers deeply moved.

“Keep everything that happened here a secret.”

“What? Uson risked his life to protect the village, and now you want to keep it quiet?”

Bloodied and battered, Uson gathered the children he had fought to protect. His words sparked protests.

“Everyone needs to know what Captain did for us!”
“Yeah, we have to clear up the misunderstandings about Uson—”

Even Yael, who had nearly died at Caron’s hands, couldn’t understand Uson’s decision.

But—

“It’s fine if they misunderstand. Those guys are gone now, and no one else will bother this remote village.”

—The villagers can live peacefully here, like always. Let’s pretend today was just another ordinary day, filled with the same old lies.”

Uson’s decision to hide his sacrifice for the sake of the village’s peace left readers deeply moved.

“And what about that ship at the end? Isn’t it unique?”
“Right? It even has a ram’s head carved on the bow.”

It wasn’t just Uson’s story that captured readers’ attention.

As Yufi’s crew prepared to set sail again, they were gifted a ship by Yael—and this ship immediately became a hot topic.

“‘Merryground’? That’s an awesome name for a ship!”
“Wait—look at this note at the end!”

Readers scrambled to the final panel of the manga, their eyes glued to the announcement.

“Experience the Merryground from The Great Treasure in real life!
Receive a raffle ticket with every purchase at Somerset Goods Store.
Winners will be invited to the Merryground’s maiden voyage!”

“We can actually ride the ship from the manga?”
“I did hear rumors that Somerset Workshop was building a ship, but…”
“Was it for this?!”

Excitement erupted among fans.

With The Great Treasure fueling interest in maritime adventures, travel to the eastern coast had skyrocketed.

However, the surge in tourism made lodging scarce, and few visitors managed to book actual boat tours.

The chance to sail on a replica of the Merryground felt like a dream come true.

“So if I buy merch, I get a raffle ticket?”
“Damn it! I should’ve saved my money instead of splurging during that last sale!”
“Wait—what if I don’t need anything else?!”

“The Great Treasure” figurines—now available!

Alongside the raffle, Somerset’s meticulously planned marketing strategy rolled out new merchandise.

It was all part of Esteban’s efforts, now fueled by his recent ennoblement and burning ambition.

Preparations had already been finalized, and Ismael—set to captain the Merryground—was brimming with excitement.

Thanks to Rupert’s generosity, Ismael could use the ship freely outside of planned events.

‘Father is alive—I know it!’

Ismael was determined to search the seas for his father, whom everyone else believed to be dead.

By his side was Sena, ready to support him.

Meanwhile—

With Somerset’s ennoblement ceremony and Manafia’s latest release creating a buzz, an unexpected visitor arrived at Zinnia’s research lab at the Imperial Academy.

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime request, Assistant Professor Zinnia.”

Edric—who usually made sure to secure new manga releases before anyone else—had, for once, put aside his obsession and come to see her instead.

“Speak, Your Highness.”

“I need information about the new golem you’ve created!”

Zinnia, who hadn’t expected to see Edric—let alone hear such a request—was utterly stunned.

Edric’s sudden visit and his interest in her revolutionary golem left her speechless.