Drawing Manga in a Romance Fantasy – Chapter 93

Chapter:

Is there anyone among men who hasn’t swung a stick around in their childhood?

Every man has had a phase where they imagined themselves as the hero from legends defeating dragons.

Hence, swords are simply irresistible to men.

“Ugh… how cool! A sword engulfed in flames!”

“I really want to use that line after defeating vampires!”

“Is that the one?”

『“Shut up, you lot are merely dog food.”

Three vampires threatening the boy charged at the man with a terrible roar, but it was just one breath.

The flaming sword swung just once sliced the vampires into pieces, which immediately ignited on the floor.』

To the people of the Empire, the vampires featured in <Van Helsing> were legendary monsters.

They were creatures from stories long gone, no longer leaving even a trace behind.

Now that these entities resurfaced in comics, they sparked excitement as kids would mention them just to frighten their parents when they’re misbehaving.

The sight of the fallen elves with pale skin and protruding fangs was monstrous yet captivating.

Moreover, the way they approached the protagonist, unfazed even after being stabbed in the belly, was pure horror.

The mysterious man who effortlessly dispatched such vampires could only be described as cool.

“Now that the protagonist has followed that man, he will definitely get stronger, right?”

“What’s to say? He joined that Van Helsing organization!”

“Ah! It’s too short! I can’t wait to see the next chapter!!!”

Of course, having multiple works to enjoy was great, but compared to the published volumes, people felt that the content was clearly lacking.

“But that ‘work’ is truly brutal.”

“Are you talking about The Count of Monte Cristo?”

“I don’t know who the author is, but the noble in that comic is absolutely wicked.”

It was no surprise that Rupert’s work <Van Helsing> was gaining attention.

But the fact that the next hot topic was Duma’s <The Count of Monte Cristo> was unexpected.

This happened because people could easily empathize with the protagonist’s plight in <The Count of Monte Cristo>, experiencing the end of misfortune.

The overwhelming majority of readers consuming comic books were commoners, thus they couldn’t hide their anger towards the noble ‘Fernand’ and his crew who appeared as antagonists.

“What good is a trial? The lord is the judge.”

“If the nobles kill us, they pay a fine, but if we even touch a noble’s finger, we’ll be dragged to prison.”

“Just the other day, a woman from our village bolted in the middle of the night because a noble was harassing her!”

With clear distinctions in status, very few had escaped hardships at the hands of the nobles, even if it wasn’t as dire as the protagonist in <The Count of Monte Cristo>.

It’s funny that while the commoners were voicing support, opinions among nobles were also divided with some offering positive reactions.

“Nobles should feel the responsibility that comes with being noble!”

Most of them were new nobles who had gained their status due to past wars or achievements.

Although they were indeed nobles, they were ostracized by other nobles and held resentment towards the established aristocracy.

“Hmph, what do they know? They are no different from commoners!”

“Indeed, they are nothing but vulgar people devoid of manners or education.”

“Claiming to be nobles yet engaging in commerce, they shamefully mingle with commoners.”

The new nobility were often those who had become nobles recently or from the previous generation and were quite capable.

However, regardless of their abilities, it was common for established nobility to obstruct or dismiss them using their connections and family wealth, leading to grudges.

For these individuals, the noble antagonists in <The Count of Monte Cristo> resembled the existing nobility and thus became prime targets for their condemnation.

“Damn! Is it right to publish such a work?”

“Having the grace of the imperial family, it seems the Somerset family has become blind to everything!”

“Are these brash fools unaware that our blood is worth more than the lives of dozens of them?”

Among those reading Manapia, there were quite a few nobles, and many reacted with fury at Duma’s portrayal of the nobility as unscrupulous villains.

Not only commoners but even new nobles rushed in like hungry wolves, sensing an opportunity, creating a frustrating situation.

If Rupert were a commoner or even an ordinary noble, he might have faced dire consequences due to the nobles’ wrath.

Yet, as Rupert had already garnered affection from the imperial family, there were few who would dare to act against him.

Rumors circulated that he was also close to Duke Bluewell, the Empire’s top noble, and that behind the Somerset name lay Yuren.

In terms of power and wealth, most nobles were simply unable to oppose the Somersets.

“Well then, we have no choice but to take the direct approach.”

“Direct approach?”

“We need to gradually sway the opinions of the nobles and bring it up during the court meeting.”

Thus, the furious nobles opted for a more roundabout way rather than openly attacking Somerset.

“Comic books! We must form an organization to ban this vile item!”

“Great idea! If we build a group to gain power, even the imperial family won’t ignore us.”

“What do you think about naming it the ‘Imperial Parents Alliance’ for the sake of protecting the Empire’s boys and girls from comic books?”

A long-named group called the Imperial Parents Alliance was born under the leadership of some nobles.

*

“Is this a new screenplay?”

“Yes, although I changed it suddenly, I believe this will make for a better story.”

While chaos broke out outside, Rupert was at the academy giving lectures and checking on club activities.

After the weekend, Rupert was among the students who quickly expressed a desire to switch to the new screenplay they had just written.

‘This is surprising.’

In truth, Rupert didn’t place much significance on the works produced by the comic club.

Since it was merely a showcase for the prototype of an animation projector, he only checked if the drawings moved well rather than the completeness of the screenplay.

However, the new screenplay written by the club members struck Rupert as shocking.

‘The Bremen Town Musicians!’

Reading a screenplay that closely resembled one of the Brothers Grimm’s representative fairy tales about the adventures of animals made him chastise himself for not thinking of it first.

‘The story isn’t long, and it naturally incorporates music.’

Moreover, showing movement through animals rather than humans was fitting for the start of an animation.

“This is really good!”

Rupert’s response after reading the entire screenplay brightened the expressions of the club members instantaneously.

Of course, this meant their workload had increased, but they were eager to create it because they believed the new screenplay was better.

If Rupert had complained about the time or screenplay, they would have worried, but now they casually laughed and started working.

“Did Adrian write this screenplay himself?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Rupert saw Adrian, who was responsible for the screenplay in the club, again.

To be honest, the last piece he wrote didn’t ignite much interest.

It wasn’t that it was poorly written, but rather it was just a typical structure of knight literature, so he hadn’t paid it much mind.

But learning that he could craft such a screenplay ignited a sudden sense of aspiration in Rupert.

‘It would be nice if someone could write such screenplays.’

It wasn’t that he wanted to make Adrian draw comics but rather he thought he could excel as an editor.

Rupert was already publishing a comic magazine and handling the editing of not only his own works but also those of other authors.

He wanted to nurture talent to assist him.

However,

‘Oh dear, but breeding a prince from another kingdom as an editor is a bit much.’

Under ordinary circumstances, any noble house might give it a shot, but transforming Sylvania’s prince Adrian into an editor was something he felt was impossible, leading to a quick resignation.

“Professor.”

Just as Rupert was briefly discussing the screenplay with Adrian and advising on editing direction, someone called out to him.

“Um… yes, Edric, what’s the matter?”

Rupert still felt awkward using the title for Edric as he answered his question.

Edric’s expression turned slightly sharp as he spoke.

“Do you perhaps have secret guards assigned by your family?”

“No, no guard is assigned.”

At Rupert’s answer, Edric’s eyes narrowed.

*

“Uff!”

With a battle cry that seemed unbelievable from her petite body, Aida displayed agile movements.

“Excellent, lady!”

Alain, watching her, couldn’t help but exclaim with pure delight.

Aida absorbed the physical techniques Alain taught her like a sponge soaking up water.

With just the basics, starting from balancing on just a toe to the foundational stances of martial arts, Aida’s gestures became imbued with solemn prayer.

‘Could it be that the blood of Somerset runs through her?’

Alain felt he might burst into tears.

Currently, the head of the family, Count Bradley, and the heir, Rupert, were both far removed from martial prowess.

They were practically clumsy, so Alain had not dared to pass on any vision until now.

The eldest son, Richard, who had shown some promise, had gone missing, leading Alain to believe that the vision of the Somerset family would remain buried in darkness.

‘I will defeat Oun!’

However, Alain found new hope when he was unexpectedly asked by Aida to make her strong.

With her objective of defeating Oun, alongside the previous danger faced during the attack, Alain had only intended to teach her some basic self-defense.

Yet witnessing Aida’s remarkable ability to follow his instructions rekindled his hope.

That he had found a successor to carry on the vision passed down from the ancestors of Somerset.