Drawing Manga in a Romance Fantasy – Chapter 0

Prologue

As the late night faded into a dimly lit moonlight, a scene unfolded upon the stone wall.

A man dressed in black, nearly invisible without the faint glow of the moon, was poised to leap over the wall.

Thud!

With a light jump, he vaulted over the wall, not even needing a running start, far surpassing the height of an average adult male.

“What about the item?”

Upon landing soundlessly on the opposite side, he was met by a woman who had already been waiting nervously.

The beautiful noble young lady, dressed impeccably, couldn’t help but tremble as she frantically asked the man.

“Here is Volume 3 of the new work by the ‘Iron-Blood Alchemist’ as you ordered.”

The man responded in a dull voice while he reached into his coat and pulled out a seemingly ordinary book.

However, the moment she laid eyes on the book in his hand, the lady couldn’t contain her excitement and started to shake with anticipation.

With a quick grasp, she took the book from him as if it were a treasure and immediately began examining the cover.

After meticulously checking for any possible printing errors, scratches, or damages, she finally let out a sigh of relief upon finding nothing wrong.

‘Who would believe this is the Emperor’s beloved princess, known as the flower of the Empire, seeing her in this state?’

The man, quietly observing, sighed inwardly at the sight.

Watching the princess leap around, clutching the book with both hands in sheer exhilaration, reminded him of the hardships he had endured to get to this moment.

In a truly ridiculous spectacle, people from the capital and all corners of the Empire stood in line outside the merchant association, clamoring to get their hands on this thing called a “comic book.”


Of course, I had been standing in line for nearly three days, enduring the lack of washing and even restroom breaks, all to fulfill the princess’s command.

If I hadn’t had my previous experience of infiltrating enemy territory, I might have been haunted by nightmares of throwing off my covers every night as if I were on the brink of death.

“Maybe fighting against assailants targeting the royal family would have been easier.”

Those who didn’t understand my plight might scoff at the idea that buying a single book could be so troublesome.

But this wasn’t just any book; it was a limited edition signed by the author, complete with illustrations.

The eligibility to purchase was restricted solely to loyal customers who had bought every previous volume, and yet the competition ratio soared to a staggering 100:1.

I’ll never forget the man who, just one spot short of purchasing the coveted book, sank to the ground, shouting in despair, “Heavens! I still haven’t bought the book!!!”

It was evident that he, like me, was there on the order of his lady, which made his anguish all the more relatable.

“Surely, the protagonist must have thwarted that malevolent father’s scheme. How could he dare harm his own daughter and the dog… I need to check it quickly!”

Watching the princess disappear with the book cradled in her arms, Jorge, the palace guard, found himself deep in thought.

Should I report this ‘comic book’ to His Majesty? If so, what in the world should I say?

Lost in this challenging dilemma, Jorge easily hopped over the wall to make his exit.

*

“Yurushitekure sou ni mo nai~.”


Indeed, the melody of a masterpiece never fades from memory.

As I hummed the tune, dividing the blank sheet of paper with lines and drawing illustrations, I felt a surge of excitement.

It’s truly a pity that in this other world, there are no smartphones or PCs to enjoy music.

“The Alchemist of GangX really reaches its true potential when you listen to the song while watching,” I mused.

I might have to find a way to dive into the animation business soon.

When I spoke with the Magic Tower last time, they mentioned that if I could turn the video storage magic into a tool and utilize the illusion magic device, it might just be possible. So, stepping into the realm of impossibility seems achievable.

However, funding for research and service costs would be astronomical, so I figured I had to work even harder to earn money from now on.

“Then should I start selling limited edition goods?”

It might sound shocking to fans, but what can I do? Making an anime requires funding.

It’s not as if I’m just earning money to spend it all on myself.

Consider it a sort of investment aimed at revitalizing the cultural arts of this world!

So, limited editions are an unavoidable choice.

Only now do I understand why Chodple sold smartphones the way they did.

I shall now follow in your footsteps as well.

Author’s Note: Hello! This is the writer of ‘The Extra Who Draws Comics in a Romance Fantasy World,’ Jamong Punch. Thank you for your support moving forward!

See you in the next chapter!