"I knew you wouldn’t miss this opportunity, young master."

Esteban, the head of the merchant guild, laughed heartily after hearing about my conversation with the princess.

This guy must be out of his mind. I was about to be dragged into an unwanted literacy campaign, and yet he was laughing.

"This is no time to be laughing. Things have gotten too out of hand."

I wasn’t kidding—if I misused the funds from the imperial family and got caught, I’d lose my head. If the results were poor, my fate might depend on the emperor's mood.

"You don’t need to worry about that. This is a public service project that doesn’t yield any tangible benefits. You can simply attribute any success or failure to the princess."

Oh, that sounds plausible. I could draft an initial plan and then leave it to the princess, acting as if I had no involvement.

If the princess spearheaded the project, any failures would be spun as an act of imperial grace, making it a great idea indeed.

"And considering that it’s an initiative led by the imperial family, we can’t predict its effectiveness. However, it’s certain that more fairy tales will be distributed than ever before, isn’t it?"

"That’s true."

"In that case, it might be possible to revisit the ‘project’ we discussed last time."

Esteban’s words reminded me of the "merchandising" business we had discussed in the past.

The idea was to produce and sell symbolic items from the fairy tales, such as glass slippers, the queen’s mirror, or the dresses worn by the protagonists.

However, this plan had been scrapped due to a lack of demand. Unlike fairy tales, these items required a small-scale production process, which drove up costs and took too long to be commercially viable.

On the other hand, mass production meant we could only sell to a limited number of noble girls. The investment in facilities for mass production was far greater than the potential return.

"My trusted adviser! My Zhuge Liang! As expected from the guild master!"

I was amazed by the guild master's wisdom, who had turned the imperial family's oppressive imposition into a lucrative opportunity.

I wanted to hug and kiss the guild master, but seeing his extreme aversion, I had to let go.

"I’m not sure what you mean by ‘trusted adviser’ or ‘Zhuge Liang,’ but I believe this is an excellent opportunity for our business to expand."

That’s right. There was no need to make a profit from the dissemination of the books. Let the princess handle literacy efforts, and we spread the books widely, without incurring a loss.

We can generate revenue through merchandising.

This was the essence of the freemium model that swept the Korean gaming industry. The game itself was free, attracting many children, who would then spend pocket money of five or ten thousand won on in-game purchases, a devilish business strategy.

I could already hear the jingle of gold coins as I imagined the success of this business.

I began discussing with the guild master which products to release as merchandise, and we prepared to return to the estate.

"Rupert, why didn’t you continue the story after this part?"

Just as I returned home from a busy day at the imperial palace and was about to enjoy a sweet rest, my father unexpectedly stopped me.

He was holding my unfinished manuscript.

Oh, that’s Frozen.

It was one of the candidates I had considered before creating The Little Mermaid, during a time when I hadn’t decided on a follow-up project.

Although it wasn’t a fairy tale, it was a worldwide hit animation. I wanted to create it because I knew it would be fun, but I set it aside because:

It doesn’t fit as a fairy tale.

While other stories had fairy tales as their source material and were adapted into animations, Frozen was originally an animation.

In short, if adapted into a fairy tale, its appeal would be diminished, so I left the unfinished manuscript aside. I had no idea how he found it.

"Father, it’s bad enough that Ada sneaks into the study; you shouldn’t do this too."

"It’s not that... I didn’t go in there on purpose."

"Please give it back. I need some rest now."

I took the unfinished manuscript from his hands and headed to my room.

Even as I heard my father’s plaintive voice asking what happened next, I dismissed it as a hallucination.

Come to think of it, it’s the first time my father has shown interest in my manuscript.

As I lay in bed, I felt something was off. Ada’s fascination was understandable, but my father had never shown such a reaction.

After all, the fairy tales I created were mainly for young girls, so his reaction made sense.

So, why did he respond this way to Frozen?

It came down to adventure and magic—elements that enthrall men.

When I considered that one reason the original story was a massive hit was that it was enjoyable for people of all ages, it was clear the potential of this work was enormous.

It could attract male readers and even adult readers I hadn’t targeted before.

However, it won’t work as it is.

The fairy tale genre couldn’t capture Frozen's full charm, so I needed a new approach.

Adventure, magic, and exciting battle scenes—this was a work that needed to emphasize dynamic visuals.

"Wait, if I connect this with a method to reduce illiteracy..."

A good idea suddenly came to mind—a work that played a revolutionary role in teaching children how to read in my past life.

"Ignite! Fire!"

This book, which was in manga form, became incredibly popular, even though it featured difficult characters that children usually disliked.

What was once difficult became fascinating when combined with action battles.

"Frozen was originally an animation, so it’s much better suited to a manga format than a fairy tale."

Moreover, manga consisted of short dialogue, making it easier to read than a fairy tale, which contained stories in full sentences.

If I turned the unfinished Frozen into a manga and distributed it, it would be an excellent tool for teaching reading to those who didn’t know how.

Unlike previous fairy tales, which were targeted at children, manga had the advantage of appealing to adults.

"Then I’ll have a lot to prepare, won’t I?"

I needed the help of the guild master and the craftsmen.

Unlike fairy tales, manga was a completely different format and required different tools and materials than what we had used before.

Inspired by the idea, I felt an overwhelming desire to start creating the work immediately.

I opened the drawer next to my bed and took out a vitality potion I had stored. I downed it in one go.

The astonishing efficacy cleared away the day’s fatigue!

I prepared to start working and rushed out of the room.

"So, the handle is made of wood, and ink flows out through this strange metal tip at the end?"

The metal craftsman understood perfectly, even with my clumsy explanation. I nodded in agreement.

"This method would certainly make it easier to draw fine lines compared to a quill pen. However, the durability is…."

Even I only knew the appearance of the metal pens I used in my previous life, particularly the basic tools for drawing manga, like the G pen and spoon pen. I wasn’t familiar with their structure or principles.

Despite my vague description, the craftsman quickly grasped how they worked and identified their weaknesses.

Sure, G pens and spoon pens have metal tips, yet they wear out quickly.

However, they were essential tools for drawing manga. Unlike fairy tales, manga lost its vibrancy without the expression of line thickness.

A manga lacking vibrancy became a mess, making it arduous to read. Therefore, it was crucial to create them.

While the metal craftsman was contemplating this special task, the paper craftsman struggled with his part of the mission.

"The interior pages could be made from recycled paper, but making the cover out of paper is quite challenging."

Unlike a fairy tale, where each page is turned individually, manga is read by flipping through quickly.

In other words, if the cover were made of leather, it would be cumbersome to handle, reducing its readability.

It wasn’t without reason that manga in the world were made of paper.

However, in this world, there was no suitable paper for covers, so this issue also required a new solution.

"What if you used the sap of the ‘cassava tree’?"

"Why didn’t I think of that? Yes, that method could work."

The leather craftsman, who had been observing the paper craftsman’s struggles, shared a method he used to coat leather, which impressed the paper craftsman, who marveled like Newton discovering gravity.

"Cassava tree?"

"Yes, young master. It’s a tree that only grows in the southern region. Its sap is sticky yet doesn’t stain hands. When applied to leather, the leather absorbs the sap, becoming smooth."

The treated leather repels raindrops and maintains its luster for a long time, making it a widely used material.

"If we apply that directly to paper, we’ll need to research the ratio and time, which might require more budget…."

"You don’t need to worry about the budget."

"What?"

The craftsmen were all taken aback by my assurance that budget wasn’t a concern.

Why were they so surprised?

"Since this book is part of the imperial initiative to eradicate illiteracy, the costs will be covered by the imperial family. Just focus on producing the best results using as much material as needed."

This was clearly an activity for the imperial family’s literacy initiative, so I could send the bill to the imperial family.

Just you wait, Emperor. I’ll settle the family’s grudge with this project.

Once they understood my explanation, the craftsmen enthusiastically began discussing which materials to use.

Clang.

Then, the sound of the door closing drew everyone’s attention.

"Why did the door close on its own?"

Thud!

When the door suddenly shut, the craftsmen found it strange and tried to open it, but it seemed stuck and wouldn’t budge.

"By the way, no one can leave here until a satisfactory product is completed."

"Young master!!!"

"In return, I brought a box of the alchemist guild’s new vitality potions in advance! Let’s give it our best!"

Joyful harmonies filled the workshop again today. They were mostly high-pitched, but who cares? I’m eager to create the manga.