“Next, please come in.”

Recently, a rumor had been spreading among the people of Goldpool Valley that anyone working at the Somerset family’s factory could make a lot of money.

Hearing this, jobless and penniless craftsmen from the South began flocking to the Somerset family.

Jenson was one of them. He submitted his resume to the Somerset family and came for an interview, but he was filled with worry.

Sigh... I only left my apprenticeship, but will they really accept someone like me?

His troubles had started when he had flirted with the daughter of his master, who was a famous blacksmith in the capital.

Upon discovering this, his master had thrown him out immediately, and Jenson, having not fully learned his trade and without any money, dreaded the thought of returning home.

So, he had come here as a last hope, but there were more applicants than he had expected.

“Applicant number 13, Jenson, please come in.”

Jenson’s turn came as he sat there nervously, trying to calm his racing heart as he entered the drawing room.

Inside the room were several people who appeared to be the interviewers.

What’s with their expressions?

Except for a blonde young man seated in the center, everyone had dark circles under their eyes and their gazes looked like those of dead fish.

“According to your resume, Mr. Jenson, your family lives in another region, and you’re not married?”

“Yes, that’s correct!”

The question came right after he sat down.

It was the young man seated in the center who had asked. From his demeanor, Jenson could tell that this man was of high status, and he inadvertently put some extra energy into his answer.

Is that young man Lord Rupert?

He was said to be the actual head of the Somerset family, the author of the fairy tales and manga that had become the talk of the Empire, and someone so famous that even the royal family had given him an award.

Rumor had it that he was a heartless person.

He was known as a cold-blooded snake who had turned his father, the Earl of Somerset, into a figurehead to seize control of the family.

There were even rumors that he was responsible for the disappearance of his elder brother.

Seeing the notorious figure in person, Jenson couldn’t help but think that the rumors might be true.

The young man’s face, though refined and wearing glasses, seemed very cold.

Even now, the look in his eyes as he gazed at Jenson was like that of a predator watching its prey.

“Hmmm… do you have a lover?”

“No, I don’t.”

“How about your relationship with your family?”

“…It’s not very good.”

“Oh. Do you have any physical ailments?”

“…No, I’m not unwell, but…”

The questions seemed odd.

Why was he asking about his personal background rather than his skills?

Jenson felt a shiver run down his spine.

Suddenly, he recalled a ghost story he had heard in the capital.

“Jenson, do you know? Those black magicians need living humans as sacrifices, so they lure people with fake job offers and kidnap them.
And they ask detailed questions about your background, like if you have family or a lover, or if you’re healthy, to ensure no one would miss you.
Be careful, the only people who ask such questions are human traffickers.”

The words of a senior came back to him, and cold sweat started trickling down Jenson's body.

Damn, I should’ve known the pay was too good to be true. There’s no way such a job could exist.

He cursed himself for being blinded by money and failing to make a wise decision.

The gaze of the true master of Somerset, watching him as if he were a delicious meal, terrified him.

But the owner of that gaze was thinking something entirely different.

Wow, this is amazing. With no girlfriend, he won’t whine about not being able to work overtime, and since he’s on bad terms with his family, he has no place to escape to.

And he’s young and healthy without any ailments? Wow, he’s a sure hire!

Rupert was delighted to have found a worker with the best qualifications.

Recently, the production of books had exploded, and they were struggling with manpower shortages due to the operation of the merchandise factory.

Moreover, people had a tendency to run away, which was a headache. Discovering a perfect candidate like this made him so happy that he felt like giving the man a kiss.

This kind of candidate would probably handle vitality potions well, too.

Rupert considered giving him a vitality potion but decided to wait. He contentedly stamped an acceptance mark on the candidate's resume.

“Oh, Mother Goddess in heaven, your child earnestly prays for your grace. Heal!”

Despite the radiant light enveloping my body, it wasn’t blinding at all.

Is this divine power?

A moment ago, I had been exhausted and drowsy, but now my body was overflowing with energy.

“Brother, this time you received special healing because your faith is so strong, but normally…”

“How can it be that our territory doesn’t even have a decent church of the Goddess? I intend to build one this time!”

“It’s the role of us monks to visit brothers with strong faith like yours, so please feel free to call on us.”

The monk, whose head shone as brightly as the divine power, left with a satisfied smile.

It cost some money, but we needed to build the church anyway.

Not having a church of the Goddess on the Earl’s estate was unthinkable.

However, when the family’s finances collapsed a few years ago, the Somerset branch of the Goddess Church withdrew because they couldn’t receive donations from our family.

When you’re poor, there’s nothing to be extorted, but now that the family’s finances have recovered, failing to donate to the Goddess Church could become a major weakness in the future.

People would start spreading rumors about us being demon worshipers or black magicians, trying to undermine our family.

It was a truly bothersome world. Everyone should just mind their own business, but they’re always so interested in other people's affairs.

Anyway, with the estate’s finances normalized, it was time to resume donations and build a new church.

At first, it was painful to see the money go, but I decided to make the most of it.

Inviting the monk and receiving divine power proved effective.

At this pace, I could speed up the completion of the first volume of the new manga.

One of the most challenging aspects of reading manga is the waiting.

Most manga takes months to release a single volume, which can be agonizing for readers.

But,

“With the story already decided and my drawing skills being top-notch, I can easily release one volume a month.”

The material was so good that inspiration flowed, and the story came together quickly, allowing for seamless progress from the storyboard to the final work.

The only thing lacking was stamina, but even that was resolved with the help of vitality potions and divine power, leaving nothing to hold me back.

Even the exhausted craftsmen were bewildered but regained their condition after receiving healing from the monk.

Watching the craftsmen, I returned to my desk, feeling refreshed as if I had just woken up.

“Alright! Now that we’ve had enough rest, let’s get back to work!”

Murmurs echoed through the workshop at my words.

“Back to work? Wait, is it night or day?” “Damn, with these blackout curtains, I can’t tell the time.” “Enough rest? Is that true?”

In fact, it was nighttime.

I knew it was evening because I had gone to the drawing room to greet the monk, but the craftsmen, who had been cooped up in the workshop, seemed unable to distinguish the time anymore.

On the continent of Sylvanias, black magicians were despised figures.

Firstly, they were seen as evil beings who borrowed the power of demons, the enemies of not only humans but all surface races.

Secondly, they required living creatures for their spells.

Moreover, they desecrated graves and battlefields to commit vile deeds, making them fugitives hunted by the Empire and the entire continent.

“Heh heh… Damn imperial scum, soon it will be your turn to scream and wail.”

One of those black magicians, Venom, smiled with a twisted grin as he traced a line on the ground, letting blood spill from a bag.

After relentless pursuits across the continent, most black magicians had been eradicated or had disappeared.

But there was still a remnant organization of black magicians known as the “Abyss Order.”

Venom was a member of this organization, carrying out an important mission.

March 14th was approaching—only three months left for the grand plan.

His heart raced when he thought of the new black magic the organization had meticulously created.

If the magic circle they were creating succeeded, the imperial capital would become a literal nightmare.

The ruthless Empire, which had driven them into poverty and forced them to live like beggars by indiscriminately killing his brethren from the organization, would finally understand that blood begets blood.

While it was true that they had offered a few innocent villages as sacrifices to demons and raided several church crypts, how could the Empire be so brutal in its pursuit?

Now, the Empire would learn the meaning of retribution.

The organization had poured all its remaining resources into preparing this magic circle.

If it succeeded, the era of black magicians could return.

Just thinking about it made hiding like a rat on the outskirts of the capital bearable.

“Wait for it, Empire, for our Abyss Order has returned!!!”