Since both the production of goods and the publication of volumes were going smoothly without any hitches, the only thing I needed to focus on was creating my works.

‘There’s only one story for this fairy tale.’

There was an event that shocked me deeply when I came to this world.

When I expanded the workforce for the new merchandise factory and the bookbinding facility, a crowd of children came and begged me to hire them.

Most of those children came because they had no other way to make a living, which was hard to believe, given that our territory was considered to have fewer problems.

As it was on Earth, war results in many tragedies, and the most heartbreaking of all is the orphans.

Children who lost their parents due to the ravages of war and parents who abandoned their children due to poverty were common.

In this world, too, children were the first to be abandoned.

So when I had the means, I insisted on building facilities to care for such children, including churches and orphanages, within our territory.

It was an idea inspired by the belief that fairy tales that brought me prosperity and the authors who wrote those tales had desired the happiness of children.

Yet, it seemed insufficient.

So I decided to create a more impactful work this time.

A work that could sound an alarm in people’s hearts.

‘It’s winter, so it fits perfectly.’

This time, I decided to draw A Dog of Flanders.

Among the fairy tales I remember and have read, this was the saddest story.

“We shouldn’t make custom editions this time.”

With the workload of the manga being too much, I had already given up on custom editions, and I couldn’t even think about making custom fairy tale books anymore.

Therefore, I decided to use a consistent set of characters this time, and I was pondering who to model them on.

‘Who should I use?’

So far, the protagonists in my fairy tales have mostly been girls, but this story had a boy as the protagonist, so I couldn’t think of a suitable model.

If it were a girl, my sister Ada would be the perfect model.

As the character of the protagonist didn’t come easily to mind, I started working on other characters, like the grandfather and the dog.

At the same time, I had to work on Volume 2 of The Iron-Blooded Alchemist, and I was truly excited about drawing it.

The scenes were exciting, from the cool introduction of one of the main characters, the Flame Alchemist, to the appearance of the main villains, the Homunculi.

Plus, even though it wouldn’t be in Volume 2, the ‘episode’ sure to shock everyone was about to begin.

Even while drafting the storyboard, I couldn’t help but tremble.

‘Hmm, I can’t model a real person for this.’

For the character who would play a key role in ‘that episode,’ the only one similar in age was Ada, but she wasn’t an option from the start.

Not just Ada, but modeling a character after a real person might lead their father to come after me.

So this time, I decided to modify the original model a bit and used the face of a wanted criminal in the Empire for the alchemist who creates chimeras.

The reason for going this far was the surprising impact of my manga.

In Korea, it’s said that actors who played villains in morning dramas were cursed at or hit in restaurants, so it would likely be worse here.

“That’s right, now that there’s coffee.”

As I alternated between working on the fairy tale and the manga, I thought of coffee while gulping down a vitality potion as usual.

You see, it’s essential to stack buffs to get the best effect.

I immediately asked Alain for some coffee.

Alain reluctantly brought the iced Americano I had ordered, and I drank it all in one go.

“Wow, this is a new world.”

Even as someone from Korea who’d tried all sorts of caffeine and nutritional drinks, I couldn’t help but be amazed at the combination of vitality potion and coffee.

However, even this powerful doping had a time limit.

My body remembered the side effects of the vitality potion kicking in about three hours later.

So I sent a servant to ask Manuel, the monk at the territory’s church, to visit in three hours.

‘Once the side effects kick in, a single healing spell from the monk will restore me. It’s a perfect plan.’

If I repeated this twice, I could work through the day without sleeping at all.

Of course, I couldn’t keep this excellent method to myself, so I suggested it to the artisans I was working with, but I had to back down when they showed extreme aversion, almost having a fit while holding their tools.

Honestly, what work is more fun than making books, so why does everyone want to rest?

Still, one of the new employees, Jensen, followed my method.

He always seemed a bit scared, but he was a very excellent employee who would be the first to volunteer whenever I proposed something.

This is why big companies check credentials.

He had all the traits I liked, such as having no girlfriend, a poor relationship with family, and a hometown far away.

Others called him a thug, but I saw his potential.

Now, as he’s transformed into such a diligent employee, it proves my keen eye.

From now on, when hiring employees, I must select those who meet these criteria.

“Thank you; there was no need to come out and meet me.”

“No, Yustaf, it’s what I should do.”

The Goldenpool Valley Magic Tower had been in an uproar lately.

This was due to the news that Yustaf Haindel, former tower master and current head of the Empire Academy, was coming.

Goldenpool Valley had once been famous for its gold, but with the gold now depleted, it was an otherwise unremarkable area.

There was no apparent reason for Yustaf to visit such a place, but preparations couldn’t be neglected.

And finally, Yustaf Haindel appeared through the teleportation array of the magic tower.

Beside him was a red-haired girl.

“Ah, this is my new disciple, Xenia Haindel.”

“Apologies for not recognizing Yustaf’s disciple. I am Endol, the branch manager of the Goldenpool Valley Magic Tower.”

Endol, who couldn’t help but stare at the red hair, hurriedly introduced himself.

All of Yustaf’s disciples became renowned wizards in the Empire, and this girl was sure to do the same, so it didn’t hurt to make a good impression.

“…Hello.”

Endol worried if he’d made a mistake or stared too much earlier when Xenia, hiding behind Yustaf, responded in a tiny voice.

“Hmm… The reason for my visit here is that I have business with the Somerset family. Could you perhaps provide a guide?”

“Somerset family? Then why not ride in our carriage with us?”

“A carriage?”

“Yes, the Somerset family ordered a printing press from the tower, and we were about to deliver it.”

Hearing Endol’s words, Yustaf thought that might be better and decided to spend the time until the carriage left talking and having tea in the branch manager’s office.

Meanwhile, Xenia quietly picked up and ate snacks, hiding behind Yustaf as he conversed.

‘Yustaf Haindel? Why on earth is that person coming here?’

Rupert couldn’t find any connection no matter how much he thought about it.

Until now, he had met several characters from the original novel, but there had always been a reasonable explanation.

However, this time Rupert was confused because someone with no relation to him was coming to visit.

That, too, from Yustaf, a grand wizard with the title of ‘Human Dragon,’ was certainly bewildering.

In the original novel, he appeared as the headmaster of the academy where the main characters attended, saving them with overwhelming magic during crises.

Why would such a walking cheat code visit our family?

“Haha, I hope this old man hasn’t caused any trouble by visiting so suddenly.”

“Not at all, I’ve long wanted to meet you, having heard of your high reputation.”

Although Rupert inwardly wished Yustaf would leave immediately, his words were perfectly polite.

Yustaf’s origins were as the second son of the Haindel barony, so, in terms of status, he could be seen as lower than Rupert.

But no one in the Empire treated Yustaf as a mere baron.

Perhaps only the imperial family could speak down to him.

Even Duke Bluewell, the highest noble in the Empire, would treat Yustaf as an equal.

Thus, Rupert, hiding his true feelings, treated him with utmost courtesy.

But someone kept catching his eye.

“I hope it’s not rude to ask who that person is?”

“Ah, I was late in introducing. This is my disciple, Xenia.”

Xenia timidly nodded at Yustaf’s introduction.

Looking at Xenia, Rupert fell into a slight reverie.

Starting with her distinct red hair, he felt like he’d heard the name Xenia somewhere before.

But as he worried about staring too long, Yustaf timely continued the conversation.

“I’m sure you’re curious why I suddenly visited, so let’s get to the point.”

“Yes, please tell me.”

“The transmutation circles in your manga, The Iron-Blooded Alchemist, where did you see those?”

“What?”

Yustaf quietly observed Rupert, who was evasively claiming he just referenced a book.

His eyes had unusually dark circles.
His body seemed particularly thin.

He looked as if he were under some sort of curse.

And what was that bite mark on his neck?

Yustaf was convinced Rupert was hiding something.

The transmutation circles he saw in The Iron-Blooded Alchemist were entirely different from existing ones.

Even alchemists likely wouldn’t know exactly what it was.

Only someone well-versed in both magic and alchemy like him could have noticed.

It was clearly a new type of transmutation circle combining runes and traditional circles.

Only someone like him, who had researched it out of shock upon discovering it, could grasp its meaning.

The circles were deliberately misaligned, so they wouldn’t work if copied directly, but they were intricately designed to fit if adjusted slightly, like clock hands.

He thought the author might have deliberately made them incorrect.

After all,

‘For this transmutation circle to work, you’d need more than just some blood from a living being.’

It was a complex technique that blurred the line between a transmutation circle and a magic circle.

While ordinary circles used metallic powders or ground-up plants, this new circle required much stronger materials.

He came to see Rupert because he thought this method was extremely dangerous, and now he felt his intuition was right.

‘Even if I press him, it seems unlikely I’ll get an honest answer now.’

Rupert maintained a calm demeanor, but the body never lies.

Yustaf considered that a specific group might be threatening Rupert or the Somerset family.

And perhaps Rupert was marking his new manga in this way to seek help.

Clatter!

“Oh… I’m sorry. I’m a bit tired and made a mistake.”

As he saw Rupert drop his teacup as if he’d lost strength in his hand, Yustaf thought inwardly.

‘Is he nervous? Could he really be under threat?’

How could a young man not even have the strength to hold a teacup unless he had stayed up several nights?

Yustaf thought he should investigate once he returned.

It was just a suspicion, but something felt unsettling.