"When the manga series launches, we’ll need to push the merchandise side of things simultaneously."

"I get the sense this will definitely work. If we’re going to be prepared, we’d better start quickly," Esteban replied, immediately grasping Rupert’s vision for The King of Cards.

Esteban found it impressive that Rupert had integrated the “one-source multi-use” approach from the planning stage—a modern strategy, even by Earth’s standards, that wasn’t widely adopted yet.

"We should put ten cards in each pack, with at least one guaranteed higher-grade card," Rupert suggested.

"That’s exactly what I had in mind as well," Esteban agreed, seeming to have an almost uncanny sense of Rupert’s thoughts.

"I like that these cards aren’t just for playing but are designed to tap into people’s desire to collect."

Esteban was impressed by Rupert’s ambition. The story of The King of Cards wasn’t especially unique—sealed monsters from an ancient empire, discovered by explorers, leading to a fierce battle to control the cards with magical powers.

The protagonist, a seemingly ordinary boy, awakens a new personality through an ancient amulet from the empire and becomes entangled in card battles. It was simple but easy to understand and highly engaging.

"However, it might be challenging to turn a manga about ancient powers into a playable card game," Esteban cautioned.

"The existing card games are simple enough that even a child can pick up the rules after a few tries."

"Yes, I’ve kept that in mind. But creating all the rules by myself has proven to be a bit challenging."

"Then perhaps we should hire a dedicated team to handle the rules and balance."

"A team?"

"This card game has the scent of a major hit. We’ll need people who can focus on ensuring it’s balanced and enjoyable."

Rupert agreed with the suggestion. Given that a card game would be centered around battles, balance issues could spell disaster. Leaving the finer details to a team could be the most efficient approach.

Rupert was already juggling two manga series and involvement in an animation project, so overseeing every detail of the card game would be too much, even with the goddess’s blessing.

"We’ll sell the cards at the Somerset goods store, and for the card battle venue, what do you think of using the animation theater?"

"Do we need a separate place just for battles?"

"Here’s my idea…."

In this world, the Mage Tower functioned similarly to a university research lab.

"I need something that keeps a room cool and dry all summer."

"I’d love to listen to music from the orchestra every day. Can you make something to record and replay their performances?"

Wealthy nobles, typically the tower’s clients, often requested custom products to suit their luxurious needs. Developing these items was extremely costly, but nobles saw such indulgences as marks of their status and spared no expense.

Thus, mages became one of the highest-earning professions, and catering to nobles’ requests was a primary source of income for the towers.

"Welcome, Sir Rupert."

"Apologies for the last-minute request."

"Not at all. Feel free to visit us anytime."

The Somerset branch of the Mage Tower treated Rupert with utmost respect. Although it was well past evening, and they would normally reschedule meetings to the following day, they made an exception for such an important guest.

‘Thanks to Somerset, our branch is now in the top three for revenue. Working late is a small price to pay!’

Luke, the branch head, greeted Rupert with genuine warmth, appreciating the steady stream of work Rupert had brought to them.

"I’d like to commission a table this time."

"A table?"

Luke relaxed as he glanced over Rupert’s schematics.

‘Some nobles ask us to conjure items out of thin air, but Sir Rupert is refreshingly practical.’

He recalled a noble once requesting a portable shower that could draw water even without a supply line.

‘It just needs to gather moisture from the air to work, right?’

It wasn’t impossible—but to continuously draw enough moisture from the air required a magic stone comparable to a dragon heart.

Rupert, on the other hand, always presented detailed blueprints, greatly aiding the Tower in understanding his requests.

"This requires a table with illusion magic, correct?"

"Exactly. The square on the table’s surface will hold cards."

The table needed to display hundreds of cards using illusion magic, so each card’s designated appearance would show up when placed.

"We’ll need to create a small illusion projector that fits inside the table, right?"

"Yes, though sound effects would be nice eventually. For now, just showing the card visuals will be enough."

Luke was glad that Rupert’s straightforward instructions made the work seem simpler.

"But what exactly are these cards?"

"It’s still confidential, but to you, Luke, I’ll say they’re a new type of merchandise."

"Merchandise?"

As an avid collector of Rupert’s manga and figures, Luke was naturally curious about this new product.

‘But it wouldn’t be polite to pry further.’

Luke restrained his curiosity, recognizing Rupert as the Tower’s most valued client.

"Why do you always bring me more work?" Crun asked with an exasperated look.

"Well, we all need to stay busy," Rupert replied cheerfully.

Grumbling, Crun opened up the blueprint Rupert handed him.

"If these are made of paper, they’ll tear easily."

"Yes, so we’ll need to coat them and research a sturdier paper."

"Blast! So we’re the ones who have to make it?"

"I certainly can’t make it myself."

Crun took another look at the design.

"Cards, huh? But these have drawings of magical beasts, weapons, all sorts of things."

The artwork made them more visually interesting than typical playing cards. There was also a noticeable grading system, with different levels of detail for higher-grade cards.

"So common cards are plain, but the higher the grade, the more detailed the artwork becomes?"

"Precisely! They need to look similar at a glance but have distinct differences."

"What a load of nonsense!"

"Oh, Crun, you really lack aesthetic sense. Don’t you get subtle elegance?"

Ignoring Rupert’s remark, Crun pondered how best to distinguish the card grades. He realized that by using the celluloid and photosensitive material they’d developed for the animation film, they could create a slight shimmer that would make the cards look refined and distinct when light hit them.

"Guess I’ll be working overtime to develop this."

"Is that a problem?"

"I was going to take the team out for some well-deserved relaxation after the film projector and film development project."

"Why not let the team go on break and work on this by yourself?"

"Have you ever been hit by a dwarf with a hammer?"

Rupert produced a receipt from his pocket.

"Let’s see here… Sotheby’s auction purchases: 400 grams of mithril, 120 grams of orichalcum, 1 kilogram of wyvern leather… It makes you wonder who bought so much precious material, doesn’t it?"

Crun’s eyes darted away as he recognized the list of pricey materials, pretending not to notice.

"Haha! A true artisan finds the most joy in their work!"

"And I feel the same joy when I draw manga."

"Ha ha ha! A true craftsman indeed. We’ll complete your request as swiftly as possible."

"Ha ha! You can’t curb an artisan’s enthusiasm."

Watching the two banter, the other craftsmen continued their work, accustomed to the playful arguments that had become a regular part of the workday.