In the world of nobility, there were numerous manners an adult male nobleman was expected to follow.

For example, it was acceptable to borrow a cigarette, but borrowing a cutter or matches was seen as extremely rude.

Recently, however, another unwritten rule had become a must among noblemen.

"What? You’re asking to borrow my deck? You’re someone I could never associate with."

The new rule was to never ask to borrow someone else’s deck.

"Well… I just forgot to bring my own deck. Don’t you always have an extra?"

"Don’t pretend to be casual about it. How can you call yourself a duelist if you forgot your deck?"

The indignant nobleman opened the inside of his jacket, instantly drawing the attention of those around him.

"That’s…!"

"Isn’t that the exclusive pocket awarded only to the Somerset Goods Store Duel Tournament champion?"

"To have that… you truly are a worthy duelist!"

The man basked in the admiration of onlookers as he pulled his deck from a pocket sewn inside his jacket.

Lifting the top card, he added with a smirk, "How can you even think of asking to borrow a deck, something as precious as one’s own life?"

"I just thought I’d have a quick game at the Duel Tavern…."

At this point, the man who had asked to borrow a deck felt like a criminal on trial.

He had only wanted to enjoy the trending card game with a drink at the pub.

But the gazes around him had already grown icy.

"Those who sneak banned cards into their decks usually act this way."

"Isn’t he a reseller? Lately, people have been hoarding cards to make a quick profit."

"Regardless, he’s certainly lacking in etiquette."

Hearing the murmurs, the embarrassed man could do nothing but leave in a hasty retreat.

 

"I’m not usually one to say this."

"Please, feel free to speak openly, Sir Yustaf."

Since the academy had resumed, Rupert had been teaching students as usual until he was abruptly called to the headmaster’s office by Yustaf.

Despite being summoned, Yustaf spent most of the time chatting idly over tea before finally getting to the point.

"Do you think you could get me the Dark Sorcerer Ultimate Rare card?"

"Pardon?"

Thud!

"Honestly, isn’t the pricing scheme by you—or rather, by Urien Trading Company—too extreme? I opened over a hundred card packs! How could I not find even a single Dark Sorcerer Ultimate Rare card?"

"Please, calm down, Sir Yustaf!"

"You think I’d act this way if I weren’t at my wit’s end?"

Rupert was taken aback; he had never seen Yustaf so agitated before. Even during the Cult of the Abyss incident, he had remained composed, and yet here he was, practically throwing a tantrum over a card.

And that it was simply an Ultimate Rare card he desired was even harder to believe.

Or was it really that simple?

Since the end of White Wasteland and the start of The King of Cards, merchandise had been planned from the beginning, so the products had been released quickly.

"The surface material of the cards must reflect their rarity."

The technology developed for animation had been instrumental in this process.

Rupert’s card classification system divided cards into Normal, Rare, Super Rare, and Ultimate Rare. Even cards with the same name varied greatly in value based on their rarity.

Normal cards had no special treatment and looked rather plain, while Rare cards had a subtle silver sheen to their names, barely noticeable.

Starting from Super Rare, the difference was clear. The name and illustration gleamed, making it obvious that these cards were precious.

Then there was the Ultimate Rare card that Yustaf so desperately wanted.

"It seems you already possess the Super Rare Dark Sorcerer?"

"That’s not enough! Harun brags about his Ultimate Rare card to me every day, and it’s driving me mad."

"Sir Harun, you say?"

"Yes! How on earth did he manage to get an Ultimate Rare card?"

Yustaf began a lengthy explanation of how Harun had tormented him.

‘Sir Yustaf, do you play The King of Cards as well?’

‘Indeed. Not to boast, but I haven’t lost a match against any of the academy professors.’

‘Impressive. Shall we have a game?’

‘Gladly.’

Yustaf had his own confidence in his abilities. Though some dismissed card games as child’s play, he saw things differently.

"You can’t just bring out your strongest card from the start. The first few turns are critical for building a strong foundation."

The strongest cards had strict summoning conditions, so he believed the best strategy was to start defensively, setting up his winning move.

However,

"Trap card activated! I choose a card from your hand and send it to the graveyard!"

"Spell card activated! All demon-type monsters on your field are frozen for three turns."

"Harpy Feather Duster activated! I destroy all magic and trap cards on your field."

Harun’s deck was different. All of Yustaf’s plans to draw his cherished Super Rare Dark Sorcerer were shattered by Harun’s relentless use of special effect cards from the start.

Any card Yustaf tried to play was quickly nullified by Harun.

"For the final move, I sacrifice three monsters on my field to summon the Dark Sorcerer!"

The last card Harun used to finish him off was none other than Yustaf’s beloved Dark Sorcerer.

Yustaf wanted to rub his eyes, to deny the reality before him.

"This… this can’t be!"

"Ah, you recognize it? Yes, this isn’t just any Dark Sorcerer—it’s an Ultimate Rare Dark Sorcerer!"

Even possessing the Super Rare Dark Sorcerer had made Yustaf the envy of others. But the Ultimate Rare Dark Sorcerer was something he had only heard about—he’d never seen it with his own eyes.

"How on earth did you get it?"

"I just got lucky. You know the saying, don’t you?"

"The card chooses the duelist!"

This was a famous line from The King of Cards, delivered by the protagonist after losing to a rival.

At that moment, Yustaf’s final shred of pride crumbled.

Had he not been a person of patience and self-control, Harun would likely have found himself the subject of one of Yustaf’s magical experiments that very day.

After that humiliating defeat, Yustaf had searched his mind for the reason behind his loss.

"The Ultimate Rare cards even have the effect descriptions coated!"

"Yes, indeed…."

"Surely, if I had the Ultimate Rare Dark Sorcerer, I wouldn’t have lost to Harun!"

Yustaf was adamant that his loss was purely due to the difference in card rarity.

To Rupert, though, it sounded like nothing but an absurd excuse.

"Ultimate rarity has no effect on performance!"

"So name your price and sell me the Ultimate Rare Dark Sorcerer!"

Yustaf was now clutching Rupert’s shoulders, pleading—and nearly threatening—for the card.

 

"Stop right there!"

"Gah!"

"You’re aware that touching the products is a crime, aren’t you?"

"Please, just this once, let it go!"

"Take him away!"

Even the vast grounds of the Somerset estate were beginning to feel cramped as new buildings sprang up.

The latest addition was a factory dedicated to producing a single item: cards.

"Sigh… was it a mistake to hire new staff due to the shortage of hands?"

Returning home, Rupert grumbled to Esteban in the sitting room.

"We had no choice. The earlier hires were all loyal Somerset landfolk, trustworthy. Now…"

Somerset’s workshop had no choice but to hire extra hands to keep up with the demand for card production.

Most employees worked diligently, but the booming popularity of The King of Cards meant some employees tried to smuggle valuable cards for resale, causing headaches.

"I knew kids would love it, but I didn’t expect adults to become so obsessed with the game."

"In truth, adults enjoy these things too—they just hide it and pretend otherwise."

Seeing Esteban regret not being better prepared from the start, Rupert replied.

‘At least it’s good that manga is no longer dismissed as something only for children here.’

Rupert remembered Korea, where manga had long been scorned, viewed critically as “harmful” and “just for kids.”

In this world, however, manga had secured a proud place as a cultural force.

Not only children but people of all ages now enjoyed manga.

Perhaps this was Rupert’s greatest achievement—transforming an entire society’s view of manga.