As the premiere concluded successfully, Rupert stood at the exit, bidding farewell to each guest personally. Amidst this, three figures hurriedly approached him.

"Rupert!"

"Lady Amelia, is something the matter?"

"Oh, no, no! The premiere was absolutely splendid."

"I’m glad you enjoyed it."

Not to be outdone, Iolin quickly interjected into their conversation.

"I, too, found it deeply moving."

"I’m relieved Her Highness enjoyed it as well."

"I loved it too, Rupert!"

"Thank you, Miss Zinnia."

Surrounded by the three women, each expressing their gratitude, Rupert was struggling to keep up with their words.

Whenever Iolin spoke, the other two would seize the opportunity to jump into the conversation, and vice versa, as if they couldn’t bear to let anyone else gain the upper hand.

"Is that heaven or hell?"

"A hell disguised as heaven."

The other men watching the scene felt both envious and grateful that they weren’t in Rupert’s shoes.

Though being doted upon by three beautiful women seemed like a dream come true, they all knew such situations rarely ended well.

"You know, if we’re judging by looks, you’re better than the professor."

"Elsa is more than enough for me."

"You’re crazy."

Even Edric and Adrian were observing the scene while exchanging remarks, their curiosity piqued.

They couldn’t help but wonder which of the three would ultimately end up with Rupert.

"Let it go~ Let it go~!"

Lately, the sound of children singing filled the streets of the empire.

No matter the neighborhood or household, wherever there were children, the song could be heard. It had become so widespread that even those unfamiliar with it found themselves humming along.

"Isn’t this outrageously expensive?"

"Do you have any idea how hard it is to get this Elsa dress and wand these days?"

The Somerset merchandise stores were overflowing with people desperate to buy Frozen Kingdom-themed goods, to the point where things were getting chaotic.

The source of all this frenzy was the newly released Frozen Kingdom animation, now showing simultaneously in Somerset theaters across the empire.

"I’m glad the tickets were reasonably priced!"
"Indeed! The kids were so thrilled after watching it that I feel it’s worth every coin."
"And the posters and postcards they give out come in so many designs. It doesn’t feel like a waste of money at all."

What started as mere curiosity quickly turned into a frenzy as word spread, leading to packed theaters and tickets becoming a scarce commodity.

While adults made up part of the audience, the animation’s massive popularity among children was creating headaches for parents.

"All my friends have Elsa dresses and wands!"

Children who had watched the animation would cry and plead for merchandise, leaving their parents exasperated.

Those who had bought Frozen Kingdom merchandise when the manga first released found themselves sitting on a goldmine.

"Even so, aren’t these just toys? Why are they so expensive?"

Nowadays, people understood that Rupert’s works and merchandise only gained value over time. As such, everything with the Frozen Kingdom name sold instantly.

In the early days, however, the high price of Frozen Kingdom goods deterred many parents from buying them for their children.

This limited early sales and made the initial merchandise exceedingly rare, causing its second-hand value to skyrocket.

"At least I managed to get this much."

Though the Somerset stores reissued Frozen Kingdom goods for the movie’s release, they couldn’t be exact replicas due to Rupert’s explicit orders.

This led to the terms “first edition” and “new edition” being coined, with first editions fetching astronomical prices.

"Nowadays, investing in Somerset goods is the best way for the wealthy to grow their assets."

"A friend sold a limited-edition manga volume for 10 gold recently."

"10 gold? He must be kicking himself now. It could’ve gone for double that."

Ever since the saint proclaimed Rupert to be divinely inspired, the value of his works and merchandise had soared.

With the Frozen Kingdom movie premiere, anything with the Somerset name became more trusted and sought after than even divine relics.

"Isn’t this a counterfeit card?!"
"Damn it! Run!"

The King of Cards merchandise was no exception to Somerset’s booming popularity.

"I opened ten packs and didn’t get a single super rare card!"
"I’d just like to see the White-Eyed Blue Dragon Ultimate Rare card in person!"
"It’s here! I’m rich!"

Outside Somerset stores, cheers and groans alike echoed as people opened King of Cards packs, each containing ten cards, one of which was guaranteed to be rare.

This was Rupert’s way of ensuring even commoners could enjoy the thrill of obtaining their favorite cards.

However, the rarity of specific cards led to an explosion of demand, with people spending fortunes on card packs.

"Rare cards can fetch decent prices second-hand!"

Those lucky enough to pull particularly coveted rare cards could sell them for a tidy sum. Super Rare and Ultimate Rare cards, however, were in a league of their own, with prices reaching astronomical levels.

This frenzy forced Somerset to impose purchase limits per person, though some found ways around it.

To combat counterfeiting, Somerset theaters and merchandise stores installed "duel tables" capable of verifying cards. Genuine cards would summon a magical hologram of their illustration, while fakes did nothing.

"Master Rupert, how are the new manga manuscripts?"

"They’re promising, but they need more refinement. There’s still time."

"The authors might be disappointed."

"It can’t be helped. Anything serialized in ManaFia must be the empire’s best."

Returning the manuscripts to Esteban, Rupert was determined to expand the current six ManaFia titles to at least ten.

Though he saw potential in the submissions, none had passed his rigorous standards yet.

"We’re nearing the final chapter of Van Helsing, and other authors’ works are wrapping up. Preparation is key."

"Indeed, Van Helsing should conclude within the year."

"And King of Cards has reached the Battle Island arc, hasn’t it?"

"Yes, that’s correct."

Rupert’s gaze sharpened as Esteban mentioned King of Cards.

"It’s time to set ‘that plan’ into motion."

Though Esteban seemed slightly anxious, he knew this was a crucial step for the project they had carefully planned.

"The imperial palace has already reached out."

Rupert smiled, as if everything was falling into place.