"Using the Magician’s Hat won’t save you. The Dark Mage you’ve hidden is right here, isn’t it?"

Flyinghorse activated the Magician’s Hat combo alongside his AniWorld field card, pitting it against the protagonist Yugi’s Dark Mage strategy.

With pinpoint accuracy, Flyinghorse targeted the Magician’s Hat that Yugi had supposedly used to conceal his Dark Mage.

However—

"The Dark Mage wasn’t in the hat you attacked! I activate the spell card, Spell Arrow!"

"What? But I was certain the Dark Mage was hidden there...!"

When the targeted Magician’s Hat was destroyed, it wasn’t the Dark Mage that emerged but the Spell Arrow card.

The activation of Spell Arrow’s effect wiped Flyinghorse’s AniWorld field from the game entirely.

"You don’t understand, Flyinghorse. The power of trust between partners is my real strength!"

Yugi’s renewed determination caused Flyinghorse’s usually composed face to contort for the first time.

"You’ve grown arrogant just because you’ve survived a single turn, Yugi. But don’t forget—your Balrog Summon has been reduced to a harmless Ani-Balrog!"

The recent chapter of The King of Cards had readers captivated as Yugi faced the final boss of the Battle Island arc, Flyinghorse, the wielder of the Thousand Eyes.

“This Thousand Eyes power seemed absolutely unbeatable until Yugi turned the tide with his partner’s help!”
“It wasn’t just a substitution; it was a counterattack born from mutual trust!”

In earlier chapters, readers had watched Yugi’s rival, Kaito, suffer a crushing defeat against the power of Thousand Eyes, leaving them feeling hopeless.

After all, in a card game where strategy and information were paramount, defeating an opponent who could read your every move seemed impossible.

Making matters worse, Flyinghorse was the original creator of the cards, having discovered the ancient stone tablets that inspired the game. Every new card he introduced was impossibly powerful.

Naturally, fans were eager to see how Yugi would overcome this overwhelming foe. The use of the Thousand Puzzle’s abilities to turn the tables gave readers a thrilling sense of satisfaction.

"I am the Dark Yugi!"
"Then I’ll be Kaito!"
"Why do you two get to be the cool characters!?"

While the most successful merchandise for The King of Cards remained the card packs themselves, other items like the Thousand Puzzle—a symbol of the protagonist—were wildly popular among children.

"Rather than setting a high price, I want these items to be affordable enough to serve as gifts for kids," Rupert had suggested.

With the sales of card packs and Duel Tables generating more than enough profit, Rupert insisted on selling toys and merchandise for children at minimal prices, making them accessible to families.

As a result, it wasn’t uncommon to see children around town wearing the Thousand Puzzle from The King of Cards.

Although the toys were relatively inexpensive, they were crafted with Somerset Workshop’s finest techniques. Their high quality ensured their popularity, even among parents who were otherwise reluctant to spend.

"Card games and puzzles aid cognitive development in children and may even help prevent dementia and aging in adults," claimed a renowned Imperial scholar in a report about The King of Cards.

This endorsement prompted parents to eagerly purchase these items for their children, significantly increasing their circulation.

"So, will you finally reveal your true identity, O God of Commerce?"
"And you, Master of Salesmanship, doubling our overseas sales—isn’t that divine work as well?"

Every Manafia release day, Rupert and Esteban would gather in the second-floor office of the trading company’s headquarters to monitor public reactions. What began as business reviews had gradually turned into celebratory rituals as their ventures continually succeeded.

Today was no different. Raising their glasses in a toast, Rupert and Esteban laughed with pure delight. Everything was progressing flawlessly.

"Who would have thought that being appointed as a professor at the Imperial Academy would bring such benefits?"
"Indeed. Who could have imagined that even the strict Professor Adam Smith from the Faculty of Administration would write such a glowing report for us?"

However, Rupert and Esteban were not blind to the emerging undercurrent of resentment toward Somerset Workshop among some parents.

"Why is it impossible to resist buying these goods?"
"The kids won’t focus on their studies because they’re so obsessed with these comics!"
"Sure, they’re learning to read thanks to the comics, but the costs are piling up—this can’t just be in my head!"

As impactful as Rupert’s books and comics were, backlash was inevitable.

Children had become fervent fans of Somerset Workshop’s products, to the point of fanaticism. When one child acquired new merchandise, their peers would clamor for the same, leaving parents under constant pressure to buy.

Even though the items were sold at affordable prices, frequent purchases strained many families, especially commoners.

Rupert, sensing the growing discontent, devised a clever strategy.

"The miracle fruit XXX! If you eat this every day, it prevents aging, aids weight loss, improves skin health…"

Rupert was reminded of how, in his previous life, a single mention of a product by a doctor or expert on TV could cause it to sell out on home shopping channels and online stores the very next day.

"If we bring in experts to spread the word that our products benefit children’s development…"

This wasn’t even a lie—modern research had already confirmed that card games and toys could positively impact children’s emotional development.

With this idea in mind, Rupert approached Adam Smith, a professor in the administrative sciences department at the academy, known as a mentor to Imperial bureaucrats and intellectuals.

"I can’t just release a statement on a whim. While your opinion isn’t baseless, the public might blindly…"

Of course, success didn’t come immediately.

"What are you doing? Are you trying to bribe me?"

At first, Professor Adam Smith was furious when Rupert discreetly offered him a “token of gratitude.”

But upon examining the contents, the professor realized the amount was too significant to refuse.

The result?

"They say this is great for children’s brain development!"
"Not only that, it’s said to prevent dementia in older adults!"
"It’s a miracle product! I can’t let my child fall behind!"

Even those who had been hesitant to spend money on toys quickly opened their wallets.

Moreover, while purchasing Rupert’s products had initially felt like a begrudging necessity for parents, the narrative soon flipped.

"Did you play your card game today like your mom told you?"
"I already played with the other kids…"
"Don’t be lazy! If you turn into a fool, what will you do? Go out and play more!"

Suddenly, parents across the Empire were practically forcing their children to play card games, a phenomenon that was both amusing and surreal.

"I hear private tutors these days are using Somerset’s fairy tale collections to teach their students."

Rupert’s fairy tales and educational books weren’t just popular among commoners; they had become a trend among nobles, too. Educating children with his works was now seen as fashionable.

"The growth in overseas sales was certainly unexpected," Esteban remarked.

While Rupert was busy changing public perceptions of comics and toys, Esteban wasn’t idle. He had noticed a sharp increase in demand for Rupert’s works overseas and had begun taking direct action.

This expansion into foreign markets was possible thanks to the Vera Trading Company, which had been instrumental in domestic operations. Previously, the company had focused solely on managing the overwhelming demand within the Empire, but Esteban’s involvement had more than doubled overseas sales in a short period.

"The fact that people in nations with strong anti-Imperial sentiments are embracing these products feels like a miracle," Esteban said.

"Culture, unlike other exports, seeps in like water—it’s inevitable," Rupert replied with a knowing smile.

While Esteban marveled at the success, Rupert had anticipated such results.

"Look at Korea and Japan. Their diplomatic relations may be tense, but they adore each other’s culture," Rupert thought.

Many Koreans were avid fans of Japanese manga and anime, while Japanese audiences loved Korean music and films. Similarly, many nations that outwardly disliked the United States still absorbed its cultural exports.

Cultural dominance was a silent but potent weapon, bringing countries closer to hegemony without firing a single shot.

"By the way, with the Battle Island arc wrapping up, the Duel City arc is just around the corner," Esteban noted.

"Yes, the Duel Room construction is proceeding smoothly, and from what I hear, the qualifiers have already concluded," Rupert replied.

"That’s right. We’ve secured the names of all the duelists who passed the qualifiers, and they’ll gather in the Imperial capital for the finals soon."

Rupert felt a rush of excitement. His hard work was paying off.

The Duel City arc was the pinnacle of The King of Cards, and the prospect of recreating it in real life was a dream come true for Rupert, the manga creator—and a devoted fanboy at heart.

"One day, duelists from other nations might flock here to compete for the title of the continent’s strongest," Esteban joked.

Rupert nearly choked on his wine at the comment.

"How does he know?"

The truth was, Rupert had already been planning the King of Cards: Silbenia Continental Cup, a grand tournament that would bring duelists from across the world to compete.