Drawing Manga in a Romance Fantasy

Chapter 7

EP.7

“I will delegate the rights to sell the books to the Yuren Merchant Guild, who offered the highest price.”

At my declaration, all the merchants, except for one, wore dark expressions and let out cries of dismay.

“No!! If only I had bid just a bit more...”

Only one merchant clenched his fists and cheered, and rightfully so.

‘Winning at just a 1 Silver difference must be frustrating for the guild that bid second.’

I proceeded to draft a contract with the leader of the Yuren Merchant Guild, who had won the bidding.

“The specifics remain largely unchanged, but there are two stipulations you must adhere to.”

“What are they?”

“Absolutely! The price cannot exceed double the original. Furthermore, each family can purchase only one copy.”

I could see the leader’s expression twist at my words, as if questioning why he had spent such a large sum on the book without those conditions.

“If you dislike these terms, then there will be no contract...”

“Wait... wait! I understand! I will comply!!”

As I acted as though I would invalidate the contract, he hurriedly changed his attitude and signed the contract containing various clauses.

‘If I don’t impose such conditions, affluent noble families will surely buy in bulk, or the Yuren Merchant Guild could exploit absurd profits.’

The guild leader may have regarded me merely as a young noble, but in reality, I was a webtoon artist who had experienced every kind of unfair contract back on Earth.

Wait, why are tears coming out...?

Regardless, the conditions I presented were by no means unreasonable.

I could charge up to double the price, so there would definitely be profit, and the one-copy rule was based on two reasons.

First, since this is a fairy tale, I wanted as many children as possible to read it.

Second, the reason I went through all this effort to produce the book was to avoid the trouble of visits from noble families again.

I thought that around 100 copies, assuming one book per sale, would be sufficient.

“It was a good deal.”

“Thank you, Young Master.”

In the end, I happily concluded the deal with the guild leader, finalizing the auction for the storybook.

*

The Somerset family is a Count family.

As a Count family, they rank third among the five noble ranks, which is quite prestigious.

In such a family, there is a gathering known as the Territory Council where vassals typically congregate to discuss various matters concerning the territory’s operation.

However, our family’s Territory Council was a bit sparse, or rather, very minimal.

While typical councils include various vassals coordinating on issues tied to interests, our council was attended solely by my father, the head of the family, Sir Mularus, who is responsible for the territory’s defense, and finally, Count Klein, who oversees the finances and operation of the territory.

“Young Master, it brings me much joy to see you finally attend the Territory Council!”

the spacious grounds proved beneficial in such times, despite their seeming excess.

“Leather should not be exposed to light, so it needs to be set up against a wall where it won’t get sunlight.”

As I saw the craftsmen I had worked with as we created the books sharing their opinions about the new workspace, I felt a wave of nostalgia wash over me.

In the past, whenever we made books, I had temporarily hired workers for the task, but now we had decided to employ them fully.

“I would like to hire the craftsmen on the condition that I cover all material costs. What do you think?”

Honestly, I expected that some of them would refuse my proposal. This was because, in this medieval world, craftsmen were invaluable resources whose worth could not simply be measured in money.

Moreover, these were not just any craftsmen; they were the best artisans known in our region. I did not think they would easily accept my offer.

“I’m all for it!”

“I want to participate too!”

“Just leave it to us!”

However, contrary to my expectations, their enthusiastic acceptance of my proposal left me taken aback.

“The craftsmen also struggle to make significant profits without the nobility. Since the recent war, the spending by nobles has decreased substantially, leaving everyone in a difficult situation.”

It seemed that the scars left by the war were not solely our family’s burden.

When Alain, the butler, briefly explained their positive responses to my offer, I began to understand.

They too had endured hardships during the war, producing goods under the pretense of military requisition without proper compensation for their labor. After the war concluded, their workload had come to an abrupt halt, leaving them in a difficult position.

Thus, hearing that the picture book project I initiated recently felt like a much-needed relief, my proposal was likely welcomed with open arms.

“However, Young Master, I may be thinking foolishly, but isn’t it rather hasty to invest solely based on the demand for the Cinderella picture book?”

Alain, who had been observing the establishment of the book factory on our estate, subtly inquired.

As the steward responsible for our family’s finances, it seemed he was quite concerned about my current actions.

Just looking at my father, Alain had probably tried to dissuade him multiple times, only to hear the mantra of, “We can just pay it back!”

But I was different from my father!

“I’m certain that selling Cinderella will become increasingly difficult.”

Indeed, while the combination of a fairy tale that never existed in this world and a proven hit from Earth like Cinderella had immense potential, the price of the book itself was no small matter.

Cinderella, made exclusively for nobles, had a price range from at least 1 Gold to nearly 10 Gold, depending on the differences in quality.

Even the mass-produced version had significantly lowered its supply cost but remained unaffordable for ordinary citizens.

Only wealthy merchants or noble families could consider purchasing it. And even then, Cinderella was specifically aimed at young girls, further narrowing the consumer base.

That was precisely why I had printed only 100 copies. I believed that was the absolute limit of what I could sell right now.

“Why would you engage in such a business, knowing that?”

Alain questioned why I would undertake such an ambitious venture and invest the money I had previously earned, given that I knew sales would be limited.

“Well, that’s because the next work won’t be Cinderella.”

Thank you, Brothers Grimm.

To be frank, I didn’t read many fairy tales, and the number of stories I could recall was only a few.

However, I could undoubtedly remember three representative works that children would love.

Having gained this much profit from the first one, Cinderella, I would ensure the subsequent works succeed and resolve my family’s debt issues.

“The next work will be ‘Snow White’.”