Sales Volume Showdown
In the editorial meeting room of Centennial Library, six chairs stood arranged in a row.
One editor-in-chief and one editorial team per chair.
Each team scoured the land for talented authors, published their works, and proved their worth through sales volume.
The team that moved the most books took a larger share of paper and promotional budget for the next quarter.
The team that couldn't sell would lose not only their authors but also their display shelves and, ultimately, their positions.
It was a place that proved itself strictly through performance.
Therefore, the editor-in-chief here was someone who had proven their performance, a colleague who was the most trustworthy, and at the same time—a formidable competitor.
Gold Dragon Aurelis calmly stared straight ahead.
With the entrance of the last human, Loren, the last empty seat in the conference room was filled.
Aurelis's gaze turned to the head table.
The new president of Centennial Library.
The last High Elf of Caligos and the guardian of the continent.
El hadn't come to work today either.
Perhaps it was only natural.
She had the Centennial Library, but she wasn't someone who could stay only within its walls.
Beyond the borders, when disaster species awoke, she had to behead them, and tend to the roots of the dead world tree.
Originally, El's appearance itself was unusual.
She didn't like interacting with people.
That's why, while El was absent, the five editors gathered here were the ones who actually moved the Centennial Library.
Among them, the one who brought the unread manuscript was one of them.
The editor-in-chief of Editorial Department 1, known as the Centennial Library Guardian, and Aurelis of the Gold Dragon tribe.
The five editors had different races.
Fox Beastkin Carsen of Editorial Department 2.
Dwarf Bron of Editorial Department 3.
Demon Seria of Editorial Department 4.
Human Lowen of Editorial Department 5.
Mixing multiple races wasn't awkward.
To satisfy various readers' needs, in the end, it's their own race that knows their desires best.
The only common point among those of different genders, races, and ages was one thing.
Ambition.
The desire to make the authors of their own team the flagship of the Centennial Library.
“Is this the work that Editorial Department 1 will push?”
Sitting opposite was the editor-in-chief of Editorial Department 2, fox Beastkin Carsen, holding a thin manuscript.
Fox ears stood straight between her red hair.
She wore a red cheongsam from the East, with one side of the skirt slit up to the thigh.
The Regressed Avenger Reclaims
Carsen flipped the first page of the paper on the table.
Flutter.
She quickly skimmed the manuscript and placed it on the table.
It took less than five minutes to read.
“Well written.”
It was praise.
But the other editors didn't immediately react to her words.
Because they knew Carsen's words weren't finished.
“Sentences are neat. Characters are alive, and there's power to make one turn the next page. Is this really a new author's writing?”
Carsen smiled, her narrowed eyes curving as she seductively moved to the opponent.
“So I'm more curious. This is definitely a well-written work, but.”
Her finger tapped the cover of the manuscript.
Tap.
Tap.
“Because it's enough to stake the Centennial Library's fate on this work.”
The conference room fell silent.
Aurelis slowly opened her mouth.
“If you read it directly, you'll understand the potential this work holds.”
“Of course. I know it well too. I said that considering that.”
“After five minutes?”
“Yes. It was enough time to check if this work was good writing.”
Her soft voice gently swept the conference room.
Her voice had the power to slow down people's vigilance.
The power to make even words that cut down others' works sound like reasonable advice.
“It's a well-written work. I won't deny that. But... isn't it a bit lacking to call it a masterpiece?”
With that, the editor of Editorial Department 5, Lowen, turned her gaze.
Coincidentally, at the end, it was Carsen's thigh revealed under the slit of the cheongsam.
Lowen's eyes lingered there for a moment.
After belatedly coming to her senses, he hurriedly shifted his gaze to the manuscript.
Dwarf Bron nodded his head following Carsen.
Demon Seria observed the two with interesting eyes without taking sides.
The ranking of Centennial Library is 10th.
Next month, the name could disappear from the ranking table.
Everyone wanted a breakthrough.
And everyone wanted the team that found that breakthrough to be their own team, not another team.
The author their team pushes will save the Centennial Library.
That way, while grabbing sales volume and next quarter's performance, the speaking rights in the Centennial Library also become theirs.
“Regression and revenge.”
Carsen folded her fingers one by one.
When she changed her posture, a pure white tail swayed lazily under the side slit of the cheongsam.
“Returning to the past and reclaiming everything...”
She nodded honestly at that part.
“The material is definitely fresh. At least in Caligos, no one has come up with such a story.”
The first complete praise came out.
“But what? Being fresh also means it hasn't been verified even once, right?”
Carsen placed her hand on the unread manuscript.
“Whether readers will feel interest in unfamiliar stories or close the first page saying it's unfamiliar, no one knows. Just because the material is new, will they abandon the work they were reading and come to the Centennial Library?”
Carsen crossed her legs.
The gaze of Editorial Department 5 also moved with it.
“Th-that's right.”
Human Lowen cautiously interjected.
“I read the manuscript well too. B-but selling a lot is different from liking it.”
Carsen's eyes curved softly.
“Thank you, Editor Lowen. I was counting on you.”
Lowen's shoulder twitched when his name was called.
“I also agree with Carsen's words.”
Dwarf Bron, editor of Editorial Department 3, tapped the table with his thick fingers.
“Readers look for new things while shopping, but when it comes to opening their wallets, they choose familiar things. Giving a new author the Centennial Library's promotional budget is not investment but gambling.”
With that, Demon Seria added a word.
“It's true that there's a lack of judgment data.”
“Does Editor Seria oppose it too?”
Aurelis asked cautiously.
“I haven't said I'm opposed yet.”
Seria looked back and forth between the unread manuscript and Carsen.
“Since there's a possibility to create a new market with fresh materials. But it means you have to distinguish between possibility and performance.”
It wasn't approval.
Nor was it complete opposition.
In the end, at this seat, no editor sided with Aurelis, the editor of Editorial Department 1.
“If it's possibility, then it will definitely come.”
There was no hesitation in Aurelis's words.
“Based on what?”
“I read it.”
A short answer.
A low laugh from the dwarf came from the end of the conference room.
Carsen also lifted the corner of her mouth.
“Although it is true that Aurelis, the editor at the time, achieved good performance in the Centennial Library, the timing is different now, right? Aurelis's editor's intuition or taste is no longer a judgment material. Right?”
Carsen looked around as if seeking agreement.
Human Lowen, without realizing, nodded to Carsen's words.
“Editors' job is to predict readers' tastes.”
“But when that prediction is wrong, it's the Centennial Library that suffers.”
Her words were not wrong.
And what Carsen was trying to say now was ultimately the same meaning.
No one is confident in the success of a work that hasn't even taken its first step.
So, the responsibility for failure is pushed to the person who brought the work.
If the judgment is wrong, you can blame the person's insight.
You can also attach the reason that it caused loss to the company.
But if successful, the story changes.
The insight of the editorial department that recognized a good work.
The company's decision to push the work.
Appropriate promotion and support.
From then on, the one merit that was one becomes the merit of many people.
The fox beastkin put down the manuscript.
She probably thought the manuscript she read was all.
The dragon Aurelis didn't bother to correct that misconception.
The manuscript that the author allowed to be delivered to Caligos was precious kept by her rarest and deepest guardians.
It hadn't been shown to other editors yet.
Believing in the work and showing the hand to competitors were completely different issues.
Dragons live long.
And having lived long, she also knew how to protect her treasures well.
“I know it's a work that the president asked to bring.”
The words subtly changed.
The work she recommended.
The library she owned.
The author she brought.
So, opposing the work is going against the president's will.
Carsen was passing that responsibility to the editor of Editorial Department 1.
“The president doesn't know publishing well, does she?”
Some in the conference room swallowed their breath.
If you just take that sentence, it was blasphemy.
Carsen, knowing that fact, immediately followed calmly.
“After all, I'm not saying anything that disregards the transcendent El. It just means that protecting the continent and selling books are just different. The president may not always be in the editorial room. So, do you think it's not necessary to make even the editor's small whims the decision of the entire library?”
The air in the conference room cooled.
The editor moved her hand.
Sharp scales appeared under her fingernails.
The killing intent of a dragon who had lived hundreds of years seeped out.
The surface of the ink bottle on the table froze.
With that, Carsen didn't back down.
Her eight fox tails spread out left and right.
She couldn't match the dragon Aurelis, but the fox beastkin also hadn't lived a short time.
In addition, her Editorial Department 2 sold the most books in the Centennial Library last quarter.
Two out of the three flagship authors of the Centennial Library were from Editorial Department 2.
Sales volume was soon performance.
Performance became speaking rights.
Which team's books to print more, which works to display at the entrance, which editor to take the limited promotional budget.
All important decisions had to have Carsen's breath in them.
This work was no different.
“So.”
Hoo-
First, Aurelis withdrew her momentum.
The dwarf and human race's throat clearing and breathing sounds were heard, but no one here was concerned about the two.
“Carsen. What do you want?”
Carsen raised her hand as if waiting.
As if ready to talk.
Knock-
The door opened, and the employee moved a thick bundle of manuscripts onto the conference table one by one.
Thud.
It was five times thicker than the unread manuscript.
The title was embossed in gold on the cover.
The Sword Emperor's Seventh Disciple Is Too Strong
It was a new work by an already famous author.
Regression.
Revenge.
Demon.
A work that included every element that had been successful in the last ten years.
“Then, how about this work?”