Chapter 32
Translator: True Detective
Refusal of Major Recommendation!
There was the matter of the full-scale comic for racial harmony requested by The Saintess, and...
The more comics there were for those who wanted to become comic artists to use as reference books, the better.
Noel, who had been conceptualizing a new work for that purpose, saw the comic lecture requested by the country this time as an opportunity.
An excellent talent pool had been secured.
What if she made Clara the factory manager and used it as a factory to pump out various comics under the beautiful name of education?
"Very good."
Satisfied with the idea she came up with, Noel slapped her forehead with a smack.
If she did this, it seemed she would be able to read the comics she wanted to her heart's content while also working, and spend the approaching winter enjoyably.
Setting up the board as quickly as possible and living enjoyably after retiring.
Noel had established her life plan like that.
She didn't know if she would truly be able to achieve that plan, but establishing a comic factory also coincided with such a dream.
Noel, who decided to satisfy her self-interest to her heart's content under the pretext of comic education using the talents the country spent money to select and send.
Right now, it wasn't the stage to talk about the quality or artistic value of factory-style comics.
Because it was the stage to just pump out a lot first.
For now, since there was also what The Saintess requested and she was conscious of the country's gaze, she decided to start with educational comics first.
'They said they needed a comic helpful for eradicating illiteracy, right? While also advocating for racial harmony... Ah! It would be good if it had the feel of adding Magic Thousand Character Classic to Journey to the West.'
A good idea came to mind.
Setting Journey to the West as the base.
After that, adding a Chinese character educational comic where they fight using Chinese characters to cast magic.
A story where humans, elves, beastmen, and dwarves leave to find the letters in a world where letters were taken away by the Demon King.
'Because it also has an orthodox hero and Demon King feel, everyone will be able to accept it without much unfamiliarity.'
After processing this quickly, Noel was full of thoughts about making them draw the kind of comics she wanted to read.
'I want to quickly see comics like Hoya and Tora, Marionette Puppet Show, and Floro of the Requiem.'
The collapse of a dam that has cracked once does not stop.
Noel, who was anxious to quickly advance to the next step and create comics she could enjoy herself, having succeeded in making the people of this world recognize what comics were.
Watching such Noel, Imperial Princess Lydia chatted with Sophie Ember, who had become the editor-in-chief of Iliad Publishing Company.
"Look. Just like other artists, Miss Noel makes weak sounds with her mouth saying she can't or won't do it, but in reality, she is someone burning with the desire to create more than anyone else."
Rather than forcing her, if you set up the board, she is bound to dance on her own.
Sophie nodded and listened attentively to the Imperial Princess giving such teachings that weren't really teachings.
"I definitely thought Miss Noel was just reluctant..."
"It is because she has an eccentric side equal to her overflowing artistry and genius. They say geniuses are lazy, don't they? But eventually, they cannot hold themselves back and are bound to express that genius."
Seeing Imperial Princess Lydia speak as if passing down a secret recipe for braising while saying heat control was the key, Rosalyn, who was standing in attendance nearby, thought.
'I don't think that's it...'
Even if one likes swordsmanship, what is hard is hard.
So if one can become stronger comfortably, they would want to do so.
That would be the common mindset of all knights.
Rosalyn also had that side to her, and so there were parts where she related to Noel.
Creating is fun, but she only wants to do it when she wants to.
She felt such signs.
And it also felt like a trainee resigning herself and advancing while adapting to fate.
Just like herself, who, having been born into a knight family and even possessing talent, accepted the fate of having no choice but to live as a knight and came to enjoy becoming a knight.
'It is a path everyone passes through. Lady Noel, stay strong.'
While sending consolation like that,
'But will there be knights in the next comic too?'
Seeing her have such thoughts, it seemed Rosalyn couldn't be helped either.
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"With this, I declare the establishment of Fog Disease Day. Everyone, around this time, please think of those who suffered from the Fog Disease and show interest..."
Although it felt slightly diluted because of the unexpected cultural bomb called comics exploding, The Saintess's state visit was a major event.
The same went for the matters regarding the Fog Disease, which was the reason for that visit.
The Empire and the Holy Kingdom joined hands and designated the day The Diary Inside My Heart was officially released to the world as International Fog Disease Day.
At the same time, they resolved to have borderless interest and support regarding the treatment of the Fog Disease.
Noel, who was listening to The Saintess's declaration, felt a strange feeling at the fact that all of this happened because of a single romance novel she wrote.
'My writing, my work... is moving the world?'
Wow, is it really okay for it to be like this.
Such thoughts also occurred to her, but at the same time, an addictive sensation hard to explain with words sprang up wildly inside Noel.
Watching such Noel, Imperial Princess Lydia, who was seated nearby, made an expression saying, "As expected of Miss Noel..."
The Imperial Princess thinking that she should set the barrel── no, no, set the board so her ultimate favorite could do the creative activities she wanted to do even more.
Whether she knew that or not, Noel was just thinking things like, 'Maybe this isn't bad either?'
An appearance making one wonder if it wasn't already too late.
Anyway, after the commemorative event for the establishment of Fog Disease Day ended, a guest appeared in front of Noel, who was about to go back and operate the comic factory now.
"Excuse me for a moment, Lady."
An old gentleman wearing a robe.
He was a wizard from the Magic Tower.
Furthermore, that decoration was a crest signifying he was the head of a school of magic.
"Memory Deficit── no, it is the Fog Disease now. I am Arthur Higgins, who is researching that Fog Disease at the Magic Tower."
"Pardon?"
Arthur Higgins, the head of the Illusion Magic School.
Illusion magic, which acted on a living creature's head to cause disturbances, and the brain were in an inseparable relationship.
As a result, naturally, he had also taken the symptom named Memory Deficit, or Fog Disease, as an important research theme, although it wasn't the main one.
The problem was that, as much as public awareness or interest in the Fog Disease was lacking, research and support were also lacking, so it was only 'research' in name and nothing was going properly. But this time, the situation changed 180 degrees with a single novel.
Sponsorships came in from various places, and interest in the Fog Disease skyrocketed.
Wizard Arthur Higgins, who lived cooped up in his lab doing only research, belatedly grasped the situation and was surprised.
To think that such a change occurred with a single novel, when it hadn't been understood even when he, the school head himself, went around meeting higher-ups and seeking help, saying that although it was hard to produce immediate results, it was a necessary research for the future of humanity.
Honestly, he also felt a bit despondent, but he thought it turned out really well.
Because with this incident, the Illusion Magic School, which had been a poor school, gained attention all at once.
It was a pity they weren't getting attention for their main subject, Illusion Magic, but attention was attention.
Considering that the school's budget was also drastically increasing thanks to that attention, he couldn't help but come to express his gratitude to Noel while attending this event.
"Uh... I didn't particularly intend to do that..."
"Haha, whatever the intention was, as a result, there are people who were saved thanks to your novel, Lady, so you can proudly accept the gratitude."
Needless to say, there were also wizards majoring in Illusion Magic among those saved people.
Screaming over a tight budget and now screaming in happiness, that was indeed salvation.
Feeling it was a bit strange, but moving past it thinking, 'Is that so? Well, I guess so,' was Noel.
However, in fact, Arthur Higgins coming to meet Noel like this wasn't solely to express gratitude that the school's budget increased thanks to her.
Arthur, who had as good insight as his age, intuited that catching this girl would be of great help for the future of the school.
She was a girl who had changed the world with a single novel.
'What if a girl like this majored in our Illusion Magic, or at least took a great interest in it?'
By the looks of it, she seemed to have a talent for magic.
He didn't know yet to what extent that talent was, but thinking he needed to diligently proselytize her to learn Illusion Magic, Arthur got straight to the point.
"By any chance, have you thought about what you will major in when you enter the academy next year?"
"Pardon? Yes, magic."
Arthur, who spoke with a beaming face saying that was great...
"Oh, then this is also destiny, so for the sake of researching the Fog Disease, our Illusion──."
"I'm going to major in Artifacts."
He exerted a desperate effort to compose his feelings of sinking into despair at Noel's declaration, which followed before he could even finish speaking, as if saying she didn't accept peddlers.
'As expected...'
The most thriving magic in the world after the Magical Revolution was not magic suited for combat, nor was it something like Illusion Magic, which was minor both then and now.
It was precisely magic that helped with real life and human convenience.
And the representative of such magic was exactly Artifacts.
Considering that the Magic Train, which was like a symbol of the Magical Revolution, was also a masterpiece born from the Artifacts School, many who had an interest and talent in magic wanted to major in Artifacts.
He wondered if Noel was also like that, but in fact, it was slightly different.
The reason Noel wanted to learn Artifacts among magics when she entered the academy was simply because her ultimate favorite was the head of the Artifacts department.
To be even a little closer to her ultimate favorite and be together even a little more, she naturally had to major in Artifacts.
For Arthur Higgins, who had wanted to pull up the school's popularity in one breath by benefiting from Noel, it was a truly despairing story.
However, if he was going to give up over something like this, he wouldn't have even become the head of a minor school like Illusion Magic.
"Th-Then as a liberal arts course, Illu──."
"For liberal arts, I will take art courses befitting liberal arts."
Honestly, art... she didn't have much interest in it, but she had no choice but to do so if only to watch over Clara so she wouldn't go 'Desu-wa'.
"Y-You are truly meticulous for a freshman about to enroll. In that case──!"
Unyielding Arthur Higgins.
However,
"Ah, I'm sorry. It's almost time for my train."
Leaving a polite bow, Noel left.
Watching her retreating figure, he wondered if his plan to borrow her authority would ultimately end in failure, but the connection between Noel and the Illusion Magic School, which seemed to have been severed, would be reconnected.
But that was a matter for later days.
For now, Arthur was satisfied with having some fun thanks to the Fog Disease.
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