Chapter 40
Translator: True Detective
An Irresistible Wave
Actually, the first thing Noel thought of for the dissemination of comics was a rental shop.
She thought about how it would be to create a comic book cafe with the feeling of a paid version of a library.
However, she soon folded that thought.
She thought that while it might be profitable in the short term, looking at it ultimately, it was a fatal thing that would dry up and kill the market.
That is a fact already proven by the Korean publishing market, her hometown in her past life.
Considering the history of how web novels and webtoons came to be born, 'comic book cafes' are an act no different from seawater.
You can't drink water full of salt right away just because you're thirsty.
So the next best idea Noel thought of for the promotion of comics was precisely...
"A collab cafe?"
It was tying it with the kind of offline event that successful subculture IPs inevitably go through.
Not just comic books, but other novels and such as a bonus.
Honestly, the pool of comic books wasn't large enough right now to run such an event with comic books alone.
But she couldn't display the practice pieces drawn by artists who were still right in the middle of studying comics either.
Similar to comic book cafes, which only a few now existed with a concept feel after becoming a declining industry, they would provide comic books during the collab period so that customers could read them while enjoying tea at cafes that contracted with Iliad Publishing Company.
She judged that if they did this, they could take the advantages while suppressing the disadvantages of rental shops as much as possible.
And to prevent other companies or individuals from seeing this and setting up rental shops, she also received help from Imperial Princess Lydia.
This kind of limited-time event format was fine, but she requested to make it very difficult to start a business by tying rental shops to copyright, although it might be different for something like a library for public purposes.
She didn't completely nail it down so it couldn't be done at all, but merely made it difficult to do because banning it could actually trigger it and invite backlash, potentially experiencing resistance they didn't need to experience.
『You're going to run a rental shop no matter what? Fine, if you're going to break through these various piled-up procedures and legal issues and do it no matter what, I will respect your will. But... will it really generate that much profit?』
It was the result of thinking as much as possible so that the perception that comics are something you buy to read could also take root while simultaneously urging the dissemination and promotion of comics.
"It really is a good idea! It's the best stratagem to prevent potential side effects while seeing the maximum effect!"
Imperial Princess Lydia promised her help with both hands raised, and Iliad Publishing Company first quickly proceeded with a trial model in the Imperial Capital, Imperium.
That result was──.
"Where should we go for a date this weekend?"
"I heard if you go to a cafe these days, you can read too, so let's go to a cafe!"
"There's some time left until the next appointment. Where should I kill time. Hm? A comic... cafe?"
"If you enjoy refreshments, reading is free? No, should I say if you enjoy reading, refreshments are free? Whichever it is── a combination of a library and a cafe...! Why didn't I think of this?"
As you can see, a huge success.
Furthermore, saying it encourages reading culture, the older generation in the cultural world also showed a rare positive reaction.
"It's a bit iffy that it's centered around entertainment novels or comics, but they do have classic masterpieces and famous poetry collections too."
"I can sense an ulterior motive, but as a result, it is good if people develop the habit of reading books."
"It's like a Minotaur stepping backward and catching a demon... but a good thing is a good thing."
Although it was a problem that they each added a word they didn't really have to say.
It was stating the obvious, but if they had only serviced the kind of works those people wanted at the cafe, this project would have failed.
Because people wanted to watch a fun novel or comic that would cool their heads while resting comfortably, not a book they had to read deliberately while using their brains.
Would that be a leisurely rest then?
There were quite a few businesses that didn't know this obvious fact, actually copied it, and didn't see any fun.
If they were going to copy it, they should have done it properly.
Anyway, comics ended up creating a completely new culture and social scenery this time.
And today, going out to the streets where the unique atmosphere of the end of the year was prevalent, the Imperial Princess, the Count's daughter, and The Saintess, centered around Noel, intended to enjoy that culture.
When Noel first heard this story...
"Why particularly...?"
She blinked her eyes and tried hard to hide her annoyance.
Reading comic books while drinking tea?
It's good.
It's good, but she wondered if they couldn't just do that at home.
The weather was cold, and if they went out, it would be crowded with people; as Noel who didn't really like such things, she wanted to refuse.
Noel was originally someone with a strong homebody temperament since her past life.
Because that temperament had followed her intact to her current life, a group outing on this cold day... she was reluctant.
However, Noel could not refuse this group outing proposed by the Imperial Princess, agreed to by the Count's daughter, and joined even by The Saintess.
『You don't understand? You don't have a choice. You just have to nod your head.』
A matter decided with this kind of momentum.
At the very least, they weren't enjoying an outing in the Viscountcy, but taking the Magic Train all the way to Imperium.
Noel simply couldn't understand why they had to go to such lengths just to go to a comic cafe once.
She sighed wondering if they couldn't just enjoy reading while having tea time in a warm house, but eventually, they decided to all go out together.
What power would Noel have in this situation.
She had no choice but to match the rhythm for the three excited ladies.
"Fufu, doing this makes it feel exactly like going on a date, so it's enjoyable."
On the way to take the Magic Train dressed in outing clothes.
When Imperial Princess Lydia said such a thing, Clara and Irina reacted.
"A date. That sounds good. Let's make that the theme for today's outing."
"A date... I saw it in a magazine. They say a popular date course these days is copying the date the protagonists enjoyed in The Diary Inside My Heart, should we try it too?"
Clara and Irina agreeing with the Imperial Princess's words as if she had spoken well.
She didn't know why flesh kept being added to this outing.
'Still... it's not bad.'
Noel also had the thought that the feeling was quite okay if she considered she was going to check on the changes she had brought about in the world.
Somehow Noel ended up creating culture and leading trends, but there weren't actually many occasions for her to experience it firsthand.
Because due to the influence of her past life, her inclination was so much of a homebody that while young ladies her age were crazy about parties and wandering around, she only stayed at home.
Even her younger sister, Noah, diligently engaged in social activities like reading sessions and what not, but Noel didn't do so.
Previously, Natalie suffered immensely just trying to send such Noel to a party somehow.
Because you have to go outside to have encounters, and you have to have encounters to find a marriage prospect, but she only stayed at home, so it was a frustrating matter.
But now she ended up holing herself up legally and proudly while making excuses about writing.
So Noel herself rarely realized how much the things she created were changing the world.
Although fan letters and presents poured in, she only knew she was popular through those and couldn't experience the changes she caused firsthand.
If she thought she was going to experience that taking this opportunity, her laziness was running rampant, but this outing wasn't bad either.
Rather──.
"Since it's a date, we can't go out looking like this."
Now she just wanted to quickly go out because of the ladies who were preparing even more properly after setting the outing theme as a date.
In the end, contrary to Noel's thought wondering if they weren't already completely ready, they ended up dressing up for 30 more minutes.
Not just Lydia or Clara, but even Noel and Irina got swept up in that dolling up.
Noel felt mental fatigue, but Irina seemed to find all these moments fascinating and enjoyable.
Especially since it was the first time in her life Irina had ever done something that could be called makeup, powdering her face, let alone applying cream for moisturizing.
She looked excited, as if showing that a Saintess is also unavoidably a woman.
At that reaction of Irina, the Imperial Princess thought she should gift her a cosmetics set when they went out this time, and Clara was thinking she should gift her a dress.
'They look like they're enjoying themselves, so whatever.'
Looking at those three, Noel decided to endure a little for the ladies' enjoyment.
And after the dolling up that took an additional grueling 30 minutes ended, the four boarded the carriage to take the Magic Train under Rosalyn's escort.
Having merely one knight as an escort, considering the faces of the VIPs gathered here right now, one might think it's too lax, but that's not the case either.
What could be called living weapons of war were knights, and among such knights, she is Rosalyn Miller, who is expected to perhaps become the youngest Sword Master.
Unless a criminal syndicate made up their minds and committed a terrorist act, Rosalyn could handle it alone.
Especially among the four, The Saintess was also together with them, and Noel, who knew how to use magic though people didn't know it, was also together with them.
They were a force capable of resolving even a novel-like terrorist attack occurring on the Magic Train.
Above all, is there any reason for such a thing to happen in a place with good public security.
Rather than an escort, she was more worried whether they truly didn't need anyone to attend to them.
Naturally, the maids had tried to join them, but they had refused saying it was cumbersome.
And it wasn't the first time they were going out without maids either.
"Let's all play a game together on the way to the Imperial Capital!"
Including the escort Rosalyn, they were leisurely playing a board game.
It wasn't Magic & Servant.
It's difficult for five people to play together with a card game where you have a 1:1 duel.
So what they prepared was precisely The Game of Life.
It's a game Noel made based on Monopoly, a powerhouse of board games.
Everything was good, but should I say she made it while making the TCG because of the fact that it's hard for everyone to mingle and play with Magic & Servant when all the members gathered like this.
Only the part about starting as a commoner and rising to the position of Chancellor instead of a game of buying land and becoming a real estate tycoon changed; the basic rules were similar to Monopoly.
You roll the dice, advance your piece, and compete to see who becomes the Chancellor first while doing this and that.
It was scheduled to be released soon by Iliad Publishing Company along with Magic & Servant, and you could consider this as doing a test play of it.
"The same goes for Magic & Servant, but how on earth did you think of The Game of Life?"
Clara's question, who was excitedly moving her piece towards the Golden Key space after carefully rolling the dice.
To that question, Noel replied while making a gambling play by taking out a loan from the bank, as if saying life is about that one big hit.
"I just made it based on existing games."
"Even if there is a saying that imitation is the mother of creation, this is at a level that..."
Clara muttered with a somewhat bitter expression.
She had been active while being praised as a genius all this time, but meeting Noel, she even felt a sense of defeat thinking that a true genius wasn't a word referring to her, but Noel.
However, because it was none other than Noel, she also felt glad that she was friends with such an incredible person.
If it had been the Clara of the past, it would have been an impossible thing.
It must mean she is also growing mentally in her own way.
Anyway, like that, the five enjoyed the board game Noel made and enjoyed the train trip to the Imperial Capital while snacking on boiled eggs, according to Noel's theory that "Trains definitely mean boiled eggs."
And in the Imperial Capital they arrived at with joyful feelings...
"My, what a coincidence? To think I would see Imperial Princess Lydia here!"
Contrary to those feelings, they ended up having a not-so-pleasant encounter.
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