The Art of the Cliffhanger and the Academy
The Art of the Cliffhanger and the Academy
Originally, Noel had intended to keep writing 「Magic Investigation Team.」
But she planned to space out the intervals widely.
She'd take a hobby-like approach, writing it casually.
During breaks, she'd write one volume, or in line with the original reason the novel came to be, she'd write one volume as a birthday gift for Noah.
Meanwhile, she planned to enjoy a happy campus life at the academy for three years.
But that plan shattered the moment she met Empress Marian.
Now, even while studying at the academy, she has to steadily serialize her work.
Even if she can do it, she can't shake off her sulky mood.
If writing something so entertaining that it captivated a member of the imperial family is a crime, then so be it.
"Since it's come to this... I can't be the only one who suffers."
She should have just explained everything she knew about investigative agencies from her past life and wrapped it up hastily.
Amid belated regret, Noel made one resolve.
If they wanted it that badly, she'd write it.
But in return, she'd freely use the cliffhanger technique she'd been holding back, and just like the author of 'Game of Crowns,' she'd relieve her stress by killing off characters whenever things went wrong.
'This cool, heavy sensation... It's time to return as a master of the cliffhanger technique.'
Cutting off at the perfect spot, then making people go crazy for a while using the academy as an excuse — Noel's eyes sparkled.
Repaying love through serialization?
It was the opposite.
She decided to take revenge through serialization.
To that end, Noel,
"It's been a while since we last greeted each other. Nice to see you, Reporter Edward-ssi. I read the article you wrote before very well. You wrote it so perfectly that it was right to my liking. I'm so grateful that I find myself thinking I should repay you. So, I was wondering... Do you have some spare space in the Golden Page's newspaper? I was thinking of doing a real-time serialization of 「Magic Investigation Team.」"
She also decided to change the serialization environment.
She was going to find a platform optimized for the cliffhanger technique.
Although web novel platforms don't exist here, something that can replace the web does exist.
The newspaper.
And among such newspapers, she picked the most popular one in the Empire.
Of course, at Noel's choice, the Golden Page rejoiced, even creating space where there was none, bowing deeply in gratitude.
With this, the platform preparation was done. Now, while giving people the vitality to live energetically week by week, she would also make them taste hell.
For that purpose, Noel deliberately started real-time serialization of 「Magic Investigation Team」 in the newspaper,
「Due to the author's academy enrollment, next week and the week after will be on hiatus.」
Just two weeks after starting the newspaper serialization, she dropped a hiatus.
And not just one week, but two consecutive weeks!
The reason Noel rushed to start serialization ten days before enrollment wasn't because she was diligent or to meet the Empress's expectations.
"Kyaaah! Author-nim, why...!"
"Two weeks?! Not one week, but two weeks of hiatus?!"
"God, if this was going to happen, I'd rather have never read it..."
Everything was for this moment.
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Time passed, and it was fully spring.
On the road to the Imperial Capital Imperium to enroll in the Grand Arc Academy.
Inside the running Magic Train, Noel wore a truly refreshing smile.
Unlike Noel, Clara, Irina, Lydia, who were sharing the same cabin, as well as the three's escorts and personal maids, were all sending Noel looks that said this was too much, no matter how you looked at it.
It couldn't be helped.
"Does Miss Noel have no heart? Seriously... How can you go on hiatus at such a timing?"
"Noel, so what was the identity of that crazy thief who sent a notice saying they'd steal the necklace?"
"That's too much, Noel jamaenim.... To announce a clash between a phantom thief advocating aesthetics and an investigation team pursuing truth, and then go on hiatus for two weeks..."
Because she introduced a unique character—a phantom thief—on a different level from ordinary thieves, and right after hinting at a clash between that thief and the Magic Investigation Team, she dropped a hiatus.
『Did you really have to go on hiatus like this to feel satisfied?!』
Everyone in the cabin, regardless of status, sent Noel glances that seemed to shout that.
Those glances,
'Delicious, delicious. This is it, this is the taste of using the cliffhanger technique.'
The more she received them, the more Noel bloomed like a vibrant, lively flower.
She felt like expressing gratitude to Empress Marian for reminding her of the taste of live serialization that she'd long forgotten.
Though it seemed unlikely that Empress Marian asked Noel to steadily serialize 「Magic Investigation Team」 for that purpose, well, she was serializing it, so wasn't that enough?
She wasn't dropping an indefinite hiatus—she just needed about two weeks to enroll and adjust, so readers should understand that much.
Considering Noel's hard work having to both study and serialize, they couldn't even wait for just two weeks?
If they can't wait and are dissatisfied, then don't read~.
With that mindset, Noel was perfectly at ease, unlike the public reaction stirred up by the hiatus of 「Magic Investigation Team.」
She did it on purpose, so the more people got worked up, the happier Noel couldn't help but be.
Moreover, the academy enrollment was finally happening—the original visual novel events were beginning.
As a fan of visual novels, how could she not be excited to watch the events she'd enjoyed in the original?
It was a dugeundugeun, childlike fluttery feeling.
Of course, that didn't mean she was forgetting what was important.
First,
'Meeting my bias is the most important thing.'
She planned to coolly vent the resentment built up from her past life.
Her goal was to major in Artifacts, become close with her favorite elf professor, the department head, and spend three happy years.
Honestly, Noel was willing to become a graduate student if she could only be with her.
Next, while studying artifacts and getting close to her bias, she intended to invest in and develop video production technology.
No matter how deeply she was immersed in rosy dreams of a pink-tinted academy life, she hadn't forgotten that grand fandom goal.
Next important thing,
'I have to make sure the original protagonist doesn't plant flags with the saintess.'
She needed to ensure nothing like entering the unnecessarily large-scale saintess route ever happened.
To that end, Noel planned to pair the original protagonist with the childhood friend heroine.
Because the childhood friend route was the only one fully implemented, she knew the detailed story, and above all, compared to other routes that existed only in settings, it was extremely mild.
If she just took good care of Clara so she didn't fall into villainy, there was probably no route better than the childhood friend route.
Her favorite elf professor route was said to be about harmony between races, and in the case of the beastman great warrior, it was about preventing a second interspecies war.
Even Princess Lydia's route was relatively mild after the childhood friend, with the theme of love overcoming status differences, but Noel didn't know much about it.
So for three years of peaceful academy life and world peace afterward, the original protagonist needed to get together with the childhood friend.
Because that route, with its boy-meets-girl theme, was the most peaceful.
When she enjoyed it as a visual novel game, she thought it was really boring, but now that it's reality, Noel believed there was no better route than that.
To that end, Noel planned to thoroughly support the original protagonist so that he would see the childhood friend as a woman and his liking would develop into romantic feelings, entering the route faster than in the original.
'I'll cozy up with my bias, develop technology, and also pay attention to the original story... It'll be a busy three years.'
She seemed to have forgotten one important thing—serializing her work—but importance is subjective by nature.
To Noel, compared to the things above, serializing her work was as natural as breathing, so it didn't need special mention.
Even more so because unlike when she wrote web novels, this was a weekly serialization.
'Hmm, but if we enter the childhood friend route, what happens to the villain?'
While others in the cabin were enthusiastically discussing 「Magic Investigation Team,」 Noel remained immersed in thoughts about academy life.
Out of a desire to save and rehabilitate Clara—not her bias, not her second favorite, but maybe her third favorite—she had worked hard and was seeing results.
Clara was already in a state quite different from the Clara of the original visual novel.
Of course, she still had high pride and boasted about art, but it was questionable whether she would go down the path of destruction, throwing a fit saying she wouldn't be recognized if she lost to a commoner in art.
Clara was already receiving kindness from Noel that her parents never gave her, finding stability.
If she lost to a commoner in the art she took pride in, it would be a huge mental blow... but it didn't seem she would bully the childhood friend heroine like in the original.
In the end, she probably wouldn't do such evil deeds that she'd be exposed and executed.
That was certainly a good thing, but at the same time, it was also a problem.
'After rain comes good weather. The childhood friend route had Clara providing trials, which allowed the two, who had been like siblings for too long, to see each other as the opposite sex. But if Clara is removed...?'
It was good that Clara avoided a 'death' flag, but this way, she worried whether the childhood friend and the protagonist could properly develop into lovers.
'I can't exactly ask Clara to commit evil deeds either.'
Noel's head grew complicated, as if the joy she felt earlier from serving people a big screw-you of a hiatus was a lie.
'Will the route progress even with just a normal rival? Or should I volunteer to be the villain...? Should I become the villain who provides trials? But what if I get my head chopped off in the process...?'
The worst case would be something like the force of historical correction activating, causing Clara to fall into villainy.
'Since it's come to this, forget the original and everything—I'll just have to carve out my own childhood friend route.'
Noel decided that once she got to the academy, she would work hard to set the stage and push the original protagonist and childhood friend toward mutual affection.
Once they recognized each other as the opposite sex, the rest would work out somehow.
Recalling that the story had progressed that way in the original as well, Noel planned to use various original events to connect the two.
'Well, even if things don't go well, as long as it's not the saintess route, the elf route, or the beastman heroine route, it'll be fine.'
Aiming for the common route where no route was entered and they enjoyed academy life for three years and graduated would also be good.
'A game is a game, and reality is reality. Let's not get too buried in original knowledge and enjoy my academy life.'
Just as she reached that conclusion,
"What are you thinking about so deeply, Miss Noel?"
Lydia, concerned that Noel was lost in her own world without joining the conversation, spoke to her.
Since she couldn't honestly explain the situation, Noel, aware of the attention on her, made a vague excuse.
"Ah~ I was just thinking a little about what would be good for the next episode."
At that, the people's eyes sparkled as if they had been waiting.
The moment she saw those eyes, Noel felt it.
She should have said she was just missing home—she had said something unnecessary.