Drawing Manga in a Romance Fantasy

Chapter 182

‘When will I ever get used to this?’

Rupert thought to himself as light leaked out from the teleportation circle, giving him a sensation akin to riding a rollercoaster.

Traveling long distances in an instant was undeniably convenient, but this strange queasiness was something he could never fully adjust to, no matter how often he used it.

“We’ve arrived, Sir Rupert.”

“Thank you. Have a great day.”

Even so, since this was the only method to instantly reach the Academy in the capital, he had no choice but to endure the minor discomforts.

As Rupert stepped out of the magic tower, his eyes fell upon the grand, palace-like structure before him.

“Well then, time to get to work!”

Gazing at the now-familiar Academy, Rupert began walking toward the front gate.

“Good morning, Professor.”

“Good morning.”

“Sorry to trouble you, but…”

Even though the guards at the Academy’s main gate were already well-acquainted with Rupert, identification checks were still mandatory.

It all started with an incident in which an intruder had used a transformation potion to disguise themselves as staff and infiltrated the Academy.

Ever since then, even the headmaster, Yustaf, had to go through the verification process to enter.

Showing his identification badge to the guard, Rupert soon stepped inside the Academy.

“Professor Rupert, is that you?”

Yustaf, who happened to be standing near the gate, immediately recognized him and called out.

“Good morning, Sir Yustaf.”

“How have you been?”

“Fortunately, nothing out of the ordinary.”

Hearing Rupert’s reply, Yustaf’s expression turned slightly peculiar.

“Tsk, a man with your looks and talent shouldn’t be boasting about an uneventful life.”

“Excuse me?”

“A real man needs to be rugged and wild. Look at me—I may seem intellectual and gentle now, but in my youth, I had countless wo—”

“Master! You need to prepare for the welcoming speech for the freshmen!”

“Mmgh!”

Just as Yustaf was about to continue his story, Zinnia appeared out of nowhere and clamped his mouth shut, dragging him away.

“Good morning, Lady Zinnia!”

“See you at the auditorium, Sir Rupert!”

Rupert greeted Zinnia as she hauled Yustaf off into the distance, and despite quickly disappearing, she still managed to reply to his greeting.

“Is it the entrance ceremony?”

The sight reminded Rupert of this time last year, when he had taken up his position as a professor in the art department.

At first, he had thought of it as nothing but a hassle, but looking back, there had been many rewarding moments.

‘Especially the manga club.’

Through the manga club he had founded, Rupert was able to meet and befriend several key figures.

Not only that, but teaching students in the art department also allowed him to secure talented individuals in advance, greatly aiding his animation projects.

“I wonder what kind of students I’ll meet this year.”

With that thought in mind, Rupert made his way to the auditorium for the entrance ceremony.

*****

“Next, we have Professor Rupert Somerset from the art department.”

The Academy professors took turns introducing themselves, explaining what the students would be learning throughout the year.

As the Empire’s most prestigious institution, the Academy was highly valued by the royal family, and its professors were nothing short of exceptional.

Only the brightest talents from across the Empire were admitted, so naturally, the professors teaching them had to be just as remarkable.

For example, the head of the military studies department was none other than Zion, the former knight commander, rumored to be the strongest since the disappearance of the Sword Saint.

Meanwhile, Yustaf, though retired from active duty, had personally trained the current professors of the magic department.

Each department was led by individuals worthy of being called legends in their respective fields.

It was no wonder, then, that the students’ reactions were so enthusiastic as each professor stepped forward.

However—

“Wooooaaahhh!!! It’s Professor Rupert!”
“I can’t believe I’m seeing him in person!”
“I came all the way from Aramen just to learn from him!”

The loudest reaction came when Rupert stepped up to the podium.

“Good morning. My name is Rupert Somerset, and I teach in the art department.”

Even the upperclassmen joined in the fervent cheers, forcing Rupert to raise his hand to quiet the crowd before continuing his speech.

“It has been one year since I was fortunate enough to be appointed as a professor at this Academy.”

The upperclassmen, who remembered the skepticism surrounding Rupert just one year ago, were well aware of how much the perception of him had changed.

Back then, when Rupert introduced himself during the freshman welcome ceremony, the atmosphere had been icy.

Now, the situation had completely reversed, leaving the students with no choice but to acknowledge him.

“He’s incredible. Even Silvania and other nations are scrambling to recruit him.”

“That’s not all. It’s no exaggeration to say he singlehandedly revived his family from ruin.”

Gone were the days when people criticized him for being young or inexperienced.

“Last year, I stood here and vowed to usher in a new era through art.”

The upperclassmen nodded, recalling the boldness of Rupert’s speech at the time—a speech that piqued their curiosity and drew them into his classes.

“I believe in the power of culture. One day, I hope to see our Empire become a nation that others admire, not fear.”

– And even more, I dream of a future where culture can replace conflict and bring people together in harmony.

Rupert’s words stirred something in the foreign students, including those from Silvania and Aramen.

Just a year ago, studying abroad at the Empire’s Academy was an unimaginable prospect.

Yet, as Rupert had said, culture had the power to break down barriers and rekindle relations between nations.

‘Our kingdom needs to nurture its culture, just like the Empire.’

While the Empire’s students respected Rupert, to the foreign students, he was practically a godlike figure.

‘Art? Why bother with it? Just paint some religious icons!’

This was the attitude toward artists not only in the Empire but in many other countries as well.

With the rise of magical cameras, traditional painters had lost their relevance and fallen into decline. Even those with artistic talent often hesitated to pursue it as a profession.

But Rupert’s manga and picture books were nothing short of revolutionary for such people.

‘You’re good at drawing? How about working for our trading company?!’
‘I heard you’re heading to the Empire to study? I hope someone like Rupert emerges in our kingdom too!’
‘These days, artists in the Empire are treated better than swordsmen.’

Art, once dismissed and belittled, was now more valued than ever, and painters were finally receiving the recognition they deserved.

Many of the foreign students studying at the Academy were among the most talented in their countries, receiving full scholarships and stipends.

To these aspiring artists, Rupert was nothing less than divine, and his words about building a brighter future through culture resonated deeply with them.

*****

“Did the entrance ceremony end early today?”

“Well, there were more events scheduled afterward, but I just hurried out.”

Rupert slumped onto the sofa in Esteban’s office, looking as though he had finally found relief.

“Why do you look so exhausted?”

“Well, let’s just say having a simple meal has become a challenge.”

Esteban pondered the meaning behind Rupert’s words.

‘It can’t be because he doesn’t have money for food.’

While Rupert might not be the richest person in the Empire, he was certainly the one getting rich the fastest.

Sure, he spent as much as he earned, but his income piled up even faster.

“Let me guess—Lady Zinnia and Lady Amelia?”

“Exactly.”

Rupert recalled how he had been ambushed by none other than Zinnia and Amelia just as he was about to have lunch after the entrance ceremony.

‘Professor, why don’t you have lunch with me today?’

‘Join me instead. I found a great new restaurant!’

Neither of the two was willing to yield even a moment of Rupert’s time, forcing him to share a meal with both of them at the Academy’s cafeteria.

Even during lunch, they bickered over who would feed Rupert first, leaving him too drained to eat properly.

In the end, Rupert had no choice but to postpone his afternoon faculty meeting and flee.

“There won’t be many more days left here.”

“That’s true. And it’s all thanks to you, young master.”

Rupert, who had been relaxing on the sofa, spoke wistfully, only for Esteban to respond with gratitude.

“There you go again. It’s all because of your hard work, not mine.”

“I’ve already told you—signing that contract with you back then was the best decision of my life.”

Hearing Esteban’s words, Rupert was reminded of the time he created the Cinderella picture book.

What had started as a simple gift for Ada had spiraled out of control, forcing him to stay up all night with local artisans to produce 100 copies.

Now, that number seemed laughably small, but back then, even producing 100 copies had been a monumental effort.

And among the many merchants who gathered to bid on the rights to distribute the books, it was Esteban and his Yuren Trading Company that successfully secured the contract.

Their partnership, which had started then, had continued to this day—a bond that felt nothing short of miraculous.

Had either of them shown even a hint of greed, their relationship would have collapsed long ago.

“Moving the main office to Somerset and making this a branch in the capital is part of my resolve.”

“Resolve?”

“Yes. I consider myself a vassal of Somerset now. I want to dedicate the rest of my life to turning Somerset into a city as prosperous as the capital.”

“Haha, that’s an even bigger dream than mine.”

Rupert chuckled, thinking about how he kept meeting people whose ambitions made his own seem trivial.

But knowing Esteban’s capabilities, Rupert was certain that the rapidly developing Somerset territory would continue to flourish even more in the future.

The fact that Esteban was leaving behind this familiar capital to build a new headquarters in Somerset wasn’t just blind loyalty—it was a carefully calculated move based on real potential.

“In the past, having the main office in the capital was necessary to establish Yuren Trading Company’s reputation. But not anymore.”

Esteban’s voice carried confidence—not arrogance, but genuine conviction.

Having risen to the top of the Empire’s trading companies, Yuren had experienced explosive growth over the past two years.

Even outside of publishing, it dominated every sector it entered.

Merchants who once mocked Yuren for chasing insignificant ventures were now scrambling to copy its every move.

In fact, when news broke that Somerset and Yuren had sponsored an expedition to explore the western continent,

other trading companies suddenly began recruiting sailors for their own rushed voyages.

“I wonder how Captain Lambus is doing.”

“A round-trip voyage to the eastern continent alone takes at least a year. But with enough provisions packed, they should be fine as long as nothing goes wrong.”

Rupert thought of Lambus’s expedition to the western continent—a journey so uncertain that they had brought along two years’ worth of food, stored in magical subspace bags.

Enough time had passed since their departure that Rupert had almost forgotten about them, but seeing Ismael setting out on his own expedition today brought Lambus to mind.

“Honestly, I’d be happy if they just return safely, even without any major discoveries.”

“The goddess will surely watch over them.”

Her?

Rupert shook his head at Esteban’s words.

Afterward, the two shared tea and snacks, discussing ongoing projects and plans for Somerset’s development.

By the time Rupert returned home, the sun had already begun to set.

“I wonder if Ada’s back yet.”

Feeling guilty for not spending much time with her lately due to his frequent travels abroad, Rupert decided he would make it up to her today.

With that thought in mind, he opened the door to his mansion and stepped inside.