Drawing Manga in a Romance Fantasy

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“I’m surrounded by these damn bugs! No matter how many I kill, they keep appearing, interfering with me.”

Dracula felt a sense of alertness for the first time since becoming immortal.

There was a woman who had turned her body into poison to become his prey to kill him, and there was a man who was risking death just to buy time and hold onto his ankle.

“If you don’t let go of this right now, you will die!!!”

“I don’t care. I won’t draw this knife even if I die.”

The man, despite his body being a wreck, held on to the sword that was piercing Dracula’s right arm with both hands.

And,

“We are fighting alongside the sun.”

Over in the distance, dawn was breaking.

Certainly, there was still some time before the sun would fully rise, but the boy—no, the young man—holding a blazing sword in front of Dracula looked as if the sun itself were rising behind him.

It was finally time for those who had lost family, friends, or something precious to Dracula and the vampires to reach the conclusion.

“This is maddening. How can it end here!”

“Abraham’s last line was truly impressive; we’re fighting alongside the sun.”

“The way you depicted the comrades who sacrificed their lives to defeat Dracula against the backdrop of the rising dawn is pure art!”

People could do nothing but admire [Van Helsing] as its conclusion approached.

It’s certainly Rupert who is serializing two works, but the artwork that seemed more dedicated than before was enough to move people.

Especially the desperate battle between the final boss, Dracula, and the Van Helsing comrades was truly the pinnacle of its splendor.

The sight of the Van Helsing comrades fighting, enveloped in flames, lightning, and wind, stirred the hearts of the men.

“Please teach me the Fire Mana Training Method too!”

“That doesn’t exist….”

“What? This place is a total dump. I need to find somewhere else.”

Thanks to [Iron-Blooded Alchemist], the Alchemy Guild struck gold, but this [Van Helsing] led kids all over the Empire to swordsmanship dojos.

From renowned swordsmanship dojos in the capital to local dojos in rural villages, children lined up eager to learn swordsmanship.

The problem was that they all wanted to know the Mana Training Method used by the protagonists in [Van Helsing].

“No, that’s something you can only use after training hard!”

“Hey, but they had it in Sleepy Territory!”

But there was no way such things could exist in reality, and in the end, there were two approaches.

“That’s something you can only use after training diligently for at least ten years!”

Just like how the Alchemy Guild had tricked them into joining with the promise of learning later, by the time they found out the truth, they could think,

“Since I gained valuable experiences greater than the Fire Mana Training Method, won’t that be fine?”

And the other option was simply telling the truth.

However, the world always liked to throw curveballs at the realistic ones.

“Please take me on as your disciple, Master!!!”

“No, I’m not qualified for that….”

“Please teach me that flaming sword!”

Recently, Sleepy Territory was bustling with young outsider men from children to youths.

And the reason for this was none other than Richard.

“Have you heard that there is someone using the Fire Mana Training Method in Sleepy Territory?”

Rumors spread about Richard helping to restore Sleepy Territory, which had been devastated by Sataniel and the Night’s Kin.

As Richard was put in charge of managing the surviving guards of the territory, he occasionally demonstrated sword skills during their training.

It was this demonstration of Richard’s blazing great sword that started the rumors.

“This is maddening. How could I teach anyone….”

“That’s an excessive level of humility. If someone who defeated Sataniel is not qualified, then no one in the Empire is.”

“Shh!”

Richard covered Cypris’s mouth, who was teasing him from the side, and surveyed the vicinity.

Fortunately, it seemed no one had heard, but he gave Cypris a warning again.

“I didn’t defeat Sataniel….”

“Right, it was Lord Sleepy, no, now Count Klein, who did.”

Because of the friendship between the Empire and the Elves, much of what transpired with Sataniel still remained shrouded in secrecy.

Therefore, the people of the Empire believed that it was Count Klein who defeated the villain Sataniel.

Richard and the Crimson Warden also knew of their sacrifices and continued to maintain this secret for the sake of their honor.

“Why not give it a try?”

“What?”

“Sleepy Territory will need a lot of people in the future, right? If you teach swordsmanship on the condition that only the territory inhabitants can learn, wouldn’t it be a help to the territory?”

After hearing Cypris’s suggestion, Richard fell into deep thought.

Upon reflection, it was indeed a plausible idea, but judging by how widespread the rumors had become, if even one out of every ten people that came to find him settled in the territory, it would be a great help.

“I hope the place my child grows up in will one day be as prosperous and lively as Somerset Territory.”

As Richard pondered, Cypris’s continued words finally solidified his resolution.

“Then, what should we name the swordsmanship dojo?”

“How about naming it after your master and former commander, Oregon?”

“That sounds great!”

And thus, the moment when Oregon Academy, renowned for swordsmanship, even surpassing the Imperial Academy, was born.

***

“Lord Rupert, is it really alright to make a ship?”

“That’s what I’m saying.”

Ismael rubbed his eyes in disbelief at Rupert’s answer and looked again at the scene unfolding before him.

“The eastern sea is known for its treacherous waters. Therefore, we need to use Elf Tree for the keel; otherwise, we won’t survive the long voyage.”

Kroon’s eyes sparkled as he gazed at one of the materials he had chosen: Elf Tree.

Though Dwarves typically disliked things with the name Elf attached, this Elf Tree was a high-quality material that was hard for even Kroon to resist.

‘Elf Tree? Maybe I could get one if I tell the Elder.’

Elf Trees were known for their unmatched resilience compared to other woods.

Moreover, they never splintered and didn’t require special treatment to prevent pests or mold, making them a dream material.

However, because they only grew in forests cultivated by Elves, other races could hardly get a chance to even see them.

Given that the Elves were renowned for their archery skills, knowing that they would use Elf Trees to create bows ensured it was indeed a legendary material of guaranteed performance.

Rupert asked Cypris, who was now his sister-in-law, to fetch it.

“But, I’ve never actually built a ship myself. I’ve seen others make them or helped out, but this isn’t my field of expertise.”

“Don’t worry about that. I’ve invited the Empire’s top shipbuilding artisan.”

“I’ll get to have a valuable experience this time.”

Perhaps because Kroon would be learning skills in a field he was unfamiliar with, he was quite excited.

‘That magic girl’s request also seems fun.’

Recently, a magician named Jenia had come to him, asking for the creation of new magical items—no, could it even be called that? Items that were more like the uncharted territory.

It was something that piqued his interest, making Kroon feel as though he had been invited to a party filled with delicious food.

“Dad….”

And as Ismael looked at the materials piled up for the ship, tears streamed from his eyes.

‘Now, it’s time to achieve my goal, right?’

It was a sudden statement from Rupert, who was preparing for the next work after [White Whale] had concluded.

Ismael had once shared with Rupert the reason he participated in the comic contest, and it was now recollected.

‘I made some decent money, but it’s still not enough to buy a proper ship.’

Although he had successfully serialized [White Whale], the amount he earned was still insufficient to buy a ship, prompting him to think of serializing another work.

However,

‘Don’t worry. I’m planning to build a ship this time, and I’d like you to be the captain.’

When Rupert offered to gift Ismael a ship, he initially wanted to refuse, thinking it was too extravagant of a gift.

‘Don’t worry, I’m not just giving it to you; I also need it for the new work I’ll be drawing.’

In the end, Rupert convinced Ismael, and they decided on the ship as a gift.

“When the time comes for you to take guests out to sea, you should study hard.”

“Yes!”

As taking a ship out would involve many things to learn, from navigation to operation, Ismael was always with related books lately.

With the chance to search for his dad, who went out on a ship and never returned, Ismael was more motivated than ever.

‘So that’s one resolved.’

Seeing Ismael tear up while looking at the materials for the ship made Rupert feel a sense of pride.

Through the comic contest and a series of coincidental events, he got to know several people.

Among them, there were two that weighed on his heart: Ismael and Duma.

From the moment he heard the story of the boy who began drawing comics to search for his father, Rupert vowed to help him achieve that goal.

And now, with a golden opportunity presenting itself, he decided to build a ship for the event of the new work.

Seeing Ismael’s joyful face made him think it was a good call.

“Congratulations, Ismael!”

“Thank you, Sena….”

Before he knew it, Sena emerged and hugged Ismael, who was in tears, to congratulate him.

Ismael reciprocated by hugging Sena back.

‘What’s up with these two…?’

Rupert wondered when these two had become so close.

It felt like just yesterday that Sena had been giving Ismael a hard time for no reason.

Now, they looked as if they shared a romantic atmosphere.

“Sena…you know we don’t take women on the ship, right?”

“Is that a thing?”

“Yeah, seafarers believe that bringing women on board brings misfortune.”

Ismael’s sudden comment made Sena’s expression become strange.

It felt as if he was implying that he wouldn’t be able to see her after taking the ship out.

“But I want to be the first to take you on board my ship.”

“What? But something bad will happen….”

“It’s fine. You’re my lucky goddess.”

Ismael’s answer caused tears to well up in Sena’s eyes, but her lips were curled into a very happy smile.

Watching it, Rupert couldn’t help but feel a sense of bitterness.