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“Prince, please maintain your dignity.”

Edric, who saw Elza in front of him as if she were alive and moving, recalled the words of his former head attendant.

After reading <The Kingdom of Ice> for the first time and getting to know the character Elza, he rapidly fell into the world of comics.

What began as reading comics soon turned into collecting items related to them, which became an unmatched joy for him.

As he became more absorbed in the comics, the worries of those around him increased day by day.

His head attendant, who had been by his side since childhood, desperately pleaded for him to return to the old prince he once was.

“Sometimes I felt suffocated in the palace.”

And that was Edric’s response to the attendant’s worries.

From the beginning of his memories in childhood, he always had to be cautious in his actions.

Not only did he have to watch his father’s eyes, but also his half-brothers and the older sister who was a bit intimidating.

Even his mother always told him to be careful with his actions and words.

Although Edric willingly accepted all of this as his obligation to endure, a part of his heart sometimes felt empty.

However, among those days, the chance encounter with <The Kingdom of Ice> felt like a ray of light to him.

The character Elza in the comic resembled him greatly.

Was that why?

Seeing her freed from all constraints and singing freely made him shed tears without realizing it, and the latter part, where she finally accepted the fate given to her, resonated deeply with him.

While it might have just been a fun and pretty picture book to others, to Edric, it felt like a work that understood and comforted his struggles.

That must have been when Edric began to wish that Elza from <The Kingdom of Ice> truly existed.

Of course, he was aware, without needing anyone to tell him, that this thought was ridiculous.

“But is it not enough, just to think that way?”

He couldn’t live being constantly mindful of others, just like Elza, who was trapped inside the palace.

Edric wanted to live doing what he desired now.

Clap, clap, clap.

As the credits indicating the end of the play were projected on the screen, Edric stood up and began to applaud.

Then, following Edric, other audience members also started to rise one by one and clap, quickly filling the theater with applause.

“My name…”

Among them, there were others besides Edric shedding tears.

They were none other than those who participated in the production of this <The Kingdom of Ice> animation.

Wolfgang, who directed all the music for this <The Kingdom of Ice>, could hardly contain his overwhelming emotions.

From the moment Rupert, who came to him like fate when he was lost and missing a hand, gave him another chance.

The time spent composing with friends from the music department at Somerset Mansion during the vacation flashed by quickly.

At first, it was enjoyable, but then he worried that his music might ruin the work.

In the end, he stayed up all night comparing the screenplay and music, determined to pour everything into this work.

And while he was rewatching <The Kingdom of Ice>, which he had already seen dozens, if not hundreds, of times to match the synchronization of sound and visuals, he received an unexpected gift during the screening.

“Please be sure to watch until the end, even after the work is over.”

Wolfgang remembered Rupert’s earlier words directed at the invitees before the screening.

After the final scene of <The Kingdom of Ice> ended, the screen briefly turned black, and soon white letters began to appear.

All the names written in dense yet clear letters were the names of the people.

If someone participated in the production of the work, regardless of the size or importance of their role, all their names appeared, known on Earth as the ending credits.

“Honestly, I wasn’t sure why this had to be included, but now I understand.”

“Unlike comics, the animation is definitely not just my work alone.”

Rupert and Esteban, who were watching the film in the projection room managing the visuals and sound, were discussing as they watched the ending credits rolling on the screen.

“I’ve felt for a while now, but you, Young Master, don’t act like a noble in a good way.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes, if you were another noble, I doubt you would care whether the names of those involved in the work were listed or not.”

“Rather, you’d be angry that the praise you deserve is going to those who did trivial things.”

Even though Rupert treated him without any ceremony, Esteban kept his thoughts about nobility to himself.

“If it weren’t for the Yuren Merchant Association, it would have taken at least several years to build up a distribution network across the Empire.”

Rupert calmly responded upon hearing Esteban’s answer.

“Other merchant associations or nobles would have caused interference during that time, so there’s no way we would have seen such growth now.”

Some people criticized the Yuren Merchant Association as a parasite living off the Somerset family.

They said they were lucky to catch Rupert’s eye and hit the jackpot.

However, on the contrary, if the Yuren Merchant Association had not existed, there wouldn’t be an association today that would fully support Rupert from the Seven Great Associations.

And it was because of the help from the Yuren Merchant Association that the Somerset family had been able to experience explosive growth and expansion thus far.

“If it weren’t for the Imperial family’s assistance, it would have been hard to sell the work exclusively as we do now.”

They had nearly run into headaches with those selling illegal copies at the beginning of the work’s release, but a single Imperial certification from Ioleen solved everything.

“If it weren’t for the magic pen made by Lady Amelia, or if the current authors hadn’t participated in our contest…”

Looking back, it was evident that every choice Rupert had made could have easily led to a misstep.

“The reason I can succeed like this is not because I’m exceptional, but because everyone has helped me.”

“Young Master…”

Esteban couldn’t finish his sentence.

He had seen the name ‘Esteban Ford (Yuren Merchant Association)’ appearing at the very end of those credits.

***

“What is this?”

Even after watching the video for quite a long time, people felt as if they had just sat down and immediately stood up.

Having been greatly moved to the point of not wanting to leave their seats, they reluctantly emerged from the theater to meet the awaiting staff.

“This is a commemorative poster and special goods for the release of The Kingdom of Ice.”

“A poster?”

“Yes, think of it as a paper to convey information about the animated feature being screened.”

People began to accept the poster, which was a completely new item to them, and started checking it out.

On the glossy paper, much like the cover of a comic book, was an illustration of the Elza sisters against a blue and white background.

“Oh, this is so beautiful that I want to hang it up in my room!”

The quality of the poster was top-notch, as it was drawn by Rupert, who had spent several days agonizing over it.

“Is this just given away if you watch the movie?”

“Yes, and the type of poster will change every half month.”

If people could get such poster art for free, they felt that alone made watching the animation worthwhile.

“Look at this special goods! A postcard with The Kingdom of Ice on it!!”

“If I give this to my daughter, she’ll really love it!”

The fact that they were given not only a poster but also special goods for just watching the animation might have sounded like a scam if others had heard it.

“No! Is it really okay to give this much away?”

“It’s fine. If you’re all having fun, that’s more than enough.”

When the invited guests expressed concern about whether it was proper to be running such a business, Rupert responded with a gentle smile.

“No, it seems like you’ll have nothing left…”

“You all won’t be left empty-handed, will you?”

“No, how can someone this selfless…”

Esteban watched silently from the back as people held Rupert’s hand and shed tears, as if moved.

“The posters and postcards are made of paper, so they are very cheap.”

Moreover, since all of them could be self-produced in the Somerset Workshop, they could further reduce costs.

The reason they didn’t seem cheap was simply that Rupert’s diligent artwork made them look luxurious.

-If you let someone watch the animation once, when will you ever make money! The one who’s seen it once will want to see it again, and those who have seen it will keep watching!

Esteban recalled Rupert’s words as he suggested changing the posters and special goods every half month.

As it was a massive project to build theaters across the Empire, it wasn’t an exaggeration to say Rupert poured all the money he had earned thus far into it. He was very attentive to recovering the principal.

Of course, in order to recover the principal, raising theater ticket prices would have been the simplest approach. However, raising prices would make it harder for commoners, apart from nobles, to attend without feeling burdened, so they chose a method that encouraged repeat viewings instead.

Instead of a one-time experience, the approach of collecting special items given at the theater to encourage people to come back for more was a marketing strategy that could only receive Esteban’s praise.

“Why not sell rare cards at high prices separately in ‘The Card Master’?”

Recently, as <The Card Master> cards were selling like hotcakes and people were going crazy looking for the rare ones, Esteban presented this suggestion to Rupert.

However,

“Absolutely! Not going to happen. The moment you sell this separately is the moment the Card Master goods will fail.”

Though it may be profitable in the short term, Rupert vehemently opposed it, saying it was akin to cutting open the stomach of a goose that lays golden eggs, and now Esteban understood.

“Easily obtainable things are coveted by no one.”

The more he looked at Rupert, the more surprised Esteban was.

He sometimes revealed insights and perspectives that surpassed those of a merchant like himself, and his greed regarding money often exceeded that of other nobles, yet at other times, he exhibited a surprisingly generous spirit.

“Could he really be an apostle sent by the Goddess?”

Unintentionally, Esteban found himself getting closer to the answer.

 

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