Editor 102

Towards the reprint! (4)

“No, there’s no case of doing business like this. There’s a payment deadline, so according to that, the promissory note….”

“I am doing this because I can fully handle it. The remaining amount can also be paid in installments during the process through negotiation, so I hope you’ll keep that in mind.”

“Why are you going this far for me?”

“I’m Fran’s friend, and Mr. Bartleby, you’re Fran’s friend as well, aren’t you? I don’t want that friend’s dream to go aground in this way. Is that too personal and childish a reason?”

“…Not at all. Every motive starts from something personal, and trivial things change the world… That’s what Mr. Robert used to say.”

Perhaps recalling Robert, who led “The Banner” for twenty years but was killed in a conspiracy by Melchior, Bartleby’s eyes grew slightly moist.

The hand of the elderly printer, who tightly gripped Kleio’s hand, was warm.

In such a moving moment, one truly doesn’t know how to behave. Kleio awkwardly rolled his eyes around.

This wasn’t something like pure goodwill. Kleio had his own calculations.

‘If this print shop goes bankrupt, I’ll lose my connection with Fran too. Mr. Bartleby will be too busy making a living to be as active as he is now. And if print shops keep closing down like this, when Fran writes something to persuade the world, where will he get it printed?’

Only Dione, with a slight smile, was expressing with her face, “Oh my, look at this person. He’s good at coming up with excuses.”

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The work proceeded as if with sails in a fair wind.

Professor Maria Gentile was, among all the authors Kleio had met in his life, one of the top three most diligent and hardworking.

‘Even though this is a time before typewriters were in practical use, she managed to finish the draft in almost perfect shape in just two weeks. She’s a great magician in her own way.’

The manuscript Professor Maria sent felt as if it contained her actual voice.

With the professor’s kind tone, the flow wove together the fundamentals of magic and interesting anecdotes, providing a dynamic narrative.

When first asked to write the manuscript as if speaking to a student about fifteen years old, Professor Maria hesitated, as it didn’t fit the Albion tradition of writing.

But once she got the hang of it, she seemed to organize it quickly.

‘Basically, it’s a lecture note, so it was structured to be optimal for conversational writing.’

The manuscript she handed over was written in neat handwriting, with perfect rows and columns, so there was no need to hire a copyist for clean transcription.

The first thing Kleio did after checking the manuscript’s condition was to use [Phenomenon] magic to duplicate the manuscript onto paper processed with scattered mica powder.

He then put the original in the safe and spent a week reviewing the copy.

‘My butt is going to stick to this chair. At least get up once in a while, or you’ll end up groaning about aches later.’

Only when Behemoth’s nagging and kicks forced him did he get up and stretch his back; the rest of the time was poured entirely into the manuscript.

‘It’s true, staring at writing for the first time in a while, my head hurts and my back aches. Whew.’

But regret was useless; the water had already been spilled, and the contract already signed.

Kleio, who stretched his back with a cracking sound, finally adjusted the order of four chapters, organized editorial considerations, and went to the Greyer Trading Company.

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“Here is the contract signed by Professor Maria. She said she entrusts all editing to us. Here’s the publisher’s registration certificate.”

Levy, the secretary of the Greyer family who was waiting in the parlor with Dione, saw Kleio’s complexion and anxiously took the package.

The young magician, who was carrying out several business ventures with Dione, seemed unable even to carry a single paper envelope.

‘This kid is so weak, why does he take on so much work, oh dear.’

Dione kept everything about Kleio thoroughly secret, but as her secretary, Levy knew about her personal finances and realized that this feeble-looking boy’s business acumen was extraordinary.

‘They really don’t look it. Both of them.’

Since Levy and Kleio were already acquainted, they skipped the greetings and got straight to the point.

“You’re handling things very quickly, but aren’t you pushing yourself too hard?”

“I’ll be leaving for fieldwork soon, so I wanted to finish the rough structure and first draft editing before that. I thought it would be good to publish before the weather warms up.”

“Ah, books certainly sell less in spring. How do you know such things?”

“That’s right, Mr. Levy. Don’t be fooled by the young master’s blank face. You never know what’s going on inside. Anyway, for proofreader, I brought in a language major you know well.”

“Thank you for handling it well despite the tight schedule.”

“It’s nothing.”

“That’s right, Ray. If you double the rush fee, there are plenty of people willing to work, and it’s easy to find good talent. You know how to employ people.”

“No, isn’t that the same for anyone? There’s nothing to be gained by saving money on people.”

That was obvious just from Gideon Asser’s record, and it was something learned as a lesson from his previous job, which now felt like a distant memory.

‘Go ahead and bring in any genius. If the deposit isn’t proper, let’s see if their performance shows.’

Even though he was tired, as things clicked along like clockwork, Kleio’s mood wasn’t bad.

The primary ingredient that made the gears turn smoothly was, after all, money.

‘I didn’t know I was this much of a thorough worshipper of money, but I think I’ll worship it even more in the future.’

“Then, may I take a look at the manuscript first? Just from what I’ve heard, it seems very interesting.”

When Kleio nodded, Levy, with a kind face full of interest, tore open the manuscript envelope.

“I registered the publisher under your name, Mr. Levy. Because of that, there was more paperwork, so I included the name registration fee in the editing and production costs. Please check.”

“The lady must have managed it well. Don’t worry about costs or expenses; if you need anything, use it and keep the receipts. Please take care of things while I’m away.”

“Alright. You’re leaving for fieldwork tomorrow, right? This isn’t the time to be sitting here. There’s one pair of heated boots left in the warehouse, I’ll give them to you as a present.”

“Then I’ll gratefully accept.”

While Dione went down to the warehouse, Levy began reading the manuscript at an incredible speed.

Not long after, having turned the last page, Levy let out a satisfied sigh.

“When it comes to magic books, I’ve only seen stiff theoretical books or third-rate, sensational articles, but I didn’t know a manuscript could be composed like this. The positioning is excellent.”

“It’s thanks to Professor Gentile’s wonderful lectures.”

“Dione said that even students who attended the Capital Guard School wouldn’t have thought to unearth those lecture notes—probably only you, Mr. Kleio.”

“You flatter me. It’s just that when you first learn magic, Professor Zebedee’s classes are so intense that Professor Gentile’s are relatively less memorable, so people don’t think of them. I just happened to have good timing.”

Kleio was just stating the facts, but for some reason, Levy’s face, looking at him, seemed strangely fervent, making Kleio shrink back.

“Truly, you are as modest as I’ve heard. You have such great insight and never show it. Also, about the publisher’s name….”

‘No, that’s just so my name doesn’t get unnecessarily talked about. I don’t want to attract Melchior’s or Aslan’s attention, geez.’

Oblivious to Kleio’s increasingly troubled expression as he struggled to find a reply, Levy got lost in his thoughts.

Kleio Asser, the hero of the capital, was both a celebrity and a figure shrouded in mystery.

He rarely appeared in public, never revealed or boasted about his achievements. Rather, he seemed to dislike his excellence being noticed by others.

‘I used to think it was because he was shy or timid, but timid… At that young age, he’s already calm and composed like an adult. Truly a difficult person to understand.’

“Anyway, if I may judge with my limited knowledge, this manuscript seems to have great potential. I’m happy to be making a book again after a long time. Thank you for the opportunity.”

“No, I should be the one thanking you for taking on the work despite your busy schedule.”

Levy, holding the manuscript neatly in both hands, had his intelligent eyes sparkling, and Kleio only wanted to leave the room as soon as possible.

‘But with that much enthusiasm, he’ll do a good job. I’d better go back and pack now.’

The day of departure for the Tristan estate was already right around the corner.

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Dione returned with the boots, lined with fur and treated on the bottom to prevent slipping.

On the way back, whether something had happened or not, from office workers on their way home to shop clerks, everyone was crowding around the newspaper stands on the main street.

Kleio, too, stopped as if drawn in. From the rows of evening papers laid out, bold headlines were shouting.

“Simultaneous Monster Rampages in Eastern Mountain Region!”

“End-of-Century Anomalies”

“Is the Great Monster Age of a Thousand Years Ago Returning?”

Since it was still an event far from the capital, the tone of the newspapers was more sensational than desperate.

‘The people of Lundane have only seen a single varg, so they probably don’t realize how frightening monsters can be. That’s probably why they haven’t suspended the students’ fieldwork.’

Wild beasts attacking villages, strange weather—so the monster rampages had begun.

For Kleio, who had to leave for the north the very next day, it was unwelcome news.

Of course, the timing was just a bit early, but the progression was the same as the previous manuscript.

Monsters lay buried as fragments of magic stones deep in the mountains and on the edges of desolate wastelands, and after the gate of Mnemosyne opened, they awakened as monsters.

‘At least the ones people dug up and processed were fine… But the ones that turned to powder and lay untouched for a thousand years, feeding on the earth’s energy, all awaken as monsters.’

The monster awakening was a crisis for the entire Dernier continent. Eventually, not just in remote areas but even in the middle of Lundane, people would encounter monsters.

Knights and magicians tried to eliminate the seeds before they became monsters, but the fragmented magic stones couldn’t be found even with ether sensitivity.

Fortunately, monsters had no reproductive ability, so after a few years of hard work, they were all caught and wiped out.

On the Dernier continent, the Kingdom of Albion was the first to succeed in exterminating all monsters.

‘It was always a well-prepared country, but catching all those monsters is what made Arthur a continent-wide hero. I know it’s a necessary development, but… Ah, I really hate it.’

Kleio scraped together all the change in his pocket and handed it to the shopkeeper, then swept up all the newspapers on display.

“One copy each, from the Lundane Standard to the Presentia, please.”

“Oh, thank you, sir! With the monsters popping up, everyone’s worried!”

“Yes. I’m quite concerned.”

“But with the knights doing their best, they’ll catch them soon enough!”

“I hope so.”

He truly hoped so.

Kleio earnestly wished neither he would have to use magic nor that children would have to struggle to catch monsters.

‘But judging by the manuscript’s progression, that’s never going to happen. Sigh. With the country in chaos, the Capital Guard’s magic corps will be busy, and I’ll have to visit Deputy Commander Ezra after fieldwork.’

Taking a carriage home, Kleio went straight to his bedroom without even changing out of his outdoor clothes and read the newspapers.

Among the various dailies, the Presentia was the most eye-catching.

“The Two Kingdoms’ Black Flame Blocks the Monsters’ Advance”

The usually sober Presentia ran an unprecedented front-page article with a five-column illustration.

Aslan, wielding a longsword and charging alone at monsters, was depicted in a dramatic style.

At this time, all newspaper printing was black and white. Black hair and black eyes looked unremarkable in print.

Aslan’s achievements were outstanding. At this moment, the newspapers weren’t even exaggerating.

‘They say he’s a level 7 swordsman—he really is good at hunting monsters.’

Kleio read every line of the article with focus.

Even though the tone wasn’t especially flattering, Aslan’s coldness was described as composure, his cruelty as decisiveness.

Even his arrogant and strict nature was interpreted as the dignity of a prince leading the Cruel Knights and blocking the monsters.

‘I’m grateful for every monster he kills, but news of Aslan taking action somehow makes me uneasy.’

It was at that moment.

Mrs. Canton, usually calm, entered the bedroom looking somewhat troubled.

“Young master, I’m sorry to disturb you when you’re busy, but could you please come down to the parlor for a moment?”

“Ah, yes. What is it?”

“The eldest young master has arrived. He insists on seeing you right away, so I came to let you know urgently.”

“…What? Without any notice?”

So-called his “older brother,” Vlad Asser, eldest son of Gideon Asser and heir to the Asser Trading Company, hadn’t sent so much as a letter since the monster incident last autumn.

It was hard to guess why he had suddenly shown up.

‘I only spoke with Gideon on the phone for New Year’s, and he didn’t seem interested in me—so why now?’

“He says he just finished a major deal with the Krater Principality and stopped by, so he couldn’t contact in advance.”

Vlad had insisted so much on seeing Kleio immediately that Mrs. Canton seemed to have a slight cold sweat at her temples.

Seeing that made Kleio feel bad. Mrs. Canton, always kind and gentle to Kleio, had obviously been treated rudely by Vlad according to his mood.

‘So that warm attitude is only for father or difficult business partners, huh.’

Kleio wasn’t surprised at all. Vlad Asser’s strangely affable personality always felt suspicious and two-faced.

“I understand, Mrs. Canton.”

Putting aside the newspaper, Kleio quickly headed to the parlor downstairs.