Toward the Reprint! (1)

    After staring at the map for quite some time, Kleio realized that sleet had turned the sky white.

    ‘…Not today.’

    With this weather, neither trains nor carriages would be able to travel between Fesselrn and Lundane.

    Behemoth, who had been licking hot chocolate with cognac, was already dozing off.

    ‘It’s a very snowy winter. I can’t tell if this is normal or if it’s just this year.’

    It was the first Albion winter for “Kim Jeongjin.”

    Though the lack of floor heating was sorely missed, lying in front of the fireplace, hugging a sleeping cat with cream on its whiskers, he found it not so bad after all.

    ‘Still, even if I can’t install ondol, I wish there was at least something like an electric blanket. Can’t I make one somehow?’

    Perhaps it’s mind over matter. The Korean spirit within him was ordering his back to be warmed.

    ‘If I use magic stones—ruby, maybe—I might be able to make something similar as a magical device… But rubies are expensive among magic stones. If only I could figure out an efficient way to connect them…’

    While Kleio was piecing together magical formulas in his head, he soon began to doze off like Behemoth.

    Mrs. Canton, who had come into the bedroom to send up a letter, clicked her tongue when she saw Kleio asleep.

    ‘Goodness, he must be tired. He’ll catch a cold.’

    Moving carefully, Mrs. Canton spread out the colorful letters and postcards sent by Arthur, Chell, and the Angelium twins on the table like flowers so Kleio would see them as soon as he woke up.

    They were news from across the country—from the capital city of the Kishion estate, Parisah; Novantes; and the capital of the Angelium estate, Carmine.

    Since making the rounds at the New Year’s gatherings, Kleio had lost interest in society parties, showing indifference to any invitation, but he still welcomed letters from friends. With the roads repeatedly blocked and cleared by snow, mail had been delayed, but suddenly a batch of letters arrived.

    ‘It’s a relief to know there’s nothing troubling at the capital’s school and that he seems to have made many friends.’

    Though the young master had grown tall and mature, sleeping with his fine hair tousled, he still looked like a child.

    Mrs. Canton tucked a thick wool blanket over the sleeping Kleio to keep him from catching cold and added more logs to the fireplace.

    Outside the window, the silent snow continued to pile up.


    When the snow that had blanketed the middle two weeks of January finally stopped and carriages could run again, Dione and Kleio reunited to do what they loved most.

    They were checking on the construction progress of the hotel being built on Kleio’s property and managing one of Dione’s small buildings.

    The ground-floor bookstore’s shop window was lavishly decorated for the New Year, and behind it, a few chairs were set up for customers to rest after buying books.

    From there, you could see the Hôtel de Neige Est very well.

    The hotel’s construction was already finished and interior work was underway, so preparations for opening were proceeding steadily despite the cold weather.

    Carriages loaded with all sorts of fixtures lined up at the entrance, and the windows of completed rooms were bright.

    Dione, who had only recently returned from the Principality of Krater, was excited, saying she’d sold an enormous amount of magic stone jewelry to the prince’s consort.

    Having made a year’s sales in a single transaction, her face glowed as if softly illuminated from within.

    The two, meeting for the first time in a while, sat in the bookstore drinking complimentary milk tea and chatting.

    “The stands and shop windows are the same, but these days, there are a surprising number of books on magic and magical beasts on display.”

    “Oh, I hear that field is a once-in-a-lifetime boom. I’ve even been pestered by publishing agents urging me to try writing a magic-related book myself!”

    “Since Lady Dione loves reading so much, why not try writing one?”

    “I haven’t a shred of writing talent. Besides, I have no ability to explain magic in simple terms. You’re a mage yourself, so you know—just talking about it doesn’t get the point across. Levi, the company’s secretary, was busy writing rejection letters to all those requests that came in while I was away. He worked in publishing before qualifying as a solicitor.”

    “I see… Is there really that much demand for popular books on magic?”

    “Why do you sound so detached? It’s your fault, scattering magic stones and dazzling everyone with your magic right in the heart of the capital. Not many people saw it firsthand, but the story was in the papers and spread far and wide, so of course people are interested.”

    ‘And yet books are selling like crazy. In the world I used to live in, that would just be a reason to get on TV or rack up YouTube views.’

    Kleio listened with a slightly dazed expression, cup in hand, while Dione spoke passionately, clenching her fist.

    “With the opening of the Door of Mnemosyne, the public is hugely interested in magic and magical beasts. But there aren’t any good books to meet that need—just third-rate gossip writers churning out shoddy books full of idle talk.”

    “Most magic books are specialized theory texts like the ‘Complete Book of Magic,’ so there aren’t many authors who can write for the general public.”

    “Not many? There aren’t any! Research mages basically don’t want to spend a second on anything they’re not interested in. That’s why whenever there’s a vacancy for a magic department teacher at the Capital Defense School, it’s notoriously hard to fill.”

    “!!!”

    Hearing Dione’s words, a powerful candidate for an author flashed through Kleio’s mind.

    ‘Professor Maria Gentile!’

    He remembered, even while attending her last class before finals, sneaking glances at her lecture notes and thinking he could make a killing if those were published as a popular book.

    ‘Unlike Dione, Professor Maria doesn’t appear in society, so ordinary publishers don’t know she exists. If I could publish those lecture notes… wouldn’t that make a ton of money?!’

    Having handled some money, he’d come to a clear realization.

    There was no such thing as enough when it came to wealth. The more money, the better.

    It was something ‘Jeongjin’ had never known, having never lived with real wealth.

    ‘Beyond escaping my father’s influence, I’m now respected as a proper human being at just eighteen. And I can do almost anything I want without worry.’

    Is that all?

    This world had magic stones and magic light stones. You could buy the raw materials for miracles with money.

    So Kleio couldn’t let a money-making opportunity pass by.

    But there was one snag….

    Even as he brainstormed how to plan, edit, and promote the book, a cold realization lingered in the corner of his mind.

    ‘You really can’t change your stripes… I’ve come all the way here, become a landowner, and now I’m thinking about publishing a book. Seriously.’

    Shaking his head slightly, Kleio pulled himself together.

    ‘No, this isn’t the same. I failed in the last world, but here, it’s the right thing to do. Publishing is still profitable here.’

    This is the Kingdom of Albion in 1891.

    It’s not a time and place where literature is dying and the death of books is openly declared.

    In this world where Kleio lived, literature was booming, and a readership interested in all sorts of genres was emerging.

    The proof was the steady stream of customers in and out of the bookstore.

    Ding.

    “Welcome.”

    Even as Kleio and Dione drank milk tea, the bell on the bookstore’s clean glass door rang several times.

    The bookstore Dione rented out was doing good business. Even in the cold, the owner looked cheerful.

    Cheap 8-coruna paperback editions and slim serialized booklets were popular, but even leather- and gold-bound hardcovers sold not infrequently.

    On closer look, staff from the Hôtel de Neige Est or decorators stopped by the bookstore on their way home to pick up a light read for the evening, or a magazine, or a crossword puzzle book.

    Looking at what people bought, novels were overwhelmingly popular, but books on railroads, travel, bird ecology, and dining etiquette also sold well.

    ‘There’s a demand for general-interest books. First, I should meet Professor Maria and negotiate. She’s not the money-hungry type, so I should emphasize the public benefit of this publication.’

    If the book sold well, it would improve public perceptions of magic, and benefit all mages in the process.

    “Lady Dione, do you know anyone in publishing? I mean copyright agents, editors, bookbinders, and so on.”

    Dione, rather than surprised by the sudden request, looked intrigued. She tapped her empty cup and smiled softly.

    “Oh, so you’re looking to make a killing in publishing this time? Honestly, young master, you really have a nose for money.”

    “Well… I don’t know what face to make when I hear that from you, Lady Dione.”

    “Oh, but you were listening so seriously to my talk about popular magic books just now. Judging from your reaction, you must have a manuscript lined up.”

    “That’s right. It’s just a possibility, but I might have a way to get a quality manuscript.”

    “Finding authors is always the hardest part. Even if you find them, it doesn’t mean they’ll deliver on time… But you already have a manuscript? That’s surprising! The next steps are publishing contracts and editing—so you’re asking me about sourcing professionals for that?”

    “…If you set up a table and a crystal ball at the Royal Circus intersection, put on a robe, and recite customer guesses, Lady Dione, you’d make a fortune.”

    “Good grief, treating me like a cheap medium! How could a mage like me spout nonsense about hearing the voices of the dead or moving objects possessed by spirits!”

    Though she used magic, Dione, who didn’t believe in spirits, pretended to be offended.

    “I apologize for the inappropriate joke. I meant your deductive skills are that impressive.”

    “Deduction, nonsense! It’s obvious when you look.”

    “I’ll meet the prospective author first, and if things look promising, I’ll contact you right away. So, for now…”

    “Right, since nothing’s confirmed, don’t go recruiting anyone yet—just sound them out. Leave it to me.”

    As expected of Dione Greyer, who knew people in every field and had connections everywhere. In Lundane, there was little she couldn’t solve.

    “Remember how I said Levi, the company secretary, used to work in publishing?”

    “Yes.”

    “He was a promising editor at Hutchinson & Simon. But after his wife had triplets, he finished his legal studies with his uncle’s help and moved to our company. The pay was the big issue.”

    “Ah… I see….”

    The principle that if you want to make money as a humanities major, you end up studying law held true even in the 19th century. The harshness of the world made Kleio inwardly grimace.

    ‘Even in literature’s golden age, if you had any sense, writing ad copy paid better. Sigh, the author made the world well in every corner, so why not fix this part?’

    .

    .

    .

    Strike while the iron is hot—so at dawn the next day, Kleio contacted the school.

    He heard that Professor Naor, who taught advanced fencing, and Professor Maria both had no family in the capital and always stayed in the faculty residence.

    During vacation, she just had no classes—her routine was unchanged, the attendant guiding Kleio to her office told him.

    At the window of Professor Maria’s office, which Kleio was visiting for the first time, lace curtains hung, and the interior was neat and cozy.

    If not for the shelves packed with magic books and documents and the architectural models lining the walls, it could have been mistaken for a grandparent’s sitting room.

    Professor Maria welcomed Kleio with ginger cookies and tea she’d brewed herself.

    “Well, Kleio. I’ve heard your business. Sit and have some tea first. Your cheeks are all white with cold.”

    “Thank you, Professor Gentile.”

    Since Zebedi had gone around boasting he would make Kleio his research apprentice, this was Maria’s first time meeting Kleio personally.

    ‘He’s a kid who uses remarkable magic, but I thought he wasn’t that enthusiastic in basic classes. Seems I was wrong.’

    In Maria’s classes, Kleio hadn’t stood out much.

    He often dozed and hardly took notes, so she hadn’t realized he was listening with such interest.

    She felt a quiet pride and affection.

    “Publishing my lecture notes as a book is a nice idea, but who would want to read that?”

    Taking a shallow breath so Maria wouldn’t notice, and clenching his fist lightly, Kleio switched to business mode for the first time in a while.

    On Professor Maria’s desk, where she smiled kindly and lifted her cup, lay her lecture notes for basic magic, newly organized and covered with memos.

    ‘No matter what, I have to get her to agree to make this a book. I can do it.’

    “There are far more people interested in the principles of ether and magic than you think, Professor.”

    Kleio’s voice, a little lower in tone, sounded far more trustworthy than his usual clear tenor.

    “You know better than I do, but there were more than twice as many observers at the finals as last year, right? Even local residents crowded in to watch. And I’ve heard that this year, the number of applicants for the magic track at the Capital Defense School entrance exam is three times the usual. Don’t those numbers clearly demonstrate the public’s interest?”

    Professor Maria Gentile unwittingly got swept up in Kleio’s persuasive momentum. Her heart beat faster and her cheeks flushed a little.

    For Maria, who had devoted her life to research, far from public attention or social chatter, Kleio’s words were oddly stirring.

    ‘Was this child always able to speak like this…?’

    “But despite all that keen interest, there are hardly any books to satisfy it. The books churned out by third-rate gossip reporters only reinforce wrong prejudices about magic. You, professor, hold the key to changing that situation. It’s those very lecture notes.”

    Note