Chapter 41
I had the idea, but isn't color printing impossible?
We don't have a copier or a camera, I thought.
And of course, it's magic that solves that basic problem. While training with Amy, I found the advanced fire spell "Copy" in a scholarly book and got super excited. I kept asking Clarice if it could do color copying.
We're going to make the first color magazine in the Kingdom of Greifner.
Since we'll be using advanced magic to produce it, the cost of hiring magicians is extremely high—that's the downside.
On top of that, there's the price of colored ink and paper that can withstand color. The method and cost of binding. Probably one issue will end up costing around five thousand Ron.
A five-thousand-yen magazine in Japanese currency. That's hilarious.
If we give each issue a premium feel, I'm optimistic it'll sell decently among the wealthy. The idea is solid. It'll sell. And if it doesn't, I'll just pitch it hard to some noble and force them to buy it—it'll be fine. Fufufu, I'm looking forward to this.
I parted ways with Gargaine on Diagois Street, and Ariana and I are now being led by Surume to his family home.
"The magician at your house who can use 'Copy'—is that a servant?"
"One's from a branch family and my vassal. The other is my younger brother."
"It's going to be a pretty tough job—are you sure you're up for it?"
"It's just 'Copy,' right? Of course we'll be fine!"
I wanted to tell the boisterous Surume to think it through more carefully.
For example, if we make two hundred magazines, and each one has twenty pages including the cover, that's four thousand pages total. Two people would have to chant "Copy" two thousand times each. They'll probably collapse from mana depletion multiple times. Well, I do plan to hire more people.
By the way, I told Clarice the dates of the planning and execution, and she passed it on to Misa and Joe from Mirrors. I told them we have the money, so just mass-produce as many clothes as possible. Since there are no handy machines like sewing machines or fabric cutters in this world, most of it has to be done by hand. If we don't make them early, there won't be any stock when it gets popular—and that would be the worst. A salesman has to pay attention to inventory too.
That kind of stuff isn't my strong suit. Even in Japan, I used to toss it onto someone better at it. Once the shop grows, we'll need someone good at clerical work.
Anyway, it's time to gather people.
Magicians who can use "Copy."
People good at clerical work.
Stylish staff who seem capable of handling magazine editing.
Talented writers who'd make good reporters.
And photographers.
Surume's house was about twenty minutes on foot from the royal palace. It was a solid stone building with the feel of a small art museum. At the gate, there were statues about three meters tall, totally chuunibyou, like wind and thunder gods.
I was told they were the God of War, Pariopoteth, and the Oath God, Diagois. These recurring gods probably serve the same role as Japan's Seven Lucky Gods—I decided to interpret it that way.
The Wild family of Surume really was wild.
Everyone in the house was dark-skinned with intensely featured faces. A third of them had jutting chins. Ariana and I were surrounded by nearly fifty people, praised in an overly passionate way for our medals, thanked in a sweaty, aggressive manner for treating Surume, and annoyingly challenged to duels far too often.
It was too much trouble, so I turned down all the duels.
And when one of Surume's relatives said, "You're way too fat, ahahaha," I slapped him and used "Air Hammer" to remove him from my sight.
"I'm Sugii Wild, vassal of Wands."
"I'm Speed Wild, his younger brother."
"......"
I've decided to stop commenting on names. I want to believe it's just a coincidence. It's not a trap to make me laugh, right? Both of them have fine names. I'll get in trouble if I laugh.
Sugii Wild was a guy with his shirt sleeves rolled up, tanned pitch-black.
His younger brother, Speed Wild, looked like a dark-skinned, timid version of Brian, the blue-eyed handsome lead from a street racer movie. Apparently, he's Surume's half-brother and only a year younger. He's a second-year at Greifner Magic Academy. Being able to use advanced fire magic in second year is pretty impressive.
I gave them the nicknames "Osugi" and "Black Brian" and hired them temporarily. They both just happened to need money and were about to go monster hunting through the Adventurers' Guild, so they gladly accepted.
The pay is results-based. I'll decide based on how well they can chant "Copy."
"Osugi, Brian, I'm counting on you."
She pinched the hem of her skirt like a lady and gave a polite bow.
"Osugi... me? I already said my name is Sugii Wild, didn't I?"
"Um, Miss Ellie! Am I the one you're calling Black Brian!?"
"There you go again, giving weird nicknames..."
Osugi crossed his arms wildly and nodded, like, well, what can you do.
Black Brian—Speed Wild—raised his voice in protest, almost like a scream.
"How does anything about me turn into Brian!? Who is that!? I mean, I can't help being dark-skinned—it runs in the family!"
"Haven't you ever seen the movie 'Fast & Furious'?"
"My name is Speed Wild! What's a movie!? I've never seen one! I don't even know what it is! I don't want to know either!"
"Come on, hurry up and get on your horse and go do a street battle."
"A horse? A street battle?"
"You charge into hairpin turns at blood-pumping speed, right?"
"No! I've never ridden a horse like that!"
"Liar! You're a speed freak, aren't you!? Or rather, become one now, Black Brian!"
"Brother, who is this person!?"
"Don't ask me! I have trouble dealing with her too!!"
Black Brian's reactions were too funny, and I got carried away.
Let's keep the pranks and speed stuff in moderation. Ahaha.
...Saying it out loud just made me feel gross. Part 2.
"Brother, you have a nickname too!?"
"Ugh... yeah."
"What is it?"
"Guh... it's......"
"It's Surume. Su-ru-me."
I smiled sweetly as I told Black Brian.
"Surume?"
"Doesn't he have a squid-like face?"
"Th-that's..."
"See? Like the more you chew, the more flavor comes out. Right?"
Black Brian looked at Surume's face a few times, winced, then started punching himself in the stomach. He must've been trying not to laugh, but the corners of his mouth were clearly smiling.
"You bastard! Hey, Ellie Golden! Black Brian! Get outside!"
"Brother, you're calling me Black Brian too!?"
"If you call me Surume, I'll kill you!"
After that, it turned into a duel riot in the courtyard. I used the illusion magic "Mirage Fake" to make it look like there were four of the fat one, confused them with "Light," and then blew two of them away with "Air Hammer" to settle things. I felt a little bad afterward and reflected on it.
Well, the servants, relatives, even Surume's mother were all betting on the impromptu fight, so I guess we're even. The sweaty menservants who bet on Surume were yelling, "We lost big because of you, young master!" and tried to hit Surume with a Fireball. This house is noisy from top to bottom.
"Ellie..."
Ariana, who had been quiet the whole time, had bet all the money she had on me and happily walked away with a gain of two hundred thousand Ron. She showed me her wallet full of gold and silver coins with her usual faint smile lifting just the corners of her lips.
I patted Ariana's fox ears and gently stopped her hand as she tried to hand me the gold coins. Use that money to enjoy some good food. You should put on a little more weight. Unlike me.
○
I told Osugi and Black Brian I'd be in touch again, then got into the carriage with Barry as the driver and loaded the "commemorative imaging device"... No, forget it, let's just call it a camera. I loaded the camera.
"Milady, what's that?"
Barry pressed his face up to the window and asked.
So creepy. He's always creepy.
"Barry, your face is too close. This is a camera."
"A camera?"
"It's also called a commemorative imaging device."
"How did you get such an expensive item?"
"I bought it."
"...Pardon me, but where did you get the money?"
"I sold the mana crystal I found when we defeated the Bone Lizard."
"Ho! As expected of you, Milady!"
"I think it'll be worth about 120 million Ron!"
".........Huh?"
Ignoring Barry, who was stunned by the amount, I opened the box to find the camera, tripod, and paper all neatly stored inside. The paper was A4-size thick stock coated with special paint, and when exposed to light, it shimmered in seven colors. You insert it into the top of the camera, pour in mana, and the shutter drops to capture the scene in front of you. Honestly, I have no idea how it works. Let's just say hooray for magic.
Barry and I rode around town in the carriage looking for a photographer.
But we couldn't find anyone who felt like the one.
A photographer isn't just someone who can capture a scene. It should be someone who has something repressed inside them, capable of extracting the model's joy or sorrow in a once-in-a-lifetime shot. Since the model is that Amy, there's no way I'd leave it to just anyone. I'm a perfectionist.
The next day and the day after, I continued searching for a photographer.
Ariana couldn't join the search because she had a part-time job. She looked like a puppy that had been abandoned, so it took a while to comfort her.
I strolled clockwise around Greifner with Clarice. We moved based on rumors we'd heard from various places.
I asked every promising person I came across—the artist who could silence crying children, the professional of commemorative imaging devices, the Kingdom of Greifner's top magic toolmaker, the bard with a voice of seven colors. But they were all no good. They all already had their own fully-formed worldviews.
No! That's not it! I want someone who can capture what's right in front of them in a pure, unthinking way! Someone with eyes that never miss the subject's best moment!
"I am afraid I cannot comprehend your deep reasoning, my lady. Honestly, would it not suffice to just get some brawny man off the street? Someone who could just go, 'Hrah!' and click the shutter with sheer force?"
"No! Absolutely not, Clarice!"
"Indeed, I thought as much..."
Clarice let out a sigh, seemingly frustrated that she couldn't be of help.
This was something I was particular about, so I had to find the right person myself.
If I couldn't, Clarice would only become more downhearted.
"Then I shall accompany you anywhere until we find them!"
"Thank you, Clarice!"
That's Clarice for you. Always so positive.
Nodding to each other, we began walking toward the center of Greifner.