Chapter 79: Another World’s First Animation (4)
Some time had passed since the year had turned and the new year had begun.
Some people in the Kingdom of Yustia were slowly beginning to harbor a certain question.
“By the way, isn’t Author Wei’s new work coming out?”
“We haven’t heard anything lately. What happened?”
“I don’t think there’s ever been a time with this little news...”
Namely, that there had been no news of Author Wei’s new work for quite a long while.
Though by “quite a long while,” it had not even been a full year yet.
But to people who had grown accustomed to Author Wei’s abnormally fast serialization and publication pace, even this felt like an incredibly long time.
Perhaps the fact that the year had changed and a new one had begun made it feel even longer.
Of course, most people found that reaction absurd.
“Good grief. Do they think a new work is bread, something you can just whip up in no time?”
“Besides, there was Adventurer in a Gender-Reversed World, which was serialized in the magazine until just recently and wrapped up nicely.
And lately, Volume 2 of The Elf’s Journey came out after a year, so how can they say there’s no new work?”
Contrary to their claims, Author Wei had continued steadily serializing other works in the meantime.
There was Adventurer in a Gender-Reversed World, which had been serialized in the magazine and reached its conclusion not long ago, of course.
“Have you read Volume 2 of The Elf’s Journey that came out this time?
I never imagined that an elf, a race of the forest, would go to a desert with not a single blade of grass by choice.
And to think that desert was the curse cast by the emperor of an ancient desert empire that had been sealed away!”
“The part where they played a board game against the sealed emperor of the ancient desert empire, won, helped him pass on, and then turned the desert green again was truly moving.”
“Ah, apparently that part was based on real history.
I don’t know if they really helped a sealed ancient emperor pass on through a board game match, but it seems there is a legend that an elven spirit master once passed through a region that used to be desert and turned it into greenery.”
“Oh-ho! Is that really true?
If it is, I’d like to visit that region myself someday.”
Wasn’t Volume 2 of The Elf’s Journey, which had returned after a year, undoubtedly a new work?
It had only been recently that people rejoiced over Volume 2 of The Elf’s Journey being released after a true one-year serialization cycle, calling it the first new volume in a year.
Then, after reading it all, they screamed about how they were supposed to wait another year.
Wasn’t it a bit too shameless to complain that there was no new work?
“Aaah! I don’t care! Give us a new work!”
“I’ve already read everything that’s out three times each!
Is it really so difficult to grant our modest wish and serialize exactly three times the current amount to match the speed we read?”
“Do you think we’re doing this just for ourselves?
You all want to see Author Wei’s new work too!”
But such boring and pedantic facts did not work on readers who had truly thrown their consciences away and simply wanted to read Author Wei’s new work.
“Well, I mean, of course we’d be happy if a new work came out too.”
“Hmm, now that I listen to them, it does sound like they have a point.”
“Isn’t this all Author Wei’s fault for making his works so fun that waiting becomes unbearable?”
And before long, even those who had been arguing against them would admit that was true and join them in shouting for Author Wei to give them a new work.
After all, those people were just as deeply immersed in Author Wei’s works.
While that strange scene spread throughout the kingdom as though it were an epidemic,
news that would quench their thirst arrived.
“I-It’s out! Everyone, it’s finally out!”
“What came out that you’re making such a fuss?
Have you perhaps been suffering from constipation all this time?”
“This is no time for such vulgar jokes!
The new work by Author Wei, the one we’ve all been waiting for, is out!”
“What!”
At last, breaking his long silence that was not really silence, Author Wei’s new work had appeared.
—The Apostle of Culture presents yet another new culture!
Author Wei’s new work is a new genre called “animation”!—
—Exclusive interview with Author Wei! “Animation will be images far more vivid and dynamic than comics!”—
And with it, he announced his splendid return by presenting a new culture no one had ever heard of before, called “animation.”
“Good heavens! Images that move more vividly than comics? Is such a thing possible?
Are they saying the pictures really come alive and move?”
“Do not doubt him!
Comics, plays, games, and everything else besides!
Has Author Wei ever failed in the cultural industry until now?
This time, too, he will surely succeed in opening a new path of culture for us!”
“It may be impossible for ordinary people like us, but if it’s Author Wei, then it’s more than possible.
Even if he said he cast magic on comics to make them move, I’m confident I wouldn’t be surprised.”
The people of the Kingdom of Yustia who heard that shocking news
were at first amazed that Author Wei had created yet another new culture, while also showing curiosity and speculation about what kind of work this “animation” would be.
“If it took longer than usual to make, then it must be that much more incredible, right?”
“Comics alone were that astonishing, so if this is even more lifelike than that, I can’t even imagine how marvelous it will be.”
“Damn it! If I miss this, I’ll be teased for days again and won’t even be able to join the conversation.”
“Is that all? If I want to avoid hearing others talk about what kind of work it is and what the story is about, I’ll have to walk around with my ears plugged.
I absolutely have to see it on the first day!”
That curiosity immediately led to anticipation.
After all, Author Wei had created entirely new cultures that had never existed in the world several times before, bringing people wonder and emotion.
The well-founded expectation that they would be able to feel that same emotion again made people’s shoulders bounce with excitement.
“So where do they sell this ‘animation’?”
“They say it’s not sold. You have to go to the theater to watch it.”
“What, is it like a play? But didn’t they say it was pictures?
Why would you have to go all the way to a theater to see pictures?
Wasn’t appreciating pictures some lofty hobby enjoyed only by those high and mighty people?”
“Who knows? How would I know?
We’ll find out once we go, won’t we?
It might be like the arcade.”
They were briefly confused by the news that it would not be sold in bookstores like novels or comics, and that they had to go to the theater instead.
But because they had experienced the new plays presented in theaters before, as well as the games presented in the arcade,
everyone soon began heading to the theater in familiar fashion.
“Shall I take a look and see just how amazing a work they’ve created? Kehihihit.”
And among those countless people was Shylock, the goblin guildmaster of the Commerce Guild.
The sight of Shylock laughing in his usual wicked-sounding way looked to anyone as though he were sneering at the unveiling of the animation.
In truth, however, he was taking this more seriously than anyone inside.
‘Damn it. The Publication Guild and that bastard Rex.
Getting all puffed up just because they were lucky enough to be chosen by Author Wei!’
Just as the Publication Guild and its guildmaster Rex saw the Commerce Guild as a rival,
the Commerce Guild and Shylock felt the same way.
In particular, the Commerce Guild and Shylock strongly tended to look unfavorably upon the Publication Guild, believing that they had secured cooperation not through proper ability like their own, but simply through the luck of having formed a connection with Author Wei first.
‘Until now, a balance had been maintained in its own way, with the Publication Guild chosen as the partner for comics and our Commerce Guild chosen as the partner for games...’
But now that they had made animation together with the Publication Guild, it felt as if the scales had tilted back toward that side, and that was rather unpleasant.
That was why he had come to see it in person.
To check just how heavy that weight was.
And to grasp its impact and devise countermeasures.
“As a merchant, I’d lose all face if the Publication Guild stole all the attention and interests. Khuhuhu!”
Thinking that, Shylock strolled through the theater.
Among the advertising boards filling the corridors here and there,
he could see advertisements placed by the Commerce Guild as well.
‘It took some effort to squeeze them onto the most visible boards.’
There had been some who complained, asking why they should place advertisements in a theater showing an animation produced by the Publication Guild, as though it hurt their pride.
Shylock had demoted every fool who said such idiotic things to dead-end posts.
‘Does pride put food on the table? A merchant should invest if there is money to be made, even if it is in an enemy’s shop.’
The Publication Guild was not what mattered.
This was a venue where Author Wei was presenting a new work, and one that introduced a culture that had never existed before.
If they refused to advertise in a place like this because of pride, they were disqualified as merchants.
If they simply put advertisements in without thinking, there was no way they would not profit.
Shylock shook his head from side to side while inwardly repeating a stock phrase that began with, ‘Kids these days...’
“One large popcorn, please.
Half salted, half caramel.
Ah, and a bottle of cold beer too.
Beer at the theater is a delicacy in its own right. Kehehehet!”
Then, using the privileges of a VIP seat, he familiarly ordered popcorn and beer before quietly finding and taking his seat.
And after waiting a short while,
the lights inside the performance hall went out, and a boy stepped onto the stage, the only place where light remained.
“What? Weren’t they supposed to show us this animation thing? Did I enter the wrong hall?”
“If it’s a person instead of pictures, isn’t this just a play?”
By now, the audience had grown used to the new theater system and were no longer surprised merely by the lights going out.
However, when a person appeared instead of the pictures they had expected, they began murmuring in confusion.
After all, it was different from the scene they had imagined.
The most common voices were those worrying that they might have found the wrong hall.
But some people, including Shylock, merely smiled quietly and waited at ease.
‘Tsk, tsk. There is no way Author Wei would lie. What faithless people.’
Because they had strong faith in Author Wei.
And it was just as that faith dictated.
“Absolutely! Absolutely! This is neither possession by ghosts nor dark magic sorcery.
So please simply enjoy it as you see it!”
The boy briefly finished explaining the viewing rules and giving his requests, then placed a large crystal orb at the center of the stage.
The moment he activated it,
the illusion magic unfolding from the crystal orb finally revealed the true form of the animation that had been hidden behind a veil.
And the instant Shylock confirmed what animation was,
he opened his mouth wide in admiration, and at the same time, clutched his head in fierce regret.
“Damn it all! Our Commerce Guild should have secured this, no matter what it took!”
He could instinctively tell after watching for just ten seconds.
This animation reeked of an enormous jackpot.