“Oh, this?”
I pulled the shawl Bonita had thrown over my shoulder closer and pointed to the huge pile of documents she held in her hand.
“Haha, it’s a message from Baroness Bavron!”
I had a feeling it was time, and indeed it was.
You never disappoint me.
“Wow, there are a lot of interesting events today as well.”
I went inside normally, and walked down the hall while slowly leafing through the contents of the letter.
Baroness Bavron. Since joining comic book production, my schedule has become much easier.
To explain the whole process: The Baroness drafted the basic framework of the story, I revised it and passed it to the artists, Ashley adapted it, and then the final product was created as a storyboard.
Since she not only knew the story, but also deeply understood the characters, she was doing an amazing job – so much so that my workload was reduced dramatically!
Looks like I won't have to do much this time either.
She seemed to have always been very precise and creative, and was improving at an amazing pace.
However, it was natural to see how things worked first hand.
Now that my so-called house arrest is over, I thought I'd better take the opportunity to check up on people I haven't seen in a while.
“I should go straight to Ashley!”
Just thinking about the artists, who always welcomed me so warmly, was enough to lift my spirits.
I smiled brightly, and quickened my steps.
* * *
Since the comic book business took off,
Grand Duke Blair dedicated one of the large annexes within the Grand Duchy to artists.
The thought of chatting with Ashley along the way excited me, but the moment I entered the building, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong.
What's going on? Why does everyone look so gloomy?
I ignored my worry and looked for Ashley, only to find that her facial expression wasn't much different from the others.
Ashley has been trying to keep her emotions in check ever since she took charge of comic production, but now...
“…Ah, ma’am.”
Her face was completely devoid of life.
“Ashley, what the hell is going on?”
Feeling that this was not the time for a casual greeting, I approached her closer.
“Clearly something bad has happened, right?”
After a long moment of silence with her head lowered, Ashley finally spoke in a cautious tone, revealing what had happened.
“Okay...”
Although her words came out choppy, the message was clear.
“All the junior artists quit suddenly, as if they had agreed to this in advance.”
Was that even logical?
Even just hearing it left me speechless.
“No matter how much I asked them about the problem, no one answered. They packed their bags and left the Grand Duchy. So far, five people have already left.”
Since the Empress praised them, the artists became extremely excited, speeding up their work on their own.
The entire production schedule has been adjusted accordingly, and related merchandise work is still running smoothly.
In other words, everything was going fast, but people suddenly disappeared.
To maintain the current pace of production, at least five new artists had to be hired. Even so, the situation will remain difficult.
But now, five people left instead?
Is it possible that they felt they were not paid enough for the amount of work they did?
This was not unusual, even in Korea. Given this possibility, I asked cautiously:
“Have you tried offering a raise?”
“We did not take this into consideration at first, because his immediate suggestion could have triggered a series of salary negotiations, but...”
Ashley shook her head vigorously, gripping the hem of her dress tightly.
"But as the situation worsened, of course we tried that too. It didn't make any difference."
Even novice artists with little experience turned down the offer of higher pay?
And at this very moment, outside, the sounds of veteran artists trying to prevent more people from leaving echoed throughout the hall.
“…Although we still have artists handling illustration, coloring and post-processing, those who left were responsible for helping with smaller tasks. This meant that the remaining artists would shoulder a greater burden.”
That was a natural conclusion.
Before hiring additional artists, it was Ashley who did the brunt of the work.
I still clearly remember the faces of the original comic book team, so I wanted to avoid that at all costs.
“If this situation continues, production may be disrupted due to fatigue.”
“Yes...but we can't hire anyone.”
Collaboration and communication were two of the most important aspects of producing the comics.
Of course, technical skill was important, but since the team had to frequently work together and cover each other when needed, these qualities were even more important.
However, most people currently interested in comics are either less skilled or have been pushed out of the industry due to past problems.
It was because…
“Lone artists mocked successful comic artists, accusing them of selling their art for a few pennies.”
Thanks to comics, many struggling artists have finally been able to make a living, but within the traditional art community, comics are still considered second-rate.
Of course, when the three veteran artists – originally chosen by the Grand Duke – filed a formal complaint, the critics were forced to back down and issue an apology.
However, perceptions will not change overnight. Historically, new art forms have always been met with resistance.
anyway.
“Right now, the main artists will have to shoulder the workload until we find the right people... but this is not ideal at all.”
Ashley let out a deep sigh and rubbed her tired eyes.
But as I was listening to it, an idea occurred to me.
“This happens suddenly and unexpectedly, but perhaps we are faced with something that was bound to happen in the end.”
No artist wants to remain an assistant forever.
In this world, it was common practice to train under a famous master before one could eventually become independent.
From this perspective, the safety rules of the Duke's Haunted Palace, which had such a wide fan base that it shook not only the empire but the entire continent, was undoubtedly a wonderful training ground.
But how long will this last?
After being involved in producing such a popular series, it was inevitable that many artists would develop a desire to publish their own work.
This was inevitable. Sooner or later, people will leave.
As a reader, I should have been excited to have more options available, but…
That was a concern for the future. However, this particular case certainly seemed unnatural.
It has not even been two months since they started their work. They haven't learned much yet, so why did all the junior artists quit at once?
“If there's anything I can do to help, let me know, Ashley.”
“...Of course. Thank you for always taking care of us, ma’am. I feel bad for showing you such a weak side of me.”
With a slight smile, she regained her usual composure.
I also handed her the letter from Baroness Bavron and briefly shared my thoughts.
“By the way, ma’am… you are really amazing. As soon as your work ban was lifted, you immediately returned to the field.”
“…Well, this—”
"That shows how much you care about this job, doesn't it? I feel the same way."
As I struggled to find the right words, I noticed that Ashley's face had darkened again, and I frowned slightly.
“…We really need to get people together for a storyboarding workshop soon. Or maybe we should ask Counselor Liam for help?”
“Yes, I was planning to do that.”
After hearing Ashley's response, I left her with a few words of encouragement and walked out of the annex.
But then—
Ma'am, we have a problem!
Another crisis collapsed on me like a tidal wave.