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I just want to quietly draw manga Chapter 90
🕑 Added 2025-04-29 16:42:52 +0000 UTCThe next day, Haruki took the day off and headed alone to the headquarters of Echo Shroud Publishing.
Inside the building, Haruka had already been waiting for some time. Dressed in her usual sleek office attire, she looked sharp and composed.
Haruki made his way to her office, already familiar with the route from his previous visits.
“Have a seat,” she said as he entered.
She poured him a cup of hot tea, then quietly shut the door, enclosing the room in a private atmosphere.
“There’s not much I need to explain,” she began. “Just yesterday, during the Shroud Line serialization meeting, your Natsume’s Book of Friends and another title, Thousand Stars Secret Realm, were both selected by Editor-in-Chief Kuroda. Along with a third title from one of our sister magazines, three new series will debut in the upcoming issue of Shroud Line—three weeks from now.”
“Three weeks?” Haruki blinked in surprise.
He’d expected his work to pass the meeting—Haruka’s phone call the previous night had already hinted at that—but the turnaround was shockingly fast. Approval one day, a set publication date the next?
Haruka slid a laptop across the desk toward him. “Here’s the contract. Take your time reviewing it. If there are no issues, I’ll print out the final copy for signing.”
The document was long, densely packed with clauses and terms.
Fortunately, after his fallout with Kurokawa Publishing, Haruki had developed a sharper awareness of legal agreements. He wasn’t a contract expert, but he’d learned enough to spot the more obvious traps.
He still trusted Haruka—to a degree. She was a close friend of Sora, after all. But even so, trust didn’t mean carelessness. Haruki approached the contract with his full attention.
Only after refilling his tea three times did he finally sit back, eyes lifting from the screen.
Overall, the contract was fair. No red flags.
The key terms were straightforward:
First, the page rate was set at 2,000 yen per page.
Haruki had no complaints. On paper, it was only 1,000 yen more per page than what Inkbolt Series paid, but the prestige gap between Shroud Line and that smaller imprint was massive.
In fact, any artist who made it into Shroud Line likely wasn’t concerned with page rates anymore.
Unlike the global dominance of manga in the parallel world, in this world, the manga industry in Japan—especially in the mainland region—had surged to the forefront. The animation sector was highly regulated, copyrights strictly enforced, and a vast, passionate fanbase had been cultivated.
In the parallel world, selling over 100 million volumes was a once-in-a-generation feat, typically reserved for international blockbusters from Japan.
But in this world—with Japan as the manga powerhouse and a population of over 100 million—hitting 100 million sales wasn’t just possible; it was expected for top-tier series.
The global market now looked toward Japan for manga trends, rather than the other way around.
As a result, manga royalties far outweighed mere page rates. Many top creators lived off massive royalties from print sales, anime adaptations, and merchandise—some even making it onto the nation’s annual rich lists.
So it was no surprise the contract’s royalty clause drew Haruki’s attention.
The agreement stated that he’d receive 8% royalties on volume sales.
Haruki glanced up at Haruka. “About the royalty rate…”
“There’s no negotiating on that,” she said flatly, already anticipating his reaction. “Echo Shroud has a policy—any artist debuting in Shroud Line starts with that percentage. If your first series performs well and you pitch a new one, that’s when the discussion starts. Nine percent, ten, maybe more... it depends on your track record.”
Haruki was quiet for a moment.
“…Understood.”
Haruki didn’t dwell on it. Sure, creative vision mattered—but so did timing. He wasn’t in a position to bargain.
The rest of the contract—clauses on anime adaptations, merchandise licensing, and spin-offs—were all standard for the industry.
“No objections,” he said at last.
“Good.” Haruka smiled, printing the contract and guiding him through the signing process.
Five minutes later, it was done.
Haruka stood and extended her hand.
“Welcome to Echo Shroud.”
Haruki stood and shook her hand firmly.
From this moment on, Haruka Sato was officially his editor. That meant she’d be involved in everything—from his creative process to his mental health to his delivery schedule. At the same time, the success or failure of his work would directly impact her reputation and career trajectory.
If Natsume’s Book of Friends flopped in its first couple of months, it wouldn’t just be Haruki’s name on the line—Haruka’s, too.
Signing Haruki was a calculated risk for her.
Then again, Haruka had always taken bold chances. It was the same when she first scouted Airi, which led to Airi’s meteoric rise.
“In that case,” she said, “from today onward, we’re partners.”
She tapped her tablet. “Three weeks from now, Natsume’s Book of Friends will premiere in Shroud Line. As is custom, the first release will feature a double-length chapter. That means, in addition to the three chapters you’ve already submitted, you’ll need to have Chapter 4 ready by the start of the serialization cycle.”
“After that,” she continued, “weekly deadlines—every Friday. I’ll come by when it’s due. Don’t make me chase you like some other artists I know…”
Her tone was joking, but Haruki could sense the warning beneath it.
“Don’t worry,” he said. “If you know Sora, then you’ll know I’ve never missed a deadline.”
He hesitated for a second, then added, “But since I’m still getting used to Tokyo, and I want to focus on the quality of the work, I’ll need a couple of assistants.”
“Oh?” Haruka tilted her head. “How many are you thinking?”
“Two,” Haruki replied.
One assistant might suffice under normal circumstances—but he had other plans. With the system backing him, he didn’t need to spend hours brainstorming plots. If he could delegate the repetitive tasks, he might be able to serialize multiple titles simultaneously.
After all, there were more great stories in his arsenal than he could possibly publish in one lifetime—so why not get started?
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