It was May, and the early summer heat was already stifling.
Even though everyone had transitioned to their lightest summer clothes, the humidity left people drenched in sweat. Despite the rising temperature outside, the atmosphere inside the Crimson Maple Literature headquarters was electric.
The staff members in the editorial department were brimming with energy, showing no signs of the typical afternoon slump.
After all, it was a rare occurrence for a premier magazine like Crimson Maple to have three serialization slots open up at the same time. Every editor was sharpening their knives and focusing their efforts on the upcoming Monday meeting.
"Hey, Kenji," one editor whispered, leaning over a desk. "I heard that 'Red Dragon,' the author you handle, is submitting a new pitch for the meeting this Monday. Is that true?"
"Yeah, that's right," Kenji replied with a sigh. "His historical fiction hasn't exactly set the world on fire lately, but with three slots open, I figured it was worth a shot. You never know when luck might strike."
"The opportunities are better than usual, sure, but the competition is going to be brutal," another colleague chimed in. "Getting serialized in Crimson Maple means more than just a paycheck."
"It's prestige and wealth all rolled into one. Any series that manages to secure a spot in that magazine is practically guaranteed a fortune. Between royalties, tankobon sales, and merchandise, you're looking at millions of yen. When the average monthly salary for a fresh graduate is barely 200,000 yen, that kind of income is a massive draw even for established veterans. And that's not even counting the possibility of an anime or live-action adaptation. Then the sky's the limit."
"Exactly," the first editor agreed. "Who would turn down that kind of money? If you can sustain a serialization for just six months, you're set for a while. If I had the talent, I'd be throwing my hat in the ring too."
"But honestly," a senior editor interrupted, "whether it's authors like Nanto, Tori, Tayu, or Red Dragon, none of them are actually the most dangerous contenders at this meeting."
"Then who is?"
"It's Shiori Takahashi. Have you seen the numbers? The total sales for the first and second volumes of Blue Spring Ride have already surpassed 800,000 copies. The average sales per volume are over 400,000, and that number is still climbing every day. With a track record like that, he has a massive advantage. Most of the other competitors would be lucky to hit an average of 200,000 or 300,000 copies per volume."
"Don't get too ahead of yourself," someone cautioned. "There's an old saying about precocious children not always growing into great adults. The light novel world is even more unforgiving. You don't need years to see a downfall; a single year is enough for a career to peak and crash."
"There are plenty of examples of authors who wrote a massive hit in the first half of the year, only to have their next pitch rejected because the quality just wasn't there."
"True, but you can't ignore the momentum of a creator who has reached those heights so quickly. He's incredibly young. While it's possible he's just a flash in the pan, it's much more likely that Blue Spring Ride was just his starting line."
While the staff gossiped in the main office, Yukino Aoyama was inside the Editor-in-Chief's office giving a formal report to Akira.
Akira was in her forties, but she maintained a strict regimen of healthy eating and self-care.
She looked vibrant and carried herself with an effortless elegance that commanded respect. She set down her teacup and looked directly at Yukino.
"So, I take it that both of your talented rookies, Shiori and Airi, intend to compete in this serialization meeting?"
"Yes, that's correct," Yukino replied.
"Have you looked over their new works yet?" Akira asked.
"I have. But, Chief..." Yukino trailed off, a hint of confusion crossing her face. Normally, Akira didn't pay much attention to pending submissions until the actual meeting began.
"I'm still thinking about 'The Ascent of New Gods' event coming up in the second half of the year," Akira said with a smile. "Originally, I thought these two geniuses might need another hit series under their belts to build up their resumes before they could be considered as top-tier candidates for the regional seeds. But as you know, both Blue Spring Ride and Yesterday's Starlight have performed exceptionally well."
She leaned back in her chair. "At the very least, compared to the rising stars from the other major publishing houses in the region, our two are not just keeping pace; they are leading the pack. Especially Shiori. Even though he hasn't had a series in a top-tier magazine like Crimson Maple yet, his popularity and volume sales put him in a league of his own among rookie authors."
Participating in such events didn't bring any direct financial profit to Crimson Maple Literature. The copyrights for the works submitted to "The Ascent of New Gods" remained entirely with the authors, and the publisher couldn't lay claim to them. It was a talent search meant to highlight potential, and if the organizers tried to take the rights, the event would lose its credibility. Since the works weren't even serialized in the publisher's own magazine first, Crimson Maple didn't see a cent of the revenue.
So why was Akira so invested in ensuring Haruto and Reina secured those seed spots?
The answer was simple: prestige.
If an author recommended by their house won a prestigious title, their name would be forever linked to Crimson Maple Literature. The company could capitalize on the national buzz generated by the event to bolster its own reputation in the region. It proved that Crimson Maple was a place where new talent could thrive and surpass the veterans of other houses. It was the same logic as a university gaining prestige when one of its professors won a major international award.
Because of this, Akira was keeping a very close eye on both of them. They were the only high-potential rookies the house currently had. She desperately wanted both of their new works to succeed in the upcoming meeting, as that would significantly boost their chances for the seed spots.
"So, tell me," Akira prompted. "How are their new projects looking?"
Yukino remained silent for a few seconds. She could sense what Akira was thinking. She had been incredibly anxious about how Haruto's "slow burn" story, which he claimed would surpass his previous hit, would actually fare in the meeting. Now that the Editor-in-Chief was asking, this might be a golden opportunity.
"Airi's new work is excellent," Yukino began.
"Oh?" Akira's interest was piqued.
"Based on the manuscript she submitted, I believe her new story, Star Sea, will significantly outperform her previous work, Yesterday's Starlight." Yukino began to praise Reina's work enthusiastically.
Since Akira had asked, it was vital to create a strong positive impression. Come Monday, that initial bias might be the very thing that pushed Star Sea through the committee. After all, while the regular editors could voice their opinions, the final decision always rested with Akira.
Once she finished talking up Star Sea, Yukino's eyes shifted slightly. She suppressed her inner guilt and forced herself to maintain a confident expression.
"As for Shiori's new work, AnoHana... it is even more exceptional."
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