I just want to quietly draw manga Chapter 362

A Few Days Later

Echo Shroud officially announced the serialization of Code Geass as a manga. The discussion that had started to slow down surged again, dominating conversations.

“I didn’t ask for a Code Geass manga, but I’m not complaining.”

“So being number one in anime wasn’t enough? Now Muzishiro wants manga too.”

“This feels cheap. Retelling the same story in a different format just to grab more top rankings.”

“Muzishiro wouldn’t be doing that. I heard they’ve put in even more budget compared to season one, and they’re trying to gather early funding.”

“If that’s true, count me in. I’ll buy every issue and volume.”

“And who said he needs Code Geass in multiple formats to reach number one? He already has JoJo, Fullmetal, and Rurouni Kenshin. Those were just his early career works. He doesn’t need this.”

“Holy glazing.”

“It’s not glazing if it’s true.”

This was exactly the kind of engagement Echo Shroud had been expecting. Internally, they were projecting at least a thirty percent increase overseas, the primary reason they chose Code Geass for serialization in the first place.

At Evermark Studio

Haruki sat at his desk, reviewing the story the system had given him, the pages playing out in his mind.

The system had given him this one after he'd used the S-rank lottery ticket. At first, he wasn't sure. It didn't feel like S-rank material.

The system had responded with it.

“As the host has begun altering stories to improve them, the system now assigns rankings based on potential rather than initial quality. This work possesses S-rank potential if executed properly. The system does not provide rewards below their assigned value.”

That was weeks ago.

After reading through the entire story multiple times,, Haruki could see the potential. It dealt with themes on the same scale as Fullmetal, but not in the same way. If done right, it could reach a similar level, even though the direction was completely different. Fullmetal ended as a complete story, while this one moved toward the opposite kind of resolution.

A knock on the door pulled him from his thoughts.

Sakuma stepped inside. "Deputy Editor Yoshihiro has arrived from Chain Veil. Should I send him in?"

“Yes, send him in,” Haruki said.

Deputy Editor Yoshihiro entered the office. He looked to be in his early forties, with an average build, wearing a crisp suit. He extended a polite bow as he reached Haruki's desk.

"Nice to meet you, Muzishiro-sensei."

Seeing someone older than him use honorifics still felt strange, but it had become frequent enough that Haruki knew he would have to live with it. He returned the greeting.

"Nice to meet you too."

Yoshihiro sat down and adjusted his posture slightly before speaking.

"My name is Yoshihiro. I'm the Deputy Editor-in-Chief at Chain Veil."

He paused briefly, then continued.

"Muzishiro-sensei, Chain Veil would like to invite you to publish your manga with our publishing house."

"But I'm tied to Echo Shroud, as you know," Haruki said.

"That's true," Yoshihiro replied. "But Echo Shroud doesn't bind its mangaka from publishing manga with different publishing houses. They've never operated that way."

"That is true," Haruki said.

"And I believe publishing your manga at Chain Veil would give you more benefits compared to publishing it at Echo Shroud."

"I think Echo Shroud gives me a lot of freedom," Haruki replied.

"And we will match that freedom," Yoshihiro said without hesitation. "I saw the recent news about Echo Shroud serializing the Code Geass manga, which means they won't give a slot to your new manga."

“Yes,” Haruki said. “I am looking for a new publishing house. But I don’t want to be restricted by one.”

"I want to emphasize that we won't restrict you in any way," Yoshihiro said, his tone measured but firm. "Publishing with us won't cause you any difficulties. You'll have the same creative control you've had at Echo Shroud."

He leaned forward slightly.

"You'll also gain new readers at Chain Veil. Many of our readers haven't followed your work yet. Chain Veil has many top manga with strong, established fanbases. Adding your new manga under your name will attract readers quickly, including fresh ones who haven't been exposed to your earlier works."

"But I haven't even shown you what manga I'll be working on," Haruki said.

Yoshihiro smiled faintly. "We trust your track record. As long as it's action and the quality is there, we'll accept it." He paused. "But can you tell me the genre?"

"It's a sci-fi space western action drama," Haruki said. "The name is Trigun."

Yoshihiro's eyebrows lifted slightly. "That does sound fresh. It would fit nicely into Chain Veil's lineup. We don't have anything like that currently."

"But it won't be very long," Haruki added. "About twenty-two months. And I won't accept stretching the story."

"We'll give you the same freedom as Echo Shroud," Yoshihiro said. "As I said, we won't interfere. If the story is meant to end at twenty-two months, then it ends at twenty-two months."

"Can you give me a few days to think about it?" Haruki asked.

"Of course," Yoshihiro said, standing and offering another polite bow. "I hope you choose Chain Veil, Muzishiro-sensei."

He left.

After the door closed, Haruki let out a long breath.

Sakuma stepped closer to the desk, picked up the documents Yoshihiro had left behind, and started reading them carefully.

"That went well, Haruki-san," Sakuma said after a moment. "You keep saying you're not that experienced, but you handled it well."

He flipped through the contract pages.

"And the contract is very good. Chain Veil is being generous. This kind of contract isn't even given to some of their long-running authors. They're the second-largest publishing house, which gives you more advantages, just like Deputy Editor Hiroshi said."

"I was thinking the same," Haruki replied.

Sakuma set the papers down and leaned against the desk.

"We can wait if you want. See if Gilded Lock makes an offer. But realistically, it won't get much better unless the biggest publishing house makes a similar offer. The difference in manga sales between Chain Veil and Gilded Lock is only about one to one and a half million copies per month. It won't affect you much."

He tapped the contract lightly.

"Chain Veil made the first move, probably because they're afraid Gilded Lock will approach you first. That's why they're being so generous."

"So we should accept the contract?" Haruki asked.

Sakuma nodded. "On paper, yes. Based on what they've offered, we can accept it. Unless you want to see what Gilded Lock offers first."

"I'll think about it for a few days," Haruki said. "But Chain Veil seems like the right choice."