{This episode is basically a broad explanation of how a manga publishing company works.
I know that using an entire chapter just to explain this is a bit excessive, but remember that the main objective of the story is for the protagonist to reach the end of the professional route, so this is important, especially because of what happens at the end of this chapter.
Besides, even though the explanation may be annoying and boring, I am sure you would rather read it here once, or skip it all at once, than have to see this information scattered across different chapters later on. At least I would prefer it that way.
So if it bothers you, you can simply skip the entire chapter and that is it.}
Meanwhile, Yuuji, unaware of the massive butterfly effect and the misunderstandings he had caused simply by becoming friends with Lala, completely diverting what should have been a simple romantic comedy, entered a massive building while following a black haired woman.
Her emerald green eyes were hidden behind glasses, and her hair was tied in a high ponytail. She had a mature, serious appearance and wore a formal office suit.
This was Ruri, with no surname, the most trusted subordinate of his parents, who had followed them for years while managing several of their most powerful companies.
Back when Yuuji and his family were still poor, he always thought his parents simply did not have enough money to hire many employees, so they tried to enter several different markets using the same worker.
But later, when they became millionaires, every single company Ruri managed reached the top anda even companies founded later with millions in resources and world class employees could not achieve even half the success of the ones under Ruri's control,Yuuji realized how incredible she truly was.
'By the way, System, you have a secondary mission, a Romance Route, right?' Yuuji asked while waiting inside the elevator to reach his destination.
[Correct]
'Have I made any progress in that route?'
[None at all. You are still at the starting line. Why?]
'No, for nothing. This is better' Yuuji replied in relief. The last thing he wanted was to get involved in a love triangle for no reason.
However, deep down, Yuuji doubted the system's words a little, but in the end he decided to trust it.
[I think there are far too many things you do not want for you to keep using the phrase "the last thing I want" host.]
"So, young master, I understand that you want to open a manga publishing company, is that correct?"
Hearing someone speak to him, Yuuji ignored the system.
"For now, yes" Yuuji laughed.
"In that case, the company has already been created, so we can skip that entire part. However, it was given a temporary name that must be changed within the next seven days. Do you have any ideas?"
"A name for the company, huh?... How about Chaos Studios."
"Even though Studios may sound strange at the moment, it will make sense in the future. It might even be praised as being foresighted, which is something very good in the entertainment industry, so it is a good idea.
As for the Chaos part, as long as you like it."
'You see, System? And you said Chaos was a bad name.'
[I did not say it was a bad name. I said that exploiting the theme and naming everything Chaos is extremely lazy.]
'Everything?' Yuuji pretended to be offended.
[You have Lala saved as Chaos in your alien phone, and you are planning to name the AI Chaos as well, which, by the way, you have not even bothered to check yet.]
'Alright, alright, stop the attack. We are already here.'
"So first, allow me to introduce how the structure and hierarchy inside a manga publishing company works" Ruri said after they arrived at the highest floor, the president's office.
"First of all, the term boss is incorrect. The correct term is President or CEO.
The president stands above everyone in the company. He has the final word and is responsible for the most important projects and decisions both inside and outside the company.
He is also, of course, in charge of directing everyone below him.
That would be you, the boss above all bosses.
Next is your right hand, either an assistant or a secretary. What they do depends on how much you trust them. If they are inexperienced, they will only handle trivial tasks so you do not have to do everything yourself. However, if it is someone you trust, you can delegate most of your work to them and they will filter out everything except what is truly important.
There are two situations that occur quite regularly in this industry.
The first is when someone manages to build a publishing company and succeed. After reaching the top, they usually want to expand into other fields.
The second is when the person is already at the top and decides to expand even further by creating a manga publishing company.
In both cases, the president is usually too busy to spend all their time at the company, so their personal assistant often ends up becoming the face of the company both internally and externally.
That, of course, will be me.
Before continuing with the hierarchy, you must understand the company's structure.
It is divided into several departments.
The Production Department, the Printing Department, Marketing and Sales, the Licensing Department, the Legal Department, Finance and HR, and finally the most important department in a manga publisher, the Editorial Department.
Each of these departments is responsible for something different, and each one needs a department leader who manages a group of subordinates. For now I will be the leader of all departments. Later we will hire others if it becomes necessary.
Now let us return to the hierarchy and operations, especially within the Editorial Department, which is the one that matters most to manga creators.
Above everyone else is the head of the Editorial Department, also called the Editor in Chief.
This is basically a version of the president but for the editorial department. They have the final word on everything related to manga. They cancel series, approve series, give orders to the rest, and so on.
As we said before, that will also be me.
Next comes the Editorial Deputy Director, who is the boss's right hand, but that position is not really important here since I do not need one.
Then we have the editors. They are divided into Senior Editors, Editors, and Junior Editors depending on their status and how long they have been working there. That determines both their authority and workload.
Senior Editors are experienced editors. They handle important manga, supervise younger editors, and deal with famous authors.
Editors are the personal editors of mangaka. They usually work on one to three manga. They correct scripts, suggest changes, control deadlines, bring chapters to review, and so on.
And finally there are Junior Editors. They are basically editorial assistants, inexperienced editors who handle smaller tasks while gaining experience.
Did you understand everything so far? I can repeat it as many times as necessary."
"I understood everything, do not worry" Yuuji said.
As Ruri kept speaking, he understood each part with the ease of someone who had run companies for years. With the Master Management skill, Yuuji was actually at Ruri's level in terms of ability. He simply did not know how to use it properly yet.
At the same time, thanks to his mastery of all mundane skills, he also knew as much about being a mangaka as about being an editor or a company director. However, since this was a skill and not an ability, he needed practice and actual experience to improve it. Abilities, on the other hand, were instantly mastered the moment he learned them.
"Then let us talk about manga" Ruri continued.
"Normally, publishing companies have their own magazine, either physical or online, where all the stories under their management are published. These magazines often hold contests where novice or unaffiliated mangaka can participate, and if they win they may receive a contract. However, the publisher can also contact mangaka who did not win if they believe they have potential.
Aside from that, mangaka can send their manuscripts directly to the company to be evaluated, and if the work shows potential they will be contacted.
Serialization depends entirely on success. If the numbers are low, a series can be cancelled at any time.
If it succeeds, however, the full volume will be printed physically and sold. This is where the real money is generated, and at least ten percent of the revenue goes to the author.
In addition to that, the author also receives a portion of the profits from merchandise, and if there are anime or movie adaptations, payment usually depends on the situation.
This is only a broad summary. I will explain everything in more detail as time goes on. Did you understand?"
"I understood everything" Yuuji replied. "In fact, I feel lighter, as if something that used to be in my mind but that I could not access before is now as easy to read as a blank book."
"I believe reading a blank book would be impossible, young master" Ruri said calmly. "And I also think you should not force yourself if you do not understand something. We have plenty of time. It is only the first day."
"Do not worry about that.
Instead, tell me something. You said earlier that living near the company is useless. How much do my parents know?"
"They know you have several strange abilities, but they do not really care about the origin as long as you do not use them recklessly" Ruri replied, as if it were not an important matter.
"Good. Then I do not have to hold back."
Yuuji closed his eyes.
The moment he focused on his objective, he felt his mind splitting apart. When he opened his eyes again, nine identical versions of himself were standing in front of him.
"This is... cloning?" Ruri asked, her eyes slightly wider than usual.
"Not exactly" the real Yuuji replied. "It is more like a hive mind. I control them all at the same time."
"I see" Ruri nodded, quickly regaining her composure and returning to her formal posture. "Then what is your objective in doing this?"
"I will handle all the tasks myself. You just guide me" Yuuji replied as if he had not just said something insane.
Ever since Yuuji obtained the ability King of All Trades, he possessed knowledge of every mundane skill and could master them all. However, it was not that simple. It was more like he possessed the knowledge required to achieve mastery, but not the experience.
Even so, compared to a normal person, his experience would grow at a ridiculous pace once he started practicing any profession.
Because of this, for Yuuji it no longer felt like learning. Instead, it felt like unlocking his full potential, as if he were leveling up a skill in a game.
All of this led to one simple thought.
'This is really fun' Yuuji smiled excitedly.
Before, he had only compared his situation to a video game because of the similarities. Now, however, it was not just similar. It practically worked in exactly the same way.
'Alright, new objective. By the end of this month, I will be at Ruri's level, the best business manager in the world' Yuuji declared in his mind.
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+15 chapters in advance on Patreon.
p-atreon.com/IAMME26
(just delete the hyphen)
80 power stones = 1 extra chapter (cumulative)