"Joy, please, hold on..."
Anna clutched her son’s frail hand, her heart aching as she whispered her desperate prayers.
Her son, Joy, had been born weak. Running, playing, even stepping outside their ho had always been insurmountable challenges for him.
Despite seeking the help of doctors and priests, none had been able to provide a cure. All Anna could do was watch helplessly as her son suffered.
“Mom, I really want to enter the tournant.”
Joy had found solace in The King of Cards, a manga he adored.
Unlike other stories about heroes with overwhelming strength, The King of Cards depicted battles of wit and strategy, sothing Joy found deeply inspiring.
“They’re hosting an official tournant open to participants from all over the Empire!”
When Joy heard about the official King of Cards tournant, he pleaded with his mother to let him participate. Despite her misgivings, Anna couldn’t bear to deny his heartfelt wish.
But her fears had proven true. The strain of traveling to the capital had been too much for Joy. After the trip, his fragile condition worsened, and he collapsed.
Blaming herself for taking him to the tournant, Anna now sat by his side, praying for a miracle.
Knock, knock.
Anna flinched at the sound of soone knocking at the door. She wasn’t expecting visitors, especially not so soon after the priest had left. Puzzled, she rose and opened the door.
“Good evening. Are you Joy’s mother?”
“Yes… And you are?”
“I am Rupert Sorset, the second son of the Marquess of Sorset and head of the Sorset Workshop.”
“W-what? Oh my, I apologize! I didn’t realize I was speaking to soone so distinguished….”
Anna’s shock was palpable. Not only was her visitor from a high-ranking noble family, but his na—Rupert Sorset—was instantly recognizable.
“The Empire’s most renowned author, Rupert Sorset?”
Even if she hadn’t read his works herself, she couldn’t have avoided hearing about the man who created The King of Cards and countless beloved stories.
Rupert wasn’t just a writer; he was a cultural icon whose influence extended across the Empire. Anna herself had even gone to the Sorset Theater to watch Frozen Kingdom, marveling at the animation.
The realization left her questioning if this was truly happening. Surely, soone like Rupert wouldn’t show up unannounced at a humble peasant’s ho in a remote estate.
But then…
“Could it be? Is Joy’s story actually true?”
Anna’s thoughts raced as she recalled Joy ntioning that a friend from the tournant had visited their ho. He had even claid that his friend’s brother was the Rupert Sorset.
At the ti, Anna dismissed it as a misunderstanding or an exaggeration—surely a figure as illustrious as Rupert wouldn’t concern himself with their modest lives.
“Why… Why would you co here, my lord?”
“I have a gift I’d like to give to Joy,” Rupert said with a warm smile. “May I see him?”
“Congratulations on the establishnt of the Sorset Welfare Foundation.”
“It’s an honor to have Gaia’s Daughter herself here with us.”
The grand ballroom of the Sorset Estate was filled with guests. As one of the most prestigious noble families, any event hosted by the Sorsets was bound to attract attention, but the purpose behind this gathering—celebrating the launch of the Sorset Welfare Foundation—had drawn even more attendees.
“We sincerely thank all of you for your generous contributions to support the children who will beco the backbone of our Empire. Please, enjoy the evening.”
Marquess Bradley Sorset stood on the dais, formally opening the event with a warm speech while mingling with the guests.
anwhile, Rupert had slipped away from the crowd, finding a quieter corner where he could converse with the Saintess.
“I’ve heard about your recent endeavor, Rupert. Truly inspiring.”
“It’s nothing, really,” Rupert replied, feeling slightly embarrassed.
“Oh, it’s far from ‘nothing.’ The tale of the great duelist Joy is heartwarming no matter how many tis I hear it.”
The Saintess’s words referred to the story that had rapidly spread across the Empire—how Rupert had visited Joy, a frail boy who had beco an inspiration through his participation in the King of Cards tournant.
It wasn’t long ago that Rupert had made another visit to Joy.
“Rupert? You’re here again?”
Lying weakly in bed, Joy managed to lift his head, his eyes widening at the unexpected sight of Rupert.
Rupert smiled warmly and handed Joy a gift—a custom-made King of Cards card.
“This is…”
Despite his exhaustion, Joy’s eyes grew wide with astonishnt.
On the card was an illustration of a gallant knight bearing a striking resemblance to Joy, and the text below read:
“Joy, once a frail child, overca his hardships to beco a legendary duelist, achieving great feats of glory.”
“You’re going to grow stronger, Joy,” Rupert said gently, clasping the boy’s hand.
Rupert had a soft spot for children, especially those forced to bear burdens far beyond their years. Seeing children who endured illness and hardship while still caring for others broke his heart.
That’s when Rupert decided to create sothing lasting—sothing that would help many others like Joy.
“Esteban, we need to establish a welfare foundation.”
“A… welfare foundation? What’s that?”
“An organization that helps those in need.”
At first, Esteban was skeptical. In the Empire, welfare efforts were largely the domain of the church. Occasionally, the Imperial family or prominent nobles would provide aid during tis of famine, but there were no privately-run organizations dedicated to helping the needy.
“We can’t possibly aid every impoverished person in the Empire, Rupert. Even the Imperial treasury couldn’t manage that.”
“We don’t have to save everyone. We’ll focus on children first.”
Despite his reservations, Esteban couldn’t refuse Rupert’s unwavering determination.
“In that case, we’ll need more than just ourselves. We should enlist the church and secure the support of other nobles to expand the foundation’s reach.”
Esteban, an expert in managing resources, took Rupert’s skeleton plan and fleshed it out. He reached out to the church for collaboration and skillfully persuaded rchants and nobles to invest in the foundation.
“Listen, this isn’t just charity.”
“What do you an? Isn’t helping the poor essentially charity?”
“Not at all! We’re investing in these children’s futures. Think about it—when they grow up healthy and well-educated, what do you think happens?”
“Well… they’ll thrive?”
“Exactly! They’ll beco loyal custors, skilled workers, and contributors to the economy. We’re not just giving handouts; we’re securing the future of our business!”
Esteban’s silver tongue convinced many to contribute, and soon, the Sorset Welfare Foundation had the funds it needed to launch.
At the celebration, guests marveled at the gifts prepared for the foundation’s benefactors.
“Is this a card for the foundation’s founders?”
“Not just that! These books are a specially made collection of Sorset fairy tales!”
“I never expected to receive such incredible gifts just for donating!”
Rupert had prepared King of Cards limited-edition cards and a deluxe anthology of Sorset fairy tales for the supporters. Considering the skyrocketing value of Sorset-branded items, these gifts were worth more than many of the donations.
“These people offered their help out of genuine goodwill,” Rupert thought.
While he anticipated that news of these gifts would prompt other nobles to offer late donations, Rupert was resolute: those who hadn’t joined from the start wouldn’t be welcod later.
The Saintess, too, had received a special gift from Rupert.
“When did you have ti to make this?”
“Shh! Your voice is too loud.”
As one of the foundation’s most ardent supporters, the Saintess had earned a unique, hand-drawn illustration from Rupert.
“You truly understand how to capture delicate emotions in your art.”
“Do you think so?”
“Other trading companies are starting to produce similar items, but none compare to this level of quality.”
“Wait, what? They’re already making those kinds of things?” Rupert’s voice rose in alarm.
The news that imitations were spreading so quickly was unsettling. While it wasn’t entirely unexpected, it still caught Rupert off guard.
Their conversation shifted to Rupert’s current projects.
“By the way, isn’t the next chapter of Van Helsing the last one?”
“Yes, it’ll be the final chapter.”
“Alexander said he’s been thoroughly enjoying it and hopes you’ll deliver a satisfying conclusion.”
“I’ll do my best,” Rupert replied with a faint smile.
But as the Saintess brought up the possibility of a break, Rupert shook his head.
“Unfortunately, there won’t be much ti for rest. I’m starting a new series imdiately.”
Her hopeful expression dimd, but Rupert was already deep in preparations for his next endeavor—one so ambitious it had required him to et with the Emperor himself.
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