MTLNOVEL Chapter 54
The tumbler was successfully launched and prominently featured on a page of the Imperial Newspaper.
Of course, it would be great if it sold well!
But the primary goal was to burst the market bubble and eliminate unjust scams that had tricked innocent people.
‘That’s why I sent a tumbler to Baron Pavron as soon as it was released….’
I stared blankly at the wizard bowing before me.
A wizard from the Magic Tower? Why is he here?
Before I could even process my confusion, the wizard, looking exhausted and pale, bowed deeply and pleaded with me.
“Lady, please… save us.”
I was already exhausted from waking up at the crack of dawn, and now, this unexpected event had completely thrown me off.
“Huh? Save… you? What do you mean all of a sudden?”
Had I been unknowingly killing them or something?
“Well…”
After a brief pause, the wizard opened his mouth again.
“Right now, not just merchants but even ordinary citizens are swarming the Magic Tower.”
“What? Why…?”
Wasn’t the Magic Tower already open to the public for tourism?
Seeing my confusion, the wizard continued.
“Of course, people coming to the Magic Tower isn’t the problem. The issue is that they’re constantly shouting for the Nadia Edition to be released.”
“But hasn’t the Nadia Edition already been released? I was under the impression that the Magic Tower was doing its best to produce them.”
The letter I received from the Magic Tower along with the newspaper had only stated that things were going smoothly, so I couldn’t understand what was happening.
“That’s not the issue.”
The wizard explained with a dejected voice.
The problem had started right after the release of the Nadia Edition.
Crowds had gathered at the entrance of the Magic Tower, blocking the wizards inside from interacting with the outside world.
And whenever someone who even remotely looked like a wizard was spotted, they would be harassed to hand over a tumbler. The situation had become unbearable.
“The Tower Master instructed us not to inform our benefactor about this situation, but…”
His eyes filled with tears.
“But seeing the Tower Master trapped inside for three days, unable to leave or even eat properly, I couldn’t hold back anymore. Please, help us…!”
“Ah…”
An elderly man unable to return home…
Feeling pity, I rested my chin on my hand out of habit.
Honestly, after piecing together the situation, I had a vague idea of why this was happening.
‘For those aware of the past tumbler craze, this must have seemed like the perfect opportunity.’
Naturally, merchants seeking to profit would take notice of the skyrocketing demand.
And frankly, I couldn’t be certain that there weren’t people hoarding or smuggling the product during distribution.
If that were the case…
‘Even though we announced that it would be sold continuously, the initial supply wouldn’t be able to keep up with demand.’
I had worked hard to persuade the Empress to prevent such chaos, yet now my efforts were practically meaningless.
After some thought, I cautiously asked the wizard.
“Would it be possible to increase production…?”
“By the Tower Master’s order, every wizard is already focused on producing Parthanium Tumblers. Production itself isn’t an issue, but the problem is distribution speed.”
“Then…?”
“There’s no one to handle the customs clearance and paperwork required for shipping to different regions. That’s why everything is piling up…”
This was an entirely different problem compared to when we planned for a limited release of 100 units.
The unexpected situation was giving me a headache.
‘I’ll need to discuss this with the Grand Duke.’
But he had been so busy lately that I hadn’t even seen a glimpse of him.
As I hesitated, unsure of how to proceed, the door suddenly burst open without warning.
“Huh?”
To my surprise, the very person I had just been thinking about was standing there.
“Y-Your Grace?”
“…There’s a problem.”
The Grand Duke, who always maintained proper etiquette, hadn’t even knocked. That meant the situation was dire.
No, actually, his grave tone alone was enough to sense the severity.
“What kind of problem…?”
Upon closer inspection, the Grand Duke didn’t look well either.
Dark circles under his eyes, a visibly exhausted expression…
Ever since I gifted him blackout curtains, his skin had been glowing. But now?
“Foreign letters addressed to our household have completely disrupted my ability to manage official duties.”
“Huh? Foreign letters?”
…Wait. No way.
I looked at him with an expression that screamed, ‘It can’t be…’
But his gaze already confirmed everything.
“Letters from people claiming to be ‘a friend of a friend of a friend’—people I’ve never even heard of—all demanding the Nadia Edition.”
Oh. Well.
So, in short, the release of the Nadia Edition had sparked even fiercer competition.
As my mind struggled to process everything, I felt myself growing numb.
Ah, it’s been a while…
Since I last felt this completely and utterly screwed.
* * *
“Cough, cough… Is this the Nadia Edition?”
At his wife’s question, Baron Pavron nodded and gently fed her a spoonful of warm soup.
“Yes, just as you said, it has quite an astonishing feature.”
“It must have been hard to get… Cough, cough! Thank you so much, dear.”
“…No, my lady. This is the least I can do as your husband.”
The baron remained by his wife’s bedside for a long time before finally standing up as the day began to fade.
As he stepped out of the warm, comforting air of the room, his eyes took in the desolate state of their home.
Although the baron’s residence was not far from the capital, it sat on a plot of land so small that calling it a territory felt like an overstatement.
The mansion itself was modest in scale, with no staff to maintain it, so Baron Pavron and his wife resided in the annex rather than the main building.
Naturally, time had taken its toll on everything. The furniture, seemingly gathered from different places, lacked any sense of cohesion.
Yet, the baron never found this strange.
He was well aware of his poverty.
And that he had brought it upon himself.
“Haah…”
He pulled out a cheap bottle of liquor from the cabinet and poured himself a drink.
As he downed the full glass, he bit his lip, his face clouded with worry.
I’m reaching my limit.
He could no longer deny that his stubbornness was delaying his wife’s treatment.
He was, after all, the man who had been cast aside by his own family for marrying her.
Once the most favored child, he had been all but disowned after his marriage.
“James, do you truly intend to defy your mother’s command?”
“Yes! I’m sick of it all! A mother who cares only for money, a family that only values status—I want nothing to do with any of it!”
If he had to weigh his pride against his wife, the choice was obvious.
If he swallowed his pride and returned, he could secure treatment for her from the empire’s most skilled physicians.
But…
A heavy fear settled over his slumping shoulders.
If I do that, Elena will be hurt.
Even if her body recovered, what good would it be if her heart suffered?
He could already picture his family belittling and wounding her—simply because of her birth.
And Baron Pavron feared it all.
As he drained another glass, his fingers trembled ever so slightly.