kingnovel Chapter 65 Mai Sakurajima Joins the Battle
Chapter 65 Mai Sakurajima Joins the Battle
Xia Sheng and the black cat stayed in the bookstore until noon before leaving.
During this period, many people bought "Konosuba" and some even praised the art style of the female protagonist on the cover.
Although Xia Sheng borrowed from it, it was indeed his own drawing, so I'm still quite happy about it.
There's nothing to be ashamed of; if he were, he wouldn't have plagiarized.
Moreover, how can one earn a living if they feel guilty?
After leaving the bookstore, the two had a meal together, which was paid for by Black Cat.
Black Cat is Xia Sheng's editor, so it's only natural that she'd treat him; he couldn't refuse even if he wanted to.
Her attitude was surprisingly firm.
The meal was simple, just a simple rice bowl. Xia Sheng didn't want the black cat to spend money, after all, he didn't know her condition.
After finishing her meal, Black Cat left first; she had work to do in the afternoon.
Xia Sheng didn't rush back. He stayed in the bookstore for a while, but didn't find any authors he recognized or any customers.
In this world, there is neither Shizuka Kasumi nor Eri Kashiwagi.
It's quite a pity.
Fortunately, Natsuo is quite content; having Yukino Yukinoshita and Mahiru Shiina... is enough.
As for the others, let things take their course.
Xia Sheng stayed in the bookstore until around 2 a.m., and only left satisfied after seeing someone buy a copy of "Konosuba".
After leaving the bookstore, Xia Sheng went to the tram stop and took the tram home.
Back at the apartment, Natsumi stopped in front of Shiina Mahiru's house and rang the doorbell.
A moment later, the door opened, and Shiina Mahiru, wearing an apron, poked her cute head out.
"What's wrong?"
"Here you go." Xia Sheng handed her a copy of the novel "Konosuba".
"What's this?" Shiina Mahiru asked, puzzled as she took it.
"The novel is very interesting, much better than what you've read before."
"You bought it?" Shiina Mahiru flipped through the novel; the packaging was still intact.
"Okay, it's yours."
"No need, I'll pay you how much it is."
"There's no need to be so polite. You've treated me to meals so many times already, how much should I pay you?"
"This is different."
"It's nothing different. Consider it my way of thanking you. If you still mind, you can treat me to another meal tonight," Xia Sheng said with a smile.
"I think that's what you're after, isn't it?" Shiina Mahiru looked at him and shook her head helplessly.
"Okay, I can make a little more for dinner."
"Great! Remember to watch it later, it's really interesting. I want to hear your thoughts." Natsumi couldn't wait to hear Shiina Mahiru's opinion on the novel.
"I'm still studying the recipes, I don't have much time to look at them."
"No wonder he was wearing an apron..."
Xia Sheng suddenly realized, then said nonchalantly, "It's okay, watch as much as you can, take your time."
"I see."
"Yes, I'm really looking forward to the recipes you've been working on," Xia Sheng said, preparing to head home.
"Wait a minute," Shiina Mahiru called out to him.
"Um?"
"You went out to buy novels this morning?" Shiina Mahiru asked.
"yes."
"Okay, I'll call you for dinner tonight." Shiina Mahiru nodded.
"it is good."
Xia Sheng returned home, sat on the sofa, and took out his phone to check his account.
Sure enough, the royalties have arrived.
Five thousand copies, each priced at over six hundred Japanese yen, he could get ten percent in royalties, and after deducting taxes, he received over two hundred thousand yen.
Including the illustration fees, the total came to nearly 500,000 yen.
Illustrators are paid in a lump sum, unlike novels which can be reprinted at any time due to sales volume.
Five hundred thousand isn't much, but this is just the beginning.
Once "Konosuba" gains popularity and a good reputation, the novel will be reprinted, and the number of copies sold will be more than five thousand.
Moreover, with each new volume published, he became completely financially secure.
Natsumi was very confident about "Konosuba", but she still couldn't help but check the situation online.
He spent the whole afternoon looking for discussions about "Konosuba," but unfortunately no one had posted a review yet.
They're probably still reading.
After all, he optimized the word choice and sentence structure, making the writing style better. This novel is worth reading carefully.
That evening, when Shiina Mahiru came to Natsuo's house to pick up the tableware, she shared her thoughts on the novel with him.
"This novel is very interesting."
"Is that so?" Xia Sheng's expression remained unchanged, but he was secretly pleased.
"The main characters are very interesting, the plot is fun, and the writing is also very impressive. I almost thought I wasn't reading a light novel," Shiina Mahiru commented honestly.
"Right? The ones I recommend are definitely better than those random, rubbish novels," Xia Sheng said with a smirk.
"It's better than those novels, but..." Shiina Mahiru hesitated, then stopped herself from speaking.
"But what?"
"The names of this author and illustrator are so strange," Shiina Mahiru stared at Natsuo.
"Right? Doesn't it sound like a combination of our names? That's why I bought it." Xia Sheng smiled and explained calmly.
"I see." Shiina Mahiru stared at him for a while, but didn't notice anything unusual about Natsuo.
"What are you thinking about?" Xia Sheng calmly met her gaze.
"It's nothing, I'll go get the food, you can get ready." Shiina Mahiru looked away and walked towards the door.
Xia Sheng breathed a sigh of relief after she left.
As expected, this name will raise suspicion.
Perhaps they've already concluded that he wrote it.
What a coincidence!
It's another newly released novel, another new author, another one he recommended, and yet another combination of their names.
There aren't that many coincidences in this world, and Shiina Mahiru isn't stupid.
She didn't point it out, probably because she saw that Xia Sheng didn't want to admit it, and she was just playing along with him.
Xia Sheng was unwilling to say it openly because he felt a little ashamed to use the pen name "Heju".
What is the purpose of using a pen name that combines two different characters?
So even if he knew that Shiina Mahiru might have guessed it, he wouldn't admit it.
A short while later, Shiina Mahiru brought in the food, and the aroma immediately filled the entire living room.
Xia Sheng looked at the plate; it contained chicken with a faint golden sheen, and... an apple?
"What is this?"
"I just came up with this apple-braised chicken recipe, you can try it," Shiina Mahiru replied, placing the food on the table.
"Apple stewed chicken...it smells so good."
"Take your time eating, or I have more."
"Then I won't be polite!"
Ignoring the fact that Shiina Mahiru was still there, Natsuo picked up his chopsticks and put a piece of meat into his mouth.
The hype is just right.
He chewed twice, then his eyes widened in amazement.
The chicken is tender and has a pleasant apple sweetness that doesn't feel overpowering at all; it's incredibly delicious.
"tasty!"
"I'm glad it suits your taste. I'm going back to eat now."
"I won't see you off."
"Eat slowly." Shiina Mahiru shook her head and reminded Natsuo, who was wolfing down his food, before turning and leaving.
Xia Sheng, however, disobeyed and continued to feast.
After finishing dinner, Xia Sheng lay on the sofa, not wanting to move. He played on his phone, scrolling through discussions about "Konosuba".
In the evening, someone finally posted a review.
On Thursday, sales of "Konosuba" started to accelerate, and could be described as skyrocketing. Even Kuroneko excitedly called Natsuo to inform him.
On Friday, the black cat called again—it was decided that Konosuba would be reprinted.
Print an additional 10,000 copies!
It's doubled!
This was all within Xia Sheng's expectations, but even so, he was still extremely excited.
Because royalties have also doubled.
From now on, he won't have to worry about money anymore.
That night, Xia Sheng was filled with excitement and it took him a long time to fall asleep.
When he opened his eyes again, he was in the same familiar place. He turned his head, about to greet someone, but when he saw who it was, he was stunned.
The person who appeared beside him was neither Yukino Yukinoshita nor Mahiru Shiina.
"Where is this...? Who are you?" The girl noticed Natsumi.
The girl had long, smooth black hair, a beautiful face that was mature and serious, and she was wearing a loose blue t-shirt and light yellow pajama pants, but her figure was prominent, like a model.
Her exposed legs were fair, slender, long, and strong, possessing a remarkable beauty.
Natsuo frowned and looked around, but there was no sign of Yukino Yukinoshita or Mahiru Shiina, only the girl in front of him.
Why is it that this time, she's the one who came with him?
"Is this... a dream? Why am I dreaming about strangers?" The girl asked herself when Xia Sheng didn't respond.
"No, Sakurajima-senpai, this is not a dream."