Chapter 114 - 114: Gifts, Reunion, and Ambition

Among the Big Three publishing houses whose distribution networks blanketed the entirety of Japan, Kiyozawa Library was technically the smallest in revenue, but it possessed the healthiest competitive environment. This was clearly reflected in the recent Ascent of New Gods rankings. Aika was a Kiyozawa author, and her performance had been the standout among the representatives of the top three firms.

Aika had been careful with her wording, yet Haruto was able to read between the lines of her messages. He realized that within both Seisawa Books and Hoshizora Novels, there were newcomer authors whom Aika considered superior to Konning or Fuji. However, when it came to securing the prestigious nomination spots for the Tokyo and Osaka regions, those hidden talents had somehow lost out to the well-connected duo. Unlike her peers, Aika had been chosen for one reason and one reason only: her past sales figures were indisputable.

"That is essentially the situation, Takahashi sensei," Aika wrote in her final message. "I know the manager who contacted you, Ms. Sato. She has several high-performing authors under her wing, but she is a total meritocrat. If you sign a ten-year deal with her and your first two works fail to meet her expectations, you will likely spend the rest of that decade being sidelined and ignored within the company."

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