Crossover Anime: The Heroine is in Trouble? I Take Advantage of the Situation

"Increasing the share by only 2% is not enough at all."

"Based on the results of my '6 Days, 6 People, 6 Guns,' it should be increased by 2%, not to mention the quality of 'A Certain Magical Index.' Didn't you just say that you and the editor-in-chief both highly praised it?"

A fine layer of cold sweat instantly appeared on Machida Sonoko's forehead.

I never expected to get myself into this mess.

"So, teacher, you mean...?"

“15%,” Seiji Fujiwara said calmly.

"Varied……!"

Machida Sonoko and Kasumigaoka Utaha, who were standing next to her, both gasped in shock!

Fifteen percent!

This is an exceptional profit-sharing ratio!

As far as they know, the number of authors in the entire Japanese publishing industry who can achieve this figure can be counted on one hand!

Each one is a living legend, a legendary figure with countless die-hard fans and cumulative sales exceeding 100 million!

A newcomer, writing his first full-length novel, dares to ask for 15%?

This is too crazy!

Machida Sonoko looked troubled and said, "Teacher, this condition is difficult to agree to! A 15% royalty requires the editor-in-chief, no, it requires the board of directors to decide..."

“Then ask the editor-in-chief,” Fujiwara Seiji said without backing down.

“Well… okay.” Machida Sonoko got up apologetically, went to the balcony, and made a phone call.

She returned shortly afterward.

At the same time, Seiji Fujiwara's phone rang.

The caller ID shows Ryuji Aida.

Seiji Fujiwara pressed the speakerphone button and placed it on the table.

"Is this Mr. Fujiwara? This is Aida." The editor-in-chief's cheerful voice came through the phone.

“Editor-in-Chief,” Seiji Fujiwara replied with a smile.

“Teacher, to be honest, 15% royalties are indeed beyond my authority.” Aida Ryuji’s tone was very sincere. “I understand your confidence in your work, but you don’t have a history of producing long-form works, so it’s difficult for us to explain to the board of directors.”

"Oh?" Seiji Fujiwara said nonchalantly, "So the editor-in-chief means that the negotiations have failed?"

Ryuji Aida, on the other end of the phone, immediately felt the pressure.

He had no doubt that if he dared to say "no," this kid would submit the manuscript to Kadokawa or Shueisha in the next second!

This hot potato must not be let go!

Just when Machida Sonoko thought the negotiations were about to reach a stalemate.

“How about this, I’ll increase your share by another one percent, and if the market response is great, I’ll decide to give you an even larger reprint…” Aida Ryuji said thoughtfully.

Seiji Fujiwara chuckled softly.

"Since the editor-in-chief lacks confidence in the market, but I have confidence in myself, why don't we... take a gamble?"

"A bet?" Ryuji Aida was taken aback.

Before he could respond, Seiji Fujiwara slowly stated the bet:

"It's very simple. We'll use 35 copies sold per volume as the dividing line."

"If the first volume of A Certain Magical Index does not sell 35 copies, I will only settle the royalties at 10%."

"but……"

He abruptly changed the subject, his tone revealing a stern confidence and pride, "If it exceeds 35 copies, then we'll settle the accounts at a 15% rate! And subsequent contracts cannot be lower than this rate!"

silence.

Deathly silence.

Whether it was Ryuji Aida on the other end of the phone, Sonoko Machida in front of them, or Utaha Kasumigaoka standing to the side holding a teapot, their minds went blank the moment they heard about the bet.

madman!

What does 35 copies mean?

This is already in the top ten of the annual sales charts! It's a level that some bestselling authors can't reach even in their entire lives!

Seiji Fujiwara actually dared to bet on this number!

And he risked at least 5% of his royalties!

This insane confidence left everyone dumbfounded and utterly shocked.

On the other end of the phone, Aida Ryuji's breathing became heavy.

A fierce internal struggle was raging within him.

Reason told him that this was too crazy and too risky.

But another voice roared in his ear—

Bet! Bet with him!

The confidence of a genius who dares to gamble with you with his own hard-earned money is itself worth investing in.

Moreover, what if you win the bet?

A Certain Magical Index will become a shining jewel in the history of Shinazugawa Bunko!

Ryuji Aida will also be promoted a little higher as the person who discovers the god of this era!

"it is good!!!"

Finally, Ryuji Aida let out an excited growl.

"Fujiwara-sensei! I'll take the bet!"

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

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Chapter Twenty-Five: The Betting Game is Revealed, Causing a Sensation in the Industry (5/10)

On the other end of the phone.

Editor-in-Chief Ryuji Aida's excited "Great!" resounded like thunder in Seiji Fujiwara's apartment living room.

Machida Sonoko covered her mouth to prevent herself from exclaiming.

Her eyes widened as she stared at the nonchalant young man leaning back on the sofa, feeling as if she were witnessing history.

The editor-in-chief... actually agreed to this crazy gamble!

Meanwhile, Kasumigaoka Utaha, who remained silent and played the role of a maid, had her hands clenched into fists under her apron, her nails digging deep into the tender flesh of her palms, but she was completely unaware of it.

Her worldview was deeply shaken.

It turns out that talent really can get you anything, even the rules will give way!

"Teacher Fujiwara, I admire your confidence and passion!"

On the other end of the phone, Editor-in-Chief Aida's voice was filled with admiration, "If this betting agreement were just signed privately by us, it would be too boring! Why not release it as a salute before the release of 'A Certain Magical Index'!"

Seiji Fujiwara raised an eyebrow, a knowing smile playing on his lips: "A public bet?"

“That’s right! We’ll go public!” Aida Ryuji’s voice was resolute. “I want the entire industry to see just how amazing our Shinazugawa Bunko and Mr. Sakawa are!”

This is an incredibly bold marketing strategy.

Turning a commercial contract into a public gamble that attracts nationwide attention.

They won, gaining both fame and fortune; the author and the publisher were both hailed as legends.

If they lose, they become a laughing stock in the industry, branded with the shameful marks of "arrogance" and "over-marketing," and are doomed.

“Sure.” Seiji Fujiwara agreed without hesitation.

Ask about confidence.

He is the one who has the most confidence in "A Certain Magical Index".

After chatting about some more details...

Seiji Fujiwara hung up the phone, looked at Sonoko Machida who was now petrified, and smiled, "Editor Machida, go back and prepare the contract. I'll go to Shinazugawa to sign it tomorrow."

"Ah...yes! Yes!" Machida Sonoko seemed to wake from a dream, quickly got up, bowed and took her leave.

……

……

The next afternoon.

Following the signing of Seiji Fujiwara, Shinazugawa Bunko's official website and Twitter account simultaneously released a major announcement.

The blood-red, bold, and enlarged title was full of provocation and arrogance.

[Shinazugawa Bunko and the prodigious newcomer "Lord Eikawa" sign an unprecedented royalty agreement for 35 copies!]

The announcement was even more straightforward, directly revealing the core terms of the performance-based agreement:

"Our company has reached a publishing agreement with 'Lord Xiaochuan' for his latest long-running masterpiece, 'A Certain Magical Index'."

"After negotiation between both parties, the following 'betting agreement' is hereby established: If the sales of the first volume of the book fail to reach 35 copies, our company will only settle the royalties with 10%; if the sales exceed 35 copies, our company will settle the royalties for all sold copies with 15%, which is the highest in the industry!"

"We believe in the teacher's talent, and we also believe in the market's choice! 'A Certain Magical Index' will be released in one month, please look forward to it!"

This announcement was like a boulder crashing into the lake of the industry, creating towering waves.

The first to explode were the internal communication forums of various writers and editors.

[Subject: Holy crap! Have those Shinazugawa guys gone mad?! Am I seeing things?! A bet of 35 copies?!]

[1st Floor: Damn, I just came from the official website, it's true! The announcement is still up there! Has that old fox Ryuji Aida been cursed?!]

[2nd Floor: What does 35 copies mean? That's about the same number sold for the eighth-ranked book last year! A newcomer, on their first full-length novel, dares to gamble on this? They're incredibly ambitious!]

[3rd Floor: 15% royalties... I've been writing books for ten years, and my royalties have only just reached 10%. I feel like my worldview has been shaken.]

[4th Floor: Hahahaha! The big show of the year is here! I'm telling you, if this works out, I'll livestream myself eating a keyboard while doing a handstand! It's purely a marketing gimmick; I'm waiting for Prince Xiaochuan to cry as he goes back to writing his dark short stories!]

[5th ​​Floor: Rational analysis, this is a very clever move. If they lose, Immortal River only needs to pay 10% royalties and can still gain some sympathy points by saying he supports a newcomer; if they win, Immortal River will only earn more.]

This storm then swept across major social media platforms and reader communities.

Ordinary readers may not have a concept of royalties, but the specific number of "35 copies" and the exciting term "bet" have ignited everyone's enthusiasm for gossip!

"Who is Prince Xiaochuan? The genius who wrote '6 Days, 6 People, 6 Guns'? Wow, is he that bold?"

"Switching to writing novels is risky enough, but to take such a huge gamble? That takes real courage."

"Although it's great, it feels so inspiring! Regardless of the book's quality, I truly admire the author's courage!"

"Wake up, upstairs! This is just a publicity stunt by the publisher! They deliberately set an impossible goal, so even if they sell a few hundred thousand copies, everyone will think, 'Even though we lost, we're still pretty impressive.' It's just a reverse whitewash, it's all a routine!"

The internet was instantly abuzz with discussion.

Mocking, spectating, admiring, questioning... countless eyes were focused on "Prince Xiaochuan" and his new book, "A Certain Magical Index".

……

Meanwhile, in Seiji Fujiwara's apartment.

Kasumigaoka Utaha sat blankly in front of her computer in her room, her phone screen displaying the official announcement that had gone viral online.

Her fingers moved unconsciously across the screen, finally stopping on the calculator app.

As if possessed, she entered a series of numbers.

Long-form light novels in Japan are generally priced around 700 yen.

700 (Japanese Yen) x 350,000 (copies) x 0.15 (royalties) = ?

When the final number appeared, Shiyu's breath hitched.