Alexander leaned back in his chair inside the school library while absentmindedly shuffling a stack of handwritten notes about his future plans.
Several days passed after Alexander defeated Summoned Skull and successfully bound its card prototype to the YGO System’s database, and honestly?
Things had become a bit complicated because, as it turned out, Duel Spirits had personalities. Very strong personalities.
Some of the Level 6 monsters he approached had been surprisingly cooperative after a bit of negotiation regarding rarity and distribution.
Others had demanded proper tests, as Summoned Skull did with actual duels.
Not merely to test his strength, but his resolve, adaptability, and compatibility with Duel Spirits themselves.
And then there were the hostile ones.
Alexander grimaced slightly at the memory.
Apparently, some Duel Spirits interpreted "future creator of Duel Monsters" as "particularly nutritious and delicious soul."
Several had outright attempted to devour him during the mock-Shadow Games.
Fortunately for Alexander, surviving Summoned Skull’s trial had dramatically improved both his confidence and experience with the duels in the Spirit World.
The Spirit World was still dangerous, very dangerous, but he was slowly adapting, and the YGO System also had a safety net-like function during negotiation, as it was able to pull him out if the situation took a wrong turn.
But more importantly, the Duel Spirits were starting to acknowledge him, as a few times he didn't even have to introduce himself; they already knew about him or at least those connected to Duel Spirits he had already contacted.
Alexander got up, packed his notes, left the library, and headed toward the Chess Club to check on them as usual.
Another thing he did during those days was to ask Thomas Merriweather to prepare a few samples of booster packs so that he could give a taste of the true charm of the game to his test subje- cought fellow students.
After all, once the novelty of the experience passes, the game can quickly become boring if everyone uses the same deck, and one of the core concepts of Duel Monsters is the almost limitless deck customisation.
A small smile appeared on Alexander’s face as he stepped into the club room and looked toward the nearby tables.
The Chess Club was unusually lively today.
Cards constantly exchanged hands while students discussed strategies in increasingly animated tones.
"What do you mean Trap Hole is balanced?! It destroys basically every good monster!"
"Only if they summon them face up! It's easy to get around with the right monsters."
"No, no, no, listen... Mirror Force is clearly the strongest Trap Card right now. It can instantly reverse a bad situation."
"That’s because you suck at playing around it. You just have to clear the back row and swing for game!"
Alexander quietly watched the chaos unfold with growing satisfaction as he took a seat on a nearby chair and opened his notebook to write down his thoughts about the current level of interest of the students and what could help improve it.
The game was spreading, and not because he forced it, but because people genuinely enjoyed it.
Even students from the middle school section had started joining during lunch breaks to watch duels or trade cards.
The original hundred decks he prepared had completely disappeared as every single one had been distributed, and now students were actively asking for more.
Alexander had achieved the first stage of his plan, Grassroots Spread.
"Well, if it isn’t our local card cult leader."
Alexander looked up just in time to see Ginny dropping into the chair across from him, and Chuck followed shortly afterwards, carrying a small stack of cards.
Alexander’s relationship with Chuck and Ginny had also gradually improved.
It isn't a true friendship, not yet, but they had started naturally sitting together during breaks and occasionally discussing things unrelated to Duel Monsters.
He has become quite familiar with them, especially Ginny, with whom he shares a few classes.
Alexander sighed and said, "It’s not a cult."
Ginny raised an eyebrow and shot back, "You’ve literally got middle schoolers coming here and starting to argue about card economics."
"That sounds exactly like a cult," Chuck nodded solemnly and added. "She has a point."
Alexander stared at both of them for several seconds before slowly closing his notebook and saying, "I regret teaching either of you how to play."
Ginny grinned, "You say that now, but wait until I finally pull another Dark Elf to complete my deck, and you'll truly regret it."
"You’ve been saying that for four days," Chuck replied immediately.
"Statistics say I’m due."
"That’s not how probability works."
"Shut up. You dragon fanatic!"
"Hey! Dragons are the strongest!"
Alexander snorted quietly before checking the clock and seeing that it was time to leave, so he said goodbye to Chuck, Ginny, and the teacher, who graciously allowed him to hijack the Chess Club and left.
A few minutes later, Alexander exited the academy grounds only to immediately spot the familiar black car waiting near the entrance.
Roland stood beside it calmly as always.
The older man immediately opened the rear door the moment Alexander approached, while greeting him, "Good afternoon, Master Alexander."
Alexander nodded lightly and replied, "Good afternoon, Roland."
Roland closed the door behind him once Alexander entered before calmly taking the driver’s seat and asking, "How was your day?"
Alexander shrugged slightly and replied, "Productive as usual."
"That sounds dangerously boring."
Alexander smirked faintly while thinking, 'Honestly, fair...'
Once the car began moving, Roland spoke again, "Thomas Merriweather contacted me earlier."
Alexander’s attention immediately sharpened as he muttered, "Oh?"
"He informed me that your order has been completed."
A small smile slowly appeared on Alexander’s face, "It’s time for the next step then."
Roland nodded once and asked, "Merriweather Commercial Printing & Design?"
Alexander confirmed it, "We’ll pick up the starter decks and booster pack boxes... But we may need some help... "
Roland’s expression remained perfectly calm as he kept his gaze on the road ahead and said, "Already handled.”
Alexander blinked as he continued, "I rented a transport van and hired several workers to assist with loading and unloading."
A brief silence filled the car, then Alexander sighed softly and said, "Sometimes I think you’re more prepared for this project than I am."
Roland allowed himself a faint smile, "It is my responsibility and joy to support you, Master Alexander."
Alexander shook his head slightly, though the appreciation remained obvious.
About thirty minutes later, they arrived at Merriweather Commercial Printing & Design.
The moment Alexander stepped inside, the familiar scent of paper and fresh ink immediately hit him.
Thomas Merriweather himself greeted them near the entrance.
The middle-aged owner looked unusually excited, "Well, if it isn’t my youngest client."
Alexander smiled politely while shaking his hand, "Good afternoon, Mister Merriweather."
"You’re lucky your project is interesting," Thomas replied immediately. "Otherwise, I would’ve questioned my sanity for agreeing to print several thousand fantasy game cards for a teenager and delaying all my other clients."
Alexander wisely chose not to comment on the “fantasy” part but said, "It also helps that I'm paying at a premium rate plus an added bonus for you and your employers for rushing the job without compromising the end product quality."
In response to that, Thomas simply smiled professionally and admitted, "That also helped a lot..."
A few minutes later, Thomas guided them toward the storage area and for the first time, Alexander saw them.
Dozens of boxes. Actual boxes filled with Duel Monsters products.
Starter Decks and Booster Packs.
Mass-produced cards neatly packaged and ready for distribution.
For several seconds, Alexander simply stared silently as it felt surreal, 'Up until now, Duel Monsters had mostly existed as prototypes, notes, test prints, and isolated decks. But this? This is real. I'm really creating my own version of Yu-Gi-Oh! in this world.'
The colourful packaging displayed the Duel Monsters logo prominently across the front.
The booster boxes looked surprisingly professional.
Alexander slowly picked up one of the sealed packs, and the fresh ink smell that hit him was oddly nostalgic.
For the first time since arriving in this world, the project he had worked so hard on until now truly felt tangible, like something capable of existing independently of him.
Thomas crossed his arms while watching him and asked, "Well?"
Alexander slowly smiled, "They’re perfect."
Thankfully, Roland had already arranged everything beforehand as workers quickly started loading the boxes into the rented van while Alexander finalised payment details with Thomas.
Several minutes later, Alexander and Roland returned to the car while the transport van followed behind them.
Roland adjusted the mirror slightly and asked, "Back to the mansion, Master Alexander?"
Alexander shook his head and said, "No. We’re moving to the next phase. Expanding the local player base and the monetisation test."
Roland glanced at him briefly and guessed, "The toy stores?"
Alexander nodded, "And the hobby shops and comic stores."
At that exact moment, Alexander visibly shuddered.
Roland raised an eyebrow and asked in an amused tone, "It was that bad?"
Alexander stared at the window with haunted eyes, "You have no idea how painfully inefficient it is using the Yellow Pages in my eyes... I can't wait for more modern solutions to emerge."
Roland remained silent for several seconds before he said, "I feel that the Yellow Pages are quite useful and well organised. I simply can't understand why you feel that way."
Alexander smiled wryly and said, "You should be grateful for that..."
Honestly, Alexander would rather duel another homicidal Duel Spirit than spend three more hours flipping through archaic phonebooks trying to locate specialised hobby stores, hoping that they didn't close down, move to another location, or change their number, something that was quite common in the current economic situation as the nation was going through a full-blown recession.
At least murderous Duel Spirits had the decency to attack directly.
Roland surprisingly chuckled softly before speaking again, "In that case, we should make one additional stop first."
Alexander blinked and muttered, "Oh?"
"Your lawyer."
Alexander immediately understood, 'Right... Elizabeth."
Roland continued calmly, "If you intend to demonstrate unreleased proprietary products to independent businesses, legal protection would be advisable."
"NDA contracts," Alexander muttered.
"Precisely."
Alexander leaned back slightly while thinking, 'Honestly... That is smart. Very smart. Sometimes I forget that Roland has decades of real-world experience in logistics and corporate operations. Way before I was born, he already was by my father's side, taking care of operations that were either too delicate, too important, or too private to let a common secretary or assistant handle them.'
"Good idea," Alexander admitted. "Let’s pick her up."
About an hour later, the car slowed in front of a modest three-story building located within a quieter district of Burbank, with the now familiar polished glass sign beside the entrance that said: Cooper Attorney Firm.
Roland got out of the car and headed inside to get her.
A few minutes after Roland informed the receptionist of their arrival, Elizabeth Cooper finally emerged from deeper inside the office carrying several folders beneath one arm.
Roland and Elizabeth walked out of the firm before she stopped briefly after spotting Alexander, and her lips twitched upward slightly.
"You know," she began while approaching the car, "most kids your age ask adults to buy them toys instead of selling them."
Alexander sighed immediately, "I think Roland already made a similar joke."
"It wasn’t a joke." Elizabeth entered the vehicle before adjusting her coat slightly, "You’re negotiating product distribution contracts at fourteen."
"Fifteen."
"That somehow makes it worse."
Roland started driving once more while Elizabeth looked curiously toward the transport van following behind them and asked, "How many cards did you print exactly...?"
Alexander coughed lightly, "Enough..."
Elizabeth narrowed her eyes suspiciously as she commented, "That answer concerns me professionally."
~~~▽~~~
Eventually, they arrived at their first destination.
Kingsley Toys & Hobbies.
The store itself was medium-sized but reasonably busy.
Board games, action figures, comics, and model kits lined the shelves while several children wandered between aisles.
The moment Alexander entered, a middle-aged manager behind the counter immediately looked mildly confused.
Mostly because a teenager wearing the prestigious Promethean Academy uniform had just walked into his store accompanied by what looked like a chauffeur, an attractive young woman who clearly wasn't a family member, and an entire transport van.
Still, the man quickly recovered and asked, "Can I help you?"
Alexander approached calmly, "Yes. Good afternoon. My name is Alexander. I would like to discuss a business proposal regarding a new tabletop game of my creation."
The manager clearly looked sceptical at first, which honestly made sense because even if his demeanour was very mature, Alexander still looked like a fifteen-year-old.
Still, his expression shifted slightly after he noticed the Promethean Academy emblem.
"…Alright," the manager replied cautiously. "I can spare a few minutes."
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