Hakan was beside himself with rage.
'It was one thing for Ben to read comics,' Hakan thought. 'Kids will be kids, and it was my fault for not watching him closely enough.'
'I should have been paying more attention at home. After all, Ben is my greatest hope for climbing into the ranks of the nobility.'
'But for Ben to secretly buy a toy... He's had every kind of toy since he was little, and now he's buying one from another store!'
"You're already twelve! When I was your age, I was already working to support the family!"
"But aren't you a toymaker? Why can't I play with toys?!"
"Your job right now is to study hard. You'll have plenty of time to play later."
"You're just jealous that someone else makes better toys than you!"
SLAP!
The crisp sound of a slap.
Red marks immediately appeared on Ben's young face. Perhaps from fear, perhaps from anger, his body trembled slightly. His eyes welled with tears, but he didn't cry out, staring directly into his father's eyes the entire time.
For some reason, Hakan felt a little flustered under his son's gaze. However, out of a sense of fatherly authority, he didn't back down. He confiscated the newspaper and the Yo-Yo and sent Ben to his room to reflect on his actions.
The carefully prepared dinner suddenly seemed tasteless.
After a few hasty bites, he disappeared into his study.
In truth, he didn't read much, but every noble family had a study, so he had to have one too. The shelves upon shelves of books had cost him a pretty penny.
He opened a bottle of strong liquor, filled a glass to the brim, and downed it in one gulp.
The liquor seller had told him all about the initial notes, mid-palate, finish, and aftertaste, but he couldn't remember any of it, nor could he taste the difference.
He picked up the newspaper, which was torn into several pieces. He wanted to see what had so captivated Ben that he hadn't even wanted to eat dinner.
A *Firepower Young King* omnibus special issue.
The entire newspaper was dedicated to it. He figured it was a collection of the comics that had been published over the past week.
'They sure know how to do business,' he thought.
In his opinion, the comic's plot was no different from the dime-a-dozen Adventurer, Mage, and Knight novels, except the Magic Staffs and swords were replaced with Yo-Yos.
'It doesn't even have the usual flavorings like Elves, Demons, nuns, or a Princess. It's even more boring. Not many people will like this.'
Slightly relieved, he set the newspaper aside and began to scheme.
'Zog's Toy Store's business might not be great, but their methods are actually quite clever.'
'Making up a story for a toy and publishing it in the paper... That's much more effective than dry ad copy or plastering posters all over the streets.'
'I should also hire people to create stories for Ackley's toys. It would be even better to have a theater troupe stage a few plays.'
'Minstrels would sing the tales everywhere, the stories would be printed into books and spread across the Continent, and Ackley's toys would sell all over the Continent right along with them!'
'Once I make a fortune, I'll sponsor an army for the Pope. Wouldn't I be immediately ennobled then? The minor nobles in this city would have to bow to me first!'
'Ben wouldn't have to study all day either; he could do whatever he wanted.'
Growing excited at the thought, he poured himself another glass.
He glanced again at the two Yo-Yos on the table.
'It's nothing special. I can't believe I got angry over this piece of junk.'
He tried flicking it a few times and became certain that the tricks in the comic were impossible to perform. Even if they were real, a child could never learn them.
He'd been selling toys for so many years; did he not know what level of difficulty children could handle?
Perhaps because of the few glasses of liquor, he slept very soundly that night.
When he woke up, it was already close to noon. As a responsible shop owner, he still had to go check on the toy store.
Now convinced that Zog's Toy Store couldn't possibly stir up any real trouble, he was in a great mood and decided to walk.
He had a habit of carrying some candy to give to the children playing by the roadside. The neighborhood kids all knew him, and to be honest, he was quite fond of children.
Not far ahead, a large group of boys was gathered together.
"What are you all up to?"
"We're arguing over who gets to be Liffey, Mr. Hakan."
'Liffey? Who's that? Another Legendary Hero from some new story? The name sounds familiar.'
"Oh? And how are you settling it? You're not fighting, are you? Good boys don't fight."
"Of course not! We're having a contest."
Hakan didn't quite understand what "a contest" meant. 'It's probably just some new game they invented,' he thought.
"Elevator!"
"Around the World!"
"Lightning Strike!"
"Whoa! He can do the Lightning Strike!"
As they shouted the names of the tricks with great conviction, dazzling Illusions appeared in the air.
Hakan's eyes went wide.
'That's a Yo-Yo!'
'How is it so different from when I tried it last night?'
'Liffey... Liffey... He's the main character of *Firepower Young King*!'
Forgetting all about adult composure, he squeezed into the crowd of children to look at the things in their hands. They were Firepower Warriors, identical to the one Ben had.
Many of them had Yo-Yos in their hands.
'What's going on? There were barely any customers at Zog's Toy Store yesterday.'
Instantly panicked, he hailed a horse-drawn carriage and rushed straight for Chrysanthemum Street.
Even before he could see his own shop's sign, he saw the long line outside Zog's Toy Store.
'Why?'
He couldn't understand it. His years of experience told him that a toy's reputation should be built up little by little until it gradually became popular. How could something just explode in sales overnight?
Of course, he couldn't have known that *Firepower Young King* had just reached a minor climax where Liffey defeated a rival at school.
Furthermore, it was a holiday. Most of the city's schools were boarding schools, and the students who had been cooped up for a week with only comics to read were finally let out.
Hakan rushed into Ackley's Toy Store and nearly burst a blood vessel the moment he stepped inside.
There were no customers in the store. Only his younger brother was there, playing with a Yo-Yo. Seeing Hakan, he said excitedly, "How did they even think of this? You can really do the tricks from the comic, and there's an Illusion Technique too! That comic is basically a textbook with a plot…"
"Stop playing for a minute."
"Look, Walk the Dog!"
A small white dog made of light ran along the path of the Yo-Yo, and Karaman chased after it, laughing happily.
Thinking about how he had gone to Zog's store to mock him just yesterday made Hakan's head spin. Now the tables had completely turned, and he had no idea how Zog would taunt him in return.
He paced around the store twenty times before he could finally force himself to calm down.
'Analyzing this seriously,' he thought, 'it's just one type of toy, the Yo-Yo. The product line is too narrow. People are fickle; they'll get tired of it sooner or later.'
'Besides, Ackley's Toy Store's biggest advantage is its business with the nobility. Those people don't just want fun toys; they want them to be exquisite and unique. The Yo-Yo can't steal that market away.'
'Let them be happy for a couple of days.'
Just then, the shop door pushed open.
Hakan looked over and immediately put on a sycophantic smile, bowing as he walked forward. "Young Master Craig, you've arrived! What kind of toy are you looking for this time? We have our latest designs…"
"Do you have any Yo-Yos?" Craig asked eagerly, cutting Hakan off.
The Craig Clan was one of the most powerful and influential families in the entire country. They possessed the Continent's most advanced Magic Assembly Technology, had produced numerous High Level Mages and Priests, and controlled several ports in Twin Tower City.
Of course, more importantly, Young Master Craig spent several hundred Gold Coins at Ackley's every year.
"Er, allow me to first introduce you to this season's new arrivals…"
"I want a Yo-Yo! Don't you understand me?"
"Yes, yes, but…"
The young male servant beside him also ignored Hakan, saying, "Young Master, didn't I tell you that only Zog's Toy Store sells Yo-Yos?"
"But… but… their Yo-Yos are all too cheap. They only cost Several Copper Coins. That's beneath my status."
"I heard they can also make custom Yo-Yos."
"Why didn't you say so sooner!" Craig immediately brightened up, but then he looked conflicted. "But you know… we're not allowed to mention the name Zog at home…"
"Oh, come on. It's not like they actually have an Evil Dragon. Besides, it's a 'Zog toy'—that's an insult to it! In the future, you'll surely be able to defeat Zog as easily as you play with a toy."
"You're right! When I grow up, I'll definitely defeat Zog!"
Craig skipped and hopped out of Ackley's Toy Store and ran across the street, never once giving Hakan a proper look from start to finish.
Hakan remained bowed as he saw them off, not raising his head for a long time. He had lost his last line of defense.