"After the statistics, the five works that have entered the final selection stage are..."
"Iron Fist, with an average score of 73."
The editor of this work was not surprised that it had made it into the final selection stage, but there was no hint of joy in his expression.
Most of the editors understood that after Takahashi's disruption of the game, three of the five works in the final selection had no chance at all. They were all struggling under the prince's influence.
Their vision was sharp, and they knew deep down that the real battle was between Rurouni Kenshin: Remembrance and The Hidden Girl.
For a moment, the atmosphere in the conference room shifted.
Many editors exchanged glances at Sora Aizawa and Rika Hayashi.
Editor-in-Chief Torigoe continued to read the results.
"*Blue Streets*, with an average score of 69."
"*Nightmare is Coming*, with an average score of 78."
When these were announced, several editors in the room let out a resigned sigh.
In a serialization meeting with available spaces in the magazine, works that scored over 75 were generally considered stable for serialization. Without Rurouni Kenshin: Remembrance and The Hidden Girl in the mix, Nightmare is Coming would have easily secured a spot.
But now, it seemed... a pity.
"*Hidden Girl*, with an average score of 86."
The editors nodded. As a well-known artist at Hoshikawa Publishing, Takahashi's works were expected to have this level of quality.
"*Rurouni Kenshin: Remembrance*, with an average score... 93 points."
As soon as Editor-in-Chief Torigoe's words fell, the room erupted into murmurs.
"I really liked this work, so I gave it 91 points. I thought my score was too high, but now I see you all scored it higher than I did!"
"I was the same, I gave it 94."
In such meetings, editors' scores generally followed a set standard. Even if a work was considered subpar, scores would usually not fall below 60 to show respect for the colleagues presenting it.
The score range from 60 to 70 signified a "cannon fodder" work—something that might get serialized if there were no better options. However, without improvement in future chapters, such works would likely be canceled or transferred to less prominent magazines within a year.
Scores in the 70s to 80s indicated works that were solid enough to be considered for serialization. They maintained a baseline quality and could keep average popularity until the end of their run.
A score in the 80s to 90s was a strong indicator of great potential. Editors were highly optimistic about such works, which typically ranked in the top four popular polls of the magazine.
Anything over 90... was a rare occurrence.
"Manga artists capable of producing work at this level usually moved on to bigger publishers or even went overseas, where better-paying opportunities awaited. It was rare for a piece this polished to debut in a smaller magazine."
In the history of Kurokawa Publishing, there had been very few works that received over 90 points for their first three chapters. These works usually resulted in a significant boost to the magazine's sales.
It was precisely for this reason that editors, when scoring, would not hand out such high scores unless the work showed immense potential.
Sora sighed quietly, though her reserved demeanor hid the satisfaction she felt inside.
There are some things only fans of the industry truly understand. Although Sora genuinely believed Rurouni Kenshin: Remembrance was of high quality, he still wondered if he had made an error in his judgment.
However, after the scores from more than 30 editors were compiled, the average score still stood at 93. This was a clear indication that the work had managed to win over a group of professionals—editors who dealt with all kinds of comics daily, and were arguably the pickiest audience in the industry.
What's more important is that such ratings weren't without significance.
The five works had now entered the final stage of deliberation. So what was being discussed?
It wasn't that low-rated works would automatically be dismissed; rather, the question was: Why would a low-rated work want to be serialized?
If a work scored just 70 points from multiple editors, what reason would there be to push it forward? The editor in charge would need to present compelling reasons to persuade the other editors and gain their support at this stage.
If no one could provide sufficient justification, the decision about which work would be serialized would essentially come down to the prior voting scores. The highest-rated work would naturally have the advantage.
At this point, Sora couldn't help but smile.
On the other hand, Rika had a clouded expression, his breath shallow as though he could barely catch it.
Editor-in-Chief Torigoe cleared his throat twice, silencing the murmurs from the editors in the room.
"Alright, the scores for the five works have been released."
"The quality of these works speaks for itself. To avoid unnecessary delays, we'll now proceed with discussions between the two works: Rurouni Kenshin: Remembrance and The Hidden Girl."
"Editors responsible for Iron Fist, Blue Streets, and Nightmare is Coming, do you have any comments?"
"No," the three editors replied in unison.
Torigoe nodded, then turned his gaze toward Rika beside him.
"Associate Editor Rika, you're in charge of The Hidden Girl. You've managed to bring Yuna Takahash to our publishing house. Truly impressive... Normally, with Takahash's credentials, she wouldn't need to attend such selection meetings. Our agency would automatically assign her a serialization slot."
"But since Deputy Editor Rika chose to submit Takahash's new work for the Sora serialization selection, as the Editor-in-Chief, I must follow the longstanding rules of our agency..."
"Now, I invite editor Sora , to speak freely and share her views."
Sora, despite her reluctance, stood up.
At this moment, she was clearly at a disadvantage, while Rika had the upper hand.
Sora could remain silent until the very end, and her position was already supported by many of the editors who were optimistic about Rurouni Kenshin: Remembrance. There was no need for her to argue further—her silence alone could tip the vote in her favor.
Despite his high standing within the Publishing house Rika had yet to reach the point where his influence could override the collective judgment of the editors. They respected his position, but they also valued the quality of the work in front of them.
"First, I'd like to clarify a few points," Rika began, taking a deep breath.
"The Hidden Girl is a new work by Takahash-sensi. You all know her—Yuna Takahash, the creator of Heart Riddle, which sold millions of copies in country. I'm sure everyone here is familiar with her accomplishments..."
"There have always been three major manga house in this city: Tatsuryu Publishing, Hoshikawa Publishing and Kurokawa Publishing"
"These three manga house have long been in competition, fighting for market share. But after much effort, I finally managed to persuade Takahashi-sensi to join our manga house and serialize her new work here. This decision represents a significant shift in the industry—bringing a formidable competitor into our fold."
"But if, in the end, we can't offer her the chance to serialize here, wouldn't that be ridiculous?"
Many editors in the room paused to consider his words, pondering the implications.
At this point, Sora raised his hand to speak, directly addressing Rika.
"I must disagree with Associate Editor Rika's statement," Sora said firmly, standing up to face him.
(TL:- Rika Hayashi — I know he's the "young master" for this arc, and while I'd love to cut down his role, he's essential for pushing Haruki toward Tokyo. So, he'll be around for a bit, but I'll minimize his scenes as much as I can.)
(TL:- if you want even more content, check out p-atreon.com/Alioth23 for 50+ advanced chapters)