Chapter: 30
It had been a while since I last met Lady Es, and she seemed to look a bit more cheerful.
She looked free.
Like someone who had been carrying a heavy load finally setting it down, sighing and wearing a relaxed smile. That kind of smile delicately adorned Lady Es’s face.
“I’ve come to visit after such a long time, can’t you welcome me a bit more? I’m feeling a little hurt here….”
“…I’m genuinely very glad to see you.”
“You have to show it! A brooding man isn’t popular, you know?”
“Haha….”
Cold sweat was trickling down my back. I felt like a frog standing in front of a snake. Compared to the lazy king with dragon-like eyes, this ‘Lady Es’ felt even more serpentine.
“I’ll try….”
“Well, okay! We can take it slow with this. More importantly, I heard someone from the Harren royal family visited?”
“Yes. The Lazy King dropped by.”
Since she was aware of the royal visit, there was no need to hide it.
“The Lazy King himself…? How unexpected.”
“Do you know him?”
“No. Um, maybe? I saw him once as a child during the conference of all nations…. He’s famous for never making public appearances, so it’s quite a shock. Hmm~.”
“‥‥‥.”
A silence lingered between Lady Es and me. Just as I began to feel sticky with cold sweat, she broke the silence.
“He’s a fan, right?”
“Pardon?”
“The Lazy King. He must have visited because he’s a fan of Mr. Homeros, right?”
“Uh, well…. I suppose he can be considered a fan.”
That didn’t seem to be the reason for his visit, but hmm. Even upon reflection, he was a person difficult to understand.
“Is that so? Then it makes sense.”
“Excuse me?”
“You can’t help being a fan. Haha. But remember, I’m the first fan and supporter of the author.”
“…Yes.”
Are all royals and nobles so unpredictable? Somehow, I felt a bit more relaxed and leaned back in my chair.
“Oh, you’ve relaxed!”
“Yes…. Well….”
“It’s much better. Keep being that comfortable. You can even lie on the sofa if you want!”
“Doing that in front of royalty might be a bit… inappropriate, don’t you think?”
“Really? I don’t mind.”
It’s me who’s minding…
“Did you come here to ask about the visit from the Harren royal family?”
“No? That’s part of it, but, hmm~.”
Lady Es tapped her cheek with her fingers as she chose her words. Then she continued in a humming tone.
“About Hamlet, did you write it to criticize my father?”
“Pardon?”
“My father… I mean, the current emperor.”
“No, I didn’t.”
This was an immediate answer. I wasn’t crazy; there’s no way I’d write something that criticized the emperor. Even if the empire was a constitutional monarchy, the crime of insulting the royal family still existed. The law might treat everyone equally, but not the class system.
The only reason I plagiarized from my past life’s literature was simple. The advancement of literature. To expand the amount of literature I could enjoy. There was no other reason beyond that.
“Is that so? Well, then that’s fine.”
“‥‥‥.”
“Honestly, it would just be a bit awkward if a play I enjoyed insulted my father. Even if it’s just a rumor, it still bothers me….”
“Uh, what?”
“No matter how frustrating he may be, he’s still my father….”
Lady Es looked away, her face turning red with embarrassment, as if trying to avoid eye contact.
So, she wasn’t here to warn me about insulting the royal family, but rather because, as a daughter, she was worried it might be criticism of her father?
“…Pfft.”
“Hey, you just laughed at me, didn’t you!”
“No, I didn’t. It’s just that I realized even royalty are still children.”
“Mr. Homeros, you’re younger than me…? Ridiculous.”
Even though she was royalty, in my past life, she would be just starting her journey into adulthood. Realizing that made me feel somewhat more at ease.
“By the way! What’s your next work going to be? Are you planning to write it with your disciples again?”
“Well, I’m still thinking it over.”
“Or are you thinking of serializing it like you did with The Count of Monte Cristo?”
“That’s also on the table…. Hmm?”
Had I ever mentioned my pen name ‘Herodotus’ to Lady Es?
“What’s with the surprise?”
“Ah, it’s just… I didn’t expect you to know.”
“I know everything about you, Mr. Homeros.”
She flashed a playful smile.
Hmm. Perhaps I should remain a bit cautious after all…
“Oh, and don’t worry about the dedication! As long as I get to read your work, that’s all I need.”
“Yes….”
“So, when is your next work coming out?”
“Well, I actually do have a project I’m considering.”
“A project you’re thinking about?”
“Yes.”
From the various incidents I had experienced, I felt that this world had not fully matured in rationalism yet.
Thanks to the advancements brought about by magic, people seemed to have developed a bit of indifference towards religion… but magic itself was another kind of mystery.
It could replace faith, but it was difficult to ignite rationalism as a scientific philosophy like we have on Earth.
“I’m planning to write a novel that encourages people to think more ‘rationally,’ based on ‘evidence’ and ‘logic.’”
“That sounds challenging….”
“It won’t be difficult. In fact, it’ll be entertaining and quite… a popular novel.”
.
.
.
“Aigo, Mr. Herodotus! Welcome!”
“Yes, President.”
“I’m so touched that you’ve come to this humble place! Sniff….”
“It’s nothing….”
The president of Half and Half pretended to cry dramatically. The success of The Count of Monte Cristo had clearly made a significant impact. Given that it was a work remembered purely for its entertainment value, it was understandable.
“I came because I’m planning to serialize a new novel this time.”
“Oh my! Of course, we must make room in our serial section for you!”
“Not immediately. I still need to do some research first.”
There are a few representative works of serialized novels. The pure entertainment of The Count of Monte Cristo. The endless elongation of Les Misérables. The cosmic horror of Lovecraft…. But if we’re talking about the most well-known work in modern times—
“This time, the novel I’m writing is a mystery novel.”
I couldn’t avoid mentioning that work.
“A mystery novel, you say?”
“Yes.”
It was Sherlock Holmes from Why Did You Kill Holmes.
“To be more precise, it will be a detective novel. Hence, I need some expert advice.”
“Yes, yes! I’ll bring in the finest detectives in the empire as consultants—”
“Oh, not that type of advice.”
The episodes I would be using in the novel were already set. What I needed was someone who could adapt those episodes to fit the ‘worldview’ of this world. And I already had someone in mind.
When I mentioned the person I wanted to invite, President Ryan nodded enthusiastically and exclaimed.
“You mean the chief mage of the Grey Tower, Cléang? I’ll sell my publishing house to bring him here!”
“If you sell the publishing house, we can’t serialize anything….”
This person seemed to be quite similar to President Kindersling…
.
.
.
[Greetings. I am Cléang, the chief mage of the Grey Tower. I am writing because there are some inaccuracies in the magic descriptions in your work. In the story…]
.
.
.
“Hello… I am Millie Cléang, the chief mage of the Grey Tower….”
“Oh, yes. Hello. You seem quite different from your letter.”
With dark circles like a panda and tousled hair, she looked just like a graduate student.
She was none other than Millie Cléang.
She spoke in a slow and easygoing manner.
“The letters… have a certain format… And you, sir, look much younger than I imagined… so I was surprised….”
At that moment, I had not taken the ‘Hyde Potion.’ ‘Herodotus’ planned to publicly act in my original appearance.
Considering I looked barely old enough to enter the academy, such reactions were inevitable.
“Ah, yes. The reason I invited you, Magician, is that I need your magical advice to complete my work.”
As I said this, I pulled out the ‘fan letter’ she had sent me.
Although it pointed out magical details, it showed a high level of understanding of ‘stories.’ It pointed out how certain magics were utilized, explaining it in a straightforward way by following the episodes of the ‘Conan Saga.’
In other words, it provided advice on how to maintain the authenticity while preserving the story.
It was a tough task unless one had a deep affection for the work.
“I was really impressed by this fan letter. As you can see, I am quite young and somewhat lacking in knowledge. So, I would really appreciate your advice to complete my work.”
“Head Mage….”
“Yes?”
“Call me Head Mage… or Head Magician….”
She retained her leisurely tone.
Yet somehow, there was a slightly fussy undertone to her request for a title adjustment.
“I am a Head Mage….”
“Ah, yes. Head Mage.”
“Being a Head Mage is a truly significant achievement… It means I am the most brilliant in the Grey Tower… Among my peers, there isn’t a single mage who can even come close to my toes… It’s true….”
“Yes. But about the magical advice—”
“Are you curious how I became the Head Mage…?”
“No.”
“Since you’re curious, I’ll tell you… This goes back to the first day I entered the tower….”
…No, this person—
“So…. the Tower Master immediately recognized my talent…. Honestly, I felt a bit pressured, but there wasn’t much I could do….”
—was an incredibly slow talker and a total chatterbox!
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