Chapter: 115
It seemed there was a bit of a misunderstanding, but once I explained the concept of a ‘theme park,’ Princess Is nodded along, visibly coming to terms with it.
And then, with a weary expression, she leaned back in her chair and let out a sigh.
“Haah… You might be the only one who could remain so nonchalant after being dragged here on charges of treason, Author.”
“Is that so? Perhaps it’s because the person sitting across from me is someone I’m quite familiar with.”
“Hmm? True, our connection is anything but ordinary.”
It felt like Princess Is’s eyes softened a little, and her voice seemed to lighten up as well.
“Still, someone like you, who has so much going for them, shouldn’t be taking action recklessly. It surprises the imperial family when someone so well-supported behaves like that.”
“I apologize.”
“Hehe, but honestly, it’s not that serious a situation.”
Princess Is began humming a playful tune as she tapped the table lightly.
I couldn’t quite make out what song it was; it sounded like she was just humming randomly.
“Anyone who knows you would guess that you’re not interested in power at all.”
“It’s not that I dislike power; it’s just that my priorities lie with literature.”
“That’s what makes it trustworthy.”
“Excuse me?”
“If the empire doesn’t oppress literature… it means we can always count on a gigantic superhuman who’s supported by the people of the world, right? If the empire crumbles, it wouldn’t be a pleasant situation for someone like you who enjoys ‘literature’ either.”
“Indeed, that makes sense.”
I nodded thoughtfully for a moment. It seemed like Princess Is had quite the keen insight into my character. The fact that I established a child welfare foundation, supported the lives of artists, and operated shelters and vocational training centers through that foundation was all aimed at creating an environment where the culture and arts of ‘literature’ could be enjoyed comfortably.
In the end, I was contributing positively to the order of this empire.
“In fact, I would prefer it if you became even wealthier, stronger, and enjoyed more power and praise.”
“Hmm?”
Even so, I’m not quite sure I understand that statement.
As I looked at her with confusion, she pointed alternately at herself and me with her slender finger.
“I’m your very first supporter, after all.”
“……”
“I’d say we struck a deal at quite a decent point, wouldn’t you agree?”
.
.
.
And so, with the empire’s approval perfectly in hand, the construction of the theme park began.
I stood at the site where the theme park was to be built, accompanied by numerous wizards, merchants, beastfolk, and artists. It was set to be constructed on a sprawling estate, destined to become larger than any amusement park I had known in my past life.
“Don’t hold back on budget; let’s make it a completely different world!”
“Yes!”
The biggest difference between an amusement park and a theme park is that a theme park includes a ‘worldview.’
A theme park is not just a practical space made up of mere attractions; it needed to be a cohesive, immersive environment that maintained a unique concept and theme.
Thus, the most important thing was ‘immersive content.’
And there I was, a content behemoth monopolizing all the IPs in this world. It wasn’t just my plagiarized novels; many writers affiliated with the foundation, students studying literature, and countless artists receiving support from the foundation were all backing me.
“Lucia!”
“Yes, yes!”
Lucia Barton, the illustrator of The Little Prince, answered with an expression full of anticipation.
I tried to ease her tension.
“I have high hopes for your talent, Lady Lucia. Your experience in producing numerous character goods and your participation as an illustrator for many works will be a tremendous help in the creation of this theme park.”
“Th-Thank you for such flattering words!”
Lady Lucia bowed her head as I looked around and continued speaking.
“I also have high expectations for everyone here. I know that everyone present is exceptionally talented. Thank you all for coming to assist someone like me. Though I may not be that great of a person—this ‘new world’ we create together will undoubtedly become the greatest space in the empire.”
It will indeed be a magnificent space.
I will turn it into a place greater than any theme park I remember. Even as countless literary works, films, or perhaps completely new forms of content emerge in the future, this place will be a relentless frontier of expansion.
Forever functioning as ‘the most dreamlike place’—the eternal dream and hope of all children….
.
.
.
[The new world opens.]
[The land of dreams and fantasies— the world’s first theme park, ‘Neverland’ finally opens!]
[Gift the children their dreams!]
The news of the theme park— ‘Neverland’— spread throughout the empire.
In fact, since the concept of a theme park didn’t even exist in this world, people didn’t quite understand what it was. They only guessed it must be an incredibly beautiful and wonderful park created with the massive investment of Homeros.
Picture it: fountains sculpted in the magnificent shapes of The Little Prince or Peter Pan.
“Oh, you’ve been to Neverland? How was it? Was it really as magical as the Neverland from the fairy tales?”
“……”
“Hmm?”
“It’s a miracle! If you don’t go there, you’re losing out on your entire life! I want to go again—!”
“…Is it that great? It’s just a park—.”
“Just a park?! Neverland is the land of dreams and fantasies!”
And so, these kinds of thoughts were completely shattered by the testimonies of those who had actually visited ‘Neverland.’
And some of those testimonies were downright bizarre.
“I saw someone with a fish body in the haunted house! There was an eerie melody playing somewhere— I got goosebumps and ran out the entrance!”
“There was a little train with no roof and just seats, where I could feel the wind as it passed! I held on tight to the safety bar, worried I’d fall off, and my hands cramped up!”
“I really saw the Little Prince!”
“Have you ever been on a submarine ride? What? You haven’t yet? Haha! You poor thing!”
“I was on a small boat passing through a waterfall, and the Cheshire Cat was giggling next to me, and then—.”
“Have you heard of an escape room? I became Holmes to solve various mysteries and escape; wow, I really can’t explain the fun without experiencing it myself.”
“A flying ship passed overhead!”
“I went sledding with my eyes covered, and wow, it felt that refreshing. How can you ski in this season? A bunch of mages created a snowy mountain inside! You had to see that gigantic dome—.”
“I saw a fantastic parade with Peter Pan, Tinker Bell, Captain Hook, and various characters marching right through Neverland. Hehe, it was truly a mesmerizing sight.”
“I want to go to the water park… I want to go again….”
Some claimed there was an ice palace with snowy hills inside a massive dome where they sledded and skied, while others claimed to have floated around in a huge swimming pool with a marlin-shaped tube. Some even claimed to have seen Cthulhu inside, while others talked about drifting down mysterious waterfalls and valleys on tiny boats.
All of it sounded absurd.
So, a few people even speculated that some kind of illusion magic must have been at play.
Naturally, those who were curious made their way to Neverland once more.
“Homeros is a god!”
“I want to go back to Neverland! I want to visit Neverland again!”
They all began experiencing severe theme park addiction.
And so, people from all over the world were flocking to the theme park created by Homeros.
And thus—
They engaged in various economic activities by purchasing food, buying souvenirs, and enjoying attractions in a theme park larger than the biggest estate in the empire.
Countless gold coins flowed in and were poured into the theme park.
“Let’s go to the land of dreams and fantasies, Neverland!”
.
.
.
“…No, why is the income this high?”
I remembered how the amusement parks in my past life faced various controversies over exorbitant prices in their internal shops. So, I made sure that ‘Neverland’s’ internal shops were priced similarly to regular retail stores…
And yet, massive funds were continuously pouring into Neverland.
Sure, it was early days for the theme park, so a significant number of guests was expected, but at this pace, it felt like within a year, all the investment costs for building Neverland would be completely recouped.
“This is kind of a problem….”
Too many people were visiting.
At this rate, children would have to wait in line for dozens of minutes just to enjoy an attraction. Fun would become labor.
“Guess we’ll have to expand the themes.”
Expanding merely the attractions isn’t a great idea.
I wanted children to deeply immerse themselves in the world of ‘literature’ within the theme park.
So this time, the solution was simple.
.
.
.
[Shaharazad prepared everything needed to stay the night and spoke to her younger sister, Dunyazad.]
[“My beloved sister, remember well what I’m about to tell you. When I go up to the sultan, I shall call for you. When the sultan learns that he has granted me his last mercy, tell him this.”
[“Dear sister, you’re still awake, please tell me a delightful story that can help us get through this night.”]
[“By doing this, we’ll save our lives, and the sultan shall redeem himself from his bad habits.”]
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