Chapter: 2
I’m so tired of dozens of the same novels coming out, I brought a game-changer—Don Quixote.
But now, the capital is overflowing with works that are just blatant rip-offs of Don Quixote.
I really underestimated the absurdity of this world.
There’s not even a proper copyright law, and the Patent Office is only overseeing publishing rights.
“…Lord, should we pursue legal action?”
“It won’t work.”
“What?”
“They didn’t print my novel without permission; they simply plagiarized the content of my novel.”
The range of publishing rights guaranteed by the Patent Office literally covers just ‘publishing’. If an unauthorized publisher cranks out Don Quixote, then we’ve got a problem.
But suing over a copied plot? That’s tough.
That’s the limit of this world’s judiciary, and the disaster is due to a complete lack of awareness about copyright.
“It would be great if this all leads to proper copyright laws being drafted, but that’s still a long shot.”
“That’s unfortunate…”
Sion, who became my fan after reading Don Quixote first, looked pretty bummed about this.
His reaction amused me a bit, so I tossed out a joke.
“Why? Are you sad about the royalties you’ll miss?”
“…Lord, you put so much effort into writing this novel, even giving up your allowance for it. It infuriates me that it can’t receive its due reward.”
Truth is, the novel wasn’t that tough to write.
After all, I basically plagiarized it from “the original world.” Sure, I made some tweaks to fit the history and culture of this world, but knowing the basic framework made it easier.
Still, I nodded along, feeling some sympathy for Sion.
“Don’t forget that feeling. It starts with readers having that kind of awareness; that’s how copyright eventually becomes grounded.”
Just me yelling about copyright as an author means squat.
In the end, to make noise, you need that ‘public’ support.
And the best way to grab that public is by hitting them with better works.
“In that sense, it’s a bit premature, but I’ll show you something first, Sion.”
“Could it be?”
“Yep.”
I pulled out a stack of papers from my drawer and waved them in front of Sion.
“Don Quixote, Part Two.”
“Woaaaaaah──!!!”
Sion let out a scream as he grabbed the papers from me.
His scream was so loud that even the chief servant came to check what was happening. I managed to brush him off and sent him on his way.
Shaking like someone going through withdrawal, Sion plopped down on the floor and started reading.
‘This situation is really interesting.’
Actually, the reason Don Quixote Part Two appeared in the original world was also due to the overwhelming number of pirate editions.
Indeed, in the prologue and some passages in the second part of “Don Quixote,” there were some pretty snarky comments about pirate editions. I wrote something similar out of respect for the original work, and as a warning against the flood of pirate editions on the market.
I sank into a comfy armchair, just waiting for Sion to finish reading.
Since it was quite the lengthy read, Sion was still at it when dinner time rolled around.
“…ugh. Do, Don Quixote…”
“Did you finish it?”
“This… will definitely sell! No, it’ll go beyond selling and literally change the history of this world!”
“That might be a bit over the top… I just hope we can tweak the part about copyright laws.”
Having copyright laws is crucial for safeguarding creators’ rights and maintaining a healthy creative environment.
That way, we get to enjoy a wider range of interesting works.
In the end, my goal is still the same: reading more exciting novels. To make that happen, an environment where such novels can be born needs to be established first.
“Ha, can I read it one more time? I want to reflect on Don Quixote’s journey.”
“That’s okay, but… isn’t it time for dinner?”
“…Oh.”
Only then did Sion realize he had been reading for hours. He let out a deep sigh.
As he tried to stand, he twisted his body as if he had cramped legs, plopping back down again.
“Ah… I’m so sorry.”
“Take your time, no need to rush.”
After a while of groaning, Sion finally managed to get up just in time for the servant to announce that dinner was ready.
Feeling a bit awkward, Sion and I headed to the dining room.
We took our seats, with Sion serving me, and he bowed slightly before moving to where the servants were dining.
Other family members were already at the table.
My father, the head of the family, glanced at me and clicked his tongue in annoyance.
“Why are you so late? Were you off reading that knightly literature again?”
“Yes, well…”
Even though he spoke harshly, my father is actually the one who looks out for me the most from behind the scenes.
He just spoke first before my mother could start her nagging. I nodded at my father in gratitude.
“Hmph, what’s so interesting about such light novels?”
Muttering that, my father suddenly seemed to remember something.
“Ah, speaking of which, there’s been quite a stir in the capital over a novel called Don Quixote. Have you read it? I’ve never read knightly literature, so I can’t really relate. Those old fools in the capital never act their age…”
“…Don Quixote?”
“Yep, since I haven’t read it, they just jabber away, and it’s making me think maybe I should read it… Can you summarize it for me, Ed?”
“Uh, it’s not that difficult.”
“Not difficult?”
“It’s because I wrote that novel.”
“…What?”
Clatter! A spoon dropped somewhere.
Everyone’s gaze at the dining table turned to the person who dropped it. It was my brother and the eldest son of the family, Eric.
Eric stammered out his question.
“Do, do you mean YOU are the author ‘Homer’ of Don Quixote?!”
“Ah, yes.”
Hearing my pen name out loud in front of everyone felt kind of weird.
Using the name of the greatest epic poet as my pen name? Yeah, I think I might’ve gone a bit overboard. I could feel my face heating up.
It’s like a singer naming themselves ‘Freddie Mercury’.
“That’s insane…”
“Wait, do you really read stuff like that, brother? I thought you passed on knightly literature because it was childish.”
“Among the young nobles, Don Quixote is practically a god!”
‘Isn’t that blasphemous…?’
Don Quixote indeed is an impressive literary piece.
Recognized as a classic in literary history, the first modern novel, beloved by writers, the ‘Bible of Spain,’ and the father of all modern novels. Its impact on literary history is unparalleled by any other work.
That’s from a ‘literary history’ standpoint.
But outside of literature, one might question its real-world influence. Even now, most people just know Don Quixote as ‘the madman who charged at windmills.’
“…Well, it’s a world where the cultural industry isn’t particularly developed.”
Sure, they have flashy stuff like monster circuses and magic shows, but there’s hardly anything that qualifies as ‘content’ in this era.
Thinking that through, I now understood Eric’s reaction a bit better.
Even if the ‘publishing industry’ itself isn’t particularly developed, other cultural industries are even worse off, giving the relatively larger publishing industry more clout than expected.
“Well, thanks for reading it with interest,” I said.
“My brother as that Homer…” Eric lamented, still in shock.
While he was stuck in disbelief, my mother cautiously ventured to speak up.
“Is that novel called ‘Don Quixote’ truly that remarkable?”
Then, Eric raised his voice passionately.
“Of course! Among the young nobles, if you haven’t read ‘Don Quixote,’ you’d be laughed at! Especially those who are sensitive to trends—”
Eric went on for quite a while explaining just how influential the work ‘Don Quixote’ is.
In social circles, not knowing ‘Don Quixote’ means you’re out of touch, and among certain nobles, there’s even a trend of dressing up like Don Quixote. Hearing this reminded me of the term ‘Werther Effect’ from my original world.
After the craze surrounding ‘The Sorrows of Young Werther,’ young men who read that book started dressing like Werther and tragically, a string of suicides followed.
‘The influence of literature… it’s beyond imagination.’
The power of literature. The energy literature holds. In my previous life in South Korea, even mentioning such ideas would typically get you laughed at.
In this day and age, why would anyone still clutch onto antiquated paper books?
But this era is different. The publishing industry is just beginning to stir, and although it’s still unpolished, it holds potential to grow into ‘universal culture.’
“…I’ll have to be more careful with my next release,” I muttered to myself, without realizing.
Eric suddenly halted his words and turned to me, his eyes sparkling with curiosity.
“The next release?”
“Huh? Yeah.”
“Could it be… ‘Don Quixote Part 2’?”
“For now, yes.”
Eric’s reaction after that… let’s just say it was so intense it turned dinner into chaos.
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