Chapter: 54
I gathered up the manuscript I had been working on and took it to the publisher.
The unbound “mountain of paper” landed with a thud on the publisher’s conference table.
“This is the novel I want to publish.”
“…No way, it’s too thick! I didn’t expect a novel to be this hefty—.”
“I don’t want any payment.”
“Let me read it first.”
As the editor-in-chief noted, Les Misérables was indeed a behemoth of a novel. Fans even dubbed it “The Brick.”
This is all thanks to the nature of the novel itself.
The narrative of Les Misérables unfolds like this: when a character is introduced, their identity, behavior, ideas, history, character, and background are described in detail over dozens, if not hundreds, of pages. And just when you think the story is progressing, a new backdrop shows up, and guess what? More pages of explanations follow!
Oh, and they go so far as to say, “This explanation has nothing to do with the plot.” Super reassuring, right?
These encyclopedic descriptions are often praised for their historical value, offering a snapshot of France at that time.
“…Hmm? Is this a translation? So, where’s this ‘France’ place?”
“It’s a fictional country, I guess.”
“Aha! So that’s why you’ve packed so much background detail? It’s a historical novel set in a made-up world? The culture seems to resemble the Republic of Seydel or the Kingdom of Haren.”
Because of this peculiar style, newbies to the original Les Misérables often feel lost. It actually takes a jaw-dropping 14 chapters before we meet the character most of us think of as the main guy—Jean Valjean.
You might read and wonder, “Why am I stuck reading about a monastery for almost 100 pages?”
The editor-in-chief, blissfully unaware of the plot, was quite into the novel I had blatantly lifted from Les Misérables. As he said, in this story, I must have completely ignored localizing Les Misérables!
“Ho ho…. This is intriguing, really intriguing…. It’s packed with info, sure, but strangely, it’s not boring at all! It’s like reading an editorial from a brilliant journalist. And the vocabulary? So rich, it feels like it was penned by a poet.”
“Ah, yes.”
“I sensed it when I saw the translation too, but your writing skill is seriously impressive…”
This is all possible because Les Misérables is stuffed with encyclopedic knowledge and Victor Hugo’s journalistic flair. The nitty-gritty about the world of ‘France’ you need to understand the novel is seamlessly woven into the text.
That’s why Les Misérables is rated as a depiction of one whole “world” even today.
It’s a lyrical portrayal showing how history, society, and individuals don’t just “exist” but live and breathe, actively interacting within the context of their time. It’s got stories of priests, monasteries, girls, battles, ex-cons—basically, it’s a potpourri!
In a world filled with those “poor, miserable souls,” all knowledge morphs from mere facts into a complex organism where each piece helps the others exist.
The editor-in-chief, having devoured the thick manuscript at a shocking speed, nodded in approval.
“Hmmm…. Wow, this is spooky convincing! It’s like you’re painting a picture of a world that truly exists….”
Having read a book as long as the Bible in one go, the editor-in-chief was indeed an “expert.”
Seems like he reads faster than most wizards.
“I can’t say if this will sell well. But with this topic in mind, the Publishing Bureau might give it a shot—ah, whatever. I found it quite interesting. It’s fun. I’ll keep a printing line free for you to publish it.”
“Yes. Thank you!”
…
…
…
Les Misérables was published in the Kingdom of Haren. Like other novels by Homer or Herodotus, it didn’t exactly pop off the charts right away.
The first ones to show interest were deeply literate intellectuals.
“They say Sophocles wrote that one.”
“Hmm? You mean the translator? Ivan Publishing’s translations are terrible, but if it’s from Sophocles, it’s probably legit.”
“No, not translating—creating! From what I hear, it’s a historical novel set in a fictional kingdom?”
Thanks to Sophocles building a name for himself as a “translator,” a few readers were intrigued by his work.
Thus, Les Misérables, nicknamed “The Brick,” started getting attention from folks.
[“If you want to know what a revolution is, call it progress; if you want to know what progress is, call it tomorrow.”]
[“You only sacrifice one day to gain a lifetime!”]
“A revolutionary novel…?”
“Tsk, is this yet another novel where the Publishing Bureau got their hands involved? What do they even want…?”
It faced a tidal wave of criticism.
This was because the elite intellectuals who first encountered Les Misérables were privy to the “backstory” of the Kingdom of Haren. They knew that competent but lazy dragon descendants were trying to hand back their power to the people.
They were also staunchly against this so-called ‘republicanism.’
The current king of Harenin, dubbed the “Lazy King,” might not be tyrannical or actively ruining the kingdom just because he couldn’t be bothered to do much. Sure, his diplomatic skills were lacking, but the internal affairs of the nation were still running smoothly under the bureaucrats.
Also, the fact that the previous king was a renowned and capable ruler, known as the Good King, only reinforced the opposition to this republicanism.
In the minds of the upper intellectual circles, handing all authority to the populace was no different than giving a child a loaded gun. They saw power without responsibility as pure indulgence.
“Regardless of how well it’s portrayed, Les Misérables is just another lousy novel dripping with sympathy for republicans!”
“Les Misérables is a book filled with shallow and incompetent stereotypes of ‘ideals’!”
This backlash from the upper class soon sparked renewed interest from emerging intellectuals.
For those leaning republican, Les Misérables was something of a guidepost.
The truthful and sincere portrayal in Les Misérables was reinterpreted as being both “natural” and “philosophical” by them.
“Les Misérables is a true book that starkly reveals the contradictions of our world and society!”
“What we need is a revolution! Today! Tomorrow! We can’t take a single step back. We must keep pushing forward!”
This was just the typical intellectual clash in the Kingdom of Haren.
Ideological conflict. Collision. Chaos.
Les Misérables transformed from just “literature” into a banner of “republicanism,” acting as a form of participative literature. Given that most of these critics were “bureaucrats,” the clash led to substantial administrative fatigue.
“As long as this society has flaws, punishment and order are merely tools to keep people in check! What we need is not order, but revolution! A perpetually changing tomorrow! Return the universal rights bestowed by God to the people! Only republicanism by the people perfects us! Let’s fight for the right to change, to repent, and to move forward!”
“Don’t fall for the republican cries attempting to disrupt order and plunge society into chaos! Protect our beloved King, the sole ruler and Apostle of the Church! Only under order can we find peace! Obey order and be loved by God!”
“Long live the revolution!”
“Down with the reactionaries!”
“Long live republicanism! Long live the people’s nation!”
“Long live the Lord of all Harenians!”
This all led to a bureaucratic gridlock.
The two intellectual classes were in a perpetual loop of conflict, bickering, dueling, and looking down at each other. No policy could be properly implemented because they kept tripping each other up.
If this confrontational cycle dragged on, the very structure of the Haren Kingdom would collapse entirely.
And there was only one person who could bring this confrontation to a close.
“Your Majesty! Please grant us an audience!”
“All business is halted! Your Majesty! Please save us from this chaos!”
The King of Haren—a lazy king.
No, the true master of all Haren folk with the blood of the Dragon King.
“…Tsk. You guys are such a hassle.”
“Your Majesty!”
“Get the airship ready. I’ll be heading to the council.”
“The castle is in ruins, Your Majesty!”
Clement Le Mans.
He emerged from the palace and took to the sky.
…
…
…
Until airplanes were perfected with their gray masts and “flying whatever,” the only thing capable of soaring into the sky were those huge hot air balloons, known as “balloons.”
But balloon flights had their limits.
They couldn’t grow beyond a certain size, and all they could do was drift along the wind.
And then—
“What the hell is that…? Is a gigantic dragon flying through the sky?”
“Whoa?!”
Dragons are naturally beings that roamed the clouds, ruling the skies.
The Haren royal family also inherited the “right” to control the heavens from their ancestors.
“That’s—!”
“It’s an airship! The Master of Haren has descended!”
As the great creature swept through the air, the atmosphere trembled as if the heavens themselves were mourning, sending rumbling vibrations that shook the world.
It rose above the horizon as if it were the sun.
No, it blocked out the sun entirely, casting a deep shadow over the land. Those who knew not its identity shrank back in fear, convinced it was a curse, while those who recognized it knelt to welcome their rightful lord.
A colossal ship streaking across the sky—
The airship (飛行船).
A structure permitted only to the descendants of the Dragon King, it hovered directly above the council.
I thought something might fall out of it.
A parachute that looked like bat wings—a hang glider sporting King Natae.
He descended to the earth.
“A vassal of the kingdom greets the master of all Haren!”
King Sloth removed his hang glider and tossed it aside nonchalantly, took a quick look around, and then slowly opened his mouth.
“Uh, yeah. Just make yourselves comfortable. I’ll be back shortly.”
It was surprisingly casual for someone who was supposed to reign over all Haren…
No one present dared to look up and call him out.
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