Chapter: 76
The world’s attention was captured by the first contest held by Homer, the Transcendent of Literature—known as the ‘Literature for All’ contest.
The angelic voice didn’t just ring out around Frieden Mansion, but echoed throughout the imperial capital as well.
Across the Empire, its various duchies and principalities, the Seydel Republic, and the Kingdom of Haren—anyone who lingered in this world could hear the “Angelic Voice.”
I downed the “Invisibility Potion” gifted to me by the alchemist for when I felt overly scrutinized, and set off for the library.
There, crowds of people were already buzzing about, pulling books from the shelves labeled “Contest Entries” and reading them one by one.
“Did you hear Homer joined this contest? Wonder what he submitted?”
“Could it be the novel called ‘The Light of the Eternal Night’? It totally has this fairy tale vibe, and the narrative flows so delightfully, kinda like a Christmas carol!”
“Maybe he submitted something commercial like a Herodotus piece?”
“Pfft, this can’t possibly be it. I have no clue who wrote this, but it’s just someone’s diary. Sure, it’s funny, but still just a diary!”
The library’s policy allowing attendees to read and vote on contest entries was pretty effective.
Thanks to that, tons of folks gathered at the library, reading and sharing opinions together.
Some people read books in groups and debated, while others quietly sat in corners, absorbed in their own reads. It was a scene you’d never see in the now study-hall-like libraries of Korea, where books became the center of social interaction.
Among them were probably quite a few authors who’d published their works in the contest.
As I sat in a corner, sneakily reading a book, I overheard a familiar title floating through the air. A group was energetically discussing a book called “The White Whale.”
“This ‘White Whale’ must’ve been penned by Homer! It’s a masterpiece that devours the great waves of literature like a colossal, hefty whale! An epic of primal mythology, a pure archetype symbolizing discussions on all modern conflict!”
“If the human spirit could be visually represented, it’d definitely look like a deep, dark ocean….”
People were getting loud about what Ishmael, Ahab, and Moby Dick represented.
While some critiques popped up, most feedback was raving praise. Many speculated this “White Whale” had to be a work by Homer.
They even debated the symbolism of Ishmael, Ahab, and Moby Dick.
“The epic narrative and encyclopedic details of the White Whale might seem a tad verbose at first glance, but the philosophy and logic packed inside embody a pure, strong spirit… It’s literally a literary golden tower bridging tradition and modernity. Even if it isn’t Homer’s… I’d still cast my vote for this novel.”
“I think so too. It’s… dare I say, a novel that deserves to stand alongside Don Quixote.”
“Hey, are you guys exaggerating a bit? We haven’t even confirmed this is a Homer piece yet—.”
“Well then, the author of this book could be the next Homer! It’s a novel worthy enough to be on the ‘same’ level as Don Quixote.”
But the real highlight of this contest was the unbiased evaluations made possible by the “anonymity” factor.
Homer’s glorious status as the literary transcendent didn’t sway the contest one bit. Many readers guessed that works other than The White Whale or Moby Dick might belong to Homer.
The contest had an overwhelming number of entries.
People’s tastes are as diverse as the number of people themselves.
“Hehe! No way, this ‘Hidalgo the Crappy Gardener’ is too hilarious! It’s a witty take on Don Quixote without being a copycat. I’m totally voting for this!”
“I really loved the fairy tale ‘The Hundred Cats.’ I had cats too when I was little… and when one day they suddenly stopped moving, I cried so much. Reading this story brought those memories back… it made me sad and, um, really touched my heart. So, I’m voting for this book!”
There were loads of folks who didn’t care what counted as “Homeric” and just enjoyed the stories for what they were…
For sure.
This contest to boost library culture was an absolute hit.
So there I was, cozy in the library, reading books and grinning happily, ready to head home.
“What are you doing, hiding so invisibly?”
Then, I locked eyes with someone.
It was someone I knew very well.
“Ah, Princess Isis. What brings you to the library?”
“I just came to read some books, I guess.”
“Oh dear, that was a dumb question to ask.”
Once a prince of the Empire, now a member of the Imperial Household, Princess Isis.
We’d grown quite close and even shared some jokes—mostly because she’d been casually popping by the publishing house to read books and hang out.
Anyway, she happened to see right through my invisibility cloak.
“But can you actually see me?”
“Well, not super clearly. It’s a bit different than just looking with the eyes… There’s an enchantment on imperial family members to ward off assassins.”
“Ah.”
“Hehe, but what’s with the invisibility?”
“Just like you, Princess. I came to read.”
“By becoming invisible?”
“Well, my face has become quite famous, so I occasionally get recognized. Especially in a library, a lot of people are likely to be curious about the ‘Transcendent of Literature’.”
“Hmmm? Well, I suppose that makes sense!”
Princess Isis didn’t seem too concerned about how I’d become invisible.
Knowing I was connected to many people like mages and alchemists perhaps explained her nonchalance.
The mischievous princess grinned playfully and said,
“By the way, if you’re invisible, doesn’t that make me look like a psycho talking to myself?”
“Hmm. You’ve got a point.”
“Well then, you should be saying ‘no’ instead of ‘yes’!”
“Princess, you will never look like a psycho.”
“You’re not just sneering at me, are you…?”
“Oh, that wasn’t my intent.”
“I’ll take that as truth! So which piece did you submit?”
“It’s a secret.”
“Tsk, can’t you share a little? Don’t we have enough friendship to share something like that?”
“Do you mean between a sponsor and a writer?”
“Between friends!”
“…….”
“Wow, were you hoping for something more than friends, ooh la la?”
“No.”
“I was actually hoping for something more than friends.”
“…What?”
Princess Isis caught my wrist, now so transparent that not even the sunset could stain it.
With a slightly flushed face from the evening glow, she continued,
“Homer, the author, is my benefactor. Didn’t you know?”
“Ah.”
“No, well, thinking about it, calling him ‘Homer’ feels a bit odd since he’s the Transcendent of Literature… and I’m a bit greedy, so being called by everyone’s common pen name doesn’t quite satisfy me.”
“…….”
“Can I call you Mr. Ed then? Or maybe Eddie for a friendlier vibe? What’s your favorite nickname?”
“…I’m not sure.”
Yep.
In front of those snake-like eyes, I just couldn’t lie.
“Honestly, I’d prefer being called Mr. Translator or Senpai.”
“By the way, you’ve worked as a translator in Haren, right?”
“Yeah. I operated under the name Sophocles.”
“Hmm, that’s not bad! But while I get the translator thing, what’s this senpai business?”
“That’s what my ex-girlfriend used to call me.”
“Uh-huh?”
“Is that weird?”
“Not at all, wait, Ed… have you actually been in a relationship?”
“Not for very long.”
“Well, that’s a bit unexpected… I thought you weren’t interested in anything but books?”
“Not exactly.”
“How did that ex-girlfriend of yours manage to charm you? Did she lure you with promises of great books, or invite you over to check out her out-of-print collection?”
Weirdly precise as an example, but that’s not how we got together.
I bashfully scratched my cheek and replied.
“She was worried I spent too much time reading without eating or caring for myself, so she volunteered to take care of me.”
“Oh, I totally know that feeling…”
“Really?”
Princess Isis and I burst into laughter together, an unplanned synchronicity.
With that, I stepped out of the library.
Princess Isis walked in, and the area around the library buzzed with the chatter of readers on benches, engaged in lively discussions.
I welcomed that noise.
It seemed like I wouldn’t be able to wipe the grin off my face for the entire day.
.
.
.
The next day.
“Wake up, Homer Foundation! You’re lowering the literary quality with those lousy books!”
“Stop the unconditional support for artists! Quit guaranteeing publication and payment for unworthy works!”
I found myself witnessing some outrageously creative complaints.
My site has received a lot of DMCA notices, lol. From now on, I will update the MTL on https://darkmtl.com/.
The site is fast and lightweight because there are no ads yet. However, the theme is different from Cybor-TL, so take some time to familiarize yourself.
Support me by donating at least $10, and you'll have the right to request any novel from Novelpia (excluding 19+ content) using a newly developed tool.