episode_0019

Author Homer’s fan meeting opening speech, ‘Let’s read the Bible,’ made many people reflect on their own faith.

Today, when magic engineering and deistic enlightenment are emerging, there are many believers in the empire who are indifferent to ‘religious activities’.

They did not deny God or apostatize. It’s just that the current trend of prioritizing reason and rationality has taken away the space to engage in religious activities as passionately as in previous times. This tendency was especially strong in the intellectual class with progressive tendencies.

However, the writer ‘Homer’, who can be said to be the greatest intellect of our time, praised the greatness of the Bible. I praised the intelligence and inspiration contained within that old book.

“The Word of God is eternal and the prime water for all intelligence!”

“Our Lord wants to save you!”

Many people went to church to study the Bible again. The church also actively engaged in missionary activities, such as distributing the entire Bible for free and expanding catechesis.

Thus, prayers resound from all over the empire under the name of God.

The day when the Vatican was preparing to officially beatify the writer Homer.

“Homer’s… A new work came out?”

The Sorrows of Young Werther was published.

A nuclear bomb fell on the capital.

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The Sorrows of Young Werther was enormously popular among young people who dreamed of romance.

The young people’s souls were instantly taken away by the agony and pain that Werther felt.

Pure emotional violence. The rich sensitivity and beautiful writing style contained in it captured the hearts of young people like the devil’s temptation.

“Ah, love is! What makes even the most intelligent adults childish like children is love!”

“Love is like a fever… .”

It was romantic.

An extreme romance that cannot be controlled by laws or norms. A strong emotion and a fire that burns reason.

It was not surprising that free love was popular among romantic aristocrats.

Those with fiancés ran away with their lovers, causing confusion and strife among the nobles of the capital.

“Werther is a truly free man! Be honest with your own nature and be generous. He was only strict with himself.”

“Who would dare say that Werther sinned against God? Werther… I was just human.”

Among young people in social circles, it was popular to wear Werther’s attire in the novel – a blue tailcoat and a yellow vest.

It was comical at first glance to see everyone dressed similarly.

However, no one who read ‘The Sorrows of Young Werther’ could laugh at the scene as ridiculous.

and.

“You! Are you okay?! What is this letter… .”

“I, I─ I don’t know. Really.”

People who tried to commit suicide.

People who read young Werther’s sadness and could sympathize with his pain.

On the contrary, there have been cases of people rising up from their sorrow.

“Werther’s weakness… I feel like I’m telling myself that it’s okay to be weak.”

In other words, it was catharsis through literature.

Facing sadness, understanding, attention from those around you and self-awareness… Young Werther’s sorrow served as a kind of preventive education on the taboo topic of ‘suicide.’

“It’s okay. By your side… I am there, right? I don’t intend to blame you. In human nature… Because there are limits. I can’t understand the pain you must be going through, but I know you have a fever… . Please, will you allow me to nurse you by my side?”

“… Thank you. Friend.”

and.

There were people quietly watching this entire process.

“This book… It’s disturbing.”

“Suicide is a sin against God. That’s clear, but… .”

“But, if it’s a book written by that author Homer… .”

The Vatican was preparing to beatify the writer Homer.

They also read books.

“I will meet the writer Homer in person.”

In the end, I decided to find out the cause of the problem myself.

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“You said you came from the Vatican… ?”

“Yes. His name is Cardinal Garnier. It is an honor to meet the author of Homer.”

Princess Is couldn’t come for a while to go through the adoption process.

This time the cardinal came to visit the publisher.

“Ah, yes. That’s too much to say. I am truly honored to meet the Cardinal of the Church.”

“It can’t be too much. In the end, cardinals like us are just priests.”

Cardinal Garnier said this and smiled strangely.

He cleared his throat once, as if he was slightly troubled, took a sip of water, and continued speaking.

“We were preparing for the beatification of the author Homer.”

“… Yes?”

Beatification is the previous step to canonization.

It is the process of formally recognizing someone as a saint so that they can be revered by the church.

“I’m not a priest… ?”

“It is not necessarily only priests who are beatified. Because God’s miracles can happen anywhere. For priests who have only received blessings like us, it is simply enviable.”

A pure white brilliance flashed in Cardinal Garnier’s eyes.

It is a power called divine power, or blessing.

“In the Vatican, a series of actions shown by the author Homer… I concluded that my work and speeches in front of people were miracles from God.”

“Miracle… What do you mean? I am just a writer.”

“We call it a miracle when a writer writes such brilliant works several times and spreads the holy word of God to people.”

“‥‥‥.”

“So I’d like to ask.”

Cardinal Garnier took a book out of his pocket and placed it on the table.

It was a familiar book.

[The Sorrows of Young Werther]

“When writing this book… What were you thinking when you wrote this?”

“‥‥‥.”

It wasn’t simply a rebuke for writing a book on the topic of suicide or getting angry at someone for advocating suicide.

He was just asking a question.

Just like believers who encounter miracles that are difficult to understand usually do.

The cardinal continued.

“In his speech at the handshake event, author Homer preached the value of the Bible. He revered the Word and praised the great inspiration contained within it. So he preached to people to read the Bible. However, in this work called ‘The Sorrows of Young Werther’, it is talked about as if some suicides cannot be a sin. Rather, they preach as if they are the lambs and the weak who must be comforted by us. And, what is strange is that many priests read this book and sympathized with its contents.”

“‥‥‥.”

“So, I would like to ask the writer who was inspired by the Holy God. Some suicides… Is it not a sin, but a fever that needs to be comforted?”

I couldn’t answer this question.

Because I was not Goethe, and of course, unlike Goethe, I had no theological knowledge, and I was just a plagiarist.

It’s not that I never studied the Bible, but it was the Bible from my past life, not the Bible from this world.

therefore.

I plagiarized again this time.

“The law exists to oppress the strong, and the gospel exists to comfort the weak.”

These are the words of Martin Luther, a religious reformer and founder of Protestantism.

“I just believe that God’s word exists to comfort us.”

“… Is that the Bible that Homer thinks?”

“Yes. Yes.”

“‥‥‥.”

I’m not sure if this is an appropriate answer.

Perhaps, despite all the preparations made so far, the book ‘The Sorrows of Young Werther’ may be designated as a banned book like the history of previous lives.

“… Let’s go back. Thank you for your time.”

“Yes. It was an honor to speak with the cardinal of the church.”

From now on, it is up to heaven to decide.

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As a result, the beatification of Homer was canceled.

Instead, the Vatican decided to award him the ‘Medal of Dawn’ to recognize his contribution to preaching the value of the Bible.

And I, who received the medal… .

“Nice to meet you! Aspiring writers! My name is Homer and I am in charge of your education from now on!”

“Hehe, hehehehe, you really are the writer of Homer… ? Isn’t this a dream?”

“Yes, yes. It’s real.”

Finally, I was serving as a lecturer at the ‘Literature Academy (temporary)’ that opened.

Although it was only temporary, and the building was borrowed from the Imperial Academy’s Department of Knights, it was still a notable achievement.

I plan to test the teachings I came up with here and, if successful, officially open an academy.

“I plan to teach you literature. So, we are trying to develop you into a writer who can write great works.”

Of course, I am not a writer.

After all, he was just a plagiarist who plagiarized his previous life’s work.

“Because teaching art is difficult, you may end up not learning anything due to my shortcomings.”

But I was also a writer. Translator.

In my past life, I was a translator.

My job was to translate classics released into the public domain, turn them into e-books, and sell them at a low price.

“This is the textbook you should read today.”

“Yes! … yes? One day?”

What I had on my desk under the name of ‘textbook’ was a mountain of paper.

Even if you count it by eye, there are probably thousands of sheets of paper.

“Yes. It won’t be difficult. All you have to do is literally ‘read’.”

When publishing companies teach new translators, the first thing they ask them to do is translate short stories.

It’s not because of the difficulty, but because it’s easier for me to inspect.

In particular, translating short stories by unique writers such as Edgar Allan Poe was one of the most effective ways to develop new students’ capabilities.

(If you wanted to annoy newbies a little more, there was also the option of translating the Marquis de Sade’s writings.)

“Reading all of this is what today’s class is all about.”

“Well, that textbook is… .”

“Ah, these are all short stories I wrote myself.”

“… !!!”

In other words, I have thousands of short stories in my head that are so well understood that I can review them in an instant.

Thanks to this, I was able to quickly translate it into the language of this world.

This pile of paper is the result of that output. These are hundreds of short stories selected to strengthen the literary weight.

“Then, please come forward in order and receive the manuscript.”

I can’t raise a writer.

However, the works of great writers serve as nourishment for nurturing great writers.

So I hand over the work.

Just leave the rest to the writers!