episode_0057

If Shion were here, she would have helped quite a bit.

Since I was alone in the Kingdom of Haren, I had no choice but to solve most things on my own. The bell on the grandfather clock rang once, as if to indicate that it was time to eat.

Only then did I realize that I hadn’t even packed lunch.

Well, eating only two meals a day is quite common in this world, so it wasn’t that big of a deal. Rather, it was more important that a new manuscript was completed at this moment.

I organized the messy manuscripts and tied them all together. The title of the novel was written on the very first page.

[1984]

“1984… , Uhm, let’s make it 1084.”

After thinking about it for a while, I decided to keep the title as it was, ‘1984’. Anyway, I left the background names ‘Oceania’ and ‘Eurasia’ as is.

The novel published under Sophocles’ name is likely to be a historical novel set in a ‘fictional world’.

There will also be some kind of science fiction element.

Considering that the basis of the science fiction genre commonly called ‘punk’ is alternative history novels, it was not that strange.

“Oh, I guess I should send a copy to Zion too.”

The manuscript of ‘1984’, written in imperial language, not Harenese, was placed in a paper bag and packaged well.

If you send it by express delivery, it will arrive quickly.

As I was calling the staff working at the hotel to buy stamps, I remembered that I had a few stamps in my bag.

“Ah, there was still the Little Prince stamp.”

So I sent 1984 home and told him to send mail to this address if he had anything important to do.

Zion will take care of it.

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[On a clear and chilly April day, the clocks were chiming thirteen times.]

1984 begins with this first sentence: April, which symbolizes spring, is described as cold, and a clock that should only ring twelve rings thirteen times.

The moment the reader encounters this strange sentence, he or she intuitively realizes it.

There is something wrong with this world. Thus begins the story of a dystopia full of lies where ‘everything must be questioned’.

“This is interesting. Very interesting… . It’s as if it’s describing a world that really exists, but everything is so full of fiction that nothing feels true… .”

The editor-in-chief seemed to evaluate this novel quite positively.

His ability to quickly read the entire manuscript and summarize its key points could be considered a veteran of the publishing industry.

The editor who returned the manuscript leaned his face in one hand and played with his ear.

It seemed like a habit when thinking about something.

“However, I don’t know if it will sell well because it is difficult. And isn’t it too early to publish this now? Les Miserables is still selling like hotcakes.”

“Is that so?”

“I think it would be just right to publish at some intervals… . If this novel gets bad reviews and Les Miserables doesn’t sell as well, it’ll be a problem. Isn’t literature a field where it’s difficult to predict the outcome?”

There were certainly some difficult aspects to the story of 1984.

Of course, based on his past life, ‘George Orwell’ is a writer who is evaluated as showing a dystopian society very clearly, but that is only the standard for modern people who went through the dark period of ‘World War’.

In this world, even the concept of ‘dystopia’ would still feel unfamiliar.

However, I had a feeling that this novel would sell quite well.

“I see. All right. It is a novel that His Majesty personally recommended to be written, but if so, publication should be postponed to a later date─.”

“─ But! Your novel is amazing! Even if this doesn’t sell, we must publish it! Wouldn’t it be a terrible thing if art was held back by commercialism?!”

“Thank you.”

This is because the ‘future’ shown by 1984 is ultimately no different from the future that King Sloth was worried about.

A future where people with the power to discern between truth and lies deny the truth, wield lies, and view the truth as just a convenient tool.

A future where a person with authority who is respected and revered by all citizens subjugates all citizens by making that authority immortal.

A future in which a person with the power to mobilize all the capabilities of the country wields that power to destroy an individual’s humanity and take away their freedom.

A person with pure power that supersedes all rights.

The most terrible future that can occur when power is wielded purely for the sake of power itself.

[Tutto nello Stato, niente al di fuori dello Stato, nulla contro lo Stato.]

[Everything is in the state, there is nothing outside the state, and there is nothing opposed to the state.]

Dictatorship by totalitarianism.

Totalitarianism by dictatorship.

This totalitarian dystopia was the end of humanity that plunged everything into darkness, hidden by illusions of ironman politics and the efficiency of the system.

And this was a concept that the people of Haren could fully accept.

– “How can we be sure that future generations of dragons will not use this talent for violence? If freedom and love are taken away from the souls of the Haren people, and people are treated as mere tools or parts, how can the children of Haren resist it?”

For the heavens of all Harenites were already concerned about it.

There is no way for children to not know what their parents are worried about.

Even though I knew, I just looked away and pretended not to notice. Because there are many things in the world that are more convenient to pretend not to know.

and.

The power of literature was to turn ignorance into scandal.

The Haren people had to face that fact.

– “What should I do in the future?”

Because the parents of all Haren people were looking for answers from their children.

It was not okay for me to answer that question because I was a plagiarist.

Only the Harenites had the right to answer that question.

“If it’s the book your Majesty wants, wouldn’t it be better to use the entire printing press line? Even if we print tens of thousands of copies, it won’t be enough!”

“That’s a good idea.”

“Hmm?”

“Let’s just rent all the printing shops nearby.”

I nodded at the editor-in-chief’s fuss and took out my wallet.

And I took out several bills from the top of my wallet.

A ‘blank check’ with my account information and signature written on it, but the amount is left blank.

As I put them down on the desk, I asked the editor-in-chief.

“I would like to use all nearby printing shops for a few days. How much should I write down?”

How much is it?

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A clear and chilly day in Haren.

A strange thing happened.

The first time people noticed the ‘strange thing’ was in the newspapers.

“Buy a newspaper! We have today’s newspaper with today’s news!”

“Honey. Could you give me a copy of the newspaper?”

“Yes! Which newspaper would you like? Haren Sunborang article newspaper, Haren’s day, Ivan Ilbo─”

“I would like to give you one of each type.”

“Yes!”

“Let’s see, what happened today… Hmm?”

[A new work by Sophocles, who wrote ‘Les Miserables.’ ‘1984’ released.]

[Big Brother is Watching You.]

The front page of every major newspaper in Haren was filled with advertisements for a ‘book’.

Advertisements appearing in newspapers are not a big deal, but it was certainly surprising that the front pages of all newspapers were filled with the same advertisements.

Even though it was an advertisement, there was absolutely no content from the novel.

There was just a man’s face printed on it along with the phrase ‘Big Brother is watching you.’

They were people who went about their day as usual, saying that all sorts of strange things happened, but the ‘strangeness’ gradually became worse.

“No, what advertisement is there here too?”

There were advertisements for the book ‘1984’ in magazines, posters, bulletin boards in restaurants and offices, concert halls—almost everywhere.

With the message that Big Brother is watching.

I went to a bookstore wondering what kind of book it was, and the front row of every bookstore was filled with the book ‘1984’. It’s as if they have no intention of selling any other books.

It was truly bizarre.

It was as if a crazy wizard had manipulated the odds to point all of Haren’s publications to ‘1984’.

“What on earth is this book about? .”

Thus, most people came into contact with the book ‘1984’.

Soon the streets were filled with talk about 1984.

“Hey, there you are. Have you read the book 1984?”

“Hmm? I saw the ad, but didn’t read it.”

“Oh my, this person. You’re living at a loss of half your life… ! How can you say you’re reading a book if you haven’t even seen 1984?”

“Is it that much?”

“Let’s go to the bookstore together right now! Buy me a copy!”

“Huh, that’s it. I’ll buy it with my money, so you can buy me a drink.”

If I hadn’t read 1984, the story itself wouldn’t have made sense.

This world’s first city-level ‘media monopoly’ had the power to suck up all the buzz in the city.

“Huh, there is a novel like this… .”

“This is terrible… .”

“But there is truth! It wouldn’t be surprising if something like this really happened!”

The people of the city shuddered and closed their books.

An advertising poster with a man’s face was watching.

[Big Brother is Watching You.]

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“Meeting His Majesty the King.”

“Huh, you did something really interesting. Right now, Haren only talks about that damn Big Brother.”

“Isn’t that what His Majesty was worried about?”

“… Okay. okay! You displayed my concerns very clearly! So, your answer is that there is no way to solve it? All Haren people will eventually ‘love’ me?”

“No way.”

“Then what is the intention behind doing this?”

“Let the Haren people think and choose for themselves. If we fight, criticize, argue, and make some mistakes, won’t we be able to reach a reasonable compromise?”

“… … .”

“Isn’t that ‘choosing one’s own destiny’ that His Majesty spoke of? It is the duty and privilege of the noble Haren people.”

“… Huh.”

“At least you know who the worst is, so you can avoid the worst. Isn’t it a very good attempt just to reduce the amount of trial and error?”

“… What kind of future are you looking at?”

“I’m just happy with any future where literature isn’t censored. Others will take care of the rest. I’m a bit lazy when it comes to things other than literature.”

“Haha… .”

There were many new books that were buried because I monopolized the bookstore shelves.

Starting today, I plan to promote those new books again.

That was exactly what I was worried about. This means that literature develops a little further.

The rest really.

I guess it was good.

[“Humanity’s choice is between freedom and happiness. And most people choose happiness among them.”]