episode_0064

Although not as influential as the name Homer, the name Herodotus was also a very influential name.

Because he plagiarized many of the most popular novels in the history of commercial fiction, such as The Count of Monte Cristo and Sherlock Holmes. It would be strange if the reputation was not high.

Naturally, among the aficionados present, there were many fans of Herodotus.

“Huh profit. Hey, author Herodotus read my novel… !”

“From today, I become a member of Herodotus!”

Anyway, there was some fuss and confusion.

As a result, I was able to achieve my goal of reading novels written by the authors of this reading group. The writers in this group seemed to want feedback, but since I wasn’t a real writer and was just a plagiarized writer, they could only give me encouragement.

Fortunately, that alone was enough for the writers to be happy and like it.

Of course, not all writers made such a fuss.

“Guy… ? Before you, I didn’t say that Herodotus was only the tip of a toe compared to Homer… ?”

“Isn’t it natural for the toes of God to be higher than the top of a human’s head?”

“What.”

This is because this group was basically called ‘Homericism’, a group that followed the author Homer.

Originally, readers who extremely revered one author tended to downplay the influence of other authors. It’s like arguing that ‘Homer is so great that Herodotus is actually not that big of a deal.’

Of course, they didn’t say it out loud in front of me, but there were several readers who were visibly uncomfortable.

In that atmosphere.

Isolette opened her mouth as if something suddenly occurred to her.

“Wait a minute, Ed, if you are the author of Herodotus… Are you close with the author of Homer? ?”

“Huh?”

“I know that the relationship between the two is so deep that they write letters of recommendation for each other and run a welfare foundation together… . So Ed, that means you and the author of Homer meet and talk often, right?”

“Right?”

“Oh my god… You’re close friends with Homer… .”

and.

That was decisive.

The ‘Homeric extremists’ who were uncomfortable changed their minds with sparkling eyes. And in fact, they rushed at it more actively than the fans of ‘Herodotus’.

“What kind of person is the author of Homer? After all, you must be a very kind, good-natured, dignified, noble, kind, serious, sincere, and pious person, right?”

“Please! Homer Savior, tell us your story!”

like that.

After being tormented by fanatics all day, I returned to the Cafeter residence.

Likewise, with Isolette, who is staying at the Cafeter residence.

Isolet, who had been silently watching at the book club, only then walked away and opened his mouth.

“Ed, I thought you would become a children’s story author. Could it be that… I never thought I would become a commercial writer. Well, actually, there wasn’t such a thing as serialized magazine novels back then, right? It’s obvious, but it feels strange… .”

“Really?”

“Actually, there was a time when I thought you might be the author of Homer. Hehe, it may seem absurd considering your age, but in my memory, you were the greatest writer… . As a result, he became a truly great writer. Herodotus, the greatest commercial novel writer.”

“Um.”

“Still, you shouldn’t be mistaken, right? Because now I am a fan of author Homer. Herodotus is third.”

third?

Is there another author other than Homer that you like more than ‘Herodotus’ by The Count of Monte Cristo and Sherlock Holmes?

That was a bit of an interesting story.

“Who is the second one?”

“A writer who recently appeared in the Kingdom of Haren─ Sophocles. I read a book in Harenese, and, well, the imagination was so scary… . So I fell in love with it?”

“Ah.”

“Have you read it? Hehehe.”

My interest suddenly waned.

okay. In the eyes of Isolette, who has the talent of a critic, the cultural value of ‘Les Miserables’ and ‘1984’ will be clearly visible.

It was not strange to say that I liked the novels of ‘Sophocles’, which were brought almost exactly from the original world, more than the novels of ‘Homer’, which were localized to fit this world.

For me, who was expecting another talented writer, it was a boring experience.

“… … .”

Every time this happens, a little bit.

It gets complicated.

Of course, I decided not to think too much about it, but the influence of ‘me’ in the literature of this world – that is, the influence of Earth’s literature – is too great.

In order to develop the ‘industry’ called literature, I plagiarized several novels from my past life, but as a result, there were probably many ‘writers’ buried in my name. Of course, I tend to read all the little-known novels as if I were scraping them off… .

Because not all readers are like that.

Even if I were to create an artists’ foundation and feed hundreds or thousands of writers, the writer’s food was not bread, but readers’ interest. Aren’t writers people who, even if they burn up in a flame and disappear into ashes, cannot remain as moonlight that only reflects the light of the sun? A writer must become a spark himself.

Otherwise─, well.

The Korean literary world in my previous life was exactly like that. Until the early 2000s, the government’s ‘artist support policy’ “Artists are not beggars! People who pleaded that writers should not be treated as underprivileged neighbors”, or who said, “You can be confident in yourself because you are a writer even if you earn 300,000 won a month.”.

In the 2010s, when the government reduced its support policy for artists and created a blacklist, there was fierce opposition, calling it “an act of destroying the souls of artists.”.

And in the 2020s… Umm… .

I do not know. After all, I wasn’t a writer. Isn’t it funny for someone who isn’t a writer to talk about the ‘writer’s soul’?

That’s why I decided not to think too deeply about it.

But I couldn’t help but feel a little frustrated every time something like this happened. Princess Isolet tilted her head and wondered if such a sign was evident on the outside.

“Ed, what’s wrong? What’s not good?”

“Oh, I just have something to think about.”

“Hehe. So?”

“… … .”

I remained silent without adding anything.

Isolet also did not reply and walked quietly next to her. Silence passed my cheek again for a long moment.

This time too, it was Isolette who spoke first.

“Now that I think about it, I remember when I was young. Ed, I begged my mother to read ‘The Little Mermaid’ to me until I fell asleep… .”

“Really?”

“Actually, at the time, I thought the ending of the Little Mermaid becoming an air spirit was too far-fetched. Even if it had dissipated into nothingness, it would have ended as a beautiful story… Hehe, wasn’t the happy ending too far-fetched? Was it inevitable because it was a fairy tale?”

“Well… .”

In particular, Andersen does not seem to be the type of fairy tale writer who pursues a happy ending.

No, um.

I do not know. The standard for a happy ending will be different for each person.

The protagonist of ‘Red Shoes’ repented and went to heaven, the protagonist of ‘The Snow Queen’ returned home with her friend, and the ugly duckling of ‘The Ugly Duckling’ realized that she was a swan. Of course, there are fairy tales that end with an unpleasant ending.

However, considering that pre-modern fairy tales tended to be ‘without dreams or hopes’… .

Andersen’s fairy tales still seem to have pursued a ‘happy ending’ in Andersen’s own way.

“Ah, Ed. Shooting stars are falling. Is it a meteor shower?”

“… That’s right. They say that when a star falls, it means someone is dying… .”

“Hehe, did you tend to believe in such superstitions? In that case, even if the stars fall all day long, it might not be enough.”

“That’s right.”

“But, superstitions aren’t bad either. That’s the superstition I know about shooting stars.”

“Huh?”

“If you see a shooting star with the person you love, the two of you will definitely end up together.”

“It’s such a common and romantic superstition… .”

Let me say this with a bit of disgust.

Isolet smiled playfully and answered.

“Isn’t it better because it’s childish?”

“Well, definitely, that’s right. Superstitions should have that taste.”

“So, Ed.”

“Huh?”

“If the concerns you are currently facing are concerns as a writer… Why not go back to your childish days and try writing a fairy tale?”

“Fairy tale?”

I put together the ‘Andersen Fairy Tale Collection’ for my nephew who was to be born this time.

However, Princess Isolet would not know that fact.

“I’m still waiting for the new fairy tale you wrote, Ed.”

“… … .”

That coincidence felt like some kind of ‘magic’. This is the magic of literature, where the work and the reader are connected to each other.

The word fate is too romantic.

It’s hard to call it a coincidence because it clearly exists in this world.

Some people simply call it ‘the power of literature’, while others call it ‘the soul of literature’.

It’s that kind of magic.

“Ed Ever since you gave me ‘The Little Mermaid’, I’ve fallen asleep reading it every night until today.”

“For over 10 years… ?”

“Do you think I’m childish?”

“… Uh.”

and.

That magic is what has made me hold on to literature for over several decades, from my past life to the present.

If literature is something you can’t let go of even if you die once and wake up.

“I like it because it’s childish.”

“Hehe, right?”

About ten years.

okay.

It was moderately childish, which was good.

.

.

.

[She saw the star fall, leaving behind a bright trail of fire like a tail.]

[“Someone is dying.”]

[The girl with eight arms thought.]

[This is because the girl’s now deceased grandmother said that when a star falls, the soul ascends to the sky.]