episode_0066

Christmas. A holiday commemorating the birth of the Savior.

A great holiday of the Church, where children look forward to gifts and adults enjoy the joy of a feast – and thus comfort people with the joy of the Savior.

It was because of these memories of ‘Christmas’ that I sent ‘Andersen’s Fairy Tales’ to my acquaintances on this holiday.

Because Christmas was a day for children.

I thought it was a fitting day to gift a fairy tale.

“… yes? Are the teachers at the foundation teaching letters to children?”

“Yes! Hehe, this is a foundation created by the author for children’s education, right? All the teachers are working happily.”

That is, until I heard this news from President Kindersley.

I was a little embarrassed when I heard the news.

Of course I know about the work of the foundation itself, since I founded it. The role of the foundation was to support homes and daycare centers so that children could avoid working, and to provide education to children.

But─.

“But today is Christmas, right?”

“Hehe, it’s okay because all the teachers at the foundation are working happily. They say there is no Sabbath when it comes to helping people!”

“… … .”

Is this true? They invite children until Christmas and teach them how to study.

Of course it’s better than working. To prevent child labor, the foundation operates a policy of providing subsidies to families who send their children to school.

Since I have lived in the Republic of Korea in the 21st century, where universal education is institutionalized and enthusiasm for education is high, the ‘opportunity to learn’ in the first place may be enjoyable for children as well.

But, um.

I do not know. ‘Christmas’ in this world and ‘Christmas’ in the past life are almost the same holiday in terms of cultural context, but that doesn’t mean they are exactly the same holiday.

“… Boss, what are your plans today?”

“Um, I don’t know? First, we have to check future publication plans and business plans with the staff at the publishing company, and manage the copyright entrusted to us by the author… ah! If you were asking about personal plans, wouldn’t you like to enjoy dinner with your family in the evening and then go to church and participate in Christmas mass?”

President Kindersley counted today’s tasks one by one, as if it was no big deal.

To begin with, these days there are many people who are apathetic towards church and faith.

Just because it was Christmas, not everyone had a happy holiday and spent time with their families.

At the council, the nobles will be raising their voices and arguing with each other, illustrator Lucia will be handling various illustration requests, the Sloth King will still be working, and everyone else will be doing their job in their place.

At Christmas.

No carols rang out in the streets. No, it seemed like it was coming from near a church or an orphanage, but it wasn’t a very exciting atmosphere. The ‘Christmas atmosphere’ that I remembered from my past life did not exist in this world’s Christmas.

It was a very strange thing.

Even when I was young—that is, not long after I was born in this world—I remember wondering how the ‘Christmas culture’ of this world was almost similar to that of my previous life. When I asked Kindersley about this, he thought about it for a moment and then answered.

“Ah! It certainly seems like there was a more exciting atmosphere in the past… Hmm, in my case, I guess I was so busy after taking over the publishing company that I didn’t take much care of it.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes! They say being busy is a virtue these days, right?”

Being busy is a virtue.

Certainly, in this turbulent world where things change rapidly every day, being busy can be said to be a virtue. Originally, as society changed rapidly, the trend that ‘working is a virtue’ was bound to spread in order to adapt to it. Just like the Republic of Korea in a previous life that went through the ‘Miracle on the Han River’.

I know how fast the change this world is going through.

Now, an ‘airplane’ made from a gray magic tower flies in the sky. At the White Magic Tower, a ‘telegraph’ is installed to connect bases. People carry newspapers and magazines in their hands all day, and the Kingdom of Haren’s diplomatic lines have been restored, and the empire and the kingdom are actively interacting. In addition, numerous changes are taking place.

So, the saying ‘being busy is a virtue’ is definitely correct.

Society was moving so fast that it was difficult to keep up if you weren’t busy.

“… Still, it would be nice to rest for Christmas.”

“Hehe, are you worried? thank you! Thanks to the author, I have strength!”

President Kindersley smiled. Now I feel it again, but as I have grown, Mr. Kindersley has also grown older.

When I just came to Kindersley Publishing, I was a beginner in society who looked young.

He now had the appearance of a mature manager.

“But, it’s okay! It is my calling to spread the author’s novel to the world! I will work hard until my bones break and my body falls apart!”

“No, if that’s the case, just rest a little… .”

“It’s really okay!”

President Kindersley was not a person who spoke empty words.

As I always said, ‘I will work until my bones break,’ I worked hard day and night, so I lived with dark circles around my eyes like a senior wizard every day.

And the culprit was ‘me’. Because it was President Kindersley’s role to spread the literature I had plagiarized from my previous life to the world.

When I think about how many novels I plagiarized in that short period of time… .

As expected, it was not a workload that one person could bear. All the employees of Kindersley Publishing Company must have been working day and night, struggling like the president of Kindersley.

“Then he dies from overwork.”

“Ah, will people die from working hard? I do it because I like it, right?”

“… … .”

It sounded somehow familiar.

These are words that I lived with all day long in my past life.

– “Senior! Did you stay up all night at the publishing company instead of getting off work yesterday?!”

– “Uh, huh? Ah, it’s already time… .”

– “Senior, your eyes are really red right now… . And then I feel like I’m going to be completely blown away, so I’m scared!”

– “What happens if you run away from a senior?”

– “I’m not kidding!”

– “It’s okay, you won’t die. I do it because I like it.”

– “I’m dying?! How many people are dying from overwork these days… .”

– “Ah, really? Aren’t you just saying this after seeing something on the Internet? I don’t believe it without a source.”

– “Ugh… . Senpai, I really think he’s crazy.”

– “There’s nothing he can’t say to his senior.”

Now that I think about it, my junior was right.

If people work too hard, they die. It’s a little funny to realize this only after death, but anyway, I was able to feel this sentiment because I was living my second life.

“… If you work too hard, you die.”

“Yes?”

” Now that I think about it, I think literature needs Christmas.”

President Kindersley is probably not the only one who has such sentiments. In the first place, most people living in this era, like Mr. Kindersley, regarded labor as a virtue.

Of course, Puritan sincerity is the ability to develop this society, but… .

Didn’t even the Lord of Heaven work for a week and rest for a day to create this world? That is why Sunday is called the Sabbath.

“Relaxation is also the priming water for culture. Numerous novels, movies, music, carols, works of art and commercial marketing set at Christmas… .”

“Yes, writer? I don’t know what you’re saying… .”

Although I wonder if transplanting ‘Christmas from a previous life’ into this world would be a cultural invasion.

If all this talk about people needing rest isn’t enough of an excuse for cultural invasion.

Just like usual.

It’s enough to say this.

“Boss.”

“Yes?”

“A novel set in Christmas… Don’t you think it’s necessary?”

“Uh, I’d be happy if the author writes a new novel… ?”

“Then, I will write a truly ‘masterpiece’ so that you can work to your heart’s content from tomorrow, so please rest well for Christmas today.”

“Yes?”

“Tell all employees to leave work and rest. Christmas must be spent with family.”

Charles Dickens’s novel could certainly be called a masterpiece.

and.

The novel I am about to release to this world was Charles Dickens’ representative work that earned him the nickname ‘the founder of Christmas’ in England.

.

.

.

[Scrooge! An old sinner who always bullies others, preys on good people, deceives people, is cunning, vicious, greedy, and extremely nasty! Scrooge’s appearance was extremely hard due to the cruelty that settled into his soul.]

.

.

.

“Ah, master. Have you been working on a new novel?”

“Ugh.”

“The Count has prepared a Christmas dinner, so you must participate in the dinner.”

“Ah, let’s just finish this─.”

“Master.”

“Uh, Zion.”

“I know this is off-topic advice, but I hope you spend Christmas a little more leisurely.”

“… Uh.”