episode_0077

The foundation, commonly called the ‘Homer Foundation’, can be broadly divided into two types.

These are the [Holmes & Lupine Artist Welfare Foundation], which supports the artistic activities and lives of artists, and the [The Little Prince & Alice Children’s Welfare Foundation], which serves as a social safety net such as educational support and free meals for minors.

Among them, when referring to the ‘Homer Foundation’, people often refer to the ‘Artists Welfare Foundation’.

Perhaps it was because of his image as the author of Homer. In the case of the Children’s Welfare Foundation, it was called ‘The Little Prince Foundation’ or ‘Welfare Foundation’.

anyway.

In the case of the Artist Welfare Foundation, it tended to provide unlimited support to those who were considered ‘artists’. This was especially true when it came to work activities. In the case of authors, the foundation covers all costs necessary for publication, and provides royalties and living subsidies for a minimum standard of living. In addition, various libraries under the Homer Foundation purchase the book and provide minimal publicity.

Of course, because it is an ‘artist’ welfare foundation, it also supports the work of writers other than novelists, such as artists and sculptors. Due to the development of technology, a new occupation called ‘photographer’ has recently emerged.

However, the field that could receive the most active support was literature, and I thought that if there were any complaints, it would come from people working in other fields of art.

“Unconditional support for artists must stop!”

So, I did not expect that such a protest would come from writers belonging to the same ‘literary group’.

This is not by asking for more support, but by asking for a reduction in support.

Because it was quite an interesting story to me, I personally called the person who was protesting to the publisher and confronted him.

At first, the writer was embarrassed and nervous by my call, but when I asked him for his opinion, he soon became excited and spoke with a raised voice.

“We must stop guaranteeing publication and royalties for unqualified books!”

“Well, why should I do that?”

“This is because low-quality books are being published indiscriminately due to the current ‘Artists Welfare Foundation’.”

“Low quality books?”

It didn’t seem like they were talking about pulp fiction.

“Books that are no different from diaries. As stories written randomly without any thought or creation found their way into libraries, high-quality… Good literature has become difficult to find. Because so many books are being published, books that really should be known are being buried.”

“Hmm… .”

“So from now on, the foundation must create a standard and correct it!”

It was somehow similar to a story I had heard many times in my past life.

There have been quite a few stories in my past life that light essays, commonly called ‘essays’, are the bestsellers of online bookstores such as Kyobo Bookstore, and that ‘proper’ books do not attract people’s attention. There were even claims that it was unfair for YouTubers, entertainers, celebrities, or influencers’ chatter to become bestsellers solely because of their popularity.

Personally, it was a story that I couldn’t relate to very much.

Although I am also a follower of ‘classical literature’… In a situation where no one is reading books, isn’t it a little ugly to claim that there is a problem with ‘books that are selling well’?

In the first place, each person had a different way of accessing print.

People who encounter books through celebrity essays may become interested in reading itself and look for more books. In the first place, online bookstore platforms also provided various types of bestseller indicators such as ‘contemporary literature’ and ‘foreign literature’.

Just because a book is full of volatile and personal content, it cannot be claimed that it is ‘low in quality as literature.’ It is ultimately the role of the reader who is reading the book to decide that.

“Then who will set the standards?”

“Yes, if Homer, the transcendent master of literature, would do it—.”

“Me?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“Yes?”

“Puht, it’s a joke. Um, yeah. Sure you might think so… . Not everyone can be a writer, is that what you’re saying?”

“Everyone can be a writer, but I believe that not every type can be a work of art.”

This person was also not just a protester.

He’s probably a writer who writes novels. Maybe I’ve read this person’s novel.

That’s why I met this person.

This is because this person is not a politician, a merchant, or an aristocrat, but a writer. A madman who does not consider anything other than literature, who can proudly claim to the transcendent of literature, ‘The quality of literature is declining because of you.’ A person who can distinguish between the author’s authority and the value of the work.

A person full of conviction who is so proud of himself that he can openly do embarrassing things.

Perhaps because it was a recently plagiarized novel, it reminded me of Captain Ahab from Moby Dick. The blasphemous captain who drives everyone to destruction out of revenge. Personally, I don’t dislike this type of person.

“Then it seems you have come to the wrong person.”

“Yes?”

“The foundation I founded is an arts-oriented welfare foundation. Frankly, from the foundation’s perspective, it doesn’t matter at all what kind of work a person wrote. It shouldn’t even be considered.”

“Why?”

The man countered as if he were puzzled.

The man’s courage to confidently lecture about literature to the ‘transcendant of literature’ clearly showed something that could be called pride as a writer.

I was a shameless plagiarist with no pride whatsoever.

Such shamelessness came only from memories of a past life. This is a memory of living in Korea in a time when literature was treated as nothing more than a noble and outdated hobby, and literature that pursued permanence was treated as ‘old.’

And in my opinion, literature should be for everyone.

Before it was a study that pursued eternity, it had to become a hobby that anyone could easily access and participate in.

“Because there should be no walls in literature.”

Cervantes’ Don Quixote killed the old hero myth and opened an era of ‘new literature’.

He made literature eternal.

However, the eternity of literature is ultimately something that can only be discovered in the moments of people living in this era. No matter how great a work is, if no one reads it, it is nothing but kindling.

Of course, it would be impossible to make that person understand something like ‘a world where no one reads print’.

I just.

I laughed.

“There should be no walls… .”

“In everything, people come first, right?”

.

.

.

[“Don’t try to explain blasphemy to me! If the sun insults me, I will even hit that sun!”]

[“If the prisoner doesn’t break the wall, how can he get outside? For me, Moby Dick is that wall.”]

.

.

.

“Moby Dick is truly the greatest novel produced by this era!”

“Of course Baek Kyung will win the contest, right?”

Ahead of the announcement of the winners of the Homer Contest, numerous people gathered in front of the bulletin board in the square where the award results were announced, chatting and discussing.

There was no room for disagreement regarding the winning work.

White whale. Most people expected the great epic to win.

But not everyone was talking only about the winning piece.

People talked about novels they enjoyed reading among the contested works and recommended them to each other.

“Hehe, I think there were a lot of really interesting novels in this contest. I voted for the novel ‘The Flower Embracing the Moon’. How heartbreaking it was to read the story… .”

“I also voted for ‘Moby Dick’… Personally, I liked the fairy tale ‘Who Stole the Cat?’ the most. It included cute illustrations that looked like they had been drawn by a child, and they said they made the fairy tale together with their children.”

“Oh my, that looks so cute. I really need to read it.”

Among them, there were writers who participated in the contest and waited for the results with their hearts pounding.

“Trigram, is it okay?! What if my name isn’t there?! Aren’t you eliminated without receiving even a single vote?!”

“Are you saying it’ll be okay? I also voted for your novel. You really liked this novel, so don’t worry too much. He must have been selected.”

“Ugh… . Well, if I didn’t get any awards… .”

“I’ll buy you a drink then! So don’t worry too much, the results will come out soon anyway, so wait calmly.”

“Ugh… .”

Besides that, many different types of people were gathered there.

Particularly notable were the students at Homer Academy. The fact that the imperial grandson, who had entered the academy late, and Princess Is were there was enough to attract attention.

“Hehe, hehe, my, my novel will definitely win the Excellence Award… ?”

“Don’t act rashly.”

“You look like you have no confidence? Hehe… .”

“Tsk. How can a stutterer like this write like that? .”

“Hehe, you two always get along very well, right? I’m jealous.”

“Oh, no?”

“Absolutely not!”

like that.

The results of the contest have been announced.

The winning film, as everyone expected, was ‘Moby Dick.’

and.

The author’s name written next to it is… .

It was a little different from what everyone expected.

[Moby Dick – Ed Frieden]

“Ed Frieden? Who is Frieden?”

“Has anyone ever heard of that name?”

It was a small prank I did because I was forced to reveal all my pen names due to Transcendence.

Now there was no need to even hide one’s identity.

The square was so buzzing.

It was known by some people who had seen Ed Frieden that Ed Frieden was the real name of Herodotus, that is, Homer.

People who were worried about what would happen if ‘Moby Dick’ was not Homer’s work, belatedly felt relieved.

Immediately, I became enthusiastic.

“The author of Homer is a god!”

“Homer, the savior of literature! May Seongsu be strong!”

It was the same scenery as always…

That brief moment of silence and anxiety before it was revealed that ‘Ed Frieden’ was Homer’s real name was exactly what I had hoped for.

Suspicion that the works of the ‘transcendant of literature’ may not necessarily be the greatest works. Separation of author and work. This work was necessary to dilute Homer’s authority.

I, who was hiding among the crowd after drinking an invisibility potion, smiled and walked out of the crowd.

“Master. Did you finish your business well?”

“Ugh.”

“But I think that invisibility potion is really interesting. How do even clothes become transparent?”

“Sure.”

“Where do you want to go now?”

“Well. Shall we go to the library?”

“I will take you there.”