chapter - 26

 The Haren Royal Family never claimed that the author Homer was from the Kingdom of Haren.

They merely expressed, from a traditional perspective, that they felt the cultural spirit of Haren in Homer's great works. It was a way to pay their respects to a great writer.

They dismissed the theory of Homer being of royal descent as a question not worth answering.

However, this response was twisted when it reached the press.

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Haren Royal Family Spokesperson: “The works of the author Homer embody the traditions and cultural spirit of the Kingdom of Haren. The royal descent theory remains unanswered.”

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Such 'reinterpretations' are common when statements are transmitted through the media.

The issue was that this became the hottest topic in the Empire.

Even though Kindersley Publishing later released an article correcting the rumor, people interpreted even that explanation to suit their tastes.

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“They’re vehemently denying it, which makes me think they must be hiding something about his origins, right?”

“Exactly! Could it be that the rumor about Homer having royal blood is actually true?”

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The Haren Royal Family had no choice but to ignore these kinds of 'royal' rumors. They really didn't know anything.

The Kingdom of Haren was particularly secretive about 'royal' affairs. Unlike the Empire, which was a constitutional monarchy with a parliament, the Kingdom of Haren had a king who also served as a bishop of the Eastern Church, acting as both the religious and secular leader of the state.

However, the current king of that 'royal family' was nicknamed the Lazy King for his neglect of the kingdom.

Due to these internal and external circumstances, the Haren Royal Family had no capacity to respond to outside rumors. Regardless of the country's size, they were woefully lacking in diplomatic ability.

That was the cause of this fiasco.

Kindersley’s president bowed his head in embarrassment, his voice trembling as he spoke.

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“W-What should we do, author?”

“What do you mean, what should we do? We leave it be.”

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In the end, I decided to abandon the issue rather than respond to the rumors.

Of course, if I revealed my 'real' identity as Edd, the second son of the Frieden family, the rumors would be put to rest.

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‘…But that would likely shock my father.’

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I didn’t care much about being bothered, but if my father became the center of attention, he might abandon our home and flee. I had no desire to be a disgraceful child, so I intended to keep my true identity hidden.

In a way, this might have worked out for the best. The more ridiculous the rumors became, the less likely my 'real' identity would be discovered.

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“So, President, let's wrap up the Haren Kingdom matter here. Didn’t you say you had something else to discuss?”

“Oh! Yes! We’ve received an offer from the Heiden Magic Troupe to turn your work into a performance!”

“A performance?”

“Yes! Actually, several other troupes have made offers too, but Heiden’s is the largest and the most attractive, so I thought I should let you know first.”

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I had seen a few performances by the Heiden Troupe before.

It was the largest troupe in the capital of the Empire. The magical effects used in their performances were memorable.

As for the content of the plays... well, I couldn’t say they were highly rated.

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“As usual, President, handle it as you see fit. I trust you.”

“Understood!”

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Regardless of the various rumors about me—the author known as 'Homer'—the novels inspired by the works I plagiarized began to be published.

Particularly, novels inspired by 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'—with their dreamlike and fairy-tale atmospheres—started to be released. There were signs of modernist literature flourishing, pursuing symbolic and intrinsic art, breaking away from rationality.

Of course, without accompanying societal paradigm shifts or civilizational progress, it was merely a structural change.

Some novels obsessed with poetic language felt like a return to classical 'epics.' Reading them had its own charm.

Among them, the most interesting one was:

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“Oh, you wrote a new novel?”

“Y-Yes! It's a story I’ve been thinking about for a long time. I used to tell it to children as a fairy tale, and now I’ve written it down… Hehe…”

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It was an intriguing fairy tale written by Rolls Camel.

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“It’s quite long.”

“Yes, yes… I wrote down all the stories I used to tell the children… Even though I haven’t met the children lately….”

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Rolls Camel’s fairy tale exuded a sparkle of intellect and childlike innocence.

It was somewhat different from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Her novel had a certain narrative direction. Like novels centered on a protagonist, the child in Rolls Camel’s story traveled through various worlds, experiencing many adventures and conflicts.

Although it felt a bit lengthy, the writing wasn’t heavy or pedantic.

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“It feels like an epic for children.”

“R-Really? Hehe…”

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“I think it’s great. Really great.”

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I didn’t know if this novel would succeed like the classics I plagiarized.

But as a literature student, I couldn’t help but admire the greatness of the inspiration within this text.

So, there was only one thing I needed to say to the author Rolls Camel.

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“Let’s publish it.”

“Yes, y-yes!”

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This book needed to be evaluated by more people.

No matter how great the inspiration within a text, if it stayed locked in a drawer, it couldn’t become a work of art.

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‘President Kindersley will be pleased.’

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President Kindersley, who loved reading as much as I did.

I couldn’t predict what he’d think of this fairy tale, but I could clearly imagine how he’d react.

He’d love it. Immensely.

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“A play? You want to go see a play?”

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The Frieden family home.

At the dinner table, my brother made an unexpected suggestion.

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“Yes. Your novels are being turned into plays and performances, but you’re just writing without any interest. Sometimes you need a change of pace.”

“Hmm, I’m not particularly interested in plays…”

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“But it’s based on your novel, so wouldn’t it be good to see? Especially since the Heiden Troupe’s 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland' performance is quite famous these days.”

“Hmmm…”

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Indeed, seeing how my plagiarized novel was influencing other cultural and artistic fields could be meaningful.

It would also be a good change of pace.

Come to think of it, I did feel like I had been running non-stop. My desire to advance literature was so strong that I had neglected other things.

Literature wasn’t the only source of enjoyment. Maybe it was a good time to find another hobby.

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“Alright. Let’s go see it together.”

“I’ve already booked the tickets. Do you know it’s been a long time since we’ve gone out together?”

“…Really?”

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Ah.

No, well.

Before talking about literature or art, I hadn’t spent much time with my family….

Except for dinner, the last time I spent time with my family was….

Uh….

There….

Never?

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“Father, Mother, would you like to join us?”

“I’m not interested. At my age, what use is a play? You two go ahead.”

“Hoho, I’m fine too. You brothers have a good time together.”

“Ah, yes.”

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I need to reflect.

Literature isn’t everything in life. I should spend more time with my family.

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The magic play was certainly entertaining.

It felt like I had truly fallen into a strange land. The illusionary scenery, the scents, everything created by magical effects was dreamlike yet vivid like reality.

Some scenes couldn’t be described in words and were left as mere impressions.

Things like a grin without a cat.

I had never felt so strongly that this world was one where 'magic' existed.

After the play ended, the curtain call followed, and the actors stood on stage. Behind them, the magical effects used in the performance were displayed in a distorted panorama.

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“The play was fun, wasn’t it?”

“Yes… It felt like a movie.”

“A movie?”

“Oh, nothing. It’s something.”

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“But what was that old man who interrupted the play? He was dressed like Don Quixote.”

“I don’t know…”

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“It was funny. He was slashing at illusions with a staff. Was that part of the act? Anyway, it was very entertaining.”

“Yeah…”

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My brother Eric kept talking about his impressions, but I couldn’t focus.

An impulse was swirling in my head.

The decision was quick.

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“Brother, I…”

“Yes?”

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“I need to write a play…!”

“…What?”

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Just hours ago, I had reflected that literature wasn’t everything in life.

But still.

When I see something like that, it’s inevitable.

I can’t help but think of the great plays that dominated half of literary history in my previous life. Those magnificent works.

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