chapter - 29

 The ticket scalpers who had been plaguing the arts and culture scene were rounded up in an instant.

Of course, the scalpers had their own trusted connections. They regularly "gifted" the administrative officials and the security guards, believing they could escape any crackdown.

They were completely wrong.

“What crime have I committed to deserve this?”

“The ‘Prohibition of Unlawful Resale in Arts and Culture’ law passed yesterday. Everything you’ve been doing is now punishable.”

“How could I have known about a law that passed just yesterday! Call the chief of security, Layton. He’ll understand—”

“Are you talking about Chief Layton? Ah, here he comes now.”

“L-Layton! It's good to see you! This must be a misunderstanding; I haven’t done anything—ack!”

“…I’m here to warn you, Hans. If my name comes out of your mouth even once more, I’ll make sure you can’t set foot in this empire again, even if I have to use all my connections.”

The security chief growled in a low voice.

The merchant shrank under the menacing sound, reminiscent of a beast’s low rumble.

“I-I really didn’t know. This is a misunderstanding—”

“You, a well-informed merchant, claim you didn’t know about a law passed by the council, especially one directly related to your ‘business’?”

“Still, arresting someone based on a law that passed just a day ago is too much!”

“Do you know what’s really too much?”

“…”

“I might have to resign my post as security chief because of a single drink I accepted from you. The artist you exploited, Mr. Homer, is sponsored by the royal family, and Ian Plummer, co-author of the play ‘Hamlet,’ is the cherished youngest son of the Plummer Earl. What’s too much is what you’ve done. You’re the one who’s gone too far!”

“Th-That’s—”

“Let me warn you again. Don’t let my name slip out during the interrogation.”

The empire was a constitutional monarchy where even commoners could enter the council, but the gap in power and class was evident.

And Homer was protected by the highest powers.

Naturally, there were those in the shadows who harbored resentment.

“This can’t be! How can they oppress us merchants like this? We need to warn—”

“Grrr…”

“…A beastman? Eek!”

But they disappeared swiftly.

The scalping issue was resolved perfectly.

“All the scalpers’ assets will be confiscated and used as funds to develop performing arts.”

“That’s good news.”

Thus, an external problem eating away at the arts and culture scene was solved.

However, a familiar problem reared its head.

“Doesn’t Hamlet’s indecisiveness and tragic downfall satirize the lazy king of the Haren Kingdom who does nothing despite having absolute power?”

“And doesn’t the character of Claudius, who kills his brother and usurps the throne, criticize the current emperor of the empire, who was originally third in line to the throne?”

It was the political zealots.

Critics, gossipers, and talkative folks began finding political meanings in the play “Hamlet.”

These interpretations soon turned into more concrete rumors spreading among people.

“I heard Homer fled from Haren because he criticized the lazy king and was sentenced to death! Denying his Haren roots is just to avoid the royal family’s eyes!”

“Eh, I heard something different. Homer is actually the emperor’s illegitimate child, and that’s why the royal family supports him.”

“What, Homer is the love child of the emperor and the Haren royal family?”

“What.”

Few people truly believed these absurd rumors.

“This explains everything! Homer wrote Hamlet to criticize the lazy king!”

Few believed, but the few who did were loud.

“The true purpose of Hamlet is to expose the downfall of the Haren royal family!”

Confident and assertive, the political zealots spread their baseless rumors.

As they did so, even those who initially dismissed the gossip started to wonder, “Could it be true?”

Eventually.

“The Haren royal family will firmly respond to all the baseless rumors regarding Homer and the lazy king. We request the empire’s cooperation.”

The Haren royal family couldn’t just sit back.

But with limited diplomatic leverage, all they could do was beg the empire to quell the rumors.

Ironically, their official reaction only fueled the rumors further.

“Let’s bring the great writer Homer, born in Haren, back to Haren!”

“Homer is a citizen of the empire! His origin doesn’t matter!”

“Isn’t Homer actually from the Republic of Seidel?”

“Who the hell are you?”

In short, it was chaos.

“Sir, what should we do…?”

“…Ignore it.”

.

.

.

“Sir!”

“Yes, sir. What brings you here in such a hurry…”

“A-A guest has arrived!”

“Is it Lady Ys?”

“N-No, it’s… um…”

“Take your time, it’s okay.”

“The lazy king himself…?”

“…What?”

.

.

.

The lazy king.

The king of the Haren Kingdom, located to the east of the empire.

The bishop of the Eastern Church and the rightful ruler of the Haren people.

“Haha, are you Homer?”

“…Yes.”

He stood before me.

Alone, without a single guard, dressed in rags.

If it weren’t for the platinum magic insignia, I’d think he was a beggar mistaking himself for a king.

“Nice to meet you! I’ve read all your works. Don Quixote, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, The Little Prince, The Sorrows of Young Werther, Alice in Wonderland, Hamlet! All of them are masterpieces that touched my heart. Haha!”

“Thank you…”

“But I see you have a Haren look about you! Are you a half-blood?”

“Well…”

“Just kidding! You’re too handsome to be a Haren. Haha!”

“Haha… Thank you…”

What on earth is happening?

This is a king.

Not just a duke or some royalty from the empire, but the absolute monarch of an eastern kingdom.

Such a person was standing before me.

In the capital of the empire. How should I make sense of this?

“I came here to support your writing.”

“Pardon?”

“That’s all! Were you expecting something else? Haha!”

“Oh, um…”

“I know there are a lot of rumors going around. That Hamlet was written to criticize me, for example.”

“…”

“I hope those rumors spread even further. To the point where people start calling for my removal from the throne!”

“…What?”

I genuinely couldn’t understand.

I couldn’t follow the conversation at all.

“How much do you know about the Haren royal family?”

“Well, nothing at all.”

“The Haren royal family is… well, to put it simply, mixed blood with ancient species. It’s not known to the public, but most kingdom officials are aware. That’s why the royal family is so reclusive… Anyway, that’s the gist of it.”

…Should I even be hearing this?

“Do you know about ‘dragons’?”

“Only from the Bible or myths, yes.”

“The blood of dragons runs in our family.”

So dragons really exist in this world?

As if answering my unspoken question, the lazy king’s pupils split vertically, resembling a serpent’s eyes.

“This is all there is.”

“Pardon?”

“The proof that dragon blood runs in us. These eyes. It’s ridiculous. Just because of this, people made me king…”

“Pardon?”

“To be clear, I had no desire to be king. But they made me king because my dragon blood was the thickest.”

“Ah…”

This is a world with true mysteries.

It’s not strange if the king really has blue blood.

“No matter how much I protested, the officials and other royals didn’t listen… Anyway, that’s how it is. Then your work caught my eye.”

“My work… sir?”

“Hamlet. That play is quite popular in the Haren Kingdom. After reading it, many people started criticizing me…”

“Haha…”

“Well, if more people keep criticizing me, maybe the officials will finally remove me from the throne.”

“I see…”

At that moment.

I understood this “lazy king.”

He was just like my father!

“So, I came to encourage you to keep writing. Especially if it’s something that gets me criticized!”

“…I’ll do my best.”

“Haha! Then, I’ll be off! May the gods bless you!”

…Don’t overthink it.

I need to go to bed early today. I’m exhausted.

.

.

.

“Haha, it’s been a while! Did you miss me, sir?”

“…Yes. It’s been a while, Lady Ys.”

“I heard you’ve been up to some interesting things while I was away?”

“Interesting things, ma’am?”

“I checked the teleportation records at the mage tower… it seems someone came directly from the Haren royal family.”

“…”

“Oh, don’t be so tense. If you’re too stiff, I might get a bit upset.”