chapter- 4

 The ending of Don Quixote is sad.

Don Quixote, who was captured by delusions and believed himself to be a "knight," regains his sanity and dies weakly. The people who tried to "cure" Don Quixote now have to beg him to believe in dreams again.

As always, the ending has various interpretations. Some say it symbolizes the end of the Middle Ages and the beginning of the modern era, while others believe that Cervantes ended the story in this way to prevent any more trashy "fake sequels" from being produced.

But the important thing is not the interpretation.

The important thing is the ending itself.

"If the world is going crazy, who can be sane? Having too much common sense is madness!"

"Let's mourn Don Quixote! Let's dream impossible dreams!"

"Let's catch the stars in the sky! Let's fight unwinnable battles and throw ourselves into unbearable pain!"

This ending added fuel to the fire of the existing immersion, which was like a spark of dry leaves.

There is no other ending that hits the nail on the head of immersion as much as the protagonist's death.

The streets were noisy with the shouts of people marching in medieval knight costumes. They were all readers who had become immersed in "Don Quixote." They were making a fuss in the streets, carrying a tombstone inscribed with Don Quixote's epitaph.

Even the law enforcement officers who should have been maintaining order were either ignoring the disturbance or joining in.

"At least they're not threatening the author like Sherlock."

"What is Sherlock, my lord?"

"A detective with a dirty personality."

"If my lord knows him, he must be a very skilled detective."

"His skills are certainly reliable."

I want to try 'plagiarizing' a mystery novel from my original world someday. In a world where magic exists so mysteriously, I'll have to put more effort into the investigation, but... I think it will be a bit difficult.

"Sion."

"Yes, my lord."

"How is the proposal for the copyright law coming along?"

"Currently, my lord has written a letter directly to the parliament. Since many members of parliament are fans of Don Quixote, it is expected that there will be no difficulty in passing the law."

The immersed readers were giving me a headache, but the proposal for the copyright law that I made with the release of Don Quixote Part 2 was proceeding smoothly.

This solves the biggest problem that has been plaguing me.

Of course, in some self-governing territories and kingdoms where the laws of the Empire's parliament do not apply, pirated copies will still be circulating... but there's nothing I can do about that.

"When the copyright law is properly established, we will be able to see more interesting works."

"...My lord."

"Hm?"

"But if the copyright law takes effect, won't we be unable to see interesting works that follow Don Quixote? That seems to contradict my lord's goal, I think."

At first, I thought Sion's question was absurd, but I soon had to nod in agreement.

This must be the average perception of people in this era.

After all, I myself wrote Don Quixote, a masterpiece of chivalric literature, after reading hundreds of chivalric novels, even though I felt uncomfortable with the word "plagiarism." There must be readers who think, "Even if it's plagiarism, if it's fun, that's enough."

"Well, mass-produced novels have their own fun. If you're familiar with cliches, you can read them easily with less concentration, and the term 'genre' itself is ultimately a matter of 'identity'."

"Then blocking plagiarism means that there will be fewer novels to read?"

"Sion, have you heard the saying 'There is nothing new under the sun'?"

"I think it's from the Bible... the Book of Ecclesiastes, right?"

"You're quite religious. As the saying goes, all 'works' are ultimately imitations of other works."

I picked up a book that was lying on the table.

It was a first edition of Don Quixote Part 1, which I had received directly from the publishing company. At the time, the publishing company was still small, so even the first edition was not that large. The value of the first edition had already skyrocketed, and if I sold it, I could get at least ten gold coins.

"For example, Don Quixote imitated the structure of 'chivalric literature,' but does that mean that Don Quixote plagiarized other chivalric novels?"

"No, I don't think so."

"Right?"

A healthy creative environment is not something that exists elsewhere.

It is a society where creators can legally protect their rights to their creative works and where that is socially recognized. That alone gives the seeds of inspiration endless vitality.

"Someone will twist their body to avoid being accused of plagiarism, and someone will light a fire of inspiration to create a new work that has never been seen before. The result may not be completely new. It may even be immature and shoddy."

"..."

"But ultimately, I believe that all of these 'attempts' will become new sources of inspiration for writers to refer to and bloom in literary history."

As Don Quixote said,

"To hold the impossible in your hands, you must first attempt the impossible. If everyone makes the same attempts, the results will always be the same."

"...My lord is like Don Quixote."

"Is that a compliment?"

"Of course it is."

"Don Quixote-like."

In fact, I cannot be an idealist like Don Quixote. The future I dream of is, after all, a future that the 'previous life' of humanity has already experienced once.

I could only be confident because I knew the outcome.

In that sense, I am─.

"─more of a Sancho fan than a Don Quixote fan."

"Sancho...? Well, my lord has always liked Sancho very much."

Ideals always come at a price in reality.

My future will be no different. I may not have the creativity to create something completely new, but I have the passion to follow the ideals of my 'previous life.'

"Sancho is worldly and human, isn't he? Don't you think he suits me?"

"Honestly, if I had to choose the person who is farthest from worldly affairs, it would be my lord. I've always seen my lord buried in a book."

"Oh, Sion, you still haven't seen my true nature?"

"Is there such a thing?"

I lived in the 21st century, which was full of secularism, cynicism, and advanced capitalism.

I can't just accept this evaluation and do nothing.

"Bring my coat. I'm going out."

"Where are you going?"

"I've earned a lot of money from royalties, so I'm going to spend it."

I declared flex and went out with Sion.

"My lord, can I leave the book here?"

"..."

I came back home with a few books and bookmarks.

I really have no hobbies...

.

.

.

I received an urgent message from Dorling Kindersley and went to the publishing house.

And I heard a strange story.

"...Excuse me, Ms. Kindersley. I think I misheard... Who sent the invitation?"

"Prince Idri!"

"He sent me an invitation?"

"Yes!"

"Why?"

"Because he's a fan of Homeros the author!"

As the title of Prince suggests, Idri is a member of the royal family.

Although he is at the bottom of the line of succession, he is still a dignified existence with the right to hold everything in the empire in his hands.

And he's looking for me? A writer whose face is not even known, who is no more than a writer who sold one book well?

"This is a great opportunity! If you make a good impression this time, you may be able to receive the guarantee of the royal family when you publish other books!"

"Um, wait a minute. Let me think..."

"Oh, yes! I got too excited. Hehe..."

Okay. Let's organize this.

The third prince of the empire has invited me. Because he is a fan of 'Don Quixote' that I wrote.

It was a sudden story, but if I thought about it carefully, it was not that strange. It's not a big burden for someone of that high status to invite one writer.

The important thing is whether I should accept this invitation...

"...If I reject the invitation, will it be disadvantageous to Kindersley Publishing?"

"Huh? Are you thinking of rejecting it?"

"Um, to be honest, it's a bit burdensome. I don't want to show my face at official events, and I want to separate my pen name and daily life."

"Ah, I see. Then I'll reject it."

"...Yes?"

Can it be decided so simply?

"Our top priority is the author's wishes. If it causes even a little inconvenience to the author, we must firmly refuse."

"...And is there no possibility of disadvantage from the royal side?"

"Um, honestly, I don't know. Fifty-fifty? If Prince Idri is a generous person, there will be no problem, and if he is a narrow-minded person, there will be a problem."

She's saying it so calmly.

She's saying it as if it's no big deal, which makes me even more confused.

"The author should not worry about anything and focus on writing. We'll take care of the rest."

"I'm still not sure..."

"Hehe, at worst, it will only result in the extinction of three generations, right?"

I don't think that's a level that can be brushed off with "at worst."

"Please trust me, author. I will make sure that the author is not inconvenienced in any way."

"...Yes."

Overwhelmed by Dorling Kindersley's fanatical enthusiasm, I had no choice but to nod my head.

I guess I can trust her and leave it to her.

...Right?

.

.

.

"So you are the author Homeros."

"I'm sorry, author..."

I rejected the prince's invitation, and the prince himself came to the publishing house.

Oh, is this a dream?