Surviving as a Plagiarist in Another World

< Chapter 9: Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (4) >

The genre of hardboiled fiction starts from a contradiction.

A life of weariness and hardship, contrary to the bright future proclaimed by propaganda, fuels distrust and skepticism towards humanity. As these contradictions deepen, people tend to cease deep thinking.

At such times, novels that smash through with refreshing vigor become popular.

“At least it’s refreshingly straightforward!”

“I never expected hardboiled to become fashionable all of a sudden.”

“Lord Ed, what is hardboiled?”

“It’s a genre that solves problems through violence.”

“I’ve never heard of it.”

This was closer to mere violence than what could be termed hardboiled. It was all about smashing things first, without any thought to solving problems.

He shelved the book he was holding.

Mad Hammer

Hammett’s Revenge

The Swordsmen of Ariant

The bookshelf was filled with violent narratives similar to the one he had just read. Most were cheaply printed, poor quality short stories. For the price of one “Don Quixote”, one could buy two hundred such books.

The unexpectedly advanced ‘printing technology’ of this world seemed to have popularized such violent narratives, reminiscent of early 20th-century trends.

This was another unforeseen aspect.

“Seems like you don’t like something about them.”

“No, well, such trends aren’t necessarily bad…”

These poor-quality short stories were light reads and consumable. Given that the existence of pulp fiction had laid the foundation for genre fiction fandom, being popular was never a disadvantage.

The problem was…

“They’re just not fun.”

“Indeed, they seem inferior compared to the novels you’ve written, Lord Ed.”

“No, they’re even less entertaining than knightly literature.”

It was simply crude and sensational.

Robbery, murder, rape, violence—the text seemed to cram in every stimulant. It was questionable whether there was any intention to craft a ‘story’.

It was like gore porn translated into text.

Such discomforting content couldn’t sustain a trend long. This trend would need a ‘standardized plot’ to mature.

“From now on, don’t bring such cheap shorts.”

“Understood.”

“Ah, but if you find something that you think is ‘fun’, bring it anytime. I might write a novel fitting for pulp fiction later on…”

“Do you have a new work in mind?”

“There are a few ideas, but it’s too early.”

Before that, the results of the ‘fanfiction contest’ he had been preparing for needed to be announced first.

The outcome of this contest was crucial for his plans to unfold.

“Sion. Pack up. Oh, and make sure to take the ‘medications’ stored separately.”

“Understood.”

Sion began placing the medications into the bag one by one.

Thanks to the impact protection magic cast on the bag, there was no worry about the glass bottles breaking. Besides, the bottles themselves were sturdily made through alchemy.

“Ah, Sion, could you hand me one of those medications?”

“Yes?”

After a moment’s hesitation, he opened the cap of the glass bottle and swallowed the medication in one gulp.

“Ugh, damn, that’s painful… Doesn’t it get any easier after the second time?”

“Lord Ed?”

“It seems better than what’s coming my way.”n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

For now, things might be alright, but later, there could be issues related to his novels.

The last thing he needed was a ‘Why did you kill Holmes?’ scenario.

It seemed better to keep ‘Homer’ and ‘Ed’ separate. There were a few who already knew his face, but without social media in this world, that was manageable.

“Alright. Let’s go, Sion.”

It was time to meet the contest winners.

* * *

“Kyaa! Is it really ‘Homer’, the author, coming to present the awards?”

“How should I behave, I’m so nervous…”

“I’ll ask for his autograph on my book… Oh, maybe a handshake too…?”

The auditorium where the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde fanfiction contest awards ceremony was being held was buzzing with excitement.

Everyone here was a fan who had participated in the contest with the single-minded desire to meet the author ‘Homer’.

“Is it really okay for me to follow you? There won’t be any magical attacks, right?”

“It’s fine! Winners are allowed to bring up to two companions.”

“Oh… Thank you. Really. You being my friend is the luckiest part of my life…”

Among literary enthusiasts, the name ‘Homer’ was almost divine.

A prodigy who had dominated the high society of nobles with his debut work ‘Don Quixote’, and a creator who had invented the charming characters of ‘Jekyll’ and ‘Hyde’ with his work ‘Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde’.

“I absolutely love Hyde…”

“I prefer Jekyll. He seems a bit vulnerable, makes me want to protect him? And he’s also quite gentlemanly.”

“Ah, I know right!”

Especially ‘Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde’ was popular among women.

The cultured and kind but perilous Dr. Jekyll, and the bad boy Hyde who didn’t care about societal views—these character traits struck a chord with female readers. Particularly, the attribute of ‘dual personality’ was utterly irresistible to them, given their lack of immunity to such traits.

Among the fans were noble daughters and heiresses from prestigious families.

“Hehe, do you recognize what this is?”

“Is that… could it possibly be the first edition of Part One of Don Quixote? The one that’s no longer even available for sale…”

“I’m thinking of getting an autograph from author Homer here. Can you imagine how thrilling that would be?”

“…You’re not planning to sell it, are you?”

“Who would be foolish enough to sell an invaluable treasure for money?”

“If they promised the development rights to the Prinen mines, then…”

“…Really? Are you serious?”

As if it were a social circle, underground negotiations about rights also took place.

There were those among them who kept each other in check.

“Could it be that you hired a ghostwriter?”

“Hardly. It is a great honor just to have my humble writings read by author Homer himself… Who would commit such a vulgar act?”

“That’s true.”

However, such checks did not persistently continue.

If there were no irreconcilable interpretations, fans of the same work tend to develop a sense of camaraderie.

“Homer is like a god to me. I could never commit such an act of disrespect.”

“Ah! I understand.”

Thus, Homer was a godlike figure.

With the advancement of magi-engineering and the increase in indifferent individuals, perhaps Homer was an even more influential figure than a god.

“The award ceremony is about to begin! All awardees, please take your designated seats, and companions, please step back!”

“Ah, it’s starting soon. What should I do.”

“Do I look okay? Don’t I look too dry? I should have gone to bed earlier yesterday!”

So it was.

“Homer is entering for the award presentation!!!”

The ceremony, filled with adoration and chaos, began.

* * *

In the auditorium where the award ceremony was taking place.

I was sitting in a small waiting room attached to the auditorium, waiting for my turn.

“Author, are you ready?”

“Oh, yes. Wasn’t there anything special I needed to prepare?”

“You might want to prepare mentally….”

“I’m just an award presenter, though.”

I wasn’t sure why any mental preparation was needed since I was only presenting the award, not receiving one.

But for some reason, Ms. Dorling seemed a bit anxious.

“Lord Ed!”

“Yes, boss.”

“You shouldn’t be so at ease right now…”

“Yes.”

“Ugh, you need to be more aware of your own influence.”

“And that’s why I changed my face, right?”

After drinking the potion, my appearance was a mix of my past and present lives, but it was difficult to guess that I was ‘Ed’ just by looking at me.

As I touched my face and said that, Dorling suddenly raised her voice in annoyance.

“That face is the problem too!”

“Really?”

“It’s too handsome!”

“Is that so…?”

Hmm.

Honestly, I think I might have become slightly more handsome.

Doesn’t it have the vibe of a handsome mixed-race actor you might imagine? That’s exactly the look.

A blend of the best features from both my past and current life appearances?

“In that case, it might have been better if you had come with your original face!”

“Are you implying my original face was ugly?”

“Your original face wasn’t ugly… It just had a harmless look.”

What does it mean to have a ‘harmless’ look?

I’m not sure if it’s a compliment or an insult. Since I’m not sure, let’s take it as a compliment.

“Ah, it’s already my turn… Lord Ed! You know you’re next after me, right? You need to come out as soon as you’re called!”

“Of course.”

As Dorling Kindersley went out to deliver her speech, the waiting room suddenly became quiet.

Perhaps it was the boss’s threat, but I felt a bit nervous. I leaned back in my chair, waiting to be called.

No, not my name.

-Author Homer is now entering for the award presentation!!!

As the name of one of the greatest authors in history was announced, I opened the door of the dark waiting room.

Beyond the door, there were lights.

“Kyaaaaaaaah─!!!”

“Waaaaaaaah!!!”

There were people cheering.

In that moment, overwhelmed by the cheering, I became dazed. Everyone in the room was looking only at me.

Ah.

This is why the boss told me to be mentally prepared.