Surviving as a Plagiarist in Another World

If Sion had been here, he would have helped a lot.

But since I was alone in the Harren Kingdom, I had no choice but to solve most things on my own.

As if to announce that mealtime had passed, the cuckoo clock rang once.

Only then did I realize I hadn’t had lunch yet.

Well, it’s quite common in this world to eat only two meals a day, so it wasn’t that big of a deal.

What mattered more was that a new manuscript had been completed at this very moment.

I整理ed the scattered manuscripts and bound them together into one.

On the first page was the title of the novel.

[1984]

After a brief hesitation, I decided to keep the title as the original “1984.”

After all, the names of the places like “Oceania” and “Eurasia,” which serve as the setting, were left unchanged as well.

The novel published under Sophocles’ name seemed like it would be a historical novel set in a “fictional world.”

There would probably be some sci-fi elements too.

Considering that the foundation of the sci-fi genre often referred to as “punk” is alternate history novels, it didn’t seem so strange.

“Ah, I should send a copy to Sion too.”

I put the manuscript of “1984,” written in the Empire language instead of Harren, into an envelope and carefully wrapped it.

If I send it by express delivery, it will arrive soon.

I was about to call the employee at the inn to buy some stamps when I remembered that I already had a few stamps in my bag.

“Ah, I still have those Little Prince stamps.”

With that, I sent the 1984 manuscript home and told them to send any important mail to this address if needed.

Sion would probably take care of it properly.

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[On a clear and chilly day in April, the clocks were ringing thirteen times.]

1984 begins with this first sentence.

It describes April, a month symbolizing spring, as cold, and it says that a clock, which should ring twelve times, rings thirteen.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

The moment the reader encounters this strange sentence, they instinctively realize.

This world is somehow wrong.

Thus, the story of a dystopia filled with lies, where one must question everything, begins.

“Now, this is interesting. Very interesting… It’s like it’s describing a truly existing world, but everything is so full of fiction that nothing feels real…” �

The editor seemed to give a fairly positive evaluation of the novel.

The skill with which he quickly read the entire manuscript and summarized its essence was that of a seasoned veteran in the publishing business.

The editor returned the manuscript, resting his face in one hand while fiddling with his ear.

It seemed to be a habit of his when he was thinking about something.

“However, due to its complexity, I’m not sure how well it will sell. And isn’t it a bit too early to publish this now? Les Misérables is still selling quite well, you know.”

“Is that so?”

“A slight gap between publications seems just right… But if this novel receives poor reviews and Les Misérables doesn’t sell as a result, that would be problematic. Literature is such an unpredictable field when it comes to outcomes.”

Indeed, the story of 1984 had its challenging aspects.

Of course, in my past life, ‘George Orwell’ was praised for vividly illustrating dystopian societies, but that was by the standards of modern people who had endured the darkness of the ‘World Wars.’

In this world, even the concept of ‘dystopia’ would feel unfamiliar.

However, I had a strong feeling that this novel would sell quite well.

“Understood. Although His Majesty personally recommended this novel for publication, in that case, we should postpone its release─.”

“─But wait! Your novel is absolutely remarkable! Even if it doesn’t sell, it must be published! Isn’t it truly dreadful when art is shackled by commercial concerns?”

“Thank you.”

Because the ‘future’ depicted in 1984 wasn’t so different from the one the Lazy King had been worried about.

A future where someone with the power to distinguish truth from lies denies the truth, wields falsehoods, and treats truth merely as a convenient tool.

A future where a person revered and worshiped by all the nation’s citizens uses that authority to enslave everyone, making their dominance eternal.

A future where someone with the power to mobilize the country’s entire resources wields that power to erase an individual’s humanity and strip them of freedom.

A future where a person with pure power above all rights exists.

The most horrifying future, one that arises when power is wielded for its own sake.

[Tutto nello Stato, niente al di fuori dello Stato, nulla contro lo Stato.]

[Everything within the State, nothing outside the State, nothing against the State.]

Totalitarian dictatorship.

Dictatorship by totalitarianism.

The end of humanity driven into darkness, obscured by illusions of philosopher-kings or efficient systems, was precisely this dystopia of totalitarianism.

And this was a concept the people of ‘Harren’ could fully understand.

“How can we be certain that the descendants of dragons born in the future won’t use their talents for violence? If they strip freedom and love from the souls of the Harren people, and treat individuals as mere tools or components, how will Harren’s children resist that?”

The heavens above all Harrenites had already harbored that concern.

Surely, the children were aware of what their parents worried about.

They just pretended not to know and looked away. There are many things in this world that are easier to ignore.

And.

The power of literature was to turn ignorance into scandal.

The Harrenites had to confront that reality.

“What should I do moving forward?”

Every parent of the Harrenites was waiting for their children to answer.

But I, a plagiarist, was not the one qualified to answer that question.

Only the Harrenites had the right to respond to that question.

“If it’s a book His Majesty wishes for, shouldn’t we dedicate the entire printing line to it? Printing tens of thousands of copies might still not be enough!”

“That sounds like a great idea.”

“Hmm?”

“Let’s just rent out all the printing shops around here.”

I nodded at the editor’s over-the-top enthusiasm and took my wallet out of my pocket.

I then pulled out several promissory notes from various companies that were inside the wallet.

These were “blank checks” with my account and signature on them, but with the amount left blank.

I placed them on the desk and asked the editor.

“I’d like to use all the printing shops around here for a few days. How much should I write?”

How much would it take?

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On a clear and chilly day in Harren.

A strange event occurred.

People first noticed this “strange event” in the newspaper.

“Buy your newspaper! Today’s latest news is in the newspaper for today!”

“Hey, kid. Can I get a newspaper?”

“Yes! Which one would you like? Harren Sunbo, Gisa News, Harren’s Day, Ivan Daily─”

“Give me one of each.”

“Yes!”

“Let’s see, what happened today… hmm?”

[Sophocles’ new work, who wrote ‘Les Misérables.’ ‘1984’ released.]

[Big Brother is Watching You.]

The front page of nearly every major newspaper in Harren was filled with an advertisement for a “book.”

It wasn’t unusual for advertisements to appear in newspapers, but having the front page of all the newspapers filled with the same advertisement was certainly a strange occurrence.

Moreover, even though it was an advertisement, there was no content about the novel at all.

It simply showed the sentence “Big Brother is Watching You,” along with the face of a man printed beneath it.

People went about their day, remarking how strange it was, but the “strangeness” continued to grow.

“Wait, there’s an advertisement here too?”

Magazines, posters, bulletin boards at restaurants or offices, performance venues─ almost every place had an advertisement for the book “1984.”

With the message “Big Brother is Watching You.”

Wondering what kind of book it was, I went to a bookstore, and the first row of every bookstore was filled with copies of “1984.”

It was as if they weren’t selling any other books at all.

It was truly a bizarre sight.

It looked as if some crazy magician had manipulated the probability of all publications in Harren to be aimed at this “1984.”

“What kind of book could this be…?”

Thus, most people came across this book, “1984.”

Soon, the streets were filled with discussions about “1984.”

“Hey, buddy. Have you read that book, 1984?”

“Hmm? I’ve seen the advertisement, but I haven’t read it.”

“Goodness, man. You’re wasting half your life! How can you call yourself a reader if you haven’t even read 1984?”

“Is it really that good?”

“Let’s head to the bookstore right away! I’ll buy you a copy!”

“Hah, no need. I’ll buy it myself. You just treat me to a drink.”

If you hadn’t read 1984, it would have been impossible to follow the story.

The first-ever ‘media monopoly’ on a citywide scale in this world had the power to dominate every topic of conversation.

“Hah, to think such a novel exists….”

“This is horrifying….”

“But it feels truthful! It wouldn’t even be strange if this actually happened!”

The people of the city, trembling, closed the book.

A poster with the face of a man was watching them.

[Big Brother is Watching You.]

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“I am here to see His Majesty, the King.”

“Hah, you’ve pulled quite the amusing stunt, haven’t you? Right now, Harren is obsessed with that Big Brother story.”

“Isn’t that exactly what Your Majesty was worried about?”

“…Hmph. Yes! You’ve laid my worries bare for all to see! So, is your answer that there’s no solution? That all Harrenites will eventually ‘love’ me?”

“Of course not.”

“Then what is your true intention behind this?”

“Let the Harrenites deliberate and decide for themselves. As they argue, shout, rebut, and make some mistakes, they’ll eventually reach a reasonable compromise, don’t you think?”

“Isn’t that what Your Majesty described as ‘choosing one’s destiny’? It’s both the duty and privilege of the noble Harrenites.”

“…Hah.”

“At least now they know who the worst possible figure could be, so they can avoid the worst. Just reducing trial and error by one step seems like a worthwhile attempt, doesn’t it?”

“…What kind of future are you looking at, exactly?”

“I’m satisfied with any future where literature isn’t censored. Everything else can be handled by others. I’m rather lazy when it comes to matters beyond literature.”

“Haha….”

Because I monopolized the bookstore shelves, several new releases had been buried.

Starting today, I planned to promote those new releases again.

That was the extent of my concerns—ensuring the slight progression of literature.

As for the rest.

I truly didn’t care.

[“Humanity’s choice lies between freedom and happiness. And most of them choose happiness.”]