Surviving as a Plagiarist in Another World

< Chapter 12: Conan Saga (2) >

Genre fiction is considered low culture.

Especially when serialized in cheap magazines like ‘Half and Half’, it is precisely that: a brief respite, a decent amusement, a bit of dopamine. Pulp fiction is a pastime for those short on time and leisure, much like the shorts that flooded YouTube in a past life.

As a result, its content is also straightforward, simple, and easy to understand.

“Sion.”

“Yes, my lord.”

“From now on, we’ll conduct a fan letter reading session.”

“…Yes?”

Thus, ‘easy-looking’ novels naturally attract critics.

“Read these, and separate the ones offering rational criticism, coherence, and researched advice from those that are baselessly accusatory.”

“…Understood.”

Sion looked puzzled, but he didn’t bother to ask why and started reading the letters one by one.

From the frown that occasionally crossed his face, it seemed there were quite a few baseless accusations.

“Sir.”

“What?”

“Here… ‘Isn’t this a plagiarism of Don Quixote?’ Where should I put this letter?”

“Do you think it’s plagiarism?”

“Not at all, sir.”

“Then it goes in the baseless accusations pile.”

“Understood.”

Criticism indeed comes in various forms.

Accusations of plagiarism were still relatively polite. There were letters that were nearly personal attacks.

Having gathered all such letters, he could sort through a significant number.

“My lord. Are you planning to sue the readers who wrote these accusing letters?”

“No. I have something much more interesting in mind.”

“Something interesting, sir?”Nôv(el)B\\jnn

“Yes.”

In the Conan the Barbarian series, many villains appear.

Greedy, cowardly nobles, thieves who stole keys, violent pirates, civilization-challenging ruffians… all doomed to be beaten by the protagonist. Names were needed for such minor roles.

Fortunately, it worked out.

“Being cast as a cheap villain in the novels they ridiculed as cheap, wouldn’t that be the ultimate humiliation for them?”

“…Indeed. It would be quite infuriating for them.”

“And fun, right?”

“Yes.”

“Hehe…”

Good.

It was a headache trying to come up with names for minor characters by scouring name lists, but now we had the perfect scapegoats.

You, the troll.

Become the fodder for the very novel you scorned!

* * *

“Recently, it seems like magazines with interesting novels are increasing,” he noted.

“Ah, yes. Most of them appear to be imitations of Conan the Barbarian, but there are surprisingly innovative novels as well. For example, ahem, novels like ‘Barbaroi on the Cliff’s Edge’ are enjoyable too.”

“Was there such a novel? More importantly, look at this. The villain in this novel has the same name as you. I was shocked when I first saw it.”

“What.”

The Conan the Barbarian series, part of the Conan saga, continued its steady rise in popularity.

Using the names of certain outspoken critics for minor villains proved to be highly effective. Some of these critics were so alarmed that they vanished, while others felt a strange sentimentality about their names appearing in the novels and continued to read them, albeit grudgingly.

“Don’t you think there’s been more dust on the streets lately? Every time I walk, white dust flies all around.”

“This isn’t dust… it’s pulp. It’s all scraps of paper.”

“What?”

‘Half and Half’ magazine, known for its easy tearing, had its torn and frayed scraps accumulate like snow on the streets.

It was a disaster caused by continuously reading a magazine that was originally intended to be read once and then used as tissue paper or discarded.

“Haha, I am Conan the Barbarian, by the gods! Begone!”

“Aah, I want to be Conan too!”

“I want to play Conan too!”

“There are too many Conans! Puhaha!”

Furthermore, the Conan saga became hugely popular among children.

‘Half and Half’ was a magazine affordable even with the pocket money from their parents, and the ‘heroic fantasy’ genre ignited a spark of adventure and heroism in the boys’ hearts.

Boys holding branches roamed the streets pretending to be barbarians.

“Aah! It’s a metal monster!”

“Run away!”

“No! Barbarians don’t run!”

And so, the children who became barbarians encountered a curious being.

An old man, riding a donkey, wore a helmet made of paper and tin, and dressed like a medieval wandering knight.

A strange tension flowed between the children armed with branches and the old man on the donkey.

A primordial meeting between barbarians and a medieval wandering knight!

The first to speak was the old man in the guise of a wandering knight.

“Kids─.”

“Now! Attack all at once!”

As the old man opened his mouth, the children, immersed in their brave barbarian roles, swung their branches. It was a cowardly surprise attack, but none of the blows reached the old man.

With a slight movement of his hand, the children dropped their branches and each took a step back.

Staring blankly at their own hands, unable to understand why they had dropped their branches.

The old man asked them in a quirky yet kind tone.

“Where is Dorling Kindersley publishing house?”

Once called the Iron-blooded, he was a noble of the empire.

The Duke, known as Mad Hammer, had left the lordship of his ducal lands to his son and set out on a knightly quest.

Duke Andy Carpenter.

Having gone mad from reading too much Don Quixote, he was now on a quest to find the publisher of Don Quixote.

And to such an old man’s inquiry, the children responded:

“Aaaah─!!!”

“Run!!! The iron monster is coming!!!”

Without looking back, they fled as if mad.

It seemed it would take a long while for Duke Carpenter to find Dorling Kindersley Publishing.

* * *

The prince came to visit tirelessly.

“It’s been a while, Your Highness.”

“Oh? Didn’t we meet at the award ceremony?”

“Ah, I really enjoyed ‘Dr. Jekyll and Mrs. Hyde.’ It’s a pity we couldn’t talk more about the work at the ceremony.”

“Haha, is that so? I’m very pleased to hear that from author Homer.”

Now, he was somewhat accustomed to conversing with the prince.

In the past, he would have been sweating coldly, trembling, and his mouth drying up. Now, it was just the dry mouth.

It was significant progress.

“But what brings you here today?”

“Are we in such a relationship that I can’t visit without a specific reason? That’s a bit hurtful.”

“Ha ha…”

The prince squinted his eyes mischievously, as if offended.

What was our relationship again?

A patron and a beneficiary? Without a specific reason, indeed, there seemed no cause to meet.

“If you felt hurt, I apologize.”

“Haha, just kidding. I do have a reason for visiting.”

“Ah, what is it?”

“To end our conversation so quickly as if you’re glad— that too is hurtful.”

“Ha ha…”

No, it seemed he wasn’t accustomed at all.

Cold sweat began to flow down his back. His clothes became damp.

“Well, we can discuss the matter slowly after mentioning the purpose.”

“Yes.”

The prince, who had been speaking abruptly while twirling his hair, suddenly hardened his expression and spoke in a serious tone.

“The medicine I received at the award ceremony of the second creation contest… I want more of it.”

“The medicine… you mean?”

“Yes. It’s absolutely necessary for me.”

The prince explained in a calm voice why he needed that medicine.

Hearing his explanation, I couldn’t help but feel slightly dazed and shiver.

It was indeed a bizarre story—the prince, possessing a woman’s soul, had turned into a woman by taking that medicine.

“So, I want more of that potion. I’d also like to know about its creator.”

“…Yes.”

However, he soon had to accept it.

The very existence of a potion that materializes the soul’s form into a body was fantastically absurd.

It wasn’t strange that the potion could change one’s gender.

“There are still many potions left, so I will give you a few.”

“Phew… Thank you, author.”

“And I will talk to the creator separately. I won’t mention anything about His Highness.”

The Third Prince’s identity as a woman was an unknown secret.

It was a secret that must not be disclosed.

“I’ll ask you then, author.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

* * *

“Ah, so you’re saying a man with a female soul turned into a woman after drinking the potion?”

“Yes, that happened.”

“That’s a fascinating case!”

I went to the alchemist and immediately explained the situation to him, keeping it a secret that the subject was the prince.

The alchemist clapped his hands and listened intently.

“And there’s a simple solution! If you drink a potion that fixes the body’s form while under the effect of the original potion, it will do!”

“Is there such a potion?”

“It’s usually used in alchemy experiments to prevent accidents… Well, the important thing is that it’s possible! I’ll mix a brilliant one for you!”

“Ah, yes.”

“What flavor would you like the potion? Personally, I recommend strawberry!”

“Anything is fine.”

“Then how about spinach flavor─”

“Strawberry sounds good.”

“An excellent choice!”