< Chapter 13: Conan Saga (3) >
The alchemist, Gallen Rennion, promptly concocted the potion and handed it to .
Inside the transparent glass bottle, the golden liquid shimred.
“I made it strawberry-flavored as you requested!”
“Oh, how should we settle the cost for the concoction?”
“There’s no need to worry about the cost! The novel written by the story’s creator has been a sparkling inspiration to !”
“Still, it doesn’t feel right to receive it for free after making a direct request.”
The prince would willingly pay even if the cost was exorbitant.
That’s why I wanted to be sure.
“Really, it’s fine! In fact, I should be paying you, since I drew inspiration from your novel to create this potion! Don Quixote, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, the Conan saga—I’ve enjoyed them all imnsely!”
“Ah, thank you.”
…Wait a mont.
What did the alchemist just say?
“The Conan saga…?”
“Weren’t those your novels?”
“How did you know?”
“It’s the color of the inspiration! Yes, a brilliant─ unworldly kind of inspiration. Haha!”
The color of inspiration.
Though I translated them, these were novels conceived by writers from different eras.
And to think, he recognized them as being from the sa author for such a fantastical reason.
“Ah, was this supposed to be a secret? Don’t worry! I’m quite discreet. Eek.”
“…Ah, yes. Please keep it a secret.”
He didn’t seem like soone who could keep secrets, but…
Well, it wasn’t really a significant secret anyway.
“Then, I must be off! I need to organize these rising inspirations into recipes!”
“Yes, thank you for the potions.”
Having received the potions for free, I guess it was okay to trust him this far.
* * *
Having beco a woman with the ‘Soul Potion’, the prince hesitated not a mont before swiftly consuming the ‘Fixing Potion’ as well.
“Mmm~. Both potions being strawberry-flavored feels a bit monotonous. Could it be the creator’s preference?”
“Do you feel any physical changes?”
“Well? When I drank Hyde’s potion, the pain of my body changing was quite vivid, but I don’t feel much with this potion that’s supposed to fix my body.”
“…….”
The potions were free, but surely they couldn’t be defective?
I began to feel a bit anxious.
Noticing my anxiety, the prince smirked playfully and opened his mouth teasingly.
“Hehe, don’t be so tense. Even if the potion turns out to be defective, I have no intention of blaming you, the creator. After all, you were the one who gifted this mysterious potion, right? I’m very grateful right now.”
“The prince’s joy is my joy.”
“Shouldn’t I be called a princess now?”
“…Princess, Your Highness.”
“Yes~ Ah! Say it once more.”
“Princess, Your Highness.”
“Hehe, one more ti.”
“Princess, Your Highness.”
“Ahaha, it feels so good. It’s addictive…”
“…”
“Ah, you just had an irreverent thought, right? You think I’m crazy, don’t you?”
“Not at all.”
It’s like she can read minds.
Does she really have so kind of mind-reading ability?
“That seems about right… Well, never mind that. By the way, when are you planning to write your next piece?”
“Yes.”
“I’m a patron, you know. It’s okay for to ask that, right?”
“Oh.”
“Oh? You hadn’t forgotten, had you? No way.”
He had completely forgotten.
Suddenly, sweat started to trickle down his back again. His hands were trembling.
Could using a different pen na for the ‘Conan Saga’ beco a problem…?
“Wow, you really did forget, didn’t you?”
“…I apologize.”
“I thought I sent quite a lot as a patronage… Well, you don’t seem to be in dire need of money. Maybe I should have promised sothing else?”
“Not at all. I am deeply grateful for the patronage alone.”
“Weren’t you the second son of the House of Fríden?”
“…Have I ever ntioned my real na?”
“Hey, do I really need to be told that? It’s sothing one naturally finds out.”
She claims to have done her research quite boldly.
Considering his status as a prince, it’s natural that he can’t et just anyone carelessly.
“The Count of Fríden has been having quite a headache with the central nobility issues, I hear… Shall I help?”
“Are you talking about my father?”
“I could write you a letter of recomndation to be admitted into the College of Arms. Officially, it would be under my uncle, Duke Artien’s, recomndation, though.”
The College of Arms is an institution that records the genealogies of nobles and officially decides on titles. True to its na, it also bestows family crests─symbols to erging noble families.
Any noble who wants to officially inherit a title must undergo scrutiny by the College of Arms.
Although it has little real power, if they take a dislike to soone, they can drag their feet when bestowing titles during inheritance, making it a position where one must generally show good standing. It was essentially a civil servant position directly under the royal family.
“What do you think? It’s quite a decent gift, I reckon. If your na is just on the list at the Literary Academy, central nobles will rush to bring gifts, won’t they?”
“…Thank you for the sentint, but I must decline.”
And such a position was unnecessary for our father.
“Why?”
“Our father enjoys gossiping about the central nobles as his life’s joy, so I wouldn’t want to deprive him of that as his child.”
“…Pfft, what? That’s it? Really?”
“Yes.”
It was partly true.
Our father—Count of Fríden, was naturally indolent. He detested working and would visibly grimace at having to sign any paperwork.
Offering such an irritating position like the Literary Academy to such a gentleman would only result in him cursing as an unfilial child.
“Thus, I will pretend I never heard your Highness’s proposal.”
“It wasn’t a proposal, but a gift… Well, alright. I can’t force a gift on soone who refuses.”
“Thank you for understanding.”
“But! Don’t forget that I am your patron next ti, okay? Write the next novel quickly.”
“Yes, I understand.”
“Hehe, I’m looking forward to it.”
The prince, chuckling joyously and covering his mouth with his hand, soon left the room with his escort knight.
Shortly after, soone peeked their head through the door.
“Sir Author! His Highness has left!”
It was the President of the publishing house, Dorling Kindersley.
“I’m really exhausted….”
“Hehe… Great job!”
“I’m sweating cold; could you give a glass of water?”
“I thought as much and brought it in advance!”
“Ah, thank you.”
Taking the glass from President Dorling, I downed it in one shot.
Refreshing. Did they install a magic water dispenser at the publishing house?
“President.”
“Yes!”
“I think you’ll have to take on the editor’s job.”
“…You, you an, really?”
“Yes.”
I had a particular work in mind that I wanted to write.
This was the chance to get it published.
“I’m planning to write a new work.”
“Whooaaa!!! Really?! You aren’t leaving , are you?!”
I expected Dorling to make a fuss, but her reaction was sowhat peculiar.
“Leaving you…?”
“Well, since you published with a low-end magazine like Half and Half, I thought I was lacking… I even cried… Hehe. Thank you for choosing !”
“Ah.”
I suppose from the President’s perspective, it was shocking to suddenly see a top author contract with another publisher.
“You don’t have to worry about that. I plan to entrust most of my works to Kindersley Publishing from now on.”
“Th, thank you! I’ll work hard until my bones turn to dust and my body shatters!”
“You don’t have to go that far….”
Indeed, she was a person prone to overreacting.
* * *
“The ‘Conan Saga’ is the progenitor of cookie-cutter fantasy novels,” he claid.
The plot is linear, the story simple, the characters stereotypical, and the sentences intuitive. Each episode adopts an omnibus format.
In short, it is easy to read.
“‘Half and Half’ was much cheaper than other magazines, and so among the readers of the ‘Conan Saga,’ there were many children.
“Mom!”
“Did you go out to play with your friends again? Oh my, what happened to your knee? Ah, it’s all scraped! Didn’t it hurt while you were running around?”
“Barbarians don’t stop because of pain!”
“You should stop if it hurts. It’s foolish to keep playing when you’re injured. The wound will heal eventually.”
“Hehe.”
The noble and pure hero ‘Conan the Barbarian’ ga was the latest craze among young children.
All it took was a single stick. You just had to throw off your shirt.
The problem was, children often hurt themselves engrossed in playing heroes. Normally, children just playing among themselves would end up with a broken nose, but to parents, this all seed to be the fault of the ‘Conan Saga.’
“Oh dear, that damn barbarian or whatever.”
“It’s good to learn how to read… But I wish they would read proper books. Magazines are just filled with violent and sensational content.”
Thick fairy tale books with illustrations were the exclusive domain of the wealthy and nobility.
All ordinary children could access were cheap magazines and thin novels. Or perhaps ‘Don Quixote’ if their father had saved up money to buy it. Though, hardly any children read it.
“Haah…”
* * *
“I will write fairy tales.”
“Fairy tales…?”
“Yes.”
“Ah, do you an like compiling folk tales into a book?”
“No. Of course, I will be creating them myself.”
In truth, it was plagiarism of works from my previous life, but I had beco quite shaless now.
I could say it with confidence.
“Fairy tales…? You’re not just writing a few stories to include in a fairy tale book?”
“Just read them, and you’ll understand.”
I was certain.
Out of all the masterpieces I had plagiarized so far, this ‘fairy tale’ would be the most sold across the most countries.
Any adult who had once been a child would undoubtedly love these tales.
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