Surviving as a Plagiarist in Another World

The global attention was drawn to the first contest hosted by Homer, the transcendent of literature, also known as the “Literature for All” contest.

The voice of the angel was not only heard near the Fréden mansion, in the capital of the Empire.

The Empire, the duchies and border marquisates belonging to it, the Seidel Republic, and the Harren Kingdom— anyone in this world could hear the “voice of the angel.”

I drank the “Invisibility Potion” that the alchemist had gifted me to use when the gaze became too overwhelming, and headed toward the library.

There, numerous people were already bustling about, picking up and reading books from the shelf marked “Contest Entries.”

“I heard Homer participated in this contest too. I wonder what kind of work it is?”

“Could it be the novel ‘The Light of the Dark Night’? It has a fairy-tale-like quality and pulls the story along in such a delightful way, kind of like A Christmas Carol!”

“Maybe he submitted a commercially enjoyable novel, like Herodotus’ works?”

“Hehe, well, it’s definitely not this one. I don’t know who wrote it, but it’s just a diary. It’s funny because the everyday life is written so humorously, but still, it’s just a diary.”

The library’s policy of allowing people to read and vote on “contest submissions” was extremely effective.

Thanks to this, many people gathered at the library, reading books and exchanging opinions.

Some people read a book together and discussed it, while others sat quietly in a corner, reading on their own. It was a scene that could not be seen in the study rooms of Korean libraries, where “books” became the center of exchange.

Among them, there were surely several authors who had personally published books for the contest.

While sitting in a corner of the library and secretly reading a book, I heard a familiar title being discussed. A group of readers was gathered around a book titled The White Whale.

“This White Whale is definitely a book written by Homer! This… like a massive, heavy whale, it’s a masterpiece that devours the great waves of literature! It’s an epic of primordial myths, a pure archetype that can symbolize all modern conflicts!”

“If the human mind were to be expressed visually, it would surely be a deep and dark sea…”

People raised their voices in discussions about what Ishmael, Ahab, and Moby Dick symbolized.

There were some criticisms regarding its shortcomings, but most people were full of praise. Many predicted that this White Whale was, indeed, Homer’s novel.

They even discussed what Ishmael, Ahab, and Moby Dick symbolized.

“The epic tradition and the encyclopedic description of The White Whale may seem a bit verbose at times, but the philosophy and reason within it contain a pure and strong spirit in themselves… It’s literally a literary monument that bridges the tradition to the modern. Even if this work isn’t by Homer… I would still vote for this novel.”

“I think the same. This… dare I say, this novel is worthy of standing alongside Don Quixote.”

“Heh, aren’t you all exaggerating a bit? We haven’t even confirmed yet that this novel is by Homer…”

“Then the person who wrote this novel would become the second Homer. Didn’t I say it? This is a novel that could stand ‘in the same position’ as Don Quixote.”

But the most notable aspect was the “anonymity” of the contest, which led to unbiased evaluations.

Homer’s reputation as the transcendent of literature had no influence on this contest. Many readers even expected that The White Whale— not Moby Dick— might be a different author’s work.

There were so many works in the contest.

The variety of tastes was as vast as the number of people.

“Hehe, no, this ‘Fake Gardener Idalgo’ is so funny! It humorously imitates Don Quixote, but it’s not plagiarism. I think I’ll vote for this one.”

“I liked this fairy tale ‘A Hundred Cats’ the most. When I was a child, I had a cat… and when it suddenly stopped moving one day, I cried a lot. So, reading this fairy tale brought back those memories… it was sad, but, well, I think it moved my heart. I’ll vote for this one.”

Many people weren’t concerned about what counted as Homer’s work, and just enjoyed the pieces purely…

Indeed, this contest, aimed at revitalizing the library culture, could be said to have been a great success.

After reading at the library and smiling contentedly, I was about to head home when—

“What are you doing hiding so invisibly?”

I made eye contact with someone.

It was a person very familiar to me.

“Oh, Lady Es. What brings you to the library?”

“I came to read books, of course.”

“Oh, I see. That was a silly question of mine.”

She was Lady Es, once the Empire’s princess, now a member of the imperial family’s lineage.

We had become quite close to the point of joking around with each other. In fact, I would say we naturally became friends after Lady Es randomly visited the publishing house to pass the time reading books.

In any case, Lady Es could clearly see through my now-invisible form.

“Can you see me?”

“I can’t see you clearly, but it’s a little different from seeing you with my eyes… You know, there’s magic on people of the royal family to prevent assassins.”

“Ah.”

“Hehe, but what were you doing while invisible?”

“Well, I’m just like you, Lady Es. I came to the library to read books.”

“While invisible?”

“Because my face has become somewhat famous, there are a few people who recognize me here and there. Especially in a library, there are likely people interested in the ‘transcendent of literature.’”

“Hmm? Well, that makes sense!”

Lady Es didn’t seem particularly interested in how I had become invisible.

Perhaps it was because she already knew I had connections with various mages and alchemists.

With a mischievous smile, the lady joked playfully.

“But if only you stay invisible, won’t I look like a crazy woman talking to herself?”

“Hmm. That’s true.”

“At times like this, you’re supposed to deny it, not agree!”

“You certainly don’t look like a crazy woman, Lady Es.”

“You’re not insulting me indirectly, are you…?”

“Oh, I didn’t mean it that way.”

“I’ll trust you! So, which one is the work you submitted?”

“It’s a secret.”

“Geez, you can’t even tell me? Aren’t we close enough for you to share at least that much?”

“Are you referring to the relationship between a patron and a writer?”

“No, as friends!”

“…….”

“Oh, wait, were you expecting something more than friendship? Hehe.”

“No.”

“Actually, I’ve been thinking of you as more than a friend.”

“…What?”

Lady Es, holding my wrist—so transparent that even the sunset couldn’t color it—spoke.

With her cheeks slightly tinged by the crimson of the sunset, she continued.

“You’re my benefactor, Homer. Didn’t you know that?”

“Ah.”

“But… hmm… come to think of it, the title ‘Homer’ feels a bit odd. I mean, your pen name is already public knowledge since you’re being called a Transcendent of Literature and all. And I’m greedy, you know. It doesn’t sit well with me to call you the same name everyone else does.”

“…….”

“Would it be alright if I called you ‘Ed’? Or maybe something even more familiar, like Eddie? What nickname do you like best?”

“…I’m not sure.”

As expected.

I couldn’t lie in front of those snake-like eyes.

“Personally, I think I preferred being called ‘Translator’ or ‘Senior.'”

“Oh, right! You worked as a translator in Harren, didn’t you?”

“Yes, I worked under the name Sophocles.”

“Hmm, not bad! I get the translator part, but… why ‘Senior’?”

“My ex-girlfriend used to call me that.”

“…What?”

“Is that strange?”

“No, I mean, huh? Ed… you had a girlfriend…?”

“It wasn’t for very long.”

“This is a little unexpected… I thought you weren’t interested in anything but books…?”

“Indeed.”

“So, how did that ‘ex-girlfriend’ manage to win you over? Did she say she’d buy you good books if you followed her? Or maybe she lured you in by saying she had out-of-print editions at home?”

Those oddly specific examples did strangely align with my tastes.

But that wasn’t exactly how we ended up dating.

Scratching my cheek as if embarrassed, I replied.

“She was worried about how I only read books, neglected meals, and didn’t take care of myself. She said she’d look after me.”

“Ah, I kind of get that.”

“You do?”

Lady Es and I both chuckled softly at the same time.

With that, I left the library.

And Lady Es entered it.

The area near the library was noisy with the voices of readers engaged in debates on the benches.

That lively atmosphere was comforting.

Somehow, I had a feeling that the smile on my lips wouldn’t fade for the rest of the day.

.

.

.

The next day.

“Homeros Foundation, stop lowering the quality of literature with your trashy books!”

“Stop blindly supporting artists! End the guaranteed publication and royalties for undeserving works!”

I witnessed some extremely creative complaints.

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!