Episode 18: Genius Fiction and Slum Reform (1)
Though I had compressed it so much that Duke Lucid hadn’t understood.
The core premise of my new work, [The Genius Mage of the Slums], was without a doubt exactly what I had explained to the duke.
‘A protagonist who possesses genius talent, but lives lowly without realizing it.
Then, by chance, that talent blossoms, and as he makes his mark, he grows into an important figure in the world—a growth-type overpowered protagonist story.’
The reason I wrote something like this was simple.
‘Because this is much easier for drawing aggro.’
Since the purpose of writing this new work was openly to turn around public opinion against slum reform.
In order to persuade them, I had to emphasize the necessity of slum reform in the most provocative way possible.
So it was like this.
On top of the existing argument that people can change if given a chance, so we should give them a chance too.
‘If we don’t reform the slums right now, people with talents like this may never receive an opportunity and simply vanish in vain.’
I would plant that anxiety in them, while also handing them the justification of securing hidden talent.
Of course, this would only be possible if the people currently opposing slum reform read the new work and received enough shock and stimulation.
But I believe it’s more than possible.
‘Because this flavor will be their first time!’
If this were my past life, where all sorts of materials and settings were born, declined, and then revived again and again.
The premise and development of this new work would be so standard that, far from being anything special, people might say, “Hmm, today’s feed is a little bland.”
But in this world, where such diverse stories had not yet appeared, this new work was an extremely provocative story packed full of MSG.
If they saw such a provocative story for the first time, wouldn’t it be only natural for them to fall into it?
They say there are plenty of heroic tales in this world as well.
But they wouldn’t be used to the exhilarating catharsis provided by a full-fledged overpowered protagonist story.
Nor would they know the pleasure of a growth story where the protagonist steadily climbs up from the bottom.
You’re asking if overpowered protagonist stories and growth stories don’t contradict each other?
Do you not know that in this world, there is a magnificent fusion evolution called the growth-type overpowered protagonist story?
‘And the standard of that kind of growth-type overpowered protagonist story is none other than the genius genre!’
A genius story, where the talent is overwhelming but the growth starts from zero, is the ultimate cheat key that lets you secure the growth narrative while keeping the plot refreshingly smooth.
On top of that, one of the ways to emphasize the growth narrative and make it more dramatic was to make the protagonist’s origins lowly.
If he’s an orphan from the slums, isn’t that a custom-made birth registration that fits the current plan perfectly?
Of course, I don’t know if a protagonist like this actually exists in the slums.
The probability probably isn’t very high.
But that’s fine.
‘Whether they actually exist or not isn’t particularly important.’
It’d be nice if they did, but it doesn’t matter if they don’t.
The key is to implant the image that even in the slums, which are ignored and despised, there may be people with that sort of talent.
Then, I plant in them the justification and expectation that they might be able to discover a genius who may or may not exist.
And by giving them the opportunity and satisfaction of practicing a sort of noblesse oblige, guiding such a genius, I make them support slum reform.
To put it a bit crudely, I’m saying I’ll make them want to roll the orphan gacha in the slums.
No one knows whether they’ll get a dud or hit the grand first-prize jackpot.
“If you want to roll the orphan gacha... you’ll have to normalize the slums, right?”
With that will packed into it, I released my new work, [The Genius Mage of the Slums].
-The beautiful lotus seed hidden in the mud of prejudice, shown in [The Genius Mage of the Slums].
Can it truly be made to bloom in reality as well?-
-Opposing slum reform? That is no different from letting hidden treasures rot because you are blinded by prejudice!-
“Even now, at this very moment! We do not know what brilliant talent may be fading away under our indifference!
To prevent such a tragedy, we must fundamentally reform the slums!”
“Hear, hear! Let us save the future archmages and future swordmasters with our own hands!”
Public opinion once again heated up fiercely.
***
“Damn it, there are more noisy bastards again.”
Eric, a magic professor who taught basic magic at the Royal Academy.
Had recently been suffering from headaches because of the rapidly increasing number of people supporting slum reform.
It was partly because his own views were closer to the opposition’s, but also because those supporters were always gathering in places like the plaza and making a racket.
For Eric, whose home happened to be near the plaza, it was truly grating noise.
“Sigh, I’ll just read the new book I bought.”
In the end, while forcing himself to ignore the noise, Eric took out the new book he had bought this time.
The title of the book was [The Genius Mage of the Slums].
It was the new work by Author Wei, who could be said to have created those bastards making a racket outside right now.
Of course, that didn’t mean Eric disliked Author Wei.
Hadn’t he gone and bought the new work like this?
‘He did cause those noisy bastards to appear.
But in the first place, that’s just those bastards acting on their own, not something Author Wei told them to do.’
If anything, Eric was quite a fan who liked Author Wei and his writing.
He had collected every kind of all the books released so far: regular editions, hardcovers, and illustrated editions.
He had also gone to see the play that had opened not long ago.
And the signed poster he had received back then was proudly hanging near his bed.
With such deep fan sentiment, he opened the new work this time as well with anticipation, and the first content was.
“Hmm...? The protagonist is a guy who’s an orphan from the slums?”
A protagonist who was an orphan from the slums had appeared.
“Hmm...”
The title [The Genius Mage of the Slums] was one thing.
And at the selection of a protagonist that seemed to affirm the claims of those slum reform supporters shouting outside, Eric’s brows furrowed slightly.
Still, out of his fan sentiment toward Author Wei, he continued reading.
“Wh-what is this?!”
Before long, however, his furrowed eyes had no choice but to widen again.
Because the following contents were far too shocking.
-Huh? Child, did you just use magic?
No, this isn’t systematized circle magic...
Could it be primitive magic?! How did you do that?-
-This? I just did it and it worked.-
-It worked because you just did it?!
Do you even know how absurd what you just did is?!
You’re saying you manifested magic on your own, without learning anything at all!-
From his very first appearance, despite having never learned a single letter of magic, the protagonist displayed the genius of instinctively manifesting primitive magic.
And after astonishing a middle-aged mage who happened to discover him.
-I’m Gray Vickers, a 6th Circle mage.
What is your name?
If it’s all right with you, would you like to come with me?
It would be a waste to let a child with talent like yours rot in this place.-
-I don’t have a name...
What’s good about following you, mister?-
-You’ll be able to learn magic that is far more systematic and high-level than now.
Hmm... and I’ll provide you with food and a home too.-
-Then I’ll go!-
-Good. Then from now on, call me master.
You are... Ah, you said you had no name.
Hmm, then from today onward, your name shall be Tian.-
The middle-aged mage Gray, who recognized his genius, even gave him the name Tian and took him in as his disciple.
-Now, first, if we are to learn this basic magic spell, Fireball...-
-Is it like this?-
-No, how did you already?! I hadn’t even finished explaining?!
What? You copied it after watching my magic?
Th-then next, the method of moving and applying that Fireball...-
-Like this?-
-How are you juggling with three Fireballs!?
No, now that I look, you mixed in other attributes too, not just Fireball!?-
And as soon as he formally learned magic.
He displayed an absurd genius, mastering all basic magic perfectly in an instant with only what he had seen with his eyes.
“No! Does that make any sense?!”
Naturally, Eric forgot all other thoughts and shouted in astonishment.
Eric himself was a mage, so he knew it well.
This was a genius on a truly nonsensical level!
Someone who did not know much about magic might think it was only basic magic.
But basic magic was absolutely not something to look down on.
“No matter how outstanding a genius may be, it normally takes at least a full day to properly manifest magic for the first time.”
And he didn’t merely shorten that to a few hours, but to just a few seconds.
And on top of that, he learned it simply by watching?
Even the Court Archmage, the kingdom’s only 8th Circle archmage, probably did not possess such an insane record.
“Even if it’s fiction, such absurd talent...”
From Eric’s perspective as a magic professor at the Royal Academy, giving this kind of exaggerated talent to the protagonist.
Made him worry that it might cause misunderstandings among outsiders.
“...But why is it fun?”
The strange thing was that it was fun.
There was certainly a part of him that wanted to nitpick as a mage.
Yet when he saw the protagonist Tian casually displaying his genius, and Gray flustered by the sight.
There was also a part of him that felt a peculiar catharsis and vicarious satisfaction.
Amazingly enough, the latter was even stronger!
Along with the illusion that he himself was enjoying such talent, his anticipation for what sort of genius Tian would show from now on swelled rapidly.
And he began to want to keep feeling that refreshing sensation that cleared out the complexity in his head.
Compared to that pleasure, a few minor errors or convenient settings felt like no problem at all.
On top of that, a thought suddenly crossed Eric’s mind.
“Wait, can I really conclude that this is only fiction?”
Come to think of it, didn’t Author Wei have a history of discovering the royal family’s secrets first and turning them into a novel?
Back then, too, he had thought it made no sense, but it had turned out to be true.
“No way! Then perhaps this time too...?!”
Did that mean there really was a talent like this in the slums?!
Author Wei had seen it personally and written this?
If so...
“Just as those noisy bastards say.
Was it right to reform the slums and give them opportunities...?”
Slap!
Eric, who had thought that far, slapped his own cheek hard and escaped from his thoughts.
No way.
“It must be my wild speculation.
It’s not as if Author Wei said so himself.”
Having erased his doubts like that, Eric.
Shook his head vigorously to collect himself, then began reading the book again.
But he did not notice that his mindset had already become starkly different from when he first opened the book.
And Eric slowly began to sink into the fun and shock of the genius story Wade had designed.