Chapter 33: The Fate of Academy Stories (1)
My first long-running serial novel, [The Genius Mage of the Slums], was enjoying considerably more popularity than my previous works.
Just look at what had happened since this series was released: slum reforms, academy renovations, and even a revival.
If I said it wasn’t popular, wouldn’t that be the bigger lie?
In terms of sheer shock value, my first work, “The Betrayed Hero,” which twisted the clichés of hero stories and presented the Demon King as a good character, was probably greater.
But [The Genius Mage of the Slums] poured in the proven catharsis and dopamine of a genius story and an academy story.
And since the characters’ stories didn’t end but kept continuing, there were naturally more people looking forward to it and waiting for the next part.
“Here is the manuscript for Volume 3 of [The Genius Mage of the Slums].”
“Kkiya-hoo! At last! I’ve been waiting for this day!”
Was that why?
When I brought in the manuscript for Volume 3 of [The Genius Mage of the Slums], the reaction of Rex, the head of the Publishing Guild, was quite dramatic.
I’m not even lying—he sprang up from his seat while doing a somersault.
This guild master had some serious lower-body strength!
“Thank you for coming to us again! Sob, sob.
Now there’ll be no more bastards claiming that you’ve abandoned our Publishing Guild and will be releasing through the Commerce Guild instead!”
“Huh?”
Wait. Wasn’t it because he’d been looking forward to the new volume?
Looking again, Rex seemed happier about the fact that I had come to see him than about the new book itself.
And the reason was, of course, because I had collaborated with the Commerce Guild instead of the Publishing Guild on the game.
Because of that, apparently they’d thought that the books I wrote from now on would also be contracted with the Commerce Guild rather than the Publishing Guild.
I’d thought him asking me not to abandon them was a joke, but it was one hundred percent sincere desperation?
“I clearly explained to you that games aren’t publications, and that since they require much more capital, I had no choice but to work with the Commerce Guild.”
So why was he clinging like a man dumped by his girlfriend?
“Well... I, of course, believed your words without the slightest doubt, Author.
But the people under me simply refused to believe it.”
“No, if I said that was the case, what reason is there not to believe me?”
“A common conspiracy. They’re trying to push the responsibility for missing out on that profit onto me and steal my position.
Those bastards are even spouting nonsense that I committed some offense against you, and that you, disappointed in me, abandoned the Publishing Guild!”
“Huh.”
While I was briefly cooperating with the Commerce Guild, the Publishing Guild had been filming a whole political drama.
Apparently, with conspiracies, schemes, and even fabrication thrown in, Rex had nearly been driven out of his position as guild master.
And while he was forcing himself to hang on day by day, I had shown up with the manuscript.
No wonder he’d been happy enough to do a somersault.
“But is my standing in the Publishing Guild really that high?”
“More than half of our guild’s profits come from your works, Author Way.
And other authors who admire and were influenced by you also showed their intention to follow you if the rumors were true.”
Hmm. So they’d nearly had their profits cut in half and a large-scale exodus on their hands.
“If it was that serious, you should’ve contacted me sooner and asked for help.”
If Rex had been driven out of the position of Publishing Guild master, I would have been in a bit of trouble too.
From my perspective, having Rex continue to sit in that seat was the best option.
He understood my goal of spreading culture well, and he was easy to communicate with.
Wasn’t that why I could supply books at the lowest possible price?
“This won’t do. Since things have turned out like this.
This time, I’ll make sure to back you properly, Mr. Rex.
So that no strange bastards can interfere and get in the way.”
“I’d be grateful if you would, but how exactly?”
“Hmm... Ah! How about this story: moved by Mr. Rex’s sincere persuasion, I decided to trust him and entrust the book to the Publishing Guild once again?”
“Oho.”
Upon hearing my suggestion, Rex immediately seemed to grasp what I meant and wore a sinister smile.
Because of the misunderstanding and fabrication that I was trying to abandon the Publishing Guild and go to the Commerce Guild, Rex’s current situation was that he had lost public support for supposedly failing to properly manage an ultra-premium client like me.
In that case, if there was a nice little pretext that Rex had personally changed my mind and secured the manuscript for the new volume...
Wouldn’t he be able to sweep away all the fabrications so far, render the reactionaries mute, and seize absolute power?
“Heh heh heh. The long years of humiliation and persecution... I was getting sick and tired of it.
Those damned bastards! Should I shove every last one of them into dead-end posts so they can’t even open their mouths?”
Realizing that the chance to strike had come out beautifully, Rex immediately began writing a purge list.
This was exactly why, if you were going to play politics, you had to finish your opponent off completely.
Otherwise, you ended up washed out like this.
It seemed the fellows who had been framing Rex had never learned not to stake everything on a fight unless they were certain.
“In return for helping you like this, you know what I’ll need from you going forward, right?
Supply it as cheaply as possible, and promote it aggressively.”
“Don’t worry!
I’ll make sure it’s handled properly!”
Well, regardless of how the internal housecleaning of the Publishing Guild went.
I had to receive the price for helping him too.
Mm-hmm. Good.
Now that my relationship with the big boss of the Publishing Guild had become a little stronger, and I’d put him in my debt...
Future publications should be able to proceed smoothly without any inconvenience.
As I was nodding at the satisfying result,
Rex, who had been writing his death list, smacked his head with a “tak” and asked,
“Oh, right. Come to think of it, I haven’t asked the most important thing yet.
So what is Volume 3 of [The Genius Mage of the Slums] about?
Is it an extension of the academy content from Volume 2, as expected?
He’s only gone through his first year so far, and it seemed like there was still a lot more to show.”
Now that the urgent fire at his feet had been put out, it seemed his anticipation and curiosity about the new volume had revived.
And seeing how he wanted to ride the still-hot academy craze,
I gave a small laugh and affirmed Rex’s hopes.
“Yes. It is an extension of the academy story.”
“As expected!”
“But the main setting won’t be the academy.
They’re going outside the academy.”
“Pardon?”
“They’ll go outside, take on missions, and fight against enemy forces.”
“...Academy students are going to leave the academy and fight enemies? Why...?”
What?
Why are you making that face?
In academy stories, once you reach the middle to later parts, it’s perfectly normal for the protagonist to go outside the academy and fight, isn’t it?
What? It isn’t?
That’s not a real academy?
Sorry, dear readers...
The truth is... I’ve never been to an academy either...
Still, everyone liked the remodeled academy from the novel.
As long as it’s fun this time too, isn’t that enough?
***
“Deciding to enroll in the academy was truly the best choice.”
Joshua Grandel, a first-year student newly enrolled in the academy this year and one of the four troublemakers currently most famous at the academy,
continued to praise the decision he had made several months ago to enroll there.
Because he had enrolled after becoming interested through the novel, Joshua had gained both friends and rivals, which he had never had before.
He was happy that thanks to Bay, who possessed talent comparable to his own, he could devote himself to swordsmanship training without becoming arrogant.
And with the Saintess and Lena added in, all the adventures, exploits, and bizarre incidents the four of them experienced together at the academy
were so enjoyable that they couldn’t even be compared to his boring life in the ducal house.
“Tch. There are still more people who regard Bay as the Tian of our group.”
Although the Tian position he had aimed for when first enrolling was currently being contested with Bay,
that too was one kind of fun that motivated him.
If Wade had known, he would have been dazzled and said Joshua was truly enjoying his youth!
And for Joshua, who had been spending such bright and youthful days, there was even happier news today.
“At last, Volume 3 of [The Genius Mage of the Slums] is out!”
The third volume of Author Way’s [The Genius Mage of the Slums] series, the very work that had led him to the academy, had been released!
“Volume 3 of [The Genius Mage of the Slums]! Give me three copies each of the regular edition and the hardcover!”
“For reading, collecting, and evangelizing, correct?
Shall I wrap them all separately?”
Joshua, who had immediately run to a nearby bookstore,
paid his respects to Author Way and naturally purchased three copies each: one for reading, one for collecting, and one for evangelizing.
Wasn’t this much only a proper expression of fan devotion toward a work that had become a turning point in his life?
“Honestly, why can’t Lena understand something so obvious?”
Remembering his recently made friend, who had failed to understand such obvious fan devotion and had been horrified, asking why he was buying so many, Joshua shrugged.
As soon as he arrived home, he neatly set aside the collecting and evangelizing copies, then immediately opened the reading copy.
“Now then, how will Tian’s new academy life continue?”
Perhaps because he had enrolled in the academy himself, his heart was even more immersed than before his admission.
And in the new volume he opened with anticipation for protagonist Tian’s new academy life,
—Tian. It seems it is about time for you to leave the academy and carry out missions outside.—
Tian was being sent outside the academy.
“?”
At that unexpected development,
Joshua momentarily fell into thought, wondering whether he, too, now had to escape from the academy.