Since the launch of Xenon’s Biography, the publishing company that made a contract with the Michelle family has been experiencing increasing sales with each passing day.
Before the release of the 12th volume, it was mainly popular among humans and demons, but now it was being sold like hotcakes to all races. Giant trading companies from all over the world were making efforts to secure contracts with the publishing company by any means necessary, and the company’s CEO occasionally took bribes while trying to make the most profit.
Originally, Isaac was supposed to personally visit the publishing company to make the contract, but due to the risk of his identity being exposed, he delegated the authority from the time of the contract. The copyright was definitely with Isaac, but the sales management was in the hands of the CEO.
Therefore, if the CEO decides, he could falsify them, but surprisingly, he doesn’t. Why?
Even without that, because it was selling so well, there was no ‘need’ to steal any money from it. To be honest, he did take a bit when it was first sold. But as time passed, he stopped that act, given that the revenue coming in from the publishing house was more than enough to make a living.
The accountant in charge of managing the publisher’s revenue was so overwhelmed that they submitted their resignation letter several times. It’s a job that can drive you crazy even if you manage to get through a day’s worth of work because the work keeps piling up.
It’s a laborious task that requires manual work for each and every step, and, in addition to that, managing the publisher’s kickbacks. Of course, the CEO, while gently letting the accountant slide, also soothed them with cash treatment.
He didn’t forget to recruit more staff to assist the accountant’s work. The accountant was one of the most critical roles after all.
As Xenon’s Biography was launched, the profits they made were beyond words, comparable to the wealth of a duke. In the Minerva Empire, the class with the most wealth was the dukes, so you can get a rough idea of how much that is.
Money rolled in just by breathing. Even though there are many expenses in various places, there is enough capital to cover them.
In other words, if the CEO wants to buy a carriage, he can just stand still for a few seconds. In fact, there have been times like that.
While happy days continued day by day, the publisher’s CEO couldn’t be happy all the time. It might be a bit surprising to hear this from someone who loved money so much. The reason for this was nothing but the hardships the CEO has experienced up to now.
When a new Xenon’s Biography volume is published, it will definitely sell. However, turning this statement around, it means that books other than Xenon’s Biography are struggling. The books before Xenon’s Biography was published were so difficult to read that even nobles found them challenging. It was not just the readability, but also understanding what the story was about that was difficult.
The only relatively easy ones were the few essays that adventurers wrote themselves. Since the adventurer’s experiences were shared as they were seen and felt, they were quite popular. As Isaac evaluated it, it may be simple, but it’s just as entertaining.
However, even their demand fell far short compared to Xenon’s Biography. For the time being, Xenon’s Biography will sustain them, but things will change once it’s completed. If Xenon’s Biography reaches its conclusion, the profits could hit rock bottom, not just drop. The current story seems to be around the middle, so completing it within a year would be quite challenging.
Therefore, they should start transitioning into the next phase as soon as possible. The publishing company’s CEO, who has a keen sense for the smell of money, was well aware of this. Besides the frequent pressure from the nobles and the recent publication hiatus due to a major theft and the elves who have recently visited the publishing company that have caused significant trouble. No matter how strong someone’s mental fortitude may be, they can’t help but feel unwell somedays.
For these reasons, the CEO made one decision: to focus on something other than Xenon’s Biography. Even though it may not bear fruit immediately, another bestseller might emerge eventually. Thanks to Xenon’s Biography, the percentage of people reading books has increased, so they will produce something new sooner or later.
“Sigh…”
Certainly, it wasn’t easy at all. The CEO let out a sigh as he counted his money.
Looking down between his covered hands, he noticed a thick manuscript. The meticulous handwriting suggested that someone had put a lot of effort into it. This manuscript was not part of Xenon’s Biography but rather the work of an aspiring writer. While one might assume it would be included in Xenon’s Biography, the publishing house was a distinct entity. Manuscripts were turned into books that could be sold. That was the basic job of a publishing house.
“Starting from the basics and coming here…”
The boss lamented while looking at the manuscript on his desk. Even he was unsure of it. He had been sent the manuscript by mail, and the result was, unfortunately, clear. The readability was abysmal, and the writing was quite complex. In fact, it was more like paragraphs than sentences, with each sentence being quite long.
This was a common mistake made by beginner writers. Writing sentences that are overly long and meandering. As the CEO of a publishing company, he’s witnessed countless authors make this mistake. Even if the story is good, people won’t read it well in such cases.
So, this manuscript was, without a doubt, rejected. He read it all the way through out of respect, but his head involuntarily shook.
“Why does this keep happening…”
The CEO pushed the manuscript far away, burying his head in his hands. In the past year, stress had built up to the point where he felt he might go bald. Thankfully, it had all been resolved with financial therapy, so there was no need to worry about that.
Ever since the Xenon series became a worldwide sensation, there was a craze where everyone wanted to become an author, but there was nothing noteworthy. No matter how good their readability and sentence structure were, imitating them was a different story.
However, there were authors who elevated their own writing skills through ‘transcription.’ Moreover, Xenon’s Biography has a writing style that anyone can replicate if they try, making even the act of ‘transcription’ easy.
However, the real challenge was how to make your writing skills, honed through ‘transcription,’ stand out from the rest. Especially after the 12th volume, Xenon’s Biography is almost treated as prophecy. Not to mention Isaac, who is being revered as a saint.
Is there a book with similar writing skills to Xenon’s Biography being published here? Frankly, it’s not a problem if the writing skills themselves are similar, as long as the story is different.
The biggest issue is the lack of courage to “dare” to follow suit. Unless you’re in a world where social civilization is highly developed it can be problematic.
But here, there is a king who reigns over the country, nobles who govern their territories under the king’s command, and commoners living within those territories. It’s a clear class-based society.
In a class-based society, there is a sense of ‘honor’ that must never be tarnished. Especially if someone tarnishes the honor of a noble or higher, they may face immediate judgment, and there would be little room for complaint.
So, if you were to write a book similar to Xenon’s Biography, even if the story is different, there would be an underlying anxiety about harming Xenon’s honor.
Even if you were to publish it while concealing my status, you should be prepared to receive a lot of criticism.
As a commoner who was also immersed in the new culture of ‘capitalism,’ I couldn’t understand them.
“Should I write a letter… or maybe not. But I still feel uneasy…”
However, he didn’t entirely not know. In my heart, he wanted to write a letter to Xenon and ask for this favor.
From the publisher’s perspective, it’s not good to focus solely on the Xenon series, so can’t they at least say a few words? He wanted to ask if they can be lenient for the sake of those authors who nurtured their dreams while reading Xenon’s Biography.
He wanted to say these things, but the CEO knew Xenon’s true identity. It’s strange that they don’t know, considering they signed the contract themselves. If he were a commoner, it might be understandable, but Isaac was a noble. Even though he’s a baron, the CEO should know his place and not make demands.
In truth, when he received the manuscript for the new volume last time, he had some greedy thoughts, so he subtly made a request. Since the volume was too long, he asked if they could split it into two and release it. He emphasized the quantity without mentioning the benefit to the publisher. However, the response that came back was a resolute and firm rejection.
That one rejection made the CEO hesitate. He wanted to gather the courage to try just one more time, but he was unsure whether it was crossing a line or if it was okay.
“Hoo…”
The CEO let out a sigh as he glanced at the manuscript he had pushed aside. It seemed like he needed to write a letter first in order to send that back.
As the CEO opened the desk drawer to retrieve some stationery and a pen.
Knock knock knock
[CEO? It’s me, Matthew. May I come in?]
“Oh, yes. Please come in.”
Recently promoted to the position of secretary was a man named Matthew. As soon as the CEO recognized that the person knocking was Matthew, he immediately granted entry.
The door opened, and in came a tidier-looking Matthew, who had adopted a more polished appearance. Originally, Matthew had played the role of a liaison between Xenon and the publishing house, but he excelled at his work, and his demeanor was impeccable, making him the perfect fit for a secretary.
Furthermore, he had realized that taking up the role of a secretary would spare him from the grueling ‘on-duty’ hours that had previously been a part of his job.
“Alright. What brings you here this time? Perhaps…?”
The CEO asked with a subtle tone of anticipation. Matthew didn’t visit the CEO’s office unless it was something important. And, when it came to important news, it was inevitably related to Xenon’s affairs. There wasn’t much else to talk about, so the CEO could only anticipate.
The 16th volume was revealed to the world not too long ago, but the CEO had noticed an acceleration in the recent writing speed.
“It’s not related to Xenon’s Biography… well, we can say it’s related to Xenon.”
“Hmm? What do you mean by that? Are you saying that what’s in the mail isn’t Xenon’s Biography?”
The CEO inquired as he pointed to the item nestled in Matthew’s armpit. If it wasn’t Xenon’s Biography, then what could it be?
Matthew, displaying a puzzled look that even he found unsettling, handed over not a piece of mail but a letter. The CEO accepted the letter without any particular suspicion.
The sender of the letter was, as expected, Xenon. Nevertheless, the fact that what was contained in that mail wasn’t the manuscript of Xenon’s Biography was somewhat perplexing.
In any case, he should check the letter. The CEO read the letter with a puzzled expression.
[Hello, Mr. Musk. It’s me, Xenon. I’m writing to you not with a Xenon’s Biography this time, but with a manuscript written by someone I hold dear.]
From the first sentence, his eyes widened. The CEO blinked his eyes a few times at the unbelievable words.
Usually, when Xenon sent letters, he conveyed what he wanted to say to ‘readers,’ not himself. He was nothing more than a representative who would clarify Xenon’s intentions.
But this letter was clearly speaking to him. The CEO looked at the letter with a bewildered expression, then turned his head to look at Matthew.
More precisely, at the mail tucked between Matthew’s armpits. The CEO stared at the mail for a moment, then, with a sudden movement, he turned his head and read the letter.
[If you happen to see the manuscript, you might feel that it is similar to my Xenon’s Biography. It’s inevitable because the author wrote as they read my writing. However, if you sense warmth and see beautiful sentences, you will feel that it’s different. Originally, this could have been a story that came into the world a bit earlier, but unfortunately, it fell through due to personal circumstances. I can guarantee it’s fun with my honor on the line, so please give it a read.]
I guarantee it’s fun without a doubt. This is none other than Xenon, the author of Xenon’s Biography, saying this. He was even willing to stake his honor on it.
This alone is enough to make the CEO’s heart swell, but there was a practical issue – the “copyright contract.” No matter how excellent the manuscript is, it’s pointless if you can’t secure the contract. Even if you engage in various forms of misconduct, including tax evasion, this aspect was managed meticulously.
He furrowed his brow slightly, pondered for a moment, and decided to start by reading the rest of the letter. The contractual matters could be dealt with gradually, and that would be enough.
[This child’s pen name is ‘Mary.’ As you know, sir, she is Xenon’s lover, but in reality, we are not in a romantic relationship, so please do not misunderstand. I simply decided to protect her. Finally, I have something to say.]
The pen name is Mary, or whatever, let’s put all that aside and focus on the last paragraph.
[As I read this manuscript and met this child, one thought came to my mind. There are countless sprouts in the world, but they are often trampled upon or wither away without ever blooming. The world may call me a prophet, a saint, but I am just a mere writer. Culture is a beautiful creation that should be allowed for everyone without discrimination. There may be sprouts out there who are hesitant to show their courage just because their work resembles mine. So, please, Mr. Musk, tell them in my place. I will permit them to try, and there is no need to be afraid. Of course, if someone copies my story verbatim, please deal with that sternly, but still, let them try to bloom. I would be grateful if you could convey this message.]
[P.S. I hope the contract issues can be handled the same way as Xenon’s Biography. We will visit separately soon, so please wait until then.]
“Haaa…”
The CEO exhaled the breath he had been holding after reading the entire contents. Scratching the itchy parts had a refreshing effect, leaving an indescribable feeling gnawing at his mind.
As if things weren’t already troubling enough, he wondered how he could time this letter so perfectly. Moreover, he even handed over the manuscript that was mentioned as interesting, so the CEO couldn’t be happier.
“Matthew.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Hand over that manuscript for now.”
A new star was rising.
*****
Meanwhile, Isaac…
“…So, how many wives is this now?”
“No, it’s not like that this time. I’m serious.”
“H, Hello…”
He was arranging a meeting between his acquaintances and Cherry.
Translators note:
