Chapter 75: Vacation(1)
Chapter 75: Vacation(1)
A full month had passed quickly since the theft of the manuscript. I tried my best to focus on my studies during that time, but I couldn't help feeling preoccupied.
The manuscript for Volume 1 of Xenon's Biography was the very first record I had produced since reincarnating into this world, and I was deeply attached to it. Because I had written it by hand rather than on a computer, I felt a surge of pride every time I looked at it.
However, when that absurd incident occurred, I felt more bewildered than angry. To be honest, I never imagined the manuscript would be stolen just a day after its first public reveal, nor did I expect someone to literally rip the entire safe door off its hinges.
Of course, I wasn't entirely without blame. The publisher had been complacent by not hiring adventurers, and I had handed over the manuscript far too easily. Still, the sense of injustice remained.
Now, a month later, I devoted myself to my studies while wondering at least once a day whose hands that manuscript had fallen into. If it was in someone's possession, that was fine; my only hope was that it hadn't been burned or lost forever.
"I'm sorry. We investigated as hard as we could, but... we found nothing."
"Nothing at all?"
"No. Aside from the fact that they're an expert at manipulating mana and possess immense physical strength, we have no idea who stole it. This is the result even after having the Empire's top mages investigate."
We were in a private room in a cafe, a place well-suited for sharing secrets.
Lina, sitting across from me, apologized with a voice full of sincerity. I took a sip of the coffee I had ordered earlier and studied her face.
She must have suffered quite a bit over the past month; not only was her expression clouded with worry, but her beauty had noticeably withered because she hadn't been taking care of herself. Even though Lina hadn't returned to the Imperial Palace like Leort, it seemed she had gone through a significant ordeal regardless.
The Imperial Family must be driven absolutely mad by this, too.
I had already released a statement. I told them it was my treasure and pleaded for its return.
Since the manuscript was stolen less than a day after the protests ended, the Imperial Family must have been clutching their heads in frustration. The royal siblings, in particular—having already been severely reprimanded once—must have felt an unspeakable pressure to find it at all costs.
Consequently, even Lina, who wasn't leading the investigation team and was only attending lectures, would have felt a considerable amount of that pressure.
"...We'll definitely find it. So, please don't worry too much."
Perhaps she grew anxious because I remained silent. Lina spoke to me in a timid, shrinking voice.
It seemed she thought I was staying quiet because I was angry. Well, given her past record, it was a reasonable assumption.
Contrary to her thoughts, however, I wasn't really thinking about much. While it was a bit disappointing that the culprit hadn't been found, what could I do? I'd just have to live with the disappointment.
Pressuring Lina any further wouldn't make the culprit turn themselves in, and for the sake of my mental health, it was better to move on from the manuscript issue. I was furious when it was first stolen, but my temper had gradually cooled over time.
"I understand. By the way, how is the publisher doing? Are you going to punish them?"
"It's not enough to punish them just for that. Even though they only used their own employees instead of hiring adventurers, the safe itself was high-quality. Besides, they never dreamed it would be hit in a single day, so we granted them some leniency. Instead, they were hauled away for something else."
"Something else?"
"Tax evasion. The safe contained not only your manuscript but also their secret ledgers. It seems the publisher was too shocked to remember to take them out."
"Then what happens? Will the publishing house be shut down?"
At my question, Lina shook her head.
"No. I'd like to, but it's difficult because Xenon's Biography is under contract with them. Instead, they'll just be hit with a very heavy fine."
"How much of a fine?"
"Usually, for tax evasion, they seize 200% to 300% of the amount depending on the scale... so it'll be a lot. The minimum unit will probably be a million gold."
"Wow."
A million gold was a figure that would translate to at least ten billion won. Since the profits earned from Xenon's Biography were so vast, the back taxes were astronomical.
If I hadn't gone on hiatus, they would have shed tears of blood while paying the fine, but unfortunately, I was currently on break. It wouldn't be surprising if the publisher went bankrupt the moment they paid that fine.
Lina seemed to have similar thoughts about the publisher's future.
"Still, there's no way they'll go bankrupt. Xenon's Biography is still selling steadily even now. And once you resume serialization in two years, they'll rake in massive profits again."
"I guess they really did make a lot of money."
"Actually, considering the popularity of Xenon's Biography, even this amount is small. It's a good thing we investigated now; if we'd done it later, they would have grown large enough to even try bribing our side."
Come to think of it, before I came to the Academy, my parents had told me something. They said Xenon's Biography was selling so well that I had made a fortune.
Back then, I wasn't very interested in money, so I just let it slide, but not anymore. I was starting to feel a bit of greed.
Should I buy better manuscript paper from now on? And maybe ask my parents to send a bit more for living expenses.
It was a very small, almost cute kind of greed.
I planned to resume serialization in about two years, but in the meantime, I felt I should look into things other than paper that could help with my writing.
Of course, I would continue to use the magic pen my father gave me. Since he spent a fortune to gift it to me, it was my most precious treasure after the manuscript.
I pondered for a moment before glancing at Lina. She was still drinking her coffee with a dark expression.
I should ask Mari about this later.
What I wanted was a sort of 'eraser.' Every time I wrote a manuscript, if I made even one slip of the pen, I had to replace the whole page, which felt like a terrible waste.
So, an idea occurred to me.
If magic items like magic pens existed, wouldn't there be an item that could erase ink like an eraser? Even if there wasn't, something like white-out would be enough.
I thought it would be good to ask my parents during the vacation or inquire with others to see if such an eraser existed.
Now that I think about it, vacation isn't far off.
It had already been over four months since I entered the Academy. With assignments and exams ending soon, vacation was practically only two weeks away.
Even though the break was only a month long, it would be a sweet rest for me. I was looking forward to seeing my parents' faces after so long.
And I'll be visiting Mari's mansion...
The thing I was most excited about, yet also most worried about, was visiting Mari's home. From her parents' perspective, it would be like their precious daughter, raised like a delicate flower, was bringing home some random guy. Wouldn't they look at me with piercing eyes?
Even if the Rekilis Ducal House was far from being authoritarian, parents raising a daughter were a different story. I could only pray they would look upon me kindly.
As I was sketching out my vacation plans in my head, I looked at Lina. I didn't know what she was agonizing over, but she hadn't uttered a single word.
"Lina."
"...Y-yes?"
Lina answered with a start the moment I called her name. I asked her a question, feeling curious.
"What are you thinking about that's making you look so miserable? Are you still worried about the theft?"
"...Yes."
It was just as I expected. For her, even just talking to me must feel like a burden.
I felt a strange sensation at how our positions seemed reversed, but I decided to reassure her first. There was no need for the Imperial Princess to be so subservient, and more than anything, it made me uncomfortable.
"You don't have to worry about it so much. It couldn't be helped."
"Even so... Sigh..."
Lina let out a frustrated sigh, glanced at me, and confessed her inner thoughts.
"It's a blow to my pride. Our Imperial Family personally organized an investigation team, yet we couldn't find a single clue... This was definitely a premeditated theft. Otherwise, there's no way not a single trace would be left."
"Hmm... if you say so, then I suppose it is. Then, if you do find the culprit, what do you plan to do?"
"First, I'll make them kneel before you and apologize. Then, I'll find the mastermind. If the culprit is another nation, then diplomatically..."
Lina trailed off and looked at me. When I tilted my head as if asking what was wrong, she shook her head.
"...No. Since Xenon's Biography isn't yet subordinate to the Empire, it wouldn't mean much. Sorry. I've been so out of it lately that I got carried away."
"Hmm... what would happen if I were to become subordinate to the Empire?"
"What?"
When I asked that, Lina's eyes went wide as saucers as she stared at me. She was so shocked her mouth was literally hanging open.
I let out a faint chuckle before speaking. Just to be clear, I had no intention of becoming subordinate to the Empire yet. It was just a way of testing the waters.
"Exactly what I said. I was curious what would happen if I became subordinate to the Empire. Not as myself, but as an author."
"W-well, we would obviously welcome it! If you want, we can even give you a title! We certainly can!"
Lina must have been very tired over the past month. Normally, she would have noticed I was just testing her, but she was shouting with a rare level of excitement.
It was a good thing the room we were in was soundproofed; otherwise, her voice was loud enough to leak outside. That was how immense my value was.
I looked at Lina's face, which was now filled with anticipation, and wore a subtle smile.
"As I said before, I'm not interested in a title. It'll just be a headache."
"T-then what do you want? I'll even ask my father to give it to you as a gift."
"No. There's no need to go that far."
I immediately declined, feeling horrified.
No matter how casually I could talk to the Princess, the Emperor was a wall that could never be crossed. Even if I was the author of Xenon's Biography, I was in a position where I had to crawl before the Emperor's word.
Furthermore, the moment Lina made such a request, there was a high possibility the Emperor would become suspicious. I had no desire to be summoned to the Imperial Palace for no reason.
I held out my hand as if telling Lina to calm down. She seemed to have cooled her excitement at my gesture, as she let out a long breath and settled back into her chair.
"...Sorry. I got carried away again. You were just testing me, weren't you?"
"Yes. I apologize if I offended you."
"There's no need to apologize. I've done wrong by you and your family, so I should be able to handle this much."
It certainly was easier to talk now that we had dropped formalities. I shrugged and picked up my coffee cup.
"... ..."
As I lifted the cup, Lina stared intently at my hand. Judging by her focus, she seemed to be looking at the writer's callus on my middle finger.
"...Alright. That'll do it."
Was she plotting something again? She intended to speak softly, but because she was tired, her voice leaked out and reached my ears clearly.
I raised an eyebrow slightly upon hearing her murmur. I debated whether to show that I'd heard her, but decided to let it slide and pretend I hadn't.
Still, I didn't forget to steel my resolve.
Just try doing something weird.
I'll show you the power of a hiatus once again. Now that I knew how powerful the weapon of a hiatus was, I could just pull it out whenever the higher-ups tried something funny.
In any case, the manuscript theft incident seemed to be drawing to a close like this.
"You've all worked hard. Although it's only a short month, I hope you have a pleasant and restful break."
"Wooooo!!"
After the storm, the sweet taste of rest had finally arrived.