Chapter 20
Chapter 20
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 20
Chapter Title: Don Quixote (4)
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Rest is truly a sweet fruit.
Drinking water quenches your thirst, and eating a meal gives you the strength to endure the rest of the day.
But that's only for short breaks.
If you do nothing for nearly a week, your body and mind slowly get devoured by the idleness.
Moderate rest keeps you healthy, but the opposite wrecks your body.
"Ugh... I've finished all these too."
Right now, I've read most of the Sherlock Holmes knockoffs out there.
All day, every day, for the past week.
Sure, I tossed some aside midway, and others right after the first page.
But anyway, I've got a rough sense of the market now.
Who knew I could spend my break so productively?
But now there's nothing left to read.
In other words, I'm incredibly bored right now!
So as I roll around on the bed, Katiranya—who's naturally claimed my chair—says,
"Edn. Even so, how can you laze about like this?"
"No choice."
"What's that supposed to mean? Sigh. At least go out for a walk."
Is that something a vampire should say?
A vampire who hates sunlight telling me to go for a walk.
I stare at her in disbelief, and her brows furrow slightly.
"Why are you staring like that?"
"Ahem. Nothing."
"You're no fun."
Katiranya turns her gaze from me to one of the knockoffs I tossed aside.
And eventually, she tosses it away just like I did.
"Boring. No originality. Or rather, it's not even needed—it's just like reading something I already know, so it's no good."
Can't blame her; they've sold out their consciences along with any notion of copyright.
I felt the same when I saw the book she threw.
So, having read everything worth reading, I decide to squeeze some stories out of Katiranya.
She's lived for ages, so she must have plenty of tales, right?
I turn toward her.
"Then, Katiranya. Tell me some stories from your past."
"Stories from the past?"
"Yeah, you've wandered all over the continent, right? No fun stories?"
Katiranya doesn't look thrilled.
She seemed reluctant last time too. Guess there's stuff I can't hear.
I smack my lips in disappointment.
Then she glances at my face and opens her mouth.
"Hmm, there is one. While wandering the continent, I encountered some strange fellows."
Strange fellows?
Curiosity piqued, I sit up and perch on the edge of the bed.
Seeing I'm all ears, she sets the book down.
She turns her chair to face me squarely and begins slowly.
"Where to start? Ah, I mentioned building a kingdom once, right?"
"Yes. You did."
Katiranya says she's talking about the first of those strange ones she met.
What could it be?
"Not long after I founded it, a man came calling. Just his presence sent chills down the skin with its killing intent."
A vampire felt killing intent?
From what I know, vampires are basically no different from dead corpses.
Like zombies, but without the rotting flesh or craving for flesh—they crave blood, and they maintain beautiful appearances like they've been embalmed.
Anyway, for someone who's essentially already dead to feel fear from killing intent...
I was curious about that part, but Katiranya continued quickly.
"Of course, it was just the underlings who felt it. It didn't faze me much."
Katiranya smiles proudly at me.
As if to say, "The being right in front of you is this incredible."
Of course, having never seen her strength firsthand, I just give an awkward smile.
I mean, how can I react sincerely without knowing?
Luckily, my effort works, and she continues without comment.
"He was truly peculiar. He moved as if rewriting the laws of the world. Even the lesser vampires couldn't approach him."
Moved as if rewriting the laws of the world?
Still clueless, but oddly, the saintess comes to mind.
Didn't she threaten vampires single-handedly?
I blurt out without thinking.
"Sounds kinda like the saintess, doesn't it?"
"Different. And don't mention that wench."
"Ah, got it."
For a split second, I felt a prickling killing intent.
It dissipated quickly, but my alertness shot up anyway.
On the other hand, Katiranya seems a bit embarrassed for letting it slip and averts her eyes.
"Ahem. Anyway, he was peculiar, but no threat to me. Others might see differently, but to me, he was just distorting my vision a bit."
Now it sounds like no big deal.
Grand adjectives up front, then suddenly downplaying it.
Did she notice my reaction?
She adds, as if to emphasize her own strength.
"For starters, he couldn't even stand against my Thirteen Knights."
"Oh... And what's that, the Thirteen Knights?"
"Think of them as the strongest among my kin."
Beings I absolutely must avoid.
I nod, thinking I'd run for my life if I ever met them.
"Back then, they had names for such folk. Transcendent, Ascendant, Demigod, Boundary Breaker, Monster, Heaven Splitter, and so on."
"So, is Katiranya one of those too?"
"Who knows. But those titles were all slapped on by third parties. So don't think I'd expect you to believe it just because I say so."
Fair enough.
Even I wouldn't believe a total stranger claiming to be an emperor.
I nod in agreement again, and Katiranya gives a small smile.
"How's that? Feeling better now?"
"Yeah. More interesting than I expected."
The existence of such a being was intriguing.
But that was it.
No further interest sparked; instead, curiosity shifted elsewhere.
She must have tons of stories like this—why was she so reluctant?
And honestly, it felt like she'd skipped a lot even now.
What about fierce battles?
What were his abilities?
But Katiranya crushes my curiosity mercilessly.
"So, ready for some productive activity now?"
"Nope."
I shake my head without hesitation, and her piercing gaze hits me.
I dodge it awkwardly, but defiance bubbles up too.
I'm slacking, sure, but isn't she doing the same?
The only difference is bed versus chair.
I meet her eyes squarely and declare,
"You're slacking too—ow!"
"You haven't learned, have you?"
Damn vampire!
She pokes my side and shakes her head pityingly.
"I at least go for a walk once a day, chat with the servants, and occasionally stroll the garden behind the mansion. What have you been doing, Edn?"
What? Why is she more diligent than me?
I stare blankly, unable to believe it, and she smiles.
"See? Changed your mind?"
Her eyes hold a maternal scolding vibe, which felt off.
She looks younger than me, yet her face carries the weight of ages.
Unwarranted pride surges, and I finally nod.
"Sigh, alright. I'll go outside."
"Good choice. Henebin's been worried about you holing up all week."
"Sis?"
She's been talking to Sis too?
More than once or twice, from the sound of it.
What the hell has she been up to while I've been rolling in bed?
Katiranya returns my puzzled look with a small smile.
"Yes. Come on, let's go for that walk."
Katiranya turns first and opens the door.
The door, locked tight outside mealtimes, opens easily.
Halfway out, she beckons with her hand.
"Coming. Hold on."
I chuckle and follow her out.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ While Edn was being dragged around by Katiranya,
Jenectra finally finished printing the first run of Don Quixote.
The print run for this novel was a thousand copies.
Same as for Sherlock Holmes before.
Normally, they'd print fifteen hundred to two thousand at least.
This is a populous rural territory, and it's knight literature, no less.
Different flavor from other knight tales, but still—guaranteed sales, yet printing so few is odd.
"Considering the author's popularity, we have to limit supply. Plus, the presses haven't stopped on Sherlock Holmes!"
Dumping too many could boost early sales but leave them short later.
Foren let out a happy scream, though a bit regretful.
"Boss. What about the capital?"
"Ah, don't unless the author brings it up first. Hold off. You know his personality after meeting him a few times."
Foren prides himself on reading people well.
He could guess personalities after a few meetings.
His secretary knew this and nodded readily.
"Understood. But inventory's starting to pile up. Even limiting quantities, sales in Rlangbur and nearby territories will drop soon."
Foren swallowed a sigh at her words.
Honestly, he wanted to expand to the capital—at least more territories—right away.
But his principle was always the author first.
No author, no publishing.
Of course, he'd fight unfair deals tooth and nail.
That's why Jenectra stayed a mid-tier publisher.
Then, contracting with Edn changed everything.
So Foren had to watch Edn's mood even more.
He lamented in a voice thick with regret.
"I want to expand too. But he doesn't seem to want it, so... sigh."
His watching secretary grew frustrated at the needless worry.
But supporting her foolish boss was her job, so she stayed quiet.
On the day Don Quixote went on sale, a letter arrived for him.
"Oh? A letter from the author!"
Prometheus—that is, Edn—had written to Foren.
He shoved everything aside and tore it open.
He read without taking his eyes off the paper.
Shortly after, the boss couldn't help but laugh.
"Hahaha! Thank you, author!"
Whatever it said, he laughed loud enough to shake the heavens.
His secretary asks, eyeing him like a madman.
"What now?"
Foren ignores her look.
He spreads his arms wide, joy uncontainable.
"Hahaha! Prepare the carriage! Get Sherlock Holmes ready for the capital!"
"What?! You mean..."
"Yes, the author approved!"
Edn, half-forced into fun by Katiranya, had decided.
The distribution clauses on paper finally came alive.
Foren was so thrilled he laughed until he nearly passed out.
"Kuhaha! A million copies, go!"
That day, Jenectra echoed with laughter all day.
The protests grew even fiercer as a result.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Don Quixote hit the shelves.
Unlike Sherlock Holmes, limited stock meant sales only in Rlangbur and nearby territories.
Booksellers snatched them up eagerly.
Selling a hit author's book could grow their stores.
Though some had different thoughts.
Anyway, Don Quixote got prime display with flashy banners.
[Prometheus's new work! Challenging chivalry!]
[Finally throwing down the gauntlet to knight tales.]
[Prometheus, who shunned trends, finally jumping on the bandwagon?]
Provocative phrases abounded.
Some even aggressive.
Because many booksellers loved knight literature.
They'd read it first, getting copies ahead of others.
Was it the banners?
Or Prometheus's fame?
Either way, it sold out in under an hour.
It was Prometheus's latest, after all!
Not reading it would make you a fool—that vibe spread.
Readers' reactions split into two camps.
"Hahaha! What a ridiculous fellow!"
"But he knows romance. Sigh, it's like seeing my younger self."
The first group dreamed of ideals and romance through Don Quixote.
"Prometheus strikes again! Never imagined chivalry like this!" they raved.
Some even got overly immersed.
"Quixote! Don Quixote! Live by romance, die by romance!"
"Ahh! Why end it here?! Damn author! Taught me nothing good!"
Edn planned to split Don Quixote into volumes.
So volume one ended after part one.
In other words, right where Don Quixote mistakes a passing carriage for an abduction by evil wizards and picks a fight.
Those tasting the cliffhanger spat blood in unison.
Not all reactions were positive, of course.
"Damn! Mocking us and passing out!"
"Right? Thinks he wrote something great?"
This was the second camp.
Those who'd disliked Prometheus—Edn—since Sherlock Holmes.
Mostly knight literature authors, who went berserk at Don Quixote.
They saw it as insulting their knight tales.
Anyone reading even a bit would see Edn had studied countless knight works.
"Damn Jenectra—reveal the author!"
But those joining the Jenectra protests couldn't see it.
Emotions narrow vision, after all—not unusual.
Thus, wildly mixed reviews.
In just a week of sales, it became a hot potato.
Meanwhile, Edn remains oblivious.
"Ugh... Damn Don Quixote. Why so many references?"
He slumped over his desk in agony.
As a satire on knight literature, Don Quixote referenced it heavily.
So he was replacing in-world works with fitting ones.
None existed here, so no choice.
Katiranya, entering with cookies, startles at Edn's haggard face—even a vampire flinches.
She cautiously sets down the plate.
Worried expression included.
"Uh, hang in there. Cookies. Biena baked them."
"...Thanks."
Edn vows to write only up to volume two.
Never doing this hell again.
But he couldn't quit.
His fame from Sherlock Holmes, plus the knight lit hook, had sales soaring.
With capital expansion succeeding, no rest anytime soon.
Like it or not, suffering was set for a while.