Surviving as a Plagiarist in Another World

The Great Gatsby was one of the great classics often referred to as the “Great American Novels,” alongside Moby-Dick and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

In simple terms, it meant a quintessential American novel that contained the soul of America.

In Korea, it was more famous as a scene from the movie rather than the novel. (It was the scene where Leonardo DiCaprio, who played Gatsby, raises his glass—although why it was so famous, I couldn’t quite understand.)

Personally, it was one of my favorite novels that symbolized the “American Dream.” The contrast between a dazzling dream and a gutter-like reality always made my heart burn with passion.

“Senior, you often hear people say you’re a bit of a bad person, right?”

“Hmm, I think I’ve heard that from you quite a lot recently.”

“Hehe, that’s true. Anyway, don’t you think Gatsby’s reality wasn’t really that ‘gutter-like’? I mean, he’s literally a symbol of the American Dream. The idea that he’d give up everything for love is romantic, don’t you think?”

“Failing in an affair and getting shot because of a misunderstanding is a bit… romantic?”

“Eh, that’s a tradition that dates back to Goethe’s time.”

“What’s the problem? Romantic is romantic.”

“As a literature student, I really don’t get that sentiment…”

“Ah, Senior, that’s discrimination against Japanese literature!”

Anyway.

The Great Gatsby was the very embodiment of America’s fantasy. It was the most American dream and, at the same time, the most American corruption.

Although America didn’t exist in this world—

There would be no difficulty in embracing the spirit of America. The American literature I had plagiarized wasn’t limited to Gatsby, and also—

Making the incomprehensible understandable—

That was the power of literature.

.

.

.

The Great Gatsby.

The existence of Homer’s new novel, which he had prepared as a “Christmas gift,” was made known to the public through the people who attended the banquet.

Naturally, the reaction was quite dramatic.

“Some people say there’s a new novel by Homer called… The Great Gatsby?”

“Ugh! Why wasn’t I invited to the banquet?! I want the chance to read The Great Gatsby too!”

Although it was scheduled to be officially published in a month—

Once people knew about it, the mere thought of waiting a month became unbearable.

As a result, the reactions from Homer’s followers also varied.

“Did you hear the news? The theme of Homer’s new novel, The Great Gatsby, is… well…”

“Ah! Don’t tell me! I want to read it myself, so no spoilers!”

Some people blocked their eyes and ears to avoid spoilers, isolating themselves until they could read it.

“Lady Isolette, could I perhaps read the… ‘that’ novel that’s going around in rumors?”

“Hehe, sorry. I’d love to show it to you, but… showing something I received as a gift before it’s published would be a bit disrespectful to Mr. Homer, don’t you think?”

“Oh, of course. I must have asked for something unreasonable. But… could you at least tell me what kind of novel it is?”

“Of course.”

There were cases where people who were close to those who attended the banquet asked to see the novel.

In cases where a personal connection didn’t work, they proposed some sort of “trade.”

“Ahem, Count Plummer.”

“How rare to see the chairman of the fairness committee visit personally.”

“You see, I’ve heard that the resolution put forth by the Conservative Party is being delayed due to opposition from the Progressive Party… I thought there might be something I can help with.”

“Hmm?”

“It’s not much of a price to pay… but… I’d be willing to help if you could let me see that new novel by Homer…”

“Aha…”

“Ahem, hmm.”

As a result, in the Empire, reading The Great Gatsby became a form of power.

Naturally, there were those who struggled to obtain the unpublished version of The Great Gatsby from the banquet attendees, attempting to illegally copy it—

“Ugh, are there still people like this? Trying to get their hands on Homer’s unpublished novel? They sure have guts.”

“I’m sorry! I deeply regret my actions!”

“You even prepared a printing press… Were you planning to use the drug dealers who wander past the yellow wall as your distribution network? I’m sure you believed someone was backing you up on this, huh? Someone powerful?”

“B-backers? No, this was all my own plan—”

“We’ll see about that. I’ll have you explain yourself slowly. Bring in the purple mage.”

“Yes!”

They were all arrested in front of the Empire’s stern authorities.

Thanks to the Homer Foundation taking on some of the administrative burden of public safety management by the police, more personnel were assigned to criminal apprehension.

As such cases increased, people’s obsession with The Great Gatsby grew even more.

It became a strange delusion, as if simply reading The Great Gatsby could solve all the world’s problems and disputes. Naturally, this was a ridiculous illusion— but still, the myth persisted.

As a result.

“What’s a human doing at our beastmen’s school?”

“I-I heard I could read ‘The Great Gatsby’ here… Haha…”

“Hmm?”

“Hiik?! Th-That… is that not allowed?”

“We cannot be stingy with guests who have come to tour the school. Follow me.”

“Hehehe…”

It had solved quite a few problems and disputes.

Disabled writers from beyond the “yellow wall,” priests and caretakers who ran orphanages, and beastmen like Grey…

They were neither as closed-off as the wizards from the Magic Tower, nor as fanatical followers of Homer as the academy students, nor did they possess the high authority of nobles or royalty.

They were people who, though close, were deliberately overlooked.

More and more people began to seek out those who were such, just to read ‘The Great Gatsby’ even once.

“Beastmen… aren’t they kinder than I imagined?”

“Yeah. Their fangs look scary, and they say they get excited at the sight of blood… But aside from that, they seem to have good personalities, right?”

“Fur… I want to pet it…”

“What.”

Especially, the image of ‘beastmen’ had changed drastically.

It was because Grey had placed ‘The Great Gatsby’ at the heart of the beastmen’s community, at a school.

It wasn’t a school like those for human children; it was more like an adult education center.

The beastmen at the school were mostly among the more cultured ones. Naturally, the image of beastmen among humans who encountered them also changed dramatically.

Thus.

With various changes.

“The Great Gatsby… Finally, I’m reading this novel!”

The most ‘American’ novel had spread throughout the Empire.

“The Great Gatsby, you’ve read it?!”

“Yeah! I was lucky enough to get the chance to read it. So, the plot goes like this—”

‘The Great Gatsby’ is a novel set in America’s ‘Prohibition Era.’

To summarize briefly, it’s the story of a nouveau riche man obsessing over a married woman and his eventual downfall.

“So, that’s what happened!”

“Uh, what kind of story is that? And why is the character Gatsby considered ‘great’? Isn’t he just a fool who did criminal things out of love?”

“No, that’s not it—anyway, you’ll understand if you read it! It’s really interesting!”

Gatsby was not a particularly great person by traditional standards. He was a nouveau riche man who changed his status through luck and was a shameless person who made money by selling indulgences and breaking the law. (In fact, even from a modern perspective, he wasn’t exactly a model human being.)

Still, ‘The Great Gatsby’ was a great novel.

And Gatsby was a great man.

Simply ‘seeing the surface’ wouldn’t allow someone to understand ‘The Great Gatsby.’ Just reading the plot won’t let anyone understand either Gatsby or his greatness.

“Could you imagine a sincere, ambitious person, someone overflowing with ambition, losing everything due to love?”

“Hmm, I suppose I’ll have to wait until it’s officially published?”

As always, borrowing from the Little Prince’s words… the most important things could only be seen with the heart.

‘The Great Gatsby’ laid bare the contradictory emotions of humans.

It didn’t just show ‘shifting’ emotional lines, but dramatically contrasted everything in the novel.

Gatsby was, above all, the most sincere fraud, a hedonist who saw wealth and power merely as tools to achieve love, and the most repressive romanticist.

Fitzgerald believed that ‘great intellect’ was paradoxical.

He thought that someone capable of holding two opposing viewpoints at the same time, and who could draw a systematic plan to achieve impossible dreams, was truly an intellectual.

‘The Great Gatsby’ was the quintessence of Fitzgerald’s philosophy.

It was difficult to explain this in words rather than a novel, so the only thing someone who had read the book could say was one thing.

“You absolutely have to read it! It’s really interesting!”

“Alright, alright.”

Thus, the fascination with ‘The Great Gatsby’ gradually grew.

And on the first day of its official publication in the Empire.

“Oooh! Please, line up! Don’t push, and follow the order!”

“I, I’m going to read ‘The Great Gatsby’ too!”

‘The Great Gatsby’ surpassed the initial sales record of Homer’s works by an overwhelming margin.

It set an unbreakable record that would last forever.

“…It surpassed Don Quixote Part 2’s first-day sales? Is that even possible?”

“Yes, Sir.”

“Huh…”

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