How to Live as a Martial Arts Writer in a Fantasy World

3 – 03. Surely no one’s coming to call, right?

03.

Duke Muller pulled out Allan’s manuscript once again.

Allan’s novel seemed more shocking than any other he had read.

Not only did it introduce new concepts, but its approach was different from other empire novels, which always had imperial characters as the heroes.

“The protagonist, who lost his entire clan and survived alone, begins a new life, encounters an enemy he must exact revenge on…”

Truly, the narrative could not be anything other than stimulating.

Empire novels usually resemble epics or heroics, so there aren’t that many that start this way.

They mostly portray the process of becoming a hero through facing a great evil or sometimes being taken in by the nobility and undergoing trials.

The empire’s novelists may not be as good as Allan’s writing, but they are not without talent.

‘Is it a difference in approach?’

Allan discarded the ornate language.

He significantly reduced the quantity of text in the empire’s novels, which was so oppressively extensive it leaves you breathless. He did not hesitate to cut down descriptions to one line if necessary.

It was a bold method indeed.

“The crossroads of choice that hit the protagonist once again, who helped the people who helped him… Should this be called bold, or cruel?”

The protagonist in Allan’s novel undergoes two major trials.

The first trial occurs when the protagonist, while spending his time practicing swordsmanship peacefully with his clan members, has a traitor who cannot bear to see the protagonist inherit the clan’s most powerful swordsmanship colluding with the enemy and attempting to kill all the disciples and take the book of this sword technique.

In the process of defending the protagonist, many clan disciples lost their lives; they sacrificed themselves to protect him as he was the clan leader’s chosen successor.

The protagonist, Schuren, suffers a severe injury from the enemy who attacked them during this process, eventually falling off a cliff and into the sea.

“This alone wouldn’t be an ordinary trial.”

With a soft rustling sound, the page turns.

Schuren, who fell into the sea, is swept away by the current and gets rescued by a girl in a coastal village.

Schuren, who was rescued by the village chief’s daughter, says he will leave the village, but the girl and the chief tell him to stay until he recovers.

Schuren, who is seriously injured and cannot refuse, ends up staying in the village, spending a considerable amount of time with them and gradually softening his attitude.

“Peace, trial, then short-lived peace again… It’s cruel indeed, very cruel.”

Was there really a need to make things so complicated?

After all, he could have made the story sufficient by making the protagonist take revenge on the evil woman who destroyed his clan from its source and the traitor who betrayed the clan.

Duke Muller felt a slight dryness on his lips and gently stroked the corner of his mouth with his hand.

“… It’s rather regrettable.”

Shuhren gradually assimilates into the villagers’ lives as he continues to support them.

However, a second tragedy strikes.

Enemy troops, in pursuit of the missing Shuhren, lay siege to the village.

“How ruthless. I suppose they don’t plan to leave any survivors. Persistent bastards. Just like those intelligence officers.”

Cursing under his breath, Duke Mueller turns another page.

The peaceful life that was thought to continue after the struggle for peace, is yet again devastated by this development.

Shuhren is unable to protect the villagers during this second ordeal, ultimately resulting in their loss.

Shuhren’s blood-stained cry of despair from his failure to protect the villagers was particularly impactful.

“So this was written by Allen…”

A smile tugged at the corners of Duke Mueller’s mouth.

“Quite the interesting guy.”

He was looking forward to the next volume.

He was also curious about the impact this novel would bring to the Imperial literary circle.

It wouldn’t be an ordinary impact.

He looked forward to the reaction of those hard-headed literary scholars.

“This is getting interesting, Allen.”

***

– The youngest son of Duke Mueller has published a novel.

In a time not far from academy admission, a rumor stirs the imperial capital.

The youngest son of Duke Mueller, who’s famous for his swordsmanship, has published a novel, flipping the imperial capital on its head. It was surprising enough that the youngest son of ‘Sword King’ Gert Edwin von Mueller chose pen over sword. Yet it wasn’t his only surprise, he also published a novel.

At first, people were skeptical about this.

After all, this is the Mueller family.

It was not just any noble family, it was one of the three Duchies that supported the empire, known as the Empire Sword, Duke Mueller’s family. The switch from knight to writer carried significance that even the nobles couldn’t ignore.

Allen’s novel instantly became a topic of conversation, frequently making newspaper headlines.

-A serious challenge to the Empire’s literary circle

-Imperial literary circle expressed extreme discomfort, “This can’t be called a novel, just a lump of characters.”

-The literary master of the empire commented, “There’s no reason to call this rubbish a novel.”

As expected, Allen’s novel drew strong backlash from traditional novelists and literary figures who were at the helm of the Empire’s literary center.

-Destroyer of grammar, excessive omission, events are staged as if the readers know everything. The writing couldn’t be more unfriendly. Should we really call it a novel?

-A matchstick or something that will blow a fresh wind into the Empire’s literary circle. The future moves of this novel are anticipated.

Of course, not all reactions were like that.

Especially among the younger generation rebelling against the stiffened imperial literary world, praises for Allen’s novel were prevalent.

– The freshness seen in hiring a protagonist from Kunlung, not the empire. A work that brings a fresh breeze to the rigid imperial literary world.

– An action-packed story set in Kunlong, still a mystery itself. A masterpiece that makes you eagerly await the next volume.

– High score wants to be given because it’s a tale of action, not the worn-out heroic or epic tales of the empire.

– It’s easy to read. It’s fun. It refuses to be compared to the brick-like imperial novels so far.

Just as much as there was rebellion, there was also a lot of praise.

The news of the sudden publication under the name of Allen Edgar von Mueller, which spread among the nobles at a horrifying speed, seemed to ride on the backlash as the rebellion in the empire’s novel world intensified.

The concept of Clan, similar to, but different from Guild.

The protagonist, who lost all such clan members and woke up to face trials without even being given a bit of time to melt into peace, had relationships akin to family.

The village chief’s daughter, Shana, who sacrificed herself for the protagonist Shuren particularly received a lot of praise.

– The protagonist’s act of revenge stands out against humanity’s goodwill.

– The protagonist’s evil, felt from the enemy chasing him, and Shana’s sacrifice, compared to this, gives a deep consideration of humanity’s goodness. It’s not something a young novelist who’s about to enter the academy can write.

– The novel is only starting, yet it’s studded with a very strong desire for revenge. What path will the protagonist Shuren choose? Looking forward to his steps.

Praise from young authors, armed with resentment against the existing imperial novel world, continued day by day.

A novel that has only recently published its first volume.

However, the author soared to being a heretic in the Empire’s literary world overnight thanks to extraordinary attention and was busy with his pen in the Mueller family mansion today.

“Half rebellion and half praise. Just the kind of reaction I was expecting.”

“Aren’t you shocked, my lord?”

“There’s no need to be shocked. It deviates from the path of the usual empire novels from the start. The rebellion only ended like that all because I am the child of the Mueller family.”

Next to Allen’s desk, where he said this, were mountains of horrifyingly large amounts of letters.

It’s not one or two pieces. At the very least, it’s in the hundreds, no laughing matter.

They were all fan letters, threats in the guise of passion, sent by authors active in the empire’s literary world.

“Don’t bring me these letters from now on. Put them all in the garbage. Burn them.”

“But there might be fan letters mixed in.”

“There’s too much to read one by one. It’s right to allocate time to write the next volume, rather than read letters and reply.”

“You’re cold-hearted.”

It’s an implicit routine in the empire’s literary world to reply to fan letters.

Actually, there are quite a few of the Empire’s renowned novelists who developed from exchanging letters with fans to becoming lovers and eventually married.

Allen seems to think of such a routine as trivial.

“Your Academy entrance is nearing, are you certain about unintentionally stepping into the spotlight like this…”

“Should that be of concern when I am set to become the top literary household across the continent, surpassing the Empire? Of course, the chaos will be enormous. But that’s a given. I released my novel under my own name after all. Actually, I think my father would have spread the rumors if I didn’t.”

The Duke of Mueller was extraordinarily passionate about Allen’s novel, almost to a peculiar extent.

When the time to publish came, it was the Duke of Mueller who was most proactive in offering his help, and the one who flared up when Allen proposed to release it anonymously.

“Phew…”

Letting out a small sigh of fatigue, just as Allen seemed about to continue drafting his novel with a quill, he paused momentarily.

Watching the young novelist idly rubbing his weary eyes, Meia viewed him with emotionless eyes.

“We recently got a good tea for the eyes from Kunlun, would you like me to make some?”

“That would be great.”

“I’ll bring it shortly.”

“Thanks.”

Leaving silently with a nod, Meia departed the room.

Alone now, Allen stretched out with a lazy yawn and slumped in his chair.

“I wish some decent novels would follow after mine.”

Allen grinned at the mountain of fan letters and threats piled before him.

“Never thought I’d receive letters containing up to 5700 characters. The response is more explosive than I thought.”

He had no expectations.

After all, he introduced many unfamiliar concepts, forced himself to convert all martial arts references for this world, and took days to establish the novel’s terminology.

And works that required such effort usually fail without making a noise. It was what he experienced in his previous life.

“More popular than I thought.”

It was clear that the reputation of the Duke of Mueller played a big part in generating that widespread attention.

“Hmm… I hope those from Kunlun won’t come looking for me for writing this?”