"Then, sir, take care until we meet again."
"Hahaha! Don't worry. I was born under Halley's Comet, so the comet will come to greet me when I die. I won't die until then!"
Isn't that superstition? Can a man who calls himself an Enlightenment thinker believe in such astrology?
But Mark Twain's demeanour was more confident than anyone's, and though unscientific, it strangely inspired conviction in people.
Come to think of it, who am I to talk about astrology and pseudoscience... Am I not a proper time refugee myself?
In terms of the supernatural, I was a more peculiar case.
I nodded and saw off the Enlightenment thinker who believed in astrology.
Really, was it because he was American? He was a stormy character to the end.
Anyway, then.
"So, science is secured..."
I took a notebook out of my pocket. There were five words written on it, and two were circled.
One was obviously mathematics, and the other was science.
The remaining three were the problem... As I bit my pen and pondered, Bentley, who was watching beside me, spoke up.
"History, language, and economics."
"That's right."
These were popular subjects for educational comics in Korea. They should be just as effective in this era.
Of course, I planned to handle history, especially Far Eastern history, myself.
I didn't know everything, but there was probably no one else in this era who could manage these two better than I could.
"The problem is economics..."
Which novelist of this era was well-versed in economics? Was there one?
As I pondered, Bentley, who had come out to see off Mark Twain with me, approached and asked.
"I still don't understand. Why did you leave out literature?"
"People don't read it."
I said confidently.
Bentley looked at me incredulously, as if to say, "Is that something a writer should say?" but it was true.
The key to educational books is to cover a broad range shallowly.
Economics is a prime example. Economic educational comics might touch lightly on Keynes, Hayek, and Friedman but wouldn't cover figures like Gregory Mankiw or John Nash in detail.
But literature is difficult to cover broadly and shallowly.
Besides the fact that few people read poetry or novels unless they're interested, the main problem is the ambiguity of what to cover.
Should it focus on what's in the textbooks? Or on figures who marked turning points in history? How about copyright issues?
Most importantly, there's the risk that children might end up memorising literature for exams rather than appreciating it.
How often had the literature exam questions, based on rote learning from literary textbooks, revealed the flaws of rote education by becoming unsolvable even for the original authors?
In any given work, various interpretations could emerge, such as intentionalism, which focuses on the author's intended meaning, and anti-intentionalism, which values the reader's interpretation. These diverse appreciations are essential.
······ Well, if one really insisted on creating it, there wouldn't be a lack of ways to do so.
For instance, one could gather some literary figures, turn them into characters named after themselves, and have them engage in supernatural battles, or put them on a bus, turn back time, and resurrect them...
However, the effort required would be immense, and probably no one but me could handle it, so I decided to put that idea on the back burner for now.
"Anyway, let's expand gradually. Just because mathematics was successful doesn't guarantee that science will be, and even if science succeeds, there's no assurance the next one will too, right?"
"Hmm, isn't that a bit too conservative for a business expansion, author?"
"Shall I stop working on my current manuscript and focus entirely on this?"
"Hmm, that's an excellent idea, author! Indeed, the pleasure of business is in growing it step by step!"
Typical of a businessman to change stance so quickly. Watching the editor rubbing his hands together, I grinned and agreed, "Right, isn't it?"
Creating educational books isn't something that just any writer with good writing skills can do.
One needs a general knowledge base in that field to make it work.
Finding an all-rounder who meets both criteria isn't common.
To be precise, they do exist, but the problem is that such people aren't easily recruited.
Lewis Carroll and Mark Twain were exceptional individuals.
So, let's take it slow. Slowly.
We were still only at 3+α volumes. There's a long way to go before finishing.
"By the way, Bentley, how's 'that' foundation coming along?"
"Ah, as you mentioned, we're preparing it."
The foundation referred to an educational charity foundation created with a portion of the royalties from the current book sales.
The primary focus is on donations for the education of orphans and low-income families, with plans to gradually establish kindergartens and elementary education institutions in East End as a large-scale project.
Of course, it wasn't my idea from the start.
It was more of a fulfilment of an agreement... or rather, a request from Lewis Carroll.
We didn't intend to make big money out of it in the first place.
But Lewis Carroll was so kind-hearted, he trusted me without even a contract and just left it to me.
I really wondered if someone with a phobia of adults should trust others so easily.
─There, there, I trust you, Mi- Mister.
─I'm a grown adult too.
─Bu- but... you're someone who knows how to protect children.
─...
─I trust you, Hanslow Jin.
Gradually, even his stuttering started to disappear.
In any case, I decided to do it properly since it had begun.
So...
"How about the advertisement we discussed earlier?"
"Haha, it's underway as you mentioned. When it comes to educating children, there's no 'us' or 'them'. Both The Daily Telegraph and The Times are eager to contribute to the donations."
"That's good."
"By the way, how did you come up with the idea for a charity fund? Lewis Carroll didn't suggest the method, did he? And you're even adding your royalties..."
"Well, it's only a portion."
"Still, considering the actual sales... the amount would be enormous."
Bentley looked at me with sparkling eyes, as if he were looking at a saint or a great figure.
Ah, it's burdensome.
I shrugged my shoulders and said.
"Well, it's no big deal. It's an investment, after all."
"An investment?"
Bentley tilted his head, not understanding what I meant.
Ah, does he not know?
Even with his business acumen, he hadn't thought this far.
In this era, perhaps it was the default thinking that poverty was entirely an individual's responsibility.
So I explained it lightly, in a way Bentley could understand, as if it were no big deal.
"Frankly, isn't the literacy rate in London, especially in East End, quite low?"
"Well, that's true."
After the Industrial Revolution, the literacy rate in London had significantly decreased.
Developed printing technology lowered book prices, and a cheap, fragmented culture emerged for the large number of workers gathered in the city.
This was an era where concepts of 'cultural life' for more diverse people to enjoy during leisure time, like magic shows and films, were born.
But that was only compared to the '18th century'.
In reality, those struggling to make ends meet still couldn't afford to read even the 1-penny paperbacks sold at kiosks in train stations.
The high illiteracy rate, which created a 'potential customer base' that could become actual customers, was a tantalising target for a popular writer like me.
"As the saying goes, old habits die hard. People need to get used to reading books. Right now, many can't even recognise letters, which means we're losing a lot of potential customers."
That's exactly how it was in the 21st century where I lived. The literacy rate was low, but people spent more time on visual media than on books, causing the reading rate to drop significantly, and many people didn't read long texts.
Considering that even in modern Britain, about 20% of the population was illiterate, it was natural that the situation was worse here.
And instead of improving, it was getting worse. Competing with platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Netflix, the market for literature was shrinking.
So, this fund and charity work were like priming a pump.
If people get into the habit of reading. No, if they can at least recognise letters, it will be much easier to increase potential readers, and the impact will be even greater than in the future.
As a writer who wrote for the 99% of the masses rather than living under the patronage of the 1% like in the Renaissance era, I had no choice but to consider the public.
"Potential customers... amazing. I never thought of that."
Bentley nodded as if he had received a revelation.
"More importantly, it's a way to give back for the love received from the citizens of London."
"Author!"
"And please make sure to include that in the advertisement."
"Author..."
Bentley looked at me with a disheartened gaze, but I just turned my head.
What, why? Isn't it all just a way to make a living?
Even hypocrisy is a form of virtue, and from the perspective of the recipient, isn't moving hypocrisy better than stationary virtue?
"Anyway, money isn't infinite. So, we need to make it a social phenomenon, not just our own thing. Hit every possible advertisement to maximise the donations."
"Of course. There are already many people on the hook."
"Good."
To fulfil the role as a representative, save money, and even expand the market for smooth revenue collection!
This was killing two birds with one stone.
Indeed, no one could resist the excuse of 'for the children.'
As I was grinning, Bentley cautiously approached me.
"By the way, author, there is a method that can quickly gather donations if you help a little."
"Really? There's such a method?"
I opened my eyes wide.
If there was such a method, why had he kept quiet?
Bentley then looked at me with a peculiar smile.
"But it might be a bit inconvenient for you, author..."
"If it can be done quickly, what does it matter? As long as my face doesn't get exposed."
"Ah, it won't involve that."
Bentley smiled brightly.
"Your face will definitely not be revealed."
I… I should have listened to that properly.