Chapter 172: Book 14(1)
Chapter 172: Book 14(1)
Volume 14 of the Xenon Chronicle was finally released to the world. And once again—as if on cue—it triggered a massive wave of controversy.
First and foremost was 'Fusion,' the ability for Elves and Dark Elves to truly become one.
This wasn't just a flight of fancy; it was an ability that piqued intense magical curiosity, drawing the attention of countless scholars and mages. Furthermore, the public was currently half-convinced that Xenon (Isaac) was a prophet.
Up to this point, it might have remained a mere exchange of opinions, but the situation shifted drastically once Volume 14 made its way into Albenheim.
[The 'Fusion' described in Volume 14 is a magic that is actually possible. However, as depicted, it is unethical, has severe consequences, and is strictly forbidden.]
[It was a magic used by Elves during the Demon War 3,000 years ago. However, after receiving the World Tree as a gift, all records of it were purged due to its extreme danger.]
[Fusion—or rather, Unification—is only possible for Elves chosen by God, and even then, only for warriors of noble character...]
It was revealed that Fusion, which served as the highlight of Volume 14, was a real magic—and a forbidden one at that.
Its official name was 'Unification.' Just as described in the book, the form does not dissipate until all its energy is exhausted, and to replenish that energy, it absorbs everything in its surroundings.
Because it is energy in its purest form, it absorbs both regular mana and Black Mana without distinction. It was said that an energy entity of this kind could summon a storm with a mere flick of its wrist, exactly as written.
When this fact was announced directly by Albenheim, of all places, the public—especially the Elves—fell into an uproar.
[Those who attempt Unification shall be severely punished, as shall those who utilize its theories.]
[The Queen has issued her command, yet scholars and mages continue to show interest in the theories explained in the book...]
[The theory that a massive energy source absorbs surrounding energy to prevent its own dissipation was once proposed by a scholar of Yggdrasil. However, it was scrapped due to fierce opposition from the Senate...]
Unification elicited a wide range of reactions. Although Arwen had ordered severe punishment, it felt insufficient to suppress the inquisitive nature of scholars and mages.
While some worried that a truly dangerous situation might arise, others dismissed the theory as absolutely impossible.
Their reasoning was that for energy to absorb surrounding energy to prevent its own extinction, it would require a sort of 'self-awareness.' After all, the energy entity born through Unification is ultimately a living being with an ego.
A living being struggles to survive when faced with a crisis according to its instincts, and an energy entity would be no different. Therefore, to verify the phenomenon, one would have to create an energy entity that possessed an ego.
No matter how boundless the power of magic might be, 'Creation' is a feat only a god can perform. Realizing this, the mages cleanly abandoned even the thought of attempting it.
It seemed the matter of Unification would pass like that, but the real problem surfaced after the initial commotion died down.
[Xenon was aware of the forbidden knowledge of Unification. Does this mean he knows other things as well?]
[Looking back, the knowledge he possesses is consistently dangerous. If he truly knows the future, his knowledge could become a weapon.]
[Xenon is undoubtedly the man who saved this world from crisis. However, the fact that he is dangerous remains unchanged.]
As the misunderstanding spread that he possessed forbidden magical knowledge, negative evaluations began to rise to the surface.
In truth, the sentiment that Xenon was dangerous had existed before, but people had been too distracted by the books to pay it much mind. Furthermore, even then, the 'danger' was perceived as cultural rather than the author himself being a threat.
However, Volume 14 served as a turning point for public vigilance.
If he knows forbidden magic that isn't even in the records, what other dangerous knowledge might he have?
Xenon was a hero who warned of the pollution of the World Tree's roots and the omens of demon summoning, but for that very reason, his knowledge was deemed extremely dangerous. Such evaluations began to crawl out of the shadows.
Whenever someone achieves a great feat, there will always be those who look up to them and those who envy them. The hearts of people—especially humans—are fickle things.
Since ancient times, the great figures who left their names in history received the respect of the masses, but they also faced an equal amount of intense scrutiny and opposition.
Starting with Volume 14, the factions that had been slandering and badmouthing Isaac began to show themselves more clearly. With 'forbidden magic' as a convenient pretext, criticizing him became an easy task.
Of course, since even Luminous had recognized him through an oracle, no one was brave enough to insult him openly. The critical articles published in the newspapers were written under the cowardice of anonymity, never with a real name attached.
[Those who harm the Saint recognized by Lord Luminous shall be dealt with severely.]
[Do you not fear the wrath of God?]
[It is true that his knowledge is dangerous, but no immediate problems have arisen. Rather, he is the world's benefactor who prevented the demon invasion.]
Above all, the Savior—who followed Luminous's oracles with fanatical devotion—would not stand idly by. Although their fanatical edge had dulled slightly compared to when they were indiscriminately slaughtering the Demon Clan, they remained as devout as ever.
It wasn't just the Savior; the Minerva Empire, the Ters Republic, and Helium felt similarly. Helium needed no explanation, and the Minerva Empire and the Ters Republic were in a position of mutual surveillance.
At any rate, with nations rather than individuals stepping up, those who had poured out criticism were forced to keep a low profile. Still, they continued to raise their voices, insisting that Xenon's knowledge was dangerous.
In fact, their arguments seemed plausible enough on the surface, which only accelerated the efforts to track Xenon down. As a result, one person in particular was suffering the most.
"Ah, seriously! I told you, I don't know! I just receive the manuscripts and send them to the printing press!"
"We told you all you have to do is tell us who gives you those manuscripts. Speak up. What do you want? Money? Or perhaps status?"
It was the Publisher. As usual, he appealed to the nobles who had come to track down Xenon, looking utterly frustrated.
The last time the nobles from Albenheim visited, it was somewhat bearable. All he had to do was not betray Xenon and have Matthew forge the signatures.
In fact, that plan had worked brilliantly, and the Albenheim nobles had stopped coming. After that, he had enjoyed his life, happily watching his money multiply.
But because of the forbidden magic depicted in Volume 14, those nobles had stormed in once again. Their reasoning was that Xenon, who even knew magic lost to history, was extremely dangerous.
Even if they offered him money and power, he valued his loyalty to Xenon—Isaac—but this time, their 'pretext' was far too solid. One only had to think about why forbidden magic was called forbidden magic to find the answer.
Because of this, the Publisher found himself facing the stubborn Albenheim nobles once more.
"If the knowledge Xenon spreads causes great chaos in the world, you, who allowed it, will also be held responsible. Do you think you'll be fine then? All the money you've saved up until now could vanish in an instant."
An Elven man, dressed in what looked like high-quality silk, questioned the Publisher in a quiet but heavily threatening tone. Being an Elf, he was taller than the Publisher and looked down on him.
However, the Publisher did not back down an inch. He had dealt with countless nobles by now; the fact that this one was an Elven noble changed nothing.
"Money can always be earned again. But even so, I cannot betray my loyalty to a friend."
"Hmph. Loyalty, my foot. You're probably just doing it because you can make more money this way."
The Elven noble snorted, speaking as if the idea was absurd. Since it was actually true, the Publisher clamped his mouth shut.
Even so, he didn't have the slightest intention of revealing Isaac's residence. The moment he did, his connection with Isaac would be severed forever.
For now, the priority was to get rid of these nobles somehow. The Publisher rubbed the bridge of his nose before quietly dismissing them.
"...Do you really think this will solve anything? I'm busy enough as it is, and you're giving me a headache. Come back later."
"Keep this in mind, human. The knowledge Xenon possesses is very dangerous. There are many others besides us who think the same."
The Elven nobles left, leaving behind a parting threat that wasn't quite a threat. As their footsteps faded into the distance, the Publisher slumped weakly into his chair.
Dangerous knowledge or whatever, he didn't understand why they were badgering him instead of finding the man themselves. It just went to show how difficult it was to find Isaac.
Since the Publisher was the only clue and link, they were likely coming to him out of desperation, grasping at straws.
If the last time they came was simply to 'verify' the signature, now they were fully intent on 'tracking' Isaac down.
Besides the Albenheim nobles, other aristocrats were also waiting for a chance to find Isaac, but since these were Elves, the weight of the situation was entirely different.
'They look like they know what they're doing... Elves who can use magic skillfully are dangerous.'
They didn't have the authority to investigate taxes directly like the Minerva Empire, but Elves were far superior at tracking someone step by step. No matter how much Hawk twisted the manuscript delivery like a spiderweb, it would only be a matter of time before they were caught.
The reason they hadn't been caught so far was that they hired different errand runners every time, and above all, the Elves hadn't been very interested. At least, not until the release of Volume 13.
Hawk's delivery method might be effective against humans, but there was no guarantee it would work against Elves. Elves were a race that could use the power of magic as naturally as breathing.
'This won't do. I have to send a warning, at the very least.'
That way, even if a problem occurred, he wouldn't be held responsible. Just before writing the letter to Isaac, the Publisher glanced around.
Come to think of it, those Elven bastards might have pulled some trick while they were here. No matter how urgent it was, he had to be careful.
Deciding it would be better to write the letter at home rather than at the publishing house, the Publisher leaned back in his chair. Perhaps because it was a recently replaced leather chair, it felt exceptionally comfortable.
'I'm suffering like this, but I wonder what that man Xenon is doing.'
What was he doing?
"Isaac."
"Yeah?"
"You're really not a prophet or someone from the future, right? This is just a coincidence too?"
"I told you, it's a coincidence."
"Hmm. Okay. For now, take it off. Quickly."
"So suddenly?"
He was busy enjoying a happy life with his beloved.
"Don't you want to tease me?"
"Not at all."
It goes without saying that the long night continued for them that day as well.