Chapter 241: Book 18(2)
Chapter 241: Book 18(2)
I was counting down the days until summer vacation, but life always has a way of throwing a curveball when you least expect it.
The Academy is teeming with people, including a large number of guards, making it exceptionally secure. Consequently, the crime rate is remarkably low. Even if a security issue were to arise, it would be handled immediately. I had never heard of a major incident, like a terrorist attack, occurring within the Academy's walls.
However, that only applied to the inside. Outside, the situation was different. In this world, individuals can become incredibly powerful through sufficient training, which naturally leads to a degree of social instability.
This meant that some lunatic could commit a crazy act anywhere, at any time—and Demon Worshippers fit the description of "lunatic" perfectly.
The Demon Worshippers were a faction that had been lurking in the shadows, plotting long before the Xenon Biography ever appeared. If people suddenly went missing or the Undead appeared without warning, it was almost always their doing.
They were, quite literally, lower than vermin—the very axis of evil, acting as if they had a personal grudge against the world.
The biggest issue was that before the Xenon Biography, people weren't even aware of their existence. Now, they had been dragged completely into the light.
In fact, it would be more accurate to say they were grabbed by the hair and forcibly hauled out because of the Xenon Biography. There was a running joke that now that the Savior had declared a Holy War, a Demon Worshipper’s head was being crushed every ten seconds.
Yet, the most terrifying thing about them was that even the familiar Dark Elves and Demons hadn't noticed their presence.
While Dark Elves and Demons borrowed the power of darkness through Mora, the Demon Worshippers were, quite literally, the manifestation of a murky, visceral darkness itself. At the very least, the Demons, who had deep ties to actual devils, had sensed the omens beforehand.
This was because the ranks of the Demon Worshippers included the Radical Faction of the Demon Tribe, who were thought to have been eradicated in the distant past.
These were individuals who, during the era of Demon persecution, chose hatred over restraint and willingly embraced demonic power. Though they had lost the civil war in Helium long ago, evidence was surfacing that they had been operating in secret within the Demon Worshippers ever since.
Helium had even assigned the 'Reapers' to track them down and had managed to find several clues. As it turned out, the strength and scale of the Demon Worshippers far exceeded expectations.
A large scale meant a high number of risk factors. Furthermore, any faction is bound to lash out when they feel cornered.
No one knew exactly what form that desperation would take, but in most cases, they simply went on a reckless rampage.
The problem was that such rampages caused immense damage. Those closely associated with the Xenon Biography were in particular danger.
[...So, I am sending this letter to urge you to be cautious. Please do not worry about me and continue your steady serialization.]
The author of the letter I was reading, Musk, was a prime example. Musk Grid was the only publisher with a contract for the Xenon Biography and was one of the few publicly known links to Author Xenon.
Naturally, he had become a target for the Demon Worshippers. While Arwen was also known to be connected to me, she was too big of a figure for them to handle right now, so they had targeted Musk instead.
According to the letter, he had been ambushed by Demon Worshippers but managed to survive thanks to a proper response. From now on, all publishing would be conducted in collaboration with the Church of Light.
The idea of publishing in collaboration with the Church of Light was absurd enough, but the part that bothered me most was definitely the attack.
In the letter, Musk said he didn't care about being attacked himself, but he was deeply concerned about the upcoming exhibition in the Maishal Territory.
Since I had informed him via letter that I attended the last exhibition, there was a high probability they expected me to attend this one as well.
The Demon Worshippers might target the event for a terrorist attack. Even though precautions would be taken, I couldn't shake the uneasy feeling.
You can't reason with madmen. Even if an enormous amount of manpower was invested in the exhibition, the Demon Worshippers were the type to carry out an attack regardless.
‘Father said he would make a direct request to the Imperial Family, but...’
If nothing else, my father reads the letters sent by President Musk beforehand. Since Musk believes my father is Xenon, not me, it’s better for him to read them just in case.
Father mentioned he intended to invite officials from the Imperial Family to the mansion. With the clear justification of needing more guards due to the threat of Demon Worshippers, the Imperial Family would likely agree.
Moreover, if I informed Cecile of this, Helium would send reinforcements as well. I had no intention of letting anyone ruin an exhibition that only happened once a year.
Above all, the scale of this exhibition was on a different level compared to the one a year ago. Back then, mostly Humans and Demons attended, but now, it would be crowded with people of all races.
If security collapsed and a terrorist attack occurred here, the blow to both the Maishal Territory and the Minerva Empire would be beyond imagination.
To prevent that, the exhibition had to proceed smoothly.
‘Will the Savior send someone too? If they do, it’ll probably be Kate, right?’
For some reason, this was starting to feel like more than just an exhibition. It was shaping up to be a massive gathering, almost like a national unification event.
Father had said he’d had a headache preparing for the last one, and I couldn't even begin to fathom the stress he was under now.
For the moment, there wasn't much I could do. There was about a month left until vacation, and final exams were approaching.
The arrival of exam season meant the students were becoming incredibly busy. As a result, I’d been seeing my acquaintances less frequently, and I was becoming busy in my own right.
"What kind of topic should I use for the exam questions? Give it some thought."
"Why are you asking me? I'm just a teaching assistant."
"Because you have a lot of fresh ideas. Last time, you even imagined what a world without mana would be like."
Elena had instructed me to come up with the exam questions. In my past life, I’d heard of TAs grading papers, but I’d never heard of them writing the actual exam.
This was clearly a case of shifting responsibility and, frankly, an illegal act, but considering the era, I decided to let it slide. There were no laws against it, so complaining would be meaningless.
After a brief grumble, I turned my gaze toward Cindy, who was preoccupied with writing a new thesis.
She still stuck to her messy bun style, and judging by the deep dark circles under her eyes, her lifestyle hadn't changed a bit.
"Cindy, don't you have to submit questions like me?"
"I used to... but I don't have to anymore..."
"Why not?"
"Because I'm a Doctor, just like the Professor..."
It seemed Cindy had been worked just as hard as I was during her days as an assistant. Still, I didn't really have any complaints. Elena didn't ignore human rights or treat me like a slave, nor did she pick on me for trivial things.
In fact, as much as she worked me, she was a huge help with my historical studies. By conducting research and gathering data, I had accumulated a staggering amount of knowledge without even realizing it.
"Oh, and just so you know, if you leak the exam questions, I'll strip you of your assistant position immediately. Not even for your close friends."
"I know that much. I have to make different questions for each class, right?"
"Of course. I'll handle the second-years and Class 1, so you take care of the rest."
"Understood."
It was a hassle, but what could I do? When the professor says jump, you jump. Besides, it might actually be fun.
As I pondered what kind of questions would make the students praise my brilliance, a sudden curiosity struck me, and I asked Elena.
"Professor, are you planning to visit the exhibition this time?"
"Hmm? Oh, right. Come to think of it, the exhibition is coming up soon. It's being held in your territory again, isn't it?"
"Yes."
"Hmm..."
Elena pushed up her glasses, thought for a moment, then shrugged.
"I'd love to see it. I heard the Matrix Theater Troupe's performance was incredible. They collaborated with the Lirus Orchestra, didn't they?"
"It was a performance I'll never forget. If you saw it, Professor, you'd never forget it either."
It was still vivid in my mind. The sacrifice of Sacran, performed by the Lirus Orchestra and the Matrix Theater Troupe. The opening alone was breathtaking.
There had been a bit of a stir later when it was revealed that the director of the Matrix Theater Troupe was a Demon, but that only served to increase their fame.
It was the kind of performance you wanted to see again and again. It was scheduled to be performed once more at this exhibition.
The Matrix Theater Troupe had stated they would only perform Sacran's Sacrifice at the exhibition, meaning it was a once-a-year opportunity.
"Are you coming?"
"I'm sorry, but I'll have to pass on this exhibition too. I have a mountain of research to do, so I'll be in the lab all vacation."
"Are you really that busy?"
"Yes. We've found evidence that the Demon Worshippers have tampered with certain parts of history. We're seeing inconsistencies here and there. If I dig into this, I might be able to figure out what kind of influence they've had."
It was a very Elena-like answer—the response of a natural-born scholar. Since she was so firm, I couldn't push her any further.
Just as I was about to give up and think about the exam questions, Elena gave me a piece of advice in a very serious tone.
"So, be careful during the exhibition. Those Demon Worshippers are the type to even subtly alter history. There's no telling how they might try to cause harm."
"I'm aware of that. That's why we're making thorough preparations."
"That's good to hear. I finally found a good sla—I mean, assistant. I'd hate to lose such valuable labor so pointlessly."
"You were about to say 'slave,' weren't you?"
"You misheard me."
I highly doubted that.
*
While Isaac was busy with final exams at the Academy...
The Maishal Territory, where the exhibition was to be held, was bustling with activity every single day.
Under the massive symbolic weight of being Xenon's birthplace, it was steadily developing into a cultural city, attracting various merchant groups and tourists.
The once peaceful small village was gradually transforming into a city. Various buildings were being erected, and skilled workers were busy transporting materials and constructing them piece by piece.
As a bonus, priests were on standby at all times to handle any potential accidents.
Furthermore, there were artists who were already setting up their works for the exhibition.
Most were statues or crafts that were difficult to move, and more artworks were scheduled to be placed in the coming days.
The Maishal Territory, which used to be nothing but quiet, was progressing toward becoming a cultural city day by day, but this time, something was different.
"Move it, move it! Everything must be completed by the exhibition!"
"Hey! If it's too hard, take a break. If you collapse while building, it'll be a disgrace to Lord Xenon!"
"Get some sweets over here!"
What was needed to build the designed structures was labor. And the skill of the workers was just as important as that of the architects.
They had to understand what the architect wanted and build it accordingly for both parties to be satisfied. Additionally, as the labor force increased, the construction time was drastically reduced.
But above all, the most important factor was the number of workers. For large-scale architecture, quantity often took precedence over quality.
Look at it now. I didn't know what kind of building they were constructing, but the number of workers assigned to a single site looked to be well over a hundred.
Unlike Earth, the technology was lacking, so everything had to be done by hand, but it was a massive project nonetheless.
So, what on earth were they building that required such a vast amount of manpower?
"...Is it really going to be completed within a month?"
Hawk, the head of the Maishal family, spoke with a dazed expression as he watched the frantic construction site. Before his eyes was a scale of construction one would usually only see in the capital.
The golden-haired woman standing beside him wore a beautiful smile.
She was clad in white armor, and a meticulously maintained mace hung at her waist.
It was Cardinal and Grand Inquisitor Kate Louise Angelica, who was supposedly back on her pilgrimage.
For some reason, she had bypassed the capital and arrived in the Maishal Territory.
And she hadn't come alone; she was accompanied by a staggering amount of manpower dispatched from the Savior. Every single worker currently at the construction site had been sent directly by the Savior.
"Of course. That is why I brought those people with me."
Hawk, with his arms crossed, looked at the temple, which was already starting to take shape, and then slowly turned his head.
Kate wore her usual benevolent smile, but to Hawk, there was something slightly unsettling about it.
He had been puzzled when he heard a Cardinal had arrived in his territory with a massive entourage, and he had been flabbergasted when she told him, without any preamble, that she was going to build a temple in his territory.
He had wanted to ask her what kind of nonsense she was talking about to her face, but once the work began immediately, he was left speechless. Apparently, she had already discussed it with the Imperial Family and reached a decision.
The Savior Theocracy held the largest stake in building temples, and other countries simply had to give their permission.
From the perspective of the country where a temple was being built, it was something to be welcomed with open arms—it meant selling goods, reducing unemployment, and, above all, having a temple established.
"Hmm..."
Hawk frowned slightly after hearing Kate's explanation. As a believer in Luminous himself, he had no complaints about a temple being built.
However, temples were usually built in cities of a certain size. Because of this, one usually had to travel to the capital to visit a temple.
Of course, as the man known as the Red Lion, he had been able to travel to the capital every day, but for others, it was nearly impossible. He had run there without even taking a carriage, after all.
"You are likely wondering why we are suddenly building a temple. But only by building a temple can this sacred land be protected by Lord Luminous."
As if sensing Hawk's inner thoughts, Kate reassured him with a kind smile.
Hawk raised an eyebrow and countered.
"Did you say 'sacred land'?"
"Yes. The land where Lord Xenon was born—the one chosen by Lord Luminous, the one who gave us the chance to drive away the hideous darkness from this world."
"..."
"It is only natural to build a temple upon it. The exhibition can be held under divine protection, and furthermore, it will receive a blessing."
As she spoke, Kate looked Hawk directly in the eye. Her green eyes held a clear, unwavering conviction.
Hawk looked into her firm gaze before turning his eyes back toward the construction site.
It might sound confusing if you just listened to the words, but this was what Kate meant:
[I will turn the Maishal Territory into a 'Holy Land.']
She would make it a land that remained pure, untainted by anyone.
Realizing her intention, Hawk let out a heavy, complicated sigh.
But there was something even more ominous.
"How happy would Lord Xenon be if he saw this? Just imagining it gives me chills."
"..."
"Ah... I hope this land is filled with Lord Luminous's blessing as soon as possible..."
It was Kate's fanatical side. Hawk had already deduced that she knew Isaac's true identity.
However, her attitude toward Isaac was enough to give anyone the creeps.
Even though he had seen all sorts of things while making a name for himself as the Red Lion, he found himself instinctively backing away.
‘What on earth did you do, my son...?’
Hawk let out another heavy sigh and looked at the construction site.
‘Surely the Demon Princess isn't going to see this and follow suit, right?’
The thought suddenly crossed his mind.