Chapter 272: Run Away(2)
Chapter 272: Run Away(2)
Before the Side Story and Volume 20 were released simultaneously, Xenon (Isaac) had left a specific instruction via a letter.
He requested that readers finish the Side Story before starting Volume 20. He claimed that doing so would not only make Volume 20 more enjoyable but also deliver a unique kind of shock.
Following Xenon’s advice, the readers began to read the Side Story first without a shred of doubt.
Expectations were particularly high for the Side Story, as it promised the long-awaited past of Jin and Lily. People wondered how bright the story would be and what circumstances led to their heart-wrenching dynamic.
However, those expectations vanished the moment they reached the introduction. Jin’s unimaginably tragic past was revealed step by step.
To reiterate, unlike the current reality, the Demons within the Xenon Chronicle were still a persecuted race.
Furthermore, as would be revealed in Volume 20, Jin’s very origin was such that even his biological mother abused him, and humans constantly pointed fingers at him. Because of this, he never had a normal upbringing; even surviving day-to-day was an agonizing struggle.
At home, he faced cruel abuse from his mother; outside, he was pelted with stones by passersby. It was a miracle he hadn't taken his own life.
[It is extreme, yet it feels like something that could easily happen in reality.]
As this review suggested, reality before the appearance of the Xenon Chronicle was filled with similar situations. These were Demons who, for one reason or another, lived outside the protection of Helium.
According to research by some scholars, Demons born outside Helium were far more likely to turn into Devils than those born within. In other words, Jin’s miserable past was grounded in a grim reality.
Of course, the readers were already too immersed to care about academic findings.
Regardless, Jin’s past was too wretched for words, and his psychological state was darker than dark. There was no one to reach out a hand, no adult to protect the frail child.
It was the perfect environment for a new Devil to be born. In fact, the narrative even described Jin’s heart being pushed to the absolute brink, filling readers with a sense of dread.
["Hello? Who are you? You’re uniquely handsome."]
Fortunately, a kind and warm hand was extended to the young Jin. As everyone expected, it was Lily, the girl who would later be revered as the Saintess.
But perhaps the wounds from his abuse were too deep. Jin stubbornly rejected Lily’s kindness. Instead, he looked at her with contempt, certain that she, too, would eventually point fingers and throw stones. His deep-rooted distrust of people showed no signs of fading.
["Want some bread? I bought this."]
["Why are you so scruffy? You should wash up."]
["You’re a Demon, right? Can I touch your horns?"]
Moreover, Lily, in her childhood innocence, occasionally caused unintentional hurt. Every time she did, Jin would ignore her with an irritated glare.
["Don't you have a mom or dad? Where are they?"]
["Piss off."]
Lily even accidentally delivered an unintentional jab at his parents, prompting Jin to curse at her to get lost.
At this point, readers began to have doubts. How could such a hostile relationship evolve into such a poignant romance? What could Lily have possibly done to change Jin’s heart and make him volunteer to become her shadow?
The Side Story consisted of only one volume, and the sharp tension between Jin and Lily continued for the first third of the book. Even though it was mostly Jin pushing her away while Lily followed him around like a puppy, it was never boring. On the contrary, readers turned the pages feverishly, eager to see when the ice would finally break.
Then, exactly at the halfway point, the moment Lily’s efforts finally paid off arrived.
["Why do you keep following me? I’m a Demon. The kind you humans loathe."]
["What does being a Demon matter? You have a human face. Oh, but before that, can I touch your horns just once? I’m curious what they feel like."]
["... ..."]
["Is that a no?"]
It was an answer that perfectly captured Lily’s unique personality—one that threw discrimination to the wind, befitting a future Saintess.
With that single response, Jin’s heart began to open, albeit only toward Lily. From then on, they were frequently seen together. Lily showered Jin with unconditional affection, and Jin, though overwhelmed by the first kindness he had ever received, secretly smiled while "pretending" to accept it reluctantly.
However, there was one fact Jin didn't know.
Since Lily was destined to be the Saintess, she was born with innate Divine Power and was under the protection of the Church. Naturally, the Church viewed Jin with hostility. To them, Jin was a Demon—the descendant of a Devil.
Jin, who had grown up sensitive to the moods of others due to his abuse, sensed this atmosphere and began to distance himself from Lily again. Though he didn't realize it at the time, it was the first time Jin sacrificed himself for Lily’s sake. He feared his presence would bring her harm.
Thus, they drifted apart, and Lily’s contact with Jin decreased under pressure from the Church.
But the Side Story couldn't end there. The decisive event that forged Jin’s eternal loyalty to Lily finally occurred.
The Church, viewing Jin as an eyesore, hatched a plan to assassinate him. Lily happened to overhear their conversation.
To make matters worse, Jin’s mother had passed away from the lingering effects of an encounter with Beelzebub, the Demon of Gluttony. Though she was a piece of trash who had abused her child, Jin, unable to discard his familial ties, had personally built her a grave.
Just as he was about to head out with a heavy heart to steal food as usual, he ran into Lily, whom he hadn't seen in a while.
Well, anyone could guess how the situation unfolded from there.
The Church trying to kill Jin, and Lily standing with open arms to protect him. This alone was enough to solidify their poignant past.
In particular, Jin’s monologue at the very end tugged at the readers' heartstrings.
[Where there is light, there must also be shadow. To protect the brightest light, I shall become the foulest shadow.]
Jin’s extreme spirit of sacrifice had been nurtured since his childhood. Through the Side Story, readers finally understood why Jin was so blindly loyal to Lily and, furthermore, why he could never express his true feelings to her.
[Light and shadow always go together, yet they can never truly become one.]
[Jin’s psychology, where his self-esteem is always measured against Lily.]
[Lily is looking back, but Jin is always turning away, making it difficult for them to meet eyes.]
As the long-veiled past was fully revealed, praise poured in. Lily had acted in a way that truly earned her the title of 'Saintess,' and Jin had gained a new identity as the 'Shadow.'
However, this didn't mean the fans stopped rooting for them. On the contrary, the desire for them to be together grew twofold.
And then, after reading Volume 20 with those feelings in mind...
[Xenon is definitely a Devil in human skin. Otherwise, there’s no way he could play with people’s hearts like this.]
[Is he really killing Jin? Right in front of Lily?]
[It’s shocking that Jin’s father is Gluttony, but why now?!]
The shock returned several times over, delivering a massive blow to the readers' heads.
Of course, since an 'Awakening' was likely planned for the next volume, he probably wouldn't actually kill him. But the readers, knowing nothing, felt their hearts tearing apart in agony.
If this were Earth, they might have brushed it off, thinking, 'No way he’s exiting like this. He wouldn't actually kill him, right?'
But in this world, genre fiction like the Xenon Chronicle was almost non-existent. Whether it was clichés or flags, the Xenon Chronicle was the very first of its kind.
There was Cherry’s novel, Red Sunset Once Again, but only one volume had been released so far. Above all, the 'precedents' of Kair and Elisha stood tall, further amplifying the readers' anxiety.
As a result...
"Hurry up and send a letter or something! Is Jin really dead?!"
"He wouldn't really kill him, right?! Even Helium! Yeah! They’ll definitely! Cause a riot!"
"Do you know how many drawings I’ve made for them?! Publisher, come out right now! If Sir Xenon sees my drawings, he’ll definitely change his mind!"
Readers were causing a scene in front of the publishing house. What was noteworthy was their race.
A year ago, during the hiatus crisis, only humans had gathered. Now, the entrance was a mix of humans and Demons alike.
The romance between Jin and Lily held immense significance for the Demons. Along with Jin, there was Lilith, one of the Seven Deadly Sins, who had become a Devil after losing her lover.
Thanks to these compelling characters, the perception that Demons were devoted lovers had taken root, making them extremely sensitive to Jin’s fate.
To set up a sweet romantic route in the Side Story only to deliver such a brutal betrayal in the main story—it was only natural for them to be furious.
Consequently, just as humans and Demons had joined forces at the exhibition, they now stood together in front of the publishing house, raising their voices.
Whenever someone occasionally crossed the line, they collectively restrained each other, with the Demons playing a major role in this. No matter how angry they were, Demons were a race of 'Restraint.' They naturally thought rationally, which prevented things from spiraling out of control.
"No, really. I don't know anything, so why are they only giving me hell?"
"Because you, sir, are one of only two links to him, along with Queen Arwen."
"Haa, dammit..."
Musk, the publisher, was bewildered. He merely received and published the manuscripts, yet he was the one facing the aftermath every time.
If he weren't a link, this wouldn't be happening. But ever since it became known that he exchanged letters with the author, this had been his life.
It seemed especially bad this time. Jin, one of the most popular characters, had 'died' right before Lily’s eyes. Whether he was truly dead wouldn't be known until the next volume, but waiting that long was unbearable for the fans.
'This must be awkward for Xenon to clarify, too...'
If he confirmed Jin was dead, it would be a problem; if he said he was alive, that would also be a problem, as it was a spoiler.
There was only one solution: release the next volume as quickly as possible.
Isaac had said the new volume would be out in fifteen days, so they could wait until then. But for now, Musk had to calm the protesters camping outside.
"Hey, Matthew."
"Yes, sir."
"For now, provide some food and drinks to the protesters. And make sure to emphasize that we’re on the same side."
Thus, thanks to Musk’s wise measures, the publishing house quieted down slightly.
*
"Honey! We have to go to Helium right now! Hurry!"
"Do you know how far Helium is? It’ll take at least two months by carriage."
"We can just ask the higher-ups! Don't you have any acquaintances?"
"Uh... even so, it’ll be hard. Teleportation facilities require permission from the Imperial Family at the very least."
"Ughhh..."
Anna, Isaac’s mother and a die-hard fan of the Jin-Lily pairing, was stomping her feet, trying to find a way to get to Helium.
She had wondered why he was going to Helium before Volume 20 was released, and now she knew why. Since he had even taken Mari and Adelia with him, Anna hadn't suspected a thing.
"Why don't you just leave him be? I think Isaac went to Helium precisely because he knew you’d react like this."
"Even so, he has to at least tell me if Jin really dies!"
"And if he really is dead? Are you actually going to remove him from the family records?"
"Well, no, but... I’m anxious. I just want to get rid of this anxiety."
Hawk scratched his nose as he watched the fretful Anna. She wasn't the only one making a fuss; many others were reacting similarly. It just went to show how massive the impact of Volume 20’s ending was. The sea of protesters in front of the publishing house was proof enough.
"Wouldn't people normally just wait?"
"I’m the type who needs to know the ending to feel at peace."
While most people hated spoilers, Anna was the opposite. She felt relieved only after being spoiled. She felt like she wouldn't be able to sleep a wink at this rate, so she wanted to find Isaac immediately. She needed to hear from his own mouth what happened to Jin to ease her mind.
Hawk crossed his arms as he watched his restless wife. Even if he wanted to grant her request, it was realistically impossible. It would require teleportation, which needed Imperial permission and would still take several days to arrange. By then, the next volume would likely be out, making the effort futile.
"I’ll try to think of something. Just wait a bit."
"Thank you, honey. I knew I could count on you."
"Ahem. Ahem."
Hawk cleared his throat, blushing as Anna hugged him tightly in gratitude. In truth, he hadn't told her, but there was one viable method.
That was to find the summoning paper that was likely on the desk in Isaac’s bedroom. Specifically, not Siris’s summoning paper, but Gartz’s.
Gartz was always on standby to modify the typewriter to Isaac’s liking. Furthermore, he had been given the 'heavy' (?) duty of rushing in to fix it whenever it broke down. Because of this, it was highly likely a summoning paper had been left in the bedroom. Gartz was Cecile’s guard, but he also served as Isaac’s.
'I should wait a bit before telling her.'
If he told Anna now, she would summon Gartz immediately without any preparation. He had to at least give Isaac some time to run away.
While such 'schemes' were being hatched at the mansion, Isaac was...
"So, son-in-law. Does Jin really die?"
"... ..."
He was being questioned not by Anna, but by his mother-in-law and Cecile’s mother, Aisilia.
'He’s not dead...'
Just bear with it for fifteen days.