Chapter 283: Bombshell(2)
Chapter 283: Bombshell(2)
As you might have guessed from my clumsy and somewhat scatterbrained behavior so far, I tend to make mistakes quite often.
To be more precise, I’m terrible at lying. I’ve been told by others that my true feelings are written all over my face and in my eyes.
Because of that, I’ve mostly stopped lying, but the frequency of my blunders remains the same. Often, those mistakes have snowballed into something much larger.
In that sense, Lilith was a setting error born from one of my mistakes. Originally, she wasn't supposed to remember her former lover at all; her memories should have been overwritten.
The idea was that from the moment she became Diabolus's subordinate, she would be reborn with a new name, only regaining all her memories at the very final moment.
The fact that she remembered her own 'name' was proof in itself that she had maintained her reason.
‘Well, I guess it all worked out for the best...’
While it was a clear setting error, a strange phenomenon occurred after Volume 21 was released: Lilith began to be re-evaluated.
A hypothesis even emerged—one that deeply flustered me as the author—suggesting that Lilith had also subjugated her Inner Evil through her desire for revenge.
Thanks to this, not only did the perceived quality of the work increase, but an unintended piece of foreshadowing was also resolved.
Since I had no intention of explaining myself, I kept my mouth shut while the rave reviews poured in like mushrooms after a rainstorm.
However, among all the events triggered by Volume 21’s release, the most significant matter was, of course, Helium.
The scene where Jin subjugates his Inner Evil gave the Demon Clan both hope and doubt at the same time.
Because of this, when it was announced that a speech would be held in Helium, everyone’s attention was bound to be focused there.
In particular, this was the first time in history that Helium had invited foreign dignitaries for a national address. Naturally, all eyes were on them.
The level of interest might even be higher than it was during Albenheim’s Half-blood Incident.
Naturally, the Minerva Empire planned to send guests as well. However, it wasn't just Leort and Lina attending; Duke Rekilis was also coming.
The reason this situation felt so different from the speech in Albenheim was due to the circumstances of the nations.
While both were national addresses, Albenheim had already been engaging in active exchange under Arwen’s rule, whereas for Helium, this was the very first time.
Though they were both national addresses, this one carried the weight of a bird finally soaring out of its cage and flapping its wings for the first time.
Furthermore, unlike Albenheim, Helium had been semi-forcibly isolated. Since they had only recently begun diplomacy, the outside world knew almost nothing about them.
The Xenon Exhibition had shown that the Demon Clan’s culture was sophisticated, but beyond that, almost nothing had been properly verified.
As a result, foreign dignitaries flocked to Helium to see just how much potential the nation held.
Some came to gauge Helium’s power, some to check their ideology, and others to see if Helium was truly as gloomy a place as rumored.
Nobles from numerous countries headed toward Helium with various purposes and goals.
Among them were representatives from the Minerva Empire, the Kingdom of Ters, the Duchy of Bellua, and other smaller nations.
Although Queen Arwen of Albenheim sent a proxy due to state affairs, it was still a massive event.
"Isaac, you amaze me every time I see you."
"What do you mean?"
"Every time you release a book, the whole world gets turned upside down. Starting with Albenheim, then Savior, and now Helium. Is our Empire next?"
Before the speech began, I had arrived in Helium early with Cecile's help. I gave a bitter smile at Lina’s question.
Just as she said, every time I released a new volume, a specific country went into an uproar, so it was understandable why she’d think that.
I also thought I knew why she pointed to Albenheim as the starting point instead of Helium.
Lina was referring to ideologies that could shake the very foundations of a nation.
Even if the perception of the Demon Clan changed completely, their core ideology had never shifted. The same went for other countries.
However, the half-blood issue had erupted in Albenheim, and after that, the existence of a Fallen Cardinal in Savior had cracked that nation’s very raison d'être.
And now, it was Helium. Because of the contents of Volume 21, the beliefs that Helium had held as its roots were being shaken.
"Well... I'm not sure."
I answered without much thought. Regardless of my intentions, I really didn't know.
The Albenheim situation was a truly unexpected incident, but for Savior and Helium, I could prepare countermeasures in advance.
In that sense, I expected the next one to be the Kingdom of Ters, not the Minerva Empire.
Volume 21’s ending had been a bit rushed due to pacing issues, but Volume 22 would feature Envy’s revenge in earnest.
The Kingdom of Ters would likely feel the sting and recoil then. Hiriya, in particular, would probably feel it in her heart.
Of course, this was all just speculation; nothing was certain. I wasn't a prophet, so how could I know?
"Your acting has improved since I last saw you. Keep it up."
I had answered because I genuinely didn't know, but Lina seemed satisfied, having misinterpreted my response in some way.
I looked at Lina with a puzzled expression before turning my gaze forward. As I did, I saw a massive crowd gathered.
They weren't just demons, but dignitaries who had visited from all over the world. Humans and other races were clearly visible among them.
The feast of diverse colors was dizzying, but seeing such a sight in Helium felt quite surreal.
"Helium must be quite nervous. This has to be the first time they've invited so many guests since the country was founded."
"Isn't this your first time in Helium too, Lina?"
Mari, who was standing beside me, tossed a question in response to Lina’s assessment.
In terms of social status, she should have used formal language, but neither of them seemed to care.
"Of course it's my first time. I wanted to come, but the Empire's affairs have been so busy. Honestly, I only managed to attend this speech by squeezing it into my schedule."
"Busy?"
"Yes. Thanks to a certain someone."
Lina gave a bright smile after hearing Mari’s question and looked at me. There was a faint trace of resentment in that smile, so I could only laugh awkwardly.
She was the Imperial Princess. A princess with immense power and authority, second only to the Emperor and Leort.
Since all sorts of incidents were breaking out in other countries because of Xenon Biography, she was bound to be busy.
I heard she had been extremely occupied with backlogged work and the exhibition. Fortunately, unlike other countries, no major incidents had occurred in the Minerva Empire yet.
Considering how Arwen had been working overtime day after day during the Albenheim Half-blood Incident, Lina was definitely better off.
"Isaac and I were busy having fun in Helium, though~ I guess being a princess isn't all it's cracked up to be?"
Mari, seemingly aware of that fact, teased Lina with a mischievous expression.
She would eventually have to engage in political struggles once she married me, but her situation was much better than Lina’s.
After all, her brother, Kay, would inherit the title of Duke Rekilis, and once I revealed myself as Xenon, her future would be bright.
My prestige had already soared so high that as long as I didn't do anything eccentric, political attacks would be useless. Furthermore, I had reliable guards by my side.
Mari was teasing her like that because she had something to lean on.
"..."
Lina looked like she wanted to smack Mari for being so cheeky.
However, she had her own past transgressions against Mari from when they were younger, and I was standing right there watching.
Actually, it wouldn't have mattered much if she did attack, but Lina had been severely burned by the hiatus threat before. Because of that, she found it difficult to treat me carelessly.
She let out a deep sigh, shook her head, and spoke as if she were giving up.
"Fine. I'm jealous, alright? While some people are suffering through work, others are just playing around with their boyfriend..."
"Hehe."
Thinking she had won the exchange, Mari grabbed my arm and laughed brightly. She seemed like a flighty child, but she was cute, so I just stroked her head.
Moreover, even this kind of conversation was proof that Mari and Lina had grown closer.
In the past, they would have ignored each other like a cow looking at a chicken. Or they would have made it blatantly obvious that they disliked each other.
Lina seemed to realize this as well, as she only gave a small smirk at Mari and showed no sign of being offended.
"Let's just head forward for now. It looks like the speech is about to start."
I mediated between the two women and pointed toward the front. The plaza was already packed with people.
Just as I had seen in Albenheim, the nobles of Helium were seated in the front, and the guest seating was a short distance behind them.
"Adele, you can stay over there."
"Understood."
Adelia, who had been silently guarding us from the side, returned to her designated spot. Once I sat down, a strange sensation spread through my body.
It was a feeling I had also experienced during Arwen’s speech. I wasn't sure if I should call it déjà vu, but it made me vividly realize that I was in another country.
I visited Helium so often that I sometimes forgot, but this was a nation inhabited by another race, not humans.
I looked around, scanning the crowd to see if there was anyone I recognized.
"Ah."
"..."
Then, my eyes met a pair of light blue ones. As you might have guessed, it was Hiriya, the Second Princess of the Kingdom of Ters.
She stared at me with her characteristically sharp gaze before looking back and forth at Adelia, who was some distance away.
Judging by her dissatisfied expression, it seemed she still didn't like Adelia.
Just how narrow-minded did she have to be to still hold such a grudge? Looking at her like this, the Lina of the past seemed much better.
‘I wonder when she’ll finally give up.’
I gave Hiriya a slight nod and then moved my gaze elsewhere to see if there were any other familiar faces.
Since this was the first opening of the semi-forcibly isolated Helium, there were even more guests seated than there had been for the Albenheim speech.
There was even someone I hadn't expected at all.
‘Ka-Kate?’
Kate, the Cardinal of the Church of Light who had personally struck down the fallen priest.
I didn't know when she had arrived in Helium, but she was seated in the guest section, accompanied by paladins.
In effect, this was an indirect expression of Savior’s desire to trade with Helium.
However, since Savior had a history of massacring demons during a fit of fanaticism, their relationship was bound to be awkward in many ways.
Even now, the nobles of Helium were glancing at Kate with meaningful looks.
‘I guess it shows just how important this is.’
For Helium, this was a golden opportunity to not just step out into the world, but to soar. It was also a chance for the race itself to evolve to the next level.
In that sense, Cecile’s speech could become a legendary address that would change the course of history, or it could just be an ordinary one.
Having seen various historical records, I knew her speech had to be a masterpiece.
The pressure would only mount, but no one knew when an opportunity like this would come again.
I waited quietly, praying fervently that she would deliver a speech as evocative as Arwen’s.
Even though I wasn't the one giving the speech, my heart was pounding with nervousness for some reason.
"Oh? Is that person perhaps..."
"I think so."
"So that woman is Princess Cecile."
As I waited in silence, I heard whispering from the front.
Since the name Cecile was mentioned, it seemed she had made her appearance. I craned my neck like a meerkat.
She hadn't reached the podium yet, but I could see Cecile slowly ascending toward it.
Instead of her usual revealing black dress, she wore a modestly designed red dress.
Since this was a speech and not a social gathering, she seemed to have dressed formally.
"..."
"..."
As soon as Cecile revealed herself on the podium, the buzzing plaza fell silent in an instant.
The gazes of not only the demons but also the guests who had traveled from afar were fixed on her. Eyes of many colors, not just red.
Occasionally, I heard praises for her beauty—how stunning she was and so on—but it wasn't something to pay much mind to.
How much time had passed? Cecile scanned the audience before her eyes met mine exactly.
Then, she gave a small smile, cleared her throat a few times, and spoke quietly.
[Hello, my beloved people. And to our guests who have traveled from distant lands to visit Helium. My name is Cecile Drat Aisilia bin. I am the Princess of Helium, the sanctuary of the Demon Clan, and...]
For some reason, it reminded me of the first entrance ceremony. Her speech back then was truly...
[The woman of the Demon Clan's benefactor, Xenon.]
...really great—wait, what?
"What?"
What did she just say?