Chapter 289: Blasphemy(1)
Chapter 289: Blasphemy(1)
Even before Xenon Biography attained the status of scripture, there were many impersonators. To be precise, they didn't claim to be the "Author" Xenon, but rather the "Protagonist" Xenon.
Before the first "Why Is This Real?" incident—that is, before the pollution of the World Tree was revealed—Xenon Biography was nothing more than an ordinary novel, not a book of prophecy.
While saving the Demon race, who had been persecuted for centuries, was a clear achievement, history is currently proving the kind of influence a literary work like Xenon Biography can wield.
However, one must remember that a "popular" success like Xenon Biography is unprecedented. It is a novel that can be considered the starting point of a culture enjoyed by everyone, regardless of social status.
Unlike other novels that overuse difficult words or poetry filled with flowery metaphors, Xenon Biography captured the public's attention with its direct expressions and concise prose.
Furthermore, it boldly depicted heretical aspects, sharply pointing out the discrimination and contradictions contained within.
While Xenon Biography provided vicarious satisfaction to countless people, especially commoners, it didn't only produce positive phenomena.
Among the many problems it birthed, the news most likely to make the headlines involved noble corruption and copycat incidents.
The corruption of the nobility was something commoners already knew about through word of mouth, but after the release of Xenon Biography, the number of people casting suspicious glares increased.
Can we really trust the nobles? I don't care if they do dirty deeds, as long as it doesn't hurt me.
The evil practice of nobles openly discriminating against commoners had mostly vanished after the "Jayros Revolution," but it hadn't disappeared entirely.
Even on Earth, where chaebols are cursed for their power trips, one can only imagine what this world is like—a world without the internet, let alone social media.
Even now, in places out of sight, discrimination by nobles against commoners persists.
Because news and rumors do not spread as quickly as they do on Earth, such incidents are easily buried, and to commoners, nobles remain objects of distrust.
In this situation, when a book like Xenon Biography came out pointing out the maladies of the nobility, the nobles naturally felt the heat.
Although the Jayros Revolution ultimately ended in failure, it wasn't a meaningless struggle.
If a similar revolution were to break out again, it would mean crossing a point of no return. Thus, the book served as an opportunity for the nobility to straighten their act.
The commoners also let things slide without a word because the nobles were showing effort to behave properly. Of course, that didn't mean they gave them their full trust.
There was even a time when distrust toward the nobles nearly exploded due to the riots caused by the author's hiatus.
As such, there were many difficulties caused by the stories within Xenon Biography, but the problem didn't end there.
Returning to the main point, Xenon Biography is a heroic epic filled with dreams and hope (?).
A heroic epic usually features a protagonist gifted with both talent and character who meets companions, goes on a journey, and eventually uproots the axis of evil.
It is a truly royal and classic narrative, and if it were on Earth, it would have been nothing more than an ordinary fantasy novel.
The problem, however, is that unlike Earth, this world contains monsters and mana. It is, quite literally, a typical fantasy setting.
In such a world, what happens when someone writes a novel that is "historically accurate" even for a work of fiction? And what if that novel starts gaining worldwide popularity?
It's the perfect environment for "copycats" to emerge.
It's not uncommon for people to become adventurers or mercenaries after reading exploration logs or hearing exaggerated tales of adventure, but Xenon Biography brought about much more severe consequences.
Youngsters who were still wet behind the ears would head out boldly, claiming they would become heroes like Xenon, only to taste bitterness or even lose their lives.
Even if they managed to climb the ranks, reality is a cold mistress; most would fall away in despair.
The existence of Xenon Biography was the biggest reason for these incidents, but other factors played a role as well.
In this world, there are monsters—beings that pose a direct threat to humanity.
Adventurer and mercenary are professions where one can gain honor and wealth by subjugating such monsters.
Add to that a novel like Xenon Biography that sets fire to one's heart, and everyone stepped outside to chase their dreams.
The results were disastrous. Still, the adventurer and mercenary industries enjoyed an unexpected boom, and both quality and quantity increased, so it wasn't entirely bad.
This remained true even after Xenon Biography began to be revered as scripture. In fact, as the story reached its climax, the number of applicants grew.
Vigorous young men stepped into adventure, vowing to become like Xenon or Mary, while existing adventurers and mercenaries worked harder, refusing to be outdone.
There was much trouble and talk thanks to the rookies who knew nothing of the world, but some among them performed remarkably well, raising expectations.
However, no matter how ignorant they were, there was one implicit rule they clearly recognized. This was an unwritten law that emerged after Xenon Biography began to be treated as scripture.
[Do not call yourself Xenon or Mary.]
People are born with "names" inherited from their parents. These names are usually kept and used even when active as adventurers or mercenaries.
However, it's not uncommon for people to use aliases to hide their identity or for personal reasons.
Because of this, until the "Why Is This Real?" incidents began happening one after another, there were countless men and women using "Xenon" or "Mary" as aliases.
In the case of mercenaries, this could be prevented by rules since they have to register, but adventurers are different. Thus, such aliases were rampant among adventurers.
This caused some confusion, but as new volumes of Xenon Biography were released and it was confirmed as a book of prophecy, most of them disappeared.
Strictly speaking, they didn't disappear; rather, people stopped bragging about it without knowing their place.
This trend became even stronger after Cecile's speech and Arwen's announcement.
Of course, as seen with Cecile and Arwen, there was no law saying the names of the characters and real people had to be the same. It was only a motif, not a literal record of real experiences.
This was also why those impersonating Kair could talk like madmen. It was the mindset of clinging to an uncertain future and trying to get a piece of the pie.
Could it be me? Maybe it's me? Without realizing they were trapped in such a delusion, they basked in all the attention.
Because of this, commoners and nobles alike now treat those who impersonate or "copy" Xenon Biography as little more than swindlers.
They claim such bastards damage the prestige of Xenon Biography and dare to defile the scripture that saved the world.
Some people worry that such thugs might bring harm to the reputation of Xenon Biography.
And an impersonator who would pour oil on those worries finally made his appearance in the world.
"Is that the guy?"
"That's what they say."
A few days after the Kair impersonation incident broke out in Albenheim.
Currently, on the streets of Albenheim, a man who had become a hot topic—not just as a Kair impersonator—was walking boldly.
A man who was the center of attention for both the Elves of Albenheim and others.
Despite the burdensome stares, the man was walking with a stride that seemed almost arrogant.
He had brown hair and eyes, common features found anywhere. His appearance was also quite ordinary, except for his sharp nose.
However, he wore expensive equipment that didn't match his looks, making him stand out considerably.
"He's the one going around saying he's Xenon, right?"
"He doesn't look like Xenon at all."
"Who knows? He must be confident if he's saying it himself."
"He still looks young, though."
As the man heard the talk about him from his surroundings, his smile deepened. At the same time, a strange desire surged within his chest.
As could be heard from the surrounding chatter, the man's name was Xenon. He was the human male who had uttered reckless words to Arwen after entering Albenheim a few days ago.
How dare she ignore my words.
The man, Xenon, gritted his teeth inwardly as he walked toward his destination. He was currently thinking of Arwen, the Queen of Albenheim, who had completely ignored him.
He was Xenon, so why wasn't she by his side? Kair was just an impersonator anyway.
Rather than going through all sorts of hardships, wouldn't it be better to be the woman of the man who "will" become the hero who saves the world?
Unlike the fakes who claimed to be the inspiration for Kair, he was the man who would be the inspiration for the real Xenon.
The reason he could think this was very simple from his perspective.
He never had a biological father, and his biological mother passed away while giving birth to him, but she had named him "Xenon."
And the protagonist of Xenon Biography, Xenon, is also an orphan who knows neither the faces nor the names of his parents.
This alone was enough, but he also possessed the talent to overcome obstacles.
Although he didn't have an outstanding master like Kair, he had learned swordsmanship from a passing adventurer, and thanks to that, his talent blossomed, and he threw himself into the life of an adventurer.
He had been successful ever since becoming an adventurer, gaining both strength and fame. Of course, he faced hardships along the way, but he passed through them safely, just like the stories in Xenon Biography.
This alone was enough to plant a profound "delusion" in him. Being an orphan, having the name "Xenon," and even possessing the talent to overcome obstacles.
At first, even he was unsure, but after Cecile's speech and Arwen's announcement, he became certain.
He was the human who would be the motif for the protagonist Xenon in Xenon Biography. Who could possibly deny it?
Of course, he was less handsome and shorter than the Xenon in the book, but that didn't matter. The most important thing was who served as the motif.
Thump—
Perhaps it was because he was lost in thought. Xenon(?), who was deeply immersed in his self-identity as Xenon, bumped into someone.
Without realizing he had reached a crowded area, he had been walking mindlessly and bumped shoulders with a pedestrian.
"Ah. I'm sorry."
"..."
The pedestrian was an Elf living in Albenheim, and a very beautiful one at that. Xenon quickly scanned the woman's appearance.
Her looks went without saying, and her height and figure were also excellent. She was wearing the light, flowing attire characteristic of Albenheim, but it couldn't hide her form.
In an instant, a sinister desire flickered in Xenon's brown eyes. Although he projected himself as Xenon, his character did not resemble the hero's at all.
She had offended a man who would become a hero. Naturally, she would have to make amends somehow.
Whether it was with money or her body didn't matter, but to him, visiting Albenheim for the first time, an Elf was literally an angel itself.
Thus, he spoke to the Elf woman, who had apologized politely, with a crooked smile.
"Is an apology enough?"
"Pardon?"
"Don't you know who I am?"
The Elf looked at him with a startled expression at Xenon's aggressive behavior despite her apology.
Even her startled face was truly beautiful, as expected of an Elf, stimulating the man's lust.
He roughly grabbed the Elf's wrist and began to slowly apply pressure.
"I'm Xenon. Xenon. You know who Xenon is, right?"
"Uh... yes. It would be strange not to know."
"Ah, sorry. Let me rephrase. Not the Author Xenon, but the protagonist of Xenon Biography, Xenon."
"......?"
The Elf looked as if she had just heard the most bizarre thing in the world.
She could understand someone impersonating the Author Xenon. She would just think of them as a mentally unstable impersonator or a swindler.
But the protagonist of Xenon Biography, Xenon? This was a first. It took her a moment to process the thought.
But soon, she remembered the incidents that had broken out in Albenheim, especially the Kair impersonators who had been harassing her respected Queen, and she understood.
Ah, this human is an impersonator too. As soon as that thought occurred, the Elf woman's face contorted in disgust.
Come to think of it, she had heard a rumor that a human claiming to be Xenon had appeared in Albenheim; it seemed this was the man.
"...Excuse me."
"So, to make me feel better..."
"Could you please just piss off?"
"...What did you say to me?"
Snap!
Before Xenon could even show a bewildered reaction, the Elf woman forcefully shook off his hand.
He had been holding her wrist tightly, yet she escaped so easily that Xenon couldn't help but be flustered.
The Elf woman then glared at Xenon with eyes full of hostility, snorted, and began to criticize him scathingly.
"The motif for Xenon in Xenon Biography? I guess people are coming up with all sorts of things now."
"What..."
"Look, human. You look quite young even by human standards, so why don't you get your head on straight? People like you are dragging Sir Xenon's honor through the mud. The Queen is already having a hard time because of the Kair impersonators, and now someone like you shows up... We can't give the Queen to someone like you, so get out of Albenheim right now."
The Elf woman, who seemed to have a talent for vitriol, used her verbal skills to leave Xenon stunned before turning her back on him.
Xenon was dumbfounded for a moment as the Elf woman walked away, but then he let out a hollow laugh as if it were absurd.
He spoke in a mocking tone toward the Elf who was leaving without even looking back.
"Are you sure you won't regret this? I'm telling you, I'm the real Xenon!"
To that question, the Elf woman...
Flick—
Responded by boldly raising her middle finger without even turning around.
Xenon was stunned once again by her reaction, which was as spirited as any man's, but then he burst into laughter.
He had seen this somewhere before. Not anywhere else, but in Xenon Biography.
The protagonist Xenon and his lover, Mary, had met in a similar way! Until now, no woman, let alone an Elf, had ever acted this way toward him.
I like her.
He felt even more greedy. Yes, the lover of Xenon should have at least that much spirit.
He began to follow the Elf woman as she walked away, showcasing her attractive figure. The thought that he must not lose this woman dominated his mind.
Grab—
"...What now?"
As if she already knew he was approaching, the Elf woman only expressed her annoyance even when her wrist was grabbed again.
Xenon didn't care about her reaction and only spoke what was on his mind.
"I like you. What's your name? Is it Mary by any chance?"
"Will you let go? I already have a partner. And my name isn't Mary, it's Sophia, you psychotic human."
"You can just change it to Mary from now on. I can treat you better than your partner."
"This crazy bastard..."
Finally, just as the Elf woman raised her free hand to use magic, unable to take it anymore...
"Excuse me."
"Hmm?"
"Huh?"
A beautiful woman's voice drifted from behind them.
A tone like the chirping of a bird, clearly audible even on the noisy street.
At this, both the scowling Elf woman and the lust-driven Xenon relaxed their expressions and turned their gaze toward the source.
"Are you..."
And there, where they turned their heads.
"The person who goes around calling himself Xenon?"
Like a wheat field grown under a clear sky, a priestess with blue eyes and golden hair stood there with a beautiful smile.