Chapter 311: The Kingdom of Teres(1)
Chapter 311: The Kingdom of Teres(1)
Before discussing the situation in the Kingdom of Ters, there is a point many people might find questionable.
Xenon's Life was a cultural phenomenon enjoyed by everyone, regardless of age, gender, race, or social class. This was something Isaac himself had mentioned when the work was first announced.
However, comparing those words to the rumors currently spreading through the Kingdom of Ters revealed a glaring contradiction.
Although Isaac had not made a formal announcement, an incredibly unsettling rumor was gradually leaking into the Kingdom of Ters.
[Volume 23 of Xenon's Life will not be released in the Kingdom of Ters, and no future works will be published there either.]
For the Kingdom of Ters—specifically for its citizens—this was not just a bolt from the blue; it was a cataclysmic disaster.
The commoners, who had been enjoying the series until now, were naturally devastated, but even the artists were deeply invested in Xenon's Life, to the point of participating in the exhibitions. It wasn't just because of their title as the "Kingdom of Culture"; the majority of the population simply loved the work.
Above all, Xenon's Life was providing a massive boost to the cultural power of the Kingdom of Ters, not just the Minerva Empire.
The reason was the Xenon Exhibition. There was no better stage for nameless artists to showcase their skills than a Xenon Exhibition. No matter how brilliant an artist's talent might be, it would eventually fade away if it never saw the light of day. The Xenon Exhibition acted as that light, helping those artists sprout and grow.
Through this process, overlooked artists were being discovered one after another. Surprisingly, the greatest beneficiary of this was the Kingdom of Ters, rather than the Minerva Empire.
Unlike Helium, where every artist seemed to obsess solely over Xenon's Life, there were countless other fields to create in. The Kingdom of Ters knew this, so even when they lost the right to host the exhibition, they merely smacked their lips in regret, maintaining the stance that they were still fine for the time being.
[The citizens of the Kingdom of Ters are currently in a state of chaos... The Commoner Representative Group is demanding an explanation from the high-ranking officials.]
[The leadership claims to have no idea what is happening, but the rumors have already spread far and wide...]
However, when the news broke that Xenon's Life would no longer be released in the Kingdom of Ters, they couldn't help but be shocked.
To be precise, it wasn't the high-ranking officials of the Kingdom of Ters who were shocked, but the commoners. Despite being a "Kingdom of Culture," they were ultimately just readers of Xenon's Life.
The series was so famous that it was harder to find someone who hadn't read it than someone who had. In the Kingdom of Ters, as well as in other nations, it was treated as essential reading. This had been true even before it was elevated to the status of Holy Scripture.
Because it was fun. It was fundamentally entertaining and interesting, and it was written in a way that both nobles and commoners could easily read.
As mentioned before, books in this world were usually written using extremely abstruse and complex vocabulary. Because of this, commoners faced great difficulty in reading them.
As a side note, the illiteracy rate was surprisingly low. This was due to the development of papermaking and the existence of educational institutions like the Academy, which seemed almost ahead of their time.
The biggest problem was the lack of books suited for the "middle ground." While collections of fairy tales and various folk legends existed thanks to the advancement of papermaking, anything beyond that was as difficult as a CSAT English exam. Reading a book felt like solving a series of complex problems.
Consequently, many people turned to the essays or diaries of explorers and adventurers, but those were literally in diary format and weren't quite suitable as literature.
For all these reasons combined, the series was loved by countless people—perhaps not quite to the level of an addiction like a drug, but certainly the next best thing.
And let us recall what happened during the sudden hiatus incident a year ago.
Not only did the commoners raise their voices and march to the publisher's office, but a single letter from Isaac nearly sent the sparks flying toward the Imperial Family. It was a situation perhaps comparable to the "Prohibition" era in the United States.
Fortunately, the situation was turned into a blessing with the opening of the Xenon Exhibition, but it had come dangerously close to sparking a second Jayros Revolution.
And now...
"Explain what is going on! Why is our country the only one where Xenon's Life won't be released?!"
"Is it because Xenon is from the Minerva Empire?!"
"Come out and give us an explanation! We wait every single day for the next volume, yet is there not a single person who knows what's happening?"
In the Kingdom of Ters, the embers of another revolution were beginning to flicker.
The Kingdom of Ters possessed a very peculiar cultural trait: commoners were allowed to raise their voices 'directly' against the nobility.
By "direct voice," it meant they could offer biting criticism, provided they refrained from profanity. In any other country, they would have been thrown into prison for insulting the nobility or had their heads lopped off.
But in the Kingdom of Ters, it was possible. A "Representative Group" would step forward to speak for the commoners, delivering harsh criticisms of policies to the nobles.
This was possible because of the "Jayros Revolution" that had occurred decades ago. Although the revolution itself ended in failure, one must reconsider why it was recorded as a "revolution."
Before the revolution, nobles could commit atrocities openly, and no one dared say a word. That was no longer the case. If they did something wrong now, another revolution would break out, so why would they act so brazenly?
The same held true today. Upon hearing the rumors that Xenon's Life would no longer be released, the Commoner Representative Group was startled and rushed to find the nobles.
Just as there was a Commoner Representative Group, the nobles naturally had their own representative body. Normally, they would meet once a month at a specific institution to face each other and exchange opinions. That day was today.
"As we have said many times, we do not know the details either. That being the case, wouldn't it be better to ask Xenon himself about this matter?"
One of the members of the Noble Representative Group spoke to the commoners in a calm, measured voice.
His words certainly had merit; it would be much better to ask Xenon—that is, Isaac—directly. No matter how much they raised their voices here, nothing would come of it.
'We know the reason, but...'
However, despite their words, the noble who had spoken and most of the Noble Representative Group knew exactly why this was happening. Most of the representatives sitting in the gallery had been among those gathered during Isaac's trial.
Initially, they had tried to manipulate public opinion to ruin Isaac, but after his identity was revealed, the situation had flipped 180 degrees. Furthermore, they were now in a position where they couldn't do anything because Isaac had learned of the shameful secrets the Ters Royal Family wanted so desperately to hide.
"Don't give us that nonsense! Xenon is a man of character who wants everyone to enjoy Xenon's Life without discrimination! It makes no sense for him to exclude only our Kingdom of Ters!"
A commoner countered the noble's logic with a logic of his own. At that rebuttal, the hall began to grow noisy once again. The mediator caught between the two representative groups tried his best to cool the heat, but it was futile.
It had been a week since the rumors began to circulate. In a world without the internet, rumors spread slowly, but once they took hold, they grew uncontrollably. There was no way to verify the truth. A spark, once lit, gradually spreads until it transforms into a massive conflagration.
"Xenon himself said he would ban sales only in our country! Would you believe it then?!"
Finally, a noble who couldn't take it anymore blurted out the truth, but...
"Stop talking like a dog trying to meow! Who would believe that? That Xenon would do that only to our country? Why?"
"Exactly. There must be a reason why he won't sell to our country, so why do you claim not to know it?"
"Well said. Tell us the reason immediately! If it's convincing, we will withdraw quietly!"
He had only succeeded in digging his own grave. The noble who had made the statement was forced to endure the stinging glares of his fellow nobles.
As it stood, the Kingdom of Ters—or more accurately, its leadership—was caught in an inescapable dilemma.
If they continued to feign ignorance, they could buy time, but what if Xenon's Life really stopped being released? That would lead straight to revolution.
One might ask if it wasn't a gross exaggeration to suggest a revolution would break out just because a novel wasn't being sold.
Here, too, the Jayros Revolution played a part. The Jayros Revolution had erupted because the commoners were suppressed and denied the right to enjoy art.
To be more precise, it was closer to "censorship" than suppression. While nobles were free to practice art, commoners were subjected to excessive restrictions. If they proceeded despite their dissatisfaction? Being thrown into prison was the baseline, and if they engaged in "satire," they were executed immediately.
In other words, "censorship" was the greatest sore spot for the people of the Kingdom of Ters, as well as their weapon. If the higher-ups tried to censor something, the people would take it as their cue to raise their voices.
"Is it because Xenon is from the Minerva Empire, as the rumors say? If that's the case, you know very well what will happen!"
An elderly man shouted in a raspy voice. At his cry, the Noble Representative Group visibly flinched. The Jayros Revolution had occurred forty years ago. This old man was a living witness to that revolution and possessed the most powerful voice in the room. His words carried a weight that others could not match.
'Damn it... what a mess.'
The leader of the nobles grimaced at the old man's shout but found himself speechless. No, he had plenty to say, but he couldn't say it. To convince them, he would have to reveal everything that had happened at the trial. That might diminish Isaac's prestige slightly, but it would be a "you die, I die" scenario that would cause even greater damage to the Kingdom of Ters.
Furthermore, Isaac even had a proper justification. He had a very romantic reason: he was doing it to protect his guard knight. One way or another, the Kingdom of Ters was facing the worst possible situation.
And there was one more thing.
"According to the rumors, this is deeply related to Volume 22. The main content of Volume 22 reveals Envy's tragic past and his quest for revenge. How do you explain this?"
"Surely His Majesty wouldn't... No. It's best to move past this."
"This is a sensitive matter..."
The image Friedrich had built up was slowly being eroded. For now, it was only at the stage of suspicion, but even suspicion was dangerous. Even the Commoner Representative Group showed caution once that topic arose. After all, targeting the King was a gamble for them as well.
Because of this, they were running in circles, but conversely, if the truth were ever revealed, the Kingdom of Ters would be finished. Whatever Isaac was thinking, he was currently walking a very tight rope.
'Please, let it just pass like this...'
'If we can just survive today, we can buy another month.'
The nobles were praying that this session would end peacefully. Once today's meeting was over, they could buy a month of time. During that time, they could rack their brains to find a clever solution.
Just as opinions were circling without any gain, a piece of very fresh, bad news reached their ears.
The source of the news was none other than a letter from Xenon—Isaac. The content of the letter was, as always, polite and courteous, and it could be summarized as follows:
[As I have said, I desire a culture that everyone can enjoy. If a certain country dislikes that culture... perhaps the problem lies with the country itself?]
If people who knew the circumstances saw this, they would have reacted with, "Look at this sly bastard," but...
"Look at this! Even Xenon says our country is the problem!!"
"Tell us the reason immediately! Otherwise, we'll march straight into the palace!"
"Do you want a taste of revolution?!"
To the Kingdom of Ters, it was like pouring oil on a raging fire.
"We will give you one week. If you cannot convince us by then...!"
One week remained. Just as Isaac had given them before.
"We will make you open your mouths ourselves, so be warned!"
The Kingdom of Ters had also reached a crossroads.