Chapter 321: Awakening(1)
Chapter 321: Awakening(1)
Before we begin, let’s take a moment to look into the sexuality—or more accurately, the sexual culture—of this world. Unlike Earth, this world possesses mana and magic, and furthermore, it is a place where different races and even gods exist.
Therefore, even if the era resembles the Middle Ages, differences manifest in various fields.
For instance, those with power and fame receive treatment no less than that of nobility, and there are inventions ill-suited for the time, such as refrigerators or magical locomotives.
Due to these peculiar differences, one can see that the culture is distinctly different compared to Earth.
While there are too many representative examples to point out individually, as mentioned before, let’s look into the sexual culture.
In this world, everyone is considered an adult once they turn seventeen. In South Korean terms, that is the age of a teenager who has just entered high school.
Except for a few special cases, they live by inheriting their parents' family business and, as time passes, marry a member of the opposite sex they feel compatible with.
In the case of nobles, marriage itself is delayed because enrollment in the Academy is mandatory. However, since they enter into engagements, it cannot be said they are entirely slow in that regard.
So, through what occasion do the people here "awaken" to sex? While women might realize it to some extent through the somewhat shocking experience of their first period, what about men?
There is no need for a lengthy explanation. The "instinct" imprinted at the genetic level will cause them to awaken.
Simple contact with someone they usually have feelings for will make their heart race or stimulate certain sensitive areas.
If they consult their parents about these feelings they are experiencing for the first time, the parents, as experienced individuals, will very kindly explain everything one by one.
If not that, they might awaken through specific circumstances—accidentally seeing the naked body of the opposite sex, witnessing a man and woman engaged in a sex scene, or perhaps seeing erotic art, and so on.
There are various circumstances, but none of these have become social problems. As human beings, these are various instincts and are by no means strange behaviors.
But what if it involves the Xenon Chronicle, which is currently treated as a holy scripture? What if the beautiful first night of a man and woman is described in the Xenon Chronicle?
To add a bit more context, the Xenon Chronicle is rated for all ages. It is a book that not only saved the world but also advanced people's literacy several times over.
It is a book that, once one falls into its interesting and somewhat provocative story, they cannot escape.
It is a holy scripture that one must read thoroughly even if no one else recommends it.
If a scene of a man and woman making love appeared in such a book, what kind of reaction would dominate?
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[The vividly described first night of a man and woman. Xenon and Mary’s first night was elegant, while Jin and Lily’s felt sublime.]
[The main and supporting characters are finally united. The readers' reaction is enthusiastic.]
[The end of the story is finally beginning to come into view.]
The critics showed calm reactions as they focused only on the story itself.
No matter how provocative the content was, the flow of the story was what mattered to them.
However, the important thing is not the critics, but the public reaction. Normally, I should have bribed the press, but I forgot and released it just like that.
To be precise, it was released as Volume 24.5, but the media openly blared that an adult version had come out.
[People expressing concern amidst the explosive reactions. A late age restriction was applied, but the books already sold are...]
[A message to parents with children: Please make sure to hide the recently released side story so it does not catch your child's eye.]
[While it was a necessary scene, there will be men and women who watch this and try to imitate it.]
Because of this, many people expressed concern. Even if it was the Xenon Chronicle, the "first night" was a subject that had to be handled sensitively for them.
Let us remember that occasionally, there are virgins who offer their purity in exchange for taxes or debts.
It is a matter handled very carefully even religiously, and among the sins, there is "Lust."
Even if their related knowledge and culture are lower than Earth's, it is a fact they instinctively recognize that it must be handled with caution.
[The struggles—or lack thereof—of parents. Children have started asking various questions after secretly reading the adult version.]
[A child who has not yet awakened to sex is a bigger problem than one who has. They are more dangerous because they possess untainted purity.]
[Fortunately, sex crimes have not surged... rather, they seem to have decreased as the means to vent desire have increased.]
As time passed, various news reports began to pop up one after another.
Fortunately, perhaps thanks to the new means of venting sexual desire, sex crimes did not increase. Rather, the opposite result appeared because desires were vented through the adult version.
Even the Order does not consider masturbation itself a sin, even if they might frown upon crime. In a situation where even the gods comfort people by saying it is a natural instinct, considering it a sin would be no different from rejecting the gods.
Of course, parents faced difficulties as more children secretly read the adult version and awakened to sex.
This was a reaction I had somewhat expected, so I could just let it slide. In the first place, it was my fault for not bribing the media, so I was the one who should apologize.
Anyway, there was a bit of a ripple, but it didn't seem like any major social chaos occurred...
[Couples having their first night must read and follow this.]
...Wait, what is this now? I blinked and stared at the content in the newspaper.
[A couple on their first night are both in a hurry. However, the man needs patience, and the woman needs time to relax.]
[Sensitive areas differ from person to person, but there will be common parts as shown in the Xenon Chronicle.]
[The process is important, but the end is even more so. If you truly love each other, embrace one another and feel the warmth.]
[If you just follow the contents of the book, the first night will be sufficient. Even if it's not your first night, if you just follow it, you will feel greater pleasure...]
No way. This is the first time in my life I've seen an erotic novel treated as a textbook. I let out a hollow laugh.
To think that just following what was described in the Xenon Chronicle could get you more than halfway there. It was an absurd incident in many ways.
Still, it wasn't entirely incomprehensible. There probably hadn't been a story of a first night described as minutely as in Volume 24.5.
Sexual life here is mostly passed down by word of mouth. That alone was probably very insufficient.
Of course, it was based on my experience combined with the most ideal methods, so even following it would be quite difficult.
'Well, if it helped, then I guess...'
Let's just think that I contributed to the birth rate and marital harmony.
[Perhaps just one more volume... not the first night, but after they've become accustomed...]
No. I have no intention of writing more. There was a sense of desperation in the request, but unfortunately, there will be no more scenes.
If I were to release one, it would be in a side story after the war. In fact, the scene itself was a very important turning point in the story, so I had no choice but to write it.
Furthermore, derivative works are allowed for the Xenon Chronicle. Volume 24.5 will surely be depicted in illustrations as well, so this person's desire will likely be satisfied to some extent.
[Writing in such detail means, in other words, that he has experienced it. This will be proof that Xenon is a person from the future.]
[Xenon has a fiancée, but strangely, he knows the sexual culture of Elves and Demons all too well.]
[A hero is fond of women. Is there any phrase more fitting than this?]
These people. It's not even a logical progression; they're just straight-up attacking me now.
As everyone knows, even if I confess my identity, people firmly believe that I am a prophet or a regressor.
They say that even if the stories came from my head, I've forgotten all those facts because of the restrictions. They claim I'm having a rejection reaction because I've experienced things an ordinary person couldn't even imagine.
So, they are speculating again using the recently released Volume 24 and Volume 24.5 as an excuse. But contrary to what they think, the sex scenes are all based on experience.
At this, I held out the newspaper and showed it to the women beside me. Until now, the three of them—Mari, Cecile, and Adelia—had been reading the newspaper side by side.
"See? No matter what I say, they don't believe me. They've been nitpicking like this for a while now."
"Hmm..."
"Now you understand how I feel, right?"
The fact that such an article came out was a gain for me. Because it would be able to clear up the misunderstandings—or rather, the "not-misunderstandings"—of others.
Cecile knows that I came from another world, but she mistakenly thinks it's a parallel world rather than a completely different one.
I had no intention of clearing up her "not-misunderstanding," but I felt I should at least let her know. That I'm not that kind of person.
"I suppose it must be frustrating. These people won't believe you whether you deny it or not. I understand a little bit."
Fortunately, my persuasion seemed to work, as Cecile nodded and gave the reaction I wanted.
Now that my identity was revealed, if articles like this continued to come out, the misunderstandings of others would also be cleared...
"I don't know. I think I understand them?"
...But why is our Mari raining on my parade? I felt my expectations crumble as I turned my gaze toward her.
She was tilting her head with a finger pressed to her cheek, and sensing that eyes were on her, she spoke quietly.
"Isaac was very skilled when he was with me, too. He did it just like it was described in the Xenon Chronicle. And I even fainted."
"He was skilled?"
"Yes. I heard from my mother that men are usually in such a hurry on their first night that they don't consider the woman. But Isaac wasn't like that, was he?"
"Now that you mention it, that's true."
"I felt the same way."
At Mari's highly credible words, Cecile and Adelia each gave positive responses. At the same time, they looked at me.
I became a mute who had eaten honey, unable to say a single word. The basics were widely available on the inter—
'...Ah.'
The problem was that I had followed all of that. Memories of my past life are helpful, but just like the Xenon Chronicle, they come back to bite me like a boomerang.
"Isaac."
"..."
"Why were you so good at it? I'm your first woman, right? Or did you meet another woman behind my back..."
"I told you, it's true. You are the first woman in my life. I can swear this to God."
"Hmm... It's even more suspicious because it's not a lie. Where on earth did you learn such things?"
"..."
I didn't learn it; I watched it. I couldn't bring myself to say these words out loud.
*
While the first night of the main and supporting characters in the Xenon Chronicle was causing a great stir, a woman was kneeling and praying.
In front of her stood a steadfast stone statue carved in the likeness of Luminous. It also seemed to possess divine power, as a golden energy shimmered around it.
The woman praying in a reverent posture with her hands neatly folded was none other than Cardinal Kate.
As expected of someone with such devout faith, she appeared to be worshipping as usual, but this time, something was different.
It was not a peaceful expression, but a face lost in agony. Her slightly furrowed brow and sorrowful eyes proved as much.
[You have a worry, my lovely child.]
Luminous, who had made contact with Kate, asked her in his characteristically kind and gentle voice.
He had already sensed what her worry was, but it was important not to speak of it beforehand.
By nature, a worry only shines in value when one brings it out themselves.
And as soon as Kate heard Luminous's question, she bowed her head slightly and spoke.
'Lord Luminous. I have committed a sin.'
Surprisingly, Kate confessed that she had committed a sin. Her voice, confessing her sin, sank rapidly.
A Cardinal, of all people—and the one wielding the greatest influence in Savior—was making a confession.
Luminous paused for a moment after hearing her confession before speaking quietly.
[What sin have you committed?]
'I read the holy scripture published by Lord Isaac. And...'
Kate hesitated to speak for a while before finally confessing what her sin was.
'I have harbored... a lust that I should not feel for Lord Isaac.'
[...]
It was the most natural sin of a member of the clergy who had awakened to sex late.