Chapter 337: Complacency(1)
Chapter 337: Complacency(1)
Kate and Cherry. Like Marvel’s Thanos and DC’s Joker, they were a combination akin to nuclear fusion.
One was a problem because she was too bright, and the other was a problem because she was too dark. However, their commonality was that both suffered from incredibly low self-esteem.
While it was obvious that Cherry’s self-esteem was pathologically low, Kate’s case might come as a surprise. But if you looked just a little deeper, you could tell her self-esteem was in the gutter as well.
As her words and actions thus far proved, she was willing to take her own life if Luminous or I ordered it. She had never once put herself first.
Of course, in Luminous’s case, he was a god who had personally bestowed his grace upon her, so her devotion was understandable. The flaw was that it was so extreme it eroded her very sense of self.
Even if I advised her to live her own life, Kate would surely answer like this: that living for Luminous and me was her life.
Perhaps that was why she and Cherry got along so well. In a way, Kate was just a more energetic version of Cherry.
Like light and shadow, they were polar opposites, yet they shared a strange common ground. If Kate hadn't been busy with her duties as a guard knight, she probably would have spent all her time with Cherry.
Then again, since neither of them had any other friends, this arrangement might be for the best. Whenever she had a spare moment, Kate would probably invite Cherry to the dormitory for a chat.
Looking at the pairing alone, one might wonder if there could be a more dangerous duo, but that didn't mean they were actually a threat.
Unless a series of blunders occurred like at Chernobyl, or I committed some massive mistake, no catastrophe was likely to break out.
'I just need to focus on what I have to do until then.'
With practiced fingers, I typed away, working on the 26th volume of Xenon Biography. I had been delayed for a while because there were too many loose ends to tie up.
But with the meeting with Cherry over, I had free time—excluding my duties as a teaching assistant. Elena had granted me much more flexibility after learning my true identity.
That didn't mean I was slacking off on my assistant duties, though. I had a conscience; I couldn't just skip out on work just because I was Xenon.
However, I still wasn't used to the various looks I received whenever I showed up for class—especially the looks of envy. This was particularly true during the second-grade classes, which meant Marie’s classes.
One of their own classmates was Xenon. If a stranger heard that, they’d probably ask what kind of bullshit that was. It was that unbelievable.
'Jackson, that guy was quite entertaining.'
I paused my typing for a moment and recalled a recent event. Specifically, I thought about Jackson, who had been staying quiet lately.
As everyone might remember, Jackson had tried to hit on Lina and Cecile as soon as he entered the Academy, only to be rejected. It was quite humiliating for him.
When those two showed interest in me instead, he started picking all sorts of petty fights and even made that bizarre statement during the festival—the legendary blunder that Lily would end up with Xenon, not Jin.
Since he had spouted such nonsense right in front of the original author, I had been annoyed enough to dismantle his argument logically. He had run away with a bright red face after that.
'Then came the group assignment...'
Marie, Lina, Cecile, and finally, Jackson. What a legendary lineup.
I had almost been forced to carry the entire load because of some troll, but Jackson actually did end up doing everything. Honestly, there was no way those three would have contributed properly to a group project.
Marie might have done some work, but Lina was an Imperial Princess, and Cecile was a Demon who had only just begun to integrate into human society. I heard he was completely fed up with it back then.
'Now he won't even meet my eyes.'
Time passed, my identity was revealed, and the reaction Jackson showed the first time I walked into a second-grade class was quite amusing.
When I intentionally looked his way, he quickly averted his gaze. His efforts to avoid eye contact at all costs were a sight to behold.
Seeing that, my mischievous side wanted to tease him, but I decided against it. It felt a bit petty, and we hadn't really interacted since the group project anyway.
Besides, Jackson wasn't crazy enough to mess with me now. The moment he touched me, he’d fall into an abyss; he wasn't that insane.
Furthermore, I heard that while he was as arrogant as ever, he had almost entirely stopped hitting on women. Apparently, he had tasted the bitterness of life during that group project.
'Come to think of it, I’m curious about how that bitch Aira is doing.'
The female student who had been the troll during the group project and whom I had called a "bitch" after I snapped. A mindless girl who came from a military family yet made insulting remarks about soldiers.
As punishment, she had enlisted as a regular soldier rather than a knight, but I didn't know what kind of life she was leading now. According to Imperial law, no matter how high-born you were, you had to serve for two years without exception.
In other words, she had about half a year left until her discharge. I hadn't been interested at all, so I didn't know, but I should ask Dave or Nicole about it later.
'Not much has changed, really.'
I hadn't attended all the classes yet, but almost nothing had changed. I performed my duties as an assistant as I always had and wrote Xenon Biography whenever I had time.
If anything had changed, it was that I had more leisure time to write. Other than that, there were no major shifts.
I shook off my wandering thoughts and lowered my gaze. The content I had typed was reflected in the hologram-like window.
As I mentioned before, the content of Xenon Biography Volume 26 was the final battle with Pride, Lucifer. Lucifer, who had spread his wings—though they were only half-formed—and stepped into the authority of a Transcendent Being.
I had already mapped out how the battle with Lucifer would go, but what I needed to focus on most right now was what came after.
Starting with Wrath, then Gluttony, Lust, Envy, and finally Pride. These were the Seven Deadly Sins that would be subjugated by Volume 26.
Therefore, the remaining sins were Greed and Sloth. Here, Greed was a Dwarf, and Sloth was the vessel that would hold the soul of the Great Demon Diabolus.
As the name suggests, the Sin of Greed was Mammon. Sloth was Belphegor.
'The model for Mammon is the essence of Dwarves themselves...'
The reason Greed, or Mammon, turned to the side of the demons was very simple. It’s said that once someone gets a taste of money, they can never go back, and Mammon was exactly that case.
Dwarves, in particular, had amassed immense wealth during the Race War. Not only were the items they manufactured in high demand, but there was no labor force quite like the Dwarves when it came to building things.
However, this led to a negative perception: that a Dwarf would build any weapon as long as they were paid.
Dwarves were naturally a race that loved to create, but creation inevitably required "money."
As a certain poor inventor once said, the most important things in manufacturing are budget and time. If even one of these is missing, a proper result cannot be achieved.
Because of this, Dwarves had a very sharp sense of money, if nothing else, and sometimes that went too far, causing friction.
It was no wonder merchants said the country they hated most was Machina. While Dwarven products guaranteed quality, the negotiations were incredibly tight.
'And they have immense pride in their creations.'
Mammon could be described as the Sin of Greed and the desire to create taken to the extreme. His greatest masterpiece was Sloth.
A vessel capable of containing the soul of a Transcendent Being. This alone was more than enough to stimulate a Dwarf's desire.
But just as excessive greed becomes poison, Mammon’s end was miserable. He was destined to be devoured by his own creation, Sloth.
True to its name, Sloth usually didn't move at all, but it began to slowly wake up as Diabolus’s soul was placed inside it.
The first thing it said upon waking was, "I'm hungry." And so, it devoured Greed, who was standing right beside it.
'This part is fine. The problem is what comes after...'
The conclusion was drawing near, but ironically, the most important part—Jin’s transformation into the final boss—hadn't been fully fleshed out yet.
As I’ve said from the beginning, the final boss of Xenon Biography isn't Diabolus, but Jin. You could think of Diabolus as a sort of fake final boss.
To prevent Diabolus’s soul from scattering across the world, Jin swallows the soul. Just like his biological father, Gluttony, he consumes even the soul.
'But I need a justification for him to consume Sloth. A very clear and convincing one.'
First, the fake final boss battle was simple. The protagonist's party fights Sloth, which contains Diabolus’s soul. That was it.
To be honest, it was going to be a somewhat hollow battle compared to the fights so far, but it was necessary for the twist that followed.
So, I needed a justification for Jin’s transformation into the final boss here.
'...Honestly, there’s no one else but Lily, right?'
Lily, who falls after being struck by Diabolus. A fatal curse is then placed upon her.
A curse that would inevitably lead to death unless Diabolus’s soul was completely extinguished.
No. That wasn't enough. Knowing Lily, she would surely try to sacrifice herself, so I had to be even more cruel.
For example... a Devil's Seed. If the Devil's Seed sprouted, she wouldn't become a 'Demon,' but an 'evil spirit.'
It was only because Lily was a Saintess that she held on; a normal person would have turned into an evil spirit long ago.
'The reason it can't be dispelled is that it comes from a Great Demon with power equal to a god.'
Mm. Mm. This justification works well. It’s a story that will tear the readers' mental state to shreds.
I chuckled to myself as I took notes in a notebook instead of using the typewriter. However, it looked like the story leading to the finale would be delayed a bit more.
Jin would now travel the world to find the fragments of Diabolus’s soul, while Xenon and Mary would nurse Lily.
Eventually, after much deliberation, Xenon and Mary would follow Lily’s request and track down Jin. Jin, anticipating the party's actions, would leave messages in various places.
And so, at the end of a long journey, the place where Xenon and Mary arrived was...
'Where should it be?'
This was a bit of a dilemma. Besides that, I also had to explain how Jin tracked Diabolus.
If Sloth were still alive, it would be one thing, but since the vessel was destroyed, Diabolus’s soul would be wandering this world.
The key was how he tracked it. Conveniently, there was someone perfectly suited for this field.
'I should ask Luminous directly.'
I’d just ask the god himself. He had lived through the Demon War, so there was no way he wouldn't know.
I finished my rough notes and stretched. After stretching, I asked Adelia, who was standing behind me.
"Adel-noona. What time is it?"
"It’s 3:30 PM."
"Still a long way until dinner."
There was plenty of time left before dinner, but I was feeling a bit snacky. I licked my lips and asked Adelia.
"Are there any cookies left?"
"No. We’re out of ingredients, so I need to go buy some. Milk, too."
"Really? Then let's go together."
"No. I'll go by myself. What if something happens if you go out? Besides, we’d have to call Kate-ssi too."
When I suggested going together, Adelia immediately refused. It was fine for Adelia alone, but the moment I stepped out, the security requirements doubled, which is why she said that.
Not only that, but if I went out, Kate would have to accompany us, which would be mentally draining in many ways.
There was no telling when, where, or how a demon worshipper might attack. Even without demon worshippers, I would face various risks the moment I stepped outside.
"It’s right nearby, can't I?"
"No. If you need something, just ask me. That’ll do."
"I mean, that’s true, but..."
Adelia was my exclusive maid, but I didn't want to treat her like a servant. She was a woman I had shared a bed with; I felt a sense of resistance to ordering her around for every little thing.
"By that logic, isn't it dangerous for you too, Noona?"
"It’s equally dangerous, but guarding is harder. I’d have to worry about you, not myself."
"Tsk... fine. Go ahead then."
"Okay. But stay put. Don't open the door for anyone, even if they knock. Got it?"
I’m not a child. She sounded like a parent talking to their kid.
After seeing Adelia off as she left to buy cookie ingredients and milk, I threw myself onto the bed.
'By the way, are the demon worshippers really targeting me?'
As time passed, that thought began to cross my mind.