Chapter 344: Outside the Blanket(2)
Chapter 344: Outside the Blanket(2)
Even while I was busy learning martial arts, I never stopped writing. If I were to stop now, the demon worshippers might become even more emboldened.
Rumors were already starting to spread that I had gone into semi-seclusion. If I stopped writing on top of that, they would surely launch another attack.
Since I was staying cooped up inside the house, they might even resort to using magic for a full-scale bombardment in the worst-case scenario.
One might ask if I was being overly paranoid, but the last attack taught me a lesson: when it comes to demon worshippers, you have to assume the worst possible move.
These were the kind of people who would paralyze an innocent person's heart just to get to me. They wouldn't hesitate to drop a meteor if it meant taking me out.
Fortunately, their influence had been rapidly dwindling since Cardinal Bark's death, but I couldn't afford to be careless.
My plan was simple: keep writing while slowly building my strength until every last one of them was wiped out. Besides, staying shut inside the house was quite dangerous in its own right.
As expected of a fantasy world, the security was thorough, but there were plenty of assassins who could make such security utterly useless.
I didn't have to look far for an example—Rain had raided our mansion with ease. From the perspective of Elves and Demons, human magic was likely at an infant's level.
Because of that, my father told me the mansion was currently undergoing renovations. It had created a bizarre scene where Elves and Demons were actually collaborating.
The security magic installed in the dormitory was excellent even by their standards, so I wasn't too worried, but preparation was essential.
'But why does it feel like the ending is taking so long?'
I felt like I was close to the finale, but the story was stretching out longer than expected. The full-scale war had begun in Volume 26, and the hidden myths of the Elves had been revealed.
Starting from Volume 27, the battle between Xenon's party and Pride was supposed to take place, but many parts felt a bit flat, which was disappointing.
As I added various elements to fix that, many great scenes emerged, and the progression became smoother. Since it was a war arc, it naturally grew longer.
'There were plenty of good scenes for everyone, too.'
I didn't forget to include iconic moments suited for each race. Since this was the highlight of the series, they were a must.
Furthermore, as I raced toward the conclusion, I made sure to inject a healthy dose of hype for every race. This wasn't an option; it was a necessity.
For humans, it was their indomitable grit; for Elves and Demons, it was majestic battles using magic; for Dark Elves and Devil Hunters, it was their disciplined movements; for Beastkin, it was their gallant charges; and finally, for Dwarves...
'It has to be war machines, right?'
Fighting directly is fine, but since they are strongly perceived as craftsmen, it might be better for them to create tactical or strategic weapons.
For example, cannons with incredible firepower, or perhaps golems equipped with artificial intelligence.
Cannons—or rather, gunpowder itself—had already been invented. It was just that I wasn't well-versed in military affairs; it wasn't strange for gunpowder to exist in this era.
It was just somewhat overshadowed by magic, which was more widely recognized as a tactical weapon than cannons. Still, unlike mages, gunpowder could be mass-produced, so ordinary soldiers were putting it to good use.
No matter how many knights were trained, it was extremely difficult for an ordinary human to defeat a monster, especially anything above an Ogre.
Just as the invention of the 'gun' in my previous life placed humans at the top of the food chain, the invention of weapons here played a part in driving back monsters.
The only downside was that there were plenty of people stronger than the weapons themselves, but let's overlook that.
'Golems would be appropriate.'
The strategic weapon that immediately comes to mind when thinking of fantasy: Golems. Occasionally they appear as ancient relics, but that wasn't the case in this world.
A weapon that moves with artificial intelligence—and while it costs a lot of money, its performance is guaranteed.
In a world where steam locomotives have been invented, surely they can build a golem powered by an engine. As for the AI issue?
I could just explain that magic was used. No doubt people would try to dig into the detailed theory, just like they did with Mary's magic last time.
'Whatever.'
When mechanical civilization develops, the ones who benefit the most aren't the high-ranking officials. It's the ordinary citizens who have to do everything by hand.
Although the golems in the book were invented during a war, science always develops most rapidly during wartime anyway.
In this world, human science and magic had also developed significantly through the Race Wars. Of course, while the magic was secretly passed down by the Demons, humans had made it entirely their own.
So, it wasn't as if there was no plausibility, and since it was "knowledge of the future," everyone would probably go crazy trying to build them.
'The problem is that they'll probably actually be used as weapons of war.'
In the past, I might have felt uneasy about it. But once Xenon's Life is finished, I plan to write about Earth's World War II as my next work.
All sorts of war machines will appear in that story, so why fuss over a mere golem?
Even if they actually invent it, it doesn't matter; either way, it contributes to the advancement of mechanical civilization.
Golems could eventually be used for farming or monster extermination. I could just write with a light heart.
'By the way, did Lord Luminous say those Dwarves would bring tanks later?'
I paused my writing for a moment and thought back to what happened during the exhibition. The three idiots, including Eins, the inventor of the magical engine.
They would probably invent a tank out of curiosity and bring it along. Comparing it to Luminous's prophecy, the probability was very high.
'The world is turning into such a strange place. Same for this side.'
Originally, this world showed unbalanced development. They had refrigerators and air conditioners, yet they dismissed the steam locomotive as something impossible.
I suspect it's because of a culture that prioritizes magic and neglects technology. If highly developed science is indistinguishable from magic, then the reverse should also hold true.
But thinking about it carefully, the development of machines was inevitable. This wouldn't change even if I didn't write about it in my books.
The reason was the clear limitation of magic. Magic is 'versatile,' but it is not 'omnipotent.'
Luminous himself told me that I was simply accelerating what was bound to happen eventually. So, I should feel free to write as much as I want.
'But there's one very important thing.'
I twirled my pen and stared at the manuscript paper I had printed out earlier. Volume 27 was almost finished, but one thing was bothering me.
It was none other than the name. Specifically, the name of the Allied Forces fighting against the demons.
One might ask why I couldn't just name the Allied Forces whatever I wanted. But this was a war with the fate of the world at stake.
You see it sometimes in fantasy media—the scene right before a charge where the protagonist shouts, "For XXX!"
That one roar boosts the morale of the entire army, including allies, to its peak, creating a highlight where the enemy is swept away, overwhelmed by that spirit.
Such a cool scene was included in Volume 27, but I still hadn't decided on the name.
'I heard the origin of "Earth" was based on an ancient language...'
Since this place also boasted a history of over 3,000 years, the languages had evolved in various ways. Currently, the Common Tongue was the standard, but ancient languages were still used occasionally.
Mostly because Elves and Demons had lifespans close to 1,000 years. Many of them were over 500 years old.
Therefore, while there would be no problem if I borrowed a dictionary to write it, the key was how to blend it in naturally.
Of course, I could just skip the name and have them shout "Charge!" but for the sake of impact, I absolutely had to write it.
'How did those people come up with such cool names for planets?'
Even the planets I could think of right now all had cool names. Since a single name could make or break the impact, I needed to write it carefully.
I tapped my pen against the paper, lost in deep thought. There was a blank space in the middle of the manuscript I had printed, which I had left empty on purpose.
I had postponed it because I couldn't think of a suitable name, and even after finishing almost everything else, I was still stuck.
Honestly, it wouldn't matter if I just named it after Hirt, the Goddess of Nature.
Even if the planet's name was decided by this one thing, it wouldn't really matter. Hirt is nature and everything in this world; who would object?
'Then, if I slightly modify "Hirt"...'
It was just as I was pressing my pen down after agonizing over it.
Rumble, rumble—
"Hmm?"
A sudden vibration. I lifted my pen from the paper and looked around.
It lasted less than a second, but that was clearly an earthquake. The same kind of tremor that occurred when I was suffering from Divine Fever.
"What was that?"
"Isaac. Did you feel that too?"
While I was wondering, my father came out of the training room. He was dressed lightly, as he had been training Adelia until just a moment ago.
Seeing that my father had also felt the vibration, I nodded.
"Yes. I felt it. It seems like an earthquake."
"Hmm... I heard there was an earthquake last time as well... Anyway, I see."
Leaving only those words, my father went back inside. I wished him well with his hard work and picked up my pen again.
And once more, on the paper, a name for the planet based on Lady Hirt...
Rumble, rumble, rumble—
"..."
Is it telling me not to write it? Just in case, I lifted my pen from the paper.
The vibration stopped instantly. Then, just to be sure, I touched the pen to the paper again...
Rumble, rumble, rumble, rumble!!
A vibration larger than before began to echo through the dormitory.
"Isaac! Evacuate quickly!"
"Young Master! Hurry, get outside...!"
"..."
Why on earth? I couldn't understand the reason at all.
It seemed I would have to visit the temple soon and ask.
About three days later...
[Albenheim. The gift for Xenon is ready.]
A reason to go outside the blanket had appeared.