Chapter 371: A Worrisome Event(1)
Chapter 371: A Worrisome Event(1)
The general gist of the event was the subjugation of demon worshippers, followed by a private audience with me.
The key perspective here was exactly how many demon worshippers one had to eliminate to earn that private meeting.
First, points were awarded for either killing demon worshippers or bringing them to the Order. This was the most basic requirement.
Furthermore, due to their nature, demon worshippers moved without leaving a trace, making them difficult even to locate.
Because of this, the value of information was incredibly high; in some cases, a person reporting a lead could earn more contribution points than the one who actually carried out the subjugation.
Beyond that, points could be earned by rehabilitating those brainwashed into the cult or by rescuing slaves intended for sacrifice.
Even without direct combat, there were ways to accumulate points, and people across the world were utilizing their respective strengths to the fullest.
According to the news, while there were many direct kills, the number of informants far exceeded them.
Moreover, as the investigations deepened, increasingly bizarre incidents began to surface, prompting various nations to provide state-level support.
If the demon worshippers had been mere heretics or pagans, it might have been different, but since they were a cancer on society, everyone was able to unite with a single mind and purpose.
There were concerns that the demon worshippers might lash out in a desperate, all-or-nothing struggle, but such signs hadn't appeared just yet.
Finally, there was the most important factor: the duration of the event. I hadn't set a specific end date.
If the event ended, people would likely stop hunting demon worshippers.
Human beings are fickle creatures; if there's no reward, they'll quit immediately. Only a small minority acts out of pure conviction or a sense of duty.
Therefore, I planned to distribute rewards unexpectedly and keep the event running indefinitely as a continuous effort.
"Daddy. What doing?"
"Daddy's working."
"Work?"
"Yeah."
I should focus on writing for now. I didn't stop typing even as I answered Ariel's question.
The event was in full swing, but I couldn't delay the conclusion of the Xenon Biography. Moreover, since I had to handle a Q&A session soon, it was better to get ahead of the work.
Meanwhile, Ariel stood still for a moment after hearing my answer before slowly toddling toward me.
"Heave-ho. Heave-ho."
She proceeded to climb energetically onto my lap. Having anticipated her move, I held her carefully so she wouldn't fall.
Once settled on my lap, Ariel blinked as she stared at the typewriter. I let out a small chuckle at her adorable behavior before resuming my writing.
Clack, clack-clack—
"Whoa."
Ariel’s eyes sparkled, seemingly fascinated by how characters appeared on the hologram as I typed.
She reached out her tiny arms and waved them around—it was incredibly precious. Fearing she might slip, I spread my thighs slightly to tuck her in securely.
"Nngh... Ze-non looked at the vessel con-tain-ing Di-a-bol-us's soul. Tentacles like oc-to-pus legs were attached to the face... Xenon? Diabolus? Soul?"
Perhaps there were too many unfamiliar words for a newborn(?). Ariel tilted her head in confusion.
As she tilted her head, the sprout on top of her head moved along with it. I wondered when that sprout would grow and what its purpose actually was.
Driven by curiosity, I stopped typing and gave the sprout a little poke.
"Nngh?"
Sensing the touch, Ariel immediately looked up at me. Her golden eyes were filled with curiosity.
I stared into her face for a moment before squeezing her plump, bun-like cheeks.
They were soft like marshmallows, and her baby-soft skin was practically addictive. I wanted to keep touching them forever.
Ariel seemed to enjoy the affection, closing her eyes and letting out a beaming smile.
After a moment of father-daughter bonding, I gently set Ariel down from my lap and spoke softly.
"Ariel. Daddy's busy right now, so why don't you go play for a bit?"
"With who?"
Click—
Just as Ariel asked, Adelia stepped out of the bathroom. As soon as I saw her, I spoke to Ariel.
"You can go play with Mommy Adelia over there. Go on."
"Okay! Mommy! Mommy!"
"Oh, uh...?"
Ariel called out energetically and ran toward Adelia. Though caught off guard for a second, Adelia smiled warmly and welcomed her as soon as she saw her.
I was originally supposed to train with my father, but he was currently away. He was likely handling the remaining paperwork back at the mansion.
While training with Adelia was important, the administrative work of the territory wasn't fully finished yet, and he had to protect my mother and Lily.
Since we could travel back and forth via Teleport, and the whole family could move if necessary, it wasn't a major issue.
"Mommy. Play with me."
"Alright. What should we play today?"
"Hmm... But what's 'playing Knight'?"
"...Did you read Mommy's thoughts again? You shouldn't do that."
Having read her mind in the meantime, Adelia chuckled and stroked Ariel's hair.
Ariel simply laughed innocently. Then, Adelia took Ariel's hand and moved to another room so as not to disturb me.
Adelia probably feels quite awkward.
I recalled Adelia's unfortunate family background. Born to a prostitute mother, she had grown up in a harsh environment.
She herself had constantly worried and agonized over whether she could ever be a proper mother. Then Ariel appeared out of nowhere, which must be quite overwhelming in many ways.
However, in my eyes, she would make an excellent mother. The very fact that she worried about it proved she had the character of a good person.
Besides, she had said she would use her own family history as a lesson on what not to do, so I felt safe leaving Ariel with her.
Time to write.
As soon as Adelia disappeared with Ariel, I focused on my manuscript. It might seem irresponsible, but I had been exhausted since this morning.
As the saying goes, childcare is the hardest job in the world, and Ariel's stamina was practically infinite.
Not only did she pester me to play the moment she woke up, but we also couldn't even go outside.
So, I substituted play with education. Ariel might look like a child, but she was a newborn who had just been born.
Naturally, there were more words she didn't know than ones she did, so I was instilling basic common sense and vocabulary through lessons.
I'm glad she prefers literature over martial studies.
Perhaps because she took after me, Ariel preferred literature to martial studies. It wasn't that she hated martial studies; she just had a preference.
For starters, her basic physical strength was already comparable to an adult's, and her bite force was insane.
She would chew on anything she put in her mouth, and she even ate the shells of World Tree seeds—which are as hard as iron—with relish.
Because of this, learning strength control was essential, so my father and Adelia were looking after her intensively.
My father, in particular, was pouring the most effort into Ariel's strength control, saying that nothing is more dangerous than power one cannot control.
At any rate, Ariel was still immature in many ways, so those around her and I were nurturing her with love.
When will I be able to take her outside?
But I couldn't keep Ariel cooped up in the dormitory forever. A child needs to develop social skills by playing with friends.
Growing up surrounded only by adults isn't good. For Ariel's future, I needed to find her some friends.
I would think about that in due time, but I planned to reveal Ariel's existence soon.
To do that, I need to finish the story as quickly as possible.
I looked at the sentences written on the hologram and placed my hands on the typewriter.
Volume 28 of the Xenon Biography, the climax and the starting point of true tragedy.
The part primarily featuring the confrontation between Xenon's party and Diabolus, the Great Demon resurrected through a vessel created by greed.
For the appearance of the vessel, I had borrowed from the Cthulhu Mythos. A monstrous form with an octopus-like face.
Since Krakens actually exist in this world, it'll really hit home.
Everyone knew about the Kraken, the octopus-type monster that was the terror of the seas. And in this world, it was a very real monster.
According to literature, Krakens were born when the blood of demons seeped into the ocean. The same went for other sea monsters.
On Earth, people often had to risk their lives to sail, but in this world, you had to risk your life every single time you left port.
Perhaps that was why it wasn't unusual for veteran sailors to be as strong as knights.
However, they were more like 'specialists,' so direct comparisons were generally avoided.
Since it's a vessel, I should nerf it a bit.
Even if he obtained a vessel with the help of Greed, it would be realistically impossible for Diabolus to exert his full power.
If he exerted more power than that, the vessel would be completely destroyed, so controlling his strength would be essential.
Even so, that didn't change the fact that he was an out-of-spec powerhouse. Without Lily's support, even Xenon's party would be helplessly swept away.
In fact, other races without Lily's support had no choice but to retreat due to the darkness Diabolus spread.
Demons, in particular, would undergo demonization just by coming into contact with it, causing massive chaos. This alone allowed one to infer just how powerful Diabolus was.
He was a walking disaster. And this was while he wasn't even at full strength, with his soul merely contained in a vessel.
Honestly, the character's personal charm will be lacking.
Diabolus wasn't a very charming character as far as settings went. Even as the author, I admitted this.
He possessed immense power and influence befitting the setting of a Great Demon, but his goal was nothing more than bringing ruin to the world. Nothing more, nothing less.
Readers would likely feel doubt and disappointment as they watched Diabolus fall so anticlimactically toward the end.
After following the story for nearly 30 volumes just to see Diabolus's resurrection, they'd wonder why the ending was so lackluster and if it wasn't all a bit too easy.
And that's exactly when I'll stab them in the back. By having the final blow aimed at Lily instead of Xenon.
Diabolus, leaving behind a hint that he would be resurrected again, strikes Lily. Readers would be in total shock at this scene.
They'd be confused, thinking, "They even had their first night, so it's definitely going to be a happy ending, right? Why? Are Lily and Jin not going to end up together?"
Just thinking about it was thrilling. If this were my past life, the comment section would have been flooded with question marks or stunned silence.
Furthermore, cliches weren't even properly established here, and the mythology was quite different.
While the ends of heroes in things like Greco-Roman mythology usually resulted in 'tragedy,' this world had only ever shown hopeful stories.
Actually, there's no such thing as a cliche here. There's nothing to base them on.
I gleefully wrote the battle scene with Diabolus. I might get smacked on the back by my mother, but Luminous had said it himself.
Corrupted souls could be purified, but it was an incredibly difficult task even for them.
If things got really bad, I could just release a side story, so I felt comfortable writing it.
I'll finish this quickly and play with Ariel.
Just as I was having such a peaceful moment...
[The feared outcome becomes reality... An event that ultimately resulted in innocent victims.]
[A phenomenon bordering on madness. Is this truly the right thing to do?]
[The bereaved families are appealing for the person ultimately responsible, Xenon, to be held accountable...]
[Investigation results: The victims and their families were confirmed not to be demon worshippers. Therefore, the only option is to decide to end the event...]
The thing I feared had happened in reality.
[Did the 'Vessel' truly exist? The vivid testimony of a group of adventurers who explored an underground cave while chasing demon worshippers.]
[It was a grand place, like a temple, and inside was a stone statue with what looked like an octopus on its head. The statue was so vivid and exquisite it looked like it could come to life at any moment.]
[Retreated immediately because just looking at it felt like going insane. However, there was only one survivor.]
[Is this testimony reliable?]
"?????"
Fuck. What is this now?