Chapter 378: The Die(1)
Chapter 378: The Die(1)
Several days had passed since it was revealed that the recent incident was a false flag operation orchestrated by demon worshippers.
Upon hearing my public announcement, the people were simultaneously relieved and incensed. Naturally, their fury toward the demon worshippers only intensified.
It was already well-known that demon worshippers viewed human life and rights as lesser than those of earthworms, but now, a new layer of depravity had been added: their willingness to create innocent scapegoats.
[The demon worshippers used necromancy to target Xenon’s life.]
[It was not mere necromancy, but an ability closer to sorcery intended to steal one's soul.]
[Hidden abilities of the demon worshippers. What else do they possess?]
I didn't forget to reveal the abilities of the demon worshippers that Ariel had so "deliciously" consumed.
While it was largely speculative, between Ariel’s testimony and the fact that evil spirits could actually possess people in this world, it wasn't exactly nonsense.
Furthermore, while magic might be difficult to grasp, sorcery was an ability so broad in scope that even scholars found it perplexing. There was a saying: "Magic is hard because it's incomprehensible; sorcery is hard because it's too vast."
Because of this, there were virtually no races that primarily used sorcery, with the exception of the Beastkin. Even among humans, its use was rare and limited to regions untouched by civilization.
[The principles of necromancy are closer to sorcery than magic. This is because it is an ability that defies the natural order.]
[Is sorcery, then, the primary power of the demon worshippers?]
[From the beginning, Elves used magic, not sorcery, and that was passed down from the gods. If so, from whom did the origins of sorcery descend?]
As it became known that the power used to target my life was sorcery, interest in the subject surged.
Originally, sorcery was perceived as something out of a folk tale told by grandfathers, but this incident caused many to harbor doubts.
In particular, the Beastkin—specifically the Animus—received the most attention. This was both a blessing and a curse.
In a positive sense, scholars visited them to delve deeper into the secrets of sorcery. In a negative sense, suspicions arose that they might be the secret backers of the demon worshippers.
The former helped fill the gaps in the Animus's knowledge; the latter was a rather insulting accusation.
[After humans, we Beastkin are the ones who suffer the most damage.]
[Demons are things believed in only by the weak. Beastkin are overflowing with self-confidence; we do not entrust our self-esteem to others.]
[Sorcery is merely a form of etiquette and a wish directed toward the gods. No one can command nature as they please.]
[I heard that the majority of those who believe in that stuff are humans.]
And so, they delivered a proper counter-punch. In reality, the vast majority of those who followed the demon worshippers were indeed humans.
While radical factions of the demon tribe were also involved, they were so out of control that even Helium had cut ties with them.
Even as the discourse surrounding sorcery grew loud, the events did not stop. Rather, as if proving that there is always a floor below the basement, public opinion toward the demon worshippers was currently drilling through the Earth's core.
It wasn't just ostracization; it was a level of loathing reserved for vermin. It had reached a point where anyone who even slightly defended a demon worshipper would be socially buried.
[Why did they fall for demon worship? We must find the root cause.]
[Most of those who have fallen into it—not just as participants, but as religious zealots—are commoners. They primarily come from villages far from cities or those not affiliated with a territory.]
[Over 90% of the population living in the slums are possessed by demon worship... They desire material wealth more than the love and affection of the gods.]
As the event progressed, various facts began to surface one after another. The gap between the rich and the poor exists in all times and places, but this time, it was quite severe.
Investigations showed that ninety percent of those raised in the slums had the potential to become demon worshippers. The slums, in particular, were prime hunting grounds for demon worshippers because it wasn't unusual for someone to die there at any time.
"Adel Nuna. When did you say you went to the Ters Royal Palace?"
"Was I eleven? Or twelve? Probably around then."
"Did anything strange happen while you were living in the slums?"
Adelia had been born and raised in the slums before going to the palace. That fact suddenly crossed my mind, so I asked her.
Hearing my question, Adelia paused while folding laundry and seemed to think for a moment, her gaze drifting upward as she pondered.
In the past, she would have been reluctant to even speak of it because it was so deeply tied to her trauma, but now that most of it had been resolved, she could speak freely.
"Well... I didn't actually live in the slums. I was born in the most famous red-light district in the Ters Republic. I mean, would royalty even visit the slums in the first place?"
"Ah. That's true."
"You're not suspecting me of being a demon worshipper, are you?"
Adelia asked playfully. I played along, giving a relaxed, sly response.
"I was just wondering how such a beautiful flower could bloom in a place like that. You went through so much in the palace, too—is your resilience just something you were born with?"
"Hmph. You're getting bolder by the day."
At my half-joke, Adelia cleared her throat, looking embarrassed. Seeing her tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, she clearly wasn't upset.
I chuckled and pressed the print button on the typewriter. With a whirring sound, the pages began to copy.
The pages coming out now were the final portion of Xenon Biography Volume 28. It hadn't even been fifteen days since Volume 27 was released, yet I had already finished writing all of Volume 28.
'Ariel is sleeping right now, isn't she?'
I neatly organized the thick manuscript and glanced toward the bed. Ariel was fast asleep on it.
She was snoring softly even though she was being hit directly by the scorching sunlight streaming through the window.
Normally, I would have drawn the curtains, but given Ariel's nature, I didn't.
As one could tell by the sprout on her head, she was actually photosynthesizing. This was a fact I had learned after observing her for several days.
'She was sluggish all day when it rained.'
Ariel's condition fluctuated depending on whether she got sunlight or not. And now, the rainy season was slowly approaching.
In other words, the days when I would have to take serious care of Ariel were not far off.
Since she refused to leave my arms all day when it rained, I might not be able to write for a while.
'Lina said she had something to talk about soon, too...'
Maybe I could afford to take it easy for a bit. I carefully placed the written manuscript into the mailer.
'I'm looking forward to it.'
How will people react when they see the ending of Volume 28?
The day to cast the die was not far off.
Even when the world grew noisy due to the event and the subsequent atrocities of the demon worshippers, there were bound to be quiet places.
Isaac's hometown and the Maishal Mansion were among them.
No matter how chaotic the world became, the Maishal Mansion maintained its ordinary daily life.
Of course, the territory was developing by the day and the floating population had surged, making things busy work-wise, but that was mostly limited to the head of the family, like Hawk.
Furthermore, since Dave and Nicole were currently enlisted in the military, they were far removed from the workload. In other words, Hawk was the only one working overtime as if it were his daily bread.
However, recently even Hawk had gone to the Academy, leaving almost no manpower behind.
Though he visited the mansion occasionally, the schedule for approving the backlog of work was beyond tight.
"To pass such a difficult task to someone as delicate as your mother. Your father is so heartless. Right, Lily?"
"Woong?"
"Yes. Only Lily understands your mother's hardships. Still, it's a good thing your father still has plenty of energy; otherwise, it would have been even harder."
"Ung."
As Anna grumbled, Lily, lying in her cradle, sucked on her finger and babbled in response.
Whether she truly understood or not, looking into those clear, golden eyes made all the exhaustion wash away.
Watching Lily's cute reaction, Anna gently stroked her cheek.
Lily responded to her mother's familiar and affectionate touch with a bright smile.
"How is it that all my children are so beautiful?"
Grip!
As soon as she said that, Lily grabbed Anna's finger with her tiny hand.
Even though she had only recently been born, her grip was strong enough to be felt.
"...And strong, too."
"Awoo!"
"Yes, yes. Mommy's going to go work for a bit. Nanny?"
"Yes, ma'am."
After entrusting Lily to the nanny, Anna returned to the office where Hawk usually worked.
When the head of the family was away for personal reasons, the lady of the house usually acted as a proxy, and currently, Anna held the final decision-making power.
Hawk had given her his seal just in case, so Anna was currently approving all territory-related business.
'Actually, it's not even that hard.'
To be honest, there was almost nothing difficult about it. Civil servants dispatched from the Imperial Family were doing the work instead.
The reason Hawk found it tiring was solely due to his personality and his past. Having lived as a knight for decades, he had been hit by military procurement corruption more than once or twice.
He already had a meticulous personality, and combined with his distrust of those above him, he checked every single document with eagle eyes.
Fortunately, perhaps because the Imperial Family wanted to stay in the Maishal family's good graces, they had dispatched civil servants who were far removed from corruption.
Not a single issue had been caught so far, which was why Anna could afford to be somewhat relaxed.
'Though the sheer volume of it is a flaw.'
Today's work would be done in about an hour. It was only like this because it was the early stages; once a foundation was established, the workload would gradually decrease.
She was heading to the office, thinking she should finish quickly so she could see Lily again, when it happened.
"Baroness?"
"Hm? Oh, yes. Mr. Jace."
While walking down the hallway, she encountered a neat young man. He was one of the civil servants dispatched from the Imperial Family.
True to his profession, he was dressed neatly in his uniform, but he was a man with deep dark circles under his eyes.
As soon as he saw Anna, he handed her the mail in his hand and spoke.
"Mail has arrived from Master Xenon."
"Really?!"
"Yes."
At the news that mail had arrived, Anna clasped her hands together, rejoicing like a young girl.
If it were just a letter, he would have said so, but looking at that thick envelope, it was certain.
Inside lay the long-awaited manuscript for Xenon Biography Volume 28.
The story was now racing toward its conclusion, and the happy future of Jin and Lily was not far off.
"Thank you. Is there anything you'd like to eat?"
"No, thank you. I'll be going now."
"Take care~"
Anna waved at Jace as he left, unbothered by his stiff attitude.
The mail was already cradled in her arms.
"My son, really. He's making it impossible to work."
Once Jace disappeared, Anna muttered while staring at the mail he had delivered with sparkling eyes.
Normally, she should deliver this mail straight to the publisher, but tomorrow would be fine.
Today was the weekend. Musk was a publisher who made sure to observe holidays no matter how busy things were.
So, wouldn't it be fine to read it in advance? It would be okay if she considered it proofreading.
'I need to read it quickly.'
She didn't even have the leisure to prepare snacks. Besides, this was a manuscript; if she enjoyed snacks while reading it, a disaster might occur.
Anna hugged the manuscript for Xenon Biography Volume 28 tightly and headed to the office.
Since someone might visit the office for business, she planned to read it there.
'Let's see. How will the protagonists deal with Diabolus?'
Diabolus's full-scale appearance occurred at the end of Volume 27. Seeing that, people felt that what was meant to happen had finally arrived and had been waiting a long time for the next volume.
The demon tribe was unable to fight due to the darkness emitted by Diabolus. Other races, including the Elves, had suffered such great losses from the war that they had made a strategic retreat.
All that remained was Xenon's party, and even they had lost a significant portion of their strength from the battle with Lucifer.
It was truly the worst-case scenario, and many people were excited to see how they would overcome it.
And...
"Huh. What is this?"
A rather draining battle followed. Diabolus was certainly a Great Demon, but the limits of his 'vessel' were far too obvious.
In his excitement, he released too much power, causing cracks to form in the vessel, which Xenon's party focused their attacks on.
Furthermore, with Lily's near-infinite support, Xenon's party did not tire at all. Through the bonds they had built, they attacked the right places at the right times without even needing to speak.
In particular, Jin's demonization was the highlight. While Xenon showed great leadership, Jin could be called the raw power itself.
The battle scenes themselves were flashy and well-executed, showing their cooperation, so it was decent, but as for being charming? Well.
In particular, the charm of the character Diabolus himself fell far short of the Seven Deadly Sins.
"This is so anticlimactic."
Anna couldn't hide her disappointment at the unexpectedly simple development. While this was indeed what everyone wanted, facing it in reality brought a sense of emptiness.
Still, thinking of the happy future for Lily and Jin, it wasn't such a bad choice—
[It moves forward. The darkness cast by Diabolus. The foulest, darkest blade. It flies toward the most beautiful light.]
"Eh?"
[The world began to flow slowly. In that time, Jin reached out with all his might, but...]
[Thwack!]
[He could not stop the darkness from piercing the heart of the light.]
What is this? Anna blinked her purple eyes and re-read it several times.
The final blow delivered by Diabolus, whose vessel had finally shattered. That blow was aimed not at Xenon, nor Jin, nor Mary, but at Lily.
Jin had even screamed in a desperate attempt to take the blow himself, but...
He could not stop that strike from piercing Lily's heart.
"...What?"
This can't be. Anna muttered in a daze and turned to the next page.
There was no next page. That sentence was the end.
"...What the fuck?"
From Anna's perspective, it was an ending that naturally invited a curse.