Chapter 385: A Stroke of Luck(2)
Chapter 385: A Stroke of Luck(2)
The Xenon Chronicle was a long-running epic, with nearly thirty volumes published to date.
As the story stretched on, it naturally accumulated a vast array of plot hooks and foreshadowing, most of which had been resolved by Volume 28.
Until then, readers and critics alike had spent their time debating. They theorized about the true nature of certain plot seeds, what specific events signified, and so on.
They would compile these theories and submit them to newspapers or share their opinions publicly, showing off their deductive prowess.
One might call these "spoilers," but they weren't exactly that; it was more like making an educated guess based on the evidence collected so far.
Furthermore, many of those theories missed the mark entirely. One didn't have to look far to find examples—Jackson had made such ridiculous deductions in the past, and he even had a few supporters.
Of course, there had been a "real-life spoiler" when Kate personally tracked down the fallen cardinal to deliver divine punishment, but that was only possible because I had given her a hint.
In that sense, I didn't plan on reacting much to this latest spoiler, even if it was a shock.
Reacting would be as good as confirming the theory. Since it was such a massive spoiler, silence was the only answer for now.
'But who said this?'
I wondered as I looked through the news in the paper.
The sudden explosion of this spoiler had left readers—especially fans of the Jin-Lily couple—in a state of absolute shock, as if their world were ending.
It was understandable. Given the ending of Volume 28, it had been revealed that even the World Tree could not escape the corruption of the demons.
In the midst of that, someone claimed that Jin and Lily wouldn't end up together and that Xenon would eventually kill Jin.
The problem was the source. There was no trace of who had actually started this.
It was a rumor that had suddenly begun to spread a few days after Volume 28 was released.
Usually, critics or readers would publish their deductions in the newspapers, but this was different.
'Besides, how do they know Xenon will kill Jin? On what grounds? The foreshadowing I've laid down so far shouldn't be enough to reach that conclusion.'
Because the claim was so shocking, most people didn't believe it. They treated it as utter nonsense.
As of now, Xenon had no motive or reason to kill Jin. The two were friends who trusted each other, transcending the boundaries of their respective races.
Naturally, such an opinion was bound to be dismissed. However, as Jin set off to find Diabolus's soul, the hidden foreshadowing would gradually begin to surface.
The fact that Jin was the biological child of 'Gluttony,' and his sacrificial spirit—the willingness to become the foulest darkness if it was for Lily's sake.
I wasn't sure if someone had actually accounted for all those details, but if they had, I genuinely wanted to praise them.
'Or is it just simple trolling?'
That was a highly likely hypothesis. No matter where you went in the world, there were always people desperate for attention.
But even that was ambiguous. It was impossible to tell who had started the rumor.
The rumor had spread through minstrels and gossipmongers. I couldn't exactly grab every single one of them and interrogate them about where they’d heard it.
Since most readers were already bashing the theory as nonsense, I didn't plan on taking immediate action.
'The problem is that I can't do anything.'
To be honest, I was in a bit of a checkmate. If the theory had been just a little more logical, the fandom would have split in half.
As the saying goes, "toxic fans breed haters," and The Xenon Chronicle was no exception to that rule.
Fortunately, the number of "stans" was overwhelming, but what if they split amongst themselves? A situation worse than I anticipated could break out.
For example, there would be those who said a novel is just a novel, and those who would riot because they couldn't believe the direction of the story.
Even my mother was currently pressuring me, saying she would separate my flesh from my bones if Jin and Lily didn't end up together.
'The event progression might be delayed.'
The number of readers invested in the Jin-Lily couple was far greater than I had imagined. Their story was so poignant and sorrowful that they had a very thick fan base.
Even if people dismissed the rumor as nonsense on the surface, they couldn't help but be bothered by it.
Whether Xenon killed Jin wasn't the main issue for them. The bigger problem was the idea of Jin and Lily not ending up together.
Anxiety turns into a bad omen, and as those omens pile up, they eventually transform into suspicion.
And the target of that suspicion would, of course, be me. In the worst-case scenario, the fandom might swarm me in protest.
'It's even more of a headache because it's actually true.'
Part of me wanted to just come clean and say it. But since it was the twist I had worked hardest on, I had to keep my mouth shut.
I didn't mind people throwing stones at me, but the guilt would be worse. It would be like hearing a spoiler that the limping man was the culprit before seeing the movie.
If it had actually been nonsense, I would have dropped a fact-bomb on them just like I did to Jackson during the new student gathering.
I sighed at the situation, which had become more complicated than expected. I hoped things would turn out well, but life is rarely that simple.
"Um... Senior? Is something bothering you?"
A somber yet clear voice reached my ears. I looked up as soon as I heard it.
As usual, Cherry was looking at me with a worried expression, her eyes as dead as a frozen fish.
Her overall vibe was fine, but it seemed she couldn't do anything about those dead eyes.
"No. It's nothing. I just had something on my mind for a moment."
"Is it... perhaps because of me...?"
"No, no, no. It's definitely not because of you."
Of course, because of her rock-bottom self-esteem, these situations happened occasionally. It made me feel like a piece of trash.
Even though she had been freed from her shackles, Cherry still needed a lot of love and attention.
The girl was so gloomy that she didn't even have any friends to walk around with. There weren't even any guys trying to make a move on her despite her looks and figure.
'Why are there really none? No matter how much I think about it, I don't get it.'
Maybe they were just perceptive enough to stay away. Furthermore, Cherry returned straight to the dormitory as soon as classes were over.
She had also skipped the new student gathering. Despite being the daughter of a Count, her self-esteem was so low that I had never seen her socialize with anyone.
Except for one person: Kate. They were a duo with a synergy comparable to nuclear fusion.
The reason Cherry could confidently visit the dormitory wasn't because of me, but because of Kate. They shared a lot in common, so she showed her face often.
"Ahem. So, how have you been lately? Are you getting along well with Kate?"
"Yes... we're doing well... I was just talking to her earlier..."
"What did you talk about?"
"Opinions on how I can better serve Senior Isaac more comfortably?"
"..."
That was a little creepy. Even if I had given Cherry permission for "legal stalking," that was only for when I went outside.
Right now, I was mostly holed up in the dormitory, so there wasn't even anything to stalk. She just had to come visit openly.
"It's so squishy~"
Just as my mind was starting to feel a bit faint, Ariel, who was sitting on Cherry's lap, spoke with a bright smile.
Naturally, she was leaning the back of her head against Cherry's large chest as if it were a cushion.
For the record, today was the day I introduced Ariel to Cherry. And yet, they had already become that close.
In the process, I had witnessed something rare: Cherry's gloomy eyes had grown as wide as lanterns.
It meant that even Cherry was shocked by the existence of an angel.
"Is it comfortable?"
"Yup! It's comfy!"
"Hehe."
Of course, she was quickly conquered by Ariel's loveliness. Even Cherry, who usually radiated a depressing aura, looked noticeably brighter after meeting Ariel.
Even when Ariel sat on her lap without hesitation or used her chest as a cushion, the atmosphere remained warm.
It felt as if Ariel was filling up Cherry's empty heart. Since it seemed to be a good influence on her, I figured it was best to leave them be.
I smiled warmly at the sight before picking up my teacup. First of all, the reason Cherry had visited was related to her work.
"You said you're not sure how to handle the plot development?"
"Yes... you told me last time, Senior. That small incidents change the great future. But I can't get a sense of how to change that future..."
The genre Cherry was writing was Romance Fantasy, specifically a regression story. In a way, you could say she had crammed in every common cliché imaginable.
By Earth's standards, at least. Currently, Cherry was acting as a pioneer for the 'Ro-Pan' genre in this world.
But because she was a pioneer, it was very difficult for her to get a feel for it. What seemed like a very easy problem to me was likely a brain-wracking ordeal for her.
It was the same now. In regression stories, there's always a plot point where the known future changes completely.
Cherry was struggling with how to execute that change.
"Is that future very important?"
"The future itself isn't important, but it will serve as a catalyst for a major future event to come."
"Hmm..."
I pondered her words for a moment. Romance Fantasy—romance, in general—is character-driven rather than plot-driven.
Because of that, the reception can vary wildly depending on the charm of the characters. Or, it has to move forward with truly unpredictable developments.
Even popular makjang dramas rely heavily on the charm of their characters.
"Come to think of it, the protagonist is struggling to prevent a war, right? Because her past self died because of it."
"Yes. That's right."
"Then is that future the war?"
"No. There is a way to stop the war. I'm just worried about how to write the process of stopping it."
I was a regular reader of Cherry's novel, Red Sunset Once Again. It was a story that suited my tastes perfectly.
It also featured a weakness often seen in female protagonists of romance novels: the tendency to try and shoulder everything alone.
Resolving that is the male lead's role and the unique charm of the genre.
However, there was some groundwork Cherry needed to lay first.
"Hmm... for now, why don't you pause the plot progression for a bit?"
"Pause... the progression?"
Cherry looked puzzled at my suggestion. I continued my explanation without stopping.
"What you're writing is a romance. The plot can move slowly. The most important thing is the relationship and emotions between the characters. Just as drawing trees one by one eventually creates a forest, you should write in that way. After all, it's the same people who cause the incidents. Do you understand what I mean?"
"Ah... I see. I understand immediately."
"There's no need to be so hasty. Let it seep into the heart slowly. Instead, focus on the dialogue so it fits the characters' personalities. Got it?"
"Thank you..."
Cherry bowed her head with a gentle smile, seemingly helped by my advice. As she did, she carefully hugged Ariel.
Then, looking up again while still holding Ariel, she spoke quietly.
"Um... Senior Isaac. May I ask one favor?"
"What is it?"
"I want to take a nap with her..."
"Me?"
Hearing herself mentioned, Ariel looked up and met Cherry's eyes. Cherry glanced at her and then looked at me.
Her dark, sunken eyes held an inexplicable plea. I wondered for a moment if Ariel had enchanted her, but...
"When I'm with her... it feels like my heart gets warm..."
"..."
"If Senior Isaac fills the water, it feels like she warms that water up..."
"Fill it up? Warm?"
Was it similar to giving a cute cat to an autistic patient? Though the effect was likely much stronger.
I chuckled as the thought occurred to me. As long as they didn't leave the dormitory, it didn't matter.
"Alright. But you can't take her outside. Only in here. Got it?"
"Th-thank you... But where should we..."
"Sleep over there."
I pointed to the bed placed in the living room. I usually used it for naps, but it was perfectly fine for guests as well.
At that, Cherry immediately approached the bed while holding Ariel. It seemed she wanted to feel that warmth just a little longer.
Seeing how Ariel stayed in her arms without a word, she seemed to find Cherry's embrace comfortable.
"Squishy."
"A-ah, no. D-don't touch there..."
"Why? Because you only allowed Daddy to do it?"
"H-how did you know?"
"I have my ways!"
Sigh. I'll have to give her a stern talking-to later. I let the sounds behind me go in one ear and out the other, doing my best to ignore them.
Fortunately, before long, I heard rhythmic breathing, suggesting they had fallen asleep quickly.
'Anyway, who really said such a thing?'
A few days passed while I held onto that question.
[Famous adventurer of the Minerva Empire throws a fit, insisting Jin and Lily must end up together...]
[Anxiety begins to grow among readers.]
[Xenon remains silent... Is silence a sign of affirmation?]
The situation I had hoped wouldn't happen was slowly beginning to unfold.