Chapter 402: The Die is Cast(1)
Chapter 402: The Die is Cast(1)
Not much had changed since I received Kate’s confession. She still visited my dormitory as usual to talk or pray.
If I had to point out one difference, it was her attitude toward Clark. Though she had apologized, it seemed her conscience was still pricked by the fact that she had attacked him blindly in a fit of fanaticism.
Clark, of course, didn't pay it much mind. He forgave her generously, saying such things happen and that he had met many people like her before.
However, there was one thing. Something about his battle with Kate seemed to have bothered him.
[That girl... the moment she enters a war of attrition, she'll end up destroying herself.]
"Pardon?"
[She’s strong, certainly, but her technique is riddled with holes.]
Clark spoke while lying on the bed, leisurely reading a book. Since he couldn't wear his old, tattered armor all day, he had temporarily borrowed some of my father’s clothes.
Being a skeleton, the fit was a bit bizarre, but perhaps because of his large frame, he still gave off a very sturdy impression.
[It’s explained well right here in this book. A weapon is a sort of vessel, and if mana leaks out of that vessel, it wavers like a flame.]
Clark pointed to a specific passage. He was currently reading the latter half of Volume 1 of Xenon Biography.
It was the part where Xenon was being put through the wringer by Kair, having various theories drilled into him. For the record, the theories Kair taught were based on rigorous historical accuracy.
As for who I got that "historical accuracy" from, it was my father, of course. Every time I asked him a question, he would take his time explaining things based on his own experiences.
Back then, I didn't realize just how strong my father was, nor did I know he held the title of the "Red Lion."
"Yes. That’s what Father told me. And Grandpa Clark, you were the one who taught that to Father, right?"
[Indeed. It’s one of those bits of know-how you naturally pick up after surviving various battles and reaching a certain level of skill. It’s difficult, but if you learn to control it slowly from a young age, it grants you immense potential.]
Mana has a property where it dissipates quickly into the air, so it must be contained within a "vessel." Only then does its efficiency increase.
Therefore, the measure of one's skill is determined by how much mana one can pack into a weapon.
It’s not that the mana is completely contained inside; rather, it forms a microscopic band around the surface of the weapon.
Many people mistakenly believe that a larger or denser band means more power, but my father had strictly warned me that wasn't the case at all.
I caught a lot of flak for that, though.
As I mentioned, that theory was brought up as early as Volume 1 of Xenon Biography. Since the series only really hit its stride with Sacran’s sacrifice in Volume 5, it didn't receive much attention at the time.
However, once the series became popular, it sparked quite a bit of debate. Most people didn't believe it, as it was something only those with extensive combat experience would naturally realize.
There were even conspiracy theories claiming I was spreading false theories to drastically weaken the combat power of knights.
Public opinion got so bad that I had to ask my father about it several times. He reassured me, saying it was all nonsense.
In hindsight, I think that was the very first crisis I faced as an author. Fortunately, everyone’s attention was soon diverted by the demons, and the interest died down.
It was also fun when I asked him about the Quick-Draw Sword Technique.
In manga, the Quick-Draw is often treated as a sort of ultimate move. When I asked my father about it, his answer was incredibly simple and blunt.
"It’s either for assassinations and ambushes, or you’re an idiot who’s been influenced by something weird."
He explained that in the former case, it was a threatening technique that had claimed many experts, but for the latter, he said he had a lot to say but wouldn't bother.
Later, when I asked Dave and Nicole, they said that sheathing your sword in the middle of a battle was an act of madness.
They even went as far as to say that anyone who falls for such an obvious move is an even bigger idiot.
My father must have been exasperated when I, someone who knew nothing about martial arts, asked such a question. Honestly, I was a bit embarrassed.
However, he did explain that in terms of pure destructive power, it surpassed excellence and deserved the term "finishing move."
[That girl... she has so much divine power that it wavers like a wildfire. It was like looking at a gemstone that hasn't been polished yet.]
"Are you going to teach her?"
[Too much work. I’ll just have to tell my son to do it.]
He was dumping the work on him just like that. I made an incredulous face before asking if that was really okay.
"Won't Father grumble about it?"
[Are you really going to make a man who died and came back to life work? Besides, I’m a soul destined to turn to ash and ascend soon; I should be allowed this much leisure.]
When he put it that way, I had nothing to say. If anyone had the right to say that, it was Clark.
If not for his sacrifice, this world would have long since fallen into the hands of demon worshippers.
Perhaps the events depicted in Xenon Biography would have played out exactly as written. Since there were high-ranking officials similar to the Seven Deadly Sins, it wasn't an impossible scenario.
He’s a man who serves as a sort of turning point.
I watched Clark as he lay on the bed reading Xenon Biography, then turned my gaze back to the front.
Unlike Clark, who was only just reading Volume 1, I was currently in the middle of writing Volume 29.
Jin, who had set out to find Diabolus’s soul to save Lily, and Xenon, who was belatedly tracking Jin’s trail.
Mary did not follow them, as she was busy nursing Lily.
I should show how the situation has changed as he tracks him down step by step.
In the story, it had been nearly half a year since Jin began his journey. Despite the lack of news, Xenon had set out after him.
The first place Xenon visited was the fallen elven nation, Albenheim. Although they had suffered massive damage across all races, being elves, their recovery was swift.
Furthermore, with the Dark Elves joining forces, it wouldn't take long for them to regain their former glory.
The problem, however, was that the Elf Queen, Elisha, was still unable to recover from the shock.
If they were to appoint a new leader, they didn't know who would be elected, but they couldn't just leave things as they were; they needed someone to mediate the conflict between the Elves and the Dark Elves.
Elisha was the only one who fit all the criteria, but she was currently mired in despair and doing nothing.
Kair will be reincarnated in the epilogue, but that’s still a long way off...
Xenon continued to track Jin while missing Kair, who had been like a father to him. Thus, the next place he visited after Albenheim was the land of the demons, Pandemonium.
After the Second Demon War, the perception of demons had changed 180 degrees, and the atmosphere in Pandemonium was much brighter than before.
I could just use the real-life Helium as a reference for this, so there were no major hurdles in the description. The only important thing was where Jin had gone.
Here, a clue to Jin’s whereabouts appears: he is heard to be tracking Diabolus’s souls scattered across the surface.
It was known that Jin had blindly set out on his journey with the sole intention of saving Lily. As soon as Xenon heard that, he felt an inexplicable sense of unease and picked up his pace.
After traveling all over the world and slowly gathering clues, he finally discovers where Jin was headed.
And that place was...
"Grandfather."
[Hmm? Why do you call?]
"The place where the Kingdom of Gerios used to be is now a desert, right?"
[Yes. It has become a land of death where no life can sprout.]
The place where the Demon War first broke out—the Kingdom of Gerios, now a desert.
Unlike other desert regions, the sky there was always covered by gray clouds, giving it a desolate atmosphere.
Anyone who has studied even a little bit of history knows that the Kingdom of Gerios was the first to fall due to the Demon War.
However, no one knows that the demons were not beings from another dimension, but humans.
Originally, Jin would have visited the place simply because it was the birthplace of the Demon War, but I planned to add more probability to it.
From here, he’ll follow Jin’s trail. Starting from the hidden underground ruins, he’ll find the truth about the demons.
If this fact were revealed, the world would likely be turned upside down again. But this wasn't something born of my imagination; it was "historical accuracy" passed down from Clark.
Suddenly, I remembered what I had said when I revealed my identity—that all of this was just an imagination from my head.
Now, even that might turn out to be a lie. There was a high possibility that I would reach a point of no return.
But it didn't matter. I had already been "vaccinated" by the Fallen Cardinal incident.
"Grandfather. Have you ever been to the place where the Kingdom of Gerios was?"
[I have. Are you planning to go too?]
Perhaps out of habit from when he was alive, Clark made a motion as if licking his finger before naturally turning the page.
It was a subtle sight, seeing him act without any awareness of the fact that he was a skeleton.
"No. I want to live a long life. That place is crawling with all sorts of monsters, including mummies."
[True. They aren't just simple skeletons; they’re demons, so they’re stronger.]
In the desert where the Kingdom of Gerios once stood, monsters several times stronger than those elsewhere appear.
Would you believe it if a skeleton cast magic? The skeletons that naturally occur in that desert can.
Not only that, but there are also giant sandworms and desert scorpions. It’s not a place where a person can survive.
Many scholars speculate that the monsters are strong because it was the first place the demons appeared, but after hearing Clark’s explanation, it seemed there might be another reason.
"Was there a summoning circle there too?"
[I wonder. Most of the structures are so weathered now that it’s hard to even recognize them. But since the Demon War broke out through a summoning ritual, there’s a high chance one existed.]
"I see."
[Are you putting everything I say into your book?]
At my continued questions, Clark asked me in a curious voice. I nodded and recorded what he said in my notebook.
"Yes. But it won't be exactly the same. It is a fictional story, after all."
[Didn't you say it was at a level comparable to a prophecy for a fictional story?]
"I told you, it’s all a coincidence. Except for a few parts. Oh, I should include what I’m adding now too."
[Well, since you say it’s a coincidence, I won't pry. Seeing as even the Gods don't interfere, they seem to be giving their tacit approval.]
Just as Clark said, even though I knew several truths, the Gods did not interfere.
If there was any potential for trouble for them, they would have instructed Kate to bring me to them.
Furthermore, the World War II story I planned to write after Xenon Biography included extreme ideologies.
Seeing as they didn't interfere even then, it seemed the Gods had judged that there was more to gain than to lose.
"Come to think of it, Grandfather, is there anywhere you want to go?"
[Where would I go in this state?]
"Even so, there must have been a place you always wanted to visit."
[Not really. There wasn't a place I hadn't been to when I was alive. Oh, have you ever been to the sea?]
I have in my past life. I started to speak but stopped and shook my head.
Since being reincarnated, I hadn't even been to the capital until I entered the Academy, let alone the sea. I had lived as a shut-in to that extent, and only the residents of the fief were familiar with my face.
Besides, the distance from the Maishal territory to the sea was very far. My father hadn't been there either.
"Of course not. I’ve had no reason to go."
[Is that so? Then it’s best you don't go. Even if you have to, don't go deep into the water.]
"Why?"
At my question, Clark nonchalantly turned a page before closing the book completely and setting it aside. It seemed he had finished Volume 1.
He then picked up Volume 2 of Xenon Biography and answered in his characteristically blunt voice.
[It’s a trait of our family bloodline. If we go even a little bit deep, the strength just drains out of our bodies. Rivers and lakes are fine, but for some reason, it’s only the sea.]
"...Are we under some kind of curse?"
[Who knows? I’m not sure about that myself.]
What is this, did we eat a Devil Fruit or something? It wasn't even that we were complete lead weights in water; it was limited specifically to the sea.
I had been thinking about going to the sea for my honeymoon with Mary, but after hearing Clark’s words, I had to reconsider.
Then again, I was someone who had received a pure blessing from Hirt. Surely a physical trait like that could be overcome.
"I understand. I’ll keep that in mind."
[Good. By the way, when are you going to get me some tobacco? Reading a book is best done while puffing on a smoke.]
"There are some dried sprouts from the top of Ariel’s head. Should we use those?"
[That’s a bit... No matter how you look at it, using your great-granddaughter like that isn't right.]
After chatting with Clark for a bit, I immediately went back into writing mode to finish the end of Volume 29.
Before long, the ending that would deliver shock and horror to all the readers was completed...
"Now, I should call Lina."
I decided to first create a place where we could take refuge for a while.