Chapter 403: The Die is Cast(2)
Chapter 403: The Die is Cast(2)
"Alright. I've made up my mind."
"About what?"
"That no matter what you do from now on, I won't be surprised."
These were the words Lina said to me after I invited her over, hoping to find a bit of a refuge. At the moment, she wore a gentle smile, looking as if she had reached a state of total resignation.
I couldn't help but give a bitter smile in response. It was understandable, considering Clark was currently sitting on the bed, engrossed in the Xenon Chronicle.
Lina had originally returned to the Imperial Palace because of Clark’s resurrection in the underground temple, but now the man himself was right here in my dormitory.
And what if that man was my grandfather and the one who had thwarted the summoning ritual? What if he was the powerhouse who had single-handedly crushed the real-life Seven Deadly Sins?
Lina was already nursing a massive headache from all the recent events; she probably felt like throwing everything away and giving up.
That was likely the reason for her reaction. While I smiled wryly, Lina maintained her smile and elegantly sipped her tea.
Rattle, rattle, rattle—
She seemed to be trying her best to maintain her composure, but she couldn't stop her hands from trembling.
Still, it was enough that she didn't spill the tea everywhere or spit it in my face like a scene from some drama.
"Whew..."
"Are you feeling a bit calmer now?"
I asked Lina in a somewhat cautious voice. I had finished introducing Clark a long time ago.
But regardless of the introduction being over, the shock hadn't faded, and the situation showed no signs of improving.
With one incident after another lately, she must be under an incredible amount of stress.
Lina was at least slightly less busy because she was the Imperial Princess, but Leort was working overtime so often that it was hard to even see his face.
"If I said I was calm... I'd be lying. Honestly, would you be calm if you were in my shoes?"
"Well..."
At Lina's somewhat resentful question, I turned my head to look at Clark.
He had been reading the Xenon Chronicle steadily since yesterday and was already on Volume 12.
Apparently, since he had been resurrected as a skeleton, he didn't need sleep. He told me he had stayed up alone with a lantern since everyone else in the living room was asleep.
Flip—
Clark merely turned the page even as I stared at him, seemingly deep in concentration. He didn't pay any mind to the fact that Lina and I were talking right next to him.
Actually, considering he had stayed up all night, reaching Volume 12 was a relatively slow pace. It meant he was reading that thoroughly.
After watching Clark for a moment, I turned back to Lina and spoke.
"It must be tough. You have so much on your mind as it is."
"Sigh... How am I supposed to handle this... My head hurts already."
Lina groaned, pressing her fingers against her brow. Clark would eventually return to the earth, but his achievements were the problem.
If not for his sacrifice, the Second Demon War would have broken out. Furthermore, it was the catalyst for my soul crossing over to this world.
Lina was the only one who knew all of this. She knew I had come here because of the summoning ritual, and now she knew that Clark was the one who had interfered with it.
By now, she probably felt like giving up on everything and doing nothing. For now, I had no choice but to wait until she sorted out her thoughts.
"I just want to quit everything... I want to live without a care, princess or not..."
"..."
"No. No, I can't. The Empire is in crisis, I shouldn't think like this... But I really don't want to do anything..."
The grace and dignity she usually held as an Imperial Princess had vanished, leaving only a weary person in charge.
In times like these, a capable person should be by her side to assist, but ironically, none of them could be trusted. Any one of them could be a Demon Worshipper.
Yet, she couldn't keep sycophants who only spoke sweet words near her either. In other words, she had to handle most of the work alone.
"Whew... Isaac."
"Yeah."
"You said you wanted to come to the Imperial Palace?"
It seemed she had decided to push her worries aside for now. I nodded as I looked at Lina, who had grown visibly fatigued in that short span of time.
I hadn't sent the manuscript for Volume 29 yet. If I sent it now, my mother would read it immediately, so I planned to find a way to send it directly to the publisher.
Or I could ask my father. He returned to the mansion occasionally.
I even had a proper excuse. As everyone knew, my mother would sneak a peek every time I sent a manuscript; I could just say it wasn't fair to the other readers.
Of course, she would be disappointed. But if I made it clear that touching the manuscript was off-limits, she would eventually accept it.
And then, I would bolt straight to the Imperial Palace. Helium had the variable known as Gartz, but this time, I intended to cut off all interference completely.
‘I’m almost done with Volume 30, too.’
Volume 29 ends with Jin, who has transformed into the final boss, and Xenon finally facing each other, with Jin striking first.
Volume 30 would cover Jin's journey, his changing psychology, and the battle between the two protagonists. The end, naturally, would be Jin's death.
The ending of Volume 29 was shocking, but it would be nothing compared to Volume 30. That was why I had been writing Volume 30 alongside Volume 29.
In other words, Volume 30 was scheduled to be released within a week of Volume 29. I was going to drop a massive bomb before the initial shock had even faded.
While I was plotting my little scheme, Lina, completely unaware of my inner thoughts, asked in a puzzled voice.
"Coming to the Imperial Palace is fine. I'm busy, but since it's you, I have to welcome you. But why so suddenly? Did something happen?"
"Nothing in particular. I'm just curious, and I have some personal business. I can have an audience with His Majesty the Emperor, right?"
"If you wish. Just so you know, you are strictly in the position of power here. Keep that in mind."
"There's no harm in being polite, is there?"
Even if I was in a position of power, I wasn't crazy enough to act up toward the Emperor. Moreover, I couldn't be disrespectful to my future father-in-law.
Lina nodded, agreeing with my point, and took another sip of tea. As she drank, her gaze drifted toward Clark behind me.
Clark’s existence must be fascinating to Lina in many ways. Unlike typical skeletons, he was an undead who was completely unaffected by divine power and maintained his sanity from when he was alive.
"Then, while you're at the Imperial Palace, will he stay here?"
"Yeah. We decided to go back together when the break starts."
"I see. Mari is coming to the Imperial Palace too, right? And Cardinal Kate."
"Yeah."
"Alright. I'll bring word soon. It should only take a day."
"Thanks. Oh, and Lina."
I had one last thing to ask. When I called her name, Lina responded by arching an eyebrow.
Before answering, I carefully looked around. Adelia was currently undergoing special training from my father, and Clark was focused on his reading.
And finally, Ariel...
"Grandpa. Grandpa."
[Why are you calling me, granddaughter?]
"Play with me. I'm bored."
She was pestering Clark to play with her. She knew well enough that I was busy.
Clark, seemingly unable to refuse his lovely great-granddaughter's request, set the Xenon Chronicle down on the bed and started giving her an airplane ride.
My father had said he had a very strict personality, but that wasn't the case at all. He was just a typical doting grandfather.
Perhaps he had only been strict back then because the situation was so dire. I chuckled at the two of them playing so well despite Clark being nothing but bones, then turned back to Lina.
I didn't forget to keep my voice low and quiet, just in case.
"Are you a Jin-Lily shipper by any chance?"
"Jin-Lily?"
"Yeah. Do you support that couple?"
If she was, I planned to run away somewhere other than the Imperial Palace. Helium was difficult because of Gartz, so the only place left was Albenheim.
Arwen had said I could visit anytime and even asked me to show my face more often.
Lina blinked at my question and then answered in a hesitant voice.
"Uh, no. I prefer Xenon and Mary."
"That's a relief, then."
Was my question too suspicious? Lina asked quietly, looking wary.
Since she was a sharp woman, she seemed to have quickly realized why I had asked such a question.
"You don't mean... right?"
"What?"
"You really shouldn't. Even if I support the Xenon-Mary couple, that's a bit..."
Lina looked at me as if asking if I was even human. But I didn't back down; I just shrugged nonchalantly.
"I didn't say anything."
"Don't you feel sorry for them?"
"It raises the quality of the work, though."
"That might be true, but... I don't know. Do whatever you want."
The die was cast.
Around the time Isaac’s departure for the Imperial Palace was imminent, the manuscript for Volume 29 arrived at the publisher, just as he had intended.
Normally, Anna would have intercepted the manuscript midway, but she didn't this time. Since Isaac had specifically requested it, she had no choice but to send it straight to the publisher.
And so, the manuscript for Volume 29 arrived at the office. Before printing, checking for typos was essential, a task usually handled by an editor.
However, because it was the Xenon Chronicle, several people were assigned to check for typos. It was to ensure not a single syllable was missed, out of respect for the work.
"...So. What do you want me to do about it?"
Musk, the owner of the publishing house, wore a bewildered expression when the employees in charge of proofreading came to see him.
The manuscript for Volume 29 sat neatly on his desk, having already been perfectly proofread.
He should have just sent it to the printing press, but for some reason, the employees had come to him directly.
"It's just... because of the content."
"The plot?"
"Yes. We aren't really in a position to say this, but..."
The employee acting as the spokesperson for the group spoke hesitantly. Musk looked at him with a face full of curiosity rather than irritation.
What on earth could have happened for the employees to come to him, the owner? Since the publication of the Xenon Chronicle, employees rarely sought him out, except for Matthew, who had become his secretary.
The few times they did were for vacations or resignations, and even those resignations were mostly due to personal reasons.
Musk wasn't a bad person, and above all, the salary was overwhelming, so it was unheard of for rank-and-file employees to come to him like this.
"Could you please ask Xenon to reconsider the story?"
"What?"
Musk’s face crumpled at the employee's suggestion. To come out of nowhere and ask for a story rewrite.
Even though Musk was effectively Xenon's editor, he never touched the story. Because Xenon did a perfect job on his own.
So, hearing an employee say such a thing was beyond absurd; it was incomprehensible.
For a moment, the words 'Who do you think you are to say that?' rose to his throat, but Musk exercised as much patience as possible and spoke slowly.
"...Do you understand the weight of what you just said?"
"Yes, yes. O-Of course. But if you read it just once, you'll understand how we feel."
"...Tsk. Fine. I'll give it a read. But stay right there until I'm finished."
He wanted to kick them out, but he couldn't. Their courage was commendable, and there had to be a reason.
The employee breathed a sigh of relief, and Musk began to slowly read the manuscript on his desk.
It started with Xenon following Jin. Xenon tracked Jin's trail, visiting each country the group had previously been to.
Eventually, he arrived at the desert region where the First Demon War had broken out, and the truths hidden there began to be revealed one by one.
This alone was enough to shake the entire world, but...
"...Huh?"
Before long, Musk, having reached the ending, widened his eyes and let out a dumbfounded gasp.
He couldn't believe what he was seeing; he flipped the page forward and back repeatedly, wondering if he had truly read it correctly.
He then closed the manuscript and urgently questioned his secretary, Matthew, who was standing nearby.
"Matthew. Who brought this manuscript?"
"It's the manuscript from the mansion, as usual."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
It seemed he simply couldn't believe the ending.
"Are you sure a Demon Worshipper didn't pull some trick along the way?"
Musk asked again, his voice trembling with shock.