Chapter 428: Failure(2)
Chapter 428: Failure(2)
I felt dizzy after experiencing what I could only describe as a "delusion within a delusion," but I managed to pull myself together. It seemed like yet another misunderstanding had been born, but I decided to ignore it.
From now on, our territory wouldn't be holding a funeral, but a festival. It would transform into a new venue for harmony.
If I hadn't had the clear precedent of Holmes, this might have dragged on into a long, exhausting war of attrition. It was better to just give the readers what they wanted and get it over with.
Even so, the fact remained that I had acted without a backbone. Honestly, that was the most annoying part of all this.
Ignoring the readers' outcry felt wrong, yet giving in so readily made me feel like I was being manipulated.
In my past life, I’d seen many creators get "jerked around" by their fans, so I had intended to stand my ground until the end. I knew that if I changed the plot just because they wanted me to, I’d be at their mercy next time, too.
But I never imagined the readers would actually hold a funeral in front of my mansion. It wasn't just some lighthearted event, either; they were genuinely grieving and shedding real tears.
Since they weren't hiding behind the veil of anonymity but were raising their voices in person, I couldn't just ignore them. It was essentially a protest right at my front door.
In a situation like that, what choice did I have? I had no option but to suppress my complicated emotions and grant their demands.
I was caught in a literal checkmate. Because of this, I made sure to warn them never to do such a thing again, and I personally made a request to Musk.
To be precise, I was relaying my words to a press outlet with ties to Musk. When I asked him personally, Musk was more than happy to comply.
[Hello, everyone. This is Xenon. Thanks to your support, Xenon Biography has reached its conclusion, but I have seen that many were truly saddened by Jin's death. Therefore...]
The gist of the message was this: It’s wonderful that you love Xenon Biography and are immersed in the work, but the authority to change the plot as desired belongs solely to me, the author.
While it is touching to see you weep for Jin’s death, I asked them to refrain from making "demands" at the same time.
This funeral event was an "event" in name only; in reality, it was no different from putting pressure on me to bring Jin back to life. Not that they realized that, of course.
An immature culture causes a nuisance to many. Back on Earth, there was one country that stood at the pinnacle of such behavior: China.
As the label "a bully with nothing but strength" suggests, they serve as a prime example of the impact an immature culture can have.
I absolutely did not want my fans to develop that kind of culture. Since this fandom culture had only just been born, it needed constant calibration.
It’s like when a child does something wrong—the parent scolds them harshly, then puts a sweet candy in their mouth afterward.
"So, Mother, please don't do this again. If things go wrong, it won't just be me who gets criticized, but everyone who loves Xenon Biography as well."
"I'm sorry..."
Even my mother wasn't an exception. Although she helped create this new culture, the fact remained that she had been immature.
When facing a new culture, being an adult doesn't change things. Moreover, since this culture hadn't even existed before, it must have been even harder for her.
"I'm sure you initiated this with good intentions—to hold an event and promote the territory at the same time. But the worst part of this event was that it forced an unavoidable demand upon me. It’s the same as saying you've undermined your respect for me."
"..."
"I was moved at first, too. After all, this many people gathered just to bring Jin back. And because I accepted that demand and succeeded, the territory is now throwing an unexpected festival. Looking only at that, it couldn't be better. But at the same time, it’s the same as leaving a bad precedent."
The event itself could be called a success, but I had to point out that it was a failure in terms of forming a proper culture.
It was only because I was someone from Earth that I could handle it; if an author who had lived their whole life here had experienced this, they would have felt an immense sense of skepticism.
Of course, since people were coming forward boldly instead of hiding behind anonymity, it wasn't as toxic as in my previous life, but the mental toll on authors wouldn't be any less.
"If people keep doing this whenever they don't like something, not only I, but other authors as well, won't be able to write the stories they want. Of course, it's uncertain if a work with as much impact as Xenon Biography will ever appear again, but the fact remains that the culture itself must be set right."
"Set right... in what way?"
Having realized her mistake through my lecture, Mother asked cautiously. Her violet eyes held a mix of apology, pity, and sympathy.
It was likely because of that misunderstanding. Mother treated me the same as always, but deep down, she believed I was a prophet.
She probably believed I had personally experienced or witnessed all those tragedies.
I couldn't exactly call the latter a lie, even if the former wasn't true, so I just let it slide. Trying to explain would only give birth to another misunderstanding.
"That while you can hold events for an author, you must never make demands. Of course, if the plot doesn't make sense, you can criticize it. Authors, including myself, aren't perfect. Even now, there are parts of my work that critics point out."
"But what if the author doesn't listen? What if they ignore the readers' opinions?"
"Then let them ignore it. The consequences will fall squarely on them. An author must have the attitude to humbly accept criticism, and readers must show an attitude of respecting the author. That is what a proper culture and civic consciousness look like."
As I’ve mentioned repeatedly, unlike my previous life, anonymity isn't guaranteed here. In other words, even criticizing someone is done face-to-face.
However, when you add a class-based society to the mix, a rather rigid culture is formed. It’s common for someone to be insulted or pressured in return for offering criticism.
Furthermore, until Xenon Biography appeared, literature in this world was as difficult as CSAT questions, so it was treated almost exclusively as a hobby for nobles.
The culture newly formed by the appearance of Xenon Biography has produced many positive effects, but side effects like this are also starting to emerge.
"Adjusting this will be very difficult. But as we learn from each other's mistakes, a good culture will eventually remain. Xenon Biography is serving as a very good example, so we just need to pay a little more attention from now on."
"...It's truly amazing. I only thought of it in terms of 'it would be nice if we did this.'"
"There was a political intention involved too, wasn't there?"
At my sudden question, Mother gave a bitter smile and answered honestly.
"I can't say there wasn't. The Maishal Territory is developing into a cultural city supported by the Minerva Empire. I wanted to contribute to that."
What Mother did certainly had a great effect. This incident clearly demonstrated the status of Xenon Biography and the Maishal Territory to countless people.
At the same time, it clearly showed what kind of side effects it could have. You could say the light and shadow were both vividly displayed.
I wanted to cast off the shadow and grow the light, but culture is something with two very distinct sides.
Even the democratic system, which could be called the culmination of culture, has many, many flaws, doesn't it?
In a world where so many people live, nothing is perfect. That is an unchanging truth.
"Now that you've realized it, Mother, please restrain yourself a little. Bringing Jin back was only possible because of the support of the readers and, finally, the advice of a God, in addition to your own efforts. From now on, you may make requests, but never demands. Understood?"
"I will take your words to heart. And as your mother, and as a fellow reader, I sincerely apologize for my immature behavior."
At my request, Mother bowed her head and offered her apology. Her dark indigo hair flowed downward.
Mother had simply acted immaturely because of the newly born culture; she was still a wonderful person.
So, I could readily accept her apology. I smiled gently and nodded.
"Please, lift your head. There was no precedent for this, and more than anything, you didn't know, so I will forgive you generously."
"Thank you. Sometimes, Isaac, it feels like you know so much more than your mother. Both with Xenon Biography and now."
Mother said this, then pursed her lips, calling my name with a look of "could it be?" on her face.
"Isaac."
"Yes, Mother."
"Are you really someone from the future?"
"No."
As expected, the question came. I could answer that one flatly.
Mother seemed to have expected my firm answer to some extent, as she nodded. Then she asked another question.
"Then how do you know those tragedies so well?"
"If I said... it was my imagination, would you believe me?"
"It's hard to believe, but if you say so, I must."
She said that, but she wouldn't believe me if I said no. I clasped my hands together and fell into thought.
Actually, it was embarrassing to even call it a dilemma, as there was already someone who had seen through my identity.
That was Lina, the Imperial Princess of the Minerva Empire. It was revealed through Ariel's mind reading, but regardless, she knew I was a reincarnator.
'It's about time I talked about it.'
A truth that even my family, my fiancée, and Mari didn't know. Even if it was because of an accident, this felt wrong.
Besides, if I left it like this, the misunderstandings would only deepen. At the very least, my family, my fiancée Mari, and other trustworthy people needed to know the truth.
In any case, the moment I started writing about World War II, suspicions would only grow. It was better to just come clean and feel relieved.
After going through these thoughts, I nodded and met Mother's eyes. She was looking at me with a worried gaze, as if I had suffered some unfortunate event.
Even if I were a person from another world, my family, including Mother, would still think of me as family. This belief brought a smile to my face naturally.
"Mother."
"Go on."
"I didn't experience those tragedies myself, but I saw and heard countless tragedies with my own eyes and ears. The tragedies that appeared in Xenon Biography were taken from there as well."
"As I thought..."
Judging by her reaction, she seemed to have expected at least this much. However, there must be a mountain of unresolved questions.
"I'll tell you in advance, I am the child of Father and Mother. I want you to know that the thing you're worried about will never happen."
"Of course. If your soul had been swapped midway, there's no way I wouldn't have noticed. You're still as considerate, seemingly naive yet wise as ever. You've been the same since you were little."
Mother spoke quietly with a warm smile at my words. Fortunately, the situation I had feared didn't seem likely to occur.
There would be nothing more painful for me than my family treating me like a different person. That was the reason I hadn't revealed I was a reincarnator until now.
Maintaining a harmonious family like this, joking around sometimes, and having an ideal relationship where we help each other—this was what I truly wanted.
"Then, could you call the family? Our family, including Grandfather Clark. And Mari, Cecile, Adelia, and finally Leona. Oh, Arwen might visit too, so we should include her."
I didn't know when Kate would return due to personal matters, and I planned to tell Cherry slowly later. Lina already knew my identity, so I'd skip her.
Mother nodded at my request, then spoke softly.
"That sounds good, but it might be too complicated. I think it's better for our family, including Mari, to gather and talk first, and then for you to go and reveal it to each person individually. If everyone has different thoughts and the questions get mixed up, it could get dizzying, couldn't it? Especially Princess Cecile—she'll likely have far more questions than the others."
That was true. Mari and Adelia loved the person Isaac himself, not Xenon, the author of Xenon Biography.
Leona had approached me due to the subtle culture of the beastkin, but we were gradually becoming closer.
However, Cecile and Arwen were in a somewhat different position. They firmly believed I was a prophet or a regressor.
To clear up such misunderstandings, I would need to have long conversations, so as Mother said, it would be better to talk to them separately.
"Hmm... that might be true. Then let's just have our family members, including Mari, gather. The others... I'll talk to them separately."
"Alright. Before that, is there anyone who already knows about your identity?"
"Lina knows, though it was because of Ariel's mind reading."
"Really? That's surprising. Mari will be upset if she finds out."
I was already expecting that. Mari would definitely pout and be sulky. I had already prepared a countermeasure for that.
Anyway, it wouldn't be long before I revealed my true identity. Mother stood up, saying she would call the people herself.
I waited quietly, then looked up at the ceiling. Strangely, I didn't feel nervous.
Was it because I had already dropped so many hints and foreshadowing? Or was it because it was a future I had already foreseen?
'It feels somewhat refreshing.'
Setting a wrong culture right, and further, revealing the truth I had hidden all this time.
As Xenon Biography reached its conclusion in a true sense, things were coming to the surface one by one.
I curled my lips into a smile, then moved on to another thought.
'This world certainly isn't used to tragedy.'
This was something I had been consistently doubting. Even in their myths, there was almost no tragic content.
Luminous, Mora, and finally Hirt poured infinite love upon the people; if there was any tragedy, it was only losing beloved believers in the Demon War.
Furthermore, the wars, which could be called the culmination of tragedy, had been conducted somewhat blandly.
Even the Race War focused only on the arrogance of the elves and the rise of humans, hardly touching upon the negative aspects.
At most, there were the journals left by those who participated in the Race War. Everyone knew that war was miserable, but in terms of records, I couldn't help but think, "Is that it?"
'World War II will be a shock, but it'll be hard for it to hit home.'
The War of Blood and Iron will literally feel like a fantasy to them. It'll be hard for them to get as overly immersed as they did with Xenon Biography.
Therefore, I needed a work that focused primarily on tragedy. I happened to have a good idea.
A world where all the gods are dead, the world is filled with demons, and all the heroes have been defeated, heading toward destruction.
A world where the dead, resurrected from death, appear one after another, and those dead devastate the world to achieve their respective desires.
A world filled only with tragedy and despair, and the struggle of mortals living tenaciously while clutching a single ray of hope.
Finally, a story where, when the time of prophecy comes, 'rain' announcing destruction pours from the sky, and the whole world is submerged in the 'sea.'
'I wish someone would write it...'
But that was out of the question. People were already crying and making a fuss over Jin's death; I could confidently say there was no one in this world who would imagine such a thing.
What could I do? I’d have to write it myself. It was a measure to get them used to the "spicy flavor."
Only then would a situation like today's not occur. For the record, it would be set in the same world as Xenon Biography, a sort of side story.
What if the Xenon party had lost in Xenon Biography? That was how I would develop it.
'I'm going to kill them all.'
My petty little revenge.
'You'll let this much slide, right? Surely a God wouldn't be so petty.'
I said that to the gods and closed my eyes. At that time, I had no idea.
'First, the protagonist... I should make them a demon. A miserable past is a bonus.'
I had no idea that this book would one day be treated as a holy scripture of a 'different kind.'