Chapter 454: The Sequel(1)
Chapter 454: The Sequel(1)
Several days had passed since the Grey Desert Expedition entered the Kingdom of Gerios. People waited in hushed anticipation for the truths that would be uncovered there.
Though the expedition had been launched quite abruptly, it faced no major setbacks, as it was composed of elite personnel. Most of the nations considered major powers had participated, and both Albenheim and Helium were among them.
The issue of logistics, which had been expected to be the greatest hurdle, was resolved cleanly, and the crossing of the Grey Desert was completed without incident. Even when unfamiliar monsters lunged out and momentarily startled the expedition, they were handled with practiced ease.
Exactly one week after the news broke that the expedition had reached the Kingdom of Gerios, the reports began to flood in.
[The origin of demons was human. The records are there.]
[A catastrophe caused by the misuse of sorcery.]
[A kingdom that lost everything while lusting after small gains.]
The origin of demons, as depicted in the Xenon Chronicle—this claim was proven to be the truth.
Other facts emerged as well: the Kingdom of Gerios had fallen due to the misuse of sorcery, it possessed a harbor, its fishing industry had been highly developed, and so on. Various details surfaced, but the most significant was the origin of demons.
The truth—that demons were not beings from another dimension but were once humans of this world—sent a massive shockwave through the populace.
[Were demons truly human? If so, then the Demon Clan is also ultimately...]
[Xenon claimed he wasn't a prophet, but this incident has proven otherwise.]
[The dangers of sorcery resurface as a major concern...]
Naturally, all sorts of news filled the papers. Countless articles were published, but the general consensus boiled down to one sentiment: "Why is this real?"
Above all, the Kingdom of Gerios was an ancient city that had been slumbering for three thousand years. Even a single coin dropped on the ground required dozens of scholars to swarm over it for study. Consequently, the investigation of the royal palace was bound to be sluggish, and it was announced that the site would enter a stabilization phase for the time being.
Still, the shocking truth that the origin of demons was human was more than enough. It served as a massive piece of "lore" for the public to chew on. People shared various opinions on how mere humans could become demons and under what circumstances the Demon Clan had been born. It was a transformation of an entire race—something akin to the authority of a god.
[Couldn't we just ask Xenon about this? He would surely know.]
I don't know either, you idiots.
I chuckled as I read the words of a critic in the newspaper.
The facts revealed this time were strictly based on what I had heard from my grandfather, Clark. While I knew that the origin of demons was human, I didn't know much beyond that. I could only vaguely guess that a god had intervened somewhere in the middle.
It wasn't something I could ask openly. To be honest, this part was out of my hands now. It was like tossing bait into a river and letting the fish bite on their own. What mattered most to me right now were the side stories and the sequel.
'I just need to do the finishing touches on Passing Hero...'
Another side story inspired by Clark, Passing Hero, was already in its final stages. It only needed a final proofreading.
Therefore, what remained was preparing for the sequel: World War II. However, this was proving to be much more grueling than I had expected.
If I were to just take a few battles from World War II, it wouldn't be a problem. The issue was that if I presented them in isolation, the people of this world wouldn't understand them. In other words, I had to show everything—from Hitler's rejection from art school to the Nazi Party's rise to power—for it to make sense.
Most importantly, the readers needed to understand the setting. I had to clearly convey the nature of that world for them to experience the intended "divine shock."
'A world without gods, mana, or magic. Instead, a world where a Machine Revolution exists...'
Even my close acquaintances and family couldn't easily believe me when I talked about my world. If people close to me were like that, what about the readers?
'I have to give up on making them understand every single detail. I'd have to go all the way back to the 1700s.'
There's a saying that if you try to grasp everything, you lose everything. I had to cleanly abandon what was unnecessary and take only what was needed.
While the Xenon Chronicle had a starting point because it was based on this world, the sequel had no such luxury. In other words, I was the pioneer and the creator. My true caliber as a writer would likely be tested from here on out.
Fortunately, "steam locomotives" had already appeared in the Xenon Chronicle. Furthermore, mana-powered engines based on steam engines had been invented in reality. These would help increase the readers' understanding of the novel I was about to write.
'I have my past life to draw from, but how did Tolkien write his work?'
I felt a renewed sense of respect for Tolkien, the father of modern fantasy. He didn't have a past life to guide him, yet he created the entire foundation of fantasy from scratch.
...To be honest, I was a bit suspicious. Maybe he actually had a past life too? Since I was experiencing it myself, it felt like a reasonable suspicion.
'I have to explain fighter planes. I have to explain tanks. There's so much to explain.'
The main story of the Xenon Chronicle had concluded at Volume 20, and it only truly ended after two more volumes of side stories. I couldn't even fathom when the World War II story would finish. I was afraid I might end up writing a hundred volumes.
Even if I tried to compress it, it would be difficult. I'd probably have to divide it into Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3.
For now, the events that immediately came to mind were Stalingrad and the Pearl Harbor Attack. I figured I would use those two as turning points. Stalingrad was the battle where the Soviet Union, which had been constantly pushed back, finally gained the chance to counterattack. And the Pearl Harbor Attack, as everyone knows, was the catalyst for the United States' entry into the war.
I looked at the events listed by year in my notebook and let out a deep sigh. I was worried I might hit a wall and end up putting the series on hiatus.
"Phew..."
"What's wrong? Did you have a bad thought?"
As I was clutching my head in agony, a clear, melodic voice reached my ears. Turning my head, I saw Leona leaning in, her golden eyes sparkling.
I looked at her face and her tail swaying behind her, then reached out my hand.
Scritch, scritch.
"Purrr... Purrr..."
As I stroked the area between her perked-up ears, Leona made her characteristic purring sound. Her ears folded back as if asking for more, and her tail gently wrapped around my arm.
Ever since our first night, her displays of affection had become much bolder. It was to the point where Mari would give us looks. I, too, found that it helped relieve my heavy heart, so I was accepting it wholeheartedly.
'She really is just a cat.'
I couldn't even remember the cynical and fierce image she used to have. All that remained was this "dog-like cat."
I went beyond just stroking Leona's head; I pinched her soft cheeks and played with her tail. I used(?) her to my heart's content to release all the stress that had built up while planning the plot.
"Leona."
"Yeah?"
"You know, right? That I came from another world."
"You told me before, didn't you?"
Originally, I had planned to have a serious conversation during our first night to set the mood. The problem was that I had smoked a World War II-era cigar (made of World Tree leaves) and hadn't ventilated the room. Combined with her estrus and my... suggestive outfit, Leona had lost control. After that, as one might expect, things became a mess.
Fortunately, we eventually regained our senses and managed to spend a normal night together toward dawn. Revealing my identity in the process was a bonus.
"Yeah. Actually, I'm trying to write a story about that world, but I'm not feeling it."
"You're not feeling it? You?"
Leona blinked her golden eyes, looking like she couldn't understand. I gave a bitter smile at her expression.
I suppose in her eyes, I must seem like the greatest writer of the century. So, it would be hard for her to understand me "not feeling it." But I'm only human. I'm the type who gets endlessly stuck once I hit a block.
I had organized the timeline perfectly, but I couldn't even figure out the starting point—the prologue.
"Yeah. My friends might understand, but it's quite awkward to explain it to the readers. The prologue is the most important part of something like this."
"Hmm..."
At my words, Leona looked upward, lost in thought. Her perked ears twitched occasionally. It was a habit she had whenever she was thinking deeply. I waited patiently for her to speak.
To be honest, I didn't have high expectations. I was just so stuck that I was willing to grasp at straws.
"Then why don't you just tell the readers in advance?"
Leona spoke to me as if wondering why I was overthinking it. But it wasn't as if I hadn't thought of that.
I planned to perfectly conclude the Xenon Chronicle journey by releasing Passing Hero and then include an Author's Note at the end. In it, I could say the things I'd always wanted to say and briefly explain the sequel.
But even so, I doubted whether I could make them understand the world. Even Tolkien had recreated numerous races based on Earth's mythology, but this was different. I had to start from absolute zero, and I was struggling to find a baseline.
"...It's easier said than done. Making them understand is the key. What did you think when you first heard my story?"
"That it was a fascinating world? It was hard to believe, but I believed it because it was you."
"See? Even you were like that. Imagine how the readers will feel."
"That's why I'm saying you don't need to make them understand. It's a story about a completely different world; how could people possibly understand it?"
"...?"
I raised an eyebrow at that. I didn't quite grasp what she was getting at.
However, despite being a beastkin, Leona had a thoughtful side. If she didn't, she wouldn't have achieved such good grades at Halo Academy. There had to be a reason behind her words. Beastkin were bellicose, but they weren't a foolish race.
"Let me ask you the opposite. In your world, could people understand a world like ours?"
"In what sense?"
"No magic, no mana. No other races besides humans. Even the existence of gods is unclear. In such a place, I'm asking if they could understand this world. How magic is handled. The exact lives and cultures of races other than humans. How they accept the existence of gods. Did they understand all of that?"
"To some extent?"
"Then imagine asking the people of that world how to use Teleport. What do you think they would say?"
Hearing that, I recalled the reactions Cecile and Arwen had shown me before. They had asked why Earth, which made the impossible possible, couldn't use Teleport. I had been speechless.
At the time, I had brushed it off, thinking Einstein would have a heart attack if he heard that, but hearing Leona's words now, it felt different.
Understanding was simply impossible. Even if I explained the wonders of a fantasy world, wouldn't they just go, "Oh, I see"? Because it's a story of a completely different world—a "fantasy." Something absolutely impossible on an Earth without mana.
"...They'd probably treat me like a crazy person."
"Exactly. It's a story about a completely different world anyway, so there's no need to make them understand every single thing. It's impossible? So what? It's a different world. As long as it's fun and interesting, that's enough. You just have to clearly show what kind of world it is, though."
"Hmm..."
Now that I heard it, it made perfect sense. There was no need to force an understanding of every detail.
In the first place, would the people here believe that massive chunks of iron could roam the skies and seas at will? Even though the mana locomotive was about to be invented, they would probably shake their heads at such a thing.
But it didn't matter. As Leona said, I could just briefly explain that "this machine is for this purpose." Then the readers would nod and go, "Aha." Since the setting itself would feel like a fantasy to them, nothing that appeared would seem out of place.
I suppose I had been momentarily confused because it wasn't a fictional story like a typical fantasy, but a world that truly existed.
'Though there will be plenty of controversy.'
The uncertainty of the gods' existence, if not mana and magic, would be a point of contention for a while. Of course, that was fine too. If I mentioned in advance that the work had been approved by the gods, everyone would accept it.
If I had released the work without Xenon's reputation, I would have been dragged away for sacrilege immediately. This was a world where divine right was absolute, after all.
Regardless, my head felt clear after hearing Leona's words. I figured I could just provide a brief overview of the world in the Author's Note and then dive into the prologue.
"Will that really be okay?"
"Of course. Besides, who would dare nitpick a work written by you?"
Leona hugged me tightly as if to reassure me and rubbed her face against mine. The sensation of her soft cheeks was fully transmitted to my head.
I chuckled at her affection and stroked her head. Her tail wrapped around my arm in response. Whether it was because she was a beastkin or just her personal scent, she smelled nutty and fragrant.
Having cleared my heavy heart like this, one more anxiety surfaced.
'I wonder if they'll be able to accept the nuclear bomb?'
It was the weapon I was most curious about, yet also the one that worried me the most.