Chapter 48: The Seven Deadly Sins(1)
Chapter 48: The Seven Deadly Sins(1)
The sky following a storm is always clear. Once the tempest that seemed ready to sweep everything away passes, a peaceful atmosphere remains, as if nothing had ever happened.
However, a storm is powerful enough to obliterate everything in its path. The trunks of great trees, rooted deep within the earth, snap helplessly in two, and the civilizations built by man are destroyed without mercy before the might of nature.
Thus, people endure the storm just to see that infinitely clear blue sky—whether that storm is a literal one or a metaphorical one.
I, too, had faced a storm and nearly collapsed like a broken branch, but I managed to hold on thanks to Nicole’s sincere comfort. Since then, a cloudless, clear sky has shone down on me, granting me a sense of refreshment.
I am currently writing Volume 9 of the Xenon Biography. If I finish up to Volume 10, it will take about a year, even with a generous schedule. Since I decided to rest until my third year, I have at least a year of guaranteed relaxation ahead of me.
Perhaps because of that thought, the manuscript began to flow more easily. While I do possess a terrifying level of focus once I start, there was another reason I gained momentum.
[Isaac. I heard the news from your sister. She told me the Crown Prince and Princess sought you out. Fortunately, the two of them mistook me for the author instead of you, but I heard you were feeling quite dejected. I wish I could visit the Academy, but I cannot find the time. Therefore... (omitted). Our family supports you wholeheartedly. It doesn't matter to us if your writing doesn't do well. Our only wish is that you never forget how to smile. Do not be too distressed about using your father this way. I will gladly be your shield. A father is someone his children can always lean on.]
A letter arrived from home just a few days later—a letter filled with my father's sincerity.
Usually, he sends brief letters using simple words to ensure they are easy to understand, but this time, he sent a long letter that rivaled my mother's. After reading it, I couldn't help but wipe away a stray tear.
I was happy to have such reliable people by my side, yet I also felt a sense of guilt. I wondered why I was clinging so desperately to something like writing.
However, because I couldn't let them down, I had to work even harder. Whether it was the Xenon Biography, a new work, or my studies—I was my parents' proud son.
Thanks to this resolve, I achieved the feat of finishing Volume 9 in just one month, even though I had originally expected it to take two. Because I wrote it so quickly, I checked it thoroughly for any mistakes before sending it home.
As a bonus, I included an explanation for the bloodstains on the manuscript. It was to prevent my overly affectionate parents from getting the wrong idea.
But as a month passed, things were bound to change. Just as college students face the terrifying hurdles of assignments and exams after a month, the same was true for the Academy students.
"How was the exam?"
"Hmm... it was a bit difficult. I guess there's a limit to just memorizing things. I never imagined that would be the topic."
It was the day of the history exam, the one everyone had been so anxious about.
Cecile and I were talking outside the lecture hall after finishing our tests.
Cecile looked a bit disappointed, as if the exam had been harder than expected. As she said, the history exam wasn't something you could pass simply by memorizing facts.
During her lectures, Professor Elena treated historical knowledge as the bare minimum. She focused on what could be learned from that history and what should be learned. It was a lecture that focused on the subject of history itself rather than just historical facts.
And the topic for this history exam was as follows:
[Describe history as you define it.]
It seemed simple on the surface, but in reality, it was a cruelly difficult essay question. One had to agonize over whether to write a brief, punchy answer or a long, detailed explanation.
After grumbling for a moment, Cecile turned her head toward me and asked curiously.
"Wasn't it hard for you, Isaac? You started scribbling the moment you saw it and handed it in right away."
"You saw that?"
"You were the first student to leave, so of course I saw. What did you write?"
There is a famous quote about history from my previous life that is always mentioned. I don't know who said it first, but it's a phrase deeply engraved in people's minds.
Hearing her question, I answered in my characteristically blunt voice.
"History is a cycle that repeats forever. I just wrote that one sentence and walked out. What about you, Cecile?"
"Obviously..."
"You're not going to tell me, right? I already know."
I beat Cecile to the punch before she could tease me. Cecile looked momentarily flustered, then stared at me with an absurd expression.
From observing Cecile, I noticed she had a habit of curling the corners of her mouth upward right before she teased me. Seeing that just now, I sensed a prank coming and moved first.
"...How did you know?"
As they say, one is often unaware of their own habits. Cecile asked me with a face half-surprised and half-embarrassed. It was a reaction that showed she truly hadn't expected it.
I stared at Cecile's uncharacteristically flustered face for a moment before speaking quietly.
"I'm not going to tell you."
"...Hey."
"I can't be the only one getting teased."
"Tch."
When I responded firmly, Cecile clicked her tongue and whipped her head away. Her entire body screamed I'm pouting, but I didn't need to pay it much mind.
Even if she pouted like that, it was certain she would be teasing me again before long. She was quite the prankster, and her antics were starting to get a bit exhausting.
"Cecile."
"Why are you calling me?"
"Do you only play these kinds of pranks on me, or do you do it to others too?"
So, I asked. While Cecile would have pleasant, normal conversations with Lina, she was particularly prone to teasing when she was with me.
But a prank is only a prank if the other person accepts it. At some point, it had started to feel a bit excessive, and I was beginning to grow weary.
I was starting to wonder if she viewed me as a toy or as a person.
Hearing my question, Cecile blinked her red eyes and tilted her head as she answered.
"No? I tease Lina and others too. I never play pranks on people I'm not close with."
"Hmm... is that so?"
"...Why do you ask? Did I offend you?"
When I showed a skeptical reaction, Cecile seemed to realize the atmosphere had turned strange and spoke cautiously.
I stared at the anxious Cecile and reminded myself of her age. She was a Demon who had lived for over a hundred years.
Having lived that long, she must have seen and felt many things, yet Cecile tended to be surprisingly immature in certain areas like this. It was hard to tell if it was because she had just stepped into human society or because of the environment she grew up in.
"It's not that I'm offended, but I'd like you to tone it down a bit. I'd rather share interesting stories with you than just be teased like that."
"...I understand. I'm sorry. I guess I went too far."
Cecile apologized with a regretful face. Seeing the atmosphere about to turn dark, I quickly moved on to another topic.
"I'm curious—when you lived in the kingdom, was there no one you played pranks on?"
Cecile was the Princess of Helium. Her status was roughly equivalent to Lina's.
Therefore, she must have met various people to build connections, and some of those relationships might have developed into friendships.
However, contrary to my expectations, Cecile gave a slightly bitter smile and shook her head. It was a 'no.'
"Almost no one, except for my father. I didn't have any siblings, and everyone who approached me only cared about my power. Since I'm destined to be the next Demon King, I suppose it wasn't easy for them to joke around with me."
"What about your maids? You're a princess, so you must have had maids."
"I did, a long time ago. But... something bad happened. At least in Helium, it's safe to say there was no one to joke with except for my father."
It seemed she had some unpleasant memories. Given her excellent memory, the events of that time must have been vivid.
Seeing Cecile's awkward smile, I hurriedly apologized. I had asked to change the mood, but the situation had only grown more awkward.
"I'm sorry. It seems I touched upon a bad memory."
"No, no. Thanks to that, I've realized how precious this moment is. Anyway, I'll refrain from excessive teasing from now on. Okay?"
"Yes."
"By the way, Isaac, who are you waiting for?"
Just as I had done, Cecile changed the subject to break the awkwardness.
I responded to her question in kind.
"Mari. I was wondering if she did well on the exam."
"Is that all?"
Cecile looked at me with a subtle glint in her eyes. She seemed to think there was something between Mari and me, but unfortunately, that was absolutely not the case.
It wasn't that I was oblivious; I knew Mari had feelings for me that went beyond friendship. However, because I was so busy, I didn't have the emotional capacity to reciprocate.
I'll have to reveal my secret eventually, too...
If—and this would likely never happen—but if I were to truly enter a formal relationship with Mari, it would probably be after I revealed that I am the author of the Xenon Biography.
Until now, my mindset had been to keep the secret from everyone except my family, no matter how close we were. But after receiving my family's sincere comfort, my thoughts had changed.
I would still keep the secret, but I would start dropping subtle clues to people I trusted. People who, even if they found out I was the author of the Xenon Biography, would simply react with a "Oh, really?"
Mari was one of the people who fit that criteria. I didn't know how her family would react, but I was certain that Mari herself was not someone who would use me. Though she would certainly be very surprised if I told her.
Of course, I had already clumsily dropped a few clues, but let's overlook those. Those were purely my mistakes.
"It really is just that. Nothing more."
"Hmph. Is that so?"
Cecile looked at me skeptically. Seeing her lips twitch, it seemed her mouth was itching to tease me.
I chuckled at the sight and looked toward the lecture hall door. As time passed, a few students were trickling out, but I didn't see that familiar white hair.
Since history was the subject she hated most, was it taking her a bit longer? Or perhaps Cecile and I had just come out too early.
"Come to think of it, it seems about time for Volume 9 of the Xenon Biography to come out..."
Was she bored from waiting? Cecile suddenly brought up Volume 9 and glanced at me.
It was a topic that naturally made me flinch, but since it was Cecile and not someone else, it was manageable. If Lina had said that, I would have been so flustered my face would have changed color.
I took a deep breath and spoke in as calm a voice as possible. Since I had sent the manuscript home a few days ago, Volume 9 would be out soon.
"I'm sure it'll come out. Only the author knows when, though."
"I suppose so? Since he's been releasing one volume a month, won't it be finished by the time our first year ends?"
Why are you looking at me while asking that? I couldn't help but feel awkward as Cecile looked at me with a face full of anticipation.
Ever since the gathering, Cecile looked at me whenever the Xenon Biography was mentioned, which was incredibly flustering for me.
...Did I make some kind of mistake back then?
I even started to wonder. Otherwise, there was no reason for Cecile to act this way. She clearly suspected me of being the author.
I stared blankly at the smiling Cecile before slowly turning my head back toward the lecture hall door. If she truly suspected me, I needed to be careful with every word I said.
Though I had already spilled quite a bit, I could prevent further leaks if I was careful from now on.
"...Who knows. That's up to the author."
"I hope it comes out as soon as possible. I thought a month was short, but it's surprisingly long."
There was a subtle nuance of encouragement in her voice. I did my best to suppress the urge to give a bitter smile.
I'm sorry, but I plan to go on hiatus for over a year after Volume 10.
In truth, even submitting Volume 9 in a month was an incredible feat given how little time I had.
It was only thanks to my family's support that I could finish it so quickly. Volume 10 would take at least two months, and after that, I planned to take a break for over a year.
If Cecile really did suspect me, I expected there would be some kind of change after the hiatus notice was posted. Perhaps she might even ask me directly if I was the author.
I just had to be prepared for that time. For now...
I should rest until all the exams are over...
I planned to soothe my body, which was weary from the barrage of assignments and exams. I massaged the bridge of my nose, feeling the mounting fatigue.
It felt as if I had pushed my engine too hard and it was overheating. Although I exercised regularly on weekends, balancing writing and academics was physically taxing.
I had even had a nosebleed last time that stained the manuscript. Since I was the type to get nosebleeds when tired, I needed to be careful in many ways.
"You look very tired. Are you okay?"
Cecile asked in a worried voice, having noticed my fatigue. I nodded in response.
"Yes. I'm just a little tired. There's no need to worry."
"...Still, don't push yourself too hard. Grades are important, but your health is the most important thing."
"I know that, of course. But I have to do what needs to be done, don't I?"
Even though I spoke with a forced smile, Cecile didn't hide her worried expression. Since I was one of her few friends, it was a natural reaction.
But truly, I was just a bit tired; otherwise, I was fine. I waved my hand as if to tell her not to worry.
"I'm really fine. I'll be okay after some deep sleep."
"...Alright. You have to rest and not do anything else, okay?"
"Of course."
Up until that point, I thought my ordinary life would continue as it always had.
[Xenon Biography categorizes human sins into seven. How will the Order react?]
[The Church of Luminous: The Seven Deadly Sins are sufficient to redefine the foundations of theology. Numerous scholars are already researching and comparing each academic point, and they align remarkably well.]
[Different races assigned to each sin... The 'Pride' of the Elves is particularly shocking...]
[Which is the strongest of the Seven Deadly Sins? As the story progresses, we will find out, but most readers predict 'Pride'...]
That was, until the Seven Deadly Sins—a concept I had used so conveniently in my previous life—caused an unexpected ripple.
Faced with a reaction on a completely different level from Volume 8, I rubbed the back of my neck.
"...I won't get arrested for blasphemy, will I?"