Chapter 509: Back-to-Back Chapters(1)
Chapter 509: Back-to-Back Chapters(1)
Mora, who had collapsed to the ground in tears, was suddenly summoned away.
Given the circumstances and the familiar voice, it was highly likely that Hirt had finally grasped the situation and taken her.
It seemed Hirt had been entirely unaware of what was happening; as a god on the level of a Chief God, he likely had too many other things to attend to.
Although Mora had used a power similar to Divine Authority, she had manifested physically in this space, whereas Hirt only appeared after borrowing the power of the World Tree.
Now that she had been dragged away by Hirt, the chances of an incident like today happening again would decrease. For my part, I just needed to take a reasonable amount of responsibility and keep writing.
"So, she can't see my future..."
I muttered softly to myself. I thought I had simply been reincarnated with my memories intact, but I never imagined there was a deeper story behind it.
From the perspective of a transcendent being like Mora, an existence like me must be terrifying. It was like having a hunting dog right there that could snap at your throat at any moment.
However, I had absolutely no intention of biting the necks of Mora or any of the other gods. Since this incident was caused by Mora’s immature judgment, I could afford to be generous and let it slide.
But as the saying goes, it is much harder to rebuild broken trust than it is to build it from scratch. Just as Grandfather Clark said, I should avoid placing blind faith in them.
Our relationship was now like that of friends who had just had a massive fallout. Things would be awkward for a while, but they would likely improve as time passed.
I sincerely hoped Mora would realize her mistake while being sternly scolded by Hirt. Seeing her break down and cry earlier suggested she had recognized her fault; all that remained was for her to grow.
'Anyway...'
I stared intently at the small black bead resting in my palm. It was the hand that had held Mora’s.
The bead was small, round, and black, like a pill. What on earth was this used for?
At first, I wondered if I was supposed to swallow it like some kind of elixir, but I decided to set it aside for now.
I didn't know when Mora would return from Hirt’s custody, but until then, I could just focus on writing in peace.
'Ah. But the desk...'
I recalled splitting the desk in two in a fit of rage. I hadn't even realized I possessed such strength.
Wondering if I could even write properly now, I turned my head toward the desk, only to be greeted by a surprise.
The desk, which had been split in half, was back to its original state. The manuscript papers that had been scattered and mixed up everywhere were the same.
Even the typewriter was neatly placed, suggesting some trickery. Had Mora restored it just before being dragged away by Hirt?
It didn't matter to me as long as it allowed me to write without issue. I walked leisurely toward the desk.
'...Wait, I wrote way more than I thought.'
The ascetic training Mora forced upon me had cultivated a level of concentration and endurance far greater than before. Even if it was the wrong kind of training, it wasn't entirely useless.
The clock told the story. I had speed-written Volume 2 while undergoing that training, yet barely three days had passed in real time.
Since I didn't need to eat or sleep, I had essentially written one volume per day.
"Hmm..."
Just in case, I re-checked the manuscript I had written during the training. Perhaps because my concentration had been pushed to its limit, the story contained exactly what I wanted.
Looking at this, there was no need to rewrite it. It was a relief, to say the least.
The problem was that if I kept going at this rate, I could cover not only the Invasion of Poland but also the German-Soviet War and even the Pacific War.
The Pacific War was the turning point of World War II. It was the period when the United States fully entered the war following the Pearl Harbor Attack.
'Let's just think of it as building up a backlog. I can include all the details I couldn't fit in before because of length constraints.'
That seemed like a better plan. The Invasion of Poland was already a given; I just needed to add minor trivia and episodes for the rest.
However, rather than publishing irresponsibly like last time, I needed to predict what might happen next.
The gods had said that the moment I took a specific action, the future became a tangled mess, so I effectively had to handle this myself.
'If I use National Self-Determination to lead into the Anschluss, the Munich Agreement, and the Invasion of Poland, Stavirk should remain quiet for a while.'
But this was merely a prediction. The sparks of independence flickering in Stavirk might dim, but they wouldn't be completely extinguished.
I felt bad for them, but I needed them to endure for now. It wasn't just the Minerva Empire; the entire world was being shaken.
If I spoke up, the people of Stavirk might be disappointed, but they would likely dampen their flames for a time. Honestly, that was the easiest and fastest way.
'If that happens, the ascetic training could become a reality.'
Though the probability was slim, the number of people resenting me would increase. Currently, nationalism was reaching a boiling point in Stavirk.
Historically, nationalism often evolved into jingoism, and that jingoism gave birth to Nazi Germany.
Therefore, I needed to create an escape route for myself. This wasn't being irresponsible; it was consistent with what I had argued to Mora earlier.
I merely wrote a story; it was they who chose to follow it of their own free will. I had clearly stated that I was no prophet and that Blood and Iron was a work of fantasy.
The responsibility lay not with me, but with those who chose to emulate those actions. Of course, the story would be different if I had given direct advice, as I had with Geas.
Since Luminous and Mora were planning to advocate for me in the future, I just had to watch the reaction. However, if a situation comparable to the Great Depression occurred, I planned to intervene personally.
'It's not like I'm going to spout nonsense whenever I feel like it, like Elon Musk.'
There were countless instances where Elon Musk said one thing and stocks or coins fluctuated wildly. Even before I came to this world, he was someone who spouted nonsense.
I had no desire to be treated like that in this world. I intended to speak only of certainties.
Miracles achieved through pure 'science' without a drop of magic—like airplanes flying through the sky or ironclad ships sailing the vast oceans.
'Something entirely unexpected might pop up.'
The tanks that would appear much later were a prime example. Steel fortresses powered by coal instead of gasoline.
Even I found myself wondering how they managed it; I could only imagine what other technologies would be like. As I always said, applying the common sense of my previous life to this world was absurd.
In such a situation, if I showed them airplanes and ironclad ships... I couldn't even imagine the reaction.
What kind of insane machines would the dwarves invent? I heard they were significantly boosting their technological prowess by promoting an ideology that appropriately mixed Communism and Liberalism.
'First, I should draw some pictures for Calz...'
Ah. Come to think of it, since I had plenty of time, I could draw a lot of illustrations.
As the story progressed, all sorts of new weapons would appear, so illustrations were essential.
Starting from airplanes to battleships filled with romance, and finally, the flower of naval warfare: the aircraft carrier.
Beyond just machines, I could also show glimpses of 20th-century life. For example, clothing.
'Mr. Calz is going to have a hard time.'
I could draw leisurely here with time to spare, but for Calz, it would be a deadline from hell.
Still, if I threw enough money at him, he’d probably cry tears of joy. Since I was providing the sketches, it wouldn't be that difficult for him.
I continued to write steadily while occasionally drawing sketches for the illustrations. Without the sudden ascetic training, it was a perfect environment for writing.
If there was one downside, it was the pure white space. There’s a saying that a person will go mad if placed in an entirely white void.
Fortunately, I didn't feel that way, but I did feel a strong sense of boredom.
'Can't it be like when she showed me the streets earlier? If possible, I'd like to see a natural environment with a flowing waterfall.'
It happened right after I had that thought.
Whoosh—
The pure white space shimmered like a mirage before transforming into the scenery I desired. Deep inside a lush green forest, a waterfall flowed, putting my mind at ease.
I blinked, looking around at the waterfall and the surrounding forest, before letting out a small chuckle. Having just gone through that ascetic training, this wasn't even surprising.
Though she might be a transcendent being immature in dealing with people, a god was still a god. The way she used her Divine Authority so casually was sometimes frightening.
'...I don't bite.'
So please, don't be afraid. I smiled gently and continued my writing.
Whoosh—
The pleasant sound of the waterfall was music to my ears.
*
While Isaac was leisurely writing within the space arranged by the god...
The world was inevitably plunged into chaos because the cycle of day and night had suddenly stopped. Usually, when the sun sets, the moon rises, and when the moon sets, the sun rises again.
While the sun symbolizes Luminous and the moon symbolizes Mora, that is merely a matter of mythology.
The people of this world knew that the world revolved around the sun. They also knew that the moon revolved around this world.
In the distant past, they believed this world was the center, but that was no longer the case. It was one of the scientific facts uncovered by elven scholars.
Still, 'symbols' do not change easily, so most people still treated the sun as Luminous and the moon as Mora.
However, they also believed that even these were merely part of 'Nature.' Therefore, they speculated that the current phenomenon meant something had happened to the gods.
[It seems the twins have caused quite a mess for once.]
King Morgan, the last king of the ruined Kingdom of Gerios, looked up at the sky and muttered with interest.
In the Minerva Empire, the sun was just about to set, but here in the Grey Desert, known as the Western Edge...
Outside the open ceiling, the sun was still high in the sky. Consequently, the Grey Desert expedition had to endure the brutal heat all day long, rather than the freezing cold of the evening.
"...What do you mean by that?"
Deimos, bewildered by the sudden weather anomaly (?), questioned King Morgan. The King’s tone suggested he definitely knew something.
Sitting on his throne with a bored expression, King Morgan spoke as if it were no big deal.
[Exactly what I said. The world stopping means Hirt has put a halt to everything. It's a phenomenon seen perhaps once in a millennium, yet here I am seeing it again.]
"Have you experienced this before?"
[Of course. The world stopped when those demons came pouring out. Is that not recorded in your books?]
Deimos fell into thought at King Morgan’s question. Come to think of it, he had a faint memory of such a record.
However, the Demon War was a story so old it was practically a myth, so he had dismissed that part as mythological flair. The idea of the world stopping was simply impossible.
Even seeing it with his own eyes was hard to believe; how much more so for a written record? Deimos nodded, but then a sudden chill ran down his spine.
The world had stopped during the Demon War, and it had happened again today. That meant an event on par with the Demon War had occurred.
"Th-then, could it be..."
[It is not what you are thinking, so do not worry. During the Demon War... Ah, I cannot speak of that either. To do such a thing even while being scolded, honestly.]
King Morgan frowned and grumbled. Then, as if it didn't matter, he waved his hand and continued.
[Anyway, Hirt has simply let go of the reins for a moment; no one has interfered, so do not fret. If my guess is correct, lightning is likely striking the temples of Luminous or Mora right about now.]
"How do you know that? Just what kind of being are you..."
Deimos was confused. Numerous truths had come to light while investigating the Kingdom of Gerios.
Those truths had been cast into the sea following Luminous’s oracle, but King Morgan knew even more than that.
[You should know well by now, shouldn't you? What truths were hidden in the underground tombs. I am a body that holds the foul truths the gods wish to hide.]
"..."
[If you fear divine punishment, it might not be a bad idea to keep your mouth shut. Is there not a proverb that curiosity killed the cat? Hahaha!]
King Morgan laughed heartily at his own grim joke. It was a warning that if one dug for the truth, they must be prepared for divine wrath.
The truths hidden by the gods. This alone was enough to pique the curiosity of countless people.
But the result was right before his eyes. Having witnessed King Morgan’s miserable yet grand end, fear outweighed curiosity.
[By the way, when do you plan to call my descendant? I have almost finished reading the books.]
"...I apologize, but even we cannot call upon Lord Isaac lightly... Above all, given the current state of affairs, we don't have the luxury to focus on anything else."
[Are you talking about that Great Depression thing? What of it? It is surely better than the Demon War.]
That was true. During the Demon War, people were dying en masse. It wasn't just an economic collapse like the Great Depression; civilization itself had mostly crumbled.
Deimos struggled to find the right words, but then something appropriate came to mind, and he spoke up quickly.
"Th-there is a new work recently published by Lord Isaac. Why don't you read that instead?"
[A new work? What is it?]
It seemed the Xenon Biography had been quite to his liking, as Deimos succeeded in piquing King Morgan’s interest. Deimos breathed a mental sigh of relief.
"It's called Blood and Iron, and it's a story about an entirely different world. A world where mana and magic do not exist, and even the existence of gods is uncertain."
[...Oh dear.]
But the reaction was strange. As soon as he heard Deimos’s explanation, King Morgan’s face clouded with concern.
Deimos couldn't help but be puzzled by this unusual reaction from the King, who had always maintained a majestic and confident demeanor.
King Morgan toyed with his beard as if troubled and whispered softly.
[Of all the things he could have chosen...]
"...?"
It was a reaction that made no sense at all.