Chapter 510: Back-to-Back Chapters(2)
Chapter 510: Back-to-Back Chapters(2)
A month passed by surprisingly fast, like an arrow in flight. This was despite the fact that I didn't even need to sleep or eat.
I say a month, but the time I actually felt was much longer. If the scenery hadn't changed, I probably wouldn't have been able to endure the boredom.
For some reason, the scenery shifted whenever I wanted it to.
If I wanted a waterfall, a waterfall appeared. If I wanted a bustling street, a street filled with people appeared. If I wanted the sound of a crackling campfire, a campfire appeared.
It felt like playing white noise on YouTube. It wasn't just the sound; it was vivid, moving beyond 3D into something closer to 4D.
Thanks to that, I was able to concentrate better and ended up writing much more than I had originally planned.
How much did I write? I covered everything from the invasion of Poland and the occupation of France to the early stages of the German-Soviet War.
Even though I wove in the progress of the Second Sino-Japanese War and the status of the United States, I had already reached the German-Soviet War arc. The illustrations were a bonus.
'But I still have no idea what this is for.'
Can I really eat this? I pulled out the black bead, which hadn't changed at all despite nearly a month passing.
Given that Mora gave it to me, it must be on the level of a World Tree Seed, but I couldn't figure out its purpose.
Does it drastically increase Divine Power like an elixir, does it have an even greater effect, or is it something else entirely?
I wanted to ask Mora or Luminous, but they seemed to have been dragged away together, as they didn't respond to me.
'Surely I don't have to stay here for more than a month, right?'
I felt a bit anxious, but I doubted it. Even if she realized the situation late, Lady Hirt wasn't the kind of goddess to abandon me.
She would surely open the door when the time was right. I just had to wait quietly until then.
Shwaaaa—
"Huh?"
Just as I was about to start writing the early part of the German-Soviet War because I had nothing else to do, the space shimmered like a mirage and vanished.
It wasn't even the pure white space anymore, but the chapel I had seen a month ago. Mora's stone statue stood right in front of me.
This phenomenon meant only one thing: a month had passed since I entered that space.
'Talk about timing.'
It felt like my time at a karaoke bar had just run out. I gave a sheepish smile and looked around.
After writing for a month in a space that defied common sense, I needed to confirm if this was reality.
'I'm definitely back in reality.'
The space was narrower than before, and it had the characteristic dark atmosphere of the Temple of Mora. This was indeed the private chapel.
I had been unsure, but a month really had passed in the blink of an eye. Even though I had procrastinated here and there, it felt way too fast.
Well, I wrote up to the planned amount, so it didn't really matter. Moreover, I was able to develop the story much more solidly and intricately than I had first intended.
All that was left was to send this manuscript to the publisher. However, the aftermath of the Great Depression probably hadn't subsided yet, so I needed to address that first.
Just as I had given advice to Geas and sparked the Machina Revolution, I could probably resolve things to some extent by doing something similar.
'As long as I don't pull an Elon Musk and make a mess of things, it'll be fine.'
With that thought, I organized the manuscript. I had brought more paper than usual just in case, and I had used it all.
Perhaps the space vanished because I ran out of paper. Honestly, that seemed more likely.
I could get Cecile's help with the desk and chair. For now, my priority was organizing the manuscript by part.
Once I finished organizing everything, I cautiously opened the chapel door.
"I'm not sure, but... Oh! Isaac!"
When I stepped outside, Cecile was there to greet me, just as I had asked. She had been talking to a priest with a serious expression, but her face lit up the moment she saw me.
Having been alone for a month, I was equally thrilled to see her. I gave her a bright smile.
I set the organized manuscript on a nearby desk so I could hug her more comfortably, then opened my arms wide.
Thud!
As soon as I opened my arms, Cecile ran and hugged me tightly, as if she didn't care who was watching.
Her unique scent stimulated my nose, and her breasts, which boasted an overwhelming presence, pressed firmly against me.
A month ago, this kind of hug was just part of daily life, so I would have brushed it off, but today felt different.
It was as if the stimulation was several times more intense. It wasn't an exaggeration to say that just this hug made the blood rush to my lower half.
Since I had been cooped up in a room writing for a month, my desires had built up to the limit. On top of that, I had endured an unplanned ascetic training, so a lot of stress had accumulated as well.
My body was being incredibly honest, even if I hadn't realized it until now. It seemed that while the space suppressed basic desires, it didn't make them disappear completely.
'No. Endure it. Hold it in.'
I exercised as much patience as I could, though of a different kind. While I was inside, I hadn't felt any desire at all, but it seemed to be hitting me all at once now that I was out.
From Cecile's body odor to the presence of her chest, and even the sensation of every bit of skinship—everything was stimulating.
Part of me wanted to run to the dormitory right now, but I couldn't. I couldn't just act like a dog in heat.
Sniff, sniff.
"Cecile Nuna?"
"I feel like your scent has gotten stronger... Is it because a month has passed for you, Isaac?"
Cecile seemed to have noticed the change in me as well. My women had mentioned before that I gave off a scent that stimulated their desires.
It seemed that as my desires accumulated, that scent had grown stronger. If it was a pheromone, it was a potent one.
"...By the way, Isaac."
"Yeah?"
"Are... are you okay? I heard from Lady Mora..."
While I was trying my best to endure while thinking of other things, Cecile looked up at me with worried eyes.
I was puzzled for a moment, but I soon realized what she meant.
It seemed they had told Cecile about the ascetic path they had tried to keep secret from me. That's why she had that expression.
I smiled gently and stroked Cecile's cheek to reassure her.
"You don't have to worry about that. They stopped the ascetic training halfway through."
"They stopped it? Why?"
"I'll explain everything later. Anyway..."
I looked around while stroking Cecile's cheek. For some reason, the temple, which was usually quiet, seemed bustling.
Priests were running around with flustered faces, and I could occasionally hear loud voices as if a mass prayer was being held somewhere.
It had been a month for me, but only a day had passed outside. I was curious about what on earth had happened to the temple during that one day.
"The temple looks very busy. Did something happen?"
"Ah. Yes. Well, the thing is..."
Cecile slowly explained what had happened during the day. First of all, the day had 'stopped.'
Without any exaggeration, the sun and moon had simply frozen in place. Day and night had come to a standstill.
Because of this, each temple tried to ask their respective gods what was going on, but there was no answer.
In the Temple of Mora, dozens of lightning bolts had struck as if they were being punished. I gave a wry smile as soon as I heard that.
"...I think I know why."
"You know why?"
"Right now, those two are probably being scolded by Lady Hirt. Especially Lady Mora—she's likely getting a very earful."
"...They're being scolded?"
Cecile looked even more confused after hearing my answer. Since the location wasn't suitable, it was hard to explain in detail.
Instead, I didn't forget to give the temple priests a general idea so they could settle the chaos.
The Temple of Luminous wasn't receiving answers either, but Mora had been struck by lightning, after all.
In a world where divine authority was so high, it was better to resolve these things quickly.
"What? They were just being scolded by Lady Hirt? It was nothing major, then."
"What on earth did she do wrong? Surely she didn't play a prank on Lady Hirt, did she?"
"Phew... I wonder when Lady Mora will ever grow up."
Unlike Luminous, who usually showed a dignified and ruler-like demeanor, Mora often acted like a troublemaker.
Perhaps because of that, most of the believers reacted with a "figures" once they heard my words.
Of course, the fact that Mora had done something wrong remained unchanged, so it was still a headache for the believers.
"How do you know that, Lord Xenon?"
Furthermore, once I told them, some believers grew suspicious. How could I know that when there hadn't even been an oracle?
To this, I offered a truth wrapped in a clever lie.
"Lady Hirt dragged Lady Mora away right in front of my eyes."
"..."
That made everyone accept it and move on. No one asked for more details after that.
After settling the confusion, I grabbed the manuscript and returned to the dormitory. For me, it was a reunion after a month.
"Isaac!"
As soon as I returned to the dormitory, a small white bear cub came running toward me. She was cute and lovely, but in reality, she was a fearsome predator.
I opened my arms and hugged Marie as she lunged at me. To an outsider, it would look like I was seeing her after just one day, while Marie looked like the one who had endured a month of asceticism.
It just meant she loved me that much, so I had to accept it graciously. She was as lovely as ever.
'But I think I need to resolve this quickly...'
Perhaps because the pure white space had acted as a kind of anesthetic, it was becoming increasingly difficult to endure. I was fine with Cecile, but the crisis began with Marie.
I was even standing awkwardly with my hips pushed back to hide it. Fortunately, Marie was too busy rubbing her face against my chest to notice.
Chomp!
"Ow!"
Oh, right. She didn't forget to bite my cheek. Thanks to that, I felt wide awake.
"Ouch, ouch. Anyone would think you're the one who endured for a month, not me."
"I told you. If I don't bite your cheek at least once a day, thorns grow in my mouth."
"Hah, really now."
I let out an embarrassed laugh and shifted my gaze. Adelia was standing behind her, hesitating.
It looked like she was waiting for her turn after Marie. She was like a large puppy waiting for its turn.
"Adel Nuna?"
"O-oh?"
"You come here too."
"...Okay."
Despite her shyness, Adelia sank into my arms. Marie quietly stepped aside so she could hug me more comfortably.
And so, I had a reunion with the women I hadn't seen for a month (by my standards).
As a bonus, the anesthesia(?) was gradually wearing off, and blood began to pool in my lower half. I felt like I had to resolve this quickly, one way or another.
"Isaac. By the way, Lady Mora..."
"Ah. Don't worry about that. What happened was..."
I didn't delay and easily explained the ascetic training part I had mentioned earlier. The three women's eyes grew wider and wider with surprise as I explained.
Cecile had told me on the way here. As soon as they heard the future where I cut off my own wrists, they had planned to take care of me even more diligently than before.
They said they would have looked after the well-being of my family, who were like trauma triggers, not just me.
Specifically, they mentioned things like looking after Dave and Nicole, who were on the front lines, or providing a more generous budget. They said they would have supported me in that way.
Those plans had essentially come to naught, but the ascetic trials Mora showed me weren't entirely useless.
As a famous character once said, life never goes exactly as you want it to, and it's not bad to assume the worst.
"Even the gods can't see your future? Because of the restrictions placed by the god of the world you lived in?"
"Yeah. It seems my world is going through a lot of trouble because I crossed over here. They said a war between gods could have broken out if they weren't careful."
"Heh..."
Marie's jaw dropped in admiration at the scale, which exceeded her imagination. The others had similar reactions.
Then, Marie spoke up first, and they each began to reveal how they felt.
"The scale is insane. But it makes sense. Still, isn't this all because of the demon worshippers? They must be really frustrated."
"Since an entire world could be destroyed... I don't know. The gods' perspective might be different. We're mortals, so it's hard to fully understand."
"In the end, it's all the demon worshippers' fault."
Truly, if you just look at the result, it all comes down to the demon worshippers. From the gods' perspective, they probably want to tear those demon worshippers to shreds.
But then, the soul that crossed over is exterminating the demon worshippers on his own? The cold gaze they once had would vanish, and they would be dripping with affection.
However, the problem was that the soul grew so much that it caused a major incident. From the gods' perspective, they had raised a tiger cub.
"Then, Isaac, are you someone even the gods can't do anything about?"
"For now? Just in case, I'm telling you now—I have absolutely no intention of opposing the gods. Even if I become famous, I like living like this."
"That's such an 'Isaac' answer. Anyone else would have gone wild."
"So, do you hate it?"
I asked Marie playfully. She flinched for a moment, then chuckled and shook her head.
"No. If you weren't like that, I wouldn't have fallen so hard for you. Well, I did learn one thing today."
"What?"
"Isaac isn't someone I can keep all to myself just because I'm greedy. For some reason, it feels refreshing to know that. Hehe."
Marie said that and clung to me once more. Her lemon-like scent wafted into my nose.
My patience was already at its limit, and with the touch of her soft skin and her sweet scent...
"Huh?"
"Ahem. Ahem."
Marie's eyes went wide as she felt something hard, and she looked down. I couldn't hide my embarrassment and cleared my throat.
Marie blinked as she looked at the change in my lower body, then looked back up.
Unlike before, she had a sly expression, like a predator eyeing its prey. She teased me in a playful tone.
"What's this? Were you lonely being by yourself for a month?"
"...It was fine when I was in there."
"Okay, okay. Then go wash up. I'll be waiting."
Marie said that and winked at the other two women. It was essentially a signal for them to get everything ready.
At this, Cecile and Adelia also glanced at my lower body, then stood up with subtle smiles.
Before leaving, Cecile didn't forget to share her opinion(?) with Marie.
"Who's going first? Marie, do you want to go first?"
"Just do whatever. Oh, should we call Leona too? Since he's been holding it in for a month, it might be harder than expected."
"Then I'll call her. Isaac, you go wash up well in the meantime, okay? Fufu."
It's not like they're going on a raid or something. I couldn't help but feel embarrassed as I watched Cecile's retreating figure with a suggestive smile.
Click—
"Oh?"
"My, Lina?"
Coincidentally, Cecile ran into Lina as soon as she opened the door. It seemed Cecile had opened the door just as Lina was about to knock.
Lina was flustered by the unexpected encounter with Cecile for a moment, but then she looked past her shoulder at me and spoke in her usual elegant voice.
"Is Isaac inside? If he is, I'd like to talk to him."
"Um... it might be a bit difficult right now..."
"?"
When Cecile answered with an ambiguous expression, Lina looked puzzled. Cecile then turned around and asked for my opinion.
I had intended to show the manuscript to Lina anyway. However, given my current state, I might show her something she shouldn't see.
"The manuscript is on the table over there. But you can only take exactly four volumes' worth. Got it?"
"I understand."
Lina took exactly four volumes' worth, just as I said, and stepped back outside. Now she could feel at ease while reading about the invasion of Poland.
Once Cecile also left, I looked around. On either side of me, a white bear cub and a large puppy were looking at me with expectant eyes.
If I had slept with them for their sake until now, today, I was determined to release the desires that had built up so much.
"...I'm going to go wash up."
"Should we just wash together? That's not a bad idea, right?"
For some reason, Marie was the most excited. I chuckled at her request.
"Do whatever you want."
While Isaac was releasing a month's worth of accumulated desire and stress to his heart's content...
"Thank you, Lord Hitler!!!"
In the room right next door, Lina was holding up the manuscript and offering praise that wasn't quite praise.
"For invading Poland using National Self-Determination!!"
It felt like the worries that had piled up like snow were melting away all at once. She hugged the manuscript tightly to her chest with a look of relief.
How much had her heart raced lately after hearing about National Self-Determination from Isaac? She had been more shocked by that than by the truth that Hitler was actually a villain.
But not anymore. Once this writing spread, Stavirk would have to stay quiet and shriveled up for the time being.
All that was left was to publish it, but the Great Depression needed to be resolved first. Even the publishers were suffering from a slump in paper supply.
"Haaa..."
Lina let out a long sigh of relief. Thanks to getting a good night's sleep in Isaac's dormitory yesterday, she was in very good condition today.
How wonderful it would be if days like today continued. She hugged the manuscript tightly once more.
Thump—
Suddenly, a thumping sound came from the front wall. Lina flinched, then let out a small "Ah."
"That was the bedroom over there."
Based on the layout, the other side was the bedroom. Which meant...
Gulp—
Lina swallowed hard. Was it because her accumulated stress had been released?
Just as Isaac's desires had built up over nearly a month, Lina was in a similar situation.
Work had been piling up from all sides, and she hadn't even been able to sleep properly, let alone find a release.
But thanks to the deep sleep she had in Isaac's room yesterday, her fatigue had vanished, and just now, her stress had completely disappeared.
The desires that had been suppressed by fatigue and stress began to rear their heads.
'It's been a while...'
Slide—
She cautiously opened the desk drawer. No one was watching, but it still felt like she was doing something bad.
Then, holding a telescope equipped with X-ray magic, she swallowed hard once more.
"Haa... haa..."
Lina let out feverish breaths, perhaps excited just by the thought. How long had it been since she last had a release? She could barely remember.
Then, she wore a smile that anyone could see was completely loose, and slowly brought the telescope to her eye.
'Is that... Le-Leona?! You seduced her too? You beast!'
It was a day where everyone was happy.
'He really is a beast. A beast. What kind of penguin is that?'
It was a day where people's stress flew far away.
And so, the next day, after everyone had fully relieved their fatigue and stress...
"What's this? Did you spill water on this yesterday?"
"Wh-what? No? I didn't?"
"Really? When did it get wet?"
Isaac tilted his head as he looked at the traces of water that had dried on the manuscript.