Chapter 594: Talent Donation(2)
Chapter 594: Talent Donation(2)
It feels a bit late to mention this now, but the wedding date has been set. It’s scheduled for about two months from today.
There was a debate over whether to hold the ceremony at the Papal Court in Savior or within the Maishal Territory, but we eventually settled on the latter.
Part of the reason was to prevent the Holy Theocracy from gaining too much political leverage, but more importantly, it was a concession made so everyone could focus more on the Grey Desert expedition.
And so, with the location decided as our territory, all that remained was the preparation. Since both Mary and I are fairly easygoing, we turned down anything overly extravagant.
If things get needlessly flashy, crowds tend to swarm, and you end up having to greet every single person individually.
Mary’s request was simple: she didn't mind the wedding becoming a festival for the people, but she didn't want it to be a source of stress for us.
"In exchange, Isaac, you design the wedding dress."
"Why me?"
"Because I know you’ll have something beautiful in mind."
She wasn't wrong, so I ended up taking charge of the wedding dress coordination. Thanks to my habit of drawing in my spare time, I was capable of producing decent sketches.
In this world, given the era, the clergy usually oversees weddings. Consequently, wedding attire tends to have a religious flair.
It’s not that those dresses aren't pretty. Honestly, it would be harder to find a piece of clothing that doesn't look good on Mary.
She simply had a desire to try something new.
Since fashion is one of the few things she takes a deep interest in, I readily agreed.
"Your belly will be showing a bit by then, so I’ll leave out the corset."
"Alright."
That part was fine, but I completely forgot to account for her future bust size.
Since she’s pregnant, it’s only natural for her breasts to grow. Well, that’s a problem for future me, so let’s move on.
The dress is important, but Mary’s stability is the priority right now. Still, staying cooped up inside the mansion isn't good for her either.
Occasionally, she goes for walks with Ariel, and we’ve been playing the newly released Call of Duty together.
It was only possible because Musk gave me all the cards, claiming it was "special treatment for the original author."
"Isaac."
"...Yeah?"
"You’re surprisingly bad at this, aren't you?"
"One more round."
I got crushed. "Crushed" doesn't even begin to describe it; I was utterly annihilated in every single match.
In my past life, I knew card games existed, but I had almost no experience playing them myself.
With Baduk, I could maintain an advantage because I knew the general strategies and tactics, but since this was my first time playing this game, I lost every time.
A game of pure, unadulterated luck.
To make matters worse, my luck was abysmal. I don't know if I’m some Middle Eastern oil tycoon or what, but I seemed to draw Oil cards once every five turns.
If a Military Factory card had appeared so I could pull out mechanical weapons, it might have been different, but I didn't see a single one. For the record, you need a Military Factory card to deploy mechanical units.
You can summon weapons without one, but the sacrifice required increases exponentially, making it horribly inefficient.
The game is quite faithful to historical accuracy in many ways, requiring you to build up your resources step by step.
"What a... wonderfully 'fun' game this is."
"That’s why everyone’s going crazy over it. I bet Ariel and Grandfather Clark are playing it right now too."
Ariel and Clark had originally been Baduk partners. However, they had recently moved on to Call of Duty.
Grandfather Clark even remarked that because I keep creating such entertainment, his funeral will have to wait.
Hearing that was a bit absurd, but since he was a man who had spent his entire life dedicated to his mission, I just laughed it off.
I only hope that he leaves behind nothing but happy and fun memories before he goes.
"By the way, did you say Ariel went out of the mansion by herself yesterday?"
"Yeah. Sister Adele followed her secretly, but she said nothing happened."
Ariel’s existence is gradually becoming known. Rumors are spreading about an angel appearing in the Maishal Territory.
Of course, I didn't forget to spread rumors that she is closely associated with me. I had been seen walking around with her during the Xenon Festival, after all.
Now that her presence is somewhat established, Ariel has been running around the territory under Adelia’s protection.
With many new residents moving in recently, the number of children Ariel’s age has increased significantly.
"She’s probably playing with the kids she met, right?"
"Maybe they’re playing the card game together? It’s the trend these days."
"Hmm..."
Mary looked slightly worried. I knew exactly what she was concerned about.
She was worried that Ariel might not be able to get along with her peers. Despite her education, Ariel had grown up surrounded by adults.
While there are occasionally thoughtless adults, they are still people fully integrated into society. Children, on the other hand, are often prone to tantrums.
I wasn't sure if Ariel, who is mature for her age, would be able to understand other children. It might be a bit confusing for her.
"I’m sure it won’t happen, but if Ariel causes any trouble, we’ll have to take responsibility."
"Right? We have to raise our own child properly later, too."
If they grow up in the Maishal Territory, they at least won't turn out crooked. Good education and culture make for healthy people.
While Mary and I were peacefully painting a picture of our future, time continued to flow.
Since the Wannsee Conference, Blood and Iron was being serialized once a week instead of every three days.
I say "once," but since I was serializing the Red Army and the Giant stories separately, it was effectively two volumes at a time.
[Calz: Please save me, Lord Xenon.]
Of course, Calz’s wails echoed every time, but that wasn't my concern.
When the day before the new release arrived, an interesting incident occurred.
"Ariel’s friends want to see her dad?"
"Yeah. I told them my dad is Xenon, but nobody believes me. So I’m taking Dad with me."
And you being an angel makes sense to them? The words were on the tip of my tongue, but it was an amusing situation, so I let it slide.
I gave a warm smile to Ariel, who was looking up at me with her sparkling golden eyes.
It seemed she was getting along well with the local children, which was a relief.
"Shall we? Where are they?"
"Tank Plaza!"
"..."
For context, Tank Plaza began to be called that because Eins had left a tank there during the Xenon Festival.
Being a plaza, it had a fountain, but the tank next to it radiated such an overwhelming presence that the name just stuck.
Soon, I was led to the plaza by Ariel’s tiny hand. There was no need to worry about an ambush from Demon Worshippers; the Maishal Territory was under the protection of two gods.
Furthermore, since I had been visiting the temple frequently of late, the residents didn't pay me much mind. It probably felt like seeing a celebrity who lives in the same apartment complex.
"What do you usually play with your friends, Ariel? Call of Duty?"
"We do that, but we mostly do roleplay."
"Roleplay?"
"Yeah. Like knights, saintesses, elf archers, and stuff. It’s fun!"
I guess roleplaying exists no matter where you go. I nodded.
It wasn't just people from my previous world who longed for the sense of adventure unique to fantasy. There are plenty of people in this world who yearn for adventure as well.
There’s a reason why knights and adventurers are objects of envy. It’s like fantasy within a fantasy.
Moreover, unlike cities filled with realists, the Maishal Territory was a backwater countryside just two years ago.
There are still many people who harbor a longing for adventure, and they tend to satisfy that urge vicariously during festivals.
The adults are probably no different.
They are just blocked by the massive wall of reality; countless adults love fantasy too.
As we headed toward the plaza, I caught a glimpse of Ariel’s translucent wings. A being more fantastical than an elf—an angel.
"Ariel."
"Hmm? What is it?"
"You said you were roleplaying. What role do you play?"
"Ariel is an angel."
"I see... Wait, what?"
She’s an angel in reality, and she plays an angel in the game too?
While I was blinking in confusion, Ariel added an explanation.
"My role is to give blessings whenever the adventurer party is in danger."
"Uh... doesn't that make it boring?"
"But there’s no blessing if the saintess doesn't pray. And if the adventurers live a life driven by greed, I give fewer blessings. It’s actually pretty fun."
"..."
Ariel answered with a giggle. For a simple game of pretend, the internal logic was surprisingly consistent.
Perhaps the children’s imaginations had been sparked by the Xenon Biography.
Eventually, led by Ariel, we arrived at the plaza and met her friends.
"What? You said you were bringing Xenon."
"My dad is Xenon."
"How is that Xenon? Xenon doesn't have red hair, he has brown hair!"
"..."
I was immediately shut down. It reminded me of a story where someone brought Robert Downey Jr. to a kid who wanted to see Iron Man, and the kid cried.
Of course, I had expected this to some extent, so I could just laugh it off. I was simply curious about who Ariel was playing with.
And they’re just kids. Even if the boy radiating "neighborhood leader" energy was a bit rude, I could be generous and overlook it.
"Ah! It’s Big Brother Isaac!"
"Oh, right. Isaac is Xenon, isn't he? It makes sense that Ariel would get confused."
One or two of the children looked familiar. They were kids who had lived in the Maishal Territory even before the influx of new residents.
Normally, they would use formal titles, but as everyone knows, our family is far removed from authority. It’s just "big brother" and "little brother."
While the children around Ariel’s age were chattering away, I shifted my gaze to the boy who seemed to be the leader.
He had a prickly-looking face and hair that was cut roughly but straight. He held a small wooden sword in his hand, likely bought by his parents.
"What’s your name?"
"Why do you want to know, mister?"
Hmm. A kid with a real attitude. Still, I should be understanding.
"Because I’m Ariel’s guardian. If something happens to her later, I might have to ask you about it."
"...Mars."
"That’s a cool name."
I wasn't just being polite; it really was a cool name. I knew Mars was another name for Ares, the God of War.
However, I recalled that Mars actually held a higher status than Ares.
"Alright, Mars. Are you disappointed that I’m not the 'real' Xenon?"
"Yes."
Mars answered without a moment’s hesitation.
Part of me wanted to say, Actually, Xenon doesn't exist. I just made it all up.
But I figured that for children with pure hearts, that would be the equivalent of saying "Santa isn't real," so I refrained.
Instead, I made a suggestion to the children who were so immersed in their roleplay.
It was to see if these kids had the right temperament to be around Ariel, or if they were just spoiled brats.
"I’m sorry. But since I’m a writer, I was wondering... you said you were roleplaying, right? Mars, what are you?"
"A knight."
"And the rest of you?"
"I’m a priest."
"I’m an archer."
"I’m a rogue."
The fundamentals don't change, even in a fantasy world. Or rather, is it more natural because this is a fantasy world?
I nodded at the roles the children had taken and gave a gentle smile. Then, I made my proposal.
"Then, could I join you? Not as a character, but as the narrator."
"A narrator? What’s that?"
In response to Mars’s skeptical question, I gave a simple answer.
"The person who makes the story richer."
For the sake of my child, this much talent donation would be fine.
*
Meanwhile, in Albenheim.
[Thud!]
"How is it, Your Majesty!"
"The Virtual Reality invented by us siblings! With this, you’ll be able to enjoy Call of Duty with even more realism!"
An elf man and woman showed a scene of a tank firing through a hologram.
The scene was much more refined and sophisticated than their first invention.
Arwen, the Queen of Albenheim, stood with her mouth agape as she looked at the elf siblings who had invented something that was beyond amazing—it was monstrous.
'...What on earth did they create?'
Her mind couldn't even keep up.