Ch.160Winter Break (4)

“Hello! Our cutie! Good morning!”

“Hi, Adel sis. Good morning.”

A day had passed, and Adelia began working as our family’s guard knight. Since it wasn’t an official setting, she spoke casually as usual.

I quickly scanned Adelia’s simple attire of a shirt and leather pants before shifting my gaze to her face. Whatever conversation she had with my mother, her expression looked much brighter than before.

Feeling somewhat relieved at this, I asked after her well-being.

“Did you sleep well last night? Was the bed comfortable?”

“It was super~ nice! I fell asleep right away as soon as I lay down.”

“That’s good. Now you’ll be training with Father, right?”

“Yeah. Since a guard knight needs to be sensitive to their surroundings, I’ll focus on learning that part. It shouldn’t be too difficult.”

Looking at the confident Adelia, I recalled Father’s training methods. Not only my siblings and I, but occasionally even young people from the territory had trained under Father.

And there was one common point. Namely, that wails always echoed throughout the mansion during training. I too initially begged for mercy, but Father continued the training without concern.

Well, unlike Dave and Nicole, I was physically weak, so Father soon stopped. I understand he was quite alarmed when I collapsed once and was bedridden for days.

‘Still, Adelia should be fine since she’s already completed instructor duties.’

Honestly, someone like Adelia would likely have passed the Navy Knight Order entrance test easily. From watching the duels held every weekend, I learned that Nicole and Adelia’s stamina was formidable.

From morning until before dinner, they dueled with martial arts students almost without rest, yet remained fine except for sweating. Though there were breaks in between, their iron-like stamina remained unchanged.

“I see. So during vacation, is training with Father your only daily routine?”

“That’s right, but… um… when did you say you’re going to Helium?”

“Probably after lunch tomorrow, Mr. Gartz Balack will come to pick me up personally. You’ve seen Mr. Gartz before, right?”

“The demon with ram-like horns, right?”

“Yes.”

“Hmm…”

After hearing my answer, Adelia thought deeply before speaking with a slightly embarrassed voice.

“So… why are you going? Just a simple visit?”

“Yeah.”

How could I tell her I was going to have my first night with Cecilly? For now, it seemed better to keep it casual.

Instead, I needed a more definite opportunity. I was about to add an explanation after my answer.

“Are you going for a formal meeting with her parents?”

“Huh?”

“Actually, I heard from the Baroness yesterday. You’re dating the demon princess too, right? Though it’s not official.”

Adelia said to me with her characteristically bright smile. Momentarily flustered, I could only ask in a bewildered voice after hearing my mother had told her.

“…Mother told you?”

“Yes. She told me so I wouldn’t misunderstand. You’re engaged to that white-haired princess, not the demon princess, right? I should have noticed earlier.”

Adelia spoke confidently, placing her hands on her hips. I carefully observed her face, which wore a spirited smile.

Whether she truly didn’t mind, or was exercising patience and suppressing her feelings, there was no reaction. She just maintained her characteristically confident smile.

‘…Is she really okay with this?’

Adelia’s usual behavior toward me had been confusing in many ways, but I had actually become certain yesterday when she came as a guard knight.

Adelia had romantic feelings for me. Human hearts cannot be hidden simply by trying to hide them. Once I recognized it, those aspects became very apparent.

So I expected at least some reaction when she learned about Cecilly and me being in a relationship, but there was none. What on earth did she discuss with my mother yesterday?

‘I can’t ask right now.’

Asking unnecessarily might make our relationship awkward. Moreover, Adelia is starved for human “affection” due to her miserable family environment.

Even without me, she could lead a happy life with a warm-hearted man. Not someone like me with complicated relationships with women.

Above all, I must eventually reveal that I am Xenon. The scope of investigation is narrowing, and with the Holy Kingdom of Sabre involved, my identity will soon be exposed.

When that happens, the Kingdom of Teres will very likely use Adelia. I can assert this with almost 100% certainty.

“Well… I’m not sure if I should say this is fortunate…”

“Ah, don’t worry. Despite appearances, I can keep secrets.”

“Are you really okay with this?”

It was a somewhat ambiguous question. Whether Adelia noticed this or not, she flinched at first but then answered vigorously.

“I said don’t worry. If you’re really concerned, let me come with you to Helium. I’m your guard knight, so this much should be fine, right?”

“I’m not sure about that. I’ll ask Mr. Gartz tomorrow.”

“Alright. I hope the answer is positive. I’ll be going now.”

“Okay. Be careful. Don’t get hurt by overdoing it.”

“Yeah, yeah. This big sis is tough, so don’t worry.”

Before leaving, Adelia lightly pinched my cheek and walked away. Though her actions were like those toward a cute younger brother, I somehow felt a sense of wistfulness.

As if she was drawing a line, saying this is as far as she goes. Once she crosses that self-drawn line, there’s no turning back. Only moving forward remains.

I wonder if the day will come when Adelia will only move forward. Before that, we need to resolve the conflict with the Kingdom of Teres.

I watched Adelia’s retreating figure in the distance before turning around.

First, I need to return to my bedroom and finish the remaining manuscript.

‘Mother told me not to reveal that I am Xenon.’

Mother said that a person’s true nature is revealed in decisive moments, so she told me not to reveal that I am Xenon.

She said she would observe Adelia’s reaction when I eventually reveal that I am Xenon, though she doesn’t know when that will be. As I mentioned earlier, there’s a very high possibility that the Kingdom of Teres will recognize Adelia as royalty and bind her in a political marriage.

What decision will Adelia make then? I hope she makes a wise judgment. That way, our relationship won’t go awry.

After finishing organizing the manuscript in my bedroom, I headed to Father’s office where he was working. Adelia’s training would start later, so he would be catching up on work for now.

Knock knock knock-

“Father. It’s me.”

“Come in.”

When I knocked on the office door, Father’s deep voice flowed from beyond it. I slowly opened the door and entered the office.

Inside, I saw Father sitting at his desk, and beside him, mountains of paperwork. Due to the rapid development of our territory recently, paperwork was increasing day by day.

And Father was even wearing glasses, perhaps because his eyes were getting dim. Thinking that I would eventually be responsible for all those documents made me feel complicated.

‘Can’t he just pass the family headship to my older brother?’

Typically, the position of family head is inherited by the eldest son, but there’s an exception. Namely, joining the military.

People who commit themselves to the military usually remain there unless there’s a special reason. Of course, if Dave changes his mind and returns to the family, the headship would be transferred to him.

But Dave doesn’t seem interested in becoming the family head, and even if he were seriously injured, he would likely choose a profession that involves physical activity. Dave, like Father, is more suited to being a military officer.

“So, what brings you here?”

Father put down the pen he had been diligently using and spoke to me. In response, I showed him the package containing the manuscript and answered.

“I want to send the manuscript for volume 14.”

“You’ve already finished writing? Your writing speed has increased recently.”

“I have more free time since being appointed as a recommended student.”

“How fascinating. Do you have all the stories in your head?”

Father received the manuscript and spoke to me with a curious expression. One of the things I often heard in my previous life was that when I told friends I was writing fantasy novels, they were amazed just like Father.

How can you write all that content, or do you remember everything you’ve written, and so on. Many people read novels, but few write them, so I received many such questions.

“I just roughly outline the development and write, that’s all. Thanks to the gift from Duke Reckyless, my progress has become much faster.”

“You mean the Remover? It does seem convenient for work.”

“Yes, that’s part of it, but most importantly, I have more time now.”

“Hmm… I understand. I’ll send this.”

Father placed the package containing the manuscript on his desk. As I was about to leave, Father briefly called me back.

“Issac. There’s something I’ve been curious about.”

“What is it?”

“This handwritten signature.”

Father pointed to my handwritten signature on the package. My signature is written in ‘Hangul’ as “Issac.”

The writing system in this world is, of course, not Hangul but has a completely different structure. The grammar itself is similar to Korean, so learning the characters is relatively easy.

Above all, all races use the same writing system, so there’s no problem with communication. However, long-lived races like elves or demons occasionally use older words.

“Can you tell me what this means? I’ve been curious whenever I see it.”

“It’s just my name. Issac.”

“Your name, you say?”

“Yes.”

“Hmm…”

Father stared intently at the signature written in Hangul as “Issac” and stroked his chin. He seemed lost in thought, so I waited quietly until he spoke.

I have no plans to spread Hangul in this world, and moreover, I believe it wouldn’t have much influence even if I did. If Hangul were truly superior, foreigners in my previous life would all have used it.

Language itself is a culture that cannot be ranked. Rather, grading languages is a form of supremacism and nationalism.

Sometimes in fantasy media, there are unique languages for each race. Like the languages in The Lord of the Rings, Hangul would be treated just like that if it appeared.

“Did you create this writing system yourself?”

Father suddenly asked me as he stared at the signature. I wanted to answer that it was created by King Sejong, a great sage, but I’d probably be seen as crazy if I did.

I rolled my eyes, wondering how to answer. It would be strange to say I’ve always known this writing system, but my conscience pricked me at claiming I created it myself.

But sometimes in life, one must sell their conscience. After much deliberation, I reluctantly opened my mouth.

If I answered that it was a “writing system I knew,” Father might think of me as a prophet or a regressor. I wanted to avoid that at all costs.

“I just made it when I was bored. It doesn’t have any special meaning.”

“You created an original writing system out of boredom… Knowing how to write and read this means you know a writing system, doesn’t it?”

Oh. Damn. Is this how it’s going to be?

I flinched at Father’s sharp observation. As expected of a former Navy Knight Order commander, his observation and judgment skills were excellent.

However, I too have had my fair share of talking my way out of situations. I composed myself and spoke in a nonchalant tone.

“I suppose you could say that. As I said earlier, it doesn’t have much significance.”

“Could you write my name once?”

“Yes.”

Following Father’s request, I used my magic pen and notebook to write Father’s name.

Soon, the name “Hawk Ducar Mayshall” was written in the notebook, and I tore out the page to hand it to Father.

As soon as Father received the paper from me, he put on his glasses and stared at it intently. My heart pounded with an inexplicable tension.

“It feels like… some kind of shape. Why are there so many lines… Is this really writing?”

“Yes.”

“Are you going to include it in the Biography of Xenon?”

“Uh… I’m not sure about that. There’s no particularly suitable place for it.”

I’m not lying; I genuinely don’t feel any need to include Hangul in the Biography of Xenon, nor would it make sense in terms of plausibility.

If I were to include it, I’d probably mix in 99% fabrication and say it’s convenient for using magic. For the full-scale war against demons, humans created a simpler and more efficient writing system for magic.

One reason magic is difficult is complex calculations, but magic itself was not developed by humans but received from demons, so it’s not standardized. This happened because demons, like elves, can use magic as naturally as breathing.

‘It would be funny from my perspective.’

It would be amusing if people in this world shouted “Fireball” or “Ice Arrow” in Korean.

While I was inwardly chuckling, Father stared at his name written on the paper before placing it on the desk. Fortunately, he seemed to let it pass without further comment.

“I understand for now. I’ll send the mail to the publisher soon.”

“Yes, Father.”

“I should be going now.”

Father also stood up, perhaps to go train Adelia. Due to sitting at his desk for so long, when he stretched, clear cracking sounds could be heard throughout his body.

“Would you like to join us this time?”

“I’ll pass.”

“Tsk. Alright.”

I have to fight a battle tomorrow, so there’s no need to waste energy now. Though Father was disappointed at my firm refusal, he didn’t press further.

‘By the way, try it once?’

While thinking such useless thoughts inwardly.

I plan to visit Helium and consult directly with Lady Mora. I could inadvertently make magic more difficult. After all, being a layman in magic, I might only receive criticism.

And so, a peaceful vacation day passed.

“Hello, Mr. Gartz. It’s been a while.”

“It has been a while, Master Issac.”

The next day, Gartz came directly to our mansion using teleport.

“What’s that in your hand?”

“Eye drops. Don’t you sometimes experience blurry vision or decreased eyesight?”

“How did you know?”

“Master Issac, you not only enjoy reading but also write novels, so it was easy to predict. I brought eye drops. They were made directly by the royal pharmacist of Helium, so their efficacy should be excellent.”

“…”

He brought a very useful gift for me. In fact, my eyesight has been gradually declining recently, so it was an appropriate gift.

“Thank you. I’m sorry for only receiving.”

“Not at all. However…”

“However?”

“Ahem.”

Gartz cleared his throat, seemingly embarrassed, and spoke in a timid voice.

“Um… in the Biography of Xenon…”

“In the Biography of Xenon?”

“…It’s nothing. Let’s go to Helium first.”

“?”

I wonder what he wanted to say.