Ch.211Volume 16 (1)

After learning about Kate’s catastrophic knowledge of sex, I immediately headed to the Luminus temple the very next day.

I questioned in detail how they had educated her to end up like this, arguing that even though gods only show the way, this was clearly unacceptable.

Not only did I nearly lose all respect for Kate, but it’s problematic that someone who has reached adulthood has such limited knowledge about sex.

Though it hadn’t happened yet, if someone with malicious intent were to target Kate, a serious incident could have occurred.

And Luminus’s answer was enough to leave me speechless.

[This is beyond my control. I can’t provide education myself, can I? Even as a god, I’m not omnipotent.]

‘So this is all purely coincidental? For someone who received your blessing, she’s been practically abandoned…’

[Abandoned? That’s too harsh. I’ve given that child so much attention. Of course, I left sex education and other education to the church…]

Luminus responded somewhat timidly, seemingly aware of their partial responsibility.

As I’ve noticed before, this god has prominent human characteristics. Not just Luminus, but Mora as well.

With no other choice, I was only able to conclude this incident after hearing that Kate’s situation would be addressed gradually.

[If it’s too difficult, would you teach her directly?]

‘Don’t say such alarming things.’

Though I heard something quite startling at the end. Still, since it wasn’t a complete refusal, I might hear more about “seeds” again, so I plan to leave it to someone else.

Others also tried to take measures after learning about Kate’s abysmal knowledge of sex.

For now, we’ve postponed it since we’re not close and everyone has their own responsibilities.

‘I never knew such a person existed.’

After returning to the dormitory, I paused my writing and thought about Kate.

Originally, I could only think of her as a pervert or a strange woman, but now that I know the truth, I feel somewhat sorry for her.

They say that learning something incorrectly is worse than not learning at all. I don’t know how the church taught her, but her knowledge of sex is at a deplorable level.

‘It’s not entirely impossible…’

There was a similar case in my previous life. A Chinese couple consulted a doctor because they couldn’t conceive, and surprisingly, they had no concept of sexual intercourse.

If such incidents occasionally occurred in my previous life with its advanced civilization and education, there’s no reason it couldn’t happen in this world.

Of course, the Church of Luminus is clearly at fault here. They failed to provide proper knowledge to Kate, who even received divine blessing.

Whether it was to maintain her purity or because there was no suitable educator, it’s quite a spectacle in many ways.

‘Having no friends must have contributed to this.’

Would anyone have had the courage to befriend Kate, who received a blessing from a god?

If she had friends, they would have noticed her strange behavior and taught her proper knowledge about sex.

I felt my perception of Kate gradually changing, but I shook off these thoughts and focused on my writing.

Although my writing time has decreased due to the nearly tripled number of literature students and consultations with Cherry, I’ve already completed about two-thirds of it. The problem is…

‘…Did I write too much?’

I scratched the bridge of my nose while looking at the thick pile of manuscripts. While I say two-thirds, it’s already enough content for a complete volume.

Originally, I thought about dividing it into two volumes, but I just wrote as I pleased and before I knew it, the manuscripts had piled up. It’s awkward to divide it now, so I just continued writing without much thought.

‘More is better.’

I shrugged and resumed writing with the magic pen my father had given me. The content of volume 16 is roughly as follows:

After Satan beheaded the Great Chieftain in volume 15, the beastmen nation of Hickton was thrown into chaos. Within this chaos, two factions engaged in heated debate.

Those who believed the strongest should become the Great Chieftain, and those who thought it was time for change, arguing that someone with political acumen should take the position.

The problem is that there’s a prevailing sentiment that only someone who defeats Satan will be recognized as the true Great Chieftain. This naturally calls for a Holmgang.

But Satan’s strength is so formidable that he even toyed with the previous Great Chieftain. Despite all the talk, no one was stepping forward to claim the position.

‘For Kind to legitimately become the Great Chieftain…’

As planned, he must defeat Satan. However, to challenge someone who has already participated in a Holmgang, a one-year waiting period is required.

During that year, Kind trains desperately to defeat Satan, but with his inherently frail body, it seems impossible.

Even Xenon, watching from the sidelines, looks at him with pity and suggests giving up. He says he’ll defeat Satan himself, so Kind should just rest.

But Kind insists he can’t do that and reaffirms his determination to defeat Satan through Holmgang.

‘This is where Satan’s detailed past is revealed.’

In volume 15, it was only mentioned that Satan was exiled from Hickton for political reasons. In volume 16, more details are revealed through Kind’s perspective.

Originally, Satan was an ideal family man and leader who deeply cherished his family and tribe, but he lost everything due to external attacks. A man with a tragic past.

Satan didn’t become a demon by choice; the circumstances and people around him turned him into one. His revenge against the Great Chieftain is the result.

‘But he couldn’t bring himself to kill his brother.’

Although Satan and Kind are half-brothers, they cared deeply for each other. When Kind was bullied as a child due to his weakness, Satan would step in to resolve the situation, and when Satan didn’t know something, Kind would explain everything.

If the previous Great Chieftain hadn’t been blinded by greed, Satan would have handled the military aspects while Kind would have managed the strategic elements. That’s how strong their brotherhood was.

Although unavoidable circumstances have led the brothers to raise their fists against each other, Satan, aware that he has become a demon, surrenders in the Holmgang with Kind.

After surrendering, he immediately betrays the demon and charges forward, dying heroically. Despite the miserable process, he ends as a warrior of the beastmen.

‘This is different from the original purpose…’

As I wrote, I wondered if this was the right direction. The original purpose was to convey a message that beastmen need intelligence, not just strength.

But as I continued writing, elements of tearful brotherhood and philosophical aspects were added.

The story itself isn’t bad and is quite engaging. It’s just that the message I wanted to convey isn’t fully embedded.

‘Let’s just keep the significance. Reality is changing faster now.’

There’s still no news from Leona who returned to Animus. No news from Animus either.

Above all, I’m not a philosopher, and there are kind critics who will interpret my work once it’s published. I should trust them.

‘By the way…’

I put down my magic pen for a moment and opened a drawer to take out a bundle of papers. These are the manuscripts Cherry had revised and given to me.

Although they were newly written manuscripts and looked clean without any damage, the content remained the same after the revision.

I plan to send it to the publisher along with volume 16 to support her dream, but I’m not sure if it’s really okay.

‘It’s definitely entertaining.’

Cherry’s romance fantasy, “One more Red Sunset,” is genuinely entertaining, at least to me.

The plot, about a female protagonist from the future returning to the past to overcome adversities, is quite common in a way.

But since the concept of “regression” is rare in this world, it should be enough to attract attention. The problem is that the context and grammar are very similar to mine.

I heard she transcribed “Biography of Xenon” to write as similarly to me as possible, so it’s unavoidable. In my previous life, I also started by writing similarly to novels I enjoyed before developing my own style over time.

This novel might face similar criticisms. Even just a few negative comments can deeply hurt one’s feelings.

Moreover, Cherry’s mental health is currently not good, so each criticism could be devastating. She might show anxiety symptoms after seeing criticisms in the newspaper.

‘I wish I could take the criticism instead…’

Cherry has been ruthlessly trampled before she could even sprout. This time, I need to protect her until she not only sprouts but fully blooms.

Although she’ll use a pen name to avoid detection by her family, it’s better to be cautious and leave no traces.

‘It’s hard to call her my disciple…’

If Cherry were my disciple, I could act as a shield for her now. But after I reveal my identity, things could get complicated.

A person who writes regression stories is a disciple of Xenon? People might even label her as a real regressor.

So for the future, it’s better not to call her my disciple.

‘I should ask for her opinion first.’

With that thought, I checked the time. It’s the weekend, so there are no classes, and I don’t have any appointments with Cherry until next week.

For now, it’s better to complete the remaining parts of volume 16 and plan the next story.

‘Since the beastmen part is over in volume 17, I should shift from Xenon to Jin and Lilly. Maybe have them meet Food Glutton and learn about the secret of their birth.’

After finishing volume 16, a thought occurred to me.

‘Should I introduce Cherry to others next week?’

It’s not a bad choice. It’s strange to meet secretly like this, so it might be wiser to reveal Cherry’s existence to them.

Cherry’s unstable mental state might also improve by meeting female friends. In class, she always sits alone, not talking to anyone.

There are people interested in her appearance and figure, but her gloomy aura quickly drives them away.

‘It was uncomfortable how she kept staring at me during all this…’

I believe things will gradually improve.

*****

After the weekend passed and the weekdays returned, I sent the completed manuscript of volume 16 to the mansion.

However, I still haven’t decided about Cherry’s novel and have left it as is. Instead of acting impulsively, I plan to hear Cherry’s opinion first.

By the way, Cherry always visits when I’m at Elena’s laboratory. Thanks to this, I was able to go to a cafe with Cherry alone to discuss her opinion.

“Cherry, as I said before, I can send your manuscript to the publisher if you really want. But you’ll face a lot of criticism. I’m worried about you…”

“It’s okay.”

“I could act as a shield…”

“It’s okay.”

“…Really?”

“Yes.”

Despite my weekend of agonizing over this, Cherry responded that she’s fine with receiving criticism and that I don’t need to be a shield for her.

Her expression was still gloomy and her eyes were filled with darkness, but her lips were slightly curved upward, giving off a somewhat eerie atmosphere.

I couldn’t tell if she was happy or still depressed.

“By the way, Assistant Isaac.”

“Yes?”

“When are you planning to release volume 16 of the Biography of Xenon?”

“I’ve already sent it.”

“I see.”

Nodding at my answer, Cherry stared at me intently and then curved her lips upward. Then, in her characteristically gloomy and weak voice, she made a request.

“Can you send mine in two weeks?”

“I don’t mind. But why two weeks?”

“It’s unthinkable to release it alongside yours.”

“Ah… right.”

I should just go along with this.

“So, what pen name do you want to use? Preferably something far from pink. Perceptive people might suspect you’re from the Roseberry family.”

“Ah, I’ve already prepared a pen name.”

“What is it?”

In response to my question, Cherry stared at me intently and answered.

“Merry.”

And then the smile she gave.

“Please use Merry.”

It was an incredibly sinister smile.

I made a sour face for a moment, but then nodded. The smile was a bit scary, but the pen name Merry made sense.

The manuscript is being sent from our mansion, and Xenon and Merry are the names of the protagonist and the female lead. The publisher might find a connection, so they’ll manage it well.

“Alright, I’ll send it. I’m sorry to say this, but it’s better not to have too high expectations. It’s entertaining to me, but that’s just my subjective opinion.”

“It doesn’t matter. That’s enough for me.”

“…Really?”

“Yes.”

It sounds like she’s deifying me. But I understand why she might say such things, having had her dream crushed and barely holding onto a lifeline.

“Ah, and this…”

“Yes?”

Cherry shyly showed me something. It appears to be an ordinary water bottle.

When I gave her a questioning look, she spoke to me in an embarrassed voice.

“Last time… you said you’d give me something better than a meal…”

“Ah, that?”

Come to think of it, I did say that. I said I’d give her something better than a meal as thanks for her help.

To be honest, I had forgotten about it, but Cherry remembered.

‘Didn’t she say it smells like cherry blossoms?’

I looked at Cherry, who was hanging her head low. Due to embarrassment, she had placed both hands between her thighs, making her voluptuous chest more prominent.

I wonder what she made that’s making her so embarrassed. It’s a rare reaction from someone who usually exudes a gloomy aura.

With that curiosity, I opened the lid of the water bottle to check its contents. As soon as I opened it, a strong cherry blossom scent stimulated my sense of smell.

Although my body also emits a strong lilac scent, this is more… viscous? Or sticky?

“What is this? Some kind of perfume?”

“…No.”

“Then?”

“It’s something you can drink…”

Cherry explained ambiguously without giving a proper explanation. Judging by her face, which looks like it might explode from redness, she seems quite embarrassed.

Still, a gift is a gift, and I should accept it gratefully. I plan to use it as she wishes, having received it from a colleague and cute(?) junior.

“Thank you. So you said it’s something I can drink?”

“Yes… you can drink it or use it as a condiment…”

“Ah, so it’s like a sauce.”

No wonder the smell is so strong. I think I’ve heard that such sauces are popular among nobles.

And the Roseberry family is known for cherry blossoms as their symbol. Naturally, they would have a cherry blossom-scented sauce.

‘But it’s a bit unusual to put it in a water bottle. She could have given the whole thing.’

With that thought, I dipped my finger slightly just to taste it. As I dipped my finger, Cherry, who had been hanging her head, suddenly looked up.

Then, looking at the white, sticky sauce(?), I immediately put it in my mouth. As soon as it entered my mouth, a moderate saltiness and a strong cherry blossom scent filled my mouth.

“Ah. Aah…”

As I put the sauce in my mouth, an inexplicable exclamation poured from Cherry’s mouth. Her downturned lips curved upward, and joy and ecstasy were engraved in her pink eyes.

Is she that happy? I slightly furrowed my brow as the strong cherry blossom scent lingered in my mouth. It seems I should dilute it appropriately.

“Is, is it delicious?”

“Yes, it’s delicious. Except the scent is a bit strong.”

At my honest answer, Cherry…

“Heehee.”

Let out a bizarre laugh and lowered her head again.

Why is she acting like that?

After a moment of puzzlement, I dipped into the sauce in the water bottle once more.

‘But why does it taste salty?’

It also seems to have a subtle sweetness.