Ch.240Volume 18 (1)

Arwen’s unexpected bombshell left me dazed for a while. Her question about whether I came from a completely different world than the one they live in.

I don’t know what she meant by that question since I didn’t ask, but as a “reincarnator,” it’s extremely perplexing.

As the saying goes, all roads lead to Seoul—regardless of her intentions, it’s true that I came from another world.

When people were loudly speculating about me being a regression survivor or prophet, I could firmly deny it, but when it came to coming from another world, I couldn’t help but hesitate.

That moment of hesitation gave Arwen some kind of confirmation. Whatever misunderstanding she has, things are bound to get complicated from here on.

The problem is that it’s not just Arwen. At that time, Cecilly was also in the room.

After Arwen dropped that massive bombshell, Cecilly started interrogating me for a while.

She asked if I really came from another world as Arwen suggested, and if that’s why I was writing the Biography of Xenon.

As you might know from living with me all this time, I’m terribly bad at lying. I might maintain a stoic expression normally, but the moment someone touches on certain points, my expression completely changes.

Moreover, Cecilly has a particular knack for seeing through my thoughts. If Marie intuitively detects my lies, Cecilly has Rina’s keen observational skills.

So even if I lie, she usually sees through it, and this time was no exception. Eventually, Cecilly completely believed that I came from another world.

Did her attitude change after that? No. Far from changing, she was busy devouring me that day.

Later, lying side by side in bed, she said that if I came from another world, it was a blessing from God, and even if not, it doesn’t change the fact that I’m a benefactor to the demon race.

She only asked one thing: to tell her why I had been using her as the model for Lust. Was it true that her future self would become a demon for some specific reason?

But since this was closely related to Lust’s unfortunate past, I refused completely. When I firmly stated it was a major spoiler, she accepted it without argument.

Anyway, my relationship with Cecilly has become subtly closer than before. I hope the day comes soon when I can reveal that I am Xenon and officially date her without any issues.

It seems Cecilly has started to think of my existence as a gift from the gods. If someone says they came from another world, I suppose that’s the natural conclusion.

By the way, I plan to keep the reincarnation part buried for now. Cecilly agrees with this and has promised to keep it strictly confidential.

You might wonder why I’m not telling anyone, especially Marie. But if you look at my current situation, you’ll understand.

People are already jokingly calling me a regression survivor or prophet—what if I say I’m a reincarnator? From that moment on, they could never take the jokes as just jokes.

As Cecilly said, they would think of me as a gift or blessing bestowed by God upon mortals. This would especially affect my relationship with Marie, who is my closest human companion.

Of course, given Marie’s somewhat simple personality, there’s a high chance she’d just say “I see~” and move on. From spending a year with her, I’ve learned she extremely dislikes complications in human relationships.

In the past, though it was an unavoidable situation, after getting burned by Rina once, she prefers to keep relationships simple. She avoids anything that involves complicated political entanglements.

I’ve said a lot, but the main point is that I don’t feel the need to reveal it. Only Arwen and Cecilly know, and even I have long since assimilated into this world.

They say even mountains change after ten years—how could a person not change? Except for the trauma of losing my parents in an accident and some intense memories, I’ve forgotten almost everything.

There’s nothing to gain by telling anyone, and nothing would change even if I did. For now, keeping my mouth shut is the best strategy.

Anyway, in a few days, I’ll probably forget that I’m a reincarnator. That’s how it was before Arwen asked, and it’ll be the same this time.

‘…But if I write a World War II novel, this would be unavoidable, wouldn’t it?’

World War II was a battle of steel weapons and the worst war in human history. It changed history itself, a turning point in history.

If Arwen or Cecilly see that book, they will surely realize it.

They’ll think, “So Issac came from such a world.” I can be 100% certain of this.

Even the name is “World War II.” They might even connect it to the racial war that broke out 300 years ago.

Because of this, I was wondering if I should put the World War II novel on hold, but first I need to complete the Biography of Xenon.

With all the headaches already happening because of the Biography of Xenon, a World War II novel? That’s not multitasking, it’s just foolishness.

Actually, I’d like to multitask if I could, but it’s impossible. I need to focus solely on the Biography of Xenon to squeeze out divine power to survive.

Fortunately, my stamina has noticeably improved thanks to the high-intensity physical training under Adelia’s guidance.

Perhaps because of that, Marie has been calling Cecilly much more often than before. I heard she’s calling for reinforcements because she can’t handle it alone anymore.

Anyway, I’ve rambled on, but shortly after Arwen’s reincarnation question, the 18th volume of the Biography of Xenon was released.

Due to the real-world spoilers, readers’ reactions were lukewarm, but the book still sold like hotcakes.

Reality is reality, and books are books. People had to read it if only to find out the ending.

[As revealed in reality, the identity of the one who made a pact with the devil was the Cardinal.]

[I want to hit the person who spoiled it.]

[Rather, the Cardinal who intimidated Jin is the truly devout one. There was just a difference in position.]

[Even such a Cardinal grew mentally and broke down prejudices against the demon race.]

There’s a strange review mixed in, but such comments actually exist. It seems to be from an avid reader of the Biography of Xenon who was angry enough to put such words in the newspaper.

I rubbed my eyes several times, thinking I might have misread it. But it was really there.

How angry must they have been to publish such words in a newspaper? In fact, not just this critic, but quite a number of ordinary readers are angry about being spoiled.

Moreover, since I hadn’t made any statement, they must have felt complicated in many ways. Even I, the author, had a “What is this?” reaction, so how much worse must it be for the readers?

[The name of the one who seduced the fallen Cardinal is ‘Beelzebub’. What is the identity of the one with this name?]

[The demons’ schemes are gradually coming to the surface.]

[Reality is no different. Currently, devil worshippers are being eliminated one by one…]

Perhaps because Kate’s real-world spoiler had such a huge impact, half the stories are about the Biography of Xenon and half about real-world devil worshippers.

Since the Papal Kingdom of Sabre has declared a “holy war,” the impact is bound to be extraordinary. Moreover, a Cardinal was actually one of the leaders of the devil worshippers.

Thanks to this, truly, after the release of the Biography of Xenon, it passed without any unusual commotion…

[Will you still deny being a prophet? Xenon, reveal your identity at once!]

[Papal Kingdom of Sabre. We will surely protect you, so please lend your strength to the holy war…]

[He must know all the leaders of the devil worshippers as well. We must quickly quell the world’s chaos…]

…like hell. Now they’ve started pleading. They’re asking me to please reveal my identity and help eliminate the devil worshippers, regardless of anything else.

I emphasize repeatedly, but I am a reincarnator, definitely not a regression survivor or prophet.

Future events or whatever—I’m worried about getting scolded by my lovers right now, so what help am I supposed to give?

Besides, I need to steadily build up my stamina because the number of women around me is increasing. I need to survive first before I can help or not help.

‘By the way, Kate…’

According to the news in the newspaper, Kate has once again set out on a pilgrimage. The purpose of her last pilgrimage was to find me, but this time it seems to be for a different purpose.

She’ll probably come looking for me while smashing the heads of devil worshippers. Now that Sabre has declared a holy war, the Grand Inquisitor can’t possibly be idle.

From the beginning, she’s not the only Inquisitor on pilgrimage. According to the newspaper, most Inquisitors have been dispatched since the declaration of the holy war.

For Sabre, their worst shame has been exposed, so they need to clean up the mess somehow. The world is going to be in an uproar for a while.

‘No, it’s been noisy from the start.’

I should really stay quiet now. I closed the newspaper filled with all sorts of news and lifted my head.

‘The vacation is approaching… I need to prepare for the exhibition too.’

It feels like just yesterday when the freshmen arrived, but the summer vacation is already approaching. Along with this, preparations for the exhibition are actively underway in our territory.

Originally, the Kingdom of Teres was eager to hold the exhibition, but a few months ago, the Empire of Minerva finally snatched it away.

My mention of Mayshall territory as my birthplace played a significant role in this. Moreover, Xenon’s ever-increasing fame made even the Kingdom of Teres unable to insist.

In proportion to this, my father’s workload has also exploded. According to a letter from my mother, my father wants to pass on the family headship to me as soon as possible and grumbles that he wishes the exhibition would end quickly.

I felt sorry, but there’s no problem with manpower since the imperial family is providing abundant support. From the beginning, they granted a territory with great potential to keep my father tied down.

‘I want to see Lilly soon too.’

A year ago, after the exhibition ended and I spent my first night with Marie. Unfortunately, my mother gave me the last contraceptive pill as a gift, and we ended up conceiving Lilly.

And as time passed, exactly one month ago from now, she gave birth to our lovely youngest daughter, Lilly. Being the fourth child, she was born healthy without any crisis.

According to the letter, she’s a really cute and adorable baby with red hair and golden eyes like my father. More than anything else, I want to see Lilly.

‘How cute will she be?’

I imagined Lilly in my mind with anticipation. At the same time, I thought about what kind of stage would unfold at this exhibition.

Those rude people from the Kingdom of Teres will surely come, but now that Adelia has overcome her trauma, there shouldn’t be any major incidents if we’re careful.

Anyway, Adelia will be acting as my knight escort then, and Marie and the others will be there too.

I think Dave and Nicole will come too. I heard that no matter how busy they are, they’re given leave for important family events.

‘Well, those who are likely to come will come…’

The people who will definitely come are pretty much decided, but I’m not sure about the rest. Especially Leona and Cherry are the key.

Leona is likely to come if I help her a bit, but Cherry is the problem. Her family environment is as harsh as Adelia’s.

It’s a family that mercilessly tore apart and even trampled on the works she poured her dreams and hopes into.

If left alone, it’s obvious what would have happened to her, but fortunately, she was barely able to endure with my help.

‘Rather than staying in such a place, it would be better for her to visit the exhibition…’

That would be good for Cherry too. It would be better to spend time elsewhere than in that hellish family during vacation.

No, maybe she could stay at the academy throughout the vacation without returning to her family. Didn’t Leona say she would work part-time during the vacation?

I smiled as a good idea came to mind. She could just lie to her parents that she’s staying at the academy and come to our territory instead.

‘Those people are unlikely to come anyway.’

It’s a vacation with many expectations.

******

Where do you think became the busiest place after the release of the 18th volume of the Biography of Xenon? By now, everyone knows it’s obviously the publishing house.

The publishing house president, Musk, didn’t care at all about the news that Sabre had declared a holy war or that the Cardinal was actually a devil worshipper.

Rather than worrying about such things, he needed to print more copies of the Biography of Xenon. Musk is someone who is thoroughly obsessed with money.

That was until he unexpectedly got stabbed in the belly.

“Oh my goodness…”

“Are you alright?”

Matthew, Musk’s secretary, worriedly called out to Musk, who was groaning on a white bed.

The reason for Matthew’s concern was Musk’s condition—his thick belly was wrapped in white bandages.

Fortunately, the surgery was successful, but initially, the bleeding was quite severe and at a dangerous level.

“Do I fucking look alright to you?”

Musk barked at Matthew with a coarse curse. Despite being cursed at, Matthew didn’t erase the worried look on his face.

Usually healthy to the point of having oil dripping from his belly, why did he end up like this? Simply put, it was the work of devil worshippers.

After the spoilers broke in reality, the devil worshippers sensed a crisis and started causing trouble, targeting Musk as their priority.

If it weren’t for the Biography of Xenon, their evil plans would have proceeded without anyone knowing, but now they were being completely destroyed.

Originally, they would have targeted Xenon, or Issac, as their top priority, but his identity remains unknown. Therefore, they targeted Musk, one of his connections.

Besides Musk, there was also the Elf Queen, Arwen, but she was too big a target for devil worshippers to aim for, like a whale. So they targeted the relatively smaller Musk.

Of course, Musk wasn’t completely foolish and had hired mercenaries by investing quite a lot of money. But he overlooked the fact that there was a devil worshipper among those mercenaries.

If he had visited the temple with the mercenaries even once, he might have noticed, but due to his complacent thinking that everything would be fine by now, he didn’t go that far.

“Why are you cursing? I’m just worried about you.”

“Sigh… I’m sorry.”

“Who’s going to pay my salary if you’re gone?”

“You bastard. Right now… ouch…”

At Matthew’s joke that wasn’t really a joke, Musk tried to get angry but ended up clutching his stomach. If it had been an ordinary blade, it might have been different, but the aftereffects were serious because it was coated with poison.

Fortunately, Musk had emergency potions on hand, following the principle that “money is useless if you’re dead,” otherwise he would have become a cold corpse.

Now he’s in the temple focusing on recovery, but there are many things to worry about.

“…Matthew.”

“Yes, boss.”

“How are the other employees? Are they agitated?”

“They are agitated.”

As expected. After the news spread that the boss himself had been attacked by devil worshippers, the publishing house employees were showing extreme agitation.

Fortunately, under the protection of the Church of Luminus, there was no threat to their safety, but there were many concerns.

No matter how obsessed with money Musk is, he’s not someone who places human lives below money.

He looked up at the temple ceiling while sweating profusely and quietly opened his mouth.

“Matthew.”

“Yes, boss.”

“Prepare a letter right away.”

“A letter?”

“Yes.”

If he was attacked like this, there’s no guarantee others won’t be attacked too. Especially an “exhibition” would be more dangerous.

The devil worshippers will be desperately trying to tarnish Xenon’s name somehow. They might even commit “terrorism” at the exhibition.

When even he ended up in this state, how much worse could the exhibition be? Moreover, many nobles will visit the exhibition.

Therefore, to reduce casualties…

‘How big spenders those people are!’

…forget it. If they disappear, it will directly impact sales. Musk judged that he must prevent that.

People who damage sales are bastards. In Musk’s view, devil worshippers fit that description.

And bastards should be disciplined with a whip to keep them quiet. With this in mind, he chuckled inwardly for a moment before returning to practical matters.

“The protection of employees… sigh… there’s no choice.”

“Do you have any good solution?”

“It’s possible if Luminus allows it.”

“What method is that?”

What followed from Musk’s mouth was…

“Buying the temple.”

“What?”

“And merging it with the publishing house.”

It was truly an absurd but very certain method.

He stared at the dumbfounded Matthew and spoke about the “basis.”

“We’re the only publishing house contracted with the Biography of Xenon, so wouldn’t Luminus approve?”