Ch.379Dice (2)

After sending the manuscript of Biography of Xenon Volume 28 to the mansion, my mind was filled with tension.

The die hasn’t been cast yet. Biography of Xenon Volume 28 is merely creating the die.

The actual casting will happen in Volume 29 or at the end of Volume 30, when Jin becomes the final boss.

I plan to write about the post-war settlement and the restoration of Alfheim in Volume 29.

While Xenon’s group is important, this was a battle for the world’s survival, so an epilogue is essential.

Furthermore, I need to elaborate on Lilly’s condition, so it will be quite a lengthy story.

‘Will Mother be able to wait until then?’

As everyone knows, Mother’s favorite couple is the Jin-Lilly couple.

This couple has the most devoted fanbase due to their uniquely heartbreaking love story.

The Xenon-Mary couple is just as solid, but Jin and Lilly are much stronger. Or rather, more intense.

Compared to other love lines, the Jin-Lilly couple was designed to be more relatable, making them inevitably popular.

And my mother has been an ardent fan of the Jin-Lilly couple even before Biography of Xenon caused a sensation.

‘I hope she doesn’t chase after me like last time.’

Everyone knows the scene where Jin gets pierced through the chest during his battle with Gluttony, which leads to his awakening.

As soon as Mother saw that scene, she immediately came looking for me in Helium, where I had fled. She even summoned Gartz Balack to do so.

I’m worried she might do the same this time, but since she’s already had a strong preventive dose, maybe she’ll be more patient.

Of course, if she sees Jin appearing as the final boss and being annihilated by Xenon’s strike…

‘…I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it.’

Again, right now I’m just in the process of creating the die.

I might be able to reassure her with promises to wait for now, but later there will be no mercy.

I’m not joking when I say I might have to flee elsewhere. I’m already planning where to escape to.

But what can I do? I decided on this ending long ago.

Even if I show a happy future in a side story, I won’t consider it the official storyline.

“What are you thinking about?”

“Just thinking about the future?”

“You must have a lot on your mind too.”

Rina, sitting across from me, quietly spoke as she picked up her teacup. There’s elegance in her every movement, no matter when I see her.

I silently nodded at her words. Though what she’s thinking and what I’m thinking are different, there’s no need to point that out.

Anyway, there’s no special reason for Rina’s visit to my dormitory today. It was already planned.

Living in the dormitory means I’m out of touch with outside affairs unless I read the newspapers.

In fact, when innocent victims appeared, Rina was the first to inform me. Kate then went to the church to confirm.

Currently, there’s hardly anyone around me who serves as a solid informant like Rina.

‘There’s also Cecilly and Arwen… but they’re not people I can call on all the time.’

Cecilly is busy purging nobles who have joined hands with demon worshippers, and Arwen is just taking a brief holiday—she’s usually busy too.

That’s not to say Rina isn’t busy. The Empire of Minerva is currently in such dire straits that they need all the help they can get.

Especially Leort Urmi Jeckyless, who is expected to be the next emperor, is said to be having a miserable time. It’s been almost a month since he last showed his face at the academy.

The upper echelons of the empire are approaching paralysis as more and more atrocities by demon worshippers come to light.

“So what are you going to do about the innocent victims? This time it’s said to be a staged act by demon worshippers, but there could really be innocent victims.”

“The church said they’ll handle it. But if it happens more than three times, the event will be immediately suspended.”

“If the church says so, they’ll manage it. Though I don’t like it.”

Rina grumbled with a somewhat dissatisfied voice. The event is being conducted by the church, not the state.

The state is merely playing a supporting role. That’s why the Empire of Minerva is having such a hard time.

On the other hand, this is a golden opportunity for the Papal Kingdom of Sabre. Their prestige has already hit rock bottom, and this event gives them a chance to recover.

Of course, even if the event concludes successfully, it will be very difficult for Sabre to regain its former status.

“Leaving the Church of Luminus aside, what about the Church of Mora?”

“The Church of Mora is tracking the main thread. As you know, they’re the ones who discovered the entire village that had been brainwashed.”

“I didn’t know that. Then how is the situation in the empire?”

*Flinch*

When I asked about the empire’s current state, Rina visibly flinched.

For someone who maintains composure in everything, that reaction suggests things are worse than I thought.

Following that, Rina carefully put down her teacup with a troubled expression.

It wasn’t her characteristic smiling face, but one filled with bitterness.

“…I can’t say it’s good, even as a white lie. Have you heard of the ‘demon worshippers’ nest’?”

“I’ve seen it in the newspapers.”

“At first, I thought it was just because our territory is vast. But that’s not it. Haah…”

Rina brushed back the hair that had fallen forward. How bad must the situation be for someone like Rina to sigh deeply in front of others?

Until recently, I perceived her as a mean princess who pressured me, but not anymore. Now she seems like a civil servant overwhelmed by an avalanche of work.

I’m not sure when my perception changed, but it was probably after her secret preferences were exposed.

Rina may be a princess admired by all, but ultimately, she’s a person just like me.

‘At least it’s much better than Teres.’

She really is better. If this were the Kingdom of Teres, they would have tried all sorts of methods before I gained fame.

I quietly waited for her to speak. There’s a reason we can talk like this, just the two of us.

Ariel is sleeping on the bed. Naturally, she’s photosynthesizing in the sunlight streaming through the window.

“Whew… Let’s start with the smaller issue: the Stavirk region problem. Since you like history, you probably know what the issue is?”

“Of course. What did they say?”

“The usual. They have no intention whatsoever of becoming a nest for demons, or something like that.”

As if there weren’t enough problems already, now Stavirk is starting to make noise. But the Empire of Minerva doesn’t have the luxury to worry about Stavirk.

Throughout history, matters between nations, especially those related to independence, are extremely complex. Moreover, the Stavirk region has sufficient justification.

During the racial war, the human alliance recognized their craftsmanship and helped them, leading to the current Stavirk.

The residents of the Stavirk region were living as natives at the time, so they were able to reap tremendous benefits.

The problem came afterward. For somewhat complex reasons, they’ve been calling for independence ever since.

“Well, since this is a national issue for you, let’s move on. Next is the Carryson County family.”

“Carryson County? Isn’t that Jackson’s family?”

“Yes. That brat who made inappropriate proposals to me and Cecilly from the first day of the semester.”

Her words clearly reveal Rina’s perception of Jackson. Well, he was quite unsightly back then.

But the Carryson County family having problems is not something to be taken lightly, unlike Stavirk.

The Carryson County family could be considered the biggest source of income for the Empire of Minerva. The region they manage is far superior to others.

Being adjacent to the sea, it can be used as a port city and further serves as a trade route.

If there are problems in such a place, it could be a fatal blow to an empire that relies on economic power for everything.

“What’s wrong with the Carryson County family? Did they join hands with demon worshippers?”

“It’s still being confirmed. But the Carryson Count has a keen eye for commercial rights. You know how demon worshippers make their money, right?”

“I know… Oh.”

“It’s as you think.”

I understand what Rina is saying. Whether the Carryson County family joined hands with demon worshippers or not doesn’t matter.

They could just execute them without question. From the imperial family’s perspective, it’s a good way to get rid of a thorn in their side.

But the point is that the Empire of Minerva’s funds have been leaking to demon worshippers.

As mentioned repeatedly, the Empire of Minerva is a country with an insane amount of money, as its economic power supports everything.

And the Carryson County family is a major financial artery of the empire. Even a small hole would be enormous, but it’s more serious as they’ve been parasitized.

“It’s highly likely that most of the demon worshippers’ funds leaked from our empire. There are plenty of people in this world who will do anything for money, so expanding their influence wouldn’t have been difficult.”

“Then why haven’t they taken formal action? Demon worshippers have been around since before the empire was founded. By now, they could have established their own country.”

“That’s the problem. We don’t know where they’re spending their money. We’re tracking it, but… it’s not easy.”

This is a more complex and serious matter than I thought. As Musk Grid said, money can’t solve everything, but it can solve many things.

Targeting slums is probably part of this. Just throw some money at them and preach, and everyone will believe.

I don’t know what the true purpose of the demon worshippers is, but from the news that’s emerging, these are issues that must be resolved.

“So what will happen to the Carryson County family?”

“If evidence of collusion is found, they’ll be exterminated immediately. If not, they’ll just be demoted. This is a much more serious situation than treason.”

“Might be a bit unfair from the Carryson County family’s perspective, right?”

“It’s their fault for not managing their money properly. Similar measures are being taken across the board, not just for the Carryson County family. There might even be people in our imperial family who have colluded with demon worshippers.”

They’ve really sharpened their knives. I nodded as I looked at the tired Rina.

If the Empire of Minerva handles this situation half-heartedly, it will collapse from within.

A country that collapses from external forces has a chance to rebuild, but if it collapses from within, there’s no hope.

In fact, the Kingdom of Teres almost did, barely pulling itself together, and even the royal family is now afraid of its citizens.

“First of all, reassure the general public. What if demon worshippers start inciting them? The only ones who benefit from the empire’s collapse are the demon worshippers.”

“That’s true, but if we spread the news of my marriage to you, things will quickly calm down. We can handle the nobility-related issues to some extent. What comes next is crucial.”

“Is there something more serious?”

“If there wasn’t, I wouldn’t have come to see you. This is something I absolutely need your opinion on.”

What could it be? I listened more attentively with a puzzled expression.

A story that requires my opinion? Could it be related to Biography of Xenon or the event?

Rina took a deep breath and then spoke in her characteristically elegant voice.

“You know about the underground temple that was discovered recently, right?”

“Yes, I do.”

“It wasn’t just a simple temple. It was an altar.”

“An altar?”

“Yes. An altar where sacrifices are offered to gain special powers. The statue there is likely to be a ‘vessel’ in reality.”

“…”

Hmm. Another damn plot twist. I’m not even surprised anymore, so I just nodded.

It’s not related to me anyway…

“And according to the investigation by the dispatched mage, there’s evidence that the ritual was successful.”

“…What?”

What is she saying? I opened my eyes wide in surprise.

The ritual was successful. This is tantamount to saying they summoned a demon from another dimension, like Diabolos in Biography of Xenon.

I don’t know how strong demons actually are, but looking at demonized demons, I can say they are walking calamities.

If such a demon has been summoned, the situation becomes uncontrollably serious.

“Based on the surrounding decorations and human bones, the ritual was performed about 20 years ago. However, the ritual wasn’t completely successful. There’s evidence that someone intervened and disrupted it.”

“So the ritual was half successful?”

“In a way. But demons are beings that live in other dimensions. Since they can connect dimensions, something from another dimension must have crossed over.”

“…”

Wait a minute. Something seems off.

A ritual performed 20 years ago, half-successful due to someone’s interference.

“We’re still investigating, but honestly, figuring that out will be difficult. My brother said it could even be a frog from another dimension, so it’s hard to announce publicly. That’s why I’m asking you. What do you think it might be?”

“…Why are you asking me?”

“Because I think you might know. Just think a bit and tell me your opinion. We’ll investigate based on that.”

This woman also believes I’m a regressor. However, I had to be cautious with my words. Looking at the circumstances, it’s likely me.

Luminus also told me that demon worshippers failed to connect dimensions, which is why I crossed over from Earth.

But to think there was such a backstory, I don’t know whether to laugh or be perplexed.

Of course, it might not be me, but…

‘…It really seems like it’s me.’

The timing overlaps so perfectly that I keep being drawn to that conclusion. Still, to prevent confusion, I have to lie…

“What do you mean it’s me?”

“Huh?”

“Eh?”

A cute and mischievous girl’s voice interrupted. Both I, lost in thought, and Rina, who was drinking tea to take a breather, looked up.

Turning our heads, we saw Ariel, who had woken up without our notice, looking at me with wide-awake eyes. Due to her small stature and our focus on the conversation, we hadn’t noticed her.

“What do you mean it’s me, Daddy?”

“…”

She even delivers the finishing blow. Daddy really loves his daughter.

Upon hearing those words, my heart sank for a moment, then I laughed hollowly in resignation. There’s no way out now.

If I feel this way, I wonder how Rina will react. As I cautiously turned my head…

*Drip*

Like a scene from a drama, I could see Rina with tea dribbling from her open mouth.