Ch.404The Die is Cast (3)

The mistress of the Mayshall family, Annah, had been deeply worried lately. To be precise, since volume 27.

It wasn’t about internal or external family matters. The family was currently growing day by day with imperial support, and their territory was visibly developing as well.

The unprecedented event of both the Church of Luminus and the Church of Mora being built in one territory had occurred, and it was also the first region in the world where the new culture of cinema was unveiled.

The reason all this was possible was, of course, thanks to her proud youngest son Issac’s work, Biography of Xenon.

She had been captivated by the charm of Biography of Xenon even before the appearance of volume 5, when its potential truly exploded.

Especially the heretical yet spicy romance between a demon and a priest had kept her heart yearning.

She couldn’t express how moved she was when their love deepened and they even spent their first night together.

The scene was so touching that it pushed away even the sexual desire that arose—that’s how immersed she was.

But that emotion was overshadowed by another despair when that cursed archdemon attacked Lilly.

Actually, such a crisis had happened once before. When Jin had his chest pierced by his biological father, Gluttony.

Fortunately, that turned into a blessing in disguise and helped Jin awaken, but this case was different. An archdemon’s spike was lodged in her heart.

Even the World Tree couldn’t withstand the corruption and collapsed, so how could a priest possibly endure? It was even said that if the corruption spread throughout the body, one would become a demon.

At first, she didn’t want to believe it, but considering how demons came into existence, it was an unavoidable conclusion.

‘Issac will somehow work it out, right?’

Annah wanted to rush to Issac as soon as she finished reading volume 28. But that would be an inconvenience, and Issac might be humanly disappointed.

Although she was his mother, in front of Biography of Xenon, she was merely an ordinary reader.

She couldn’t pressure him beyond giving advice or subtly expressing her true feelings.

Moreover, she had once fled to Helium in anticipation of such situations. That’s why she was holding back this time.

‘Yes. If they’re separated like this, he’ll be cursed with all sorts of insults.’

Though she thought this inwardly, Annah also knew that the quality of the work would improve if Jin and Lilly’s love wasn’t fulfilled.

What kind of race are demons? Aren’t they a race marked by all sorts of tragedy and sorrow? This isn’t limited to Biography of Xenon; the race itself is like that.

A race that struggled desperately to see the light until Biography of Xenon appeared, but no one acknowledged them.

Even Jin was said to show all the tragedies a demon could experience, which gives a rough idea of how charming a character he is.

‘Just when they’re finally becoming a little happy, destroying it like this is absolutely unacceptable.’

Not only Annah but all Jin-Lilly fans around the world would rise up. Not just them, but other readers of the work would be shocked too.

In fact, wasn’t there an uproar when someone instigated that Jin and Lilly would never be together?

Apparently, one adventurer was crying and making a scene while drinking. It was such a big incident that it was even headlined in newspapers.

Of course, for scholars, it was just an important research topic.

“If they really don’t end up together, your brother would be a demon. Right?”

“Auw?”

“Yes, yes. Lilly thinks so too.”

“Baa!”

Annah spoke in a gentle voice to Lilly, who was lying in the cradle. The newborn Lilly couldn’t possibly understand, but she smiled brightly as if pleased.

That smile made Annah feel like the lament in her heart was subsiding a little. Childcare was entirely entrusted to the nanny, so it wasn’t particularly difficult.

Still, she was fulfilling all her duties as a mother without fail, like occasionally showing her face as she was doing now or breastfeeding.

Moreover, she had almost no work lately, so she could enjoy this leisure.

Knock knock knock-

[Baroness. It’s Butler Habert. Mail has arrived from the publisher.]

While playing with Lilly, someone knocked on the door from outside. Judging by the voice, it seemed to be the butler.

At this, she told Lilly, who was flailing her arms and legs, that she would be right back, then got up and headed toward the door.

When she opened the door, a gentleman with a very impressive mustache appeared.

Butler Habert, dispatched from the imperial family. He was currently in charge of overall mansion management.

“Yes, Butler Habert. You said mail came from the publisher?”

“That’s right. It seems to be volume 29 of Biography of Xenon.”

“Really?!”

At Habert’s words, Annah’s purple eyes widened. Her expression was full of joy and anticipation.

“Yes. However, strangely, a separate letter came as well.”

“Huh? A separate letter came?”

“It seems the publisher’s president has something to say.”

Butler Habert handed both the mail and the letter to Annah. She thanked him, closed the door, and returned to her place.

As he said, it was a bit strange that the letter was classified separately rather than being included in the mail.

So Annah sat next to Lilly’s cradle and checked the letter first, not the mail. Even though she was looking forward to the next story, it seemed better to read the letter first.

‘It’s a letter to Issac.’

If it’s a letter to Issac, it needs to be checked in between. Annah carefully opened the letter slowly.

This isn’t being intrusive but one of the things she should naturally do. Although sufficient inspection would have been done before it reached here, she was making a final check.

[Greetings, Head of the Mayshall family. Thanks to the kindness shown by the Mayshall family, our publishing house…]

Fortunately, it was indeed a letter from the publisher, not a terrorist threat. Seeing Musk’s distinctive handwriting confirmed it.

The first paragraph was, as always, a greeting filled with excessive courtesy. It might seem a bit much, but from the publisher’s perspective, it was perfectly natural.

Annah skipped the long greeting and went straight to the main point to find out what the publisher’s president, Musk, wanted to say.

[The reason I’m writing this letter is that I’m curious about how Xenon will conclude the ending. Since Baron Hawk personally brought the manuscript, there’s no chance that demon worshippers could interfere, but we are concerned.]

“…?”

What is this about? Annah blinked her purple eyes. It was difficult for her to grasp what this meant.

As Musk said, the assumption that demon worshippers had interfered was impossible. After all, Hawk personally brought the manuscript for volume 29.

Also, Hawk had said this at Issac’s request: don’t read the manuscript secretly this time. He said it wasn’t about courtesy to other readers.

In other words, it’s impossible for demon worshippers to intervene. But the fact that he wrote a letter personally suggests something unusual.

‘…What kind of ending could it be?’

Annah looked at the mail that presumably contained the first edition of volume 29. What kind of story would continue that would cause such concern?

[Please review the story once, and we would appreciate it if you could send the ending to our publishing house by letter. We wouldn’t have believed it either if Baron Hawk hadn’t personally delivered it. Please take care of your health, and we’ll wait for the conclusion. Sincerely, Musk.]

This had never happened before. Whenever a manuscript for Biography of Xenon arrived, Musk was always eager to print it.

She couldn’t stand the curiosity. Annah gently placed the letter on the cradle and hurriedly opened the mail.

“Aam.”

“Huh? Lilly! No! That’s paper, paper!”

While opening the mail, Lilly almost put the letter in her mouth, but she barely stopped her. She’s just a newborn, but she already feels strong.

After completing all preparations, she faced volume 29 of Biography of Xenon. What kind of story would continue that would make Musk worry?

‘Surely not…?’

The ending of volume 28 concludes with Jin setting off on a journey and Xenon following him, with hints dropped. Naturally, it’s to somehow cure Lilly.

So volume 29 will generally show Xenon following Jin. This is what most readers are expecting.

What Annah is most worried about now is Jin or Lilly facing death. She doesn’t want to see that.

Rather than that, it would be better if Jin spent his life nursing Lilly and died together with her. It would be a fitting end for the tragedy of demons.

‘Lilly turning into a demon and Jin killing her… no. Rather than that, it would be better if she became a demon… No, that’s not right either. That would negate the reason Jin set off on his journey.’

Her thoughts were jumbled in many ways. Annah closed her eyes tightly and then glanced at Lilly.

Perhaps exhausted from her earlier struggles, she was sound asleep. How angelic she looked.

She smiled warmly at Lilly, who was sleeping innocently, and carefully turned the pages of the book.

The beginning was as expected, with Xenon slowly following Jin and the stories of people he met after the war.

After meeting them one by one and asking about Jin’s whereabouts, Xenon accurately learned where he was headed.

‘The Gray Desert.’

In reality, it’s the region where demons first appeared and where the once-powerful Kingdom of Gerios was located.

Unlike ordinary deserts, the sky is filled with dark clouds blocking all sunlight, and numerous dead souls sleep beneath the sand.

Since Biography of Xenon is modeled after reality, the Gray Desert naturally exists there as well.

‘My goodness. Demons were actually humans?’

As Xenon defeats the dead one by one and excavates the ruins of the ancient kingdom, he gradually realizes the truth about demons.

From the shocking truth that demons were actually humans to the fact that they are aiming for Diabolos’s resurrection.

Finally, that Jin has figured all this out and is trying to prevent Diabolos’s resurrection.

‘Ah, so here Xenon joins forces with him to prevent the resurrection?’

That would be fine. Annah nodded.

However, for Lilly’s complete healing, Diabolos’s soul must be completely annihilated. That means it’s virtually impossible.

Perhaps Xenon will scold Jin, telling him to snap out of it, that Lilly needs him now more than ever.

Annah nodded in agreement with the story and turned the page. But in her concentration, she had forgotten what Musk had written in his letter—the story he asked to reconsider.

[P-please save me…]

[A voice suddenly entered his ears while examining the ruins. It was a voice about to be scattered by the wind, but he could barely hear it.]

[Xenon rushed there as soon as he heard the sound, praying it wasn’t Jin’s voice.]

But the atmosphere gradually became strange. The deeper he dug into the ruins, the more gloomy the atmosphere became, and someone’s voice heightened that atmosphere.

Annah gently turned the page with tension in her hand holding the book.

[What Xenon faced was… a corpse. No, someone who looked like they had been mauled by a beast.]

[The flesh of the neck had been torn away by teeth, causing blood to flow like a waterfall, and one arm and one leg had been torn off.]

[There wasn’t a single intact part on the body. Even the relatively whole limbs had teeth marks.]

[It was remarkable that they were still alive. The problem was that this was just one of the survivors, while around them…]

The place Xenon ran to after hearing the voice was truly a scene from hell. Judging by appearances, they seemed to be demon worshippers, but their condition was too horrific.

Wounds as if mauled randomly by beasts, and intestines spilling from their abdomens.

Some corpses even had their ribs completely exposed with all organs gone.

Even the archdemon Diabolos didn’t commit such atrocities. It’s not like they were monsters without intelligence, eating people alive.

[G-Gluttony… Gluttony has been resurrected…]

[He will eat us… He will eat all the souls of the archdemons…]

“Gluttony?”

Why is Gluttony suddenly appearing? Annah frowned her delicate brow. Hadn’t Jin already defeated Gluttony?

But looking at the described carnage, no one but Gluttony would commit such acts. Gluttony literally gains power by absorbing others.

It’s impossible to predict how the story will unfold. Xenon also swallowed his saliva in fear of the unknown as he moved forward.

And what he faced was…

[…Jin?]

[Grrrr…]

It was Jin, looking vastly different from before, ravenously devouring a corpse like a beast.

His mouth was smeared with flesh and blood from what he had been eating, and along with demon wings, both his eyes were dyed pitch black.

Just seeing this, one can intuitively sense that something has gone terribly wrong. At the same time, one can realize many things.

That Jin is Gluttony’s biological child, and that all of Diabolos’s souls must be annihilated to save Lilly.

Finally… that Jin would always sacrifice himself for Lilly.

[Must protect…]

[Jin? Are you really… Jin…?]

[Must protect the brightest light…]

Even when Xenon asks for confirmation, Jin only repeats words like a beast that has lost its self.

[Must protect the brightest light…]

His words reveal all his tender love for Lilly.

[Even if I become the most hideous darkness…]

Finally, with those words.

[ROAAAAAAR!]

He let out a beast-like roar and charged at Xenon.

“…”

A truly shocking conclusion. Annah was aghast with her mouth wide open.

It’s a development that not only overturns but shatters all readers’ expectations. Yet ironically, it’s an ending where all the foreshadowing pays off.

It perfectly completes Jin’s character while thoroughly exploiting the fact that he is Gluttony’s child.

So thorough that one wonders if a human could conceive it. It makes sense why Diabolos was made into a bland character.

After staring at the ending for a while, Annah murmured softly.

“…Did I give birth to a demon?”

It was truly a development that would make one think so.

Not just her.

“Fuck. Why is the story like this? Was this really written by a human?”

“How could this… It makes sense, but even so…”

“They’ll save him, right? After making them fight like this, they’ll save him, right? Please tell me they’ll save him.”

“A demon… A demon has appeared…”

Most readers who read the book would think so—it was such a cruel development.