Ch.64Storm’s Eve (2)

About ten days had passed since I sent the manuscript and my letter home.

Usually, when I send a letter, it takes about a week to receive a reply, but for some reason, this one was slightly delayed. Plus, the package was quite thick.

‘What’s inside?’

I stared curiously at the bulky package, which was much thicker than usual, and tore open the top to open it.

After opening it, I could see there were quite a lot of letters inside.

My mother must have organized them, as they weren’t scattered messily but neatly arranged like a book.

‘Are all of these fan letters?’

That seems highly likely. I stared at the neatly stacked letters for a moment before picking up the most noticeable one.

This letter stood out so much that I suspected it was from my parents.

And when I checked the sender, I could confirm it was indeed from my parents. Without any hesitation, I tore open the sealed entrance and took out the contents.

[I’m sending you some of the fan letters you asked for. The publisher says there are too many to send all at once. I’ll send the rest gradually later.]

The first was a letter from my father. True to his straightforward nature, he precisely conveyed what he wanted to say.

[By the way, the publisher didn’t mention anything about your hiatus. They probably gave up since it’s difficult to communicate with us. But there will be quite a ripple effect. Be prepared.]

I had informed my family about the hiatus long ago. Plus, I included an author’s note at the end of this manuscript, so the publisher must have noticed by now.

Though his warning to be prepared was slightly concerning, it shouldn’t be a problem. Surely people won’t gather in front of the publishing house demanding books.

Right now, I just need to focus on my studies. Even if Rina or Leort beg for just one more volume, I plan to refuse them all. I’ve been working intensely until now, so I need a break to look around.

‘Mother’s letter… here it is.’

As always, my mother sent a lengthy letter. Most of it asked about my well-being—how my exams went, if academy life was manageable, and so on.

Still, my heart feels healed by her concern. It must be troublesome to send such long letters every month, but she consistently puts in the effort.

This makes me want to be more filial. I read my mother’s letter repeatedly before looking inside the package again.

I saw a bunch of fan letters densely packed inside.

‘This is just a portion?’

And they said they sent a curated selection, so I wonder how many are actually piled up. It might take days just to read all of these.

I took out the bundle of fan letters and placed them on my desk. Various colored envelopes were scattered about.

Wondering which one to choose, I randomly selected one. It caught my eye because it was a pink envelope with flower patterns embossed in gold.

[Cherry Blossom Roseberry]

Judging by the middle name, she seems to be a noble, though her name suggests a strong cherry blossom scent. I tried to recall who the Roseberry family was as I opened the envelope.

The envelope was pink, and so was the letter inside. It seems this color might be unique to their family.

[Hello, Author! I’m Cherry Blossom Roseberry, the eldest daughter of the Roseberry Marquis family!]

Her greeting gave off a vibrant impression from the start. It’s a different kind of energy than Marie’s.

I carefully read the fan letter that filled the page. Most of it was about how much she enjoyed Biography of Xenon and how she wanted to write such novels herself.

[In a year, I’ll be entering Halo Academy! If I become as knowledgeable as you, Author, could I someday write something like Biography of Xenon? If I get the chance, I’d like to meet you in person and learn how to write. But since you don’t like showing yourself to the world, I’ll have to be patient. I’ll work hard!]

“Hmm?”

When she mentioned entering Halo Academy, I quickly checked the date of the letter. Surprisingly, it was sent a month ago.

This means that when I become a second-year student, this noble lady will be enrolling, so we might meet if fate allows. Of course, even if we meet, I won’t breathe a word about being the author.

‘Still, it feels good.’

There’s nothing more pleasing than hearing someone wants to write like me. It means they respect me.

Unable to hide the satisfaction welling up inside, I smiled as I read the letter to the end. Apart from mentioning her academy enrollment and wanting to write like me, there wasn’t anything particularly bothersome.

‘I should keep this.’

It seems good to keep fan letters that praise my work or offer encouragement. Reading such letters when I’m feeling down would boost my spirits.

I pondered how to store the fan letters and decided to put them back in their envelopes. I placed the envelope aside on the desk, planning to sort them later.

‘Next…’

One thing I noticed while checking the fan letters was that those from commoners were quite plain, while those from nobles had distinctive colors and patterns.

Moreover, there were overwhelmingly more fan letters from commoners than nobles. Traditionally, novels are more enjoyed by nobles than commoners, but Biography of Xenon is a novel that appeals to people regardless of social status.

Also, nobles make up only about 1% of the total population. That’s why there are more fan letters from commoners.

[Greetings. My name is Guild Tess Hillert, a viscount. I was deeply moved by your book. So I would like to propose something. Visit our family…]

Among the nobles, many tried to emphasize their status and draw me into their families. I skimmed through such letters.

Still, I won’t throw them away since they took the effort to write, even if it meant swallowing their pride. That’s the minimum courtesy, even if no one sees it.

Anyway, it would be better to read the commoners’ fan letters later. There are simply too many to read in one day.

[Marie Housen Reckyless]

“…”

As I continued reading through the fan letters, I discovered one from Marie. I blinked at the pure white envelope and then curled up the corners of my mouth.

I wonder what content Marie included in her letter. I’m looking forward to it.

Finally, I unfolded the letter and began reading the fan letter Marie had written by hand.

[Hello? Respected Author. I am Marie of the Reckyless family. I truly enjoy reading your works.]

Surprisingly, the writing style was plain. The content was nothing more than praise for my work.

Well, that’s fine. My true goal was something else.

‘What would happen if I took this and read it aloud to her?’

What would happen?

“Don’t read it! I told you not to read it!”

“Ack! Don’t hit me! I understand! I won’t read it!”

I’d get smacked.

*****

As I mentioned before, some nobles bribe the publishing house that has the copyright contract for Biography of Xenon. Most ask to be told who the author is or to secretly receive new books when they come out.

Of course, the publishing house never reveals who the author of Biography of Xenon is and only provides the latest publications. From the publishing house’s perspective, it’s better to give the golden eggs early than to cut open the goose that lays them.

Even nobles with high authority might complain about this but don’t hold grudges. If they stir things up and the author of Biography of Xenon disappears, it would be a significant loss for them.

So they put aside the search for the author of Biography of Xenon and received the latest chapters in advance whenever they were released. Thanks to this, they could read Biography of Xenon without engaging in fierce competition.

Even before the official announcement that Biography of Xenon was coming out.

“Hmm~ Hmm hmm~”

Rina, the princess of the Empire of Minerva, was humming a tune while carefully opening a package in her quarters.

Judging by her humming, her mood was excellent. Unlike when she wore her “mask,” her smile now was genuinely sincere.

The reason for this was contained in the package she was opening.

“Ta-da~”

Rina took out a book from the package and held it up high toward the ceiling. Though no one was in her quarters, it was an exaggerated gesture as if showing it off.

This reflected how good her mood was, and for good reason.

Because the book Rina was holding up was Biography of Xenon Volume 10. The publishing house hadn’t even officially announced it yet.

She was able to receive it faster than anyone else because the imperial family lobbied the publishing house.

‘This is when power is good. Hehe.’

If someone saw this, they might criticize her for wasting power on something trivial, but Rina didn’t care. Having been introduced to politics from a young age, using power was a kind of common sense for her.

She gazed at Biography of Xenon Volume 10 with loving eyes before slowly lowering it onto her desk.

‘Issac really is a genius.’

Looking at Biography of Xenon naturally reminded her of Issac. She still misunderstood that Hawk provided the story and Issac wrote it down, but regardless, Issac’s writing skill was undeniably excellent.

Rina couldn’t imagine how one could acquire such writing ability. No matter how she looked at it, it was an ability that didn’t match his age.

‘I must keep him in the empire. But before that…’

Let’s read the story first. Rina smiled brightly as she opened the book.

She was full of anticipation about what kind of story would unfold to entertain her this time.

‘Wow. Love between a human and an elf? That won’t be easy.’

And a story that didn’t betray her expectations unfolded before her eyes. A love story between a human and an elf? This is also a topic that could cause global ripples. Especially from the elven side, she naturally expected a reaction.

Moreover, the amazing readability and description that allowed her to imagine everything in her head without any pictures, just text, was always surprising. The conflict and concerns between Xenon’s master and the Elf Queen felt so vivid.

And that’s not all. The story itself was vast beyond imagination. She couldn’t help but admire how each “foreshadowing” was resolved one by one.

‘Ah. I’ve already finished reading. How disappointing…’

Before she knew it, she had read to the end, losing track of time. It was especially disappointing because the master had infiltrated an area managed by a demon faction executive.

‘What will happen to the relationship between the master and the Elf Queen? Surely it will work out well?’

Though the master left some unsettling words in between, for the sake of dreams and hope, it would be good if they ended up together. Nothing could be more tragic than if something happened to one of them.

Moreover, the master is a man of pure love who only looked at the Elf Queen. When teaching Xenon, he was just an eccentric person, but today’s chapter changed that perception.

Even the reason he wanted to become stronger was to extend his lifespan a little, a story that couldn’t be read without tears. His attempt to overcome racial limitations to win love is exemplary to many people.

‘It will work out. Yes, it definitely will.’

But what is this uneasiness in her heart? Somehow, she has a premonition that something bad will happen to the master.

Rina forcibly suppressed that feeling and turned to the next page. The story was over, but she checked if there was anything else left, a kind of habit.

“Huh? Author’s note?”

And when she turned to the last page, a new chapter titled “Author’s Note” appeared. Rina widened her eyes in question and began reading the note.

At first, it was just a simple introduction. Plus, the fact that Issac started using “Xenon” as a pen name was unexpected to Rina. Revealing a pen name meant he had the will to communicate with the world.

But…

‘…Huh?’

After a while, a thought crossed Rina’s mind.

‘Hiatus… announcement? Mentally exhausted?’

That something big had happened.

‘And for two years…?’

That a huge storm was approaching soon.

“…Eh?”

Rina stared blankly at the author’s note with a bewildered expression.