Ch.85Rest (4)

“Festival” is one of the concepts that can never be absent from human history.

Even now, but especially for ancient people, “farming” was a particularly important means of survival, making them sensitive to seasonal changes in nature. Even in environments where farming wasn’t possible, the environment still changed with the seasons.

Due to these seasonal environmental changes, people believed that “gods” must have intervened, and they offered sacrifices to them. The custom that emerged from offering these sacrifices is precisely what we call festivals.

As time passed and civilization developed, festivals began to take various forms. People still held festivals where they offered sacrifices to gods, but as history accumulated, people assigned special meanings to special days.

Among the famous types of festivals, the most notable are naturally “Foundation Day” celebrations and New Year festivals. Foundation Day celebrations include the meaning that the country has overcome various hardships and difficulties, so it’s fair to say they feature the most extensive scale of festivities.

But even Foundation Day celebrations pale in comparison to New Year festivals. The New Year holds diverse meanings for everyone regardless of race, so it naturally had to be the biggest celebration.

As mentioned earlier, “festivals” are an indispensable part of human history and continue to this day.

So what is the most important element in holding festivals these days?

Sacred offerings to the gods? Capital to fund grand celebrations? Various spectacles?

None of these. Festivals fundamentally transform into their true meaning only when “people” gather together to enjoy them.

No matter how much money is poured in, how systematically plans are set, or how many attractions there are, it’s all meaningless if there are no people.

And I am experiencing this common sense firsthand.

Not in a negative way, but in a positive one.

“Wow…”

I opened my mouth in amazement at the unbelievable sight outside the window. If the atmosphere of our territory had previously been peace emerging from tranquility, now it was bustling with activity as people gathered in crowds.

As I’ve mentioned before, our territory is a rural area without any distinctive features. The reason it has high development potential is because many young people reside in the village and it’s close to the capital.

Still, the fact that it’s a rural backwater hasn’t changed, so it’s always been rather quiet. The reason young people remain here is also because of Father.

They might not know about Father’s fame as the Navy Knights Commander, but the fact alone that he’s a commoner who became a noble is enough to stimulate young people’s curiosity. That’s why there were wailing sounds in the mansion yard every day.

But now it’s different. The once nearly empty streets were being filled with buildings and stalls under construction, and performance venues, the highlight of any festival, were being built on the vast plains.

Even the villagers I’d occasionally become acquainted with were helping with festival preparations. Since this wasn’t a festival planned by the village itself but one supported by the Empire, they couldn’t help but work hard.

Of course, that didn’t mean their faces showed any dissatisfaction. Rather, they probably didn’t even notice their fatigue due to the happiness of seeing the village prosper.

“Though I’ve held this territory for several years now, this is the first time I’ve seen it so lively.”

Father spoke as we watched buildings being created in real-time like in a game. I turned my head upon hearing his words, filled with their characteristic weightiness.

As always, his strong face exuded masculinity, but today he looked particularly haggard. His complexion showed fatigue accumulated from several sleepless nights.

Indeed, since the exhibition was decided to be held in Mayshall territory, Father had become noticeably busier. Processing mountains of approval documents was just the basics; he also met with various people.

Making contracts with merchant groups visiting the territory out of curiosity, consulting with construction managers, meticulously planning the exhibition with Leort.

With the sudden surge in workload causing him to work overtime almost every day, he couldn’t help but be tired.

“Father, you look very tired?”

“Even when tired, seeing the scene outside makes me feel like all my fatigue is gone. Besides, I did this kind of work often during my active duty days. It just feels unfamiliar because it’s been so long.”

Come to think of it, he wasn’t just a knight but a knights commander. Not just a member of an ordinary knight order, but actually the commander, so he must have handled administrative work too.

Moreover, since the Navy Knights were responsible for borders, they had to use their allocated budget frugally. Though they probably received more money than other places, the military is always short on funds no matter how much is poured in.

Furthermore, since the Navy Knights were similar to a special forces unit, training just one knight required astronomical funding. As the person in charge, Father would have had to distribute that budget efficiently, naturally improving his abilities.

‘Still, it must be hard for him.’

I heard that Mother was also helping Father with his work. She’s probably suffering under mountains of paperwork right now.

Feeling apologetic about this, I smiled awkwardly, and Father grinned as he placed his hand firmly on my shoulder. I could feel the thick palm and its weight.

“You don’t need to feel so sorry. This festival is essentially entirely for you. As I’ve said before, I’m proud of you. You’re accomplishing things one by one that even I couldn’t do.”

“I couldn’t have done it without your help, Father.”

“I haven’t done anything for you… but it’s nice to hear you say so.”

These words were dripping with parental sentiment. Children can’t do anything without their parents’ love and devotion, yet those very parents claim they’ve done nothing for their children.

When I looked at him with emotional eyes, Father silently ruffled my hair. When I’m with my parents, I want to act like a carefree child.

I smiled broadly, then pointed to the construction site and asked Father:

“Will all of those be completed before the exhibition starts?”

“They’ll probably be completed just in time. The plan isn’t to build separate buildings specifically for the exhibition, but to use our entire territory. I heard the scale of the play is quite large too, so our empty territory is suitable.”

As Father explained, the exhibition will use our entire territory. In other words, it’s not an event held in a complexly designed building like a museum, but literally closer to a festival format.

Of course, since musical and theatrical troupes are coming, the event will proceed according to plan. During the lively daytime, people will view artwork, and during the quiet evening, they’ll focus on the theatrical troupe and play.

I thought about the theatrical troupe scheduled for the evening and asked Father. Though I’d seen an orchestra at the Academy’s freshman event, I’d never seen a theatrical troupe before.

“Father, have you ever seen a play?”

“I saw a few with your mother long ago. They’re quite entertaining.”

“Did those plays also use the entire plain like this one will?”

Normally plays are performed on stage, but for some reason, this play is planned to take place on the wide plain.

That’s why the performance venue was being built on the plain, and the seating area was considerably wide. They were even installing semi-transparent curtains similar to what I’d seen at the Academy’s dueling ground.

“Hmm…”

Father gazed intently at the direction I was pointing to and stroked his chin. Then he answered as if he also found it curious.

“The plays I saw with your mother were performed on stage. But the troupe coming this time is famous in many ways.”

“In what ways? I only know their name is Matrix Troupe.”

“They’re famous for their realistic expressions. For example, if the setting calls for snow, they actually make it snow, and if it’s supposed to rain, they make it rain. They even create explosions, making their performances several times more vivid than other troupes.”

Wow. That’s almost like a movie.

Judging by their production techniques, they’re very similar to the famous director from my previous life, Christopher Nolan. But he was a film director, and such productions are nearly impossible with the science of this world.

Seeing my puzzled expression, Father smiled and said:

“Even I don’t know the details. It would be better to ask your mother about these things. But most people think they use magic.”

“Using magic just for a play seems a bit…”

“That’s why they’re more famous. There’s a high possibility that elves or demons are among their members. Above all, we just need to watch and see how well they’ve made it.”

A play using special effects… I’m really looking forward to it.

It will probably feel like watching a movie. Although it will be for a short time, that’s enough.

I looked out the window with growing anticipation for the exhibition. In the brief moment I’d looked away, several buildings had already been erected.

Normally, it takes several months just to build one building, so I was worried if they might have cut corners.

‘I should go check it out later.’

If the construction is shoddy, who knows what disaster might occur. In my previous life too, there were many cases of buildings collapsing due to poor construction, so it’s better to be especially careful.

Of course, since the imperial family is supporting this, such incidents are unlikely, but the world doesn’t always go as expected.

“Issac, have you sent a letter saying you’ll attend the exhibition?”

Father asked me while I was looking outside. I turned away from the window and looked at him with a questioning expression.

“A letter?”

“Yes. We know you’re the author, so we’d call this a festival for you, but to others, it’s a festival for the author of Biography of Xenon. If the protagonist doesn’t show up, I wonder if this festival would have any meaning.”

As I’ve said before, this exhibition is where master artists from around the world, inspired by Biography of Xenon, present their own works.

So, like a Hong Chul team without Hong Chul, if the original author doesn’t appear, not only will the fun be diminished, but the artists attending the festival might be greatly disappointed.

After pondering Father’s words, I had several concerns, so I cautiously asked:

“What if problems arise?”

“That won’t happen, so don’t worry too much. There will be many people attending the festival anyway, and you just need to say you’ll attend. After the festival ends, mention some artists and send a letter saying it was really enjoyable.”

“Hmm… alright.”

When Father speaks, good things happen even in your sleep, so it’s best to quietly follow. Father smiled as I willingly accepted.

“Then I’ll go rest for a while. More paperwork will pile up in a few hours, so it’s better to rest now.”

“Take it easy. What if you collapse?”

“Compared to my active duty days, this is nothing.”

“If there’s anything I can help with…”

“No. You just need to sit back and enjoy the festival. As I said earlier, this festival is for you.”

Father left those words and returned to his room. I stared at the door he had exited through, then turned my head back toward the window.

A festival solely for fans of Biography of Xenon. The once quiet territory was now filled with vitality and energy, and smiles bloomed on people’s faces.

I quietly observed the scene and became immersed in my thoughts. The work I wrote has become a culture of its own, breathing life into the territory. It felt completely different seeing it with my own eyes rather than hearing about it through newspapers.

‘Come to think of it, there was a similar place in Korea.’

The Kim Kwang-seok Street, where they created a cultural street in the region where Kim Kwang-seok was born, transforming it into a distinctive feature of that area.

‘If our territory becomes like that…’

Seeing the rapidly changing appearance of the territory, my ambition began to creep up. The place where I was born and raised becomes a landmark visited by numerous tourists, and festivals like this are held periodically.

How fulfilling would that be? Though I claim to have no desire for money and power, there’s an irresistible charm in seeing my novel become a culture of its own.

Should I call this honor? I could somewhat understand why so many people live and die for honor.

‘The artists must also find it difficult to travel around…’

Perhaps due to my ambition, I began to rationalize internally. I wasn’t unaware of this, but it was hard to resist.

I stared at the streets gradually transforming into a proper territory and whispered softly:

“A festival for me…”

I wonder what form this territory will develop into in the distant future. Will it grow into a cultural city like Kim Kwang-seok Street, or will it remain just another territory?

‘Would it be okay to just reveal that my birthplace is Mayshall territory?’

As I’ve always said, people assume the author of Biography of Xenon is an experienced sage.

So they would only know that the birthplace is Mayshall territory, and while they might do some investigation, there’s a high probability it won’t go beyond that. It’s just that the birthplace is Mayshall territory; no one knows where the author currently lives.

‘I shouldn’t decide this alone. I should ask Father and Rina too.’

I continued to look out the window for a long time afterward.