How To Live As A Writer In A Fantasy World

After receiving a confession from Kate, not much had changed.

She still visited my dormitory for conversations or prayers, just as usual.

The main difference was her attitude toward Clark.

Although she apologized, it seemed that her rash attack, fueled by fanaticism, still weighed on her.

Of course, Clark didn’t mind at all.

He forgave her generously, saying it wasn’t a big deal and that he had met plenty of people like Kate before.

However, there was one thing that seemed to bother Clark during their fight.

[She’s the type to self-destruct the moment a prolonged battle begins.]

“Excuse me?”

Clark said this while lounging on the bed, leisurely reading a book.

He had borrowed some of his father’s clothes since it wasn’t practical to wear his worn-out armor all day.@@novelbin@@

Though his skeletal frame made him look odd, his broad and sturdy physique gave off an imposing aura.

[It’s written clearly in this book, isn’t it? Weapons act as vessels, and when mana overflows from them, it flickers like flames.]

He pointed to a specific part of the book with his finger.

He was reading the latter half of volume one of The Chronicles of Zenon, which detailed the time Zenon was rigorously trained by Kair.

For the record, Kair’s teachings were known for their strict adherence to historical accuracy.

And who did Kair learn these theories from?

Naturally, it was my father.

Whenever I asked him questions, he would patiently explain, drawing from his personal experiences.

At the time, I didn’t realize how powerful he was, let alone that he bore the title of the Red Lion.

“Yes, I heard about it from Father. He said Grandfather passed it down to him too, right?”

[That’s correct. It’s one of those bits of wisdom you naturally acquire as your skills improve through countless battles. It’s difficult, but if you start mastering it at a young age, it holds great potential.] ṙ𝙖ΝÔ𝖇ʧ

Mana dissipates quickly into the air, so it must be contained within a vessel to increase its efficiency.

The amount of mana contained in a weapon serves as a measure of one’s skill.

However, it never fully integrates; a faint band forms on the weapon’s surface.

Many mistakenly believe that a larger or denser band signifies greater power, but Father always insisted that wasn’t true.

‘I caught a lot of flak for that.’

This theory, as mentioned earlier, appears in the first volume of The Chronicles of Zenon.

While the series only gained popularity after volume five (The Sacrifice of Sakran), it wasn’t initially well-received.

Once it garnered attention, debates began.

Since only those with extensive combat experience could intuitively understand it, most people didn’t believe the theory.

Some even accused me of spreading false information or trying to undermine the effectiveness of knights.

Public opinion grew so hostile that I asked Father about it several times.

He reassured me, dismissing the criticism as nonsense.

In hindsight, I think it was the first real crisis I faced.

Thankfully, the public’s attention shifted toward the demonic threat, and the controversy subsided quickly.

‘Asking about iaido was also interesting.’

When I asked Father about iaido—often depicted as a special move in comics—his answer was incredibly straightforward.

It was either used for assassinations and ambushes or practiced by “weirdos obsessed with strange techniques.”

The former was explained as a dangerous technique that had bested many skilled warriors.

As for the latter, Father simply dismissed it, saying he had no comment.

Later, when I asked Dave and Nicole, they outright called sheathing one’s sword in the middle of a battle “insanity.”

They even bluntly said that anyone falling for such an obvious move was even crazier.

Father must’ve been exasperated when I, someone with no knowledge of weapons, asked such questions.

In hindsight, it was a bit embarrassing.

Still, he explained that in terms of sheer power, iaido was so effective that the term “finishing move” felt appropriate.

[That girl has so much divine power that it flickers like flames. It’s like looking at an uncut gemstone.]

“Are you planning to teach her?”

[Too much hassle. But I should at least tell my son about it.]

He brushed off the idea so casually that I couldn’t help but look at him incredulously.

“Won’t Father complain?”

[Do you expect me to work a recently resurrected man to death? I’m destined to turn to ash and ascend soon; I deserve a bit of leisure.]

With a response like that, I had nothing left to say.

Clark had every right to speak as he did.

Without his sacrifice, the world would have long since fallen into the hands of demon worshippers.

Perhaps The Chronicles of Zenon unfolded exactly as written.

With high-ranking officers similar to the Seven Deadly Sins in the story, it wasn’t impossible.

‘He’s like a pivotal turning point.’

I glanced at Clark reading The Chronicles of Zenon in bed before turning my gaze forward again.

While he was only on volume one, I was currently writing volume 29.

In the current arc, Jin was searching for the soul of Diabolos to save Lily, with Zenon belatedly tracking his movements.

Mary, meanwhile, stayed behind to care for Lily.

‘I need to show how the changing circumstances are being tracked one by one.’

In the story, six months had passed since Jin set off on his journey, yet there was still no news from him.

That’s why Zenon decided to follow him.

The first place Zenon visited was Alvenheim, the ruined kingdom of the elves.

Though they suffered immense losses, their nature as a race allowed them to recover quickly.

With the dark elves joining forces, it wouldn’t take long to restore their former glory.

The problem, however, was that Queen Elisha remained paralyzed by grief.

Choosing a new leader was uncertain, and leaving things as they were risked escalating tensions between the elves and dark elves.

Elisha was the only person who could mediate, but for now, she remained lost in despair, doing nothing at all.

In the epilogue, Kair reincarnates, but that’s still a story for another time…

Zenon, longing for Kair, who was like a father to him, continues to follow Jin’s trail.

His next destination after Alvenheim is Pandem, the land of demons.

Since the Second Demon War, perceptions of demons have changed drastically, and Pandem’s atmosphere has become much brighter than before.

Taking inspiration from the real-world Helium for the description won’t pose much difficulty.

What’s important is where Jin has gone.

Clues about Jin’s whereabouts surface here: it’s revealed that he is tracking the scattered souls of Diabolos across the surface.

Jin is known to have embarked on this journey purely out of a desire to save Lily.

Upon hearing this, Zenon feels an unexplainable anxiety and hastens his pace.

Traveling across the world and piecing together clues, Zenon finally discovers where Jin has headed. That place is…

“Grandfather.”

[Hmm? Why are you calling me?]

“The place where the Kingdom of Gerios once stood has now become a desert, right?”

[That’s right. It’s a lifeless land of death now.]

It’s where the Demon War first erupted—the Kingdom of Gerios, now a desert.

Unlike other deserts, the sky there is shrouded in gray clouds, creating an eerie atmosphere.

Anyone who has studied even a bit of history knows that the Kingdom of Gerios was the first to fall in the Demon War.

However, no one knows that demons weren’t beings from another dimension but were originally humans.

Initially, Jin came here because it was the origin of the Demon War, but I plan to add more coherence to the story.

“From here on, I’ll be following Jin’s trail—starting with the hidden underground ruins and uncovering the truth about demons.”

If this truth comes to light, the world will once again be turned upside down.

But this isn’t just my imagination; it’s something passed down to me by Clark, based on ‘authenticity.’

Suddenly, I recall the words I once said when I revealed the truth:

“It’s all just a figment of my imagination.”

Now, even that feels like a lie. It seems likely that I’ll end up in a situation I can neither escape nor deny.

But it doesn’t matter. I’ve already been inoculated with the Cardinal’s corruption scandal.

“Grandfather, have you ever been to where the Kingdom of Gerios once stood?”

[I have. Are you planning to go too?]

Clark, habitually licking his fingers despite being a skeleton, casually flipped through the pages of a book.

His behavior, oblivious to his skeletal nature, felt strangely subtle.

“No. I want to live a long life. That place is crawling with all kinds of monsters, including mummies.”

[True. They’re not ordinary skeletons but demons, so they’re even stronger.]

The desert that once housed the Kingdom of Gerios features monsters many times stronger than those in other areas.

Would you believe a skeleton casting magic?

It’s possible in this desert, where such skeletons naturally occur.

Add to that massive sandworms and desert scorpions—it’s not a place where humans can survive.

Many scholars speculate that the demons first appeared there, which explains the powerful monsters.

However, based on Clark’s explanation, there seems to be another reason.

“Was there also a summoning circle there?”

[Hard to say. Most of the structures have weathered away, making it difficult to identify anything. But given that the Demon War started with a summoning ritual, it’s likely.]

“I see.”

[Are you planning to put everything I’ve said into your book?]

Clarke asked curiously after my string of questions. I nodded and jotted down his words in my notebook.

“Yes, but it won’t be exactly the same. It’s a fictional story, after all.”

[Fictional, yet it’s said to rival prophecies.]

“It’s all just coincidence. I’ll omit some parts—and add what I’m currently writing.”

[Well, if you say it’s coincidence, I won’t pry. The gods seem to tacitly approve since they haven’t interfered.]

As Clark pointed out, even though I’ve uncovered various truths, the gods haven’t intervened.

If they had an issue, they’d have summoned Kate to bring me in.

Moreover, my next project, after Zenon’s biography, is a Second World War narrative packed with extreme ideologies.

The gods not intervening suggests they see more benefits than drawbacks.

“By the way, Grandfather, is there anywhere you’d like to go?”

[What’s the point of going anywhere in this state?]

“Even so, there must be somewhere you wanted to go.”

[Not really. I went everywhere I wanted during my lifetime. Oh, have you been to the sea?]

I paused mid-sentence, recalling my past life, then shook my head.

Since reincarnating, I hadn’t been to the sea.

Before enrolling in the academy, I hadn’t even left the capital.

I’d lived as a recluse, barely known to the residents of the Michelle estate. And the sea was far from our territory.

“Of course not. I’ve never had a reason to go.”

[Is that so? Then it’s best you don’t. Even if you have a reason, don’t go too deep into the sea.]

“Why not?”

Clark, who had been idly flipping pages, closed the book and set it aside.

It seemed he had finished reading the first volume.

Picking up the second volume of Zenon’s biography, he replied in his characteristic monotone:

[It’s in our family’s constitution. The deeper we go into the sea, the more our strength drains. Rivers and lakes are fine, but it’s different with the sea.]

“What, some kind of curse?”

[Who knows? I’m not sure about this either.]

Did we eat some kind of cursed fruit or something?

It’s not a complete aversion to water, just to the sea—how peculiar. I had considered taking Mari to the sea for our honeymoon, but Clark’s words made me hesitate.

Still, I’ve been blessed by Hirt; my constitution should be fine.

“Alright, I’ll keep that in mind.”

[Good. By the way, when are you getting me cigarettes? Books are best enjoyed with a cigarette.]

“There’s a sprout growing on Ariel’s head. Should I dry that and use it?”

[No, no… Using your great-granddaughter like that is a bit much.]

After a brief chat with Clark, I switched back to writing mode to finish the ending of Volume 29.

The conclusion, one that would shock and awe readers, was finally complete…

“Now, time to call Rina.”

I decided to first secure a place to hide.