How To Live As A Writer In A Fantasy World

Musk’s clever sponsorship idea was tempting, but I ultimately decided to reject it.

If an unnecessary dispute were to arise, it could become a hassle. Besides, I had come up with a better development anyway.

If cigars made from World Tree leaves are so expensive, wouldn’t it be best to save them until the very last moment and smoke them then?

World Tree leaf cigars are ridiculously expensive, to the point that even most nobles wouldn’t dare indulge in such a luxury.

Since this plan allowed me to balance both romance and practicality, I decided to go with it. Musk was a bit disappointed, but he respected my decision.

‘History could record that I contributed to the rise in lung cancer cases. I’d rather avoid that.’

Currently, the harmful effects of tobacco are not yet fully understood. In fact, World Tree leaf cigars are widely believed to be beneficial.

However, that applies only to World Tree leaf cigars—tobacco itself is notoriously harmful.

With the lack of scientific advancements, no one knows exactly what substances are in it, but over time, people will gradually come to understand.

It’s an undeniable fact that tobacco is harmful. If I publicly declare that it’s dangerous, people will believe me.

But without clear evidence, I could face backlash.

While no one would openly challenge me right now due to my reputation, I prefer to avoid making potential enemies.

Besides, would smoking rates actually decrease just because people know tobacco is harmful? Not a chance.

Tobacco is an addiction that people can’t quit even when they know it’s killing them.

There are countless cases of patients with lung cancer who still can’t put their cigarettes down.

Anyway, after wrapping up everything related to the side story, I moved on to the next topic.

Naturally, the next project was World War II.

“A world without mana, magic, or even gods…That sounds quite interesting. A war fought purely with science and machines?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“It’s hard to imagine… but… … It certainly sounds fascinating.”

I had shared my full truth with my family and the women close to me, but with Musk, I kept things vague.

He was undeniably loyal and trustworthy, but our relationship wasn’t one of absolute trust.

Of course, it wasn’t that I suspected him of betrayal—what would he even gain from that? If anything, he’d only suffer losses.

But since he wasn’t as close to me as my family or the women in my life, I only revealed about half of the truth.

Even with that, Musk likely picked up on enough.

“Hahaha. The wealthy hold the real power, huh? That’s quite an intriguing world.”

“On the other hand, there are worlds where all wealth is shared.”

“What kind of garbage world is that?”

Marx would be rolling in his grave.

Musk, possessing wealth greater than most political powers, would see communism as nothing short of a disaster.

No wonder he often spoke about how precious money was, how long its history stretched, and so on.

Given how sensitive he was about money, just mentioning communism seemed to trigger him.

I managed to calm him down, but he still shook his head in disgust as if the mere thought of it was appalling.

“… Anyway, I’ll take full responsibility for publishing your book, Sir Isaac. Ah, of course, we’ll need to finalize the contract for the publishing rights. When do you plan to do that?”

“I haven’t decided on the title yet, so there’s no rush. I still need to organize the content as well.”

“Understood. I’ll be waiting then.”

That wrapped up my conversation with Musk. After that, we just chatted about random things—nothing more than idle talk.

Eventually, I saw him off, noting that his expression looked much brighter than before.

Checking the time, I saw it was around 11:30 AM. Leona said she would come to our mansion after lunch, so I just had to wait quietly.

But before that…

“Still playing? What’s the score now?”

“It’s currently 2-2. This is the final match… Ah?”

“Heh. How’s that? Try dodging this one…”

Time to enjoy watching a game of Go.

“You’re completely blocked.”

“Grr…”

“Take your time and think carefully. I’ll wait.”

Surely, they wouldn’t spend the entire break playing Go, right?

★★★

As I watched Cecily and Arwen’s match and finished my lunch, it finally happened.

“Hey!”

“You’re here?”

Just as promised, Leona arrived at our mansion.

As usual, she wore short shorts that showed off her thighs and a simple white tank top.

I greeted her bright smile with a gentle one of my own.

She really lived up to the title of “wild girl.”

“Did you finish packing?”

“Yeah, I cleaned everything up nicely. The locals were really kind, and the prices are quite cheap.”

“That’s because the territory is rapidly developing. Plus, the imperial family is providing support, so there’s a lot of goods coming in. Oh, by the way, did you get a chance to explore the territory?”

“Already did. I even found a great restaurant!”

A restaurant chosen by Leona, huh? That place was bound to see a spike in sales.

She didn’t seem like it at first glance, but as a beastkin, her appetite was far greater than that of most people.

I wasn’t sure whether all the food she ate went to her chest or hips, but it was probably just a trait of her race.

If elves and demons were the races known for beauty, then beastkin were the embodiment of superior physicality.

The men were all well-muscled, while the women… well… let’s just say they were superior in every way. That’s all I could say.

Anyone watching Leona’s figure from behind as she walked ahead would understand exactly what I meant.

Her graceful, curvy body, her firm, swaying hips built for childbirth, and finally, her gently flicking tail.

It had been hidden under her school uniform until now, but she had inherited all the best traits of the beastkin.

‘If it weren’t for the women around me overshadowing her…’

Let’s move past that since it’s their clear strength.

More importantly, now is not the time to admire Leona’s figure.

The reason I called Leona here at this hour is, of course, to have a conversation, but most importantly, it’s about Clark.

Clark said he would maintain his current form only until this winter break, after which he plans to go through a proper burial.

Until then, he intends to slowly sort things out—reuniting with his family and making plans for the future.

For that, Leona’s magic is necessary. Calling another sorcerer would take too much time explaining everything.

“Clark isn’t experiencing any issues yet, right?”

As we headed to the prearranged room, Leona turned back and asked me.

At her question, I briefly recalled Clark’s condition. Just a moment ago, he was puffing on a cigar while being entertained by Ariel’s antics.

He should be waiting in the designated room now—my bedroom, to be precise—but as far as I know, there’s been nothing unusual.

“Yeah. He’s fine so far. Is something bothering you?”

“Of course. The very fact that a skeleton retains its past memories and rationality is strange.”

“Really? How is it supposed to be?”

“Normally, they either lose their memories and become confused or go berserk from losing their rationality.”

Just imagining it is horrifying. Even in his current state, Clark once effortlessly overpowered Kate.

Of course, if my father intervened, he could probably handle it, but could he really exert his full strength? I wouldn’t bet on it.

“Maybe it really is thanks to that kid’s leaf. And it wasn’t just one—you sacrificed several of them, right? That kind of offering is hard to come by.”

“Do you need more?”

“I might. Depending on what decision Clark makes. I’ll explain when we get there.”

Leona said that with a wink, full of confidence as always, making me chuckle.

Soon, we arrived in front of my bedroom, where we had set up the meeting. I cleared my throat to announce my presence before lightly knocking on the door.

Without hesitation, I pushed it open.

As soon as I did, a thick, rich peppermint scent hit my nose.

A deep fragrance only World Tree Leaf cigars could produce.

The problem was that the entire room was filled with it.

Cough, cough.

“Grandfather?”

[Hmm? You’re here?]

Sure enough, there he was—Clark, sitting in a chair, puffing away on his cigar.

And for some reason, Ariel was hanging from his head.

Judging by the book in his hands, he had been teaching Ariel how to read.

The problem was that he was doing it with a cigar in his mouth.

Even in life, he had been an incorrigible chain-smoker. If the cigar weren’t harmless, I would have scolded him properly.

“No matter how much you love smoking, you should at least open the window. Even if it’s a World Tree Leaf cigar, ventilation is a must.”

[Hahaha. Sorry. Ariel seemed fine, so I thought it was okay.]

“It’s still not okay. And Ariel, get down from Grandpa’s head.”

“Don’t wanna…”

“Ahem.”

When I sternly scolded her, Ariel puffed out her cheeks in protest.

That kind of behavior couldn’t become a habit.

I took a deep breath and gave her another sharp look. Only then did she finally come down…

Flap, flap—

“…Huh?”

“Hop!”

She had landed on the floor, but…

What did I just see?

I was momentarily dumbfounded by what had just flashed before my eyes.

But Ariel, unfazed, toddled over to me.

Then, looking up at me with her big, golden eyes, she spread her arms wide and spoke sweetly.

“Hug me!”

“…Ariel?”

“Hug me! Then I won’t complain!”

“Wait, before that…”

Didn’t you just… flap your wings?

Before I could even finish my sentence, Ariel tilted her head.

She must have read my thoughts—at this point, I didn’t even care.

I was too shocked to say anything.

Luckily, Ariel responded.

“Heave-ho!”

After spreading her arms in front of me, she glanced around, then ran toward the bed.

She jumped onto it lightly, then turned to me, as if urging me to watch closely.

She flailed her arms a bit, then leaped into the air. And…

Flap, flap—

She flapped the wings that had sprouted from her back and slowly landed.

That confirmed it.

I hadn’t been mistaken.

Ariel had definitely flapped her wings like a bird.

Since when?

Since when had she been able to fly?

Weren’t those wings just for decoration?

“I was able to do it since yesterday. Ariel, growth!”

Reading my thoughts, she placed her hands on her hips and answered proudly.

Now that I looked closer, the sprout on her head had grown a bit, and more importantly, she seemed slightly taller.

I had been so busy lately that I hadn’t paid much attention to her, and in the meantime, she had grown significantly.

‘Now I feel guilty.’

No matter how busy I was, I should have given her more attention.

I felt both proud and regretful at the same time.

So, I lifted Ariel into my arms as she stood there expectantly with her hands on her hips.

She let out a cheerful laugh, like a child her age should, and just hearing it warmed my heart.

“My little Ariel. You’ve gotten heavier while Daddy was busy. Did you gain weight?”

“Nu-uh. Mommy did.”

She shook her head and revealed something shocking.

Since she could read minds, I guess this was easy for her.

Still, I was curious.

I let out a chuckle and asked in a gentle voice.

“Who? Which mommy?”

“Mommy Mari.”

The moment I heard her answer, I nodded in understanding.

Or rather, it wasn’t that she gained weight—it was that her chest had grown.

Unlike others, Mari was still growing, just like me.

Still, since women are sensitive about their weight, I decided to avoid bringing it up.

“Just don’t tell Mommy that, okay?”

“Okay.”

“Grandfather, I think it’s time for you to put out the cigar.”

Clark sighed. [Alright. But is that girl… okay?]

“Excuse me?”

Who was he talking about?

As I blinked in confusion, Clark pointed to a spot in the room.

And there…

[She’s been like that ever since she walked in.]

Leona, sprawled on the floor, was grinning like an idiot as if she were high.

“…Is she seriously intoxicated by peppermint?”