How To Live As A Writer In A Fantasy World

The Supreme Leader of the Savior Theocracy is the Pope, but even the Pope is just an ordinary clergyman in the face of an oracle.

However, oracles are often open to multiple interpretations, and the Pope holds immense authority in selecting one of those interpretations.

If another clergyman declares, “This is what the oracle means!” but the Pope disagrees, then their claim holds no weight.

Of course, it’s not as if the gods, who can read the future, wouldn’t have foreseen this.

It’s possible that the recent oracle led to the decision to hasten the expedition to the Gray Desert. Rina seems to think so too.

“But the problem is that the Savior Theocracy isn’t revealing the details of the oracle.”

“Are you saying they lied?”

“It’s probably not a lie. They tried that in the past and were struck down by divine punishment—accused of tarnishing the prestige of the gods.”

The gods, including Luminous, are usually boundlessly benevolent, but in certain matters, they are strict.

Even if the truth is difficult to convey, they will only speak what is true.

Perhaps because of this, while they may speak in a roundabout way, they are extremely strict about lies.

As Rina just mentioned, an attempt to falsely claim an oracle had been received was met with divine retribution.

Even the most devout fanatics truly believe they are conveying the will of the gods, and they never lie.

That itself is a problem due to how extreme it can get. But the gods do not restrain their fanatics precisely because they do not speak falsehoods.

“Are you saying the Savior Theocracy might be up to something suspicious?”

“As of now, it’s highly possible. They might even deny the truth revealed in ‘The Chronicles of Zenon.’ If that happens, your position will become very precarious.”

“Hmm…”

I pondered upon hearing her words. To be honest, the possibility of Rina’s hypothetical scenario coming true is practically zero.

Clark himself witnessed the truth with his own eyes, and I merely recorded it in The Chronicles of Zenon.

If it had been a lie, the gods would have warned me. But they didn’t.

In other words, the fact that demons originated from humans is highly likely to be true.

‘It’s not as if they intend to purge me.’

Furthermore, the gods hold me in great favor. Even Hirt, the Supreme God and Chief Deity, granted me the pure blessing of nature—a Divine Power.

I exposed the demon worshippers who had been corrupting the world bit by bit and, beyond that, delayed the Demon War by thousands of years.

Simply put, the gods would never abandon me. Doing so would realistically bring great harm upon themselves.

Not because I would make it happen, but because the believers might begin to doubt them.

My reputation has grown so immense that it is now second only to the gods themselves.

‘I should also consider the possibility that the Savior Theocracy misinterpreted the oracle.’

Right now, there are far too many possible scenarios.

The worst-case scenario would be if the truth I revealed turned out to be false, but that is simply not possible.

However, the fact that the Savior Theocracy hastened the departure of the expedition is troubling.

I snapped out of my thoughts and asked Rina,

“The Savior Theocracy is the leading nation responsible for the expedition, right?”

“Yeah.”

“How are the other nations supporting it?”

“They’ve provided basic supplies and dispatched knight orders. Helium and Alvenheim are in a similar situation.

But given the nature of the expedition, the influence of the Theocracy is bound to be strong.

Crossing the desert is dangerous, and since there are non-combatants in the expedition, the role of the clergy is crucial.”

I had seen something about this in the newspaper earlier.

The ancient ruins in the Gerios Kingdom had remained buried for over 3,000 years due to various circumstances.

For scholars, this was not only a chance to uncover the origins of the Demon War but also an opportunity to excavate a hegemonic civilization from 3,000 years ago.

Naturally, scholars would be ecstatic, foaming at the mouth to participate.

As soon as news of the expedition broke, scholars from all over the world rushed to join. As a result, archaeologists and other academics make up a significant portion of the expedition.

Even some scholars frequently mentioned in newspapers are included.

‘Though their numbers must be small.’

Of course, there are only about ten of them. The Gray Desert is a deadly zone where merely walking on its sands is life-threatening.

The more non-combatants there are, the heavier the burden on the expedition, so their numbers had to be minimized.

Still, since those ten are highly esteemed scholars, excavating the ruins shouldn’t be too difficult.

“I just don’t understand why they moved up the schedule. What kind of oracle did they receive?”

“There are plenty of suspicious aspects beyond just the oracle. For now, we can only hope the expedition succeeds. If it does, then either Helium or Alvenheim can set up a teleportation gate.”

Some people might have wondered: if crossing the Gray Desert on foot is so difficult, why not just fly with magic or use teleportation?

It’s not as if no one thought of that.

But teleportation magic requires knowing the coordinates of the destination.

You must first reach a place before you can teleport there. Otherwise, you might end up lost forever.

What about flying?

While it broadens your field of vision, it makes navigation nearly impossible, especially in a desert where it’s easy to lose one’s way.

Furthermore, the demon race had been isolated for so long that they never had the opportunity to attempt such a thing, and Alvenheim never cared enough to try.

Elves, with their typical mindset, probably questioned why they should bother going to such a desolate place.

Still, it was reported that an elven scholar had joined the expedition.

“By the way, why are you telling me all this? Do you want me to ask the gods about the oracle?”

After getting a general grasp of the situation, I probed Rina’s intentions. The Gray Desert expedition had little to do with me.

The origin of demons had already been tacitly acknowledged as truth by the gods. No matter what was uncovered there, to me, it was just another story.

So there must be a reason Rina was sharing all of this with me. I stared at her in silence.

Rina held my gaze with a serious expression for a while, then, as if embarrassed, she chuckled.

“…No. I just wanted to hear your thoughts. I’m feeling so frustrated that I was grasping at straws.

If the Theocracy had acted on their own, that’d be one thing, but since an oracle was involved, we’re completely powerless.”

This was a side effect of living in a world where divine authority was absolute.

No matter what bizarre events unfolded in the Savior Theocracy, they could maintain their dominance simply because the existence of gods was undeniable.

Even if other nations lodged protests, a single phrase—”It is the will of the gods”—would silence them all.

Mortal beings could complain, but they had to obey.

If the Theocracy hadn’t previously gone mad with religious fanaticism and committed atrocities, things would likely be even worse.

Whether Luminous wanted this situation or not, the Theocracy had an incredibly powerful backer.

Even if Luminous were to abandon the Theocracy, the Theocracy would never abandon Luminous.

“…Fine. I’ll ask. I was planning to visit the temple soon anyway.”

I tapped my cheek with my finger and glanced at Rina before speaking. It was both to honor her request and satisfy my own curiosity.

“R-Really? You’re really going to ask?”

Rina’s eyes widened in urgency, making her look like a startled cat.

The real cat (Leona) was elsewhere, but the resemblance was close enough.

I nodded.

“Yeah. But don’t get your hopes up. Luminous might say it’s difficult to reveal. And since oracles can be interpreted in many ways, the focus should be on the Theocracy, not Luminous.”

“Y-Yeah, of course. How could mere mortals understand the will of the gods? I was just curious about the content of the oracle.”

“Got it. Anything else?”

“Well… there is one more thing…”

Rina hesitated, her cheeks slightly flushed.

“It’s about the demon worshippers. You know they’ve been very active in the shadows, right?”

“Yeah.”

“And that a significant amount of their funding was leaking from the Minerva Empire?”

“Wasn’t Count Kerrison’s family the biggest victim?”

Rina then whispered something shocking.

“The funds they used… were counterfeit currency.”

“Counterfeit Currency?”

I widened my eyes at the mention of counterfeit currency. Counterfeiting is one of the oldest crimes on Earth.

Its power is so dangerous that it can completely collapse a nation’s economy.

Not only does it shatter trust in a currency, but it also causes the money supply to skyrocket exponentially, leading to inflation.

In the distant past, issuing counterfeit currency was often punishable by death or something equivalent.

In fact, even during wartime, counterfeiting was a common military tactic.

It seems that the demon worshippers also funded themselves using counterfeit currency.

The problem is that their target was none other than the Minerva Empire, known for its immense economic power.

Considering that the demon worshippers have been active for quite some time, by now, counterfeit Minerva Empire currency must have spread worldwide.

‘And since the Minerva Empire’s currency also serves as a reserve currency…’

Gold, silver, copper, and so on—the Minerva Empire’s currency is categorized in this way, and due to its economic strength, it even functions as a reserve currency.

Although a monetary reform has yet to introduce paper money, it is still treated as a quasi-reserve currency.

However, unlike the dollar, which is an almost perfect reserve currency, it is closer to the euro, yen, or pound.

This is because global finance has yet to develop, and advanced financial markets do not exist.

In this situation, if counterfeit Minerva Empire currency has spread worldwide…

“We’re screwed.”

“…That was blunt.”

“I have no choice but to be blunt.”

A country’s counterfeit currency spreading across the world before the invention of central banks? And that currency happens to play a quasi-reserve role?

There is virtually no way to contain this mess.

The real and fake currency would have mixed so thoroughly that distinguishing between them would be impossible.

Moreover, the fact that people are only now realizing the existence of counterfeit currency means that the demon worshippers’ counterfeits are incredibly sophisticated.

Thanks to this, the Minerva Empire will once again be branded as the cradle of demon worshippers. It’s practically a punching bag at this point.

‘At least the empire is sensitive to these matters.’

The empire isn’t foolish. As its economy grew, it became more meticulous in preventing counterfeiting.

Had they not done so, the Minerva Empire would have seen a dramatic increase in slums, and its economy would have completely collapsed.

They suffered losses by implementing periodic monetary reforms, but it was a necessary sacrifice to mitigate greater damage.

“What’s the scale of the damage?”

“It’s worse outside the empire than within. The demon worshippers were cunning—they didn’t distribute counterfeit money inside the empire but only outside.

It seems they didn’t want to take the risk, knowing how sensitive our empire is to this issue.”

“Smarter than I expected.”

“More like devious. Anyway, this could end with some diplomatic backlash, but…”

The person in front of me gazed at me with wide, expectant blue eyes.

It was clear that they were subtly asking if there was any way to counter counterfeiting. Seeing the expression, I couldn’t help but chuckle.

‘Does this woman think I’m some blue raccoon robot?’

Well, I suppose it’s understandable.

But unfortunately, when it comes to counterfeiting, there is no real way to prevent it.

Even with central banks and advanced financial systems, counterfeit money still circulates around the world.

Even the U.S. dollar frequently sees counterfeit bills so well-made that they are indistinguishable from real ones.

Counterfeit money has always been around in the world I came from. It’s not something you prevent—it’s something you catch.

“Sorry, but there’s nothing I can do.”

“Really?”

“Rather than that, start by establishing a proper financial management institution. Right now, money is leaking everywhere, and no one even noticed.”

What the Minerva Empire needs most right now isn’t a central bank—it’s a proper control tower, a centralized system.

The fact that their counterfeit currency has been circulating globally without them realizing it is a massive issue.

It’s not that the current emperor, Verit, is incompetent. It’s just that the demon worshippers are cunning, and the nobles aren’t cooperating.

This is the biggest weakness of feudalism—Europe was like this before the Black Death struck.

‘Funny how the demon worshippers are playing the role of the Black Death in this case.’

Of course, even without this, the Kingdom of Terus developed its political system in a different way. After all, revolutions are scarier than diseases.

Anyway, counterfeiting is a crime that will never disappear as long as currency exists, no matter how developed the economy and financial sector become.

There’s a reason why people say money is the scariest thing in the world. The only real solution is to hunt down the counterfeiters.

“…I understand. I guess this incident is a reason to strengthen imperial authority further.”

Lina sighed in frustration. I felt bad for her, but I really didn’t have a solution.

“Do you have anything else to say?”

“No, nothing.”

“Then I’ll be off to see Luminous. I have other matters to take care of, so it might take some time.”

After that, I headed to the temple of Luminous and asked directly in a private prayer room.

[I’m sorry, child. That is something I cannot tell you.]

I knew it.

★★★

The Gray Desert Expedition was technically backed by multiple nations, but in reality, it was almost entirely a venture of the Savior Theocracy.

They departed abruptly, claiming they had received divine guidance, even before the other nations could send full support.

Originally, the plan was to gather an elite force of around 1,000 soldiers, but only about 700 had assembled.

Though fewer than expected, each soldier was elite, and only about 50 of them were non-combat personnel.

More importantly, the crucial issue of supply lines was resolved thanks to magicians dispatched from Helium and Alvenheim.

At a glance, the only real issue seemed to be the lack of numbers.

However, their destination was the cursed land, infamous for its danger.

No expedition had ever successfully crossed it.

It was nothing but a vast, forsaken desert that no one had dared explore.

Yet, all these elite warriors from around the world had gathered in pursuit of a single truth—

Humans, demons, beastfolk, dwarves, and elves alike.

Each race was ready to contribute their strengths to uncover the secrets buried for over 3,000 years.

“Do you really think Isaac’s words are true…?”

A weary, sluggish voice, its speaker’s dark circles nearly reaching her cheeks.

However, being an elf, her beauty only added an oddly decadent charm to her exhaustion.

Cindy’s question caused another elf, Elena, to look up from the map she was studying.

Cindy was visibly anxious—it had been nearly a hundred years since she last left the academy.

However, it wasn’t the journey itself that made her nervous.

It was the truth buried within that land.

“Who knows? It’s unverified information. We’ll have to go and see for ourselves.”

“Aren’t you even curious…?”

“I’m so curious I feel like I’m going crazy. It’s been a long time since my heart pounded like this.”

I’ve explained it a few times before, but Elena and Cindy were originally adventurers who traveled the world, uncovering ruins.

To organize the knowledge they gained during their adventures, they conducted research at the academy. They weren’t about to miss this opportunity.

Of course, Cindy, who was drowning in laziness, didn’t want to go, but Elena personally dragged her along.

“A ruin appearing for the first time in 3,000 years—doesn’t that excite you? If it were just an individual expedition, maybe, but this is a national-level expedition. There’s no way we can pass this up.”

“R-right… Did you inform the academy?”

“Nope! We’ll be back before winter break ends.”

“… …”

Cindy stared at her in disbelief. She was so stunned that she was at a loss for words.

Elena usually carried herself with an air of intelligence, but sometimes, her adventurous spirit would flare up.

In these cases, there was no stopping her. After spending a hundred years quietly at the academy, it was understandable.

In the end, Cindy could only sigh deeply and grumble. Becoming her assistant was the worst decision of her life.

“Do as you please… but I don’t want to die…”

“I knew you’d say that, so I brought this guy along.”

At Cindy’s remark, Elena linked arms with the man standing beside her.

Seeing her press her ample chest tightly against his thick arm, it was clear that their relationship was not just casual.

Cindy watched the scene for a moment before lifting her gaze to examine the man’s face.

He had handsome features, but his rugged beard gave him a more macho impression.

His build was massive, and even from his arms alone, it was obvious he was incredibly muscular.

“I know you were asked to come, but isn’t it nice to get outside for once, my queen?”

“Haha… Well…”

At Elena’s words, the man, Iker, let out an awkward chuckle.

Surprisingly, he was participating in the expedition.

However, he was using a pseudonym and acting more as a bodyguard than a direct combatant.

Naturally, his primary responsibility was to protect his wife, the scholar Elena, as well as her assistant, Cindy.

Aside from them, a few elves dispatched from Alvenheim were also part of the group, but Elena and Cindy were the only scholars.

Originally, other elven scholars should have been included, but the Savior Theocracy had set off earlier than expected, leaving them out.

“I heard the desert is scorching hot. Will you be alright?”

“I’ll be fine. But look at your skin—just how little have you been outside to be even paler than me?”

“I do visit the holy sites occasionally, but…”

“No excuses. Anyway, I’ll be counting on you this time.”

Elena clung to him even more, as if wanting to show her affection openly.

Even after decades of marriage, their bond remained strong.

For Cindy, witnessing this in real-time only made her feel lonelier.

Iker chuckled at his wife’s affection, then surveyed the expedition team.

As expected from a unit assembled by the Savior Theocracy, each member carried an imposing aura.

Not to mention, even a cardinal was part of the group.

“They departed earlier than planned… Suspicious…”

Alvenheim had never trusted the Savior Theocracy, which was why they sent Iker as reinforcement.

To make this happen, Arwen had personally sought him out and persuaded him with relentless effort.

Initially, Iker wasn’t thrilled about it either, but as soon as he heard Elena would be joining the expedition, he changed his mind.

If something happened to Elena, his heart would be shattered beyond repair.

“Something’s off. The moment we enter the ruins, they’ll likely show their true intentions.”

Iker had firsthand experience with humanity’s cunning and adaptability during the racial war.

If they were hiding something, he would remain on guard.

On the surface, they were merely a normal expedition crossing the desert, but the real story would begin when the truth was revealed.

What was it about this ruin that prompted such a hasty decision?

Iker once again examined the bustling expedition members before turning to Elena.

“Elena, can you show me a map of where we’re headed?”

“Here.”

Checking the location first was the smart move. In the worst-case scenario, they might need to flee on foot.

Without questioning his intentions, Elena spread out the map for him.

“This entire area used to belong to the Kingdom of Gerios. It ruled over the entire western edge.”

“Hmm. And yet, this kingdom fell helplessly to the demons…”

“Exactly… And…”

Elena pointed at a specific section of Gerios’s territory.

“The west is entirely surrounded by the sea. There was nowhere to run. The demons only had to advance eastward.”

Its geography was strikingly similar to Europe on Earth.