Chapter 2

■ Chapter 1. This Isn't Right (1) □ ᓚᘏᗢ

My impression of reading the newspaper can be described in just one sentence.

It's way off the mark.

I had only written a book to kill time, but suddenly the world became chaotic. In this world, science hasn't developed, so there are no smartphones, not even radios, and the only way to get news is through newspapers.

However, this newspaper features a major article about the book I wrote. It's absurd.

“Hahaha! I knew my eyes weren't deceiving me! Well done! Our youngest son!”

While I was reading the newspaper with a blank expression, a hearty laugh came from in front of me.

I lifted my gaze from the newspaper, still with a dazed look on my face.

Fiery red hair that resembled burning flames, a well-groomed beard, and golden eyes that shone like those of a bird of prey.

This middle-aged man, who exuded a manly aura like a hero of a reversal, is Hawk Duker Maishal, my father.

“You’re really something. I’ve been telling you all along that Isaac would be better off as a scholar than a knight.”

Beside him, a beautiful woman playfully poked his thick arm and cooed.

Long indigo hair that reached her waist, delicate features like a doll, and unusually purple eyes.

By now, you’ve probably guessed that this woman, who looks no older than her early 30s, is my mother, Anna Duker Maishal.

“Our Isaac is amazing. Everyone is looking for you.”

Mother smiled gracefully and congratulated me with a happy expression.

‘I’m sorry, Mother, but that doesn’t help me at all.’

The words rose to my throat, but I managed to suppress them. I didn’t want to ruin this harmonious atmosphere.

I just smiled awkwardly like a fool.

“…Can you at least keep me anonymous?”

But I had to have a last line of defense. I timidly asked my parents.

After all, it was thanks to their help that I was able to publish my novel anonymously. Perhaps it was possible.

“Hmm. If that’s what you want, I can do it, but your identity will be revealed soon enough, won’t it?”

“Why?”

“I’m just a baron, a minor noble. The royal family is already looking for you, even without much effort.”

“Ah.”

I understood after hearing my father’s explanation. Even though my father is a noble, he is only a baron, the lowest rank among the five peerages.

Moreover, my father was originally a commoner knight who became a noble through his remarkable achievements, so he’s not a proper noble in the strict sense.

So if they really set their minds to finding me, there’s nothing I can do.

“Don’t worry too much. I know what you’re concerned about. I’ll do my best to protect you.”

Father read my anxious expression and gently patted my head with a soft smile. The rough, calloused touch was hard, but it calmed my mind.

“Mother will also keep an eye on the situation at the tea party. I don’t want our Isaac to be troubled.”

“Mother…”

What a warm and comforting presence. I looked at my parents with a moved expression.

The reason I could accept them as my parents was because of this warm affection.

Mother then smiled contentedly and spoke to me in a gentle voice.

“So, Isaac. Can I ask you one thing?”

“What is it?”

“When will the next part come out?”

“… …”

“Mother is waiting for the continuation of Lily and Jin’s story.”

My moved expression faded.

I looked at her smiling face in bewilderment and then lowered my head.

While I was moved, there was something I couldn’t tell my mother.

‘Jin is the final boss. Mother…’

In the story of the Zeon Chronicles, there are supporting characters who have a romantic subplot. The ones Mother mentioned are ‘Lily’ and ‘Jin’.

For reference, Jin is a demon, and Lily is a priestess, even revered as the next High Priestess.

At first glance, it might seem like a touching love story, but I was known as a professor of Satan University in my previous life.

In the final part, Jin will accept the remnants of the Great Demon to completely destroy it, becoming the true final boss of the story.

The protagonist, whose mental state is shaken, will defeat him, but Jin’s last words will be a desperate search for Lily.

‘…This is really messed up.’

It’s fine that my family reads my novel, but hearing it from their mouths makes my heart race.

I thought about changing it to a happy ending, but there are too many plot points and foreshadowing that I’ve already set up.

Since there’s still time until the ending, I’ll probably be fine until then.

“Honey, Isaac is about to enter the academy, so don’t put too much pressure on him. What if the story takes an unexpected turn?”

“Oh, Isaac, sir? Did I overstep my bounds…”

“Ah, stop it!”

In the end, I shouted out of embarrassment, and my parents burst into laughter that suited their personalities. In contrast, my face was turning red in real-time.

“I’m sorry, son. Anyway, are you going to enter the academy for martial arts or literature?”

Father stopped laughing and asked me. I calmed myself down and thought about the academy I would soon be entering.

The academy, specifically the ‘Halo Academy,’ is the highest educational institution in this country.

It boasts an enormous curriculum, just like a university in my previous life.

The only difference is that it is divided into two categories: martial arts, which focuses on physical strength, and literature, which focuses on intellect.

‘Why would I enter martial arts?’

In this world, monsters exist, and even tigers, lions, and elephants are considered trivial. I don’t have any talent for physical strength like the protagonists in novels.

In the past, my father tried to train me to become a knight like him, but he gave up because I was so resistant.

“Yes. I prefer literature over martial arts.”

“Hmm… I see. But you must do physical training every day, understand?”

“Of course.”

I’ve been doing physical training regularly. It’s not just about physical strength; it also helps build endurance.

I used to be unable to sit in front of a computer for more than 30 minutes, but now I can focus on writing for three hours. Thanks to this, I can publish a book every month.

The only downside is that I developed calluses from writing with a pen, but it’s not a big deal.

“Do you plan to keep writing even when you go to the academy?”

This time, Mother asked. She was worried that I might focus too much on my studies at the academy.

It’s natural for a child to focus on studies, but Mother was more concerned about my novel.

It’s a bit absurd, but considering the impact of my novel, it’s understandable.

“Well… I have to keep writing. I won’t have much free time, but I think I can publish a book every one or two months.”

“That’s a shame. Focus on your studies. Your brother and sister will be there, so call on them if you need anything.”

“Yes.”

The Halo Academy is a place that all nobles must attend, so my siblings are there.

However, they are not students but teaching assistants, a position held by only a few outstanding students.

Moreover, they are already highly regarded by many knight orders, making them top-tier talents.

“Still, it’s surprising. Your brother and sister are all knights, but you’re a writer.”

“I take after you. I was quite good at writing when I was young.”

“Should we have another child? I’m curious what it would be like.”

“Mother. Father and Mother are going out for a bit, so we’ll see you later~”

My parents left my room, arm in arm, in a cozy manner. I blinked, feeling like a storm had just passed.

“…Sigh.”

I could only sigh deeply. I still couldn’t grasp what had happened.

I had just written a book to use my previous life’s profession, but the impact was terrifying.

‘I won’t be able to write today.’

I muttered to myself and unfolded the newspaper I had neatly folded. As soon as I opened it, it was filled with news about my work.

Occasionally, there were critical comments from some famous people about the decline in literary quality, but they were overshadowed.

‘…Is this really something to be praised?’

While the positive reviews are one thing, the change in how demons are treated is hard to believe.

The world was taken over by demons 3000 years ago, and the history of discrimination against demons has lasted for over 1000 years. The idea that a single novel I wrote could erase such discrimination is hard to accept.

In fact, it’s more plausible that my father orchestrated things behind the scenes to prevent me from being discouraged if my work had been buried.

The impact is so unbelievable that it led me to such thoughts.

“Sigh… I’ll just finish it quickly and move on to something else… Huh?”

While casually flipping through the newspaper, a piece of news caught my eye.

- Princess Cecilie Drat Aisilia Bin of Helium will enter the Halo Academy… Minerva Empire readily approved.

- Thanks to the influence of the Zeon Chronicles, discriminatory views towards demons have eased, and this is to foster relations between nations…

“… …”

Don’t be ridiculous, eighteen.

* * *

“Are you sure it’s okay? Cecilie, I am your…”

“It’s fine, Father. I’ve already made all the preparations.”

In a dark room illuminated only by a faint light, two people were talking.

Jet-black hair, blood-red eyes that shone even in the darkness, and horns that protruded from their heads like those of a demon.

They were demons.

“This is my choice. And Father, you know that now is the right time for our race to form friendly relations with other races.”

The woman, with hair as black as jet reaching down to her waist, spoke to the man in front of her.

Her voice was alluring, and her beauty was so elegant and captivating that it could be described as fatal. Her figure was mature enough to stir the darkest desires of men.

She exuded an aura that could captivate people even when she was standing still.

“That may be so, but…”

The man in front of her crossed his arms and smiled bitterly.

Although he didn’t look much older than her, demons have a longer lifespan than humans, so it’s not unusual for a demon to look relatively young.

The man, who was both her father and known to the world as the Demon King, Deskar Drat Aisilia Bin Helium, looked at his daughter and replied.

“I can’t quite believe it myself. I know that the perception of our kind has changed since the book was published. But emotional wounds don’t heal easily.”

As Deskar said, the discriminatory views towards demons have significantly decreased, but the deep-seated conflicts remain.

There are still demons who became demons, and people who have been harmed by them. Even if it wasn’t their choice, problems arise from the moment harm is done.

Cecilie, the only princess of Helium and the daughter of the Demon King, smiled and spoke in a gentle tone.

“Father, have you read the Zeon Chronicles? Do you remember what Sarkan said at the end of Volume 5?”

“… …”

Deskar didn’t answer.

That scene left a deep impression on him, even as the Demon King.

At the same time, it made demons ‘prove that they are human’ rather than ‘demons’ in the minds of readers.

Some even say that, at that moment, Sarkan was the true protagonist.

Cecilie, seeing no response from Deskar, spoke up.

“Sarkan looked at the people he had protected and said, ‘Do not fear becoming a demon for the sake of those you love. That is true human courage and sacrifice. I die as a human, not a demon.’”

“… …”

“Although it’s a fictional story, I don’t think it’s fiction. The author must have received a great favor from our kind in the past. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have written such a touching and heartfelt story about our kind.”

Cecilie, holding her hands tightly and with a rapt expression, was so moved that she didn’t realize her own face.

If Isaac saw her, he would think:

I saw that in a game. Since it’s from my previous life, there’s no issue of plagiarism, so I wrote it without much thought.

Unfortunately, Cecilie had no way of knowing this. She was just deluding herself.

Deskar looked at Cecilie, who was lost in her imagination, with a complex expression and quietly agreed.

“Moreover, Sarkan is the leader of the ‘Devil Hunters,’ who execute our kind who have become demons. You know that we have a similar organization in Helium.”

In the Zeon Chronicles, there is a group that executes our kind who have become demons due to their inability to resist temptation.

They are called ‘Devil Hunters’ and are said to have accepted some of the demon’s power, making them much stronger than other demons.

However, the problem is that Helium also has a similar organization.

“‘Reapers,’ right? Of course, I know. Based on my guess, the author of this book must have been helped by a member of the Reapers.”

Cecilie nodded and fell back into her own delusion.

If Isaac saw this, he would say the same thing as before:

I saw that in a game. I wrote it without any particular meaning or intention.

However, as I said, they have no way of knowing Isaac’s thoughts, so it’s just a pity.

“Because of this, there are suspicions that Devil Hunters really exist outside. Thanks to this, we have an opportunity to bring them into the light.”

Reapers, who execute our kind who have become demons, show how powerful and sacred and noble the organization is.

Moreover, Reapers suffer terrible mental anguish each time they execute a demon who was once one of their own. As a result, the rate of Reapers who commit suicide due to mental anguish is much higher than those who become demons due to the power.

Due to the special nature of their mission, they have been operating in the shadows, but after the publication of the Zeon Chronicles, they have an opportunity to come into the light.

Furthermore, some high-ranking demons who read the book have even suggested officially establishing the organization. For the Reapers, who accept their sacred mission without any reward, this is a great opportunity.

“Anyway, if that’s your will, I won’t stop you. But don’t be too confident that the author will be in the Minerva Empire. Given that it was published anonymously, it’s likely a hermit sage. Even if you meet by chance, be sure to show proper respect.”

“Father, I’m an adult now.”

Cecilie waved her hand and joked, but Deskar couldn’t hide his worried expression.

Not only because she is his only daughter, but also because Cecilie is quite mischievous, which makes him anxious as a father.

Her beautiful appearance might attract lecherous and greedy hands? That’s not a concern.

Cecilie has the power to easily destroy a mountain. It’s not for nothing that she is considered the next Demon King of Helium.

“Ah, I can’t wait to meet our benefactor…”

Cecilie clasped her hands and looked forward to meeting the author.

Deskar shook his head at her overly enthusiastic expression.