Chapter 20

■ Chapter 19. Steam Locomotive (1) □ ᓚᘏᗢ

Accepting Professor Elena's proposal, my daily routine has changed a bit. Originally, after all classes ended, I would go to the library or have a quick meal and head to my accommodation. Recently, however, I have been visiting Professor Elena's laboratory.

Today is Friday, and all my classes have ended. After mailing the manuscript of the 8th volume of The Xenon Chronicles to my parents, I immediately headed to the laboratory. I didn't forget to knock before entering.

A moment later, I opened the door and stepped into the laboratory, greeted by its characteristic musty smell. As soon as I opened the door, I saw Cindy sitting at her desk, diligently writing something.

"Hello, Cindy."

"Helloo..."

Anyway, when I enter the laboratory, Professor Elena is often absent due to business trips, but Cindy is always there. She always greets me with a haggard appearance. I have become so used to her appearance that I no longer pay much attention to it.

"How are you today? Are you still tired?"

"Maybe a little better...? I'm not sure..."

Her dragging tone is something that can't be fixed, no matter how hard she tries. After all, I've heard she has been exhausted for almost a few years, not just a few months. It would be difficult to change.

If she were human, she would have died from overwork long ago, but as an elf, she seems to be able to endure it.

I sat at my desk and watched Cindy, who appeared to be writing a paper, before quietly walking over to her.

I don't know how to write a paper, but Professor Elena asked me to help with the writing itself. So, I once observed how serious it was...

"...Cindy?"

"Yeees...?"

"Can you stop writing for a moment and let me read what you've written?"

"Whyyy?"

It's that serious.

I suppressed my urge to say that and urged Cindy again.

"Read it once. From the middle part here."

"Yeees... The wars among humans that occurred after the racial wars can be seen as a direct manifestation of the dark side of humans, and the reason why the Minerva Empire has become a powerful nation to this day, and why many countries still call for independence, and the Mecarton Kingdom, which can be considered a rival to the Minerva Empire, has formed alliances with neighboring kingdoms..."

"Stop."

It's roughly like that. The readability is so bad, it's almost a disaster.

'It feels like I'm reading my first work...'

In my previous life, I was praised for my writing skills, but it wasn't always good. My first small work was so unreadable that it made me wonder what kind of story it was.

Currently, Cindy's paper is repeating the same mistakes that people make when they first start writing.

For readability, not breaking sentences in the middle and connecting them into one, or repeating the same words, are common mistakes made by beginners.

I knew the fundamental issues well. Facing Cindy, who looked confused, I asked her.

"Cindy, do you understand what you've written?"

"Sort of..."

She tilted her head, showing her confusion. I sighed deeply, knowing that Cindy didn't even realize what the problem was.

'No matter what, this is a bit too much...'

I criticized the novels in this world for being like English SAT questions, but papers are an exception. Papers are a kind of record written by researchers based on their research, so it's fine if technical terms are used.

However, a paper must clearly convey what the researcher wants to say to others.

I don't know how to write a paper, but I clearly know what its purpose is. At the very least, it shouldn't be written haphazardly like Cindy's.

I pondered where to start and asked tentatively.

"Cindy, have you ever read papers by Professor Elena or others?"

"Many times..."

"But you write like this?"

I had read a paper she wrote with Professor Elena's help once. It was difficult due to the technical terms, but I could read it smoothly thanks to the many books I've read.

Cindy slowly blinked at my incredulous question and quietly answered.

"I try to write like that... but as I keep writing, it ends up similar to the papers I've read..."

"Will you be rejected when evaluated for being similar?"

"Yeees..."

She has a good memory but lacks adaptability. By human standards, she's just stupid, but from an elf's perspective, Cindy is perfectly normal.

As I mentioned before, humans are inherently weaker and less capable than other races, but they have 'acquisition ability' and 'adaptability' to make up for it. Comparing the entire races, elves are normal, and humans are abnormal.

For example, magic. As I mentioned before, historically, magic was a 'power' that only those chosen by the gods could use, and until 300 years ago, during the racial wars, only elves, demons, and a few humans could use it.

The Demon War 3000 years ago? There are no records of humans using magic, only a few elves.

The racial wars 300 years ago marked the point when magic began to spread to humans.

Anyway, humans transformed it into a skill that anyone could use with the right background, talent, and effort in less than 300 years. From the perspective of the long-lived elves, this is a truly terrifying rate of development.

'Suddenly, I'm curious. Why are humans so quick to learn?'

In a world where only humans exist, like Earth, this was taken for granted. In creative works, humans are often depicted as learning faster than other races.

But now that I've been reincarnated in this world, I'm curious. Why are humans faster at learning than other races?

While I was pondering this, Cindy asked me in her dragging tone.

"So, when are you going to teach me...?"

"Ah, yes. Since Professor Elena asked me to teach you, I should. I have one question, though."

"What is it?"

"Have you ever learned how to write?"

I already knew I would have to teach her the basics, but I asked just in case. If she had learned a bit, there would be some hope.

Cindy slowly blinked at my question and quietly answered.

"A few people have taught me how to write..."

"Huh? What do you mean? Didn't you say Professor Elena hasn't?"

"That's someone who helped, but a few people have taught me for money..."

She then answered in a more somber tone, her pointed ears drooping.

"They all ran away, saying they couldn't teach me anymore..."

"..."

"I guess... I'm slow, even by human and elf standards..."

I had a feeling I had been tricked, and it wasn't just a delusion.

* * *

The Xenon Chronicles have always caused a stir, but especially the 7th volume, which was published and left readers in suspense by cutting off at a crucial moment.

As a result, the Crown Prince of Minerva immediately threatened to capture the author and imprison him in the palace, while the Crown Princess pressured for the next volume to be published quickly.

Despite the commotion, time heals all wounds, and people gradually calmed down, waiting for the next volume. Subscribers calmed down and focused on their daily lives, waiting for time to pass.

About a month after the 7th volume of The Xenon Chronicles was published, the long-awaited 8th volume was announced to be published in the newspaper. However, there was one sentence that caught the eye.

The publishing company, which reviewed the manuscript first, included this sentence. Both nobles and the majority of commoners couldn't help but be curious.

What scene could be so offensive to nobles, not just commoners? The answer to this question was revealed only after the new volume of The Xenon Chronicles was published.

The criticism was so sharp, even though it was a fictional story, and the author had the sole responsibility for creating it.

While there have been books or paintings that satirize or criticize the nobility, The Xenon Chronicles were unusually direct. Considering the impact of The Xenon Chronicles, this was not only unusual but also a very risky statement.

- A scene that starkly reveals the dark side of the nobility.

- In reality, there are many cases where nobles oppress commoners, even if they are hidden from the public.

- History repeats itself. If this continues, an event like the 'Jeros Revolution' could happen again.

There is an event similar to the 'French Revolution' on Earth in this world. It is the 'Jeros Revolution' that broke out in the Ters Kingdom, which has long been considered the eternal rival of the Minerva Empire.

It is called the Jeros Revolution for convenience, as Jeros was the leader.

This revolution caused the Ters Kingdom to waver, and many corrupt nobles were overthrown. Although the revolution itself was not successful, its aftermath was terrifying enough to raise awareness.

Despite this significant event, the nobility still looked down on commoners. In fact, they concealed it more thoroughly to prevent it from becoming public knowledge.

- Nobles and commoners are fundamentally different. Even the author of The Xenon Chronicles should not insult in this way.

- Novels are just novels. A commoner like Xenon would have received a title instead of opposing the nobility.

Due to this, some nobles strongly criticized the early part of the 8th volume. However, only a few nobles were pouring out harsh criticism, while most nobles showed a bitter reaction.

One critic commented on these numerous reactions:

- The nobles who read this story and get angry are likely to treat commoners like slaves. They probably treat slaves openly as slaves. It's truly a noble mindset.

This heavy fact made the mouths of the nobles, who were pouring out criticism and harsh words, shut tight. It was a sight to behold.

In any case, the early part of the 8th volume caused a stir in countries with a noble class, but countries without such a class simply ignored it.

The noble who put Xenon in danger was ultimately stripped of all his positions and imprisoned, and Xenon headed to the dwarves' country for a brief respite.

This was the first time The Xenon Chronicles ventured into a country of a different race, not a human country, so many subscribers were excited. Naturally, the dwarves were the most excited and worried.

"Hmm..."

"How about it? Isn't it worth trying? There's a rough description and a picture here."

A dwarf with a lush gray beard, a grumpy face, and a short, stocky build was carefully examining a picture drawn on a piece of paper.

Beside him, a young dwarf with a beard that covered only his face was urging him excitedly. The gray-bearded dwarf ignored the young dwarf's urging and focused on the picture.

What he was looking at was a picture that appeared in the middle to late part of the 8th volume of The Xenon Chronicles, published this month. It was stuck with something like glue to prevent it from falling out while reading.

The gray-bearded dwarf tilted his head and muttered the name of the picture mentioned in the book.

"The name of this chunk of iron is a steam locomotive?"

"Yes!"

"And this huge chunk of iron moves through a special mechanism? Only on a special road called 'rails'? And it can carry various materials in carriages behind it, not just in front?"

"Yes!"

"The principle of moving the wheels is like maximizing the effect of a lid rattling when water in a kettle boils?"

"Yes!"

The young dwarf answered happily each time the gray-bearded dwarf asked a question. The gray-bearded dwarf chuckled.

"Hehehe. Son? Don't say such nonsense. Novels are just novels; applying them to reality will give you a headache. We just need to make better weapons."

"But Father, it's realistic. Isn't it better than nothing?"

In response to his son's question, the gray-bearded dwarf waved his hand and said in a dismissive tone.

"Realistic or not, this old man doesn't have the energy to make such things. Gather like-minded people and make it together. And here, they call it coal, right? There's plenty of that rock, so figure it out. We need 'magic stones' more than black rocks."

"Then you won't help?"

"I can't help directly, but I can support you financially. There are plenty of reckless fools like you, so it shouldn't be hard to find them."

"Got it! Wait a moment! I'll gather them right away!"

The young dwarf answered energetically and dashed out of the forge. The gray-bearded dwarf chuckled at his son's enthusiasm and looked at the paper again.

The quality of the picture was not something to praise, but the general appearance was clear. Moreover, the book provided an explanation, so it was clear what it was used for.

'What a remarkable imagination. How did he come up with this?'

The dwarves, known as the master craftsmen and creators, and especially the gray-bearded dwarf, who was one of the most skilled among them, couldn't help but be amazed by this idea.

In a situation where many people believe that nothing can replace magic, the appearance of such a 'machine' would cause a huge impact.

Especially, humans would benefit the most. Despite their inherent lack of ability, their acquisition and adaptability are unparalleled.

Perhaps the invention of the steam locomotive could shift the focus from magic to machines.

'Really, did this guy live in another world or something?'

The gray-bearded dwarf couldn't help but wonder.