Chapter 64

■ Chapter 63. The Calm Before the Storm (1) □ ᓚᘏᗢ

As the story of Xenon's life began to be revealed to the world, who was the group that benefited the most? Most people would naturally choose the 'demons.'

The fate of an entire race was turned upside down by just one book, and as the demons began to actively engage, the world's political landscape was shaken. For a long time, the demons had taken a semi-forced, closed stance, but now they were beginning to emerge, inevitably affecting other countries.

Not only are individual demons powerful, but their magical abilities are also outstanding, comparable to those of elves. However, because their magic is cast using ominous 'black mana,' elves strongly dislike having any dealings with demons.

In any case, it is true that the demons benefited greatly from the story of Xenon's life. It has become common knowledge to the point where even a passerby would give the same answer.

However, if we delve deeper, we can see that the true winner is someone else.

While the perception of demons changed due to the story of Xenon's life, this would not have been possible if the story had not become a global phenomenon.

In other words, the popularity of the story of Xenon's life on a global scale means that the profits are astronomically high.

However, due to the widespread popularity of the story of Xenon's life, proper accounting has not been possible. But most people are more focused on the book itself rather than its profits, so they are not particularly concerned.

These profits inevitably affect the publishing company that signed the publishing rights for the story of Xenon's life. The publishing company that first published the story of Xenon's life has grown significantly due to the flood of profits.

"Hmm~ Hmm~"

A room that resembles an office, filled with various luxury items.

A middle-aged man sitting at a desk was humming a tune while writing something in a notebook. His lips were curled up, indicating that he was in a very good mood.

'Paying a high price to introduce the technology was a good decision. It's already paid off.'

The notebook he was writing in with his pen was actually a ledger. Not just any ledger, but one closely related to the business the man was managing.

If it were an ordinary ledger, it would be managed by another employee, but given the man's high position, the ledger's purpose was special.

It managed the funds given as gifts by nobles, which could also be called bribes. While an ordinary business might not know about this, the company the man managed was quite unique because it received bribes from nobles.

This is because the company he managed was a publishing company, and specifically, the one that first published the story of Xenon's life.

The reason they received bribes from nobles was that they would ask to be the first to receive new volumes or to be told who the author was.

'You can't cut open the goose that lays the golden eggs.'

Surprisingly, the man knows the true identity of the story of Xenon's life. He mistakenly believes it is Hawk, not Isaac.

Since the first manuscript was brought to the publishing company by the author himself, it's understandable why he made this mistake. However, after the story of Xenon's life became a huge hit beyond expectations, the author began to hide his identity and hire errand boys.

After that, all sorts of people came to the publishing company asking for the author, and some even resorted to threats. As the publisher, it was quite a difficult situation, but he bravely stood his ground.

The profits from the story of Xenon's life were more tempting than the bribes or threats from the nobles. With the story of Xenon's life under contract, it was as if money was being duplicated.

'The royal family was a bit scary...'

Of course, a visit from the royal family would be quite nerve-wracking for the publisher. Fortunately, they only investigated whether the publishing company had engaged in tax evasion, and found nothing.

Moreover, thanks to the meticulous management of the ledger, they had never been caught for tax evasion. Honestly, with the enormous profits from the story of Xenon's life, even if they did engage in tax evasion, it would go unnoticed.

As a result, the publisher's mood was as high as the sky. He had recently made a significant investment to introduce new technology.

'The principal is paid off, and now I just need to cover the maintenance costs. Anyway, the maintenance costs will gradually decrease over time.'

The introduction of new technology doubled the profit margin. Originally, the publishing company only needed to sign contracts with books, but the publisher went a step further and took over a printing press.

As a result, he accumulated wealth that even nobles would be shocked by. Using this wealth for further investments, the company's scale grew significantly.

As the publisher, his days were busy, but he was very happy.

Knock, knock, knock.

Just as he was about to finish the ledger, a knock on the office door caught his attention. The publisher skillfully put the ledger in a desk drawer and spoke.

"Who is it?"

"Sir, it's me, Matthew."

"Oh, Matthew! Come in quickly."

The moment the publisher recognized the person knocking as Matthew, his face lit up, and he invited him in. While other employees might not receive such a warm welcome, Matthew was a trusted secretary who always brought good news.

For example, news about the story of Xenon's life, the story of Xenon's life, and the story of Xenon's life.

Matthew, who was trusted by the publisher, was also in charge of editing the story of Xenon's life.

Creak—

Following the publisher's command, Matthew quietly opened the door. He had curly brown hair, sleepy eyes, and glasses, giving him the appearance of a tired office worker.

"Alright, what news do you have today? It's about time for the manuscript of the story of Xenon's life to arrive."

The publisher maintained his smile as he spoke to Matthew, his hands clasped in anticipation.

Matthew, upon hearing the publisher's question, pushed up his glasses, which had slipped down his nose. In his arms was a neatly held envelope.

"I have three pieces of news: good news, ordinary news, and bad news. Which one should I tell you first?"

Matthew answered the publisher's question with a tired voice. He always reported in this manner.

The publisher, upon hearing that there was bad news among the three pieces of news, looked puzzled but decided to hear the report first.

"Let's start with the ordinary news."

"It's a message from an errand boy. He asked if we could deliver fan letters to the publishing company."

"Fan letters? Oh, you mean letters?"

"Yes, the letters that pile up at our company every day."

Given the global popularity of the story of Xenon's life, it has a large and diverse fan base, ranging from commoners to high-ranking nobles.

Furthermore, fans include demons, dwarves, and occasionally elves and merfolk. While the content of the letters is unknown, it is clear that the story of Xenon's life has a wide reach across nations and races.

However, due to the circumstances, the letters cannot be sent directly to the author and are instead sent to the publishing company. Even the publishing company finds it difficult to communicate with the author, so the letters have been piling up. This timing is quite fortunate.

"Of course, we can. But how will they be delivered?"

"Through an errand boy. They will pay a reasonable fee and request that we pay attention to security."

"I see. I was wondering how to deal with them."

The publisher pointed to the back with his thumb, and Matthew's gaze naturally followed. In the direction the publisher pointed, there was a square box filled with fan letters.

The size of the box was not small, and the number of letters it contained could be inferred from its fullness.

"Then, can I tell you the good news?"

"The good news is that the manuscript for the 10th volume of the story of Xenon's life has just arrived."

It's really good news. The publisher barely suppressed the urge to dance with joy.

Given the level of money that pours in with each new volume of the story of Xenon's life, it's impossible not to be happy.

However, he cannot let his guard down. There is still one piece of bad news.

The publisher, with a raised eyebrow, asked Matthew.

"And the last piece of bad news?"

"Would you mind taking a look at this? It's the manuscript, and I would like you to read the last page."

Matthew handed over the manuscript, and the publisher, though puzzled, took it without suspicion. He then took out the manuscript from the already opened envelope and, as Matthew suggested, flipped to the last page.

The last page contained an 'Author's Note,' something the author usually did not write. The publisher was initially surprised, thinking the author was trying to communicate with the world, but after reading the note, he was shocked.

"…Is, is this really…?"

The publisher, feeling his happiness plummet, alternated his gaze between Matthew and the manuscript. His trembling voice and fearful expression were striking.

"…Yes, as you can see."

Matthew sighed deeply with a lifeless face and spoke in a troubled tone. He then added, with a hint of disbelief,

"The author is taking a break for one and a half to two years."

It was a bolt from the blue.

The publisher sat motionless for a moment, then shook his head vigorously. He had faced crises before while running the company, but now,