Chapter 66

■ Chapter 65. Calm Before the Storm (3) □ ᓚᘏᗢ

The news that the publishing company had set a release date for the Xenon Chronicles was published in the newspaper. Apart from that, there was no significant news.

It seems the publishing company intends to announce that I will be on hiatus on the day the Xenon Chronicles are released. It’s not a problem for me.

People tend to feel more relaxed once they finish all their tasks. I must have finished my exams, as I attended lectures with a happy heart every day or enjoyed cozy dates with Mari afterward.

Of course, that doesn’t mean I’m going wild. There’s about a month left before the summer break, and the final exams are still ahead.

Fortunately, there aren’t many group projects, and they’re not that important. I have no intention of winning a scholarship, and as long as I avoid failing, that’s enough.

Most importantly, the real start of Hailo Academy is from the third year. Even if you don’t meet the score requirements, you can advance if you receive favor from a specific professor.

“You should come to me right after your first year ends. I’ll write a recommendation letter for you.”

For example, like Professor Elena, who is very fond of me.

As always, while teaching Cindy composition in the lab and taking a short break, Elena said this.

I was sipping the tea Cindy had prepared and blinked, expressing my confusion.

“A recommendation letter?”

“Yeah. A recommendation letter.”

The value of a recommendation letter written by a professor at Hailo Academy is truly formidable.

To exaggerate a bit, even if your grades are terrible up to your second year, you can still advance to the third year.

However, there is one condition: the major of the professor who writes the recommendation letter must be your major, and you must have good grades in that major.

But since the professor must take ‘responsibility’ for the recommendation, it cannot be abused. It’s literally about selecting the best of the best, as judged by the professor.

Professor Elena likely mentioned this to me for the reasons mentioned above. It’s a bit surprising to me.

“I’m still a freshman who hasn’t even had a summer break. Isn’t it a bit too early?”

“It might seem that way to others. But recently, I’ve rarely seen a student as passionate about history as you. By the way, this is based on my standards, not human standards.”

Given that Elena, an elf, said this, the weight of her words was different. How few people are really interested in history?

Anyway, it’s true that Professor Elena has a great interest in me. As someone who loves history, I’m happy about this.

I was struggling to study other majors when I had already chosen a clear path, but now I can lighten my load a bit.

“I’m happy. It’s history, not some other major.”

“That’s good. By the way, the recommendation letter I write will be quite different. With my recommendation, I can take you to Alvenheim.”

“Alvenheim?”

I opened my eyes wide at the story Professor Elena brought up.

Alvenheim, as mentioned before, is the nation of the elves and the place where the first civilization was established.

The capital, ‘Yggdrasil,’ is home to the World Tree, a sacred site, and it’s a place where living history breathes, given that it’s the site of the first civilization.

“Yes, the Alvenheim you know. If you want, you can visit during the summer break.”

“Isn’t the entry procedure for Alvenheim extremely difficult?”

After the Racial War, Alvenheim opened its borders, but it still has a strict entry process.

To the point where a regular person needs national-level certification to visit once.

From the elves' perspective, humans, who not only lack civilization but also try to imitate everything, are not viewed favorably. This is even more so after the Racial War, where they fought a bloody battle with humans.

Professor Elena nodded at my question, took a sip of the tea Cindy had prepared, and spoke.

“Yes, as you said, humans need to go through a cumbersome process to enter Alvenheim. But if I accompany you, it’s a different story. Elves are merciful to those they recognize. It means they grant the qualification to those they consider noble enough.”

“That’s a bit...”

“Yes, it’s truly an elf-like mindset. They’re still the same even after the Racial War.”

Despite being an elf herself, Professor Elena criticizes elves sharply. I had no particular response, so I just gave a wry smile.

“Anyway, just remember that if you receive my recommendation letter, you can visit Alvenheim. I plan to take you there later.”

“I’m not that great a student...”

“Yes, you might not be as great a student as I think. But your love for history is genuine, right? And you have deep thoughts. History repeats itself, doesn’t it?”

Professor Elena repeated the answer I had written on the history exam. I met her shining green eyes through my glasses.

I felt a bit guilty for copying a widely known quote from my previous life, but such words wouldn’t have much meaning here. Silence is the best response at this moment.

Professor Elena seemed to interpret my silence differently and gave a subtle smile.

“Your answer made me think a lot. History has repeated itself countless times, just as you wrote. Then, why does history repeat itself? What do you think?”

“I’m not sure. Honestly, I don’t know. When you look at history, you always see similar patterns. For example, the process of wars breaking out is surprisingly similar. Countries have conflicts, try to resolve them, and if nothing works, they end up in war.”

Indeed, historically, the reasons for wars between countries are often similar. While there are many factors, wars are ultimately an extension of politics.

Someone can create a ridiculous pretext for war, or a major incident that angers the entire nation can trigger a war.

Ironically, while war is not an easy decision, it is the simplest way to solve complex problems. Even in my previous life, where civilization had advanced, wars often broke out.

“And war isn’t just about using force. The cultural conflict between the Minerva Empire and the Teiros Kingdom can also be seen as a kind of war. If it escalates, it can turn into a military conflict.”

“Hmm, that’s a valid point. The Racial War was also a war that arose from cultural differences between races.”

Professor Elena nodded, showing that she understood. The Racial War indeed had many significant events, but fundamentally, it was caused by cultural differences.

Elves disliked humans, who were weak but greedy, and humans disliked elves, who appeared noble but looked down on them.

These ideological differences gradually escalated, leading to the Racial War. After numerous casualties on both sides, the war ended, but its aftereffects still linger.

“Then, what do you think is the most likely war to break out now?”

“Hmm...”

I looked up and thought deeply about Professor Elena’s question. In this world, there are many countries with their own unique cultures and characteristics.

Therefore, there are various conflicts, but it’s quite peaceful overall. There are no significant issues, and there’s nothing to nitpick about.

If I have to name any, it might be the Minerva Empire and the Teiros Kingdom. These two countries have been arguing over cultural issues recently.

Of course, this won’t lead to a war. If they were to invade culturally, they would create all sorts of ridiculous pretexts.

“I’m not sure. What do you think, Professor Elena?”

“There is one possibility. I’m not sure if it can be called a war, but the Xenon Chronicles are at the center of it.”

“Huh?”

Why was the Xenon Chronicles mentioned in the context of war?

While I was internally confused, Professor Elena took a sip of tea. Her serious expression suggested she was sincere.

“As you know, the Xenon Chronicles are a huge hit worldwide, not just for humans but for all races. The problem is not that it’s popular in a specific country, but that it’s popular everywhere, which is the biggest issue.”

“Are you saying a war will break out over just a book?”

I know how significant my value is. People around me have told me so, and it would be strange if I didn’t know.

But isn’t a war a bit extreme?

“I’m not talking about the book itself, but the author. The publishing company that has the publishing rights to the Xenon Chronicles is in the Minerva Empire, but it’s not completely under its control. If the Xenon Chronicles are distributed outside the Minerva Empire, they can’t impose tariffs. Do you understand what I mean?”

“Ah, so if the author is under the control of a specific country, that country could impose a tariff bomb on the Xenon Chronicles under certain circumstances?”

Even in a war, not just military force is used; trade wars can cause significant economic damage.

Imposing tariffs on a book might seem a bit ridiculous, but it’s a different story when a country is involved.

Imposing tariffs on a specific item can even prevent its distribution. The consequences of such actions are obvious.

“Yes, the moment tariffs are imposed, that country will see significant economic growth. The diplomatic advantages are also clear.”

“Hmm...”

“Think about it. Even a 3-silver item can have tariffs imposed on it. Tariffs are a bit complicated.”

To be honest, it’s not easy to understand.

I’ve heard from Mari that my value is so significant that even an empire wouldn’t easily touch it. I’ve also heard that the Minerva Empire and the Teiros Kingdom are secretly competing.

“You don’t need to take my thoughts too seriously. The Xenon Chronicles are indeed generating huge commercial profits, but they are just a part of the exports. Moreover, if the author continues to hide their identity, nothing will happen.”

“...”

“You know, wars can break out for all sorts of bizarre reasons. When the two sides are evenly matched, it’s even more likely.”

Indeed, in my previous life, wars broke out over a soccer match, and conversely, a soccer match stopped a war.

When Côte d'Ivoire secured a spot in the World Cup, Drogba knelt in front of the camera and pleaded for the war to stop.

Surprisingly, the civil war that had been tormenting the country came to an end. If a soccer player can have such an impact, I can do it too.

If a war really breaks out, I’ll say I can’t write because I’m too anxious. Of course, if it’s just a trade war, I’ll observe and only speak up if there’s a direct military conflict.

Or I could publish a war-related novel to inform people of the horrors of war. Given my global recognition, I can resolve minor disputes between countries.

‘But I will take a break.’

I need to rest a bit and travel around.

Just as I was having a peaceful day, a fierce storm hit the world in just two days.

“Wow.”

This was a bit unexpected.