How To Live As A Writer In A Fantasy World

Chapter 373: Things I was worried about (3)

The matter concerning innocent victims was delegated to Kate, leaving the recently discovered underground temple as the main concern.

The temple’s statue, said to resemble the form of the fake final boss and the soul-imbued vessel of the Archdemon Diavolos, bore a striking resemblance.

It was crafted with an octopus-like head reminiscent of the Cthulhu mythos, so lifelike it seemed as if it could spring to life at any moment.

The underground temple itself was also rigged with traps to deter intruders and even harbored monsters that had never been seen before.

All of the above comes from the testimony of the ‘survivors.’ A team of five pursued fleeing demon worshippers, only to encounter such results.

The location, unsurprisingly, was the Minerva Empire, where demon worshippers are most numerous.

Recognizing the gravity of the situation, the empire formed an investigation team with support from neighboring countries.

This was not the first discovery of an underground temple.

When the great upheaval first broke out, even altars suspected to have been used for demon-summoning rituals were found.

Most people speculate that the object of their worship is a demon.

However, I know that the being they worship is the “Father of All Things.”

This is something I can’t forget, as the demon worshipper shouted it when I narrowly avoided being attacked in an act of terror.

‘So, is this Outer God trying to devour this world?’

It’s a plausible theory, yet I cannot fathom why demon worshippers call this entity the “Father of All Things.”

If their goal was to seize control of this world, they would likely refer to it with a different title.

While the incident becomes increasingly enigmatic, the great upheaval’s occurrence takes precedence for me.

Fortunately, it happened just before the publication of my book. This is quite different from Kate’s spoiler scandal.

If necessary, I could still change the external design and deny everything…

[Zenon, who even predicted the vessel for the soul. There’s no escape now.]

[So, who is the creator of the vessel? And before that, is the statue truly the vessel?]

[There have been signs of sacrifices made for demon summoning in the past. Why, then, has no demon been summoned?]

…Forget it. It’s best to give up. They’re already speculating wildly; whatever I say will go in one ear and out the other.

I merely laughed hollowly as I observed the flood of news pouring in.

As if the innocent victims weren’t enough to give me a headache, the great upheaval is driving me to my limits.

I’d love to meet the survivors directly to hear a detailed account, but that’s not an option.

In Kate’s case, it was easy to trust her with the issue since there’s a high chance the demon worshippers’ antics were to blame.

This situation, however, is somewhat different.

I might ask Rina about it later, but until then, I’m unsure what to do.

‘Still, I’m really curious. Why have all the demon summoning attempts failed? At least one should have succeeded by now.’

As I mentioned earlier, summoning circles and altars for summoning demons have been discovered before—recently as well.

Thanks to the large-scale purging event, the hideouts of demon worshippers are being unearthed one after another, revealing hidden altars in the process.

The altars, in particular, are said to be indescribably horrific.

Not only are human skulls scattered around them, but there are also signs of human sacrifices.

Additionally, demon worshippers have resorted to necromancy to revive the dead, which has inflamed public opinion.

‘I’ll set aside the great upheaval for now… and start by addressing the matter of innocent victims.’

I tried to untangle the mess of thoughts in my head as much as possible. In the end, time will sort things out.

I plan to continue with the depiction of the vessel’s design in The Chronicles of Zenon.

Since it was released first, I can simply claim that they took inspiration from it.

‘When Kate returns, I’ll head to the lab first.’

Elena would know the most about the great upheaval.

Not only is she a scholar, but she is also an archaeologist who has explored many parts of the world.

She might have a general understanding of the temple.

Visiting her isn’t a bad idea.

But since they have their own work to do, I feel bad calling them to the dormitory.

Most importantly, there’s Ariel.

If I went to them, I might end up in danger again, like last time. For now, it’s best to proceed with caution.

‘So frustrating.’

I looked around the vast dormitory.

It had everything one could need, and books and newspapers were delivered from outside, so it wasn’t boring.

Still, it felt suffocating, like being trapped in a cage.

Until the demon worshippers are completely eradicated, I’ll have to live under constant threat.

This applies not only to me but to everyone else as well.

Luminous and Mora assured me that such incidents wouldn’t happen anytime soon, but I’m still uneasy.

Knock, knock.

“Huh?”

“Dad. Are you feeling frustrated?”

As I stared out the window aimlessly, Ariel tugged at my arm.

Her golden eyes shone brightly with concern, as if she had read my innermost thoughts.

I thought there was a distinction between reading emotions and reading minds, but perhaps not.

Seeing her face, which seemed to dispel my frustrations just by looking at it, I chuckled softly.

“No, I’m not frustrated. Seeing my Ariel has made all those feelings disappear.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

“Hehe.”

At my words, Ariel smiled brightly and stretched out her arms wide—a sign she wanted to be hugged.

I picked her up as she wished and looked at her face. She smiled radiantly just from looking at me.

This must be why fathers adore their daughters so much.

Having a son would also be delightful, but a daughter as adorable as this doubles the joy.

“Ariel.”

“Yes?”

“What kind of person will you grow up to be?”

I’m genuinely curious. Ariel may look like an angel, but with Hirt’s blood flowing through her veins, she’s akin to a demigod.

I wonder what kind of impact this child will have on the world when she grows up.

Although I intend to raise her like an ordinary child, no one can predict how the world will turn out.

Moreover, as the saying goes, “a gem will shine no matter how deeply it’s hidden.” Someday, her true value will inevitably come to light.

In response to my question, Ariel blinked her eyes and then replied brightly, matching my expectations.

“An adult!”

“… …”

“I’ll become an adult!”

“Yes, you will.”

Unable to hold back a smile, I patted her head.

It was a peaceful moment, despite the great upheaval and the disasters I had feared.

★★★★★

After Isaac’s event announcement, the busiest groups became adventurers and mercenaries.

Most of them have encountered Zenon’s Chronicle, and some have even been inspired by it to pursue the path of adventure.

However, various incidents arose due to this influence, though the situation has now somewhat stabilized.

Additionally, as the supply of adventurers surged, their quality naturally improved, making them stronger than ever, essentially at their peak.

Thus, if the adventurer profession benefited the most, the Minerva Empire, on the other hand, suffered the greatest damage.

This is because most incidents related to demon worshippers began to occur within the Minerva Empire after the event started.

Although it possessed the largest territory, much of it remained underdeveloped, making it an easy target for demon worshippers to operate freely.

The situation was so dire that the empire nearly earned the stigma of being a “haven for demon worshippers,” illustrating how severe the crisis was.

Fortunately, the empire had enough military power to cover its vast territory, allowing it to handle incidents as they arose.

Without this, international opinion would have plummeted.

“Hah… I shouldn’t have criticized the Kingdom of Teres so much. Still, it’s a relief we realized this now.”

“You look very tired, brother.”

“Don’t you think that’s rich coming from you?”

The crown prince, Leorte, let out a dry laugh at his sister Rina’s concern as she sat across from him.

His current state could hardly be called healthy, despite being in a position of privilege.

He was practically a walking corpse.

Even before the event, his workload had been overwhelming, but since it began, he had been swamped with tasks, working overtime nearly every day.

The moment he closed his eyes for a brief rest, his attendants would arrive with incident reports. If he tried to catch a break, another crisis would erupt.

Due to this, Duke Requilis was also shuttling back and forth to the imperial palace, facing similar hardships, and Rina was no exception.

“How many nobles have been confirmed guilty of collusion with demon worshippers?”

“Currently, five. The Count of Kerrison’s family is also under investigation, but nothing’s been confirmed yet.”

“Considering the empire’s financial resources essentially flow through the Kerrison family, could they be implicated?”

“Hard to say. They’re in a rather unfortunate position themselves. Managing such a massive treasury single-handedly is nearly impossible. But we’re investigating.”

The Minerva Empire, particularly the nobility, is undergoing extensive scrutiny.

Anyone found even remotely connected to demon worshippers is dealt with immediately.

The atrocities of the demon worshippers were unforgivable, ranging from brainwashing entire villages to unspeakable evil, leaving execution as the only answer.

The empire had no choice but to enforce harsh punishments, as the stigma of being a “haven for demon worshippers” was too much to bear.

Already under criticism from neighboring nations, any leniency toward its own would lead to significant diplomatic losses.

The only silver lining was that their rival, the Kingdom of Teres, was too preoccupied with its internal issues to act.

Though the empire had gained much from Isaac, the same blade now turned against their throats.

“This might be a chance to clean out the corrupt nobility. Time will take care of the rest. The real problem is the underground temple discovered recently.”

“Was there anything significant found there?”

Leorte mentioned the “underground temple,” sparking Rina’s curiosity.

He rarely summoned her, but today, he had called her to his office.

It was clear this was privileged information meant only for royalty or high-ranking officials.

Leorte pulled out a small orb from his pocket and placed it on the desk.

It was a magical item designed to prevent eavesdropping, ensuring their conversation remained private.

“It’s safe to say there’s evidence. That temple isn’t just any temple. It’s an altar for summoning rituals.”

“An altar? Then…”

“It’s very likely the statue mentioned in Zenon’s Chronicle was used as a vessel. But that’s just a theory.”

Rina frowned deeply at Leorte’s explanation. Once again, Isaac’s so-called “prophecies” had come true.

Although Isaac himself denied being a prophet, Rina already regarded him as such. Denying it seemed stranger at this point.

Her goal now was to get closer to Isaac without revealing her intentions.

Acquiring knowledge of the future through him would be an unparalleled advantage—just look at the magic engines.

For now, though, the underground temple took precedence. Cautiously, Rina asked:

“…Could it be that a soul is contained in that vessel or something similar?”

“No. Apart from ritual materials like human bones scattered around the temple, there’s nothing else. There were also rusted weapons, suggesting a battle occurred just before the summoning.”

“So, someone or some group recognized the presence of demon worshippers even before Zenon’s Chronicle was published?”

“That’s correct. But that’s not the critical issue.”

Leorte let out a long sigh and, in a somber tone, delivered shocking news:

“The summoning succeeded.”

“…What?”

“It was activated.”

“Y-you mean…”

“According to the investigation, the summoning was completed. Although interrupted by someone, the summoning circle itself had already been activated.”

Rina’s face turned pale.

If Leorte’s words were true, an impending crisis was inevitable.

If it was something akin to the Diabolos from Zenon’s Chronicle, a living calamity, the chaos would have already erupted.

Yet, since there had been no signs so far, it was clear this was something else—another problem in itself.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

“Yes, as you suspect, the summoning was performed, but we have no idea what was summoned.

Given demons are beings from a different dimension, it must have been something from another realm.”

“Shouldn’t we inform the church immediately? Keeping this to ourselves…”

“But what if it turns out to be a frog from another dimension? Compared to the chaos that would ensue, wouldn’t that be anticlimactic?”

“…” Rina closed her mouth. He had a point.

Unless it was a truly malevolent being akin to a demon, revealing the summoning could lead to unnecessary panic.

Even the mere success of the summoning ritual could throw not just the Minerva Empire but the entire world into turmoil.

While burying this information would be ideal, the question remained—could this truth stay buried?

“So, what should we do? This isn’t something we can decide on our own.”

“For now, let’s monitor the situation. The mages are conducting multiple reviews, and we might uncover the summoned entity’s identity.”

“Understood.”

“Good. But I think we should inform Isaac. If anyone knows something, it’s him.”

Indeed, Isaac knows.

“Why is my ear so itchy?”

“Want me to clean it for you?”

“No, thanks.”

The problem is, he knows too well.