rina, the princess of the minerva empire, grew up enduring numerous tumultuous events.

    from a young age, she learned the conduct, etiquette, and expression management required of royalty, and she gained political awareness early on.

    her early political awakening strained her relationship with marie, but they have since resolved their issues, so there’s no need to dwell on it.

    her most memorable experience thus far would likely be the time she was attacked by a demonized being during an outing.

    although it was a safe area and a frequently traveled road, the attack left her with a deep trauma.

    this trauma instilled in her the habit of constantly being aware of her surroundings and checking for safety, and it also led her to adopt a highly rational approach to everything.

    in hindsight, she suspects that demon might have been part of a plot by demon worshippers, given the negative perception of demons at the time.

    after the chronicles of zenon emerged, perspectives shifted, but rina’s workload as a princess only increased with time.

    recently, an event orchestrated by isaac has been giving her headaches, though she believes it’s a matter that can be resolved eventually—it’s just taking too long.

    the issue that concerns her the most is the underground temple.

    despite clear traces of a ritual, they can’t determine who or what was summoned.

    or rather, they couldn’t figure it out—until now.

    “the summoned being... is isaac?”

    rina stared at the young man before her, unable to close her gaping mouth.

    tea dribbled from her lips, staining her dress, but she was too shocked to care.

    the young man awkwardly smiling in front of her was isaac ducer michelle, the author of the chronicles of zenon, regarded as either a prophet or a regressor, and now even venerated as a saint who saved the world.

    that’s not to say he’s lacking as an author.

    even before the chronicles of zenon was hailed as a prophetic text, it had caused a global sensation.

    his writing skills are so exceptional that it’s said he advanced the literary world by several steps.

    the chronicles of zenon is an easy read for people of all ages and classes. just last year, the number of new students enrolling in the halo academy’s literature department nearly tripled.

    “then... all that knowledge...?”

    the chronicles of zenon is a meticulously crafted novel, so detailed that it’s said to have created another world.

    in fact, there are plenty of novels that create worlds—myths and fairy tales could also be seen as creating new worlds.

    but the chronicles of zenon is on a different level.

    its vividness makes you feel as though you’re there, and its unforgettable scenes resonate deeply.

    and above all, the introduction of something as extraordinary as a steam locomotive—it’s hard to believe such an idea came from a single person, let alone a young man under 20.

    for rina, it’s not just improbable—it’s absolutely impossible.

    “rina?”

    “huh?”

    snapped out of her thoughts by isaac’s voice, rina looked up in surprise.

    seeing him offering her a handkerchief, she glanced between him and the handkerchief before carefully accepting it.

    her hands trembled slightly, still shaken by the shock.

    “aria?”

    “yes?”

    “could you go enjoy some sunlight for a while? i need to talk with my friend here.”

    “yawn... okay.”

    isaac gently sent ariel off as rina wiped her dress.

    thankfully, ariel seemed drowsy and toddled back to bed, curling up in the sunlight like before.

    with the immediate situation settled, isaac turned his gaze back to rina.

    her hands, still wiping her dress, were trembling like a leaf.

    “phew...”

    after hastily tidying her dress, rina placed the handkerchief on the table and exhaled deeply.

    the stains were unavoidable, but at least the stickiness was gone.

    rina patted her chest to calm her racing heart, but her thoughts kept swirling, leaving her unable to fully regain her composure.

    she finally decided there was no point in hiding anything after what she’d just revealed.

    resolutely, she lifted her head and met isaac’s gaze.

    his golden eyes, always mesmerizing, now carried a hint of unease.

    “are you feeling a bit calmer now?”

    “...”

    rina nodded at isaac’s question but hesitated as she reached for her teacup, remembering it was empty from her earlier blunder.

    she had met countless people through social events and received shocking news before, but never had she been so visibly shaken.

    “what you said earlier... is it true?”

    her voice trembled as she asked a question that encapsulated all her thoughts and emotions.

    isaac gave a bitter smile and reluctantly nodded.

    he hadn’t planned on revealing this, but ariel’s presence had forced his hand.

    of course, he could have denied it to the end, but rina wasn’t a fool.

    she was likely piecing everything together in her mind.

    “indeed... it wouldn’t make sense otherwise. the only reason you could deny being a prophet or time traveler is that this truth is undeniable. but really... from another world? like a demon from another dimension?”

    as she untangled her thoughts, everything fell into place like pieces of a puzzle.

    isaac’s open-mindedness was something she had dismissed before.

    even marie, after all, lacked an authoritarian attitude.

    though rina didn’t stay close to isaac like other women, she prided herself on her keen observation.

    ‘if he came from another world, everything would make sense. but there are two crucial questions...’

    what kind of world did he come from? and how did he realize he was from another dimension?

    was it truly a world inhabited by demons, or a completely unknown one?

    and above all, was this young man truly isaac ducer michelle?

    by all biological accounts, isaac was indeed the son of hawk ducer michelle and anna ducer michelle, with their family’s signature red hair and golden eyes.

    but whether the soul within him was originally isaac or another from a different dimension—she had no way of knowing.

    “i won’t ask you to prove it. but can i ask a few questions?”

    “sure. since you’ve already figured it out, there’s no point in refusing. but if my father or adele shows up, i’ll stop immediately.”

    “that’s fine. this is sensitive information that could affect the entire world.”

    rina knew it was reckless to discuss this in such an open space, but her curiosity got the better of her.

    after taking another deep breath, she fixed her gaze on isaac and asked,

    “how did you come to know this?”

    isaac was convinced by rina’s logic.

    from this world’s perspective, his might indeed seem extraordinary.

    so how should he explain it?

    isaac thought and thought.

    the earth he came from was far more advanced culturally and scientifically than this world.

    however, earth had neither magic nor mana.

    there weren’t even monsters that threatened humanity.

    explaining all this one by one felt daunting, and there was no guarantee rina would understand it.

    ‘ah, this might work.’

    if he framed it the right way, he could give her a satisfying answer.

    with that, he turned to rina, who was visibly nervous.

    “you might find this a little strange.

    the world i lived in had only humans.”

    “humans... only?

    what do you mean, only humans?”

    “no beastfolk, elves, dwarves, demons, angels, or even monsters.

    no mana or magic either.

    the existence of gods wasn’t even clear, so there was no divine power.

    just humans, vast natural landscapes, and the plants and animals that lived there.

    that’s all.”

    rina’s reaction to his answer was priceless.

    “what kind of ridiculous world is that?

    it sounds incredibly boring.

    and with only humans, how could it advance?

    without elves, could humans even establish civilization on their own?”

    her expression screamed disbelief, as though she thought he was lying.

    isaac understood how she felt from the perspective of someone living in this world.

    “in that world, do humans live over 100 years?

    like elves living up to 1,000 years?”

    “no.

    in the distant past, living beyond 50 was rare.

    even in my time, surpassing 100 was difficult.”

    “how...

    i just can’t understand.

    what kind of world is that...”

    “well, if i had to explain it...

    rina.”

    “yes?”

    “what do you think of the sky?”

    isaac’s sudden question about the sky caught rina off guard.

    she furrowed her brows momentarily but remembered who was asking.

    isaac never asked useless questions, especially not in situations like this.

    surely, he had a reason.

    after thinking for a while, rina answered as best as she could.

    “it’s where the gods reside, a place only the chosen can reach.

    that’s why angels have wings, right?”

    “true.

    and?”

    “from a religious perspective, all life begins on the ground and ascends to the sky upon death.”

    “hmm.

    i see where you’re coming from.”

    a classic mindset, typical of someone from the past.

    but for someone like rina, this was normal.

    isaac pondered her response for a moment before speaking again, this time in a tone reminiscent of reciting poetry.

    “a place where humans soar through the skies in their own creations.”

    “...what?”

    “a place where humans sail vast oceans without wind, in their own creations.”

    “...”

    “a place where humans communicate with others across the world using their own creations.

    and finally...”

    isaac paused before continuing slowly.

    “a place where humans, with their own creations, can destroy the world.”

    he was referring to airplanes, ships, the internet, and, lastly, nuclear weapons.

    rather than going into detail, he chose this poetic approach to make it easier to understand.

    isaac looked at rina, who seemed utterly bewildered, and smiled faintly.

    “that’s the kind of world i came from.

    what do you think?”

    rina’s response was... unexpected.

    “pfft.

    don’t make me laugh.”

    she outright rejected it.

    “what kind of nonsensical world is that?

    humans did all that?”

    her reaction came from deep disbelief, rooted in the inherent limitations she saw in humanity.