Chapter 403: The dice are cast (2)

    “Alright. I’ve decided.”

    “About what?”

    “Not to be surprised by anything you do anymore.”

    These were the words Rina said to me as if creating an escape route for herself.

    Currently, she is wearing a soft smile, seemingly halfway resigned to the situation.

    I could only give a wry smile in response.

    After all, Clark is sitting on the bed, deeply engrossed in reading the Chronicles of Zenon.

    Originally, Rina had returned to the imperial palace because of Clark, who had resurrected in the underground temple.

    Yet, the very person in question is now staying in my dormitory.

    And what if that person happens to be my grandfather and the one who interrupted the summoning ritual?

    What if he’s a powerhouse capable of single-handedly destroying a real-life Seven Deadly Sins scenario?

    Rina, already troubled by events, must feel like throwing in the towel—or outright giving up.

    That probably explains her reaction.

    As I forced a bitter smile, Rina maintained her graceful demeanor, sipping her tea.

    Shaky hands.

    Though she tries to appear calm, it seems she can’t stop her hands from trembling.

    Still, it’s remarkable that she hasn’t spilled her tea dramatically, as one might see in a drama.

    “Haah...”

    “Are you feeling a bit calmer now?”

    I asked Rina cautiously.

    The introductions to Clark had been completed long ago, but the shock lingered, and there were no signs of the situation improving anytime soon.

    Given the cascade of recent incidents, the stress must be piling up.

    Rina, as a princess, has fewer day-to-day burdens compared to others.

    Still, Leonard works overtime daily, so much so that it’s rare to see his face.

    “If I said I was calm... it would be a lie.

    Honestly, could you stay calm in this situation?”

    “Hmm...”

    I turned my head towards Clark in response to Rina’s slightly aggrieved tone.

    Clark, who had started diligently reading the Chronicles of Zenon yesterday, is already on volume 12.

    Apparently, being resurrected as a skeleton means he doesn’t need sleep.

    Since no one uses the living room at night, he simply lit a lamp and read through the night.

    Flip.

    Completely focused, Clark turned the page even as I stared at him.

    He didn’t react to me or Rina’s conversation either.

    To be honest, reading 12 volumes overnight is somewhat slow for an undead being with no distractions.

    It means he’s reading meticulously.

    I briefly observed Clark before turning back to Rina.

    “It must be tough.

    You’ve got plenty to think about already.”

    “Ugh...

    How am I even supposed to deal with all this...? My head hurts just thinking about it.”

    Rina let out a groan, pressing her delicate brows.

    Although Clark will eventually return to dust, his accomplishments remain a problem.

    Without his sacrifice, the second Demon War would have erupted.

    Moreover, his actions were the catalyst that brought my soul to this world.

    Rina is the only one who knows the full story.

    She knows I was summoned here through a ritual and that Clark was the one who disrupted it.

    By now, she must feel like giving up and doing nothing at all.@@@@

    For now, I can only wait until she’s sorted out her thoughts.

    “I just want to throw everything away...

    Forget being a princess—I want to live without a care in the world...”

    “... ...”

    “No, that’s not right.

    The empire is in crisis.

    I can’t afford to think like this...

    But I really don’t want to do this anymore...”

    The usual dignity and grace befitting a princess had completely vanished, leaving behind a lone, burdened figure.

    In moments like these, a capable aide should step in to assist her.

    Ironically, there’s no one trustworthy enough for the job—many could very well be demon worshippers.

    Nor can she rely on flattering sycophants.

    This means she must handle most of the work herself.

    “Well, that’s a relief.”

    Did she find my question suspicious? Rina asked quietly with a doubtful look.

    She was quick to pick up on things, so she seemed to realize why I’d asked such a question.

    “Wait, don’t tell me... You’re not, right?”

    “Not what?”

    “Seriously, don’t. Even though I support the Zenon-Mary couple, that’s just...”

    Rein gave me a look as if asking how I could even think of such a thing.

    But I shrugged it off nonchalantly, refusing to be fazed.

    “I didn’t say anything.”

    “Don’t you feel sorry for them?”

    “But it raises the quality of the work.”

    “That’s true... But I don’t know. Do whatever you want.”

    The die has been cast.

    ★★★★★

    When Isaac’s departure for the imperial palace was just around the corner, the 29 manuscripts he had prepared arrived at the publishing house as he intended.

    Normally, Anna would have intercepted the manuscripts along the way, but this time she didn’t.

    Since Isaac had strongly requested it, she had no choice but to send them to the publishing house.

    Thus, the 29 manuscripts arrived. Before printing, proofreading for typos was essential, and typically, this task was handled by an editor.

    However, since it was The Chronicle of Zenon, multiple people were assigned to proofread it to ensure that not a single detail was missed.

    They considered this a form of respect for the work.

    “So, what do you want me to do about it?”

    The head of the publishing house, Musk, wore a baffled expression as the employees in charge of proofreading approached him.

    The 29 manuscripts were neatly stacked on the desk, having been perfectly proofread for typos.

    Normally, they could have been sent straight to the printing press, but for some reason, the employees had come to him directly.

    “It’s not about the typos, but rather the content,” one of them said.

    “The storyline?” Musk asked.

    “Yes. While we understand it’s not our place to say this...”

    The employee, who appeared to represent the group, hesitated as he spoke.

    Musk looked at him with an expression more puzzled than annoyed.

    What could have possibly happened for an employee to come directly to him, the president of the publishing house?

    Since the launch of The Chronicle of Zenon, no employee aside from Matthew, his secretary, had ever approached him in this manner.

    On rare occasions, employees came to him due to vacations or resignations, but resignations were usually for personal reasons.

    Considering Musk’s decent personality and, more importantly, the overwhelming salary, it was virtually unheard of for regular employees to visit him.

    “Could you ask Zenon to reconsider the storyline?”

    “What?”

    Musk frowned deeply at the suggestion.

    They had come to him out of the blue to ask Zenon to revise the story.

    Although Musk was effectively Zenon’s editor, he never interfered with the storyline—it was always done perfectly without any need for intervention.

    And now an employee was asking for such a thing?

    He found it not just absurd but incomprehensible.

    The words, “What right do you have to say such a thing?” almost escaped him, but Musk managed to suppress his frustration and spoke calmly.

    “Do you even understand what you just said?”

    “Y-yes, of course. But if you read it just once, you’ll understand how we feel.”

    “...Tsk. Fine. I’ll read it. But don’t make a fuss until I’ve finished.”

    He wanted to throw them out, but he couldn’t.

    Their courage was commendable, and there had to be a reason for their insistence.

    The employee sighed in relief as Musk picked up the manuscripts on the desk and began to read.

    The story began with Zenon tracking Jin, following his trail by visiting the countries the party had previously passed through.

    Eventually, Zenon arrived at the desert region where the First Demon War had broken out, uncovering hidden truths.

    This alone was enough to shake the world, but...

    “...Huh?”

    Before long, Musk, having reached the ending, widened his eyes in shock, his expression becoming almost comical.

    As if unable to believe what he had just read, he flipped back and forth between the pages repeatedly.

    Was what he just read real?

    Then, he closed the manuscript and urgently turned to his secretary, Matthew.

    “Hey, Matthew. Who delivered these manuscripts?”

    “As always, they came from the mansion,” Matthew replied.

    “Are you sure?”

    “Yes.”

    As if the ending were too unbelievable...

    “It wasn’t tampered with by demon worshipers on the way?” Musk asked in a flustered voice.