Chapter 35: Alcohol is a Problem (2)

A book that had a tremendous impact on the world, Xenon's Biography.

At first glance, it may seem like a typical hero's story, but the tale it holds is very profound. It portrays demons, usually treated as devils, as unfortunate beings and depicts fragments from the light and dark sides of nobles.

Until now, when it comes to novels, there have been only books with convoluted sentences and overwhelmingly complex words. However, Xenon's Biography takes a completely different approach. Sentences and descriptions that seem to play out in one's mind, leaving behind memorable scenes and messages that linger.

Above all, it was enjoyable. It tells the story of a commoner who lived an ordinary life but encountered a 'Strange Fate' and developed his talents, ultimately becoming a hero who saves the world. In addition, there are charming female leads and supporting characters.

(TL note: strange fate is something like falling off a cliff and finding an elixir or a neighbourhood old grandpa turns out to be a swordmaster and trains the protagonist.)

As such, Xenon's Biography has established itself as a popular book that is easy for commoners to read and enjoy by people of all ages, genders, and races.

Furthermore, readers are curious about the next installment of Xenon's Biography.

Who is the author of Xenon's Biography? Who can write a book like this?

Many critics have offered various opinions, but the most credible hypothesis is that the author is an elderly sage. The hypothesis that the author is an explorer who has traveled around the world in the past and gained various experiences has been particularly emphasized.

Teenagers who still should be cared for by parents and 20-year-olds who have just entered society were naturally excluded. This is because Xenon's Biography had too many scenes that could only be written with abundant experiences.

At least, unless you lived in another world.

"...why are you asking that?"Isaac, red-haired and with half-open eyes, asked Cecily in a shaky voice. The golden eyes that shone like amber, had dimmed and his voice, which had been blunt, was now weak.

His face turned red like his hair, which anyone could tell he was drunk. It was a completely different appearance from his usual self.

'How cute.'

While thinking that it was cute, Cecily recalled her usual suspicions at the circumstances. First of all, the callus of the middle finger, or pen-hook, that Rina mentioned.

Like the calluses on the palm of a knight who had held a sword for a long time, the callus on his middle finger was a mark that could only be obtained by holding a pen for a long time. It was not just a month or two, but a callus so severe that it had to be at least years.

Of course, Isaac, who had a habit of taking notes, could have calluses. Besides, he had said that he liked studying, so it could be overlooked up to this point.

The second was Isaac's attitude towards Xenon's Biography, which he usually dismissed. He certainly liked the story of Zennon like other people, but he wasn't as enthusiastic about it like others. It was just his hobby to read.

However, considering his previous attitude and the story she secretly overheard from Jackson earlier, he seemed to be seeing through the Xenons' story. If he knew the story this much, it would mean he was passionate about it, but Isaac was strangely indifferent.

Lastly, it was about the identity of the demons that Isaac mentioned last time.

'It's similar to what Xenon said to Jin. Is this really a coincidence?'

There is a scene where another protagonist, Jin, contemplates the identity of the demons while watching Sakran's sacrifice, and Xenon helps alleviate his concerns. Other races, including humans, may see it as just Xenon providing encouragement, but for Cecily, there was a context that cannot be easily overlooked.

Isaac defined the demons as 'the most humane beings who know better than anyone that they cannot become human, but yearn to become human.' And the sentence that Xenon said to Jin is as follows.

[Don't worry. Unlike what you're worrying about, even if demons become devils, they can die like humans. Look at Sakran. Even Gods can't help with the inherent qualities of a person. That's why demons are even more human-like.]

Xenon's words were similar to what Isaac said to her.

If Isaac is really the author of the Zennon story, then there are surprisingly many pieces of evidence that fit. However, this alone is not conclusive enough proof.

Above all, Isaac is currently 17 years old, and even if we consider him as a human, he has just become an adult. Despite having abundant knowledge, he couldn't have abundant experience.

Moreover, Isaac has admitted that he has hardly ever been outside his house and lived a sheltered life. Given that, the Xenons story is filled with experiences that require firsthand observation or a lot of experience, which Isaac lacks.

Due to this indecisive evidence, the proof that "Isaac is the author of the Xenon's Biography" has not been established. Upon hearing Isaac's question, Cecily shrugged her shoulders.

"I just asked out of curiosity. Doesn't Isaac like reading and writing things? I wondered if you were also writing a book.""...No, I'm not writing a book...""So?"Cecily turned her gaze to Isaac as she watched the wine swirl in her glass.

Maybe it was because of the alcohol. If it had been a normal day, it would have been easy to tell what Isaac was thinking because everything showed on his face, but now it was difficult to discern.

People tend to make mistakes when they're drunk, but Isaac seemed to be even more tightly guarded. That made me more suspicious. Once a doubt arises, it tends to grow and persist, even if it's been proved wrong before.

'I wish I could just use magic, but... That's not the way to go.'

The utility of magic is endless. There is magic that can be easily used in life, and magic that manipulates the mind to express one's true feelings. However, using magic comes with its own set of risks and consequences. Misuse of magic can cause harm to oneself and others, and it can also attract unwanted attention from those who wish to exploit it for their own gain. Therefore, it is important to use magic responsibly and with caution.

Although it is a magic so complex that a human could never touch it, magic is known as the expertise of demons. With a little effort, she could use it well enough.

However, magic cannot be used except in certain areas at the Halo Academy, and mental magic has many risks and aftereffects. You can't just act confident and go through the head of a person you like.

If it was someone I didn't know completely, I would have leaned towards using it, but it's Isaac. Isaac is special to her, so it's right to treat him preciously and with respect.

'Humans are numerous. Once in a while, there may be a true coincidence where circumstances overlap.'

Even if he is considerate and thoughtful, he is still 17 years old. In addition, the number of humans is overwhelmingly large compared to other races, so there is no need to point out Isaac.

'Still, I'll need to keep my doubts.'

The probability of Isaac being a writer is significantly low, but it increases slightly if he's just involved. Cecily checked Isaac's condition for a while while pondering who was around him.

Isaac was on the verge of losing consciousness, and if he continued like this, he would probably collapse and fall asleep. It seemed that he needed to be seated or taken care of.

"Isaac. Are you okay?""...yes.""You don't look fine at all. Let's sit over there and rest."Cecily pointed to a chair placed in the corner of the auditorium. There was also a wall, so it is a perfect place to rest and lean on.

Isaac also turned his gaze in the direction she indicated and soon shuffled his steps there. He held a wine glass in one hand, which looked a little funny, but her concern outweighed it.

Although she walked with him in case he stumbled, she was still very uneasy. He seemed to be walking like a newborn penguin following its parents.

"The alcohol... is... quite... delicious... hehe."Now he's even giggling. As she watched Isaac laugh, Cecily couldn't help but make a fresh expression.

Isaac, who is usually taciturn and only occasionally shows a change in expression when joking around, but he rarely laughs. Even when he does smile, it's usually just a smirk and he never laughed foolishly like he is now.

'He's even cuter when he smiles.'

The more I look, the more he looks like a baby penguin. Even though his build is not that small, it feels small, and his distinctive features also feel cute. It might be because he is much younger than me.

Still, it seems that excessive drinking should be banned in the future. He would become a laughing stock due to a rumor of him drinking too much at this gathering, which wouldn't be good for Isaac either.

"Take a rest here until you're sober. Got it?""Yes...""By the way Isaac, writing isn't really your hobby, right?"Cecily asked a question, subtly changing the word "hobby". She was hoping that Isaac, who was not in his right mind because of alcohol, would give as much evidence as possible.

Isaac stared at Cecily at the question and smiled broadly. Then answered brightly.

"I don't know about that...""..."Cecily let out a faint smile as she watched Isaac brightly respond like a child.

Although normally he appeared mature, now he looked like a child.They say that when people get drunk, their true nature is revealed. Is this Isaac's true nature? It is truly a desirable nature.

Cecily put her hand on Isaac's head and spoke kindly. It was the moment when her characteristic playfulness kicked in.

"Okay. Since Noona is going, you stay here quietly. Isaac is a good boy, so he will listen to older sister, right?""Yes...""Yes. Yes. Isaac is a good boy after all."He gently stroked the hand that was placed on his head. Whether she had taken care of it separately or not, but it felt soft.

As Cecily continued to stroke his head, Isaac giggled and wobbled like before. It was evident that he was feeling good.

"Okay then, I'll go now. You have to stay here just like Noona said, okay?""Yes!"Cecily left behind Isaac's enthusiastic response and moved on. Even as she walked, she didn't forget to check on Isaac, just in case.

Isaac was moving back and forth like an Ottogi doll with his back straight. Cecily felt a little anxious when she saw it, but she moved on, thinking It should be okay.

Less than three minutes after Cecily began talking to others.

"Huu..."Isaac's eyes slowly closed and eventually he fell asleep.

Translators note:

Hello!

I'm Ghostre the TL here! After seeing How To Live As A Writer In A Fantasy World not being picked up despite being this good I decided to give it a shot. I'm doing an edited MTL with help from chatGPT and currently striving to reach the quality the previous TL'er managed to achieve. It may not be the best but I will try to at least make it enjoyable and not painful to read.

For now I'm uploading this chapter to see if NU bot finds this and to get your opinion on quality of this translation, so let me know what you think about it.