After learning about Kate’s selective education she received from the church, I headed straight to the Temple of Luminous the next day. I questioned how her education led to this point, even though the god had guided her in so many ways. It didn’t make sense to me.
Not only was there a danger of my perception towards Kate being severely affected, but it was also problematic that her sexual education was at this level despite her adulthood. I had never encountered such a situation before, but if someone with malicious intentions and dangerous plans approached Kate, it could lead to a major disaster.
Moreover, Luminous’s response left me speechless.
[This is a part I cannot control. Education is not something I can provide, you know? Even as a god, I am not all-powerful.]
‘Does that mean all of this is purely coincidental? It seems like she has been left mostly on her own despite the grace you bestowed…’
[Left on her own? You’re exaggerating. I have invested a lot of interest in that child. Of course, I entrusted her sexual education, among others, to the clergy…]
Luminous replied with a somewhat timid attitude, acknowledging their own responsibility to some extent.
I had noticed this before, but Luminous was a god with distinct human traits. Not just Luminous, but Mora as well.
Having received the response that they would slowly resolve the matter regarding Kate, I could finally conclude the happening.
[If it’s too difficult, will you teach her yourself?]
‘Don’t say something like that.’
I did hear a shocking remark at the end, but I wasn’t completely refusing. Although I could still hear about my seed, so I planned to leave it to someone else. Other people also tried to take action after learning about Kate’s frustrating lack of knowledge about sexual matters.
We didn’t become close friends right away, and we all had our own tasks, so we postponed it for now.
‘I didn’t know there was such a person in the world.’
After returning to the dormitory, I paused in my writing and thought about Kate.
Originally, nothing came to mind except for her being a pervert or fetishist, but now that I knew the truth, I felt a little sorry for her. It’s worse not to learn at all than to learn something wrong, and even though I didn’t know how they taught her in the church, her knowledge of sexual things was at a dismal level.
‘It’s not a completely impossible story…’
There was a similar incident in my past life as well. A Chinese couple once consulted a doctor because they couldn’t have a child, and surprisingly, they didn’t even have a concept of sexual intercourse.
Even in my past life with advanced civilization and education, such things occasionally occurred, so there was no guarantee that this world would be any different. Of course, the Church of Luminous was largely to blame for this. Kate had received his grace, but they didn’t properly educate her.
To maintain her purity, or perhaps because there was no suitable mentor, I couldn’t be sure, but it probably was a combination of various things.
‘Not having friends must have played a part too.’
Would someone have the courage to call Kate, who received grace from god, a friend? If there were friends, they would have noticed Kate’s peculiarities and taught her proper common sense. I noticed my perception of Kate gradually changing and then cleared my mind to focus on writing.
The number of literature students had increased threefold, and I also had to counsel Cherry, so my writing time had decreased, but I had already filled about two-thirds of it. The problem is…
‘…Did I write too much?’
I scratched my nose as I looked at the thick manuscript piled up. It’s almost the equivalent of writing a whole book, even though it’s only two-thirds. I originally thought about dividing it into two books, but I just wrote as I pleased, and before I knew it, the manuscript was piled up without a clear division.
‘Having more is better.’
I shrugged my shoulders and resumed writing with the magic pen I received from my father.
The contents of the 16th volume are roughly as follows: Since Satan beheaded the great chieftain in the 15th volume, Hikton, a country of beastmen, has fallen into chaos. In it, two factions have clashed. Those who believe that the strongest should become the chieftain, and those who now think that someone with political skill should become the chieftain.
The problem with becoming one is the prevailing sentiment that one must defeat Satan to be recognized as the true great chieftain. It’s a situation where you naturally have to challenge him to a sacred duel. However, Satan’s power was so great that he could even dominate the former great chieftain. There was no one who could convincingly claim the throne.
‘To have legitimacy as a great chieftain, one must…’
Satan must be defeated. However, it would take a year to issue a challenge for a sacred duel. During that year, Cain trained tirelessly to somehow bring down Satan, but his inherent fragile body made it an impossible task.
To the point where Xenon, who had been watching over him, suggested giving up. After all, Satan could be defeated by him, so he just told Cain to rest comfortably. However, Cain couldn’t accept that and resolved once again that he must defeat Satan.
‘He’ll even tell me the detailed history of Satan here.’
In Volume 15, it was mentioned that Satan was banished from Hikton for purely political reasons. In Volume 16, it is revealed more precisely through Cain’s words.
Originally, he was an ideal husband and leader who treasured his family and clan deeply, but he lost everything due to external attacks. A man with a tragic past to the point of being pitiful.
Satan did not become a devil by his own accord, it was the circumstances and the people around him who turned him into one. The result was revenge against the great chieftain.
‘But he can’t bring himself to kill his brother.’
Satan and Cain were step brothers, but they held each other in special regard. From a young age, when Cain, who was weaker, was in trouble, Satan stepped in to resolve the issue. If there was something Satan didn’t know, Cain would teach him. If the former great chieftain hadn’t become so blinded by greed, Satan would have handled the military, and Cain would have managed politics. That’s how strong their bond was.
Although circumstances led the brothers to face off against each other, Satan, aware of his own transformation into a devil, declared surrender in the fierce battle with Cain. After declaring surrender, he immediately betrayed the devils and charged into battle, ultimately dying heroically. Despite the grim process, he ended up as a hero among the beastmen.
‘The original purpose has changed…’
As I wrote, I found myself in doubt. The original message was supposed to convey that beastmen needed wisdom, not just strength. But as I continued to write, tears of brotherly love and some philosophical aspects were added. Of course, the story itself wasn’t bad, and it’s quite captivating. It’s just that the message I wanted to convey isn’t quite there.
‘Let’s just focus on the essence. The present is changing rapidly.’
There was still no news about Leona returning from Animers. The same goes for news about the Animers itself. Most importantly, I wasn’t a philosopher, but I have grateful critics who interpret my book whenever I publish one. I should trust them once.
‘But anyway…’
After briefly setting aside my magic pen, I opened the drawer and retrieved a bundle of paper. It was the manuscript that Cherry had handed to me after going through the editing process the last time.
As it was a freshly written manuscript, it was neatly preserved without any damage. However, the content inside remained the same as before.
I planned to send it to the publisher along with the other 16th volume to support her dream, but I had doubts if it was really okay.
‘At least it’s undeniably entertaining.’
Cherry’s romance fantasy, ‘Once Again, Under the Crimson Sunset,’ was truly enjoyable. At least in my eyes.
The plot seems quite common – a heroine from the future returns to the past to overcome adversity. But in this world, the concept of ‘regression’ was scarce enough to capture people’s interest. The problem lies in the fact that the context and grammar are eerily similar to mine.
From what I’ve heard, she somehow copied Xenon’s Biography to write it similarly to mine, which was unavoidable. I, too, used to write stories based on what I enjoyed in my past life, and as time passed, I developed my own style.
There’s a chance this novel may face criticism in the same way. Generally, even just one or two negative comments can be deeply hurtful.
Above all, Cherry’s current mental health was not in a good state, to the point where criticism could be fatal. She might even show anxiety symptoms upon seeing criticism in the newspaper.
‘Even if she receives criticism, I still want her to continue…’
Cherry has been ruthlessly trampled upon even before her talent sprouted. This time, I need to protect her somehow until it fully blossoms.
She’ll use a pen name to avoid being recognized by her family, so it’s better not to leave any traces.
‘It’s hard to call her my disciple…’
If Cherry says she’s my disciple, I can immediately become her shield. However, it could get complicated once I reveal my true identity.
And to say that the person who wrote the regression story is Xenon’s disciple? I may as well call myself a regressor.But, for the sake of the future, it’s better to keep her as my disciple.
‘First, I should ask for her opinion.’
I thought so and checked the time. It’s the weekend, so there are no classes, and I haven’t made any separate plans to meet Cherry, so we’ll meet next week. For now, it seems like a good idea to complete the remaining parts of 16th volume and start planning the next story.
‘Since the 17th volume concludes the beastmen part, I should shift the focus more toward Jin and Lily. Maybe meeting with Gluttony and learning about the secret of their birth.’
Thus, after finishing all of the 16th volume after writing for a while, I had one thought.
‘Should I introduce Cherry to others next week?’
It’s not a bad choice. It was strange to meet her secretly like this, so it’s wiser to let them know about Cherry’s existence. When Cherry gets same-sex friends, her unstable mental state will probably improve somewhat. Every time I saw her in class, she sat alone, not talking to anyone. There were people who showed interest in her appearance and figure, but her gloomy atmosphere quickly drove them away.
‘At the same time, it was burdensome that she kept looking only at me…’
I believe it will gradually get better.
*****
The weekend has passed, and Monday has come. Over the weekend, I sent the completed manuscript of Volume 16 to my mansion. However, I haven’t made a decision regarding Cherry’s novel and plan to keep it as it is. Instead of making a thoughtless decision, I intend to listen to Cherry’s opinion before making a choice.
By the way, whenever I was at Elena’s research lab, Cherry always visited. Thanks to that, Cherry and I have ended up going to a café to discuss our opinions without the need for me to visit her.
“Cherry, I’ve mentioned this before, but if you really want to, I can send your manuscript to the publishing company. However, you’ll face a lot of criticism. I’m worried about you…”
“It’s okay.”
“I could be a shield for you…”
“It’s okay.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
After spending the weekend agonizing in solitude, Cherry responded that it’s okay even if she receives criticism, and there’s no need for me to be her shield. Her gloomy expression and deep, dark eyes remained, but her lips lifted slightly, creating a somewhat somber atmosphere.
I couldn’t decide whether to say she was feeling good about it or still felt depressed.
“Before that, Assistant Isaac.”
“Yes?”
“When do you plan to release Volume 16 of Xenon’s Biography?”
“I have already sent it?”
“I see.”
In response, Cherry, who had been looking at me with raised eyebrows, tilted her head. She then made a request in her characteristic gloomy and weary voice.
“Can you send mine in two weeks then?”
“I don’t mind. But why in two weeks?”
“Releasing it at the same time as Isaac isn’t possible.”
“Ah… I see.”
I guess we’ll have to go along with that.
“So, what pseudonym do you want to use? Let’s go for something that’s far from the color pink if possible. Observant people might suspect it’s from the Roseberry family.”
“Oh. I already prepared a pseudonym.”
“What is it?” In response to my question, Cherry looked me straight in the eye and answered.
“Mary.”
Finally, she smiled.
“Please use Mary.”
It was a very insidious smile.
I briefly wore a puzzled expression, then nodded. The smile was a bit unsettling, but using the pen name Mary made sense.
It was a manuscript we were sending from none other than our mansion, and Xenon and Mary were the names of the protagonist and heroine. The publisher might find some connection, so they would manage it well.
“Alright, I’ll send it then. I’m sorry to say this, but it’s best not to have too high expectations. I find it interesting, but it’s just my subjective opinion.”
“It’s okay. That’s enough for me.”
“…Is that so?”
“Yes.”
Her words sounded almost reverential. Well, considering she had her dreams crushed and then barely managed to cling to a new one, I understood why she said such things.
“Oh, and this…”
“Hmm?”
Cherry, looking embarrassed, showed me something. It looked like an ordinary water bottle.
(TL: Oh god, please don’t be what I think it is…)
When I made a puzzled expression, she spoke in a shy voice.
“Last time… instead of a meal, I said I’d give you something better…”
“Ah, that?”
Now that she mentioned it, she did say something like that. As a thank-you for helping me, she said she’d give me something better instead of a meal.
Honestly, I had forgotten, but it seemed Cherry remembered.
‘Did she say it will definitely smell like cherry blossoms?’
I turned my gaze towards Cherry, who had lowered her head. Her ample chest became even more prominent as she tucked her hands between her thighs due to embarrassment.
I wondered why she was so embarrassed about what she had made. It was a somewhat unusual reaction for someone who usually exuded a gloomy atmosphere.
For a moment, I had doubts about her appearance, but then I opened the lid of the bottle and checked its contents. As soon as I opened the lid, a strong scent of cherry blossoms stimulated my sense of smell.
I did have a strong lilac fragrance coming from my body, but this was… thick? Or sticky?
“What is this? Is it perfume?”
“No.”
“Then?”
“You can drink it…”
Cherry explained vaguely without giving a proper explanation. Judging by how red her face had become, she seemed quite embarrassed.
Still, a gift is a gift, and I should graciously accept it. Since it was given to me by my coworker and cute(?) junior, I planned to use it as she wished.
“Thank you. By the way, you said you can drink it?”
“Yes… You can drink it, or use it as a seasoning…”
“Ah, it’s like a sauce.”
No wonder the scent was so strong. I vaguely heard that this type of sauce was popular among nobles.
And the Roseberry family is famous for being symbolized by cherry blossoms. Naturally, there must be a cherry blossom-scented sauce as well.
‘But it’s a bit unusual to put it in a bottle. She could just give it to me as a whole.’
With such thoughts in mind, I dipped my finger in to taste it. As I put my finger in, Cherry suddenly raised her head from which a cherry fell. Before long, I looked at the sticky white sauce(?) and immediately put it in my mouth. As I put it in, a proper saltiness and a rich cherry blossom scent swirled in my mouth.
“Ah, uh…”
As I put the sauce in my mouth, an inexplicable exclamation poured out from Cherry’s mouth. Her lips, which had gone down, went up, and joy and ecstasy were etched in her pink pupils.
Was it really that pleasant? As the strong scent of cherry blossoms swirled in my mouth, I wrinkled my forehead slightly. It seems like I should dilute it a bit.
“Is it… delicious?”
“Yeah, it’s delicious. Except for the strong scent.”
Cherry responded to my straightforward answer.
“Hehe.”
She laughed strangely and bowed her head again. Why is she acting like that? I briefly paused in my confusion and dipped my finger in the water bottle once more.
“But why does it taste salty?”
It seemed strangely sweet, too.
