The protest, which seemed like it could explode at any moment, gradually began to calm down as Isaac sent a letter to the publishing company. The letter was so long that it filled up a whole page, but roughly summarized, it went something like this.
[I’m really uneasy because it’s too noisy. What if I get hurt? Don’t worry, I haven’t received any pressure or threats. I’m very healthy and I write as a hobby, and I just need a little break because I have a lot to do. So don’t misunderstand and wait a little longer. Love you, my readers.]
The protesters initially objected, saying not to lie, questioning if Isaac really wrote the letter and if it was just a fake letter written to alleviate the situation as the situation seemed like a volcano was about to explode.
However, the publishing company showed through action instead of words. It was the original copy of the first volume of the masterpiece, Xenon’s Biography, which began to leave a great mark on the cultural world and is now loved by many.
Furthermore, it was written directly by Isaac, not a draft received from the publishing company. Naturally, the public was shocked and amazed.
“It’s a lie! How can we believe it?”
“Provide evidence that it’s not a copy, but the real original!”
“Prove that it’s really authentic!”
Of course, they didn’t believe it straightforwardly. However, from the protesters’ point of view, they couldn’t easily believe that the letter and the manuscript announced as a draft by the publishing company were real.
The people who participated in the protest were of all ages and genders, and among them were also those who had a lot of worldly experience. In other words, they knew well how dirty and cruel the upper world could be.
Because of this, even though the publisher pitifully claimed that it was only a draft, they were not trusted. However, the situation soon turned around.
“Is this really a draft? It seems like the original, not a copy.”
“Is that true?”
“Why would you say that? Could it be because the manuscript paper is old?”
“No, that’s not the reason. The manuscript paper being old doesn’t mean anything. It could have been written on old manuscript paper. But the ink is not. If the ink has changed color, it means it was written quite a while ago. And look at all these dots that are stamped here. These are traces of the writer’s contemplation. Writers often go through a lot of contemplation in the introduction part.”
By verifying the draft through a collector and expert who had come upon hearing the news, it was proven to be authentic.
If it were an ordinary collector, the credibility wouldn’t have risen as much, but since it was one of the collectors recognized even within the Minerva Empire, the credibility increased dramatically.
“Is there any evidence of magic being used? You never know.”
“Well, magic is an infinite power, but it can’t do anything about time. However, the traces of time are clearly captured on this manuscript paper. So, you can only believe that this is a genuine article.”
“I, really…!”
As concrete evidence was presented, the spokesperson for the publishing company wanted to dance with joy right away. However, since the situation had not been completely resolved yet, they barely suppressed those emotions.
The spokesperson quickly intercepted the original from the collector and shouted to the crowd focused on him. The size of his voice was like thunder, as if he had picked someone with a loud voice from the publishing company.
“I believe the evidence is now sufficient! The handwriting on this original and the letter are a perfect match! So, the story that Xenon wants to tell you is what is contained in this letter! Do you still want to protest? What if this protest intensifies and harms the author who is hiding? What will you do then?”
“What else do we have to say?”
“If that’s what the author wants, we have to go.”
“Let’s go back. Two years is a long time, but we can’t do anything about it. We’re just powerless to let the author rest.”
“Ugh… I guess I’ll have to work for two years straight.”
Thus, the long protest gradually disbanded. Even as they disbanded, there were some who looked back at the publishing company with regretful eyes, but they soon turned their steps. However, there were some who persisted until the end, mostly focusing on the manuscript.
“The rough draft of Xenon’s Biography, Volume 1…”
“How much would that cost?”
“If only I had that…”
The value of the item in front of them was so high that it could be designated as a national treasure, and it was natural for them to become greedy. The employees also felt something was off and hurriedly went into the company building.
As soon as I entered the company, I saw the sight of the CEO pacing back and forth in the hallway, looking restless. When an employee returned with a manuscript, the CEO quickly asked him in a hurry.
“So, what happened? The protesters? Did they all retreat?”
“Of course. The remaining people will leave soon.”
“Phew…I can finally breathe a sigh of relief. Well done. You did a great job.”
The CEO responded with a sigh of relief, patting the employee’s shoulder.
The employee outwardly smiled, but inside, he was quietly expecting something. The publishing company CEO was known to pay huge bonuses when performance was good.
The reason he could endure and persevere through the difficult work environment was due to the CEO’s kind heart.
“You really went through a lot. I’ll pay you handsomely as a reward, so go ahead and head home now.”
“Thank you!”
“Thanks are unnecessary. I should be thanking you. Hahaha.”
The CEO chuckled, and the employee smiled in response. In most cases, work environments are complicated because of superiors, but not here.
The biggest reason why a small publishing company could grow so large was due to the success of Xenon’s Biography, but the reason why employees could handle the overwhelming amount of work was thanks to the CEO.
The problem was that he was still a superior, but the employee was still thrilled to be receiving a hefty bonus and be able to go home.
“Oh, and can you give me the manuscript quickly? I need to process it as soon as possible.”
“I understand. What do you think we should do with this?”
“I have some ideas. Hand it over quickly.”
Without any suspicion, the employee handed the draft to the boss at his urging. The boss checked several times to make sure it was the correct draft for Xenon’s Biography before sighing heavily.
The storm seems to be calming down from today onwards. From the boss’s point of view, it means that there will be no more need to deal with visiting nobles who come every day.
Recently, he had been losing his thick hair due to stress, but fortunately, it was all gone. After telling the employee to go, the boss returned to his office.
“Have you come?”
When he returned to his office, his trusted secretary, Mathew, was waiting for him. He was here to wait first because he was told to.
The boss faced him for a moment before sitting on his desk chair. The soft leather feeling was conveyed through his back.
“Phew…”
“Is everything finished smoothly?”
“Yeah. There will be no more screaming protesters or noble brats coming.”
“That’s a relief.”
“Whether it’s a relief or not, our precious company almost burned down.”
It could have just burned down. Mathew half-heartedly regretted it.
One of the dreams of a corporate employee is for the company they work for to burn down. Especially since Mathew is in the position of the boss’s slave, he feels that way even more strongly.
Of course, He have only kept that thought in his mind and has never said it out loud. The reason he continued to endure this damn job is simply because they pay him a lot.
“Oh, speaking of which, who was the one on duty today?”
“It was Alice.”
“Then you’ll be on duty too.”
“…What?”
Mathew blinked his eyes. He didn’t understand the sudden order from the boss.
The boss showed the manuscript to Mattew and began to explain properly.
“As you know, we have to keep this manuscript until the messenger arrives. They said they’ll be here within three days, so we have to keep it safe until then. If this is lost, our company is done for.”
Matthew thought he wouldn’t mind if it did end. Besides, it was Thursday, so it should be okay. He nodded his head while grumbling inwardly.
Unaware of his thoughts, the boss looked at the manuscript with a serious face. This manuscript was none other than the original copy of the first volume of Xenon’s Biography, which could be designated as a national treasure and was worth an unimaginable amount of money that publishers could not afford.
Perhaps tomorrow, a high-ranking noble who hears the news could come and offer an exorbitant amount of money to get their hands on the manuscript.
However, as mentioned before, they would not do the foolish act of killing the goose that lays the golden eggs. Above all, the author presented the manuscript as evidence, which meant they did not completely transfer ownership.
In other words, the moment you write whatever you want in the draft, your life is over. The CEO carefully put away the draft and looked up.
‘This should be put in the safe.’
Only the CEO knows the password to the safe in his office. Since Mathew, who is on duty today, is the only one who will be guarding the safe located in the CEO’s office, he doesn’t even think about the possibility of theft. Mathew is not capable of such things, and he doesn’t even know the password.
Feeling somewhat relieved, the CEO let out a long breath and spoke quietly.
“I’m begging you to keep the safe secure. You should know that if it disappears, not only I, but our publishing company’s headquarters will go down.”
“I know. But why put it in the company safe instead of managing it yourself, sir?”
“There’s nowhere else to put it in our house. And there’s nothing as safe as the company’s safe. Look at it.”
The CEO pointed to one side, and Mathew’s gaze followed. The entrance of the safe, which was integrated with the wall, caught his eye.
Originally, it was a place where the CEO managed the ledger. It was also a place where he stored cash obtained through tax evasion and bribery.
So at least the security could be trusted. The password was a password, but it was very rare for someone to completely dismantle it like that.
As soon as Matthew saw the safe, he nodded his head. He could definitely trust that one.
“I understand. But can we do it with just the two of us? Wouldn’t it be better to hire an adventurer just in case?”
“Don’t worry. There won’t be anyone stealing it today anyway. At least it’ll take at least three days for the news to spread. That would be the time to hand over the draft to the errand boy.”
“I see.”
“Well, it’s better to hire an adventurer from tomorrow, as you said. And be sure to emphasize to Alice not to doze off today.”
No problem. Mathew readily accepted the boss’s orders.
The boss leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes and sighed with relief as if the situation had been resolved. He had been living at the company without sleeping for the past few days, and now he just wanted to go home and rest comfortably.
‘It’s over now…’
Yes. He thought today was really the end.
“Boss! Something big has happened!”
“What? Why suddenly again? Has a nobleman come?”
“No! When I came to work today, Mathew and Alice were unconscious, and above all…”
-The safe has been stolen!
Until an event that should never have happened occurred.
The boss’s expression showed that he did not understand the situation for about five seconds after the employee’s shout.
But as soon as he fully understood the situation, his face turned blue and he ran to the office in a hurry. While running to the office in a hurry, he could see Mathew and another employee being escorted out by a security officer.
In his heart, he wanted to check on their condition, but the situation was urgent, so he had to ignore it. As the CEO ran to his office, he quickly thought to himself
‘The safe was stolen? And they didn’t crack the password? How is this possible?’
The safe, which had been reinforced with steel, was so heavy that it was impossible to carry, and it was an integrated part of the wall.
Moreover, it was an expensive safe that had been magically treated, making it difficult to destroy. Even if it were destroyed, the noise would be so loud that it would be impossible not to notice.
But then again…
“…sigh.”
Thump-
The CEO had no choice but to kneel before the safe, which seemed to have torn the entire wall apart.
‘…I’m finished.’
Another storm began to brew.
Translators note:
That poor publisher ceo… getting hit with a storm after a storm huh
