How To Live As A Writer In A Fantasy World

Arwen’s words about looking forward to it pricked my conscience a little, but there was still plenty of time left.

Even after finishing the main story, I had to write the side stories and gain knowledge through Mora.

So, the World War II segment might not begin until the end of winter break.

Besides, Emperor Verit of the Minerva Empire had asked if I could extend it just a little longer, so I was considering it.

World War II was a war where tangled political situations and long-built frustrations exploded all at once, making its developments quite complex.

There weren’t many figures who could be considered protagonists—except for Hitler, the Axis of Evil—so I had to be careful in crafting the characters.

Moreover, in war, the ones who survive are the true protagonists.

I planned to introduce a main character and have everyone around them die as the story progressed.

On the German side, there would be Hitler and one soldier deeply immersed in Nazism.

For the Soviet Union, a survivor from Stalingrad. Lastly, for the United States, a veteran of the Pacific War.

Additionally, I intended to depict the formidable war machines—tanks and fighter pilots.

At first, showing all of this seemed too complicated, but that was just a challenge for my abilities.

Of course, before organizing all that, I had to finalize the side stories first.

I brought up the subject during dinner.

“I’ll make it so sweet it’ll give you cavities.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

“Hahaha. Thank you.”

As expected, my mother was the happiest.

For reference, dinner was attended only by Mari, Adelia, and my family.

I heard that Cecily, Rina, and Arwen were having their meal separately in another room.

There were too many awkward aspects for all of us to dine together, and Rina, in particular, still found it difficult.

Besides, they all had plenty to discuss, especially about the “Gray Desert Expedition,” so they decided to have their own gathering.

Once dinner was over, I figured we might play a game of Go.

Just before the meal, I had explained the rules of Go to Cecily and Arwen.

‘It’s not a 19×19 grid but a 13×13 one.’

To make it more accessible, I replaced the standard 19-line board with a 13-line one. The board and stones were instantly conjured with magic.

Since the rules were simple, I believed they’d get the hang of it quickly.

After dinner…

“What? Really? You’re not lying, right?”

“Would I lie? You heard correctly.”

I told Adelia that I came from another world. Her round, sky-blue eyes widened adorably.

Originally, I planned to tell her when Mari and the family were gathered, but since something came up at that time, I had to inform her separately.

Just like before, I gradually explained various facts to Adelia, watching her reactions in real-time.

She, too, liked me as a person, just like Mari, so accepting it wasn’t difficult for her.

“So, there were no illegitimate children where you lived?”

“As long as there are people, there will always be illegitimate children. They weren’t treated particularly well, either.”

“I see. Well, no matter how advanced civilization becomes, human nature stays the same. And so does lust.”

Since she was an illegitimate child herself, she couldn’t completely hide her bitterness about the topic.

Even if she had overcome her trauma, her origins hadn’t changed.

Still, Adelia showed interest only in that aspect and surprisingly wasn’t very curious about the world I came from.

She had already sensed that I was different from others, and, more importantly, she said her priority was protecting me.

She truly had a steadfast knight’s temperament.

“So, should I start calling you ‘oppa’ now?”

“…No, you don’t have to. Just call me as you always do.”

“Alright. Isaac-oppa.”

“…”

“Hehe, sorry, sorry. I’ll call you as usual.”

Seeing my wounded expression, Adelia playfully pinched my cheek.

Being called “oppa” by someone I usually addressed as “noona” was a bit jarring, but I managed to move past it.

For a moment, I wanted to get back at her that night, but unfortunately, I already had prior plans. I had informed the other women about it, too.

“Huh? You haven’t unpacked yet?”

“Sorry… The house is bigger than I expected, and there are too many people… I think I’ll finally be able to unpack tonight.”

However, the woman I had made plans with—Leona—had to postpone for a day due to moving issues.

Because of an unexpected funeral commotion, tourists had flooded in, delaying the arrival of her belongings.

Hearing her explanation, I was a little annoyed, but what was done was done. I reassured her to take her time and then returned to my work.

Tomorrow morning, she’d probably come to our estate to deal with the matter regarding Clark, and by nighttime, we’d finally have our first proper night together.

Anyway, as the evening deepened, the once-busy estate grew quiet again after the funeral commotion.

‘I should finish this quickly.’

With the relatively free evening hours, I worked on the side story.

As I had promised my mother, I intended to make it so sweet it’d be cavity-inducing.

Starting with Lily and Jin’s first meeting, followed by their parenting diary.

Then, showing their affectionate family life.

Except for the first child, I planned to have them give birth to children back-to-back, even including a pair of twins in the middle.

‘…This feels like my future, somehow.’

The difference was that Jin only had Lily, whereas I had multiple women.

But otherwise, my life seemed similar to his, living like a stud horse.

Even in the book, Jin was becoming more and more exhausted from Lily’s overwhelming affection.

Though, of course, he was happy nonetheless.

It was as if the saintess was transforming into a saintess of a different kind. But as long as the readers were happy, that was all that mattered.

I’d also include updates on Zenon and Mary throughout the story, and finally, end with an elderly Jin and Lily looking at their grandchildren with warmth.

‘But anyway…’

I looked up after finishing a portion of my work.

Even though it was almost bedtime, Mari was still nowhere to be seen in my bedroom.

She had said she needed to talk with the other women for a bit, but even after thirty minutes, she hadn’t returned.

‘Well, women’s conversations tend to drag on.’

Shrugging my shoulders, I resumed my writing.

★★★

“So… you skipped dinner just for this?”

Mari couldn’t hide her disbelief.

After hearing Isaac’s shocking revelation, she had entered the room where the women were gathered—only to find this bizarre sight.

Cecily and Arwen were staring intently at a square board, each placing white and black stones in turns.

Beside them was a neatly arranged, now completely cold meal. It seemed both of them had skipped dinner.

Even Rina was watching the match with an intrigued expression.

“I only meant to play one move…”

“But I saw a way to win, so I couldn’t help it.”

Arwen giggled like a child, offering an excuse that wasn’t quite an excuse, while Cecily responded with a relatively serious expression.

It was only natural for Mari to be even more dumbfounded by the sight. She glanced at them before shifting her gaze elsewhere.

Adelia, too, was rolling her eyes, wondering what kind of situation this was.

“Haah… Let’s take a break for a moment. It looks like you’re playing a board game—surely you can pause for a bit?”

“Just one more move…”

“It’s about Isaac.”

Just as Cecily was about to plead, Mari cut her off with a sharp and resolute tone.

When it came to anything related to Isaac, it was always the top priority. Cecily had no complaints about that and quietly set down her stone.

With the situation now appropriately resolved, Mari turned to Rina.

She had heard that Rina also knew some secrets about Isaac.

At first, she had felt a little hurt upon learning this, but after discovering that it was due to Ariel’s mind-reading abilities, her feelings had settled.

“Rina, you stay, too. This might be something you can’t ignore, either.”

“Is it something serious?”

“Not for us, but it could be for Isaac. He’s the only one who doesn’t know.”

What on earth could be so serious that Mari was acting this way? Rina nodded, half-curious, half-serious.

When it came to issues related to Isaac, Mari took it upon herself to handle them.

Cecily would try to keep her in check whenever possible, but Mari was undeniably recognized as Isaac’s first and primary wife.

Mari quietly took a seat at the table where the Go board was set. Adelia stood behind her, but thanks to Mari’s consideration, she was also able to sit.

From this moment on, she was not here as a maid, but as one of Isaac’s women.

‘The ones who know Isaac’s secret… This should be all of us, right?’

Leona would likely be delayed by a day due to personal circumstances, and besides, she was expected to learn Isaac’s secret on their first night together.

As for Rina, although she hadn’t yet taken that final step, it was practically a given, so her participation wasn’t an issue.

‘Ugh, this is irritating.’

Just how many women were there? It hadn’t really hit her when she met them separately, but seeing them all gathered like this made her feel uneasy.

However, after learning Isaac’s secret, she could understand why things turned out this way.

Considering his unfortunate life, it was only natural for him to seek affection.

Taking a deep breath, Mari finally spoke in a low, steady voice.

“…I assume you all know Isaac’s secret. You’ve all heard it, right?”

Technically, she should be using honorifics when speaking to Arwen, but in this gathering of Isaac’s women, such formalities felt unnecessary.

Besides, she knew Arwen wouldn’t care about something so trivial.

“Of course. Cecily and I heard it together.”

“I happened to overhear it a few weeks ago.”

“I just learned about it now.”

That was good enough. Mari nodded at their confirmations and continued.

“Then… do you also know about Isaac’s past?”

“I know he passed away young—at just 23. And that it was all because of demon worshipers.”

“That’s all I know as well.”

Rina and Adelia were in the same boat. A young man, only 23, tragically caught up in a demon-worshipers’ summoning ritual.

That much, at least, was known.

But they hadn’t heard about his parents dying in an accident, about his forced conscription into the military, or about how his girlfriend had cheated on him during that time.

It seemed Isaac had deliberately chosen not to share those details, likely gauging their reactions and deciding against it.

Mari was deeply concerned about this.

‘Isaac doesn’t realize how tragic his life has been.’

Cultural and technological differences aside, conscription was usually only enforced during wars or extreme crises.

Even the Minerva Empire had abolished conscription centuries ago.

Armies were notorious for draining national resources, and even a mighty empire like Minerva found it unsustainable.

That’s why they had switched to a volunteer-based system. In reality, it was more like mass-producing knights rather than truly voluntary service.

Of course, conscription could still happen in times of war, but not indiscriminately unless the situation was dire.

‘A country that went through a civil war achieving such growth? Unbelievable…’

It was hard to believe, but she had no doubt Isaac had spoken the truth. She had confirmed it with mind-reading.

Regardless, his personal hardships remained unchanged. And most of all, he had served on the front lines.

To Mari, “front lines” meant the Minerva Empire’s border regions—where they faced not only barbaric beastmen but also the elven nation of Alvenheim.

Back when Arwen’s political position had been unstable, elven rangers frequently trespassed into their territory.

Had it not been for Hawk dealing with them, the beastmen would have had an easier time running rampant near the borders.

‘So they don’t know. That’s why I called you all here—I want you to know more about Isaac’s past.’

“…Is it a painful story?”

“I wouldn’t call it a happy one. In fact, it’s very likely the reason for Isaac’s womanizing tendencies.”

The women reacted differently to this foreboding statement.

Arwen looked uneasy, Cecily and Rina became serious, and Adelia remained silent.

Seeing that they were all prepared to listen, Mari took another deep breath and began speaking in her signature clear, elegant voice.

“I’ll only tell you what Isaac himself has revealed. First of all…”

As Mari’s story unfolded, the women’s expressions gradually turned somber.

A nation divided in half by the influence of two great powers. A civil war that birthed countless tragedies and resulted in conscription.

As mentioned earlier, conscription was only enforced during war or extreme emergencies.

From Isaac’s perspective, the military had been nothing but hell, but to these women, the military was a place where one’s life was always at risk.

And the fact that he had been stationed on the front lines only deepened their sympathy.

“On top of that, his girlfriend cheated on him. And after he was discharged, he lost his parents in an accident.”

“…Are you serious?”

“Why would something like that…?”

“Isaac…”

Isaac had brushed it off as “just the past,” but when spoken aloud, it was undeniably a tragic tale.

Already burdened by the stress of conscription, he had been further betrayed by his girlfriend.

And then, as if to deliver the final blow, he lost his parents.

How had he managed to endure it all?

Even though he had kept writing after his discharge, that must have been his only lifeline.

In the end, Isaac had been completely isolated from society in his past life. That was the conclusion Mari had reached.

“His foolishly affectionate nature probably stems from that. He’s just happy to have people by his side. Even if he has complaints, he wouldn’t express them.”

“…Yeah.”

“So what I want to say is… let’s not hurt him. Emotional wounds may be covered up, but they’re never completely healed. Got it?”

Mari wasn’t wrong. It was simply a cultural misunderstanding that had led to unintended assumptions.

What made them even more sorrowful was the realization that Isaac had once been just an ordinary man.

If he had been from nobility, he might have had the power to fight back, but as a commoner, he had only been burdened with responsibilities.

And then, tragedy struck him over and over. The fact that he hadn’t ended his own life was a miracle.

“…So that’s why he wrote such tragedies in The Chronicles of Zenon?”

“Maybe it’s because he actually experienced something similar…”

“No way he’s really ‘fine’… not when he doesn’t even fully understand himself.”

As their thoughts deepened, Mari glanced down at the Go board that Cecily and Arwen had been playing on earlier.

Curious, she decided to change the mood.

“By the way, what is this? Did Isaac teach you?”

“Hm? Oh, yeah. It’s called Go. So, the way it works is…”

And thus, another long night of misunderstandings continued.

The next morning…

“…What’s wrong with you all? Are you okay?”

“Yeah, we’re fine… probably…”

“We… might have stayed up all night…”

The next day, an unsuspecting Isaac found himself face-to-face with a group of utterly exhausted women.

★★★★★