How To Live As A Writer In A Fantasy World

“Hooah……”

I let out a long breath.

Right now, I’m inside Mora’s temple.

After running and running due to an entirely unexpected situation, I somehow ended up here.

Of all places, it had to be a temple, which made my conscience prick with guilt—I felt truly sorry to Mora, but I had no other choice.

I couldn’t return to the mansion because my mother was holding her ground there, and wandering around aimlessly would only cause more chaos.

In the end, I chose the temple, and the closest one happened to be Mora’s.

[They went into Mora’s temple!]

[What do we do? We can’t be disrespectful to Mora.]

I could hear voices from outside.

That was exactly why I had hidden in the temple.

No matter how reckless a person was, they always maintained decorum in a temple.

Otherwise, they risked being reprimanded by the gods or even receiving divine punishment.

Strictly speaking, barging into the temple in a panic was already a sign of disrespect.

Yet, Mora hadn’t shown any reaction, so I hoped it wasn’t too much of an offense.

Only the temple attendants were eyeing me curiously, but fortunately, they just smiled and let it slide.

‘……I’ll visit often from now on.’

I silently conveyed my apology to Mora.

She may favor me, but as a person, I had been rude to her, so I needed to at least offer an apology.

At that moment, the candle flames illuminating the dim temple flickered faintly.

There was no wind, yet they moved—surely, that was Mora’s way of answering.

Since they didn’t go out completely, it seemed she had generously forgiven me.

[Everyone, step back! This is disrespectful to Zenon!]

[If you keep this up, Zenon himself will get angry! Please, quiet down for a moment!]

From outside, I could hear Adelia shouting fiercely.

Her naturally husky voice made her sound even sharper.

But even though she stood her ground like Zhang Fei at Changban Bridge, those people wouldn’t back off unless I personally stepped out.

At this point, the conclusion didn’t matter—just the fact that they had seen me in person was enough to keep them from containing their excitement.

Rumors had long spread that I had secluded myself due to the attacks from demon worshippers.

And now, after all that, I had suddenly shown myself?

There was no way they could just stand still.

They would charge at me without hesitation, unable to resist their excitement.

‘At least they can’t touch me directly, I suppose.’

It had been the same during the chase earlier.

People only pursued me but never laid a hand on me.

Among the “mourners” who had entered our territory, there were not only skilled humans but also members of other races.

As strong as Adelia was among her peers, there was no way she could hold off so many people alone.

Besides, my mother had made it clear earlier—anyone who harmed me would be exiled from the territory.

Because of that, they could only chase after me closely without actually grabbing me.

Now that I had taken refuge in the temple, they were all waiting outside.

Had I realized this sooner, I would have run back to the mansion.

But it was too late now.

‘Should I just wait until Cecily or Rina hears about this?’

What an absolute nuisance.

Besides, even if I got help from someone and managed to return, it would just be a temporary fix.

I needed to calm those people down first.

Rather than a funeral, this situation felt more like a fan meeting.

There was no need to worry about the demon worshippers anymore.

Our territory was being watched over by both Luminous and Mora.

By now, they were probably enjoying the show with popcorn in hand.

Whoosh—

Look at that.

The flickering candle flames were proof enough.

I let out a dry chuckle and shook my head.

According to a pilgrim who had visited our land, divine energy here had accumulated several times more than usual.

In other words, this place was overflowing with holy power.

Demon worshippers would feel their energy being drained the moment they stepped in.

‘Still………’

Unable to hide my smirk, I let out a silent laugh.

The situation had been too urgent for me to think properly, but now it reminded me once again of my position.

It was similar yet different from when I first revealed my identity.

Back then, people reacted as if I were a prophet or a regressor rather than a mere writer.

But today, their response was unique.

They were adorable, like devoted readers protesting to change the ending of a story.

Even if their methods were extreme, as an author, I was touched.

They were genuinely immersed in my work, and they even staged this whole event because of it.

The only problem was that the mastermind behind all this was none other than my mother.

‘Wasn’t this what happened to Conan Doyle?’

The infamous event that led to the phrase, Why did you kill Holmes?

Compared to that, this was nothing.

People had thrown stones at Doyle’s house, breaking his windows daily.

They had even held a real funeral for Sherlock Holmes.

One elderly couple even smacked him with a parasol on the street, calling him a villain for killing Holmes.

His publishing company suffered as subscribers canceled their subscriptions, and his other books were completely overshadowed.

With all these incidents piling up, plus the final blow from his own mother, he eventually had no choice but to bring Holmes back.

‘Wait. If this keeps up, will my other books get buried too?’

World War II? Who cares?

Saving Jin comes first.

This could actually happen.

Doyle had faced the same issue.

Even after ten years and publishing multiple other books, people had only begged him to resurrect Holmes.

When someone eats something spicy, they need water or milk to soothe the burn.

And in this case, the only solution was Jin’s revival.

Not to mention, the upcoming World War II arc would be even spicier than Jin’s death—definitely not sweet.

“Sigh……”

I let out a deep sigh of frustration.

Thankfully, Holmes had set a precedent, or else this could have dragged on for much longer.

Unlike my past life, my face and even my mansion’s address were well known here.

Considering the impact of ZenonChronicles, it wasn’t surprising.

It would be better to revive Jin quickly and ease the heat.

Not as an extra chapter, but as part of the main story.

‘The fans want it this badly. I should grant their wish.’

But I was definitely going to scold them thoroughly.

This event had brought me joy as an author, but it had also caused trouble.

Fans behaving immaturely could reflect poorly not just on them but on me as well.

I needed to address this properly.

As I quickly organized my thoughts, a new idea for the epilogue came to mind.

I sprang to my feet.

“Excuse me, priest. May I use a private prayer room?”

“Of course.”

After receiving permission from the priest, I headed straight for the prayer room.

There was something I needed to ask.

[…]

With all the answers in hand, all that remained was facing the crowd.

I stepped out of the prayer room and was immediately met with an unexpected figure.

“Cecily?”

“Ah. So you were here.”

Cecily, who should have been at the mansion, had come inside the temple.

Judging by the situation, she must have heard the commotion outside.

“Were you talking to Mora?”

“Yeah. I had something to think about. What’s the situation outside?”

“People are still gathered. Looks like they’re waiting for you to come out.”

“Could you go tell them I’ll be out soon? I need a moment to sort things out.”

Cecily nodded and left immediately.

I watched her disappear, then patted my chest.

Officially revealing myself to the public was already nerve-wracking.

But doing so in an unplanned situation like this made it even worse.

‘Time to express my gratitude… and scold them properly.’

I took a deep breath and stepped forward.

The moment I emerged into the light, an enormous crowd came into view.

“Zenon! Are you really not going to bring Jin back?!”

“Historical accuracy doesn’t matter! Just let him meet his child!”

“Even if it’s just through a spiritual connection, please, at least let them meet…!”

As soon as I stepped forward, the crowd erupted in an uproar.

No matter what I tried to say, my words would just get swallowed by the noise.

At this point, I felt like some sort of cult leader.

Some people were even shedding tears.

Scratching my head awkwardly, I motioned with both hands for them to calm down, moving them up and down.

I needed to settle them down before I could say anything.

“… …”

“… …”

“…”

Oh, this actually works.

As if they understood my gesture, the crowd quickly quieted.

I was momentarily surprised, but I cleared my throat and prepared to speak.

“Hello—”

Wait. The people in the back won’t be able to hear me like this.

Realizing that, I glanced at Cecily, who was standing below the stairs.

Among the people here, she was the only one proficient in magic.

Cecily caught my gaze and casually snapped her fingers.

Immediately, I felt a strange energy ripple around me before everything settled again.

“Ah, ah.”

My voice suddenly rang out much louder, as if a microphone had been switched on.

This should be enough.

I nodded slightly to Cecily in thanks before turning to address the expectant crowd.

When I had revealed my identity before, only nobles and high-ranking individuals had been present.

Now, people of all ages, races, and social classes had gathered.

It was overwhelming.

Even though this was an impromptu event, not an official one, I felt an indescribable sense of emotion.

“Hello, everyone. I am Zenon, the author of Zenon Chronicles. I never expected to meet you like this, but… regardless, it’s a pleasure.”

“Wooooaaaahh!!”

“It’s Zenon! Zenon!”

The moment I gave a polite bow, the crowd exploded into cheers and applause.

Their welcome was overwhelming.

The old me—who had lived humbly even in my past life—felt my face flush with embarrassment.

This was no longer a funeral. It had completely turned into a fan meeting.

Even so, I should at least act respectfully.

These people had been wholeheartedly immersed in my work, and even showered it with love.

It was only right that I offer them something in return.

“I understand why you’re all here. This is about… Jin’s death, right? Or am I wrong?”

“Yes!”

“Can you bring him back?!”

“If you let him meet Lily, I’ll do anything!”

The moment I brought up the core reason for this event, the crowd became even more excited.

I gestured for them to calm down.

Thankfully, they obediently quieted once more.

“Now, I know how much you all love Zenon Chronicles, especially the Jin and Lily couple. But… there’s something I don’t quite understand. They’re fictional characters. Is this kind of reaction really necessary?”

“Don’t be ridiculous! Everyone knows you’re a prophet!”

“Characters from your book are basically real people!”

“… …”

So this is how it all ties together, huh?

I was at a loss for words.

They genuinely believed Jin was a real person—or more precisely, someone from the future.

I couldn’t even begin to grasp the logic behind their reasoning.

I hadn’t actually killed anyone, so why were they acting like this?

‘…Well, I guess it makes sense.’

From their perspective, it was as if someone had accurately predicted World War II.

From America’s Great Depression to the rise of Nazi Germany, and even the Eastern Front between Germany and the Soviet Union.

If a book had foreseen all of that, wouldn’t people believe its author was a prophet?

Even if I denied it, no one would believe me.

There was no way out of this.

‘Ah, whatever. Let them think what they want.’

With a resigned smile, I gave up trying to argue.

At this point, I didn’t care whether they thought I was a prophet or some kind of divine messenger.

Instead, I needed to say what I had to say.

“Alright… fine. If that’s what you believe, I won’t argue. No point in trying to convince you otherwise.”

“Then why did you kill Jin?”

A gentle yet firm voice.

The moment I heard it, it felt like a hammer striking my brain.

Because the person who asked that question… was my mother.

She looked at me with a warm smile as she delivered that devastating blow.

I barely managed to hold my expression together, my lips twitching uncontrollably.

I almost let out a hollow laugh.

“The reason I killed Jin… is the same as what critics have said—it makes for a stronger story. Even if you mourn his death, you can’t deny that it completed his character arc, right?”

“Hmm… well, that’s true.”

“That was the only time I ever seriously wanted to punch a critic.”

“I’m mad… but you have a point.”

Good. If I keep going like this—

“Still, nothing is worse than killing Jin.”

“How could you do something so cruel when he wasn’t even a demon?”

“And Lily didn’t even know she was pregnant! If he had at least known, there would have been a sliver of hope!”

Nope. Not happening.

One by one, they started throwing out arguments that made me sound like an absolute monster.

I laughed helplessly to myself.

So much for the hope I had just grasped—it crumbled in an instant.

Did Conan Doyle endure this nonsense for over ten years?

I had to admire his patience.

At least in my past life, I could’ve just ignored online hate comments.

But these people had no concept of anonymity.

And somehow, their sincerity hurt even more than insults ever could.

I took a deep breath, suppressing my frustration.

“…To be honest, I’m incredibly moved by your passion. I know ZenonChronicles is popular, but I never imagined you would go this far.”

As I spoke, I cast a sidelong glance at my mother.

She quickly avoided my gaze, fully aware of her guilt.

Letting out a deep sigh, I swept my eyes over the crowd once more.

Some looked expectant.

Others seemed worried that I would refuse to bring Jin back.

After a brief pause, I nodded.

“…Alright. I’ll bring him back.”

Gasps spread through the crowd.

“As you all wish, I will revive Jin. I just spoke with Mora about it, so don’t worry.”

“It worked!!”

“Thank you! Thank you so much!”

“They can be happy! We’ll get to see them happy together!!”

The moment those words left my mouth, the entire estate erupted in celebration.

Some cheered.

Some wept.

Some simply smiled in relief.

I still didn’t fully understand why they were reacting this strongly, but before anything else, there was something I needed to say.

I raised my hand.

Instantly, the crowd fell silent.

Their smiles remained, but at least they were listening.

“I truly appreciate your enthusiasm, but… I’d prefer if something like this didn’t happen again.”

“Jin’s revival is possible because I found a loophole, but there are things that can’t be changed. Also, while no accidents happened this time, please be mindful not to cause disturbances that affect others.”

I had read in the newspaper that an adventurer had gone on a rampage when rumors of Jin’s death first spread.

That rumor had turned out to be true, so it had been buried.

But I didn’t want something like that happening again.

“If this happens again… I have my own countermeasures. And trust me, you won’t like them.”

The crowd tensed.

“If you push me too far… I’ll write an even worse ending.”

Silence fell.

I could see panic flicker in their eyes.

Good. Message received.