Power is a simple yet complex intangible force that humans cannot detach from in their relationships. Power is essentially "strength," so it is natural that those who have power have always had strength throughout history, while those with weaker strength tend to bow their heads or look for opportunities to gain power.
So, what are the ways to obtain power? A very simple way is to have more strength than the other party. If one has more strength, it is meaningless for the other party to attack, and it is more likely that they will end up being attacked instead. That's why people tend to follow and obey the strong.
Princess Rina of the Minerva Empire is such a case. She belonged to a powerful family from birth rather than earning it herself. Who would dare to touch the princess of the strongest nation? Unless someone wants to commit suicide, it can be asserted that no one would try.
"... ..."
After everything was done, Rina returned to her dorm and lay on the bed blankly. Even though it was a dark bedroom with no light, her golden hair shimmered brightly.
If it were any other day, Rina would have studied or read a book, but today she had a lot on her mind. Looking up at the ceiling, she recalled the incidents that had occurred over the past three days.
After the announcement of a hiatus in volume 10 of Xenon's Biography, the Minerva Empire fell into great confusion. Protests demanding clarification erupted throughout the country, and those in power quickly moved to contain the situation.
In fact, the protests were not limited to just the Minerva Empire, but were happening all over the world. However, they were more severe in the Empire, which had a notorious reputation for cultural appropriation.
Rina had taken it upon herself to try and calm the situation. If Isaac had taken a hiatus because of her and Leort, then an apology was necessary to resolve the situation.
During the process, Rina was willing to accept any proposal that Isaac made. Even if it was a strange proposal that she could not understand, she was willing to accept it as long as it would help resolve the situation.
However, Isaac proposed something that Rina could not comprehend. If he had suggested even something as extreme as prostrating, Rina could have understood it.
'I don't understand.'
Rina was born with the power and authority befitting a princess. She entered politics at a young age, in her early teens, and was more knowledgeable about politics than her peers.
Here, she realized one thing: while there are people who have never tasted the flavor of power, there are no people who have tasted it only once. Furthermore, those who have tasted power once are driven to seek greater power.
I have seen many people like that even when I lived in the palace. There were countless people who would do anything to get their hands on what they believed they deserved and would try to undermine the power of others in subtle ways.
Rina dealt with these people herself, using the education she received from her mother and her own exceptional observational skills to detect them in advance.
Due to this environment, she was forced to wear a "mask" and had a big conflict with Mari. At the time, Rina mistook Marie for someone who was also trying to seek power like others, but in reality, Marie was trying to become friends with her out of pure heart. However, Rina did not realize this and betrayed Marie's expectations.
'Issac, he's an interesting guy.'
Rina thought of a boy with red hair named Issac, who had a unique feature of being the son of Hawk, who was famous as Red Lion, and being the author of the Xenon's Biography.
At first glance, his expression may seem blunt or taciturn, but that is not necessarily the case. Rina, who has exceptional observational skills, knows that he can make various expressions.
Moreover, Issac is so averse to power that it is almost strange. He did not announce his position when he could have done so at the last meeting.
Instead, he firmly expressed his desire to enjoy the meeting without getting involved in that (politics) part. He genuinely wanted to enjoy the meeting without feeling burdened.
'Does he really dislike power?'
The reason why Isaac and Nicole were called last time was also for coexistence or cooperation. It was wrong to pressure them while mentioning tax evasion, but Isaac also held a weapon in that he had authority in the cultural section that could not be easily approached, and he himself had overwhelming authority in terms of status. If these two things were in harmony, they could do anything.
However, Isaac didn't do that. Even though he had authority, he didn't want to exercise power as much as he had planned and instead took a break as he planned. Thanks to that, Rina could realize it late.
Ah, Isaac is not someone who can be dealt with. If she rushes at him for no reason, she herself will be in big trouble.
Just by announcing the break notice in the author's words, the world went wild. Rina was first surprised by a major incident that she couldn't handle with authority alone, and then she was secondly surprised by Isaac's true intention.
'He writes with a pure heart without any purpose...'
Isaac said he wrote Xenon's Biography as a hobby. That was certainly not a lie, but the truth.
That's why it was even more incomprehensible. Someone who had such power and authority just wrote Xenon's Biography as a hobby...
'...No. That's probably why he could have earned that kind of authority.'
Rina snorted. It is difficult to understand Isaac even now, no matter how much she thought about this or that.
In the first place, even Marie, who was far from a sense of authority, could not understand it. Is there anything different about Isaac? There was a reason why the two loved each other to death.
However, precisely because of that, she wanted to understand even more. Why did Isaac not covet power? And why did he propose to stop speaking formally and speak freely with her?
A person who controlled the world without boasting about it. Rina's curiosity about Isaac continued to grow.
At first, she approached him out of simple curiosity, but now she had made up her mind. She wanted to learn about the person himself, not just Isaac's abilities and background.
'It's the first time I'm approaching someone just to get to know them... Can I really do it?'
Up until now, every time Rina had approached someone, it was to see their abilities or potential. Even her initial approach to Isaac after his presentation was for this reason.
But she had never approached someone just to get to know them. Could she really do it?
'I can do it.'
Even though Marie was standing by his side, Rina knew that she had to muster up the courage to approach Isaac to satisfy her curiosity.
Perhaps she would become closer to Marie by doing this and be forgiven for her past mistakes. Rina momentarily remembered her past mistakes and felt a sad expression form on her face, but then quickly made a resolution.
'When I approach Isaac, I need to put my own power aside.'
Since he disliked power, she thought that she should put it aside herself. Moreover, since he had already let down his guard and spoken freely, they might be able to break down the barriers between them.
'For now...'
The protests happening around the world must first come to an end. There was nothing Rina could do right now.
Isaac said that it would be problematic to send a spokesperson from the palace, so he would send a letter to the publisher himself. As he wanted to remain neutral, it would take time, but it was a surefire way to handle the situation.
'Will it end well?'
Rina slowly closed her eyes, hoping that Isaac would handle everything smoothly.
For some reason, Isaac's image popped up in her head.
'...I should give him a gift later as an apology.'
*****
It had been about two weeks since the 10th volume of Xenon's Biography had been released. The protests that were happening all over the world were not showing any signs of slowing down, but were rather becoming more and more radical as the days went by.
Not only were crowds gathering in front of the publishing house, but nobles were also frequent visitors, pleading for help. This was not limited to just the publishing house, but also public squares in big cities and busy streets where protesters could be seen holding signs and demanding explanations.
Leaders were struggling with how to deal with these protesters, as they feared that another situation like the Jayros Revolution could arise.
Although they held power, they knew that one wrong move could cause everything to crumble. Therefore, they had to be cautious in their actions.
"... ..."
The publisher sat leaning on his chair, staring blankly at the ceiling. His eyes had lost focus and his expression was as if his soul had left his body. Even his cheeks, which were once plump and full, had become thin and worn out from the long struggle.
[Until when are we going to endure this? Speak up already!]
[Can't you at least send a letter?! You're hiding the author, aren't you?!]
The harsh voices of the protesters outside the publishing house entrance crept into the publisher's ears.
The protest had been going on for two weeks now, and the demonstrators showed no sign of giving up. As the publisher, he was at his wit's end, but he had no strength left to resist them anymore.
Just moments ago, he had faced not just protesters, but also the influential and powerful nobles. Fortunately, they too had other affairs to attend to and had left for the time being, but the publisher knew he would have to face them again tomorrow.
As the thought crossed his mind, he trembled with fear and let out a sigh. Then, he looked down at the newspaper lying on his desk.
[The voice of the citizens. Will it reach the author?]
[The publishers and leaders remain silent. Silence is not always the right path.]
[I am worried that something strange might have happened to Xenon... I went to see him, but was met with violence...]
[We must prevent a situation like the Jayros revolution... Even the Minerva Empire begs for our help, claiming ignorance.]
While it may be difficult for individuals to resist those in power, if they unite and rally together, even an empire would have to submit. The publisher felt the weight of how Xenon's Biography had changed the world.
Fortunately, there hasn't been a situation like the Jayros revolution yet, but it's only a matter of time. I heard that's why there are many cases of military deployment in various places.
And if a revolution really happens... The publishing company is finished. Even if they hire mercenaries, the protesters outside will still come pouring in, so it wouldn't make sense.
"Ah... seriously..."
The CEO groaned, wrapping his head in agony. It had been days since he sent the letter, but there was still no reply.
He was afraid that the author of Xenon's Biography was hiding. He wanted to pack up and escape at night, but it was too difficult to give up the company he had built up until now.
'Hold on. If we just hold on a bit longer, good fortune will come.'
The CEO prayed desperately to Luminous. Please let this situation be resolved quickly. That way, he could survive.
And did that desperate prayer really reach Luminous?
Swish!
"CEO! We received a letter from the author!"
"What, what?!"
The secretary and trusted employee, Mathew, opened the door hastily without knocking and delivered the good news.
Normally, the CEO would have scolded him for not knocking, but given the circumstances, the news he delivered was like rain in a drought.
The CEO quickly stood up from his seat and shouted at Mathew.
"Re, really? Is it really Xenon?"
"Yes! The messenger confirmed it, so it must be true!"
"Hurry and give it to me!"
When the boss urged him on, Mathew promptly handed him the letter. The boss quickly checked the envelope before hastily taking out the contents. Then he checked the contents of the letter. Judging by the handwriting, it was really written by the author of Xenon's Biography.
[Hello, dear readers. I'm Xenon, the author of Xenon's Biography. The world is very noisy these days. Frankly, I was a little surprised.]
"That's great!"
That's all that's needed. One sentence alone is enough to calm the situation.
But there is one problem. Will the citizens believe this letter? Given the situation, there is a very high possibility that it will be dismissed as a lie.
If there was a rough draft that could be compared, the story might be different, but...
"Oh! And just in case people don't believe it, the author sent a rough draft! It's a rough draft of volume 1!"
"...Hahaha!"
The boss was sincerely moved.