How To Live As A Writer In A Fantasy World
Chapter 430 :

I was briefly confused by Mari’s statement about being in my 40s, yet still appearing childish.

It was true that even when I remembered my past life, I still exhibited some childlike behavior.

That wasn’t all. After hearing Mari’s words, my mother, who seemed to have thought of something, asked an awkward question.

“Then, do you remember when you were a baby? Like when I breastfed you or changed your diapers?”

“….No. I don’t remember now. The first time I clearly recognized my thoughts was when I was 3.”

This wasn’t a lie, it was the truth.

I barely remembered being unable to control my bodily functions or being breastfed.

I only remembered things like that.

Back then, my brain couldn’t process the concept of reincarnation, and all I had were instincts.

Still, I couldn’t say the memories were pleasant.

Not being able to control my body was bad enough, but not being able to hold my stomach was the absolute worst.

Even when I was 3, I couldn’t hold my stomach properly, and every time my diaper was changed, I felt extremely embarrassed.

“I see. Isaac is very mature for his age, and his behavior doesn’t really match the typical ‘terrible twin’. He’s very sharp and well-behaved, that’s why.”

“Usually, the youngest child who was raised as an establishment would be a bit wild, but Isaac wasn’t like that.”

“I was amazed at how quickly he learned to talk. Once he did, he started reading difficult books. Now, I understand why.”

These were the words of my mother, Dave, and Nicole.

At the time, they must have thought I was just maturing, but now that the truth was out, they were slowly accepting it.

Then my father, who had been deep in thought, spoke in his usual deep voice.

“So, Isaac, were you a writer before?”

“Yes. I lived as a writer in the world I came from.”

“Ah, I see.”

My father’s response was rather unique.

He nodded, as if understanding, but there was a hint of disappointment on his face.

When I showed my confusion at his expression, he awkwardly scratched his temples and replied sheepishly.

“Well… I was just thinking, if you had been involved in martial arts in your past life, maybe you would have grown up to be a great knight.

You are physically weak, but you listened well and had a good understanding since you were young.”

“Ah, I see. If that was the case, Isaac wouldn’t be like he is now. We wouldn’t even be having this conversation.”

“Still, it’s a bit embarrassing.”

It seems like my father still wanted to raise me as a knight.

Just as he said, he understood in his head, but my body wasn’t cooperating, so he gave up.

Back then, my body wasn’t as strong as it is now, and I was treated like the youngest, so I was spoiled.

Although it was still difficult for me, I gained focus to the best of my ability.

The biggest advantage was probably the “diligence” he gave me.

I smiled faintly and began to tell a short story about Earth.

"The world I live in is very different from here. There are beasts, but no monsters, and the only species is humans. There is no mana or magic, but science and culture are very advanced."

"What? No monsters?"

“Only humans? No mana or magic?”

“No mana or magic, yet science and culture are flourishing?”

As expected, each of them reacted with disbelief.

To them, mana, magic, and monsters were common knowledge and an essential part of the world.

They believed that science and culture could only exist because of magic.

After all, even a refrigerator would be impossible without magic.

Amidst their disbelief, only Mari gave a different response.

“So, this is the world you talked about with Mr. Musk, right? A world without mana and magic.”

“Do you remember that?”

“Of course, I remember. It was a strange story. So, you must have thought that way because you came from a place like that. It’s like a puzzle coming together.”

Mari nodded as if she understood.

Then, as if he suddenly remembered something, his eyes widened and he hurriedly asked,

“Then, what about the question you asked the professor a year ago? About 12 ships defeating over 100?”

“Do you remember that?”

Now, it was my turn to be surprised.

It had been a year since I asked the professor that question when I was a freshman at the academy.

Back then, I wanted to know if the overwhelming difference in numbers could be overcome even in a world with mana and magic.

The World War involved tanks and fighter planes, so they were irrelevant.

The closest comparison was the Battle of Myeongnyang.

The professor’s answer, however, was that it was impossible.

No matter what explanation was given, even with a divine being, a “manifestation,” victory was impossible.

Fortunately, the professor answered gently, but in reality, his response was more like “what kind of nonsense are you talking about?”

“Of course I remember. I have a good memory, though not as good as Cecily’s, and it was a strange topic. Did you really win?”

"Yes."

“How? Without Mana or Magic? And in the Cursed Sea?”

“I don’t know, and neither do my descendants. I’m not lying, I just won.”

Of course, there were differences in the specifications of the Panokseon and Japanese ships, but “logically,” an overwhelming numerical advantage would lead to collapse.

There was even a record that Admiral Yi Sun-Sin fought with only his flagship at first because he thought they could win.

However, the damage to the Joseon Navy was minimal, while the Japanese Navy was completely destroyed, losing their naval advantage.

Despite all the research, there was no solution, and only various hypotheses abounded.

How could I know the answer?

At first, Mari was skeptical, but when she realized that I was serious, she shook her head and said,

“So, I don’t believe it. If you write a book about it, people will just criticize it for making the protagonist too perfect.”

"By the way, there are records that say we won. Plus, not only did he win that battle, but he turned the entire war around."

"Of course, for the enemy, losing a battle they had to win would be huge. But looking at the poor conditions, they must have suffered significant losses beforehand."

My father, who was knowledgeable about military matters, added to my explanation.

I simply explained the situation, but he understood the context perfectly.

As he said, the Joseon Navy was destroyed at the Battle of Chilcheollyang due to General Won Gyun's incompetence, causing the fleet to scatter.

In addition, Admiral Yi Sun-Sin was dismissed by King Seonjo and even stripped of his rank.

Despite this, he regained control of the Navy and won.

The irony here is that the Japanese army, which was doomed to lose, defeated Admiral Yi Sun-Sin's forces, but when they faced a battle they could not lose, they ended up losing.

From Japan's perspective, if it weren't for Yi Sun-Sin, the Joseon conquest would have been completed long ago.

"By the way, this story is from about 400 years ago in my world. As I mentioned, science and culture are much more advanced than here, so there are many things that might be hard to understand."

"Like?"

"Do you believe that humans can create creatures that can fly in the sky? Not only that, but also that ships made of steel sail across the vast ocean without wind or waves, and that people can talk to each other all over the world using a palm-sized device?"

I had asked Lina a similar question before, and their reactions were similar to hers.

“I don’t believe it.”

“Without magic, just science? Is that possible?”

“This is nonsense. Even refrigerators wouldn’t exist without magic.”

“Well, it’s magic, isn’t it?”

When I said that everything was possible with just science, they couldn’t believe it. But they had to.

Even if refrigerators existed, flying through the sky with magic was something only high-level magicians could do.

The idea of ​​flying with a machine was unimaginable, especially when it came to the sea.

When I researched the sea last time, I found that navigation skills were extremely backward.

Shipbuilding was even behind the times.

The sea was considered a den of demons, filled with sea monsters, so people were reluctant to approach it.

Even the elves stayed away.

Despite the presence of magic, think about how the small island nation of England turned into the British Empire.

There was a saying that whoever ruled the sea ruled the world, but in this world, people were afraid of the sea, so it was stagnant.

"Basic navigation skills are so bad, even if they found steamships, they wouldn't have much effect."

These are just my thoughts.

For the people of this world, the sea is the most unknown.

Even Earth, with its advanced science, still expresses the sea as an endless mystery, so their fear is understandable.

Anyway, I left the discussion of the sea there and continued explaining when I saw the skeptical expressions on my family's faces.

"In our world, this is possible. You know the steam locomotive mentioned in the 'Zenon Chronicles'? That was basically an artifact from my time. There were trains that were much more advanced than that."

"Hmm... I don't really get it just by hearing it. Can you explain it with pictures?"

"Of course."

At my father's request, I drew airplanes, steamships, and finally cell phones in my notebook.

They were seeing these things for the first time, from a completely different world.

Mari and my family gave me their full attention, focusing on my drawings.

To help them understand, I compared the concepts to things from their world.

The explanation of the cell phone was the easiest, since there were communication crystals here as well.

The rest was a bit harder for me to explain properly, since I wasn’t very knowledgeable about science, having studied the humanities.

“Is this given to everyone? Can commoners have them too?”

“Only cell phones are distributed. The rest are used by the country or companies, so only nobles or merchants use them for specific purposes.”

“Wow… if communication is this easy, I can’t even imagine what the military is like. Things that can fly freely in the sky, ships that can sail on the sea… and navigation skills?”

My father shook his head in disbelief.

Everyone else looked equally doubtful or uncertain.

Mari, though, her finger on her lips, seemed fascinated. She trusted me completely, but was less interested in the object itself.

She was only interested in me as a person, plain and simple. It would probably be similar to the perspective of someone who had encountered a ‘fantasy.’

“Has there ever been a war in this situation? It seems like all sorts of strategies and tactics would come into play, and the loss of life would be severe.”

“Yes. Based on the time I lived in, World War II broke out about 80 years ago.”

The closest thing to a modern war would be the Gulf War.

However, since the Gulf War wasn’t a direct battle, but rather an overwhelming victory for the US military, I didn’t bring it up.

Besides, explaining the Gulf War would probably make people’s heads explode, considering how difficult everything else was to understand.

Meanwhile, just as I was about to speak, my father, who had been listening, seemed to notice something strange and opened his mouth with a somewhat confused expression.

“… World War II? World War?”

“Uh..”

As my father muttered in a confused voice, I scratched my head awkwardly.

Did I accidentally spoil something?

When you think about it, it’s almost like the same thing as a war of other species breaking out, so it’s easy to understand such a reaction.

The real problem was that the gap between World War I and World War II was only 20 years.

I hesitated whether to mention it, but then I looked around and spoke.

“As I mentioned before, I’m going to use it as a backdrop for my next work. It would be nice if you had some background knowledge. Should I explain it?”

“Honestly, I’m curious. To us, this is like another race war happening again, right?”

“Let me explain. But I won’t spoil anything.”

“You’re also curious about weapons, huh? Do they use cold weapons like we do, or is it something else?”

As expected of a noble family, the mention of a war from another world quickly piqued their interest.

Furthermore, both Mari and my mother seemed to be focused on the idea of ​​it from another world.

Although war is terrible and desperate, if it’s fantasy, it’s a completely different story. Besides, given the times, people tend to romanticize war.

On the other hand, my father was a bit more serious.

Having experienced PTSD during his active service, he couldn’t help but be cautious when it came to war.

I decided to avoid spoilers as much as possible, so I started drawing a map. I could easily draw a world map without Mora’s help.

“First, this is the world map of the world I live in. I live in…”

“What? You’re drawing a world map right away?”

“Are you sure you’re a normal person?”

“…?”

As soon as I started drawing the map, the reactions poured out, and I couldn’t help but question myself.

Seeing this, my family sighed and muttered with looks of disbelief.

The first to speak was Nicole.

“That’s right. This is why you wrote the Zenon Chronicles.”

“I feel a bit shabby now. What kind of world is this? A commoner wrote the Zenon Chronicles and immediately drew a world map? It’s like creating an entire world.”

I awkwardly laughed at Dave’s words.

I couldn’t even imagine how he would react if he found out about the ‘game.’

That would probably make his mind feel.

At least, the fact that a movie had just come out was somewhat entertaining.

However, in my eyes, magic felt stronger. Although it slowed down scientific progress, I was sure it would reach its full potential one day.

Before explaining the background, I focused on the country I originally lived in, South Korea.

“Before I explain, this small peninsula is the country I live in. But because it’s a divided country, it’s basically an island.

The north is called North Korea, and the south is South Korea. The official name of the country I live in is the Republic of Korea.”

“It’s definitely smaller compared to other areas. It’s similar to the Stabirck region of the Empire.”

“A divided country? Did a civil war break out?”

Nicole, noticing that something was off, asked immediately.

Then, the others seemed to notice at the same time, and all eyes turned to me.

As she said, even though it was a divided country experiencing a civil war, there was no real threat.

Other than the occasional missile launches for rice.

"Yes. Therefore, we are still in a ceasefire. The war is not completely over."

At the mention of the unending war, the surrounding atmosphere immediately became quiet. I blinked, looking around.

Everyone was looking at me with pity and sadness in their eyes. Even Mari seemed to tighten her grip on her hand.

When I nervously shifted my eyes, it was my mother who spoke first. She looked at me with already moist eyes.

"Could it be that the accident where you lost your parents... was... because of the war?"

"Well, war always leads to many casualties...

Especially if it's a civil war... it must be worse."

That wasn't the case. They had actually died in a car accident.

In the deepening misunderstanding, I quickly opened my mouth to correct her. Otherwise, I feel like I’m going to fall into an inescapable hole.

“That’s not it. The civil war actually broke out before my parents were born. Also, the truce lasted so long that the effects of the war were almost non-existent…”

“Really?”

“So, this is a relief… no, wait.”

The mention of being drafted made the atmosphere heavier. My mother was on the verge of tears.

My father also took a deep breath before asking softly,

“Recruited… I know. Where did you serve?”

“On the front lines.”

Cold, hot, dirty, and frustrating – all the memories of that experience were still vivid.

I never wanted to go back, and it was a place crawling with all kinds of strange creatures.

The reactions from my family were intense.

My mother wiped her eyes with a handkerchief, while Nicole and Dave squeezed their eyes shut or slowly lifted their heads.

What were they imagining? I had no idea.

Finally, my father, hearing this, seemed overcome with emotion and spoke in a tired voice.

“I think we should stop talking about this. This isn’t about the world, but about the country – it’s too personal. We should avoid it…”

“But why? I’m totally fine with it.”

I didn’t understand at all.

As the atmosphere sank deeper, Mari decided to break the silence with her bright voice.

“Can I ask you one thing? It’s very important to me, even if I don’t know much else.”

“Isaac’s trauma is limitless.”

“Thank you! Isaac?”

“Yes?”

Mari had already grabbed my hands with both of them. Her bright smile seemed like she was trying to lighten the mood.

Then, with her usual cheerful expression, she asked a really personal question.

“Did you have a boyfriend or fiancée at that time?”

“Well…”

“It doesn’t matter if you did. What’s the problem now. I’ll say you did. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have been so good on the first night, right?”

That was because I had audiovisual materials to study. I held back my words and forced a bitter smile.

For Mari, unfortunately…

“Yes, I had one.”

“I know that.”

“But I cheated on her when I was in the military.”

“….”

That question was like stepping on a landmine.

As soon as Mari heard my answer, her face froze while still smiling.

At the same time, the already heavy atmosphere grew even more tense.

How can I lighten the mood now? I thought and thought, then forced a wry smile and quietly spoke.

"Should I continue explaining the background? This is not about my country, but about World War II."

"... Does it have a more tragic story? Like millions of people dying?"

"Not millions, but tens of millions did die..."

"..."

"... I'll just explain the background."

It was a relief that I didn't mention the world-ending weapon.

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