How To Live As A Writer In A Fantasy World

Chapter 382: Dice (5)

“…So, since both sides have that weapon, neither will launch a preemptive strike. If they shoot, we’ll shoot; if we shoot, they’ll shoot. Unless someone has a death wish, there’s hardly any reason to use it.”

“Oh, that’s ironic. But I get it. The more you have, the more you stand to lose. Only a madman would use it. In a way, it’s like it’s half-sealed, isn’t it?”

As I wiped my face with the handkerchief Rina had handed me, I explained the concept of Mutual Assured Destruction (MAD).

The idea itself was simple enough for Rina, a person from a medieval world, to grasp.

Put simply, it’s akin to “if I die, you die too.”

But the deeper you delve into it, the more flaws and limitations surface.

“But do you really think that can prevent war? I feel like the day will come when it gets used…”

Rina hesitated as she shared her opinion, looking at me apologetically. I handed the handkerchief back to her and replied calmly.

“The moment it’s used, the whole world will turn against you. Still, like you said, there are limits. If things go awry, there’s no room for flexible responses—it just devolves into ‘if I go down, you go down too.'”

Rina shook her head, clearly struggling to understand. From her perspective, it might be possible to sympathize, but it would still be hard to truly grasp.

It’s not just Rina—Einstein himself once said something similar.

If he had foreseen Hiroshima and Nagasaki, he might have torn up the theory of relativity.

Even today, the world is moving toward reducing nuclear weapons, but there’s rarely talk of abolishing them entirely.

They’re simply too powerful.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

Even a weak nation with nuclear arms becomes untouchable to military superpowers.

No matter how mighty the U.S. is, it’s helpless in the face of nuclear missiles.

Explaining why such weapons were created would require diving into World War II, which is a very long story.

But I could at least explain why nuclear weapons were mass-produced.

“It’s not that there were no alternatives—it’s that there was no other choice. The world was split in two after the war.”

“Huh? Split in two? But you said your world has over a hundred countries.”

“It was about ideology.”

“Ideology? Like what philosophers talk about?”

“Exactly.”

Understanding ideology itself shouldn’t be too hard. In this world, as in Earth, philosophy has its roots in ancient times.

Moreover, humans here have developed philosophy further by observing and learning from elven civilization.

This is the same species that, until the brink of the race wars, faced severe discrimination as an inferior species under the elves.

Despite the era, their understanding of human rights is surprisingly solid, which hints at their progress.

“One ideology emphasizes the collective, while the other prioritizes the individual. These two ideologies split the world in half. And the nations that embraced them were the strongest of their time.”

“Those are some extreme opposites. Wouldn’t another world war happen because of that?”

“Strangely enough, there was no direct conflict. They didn’t have the energy to fight after the war, and the two nations had actually been allies during the war.

Instead, other countries fought wars over ideology. In our world, we call this the Cold War.”

“It sounds just like the state of the Human Alliance after the Race Wars.”

“Exactly.”

A similar situation existed here as well. After the Race Wars, the Human Alliance underwent that process, eventually becoming the Minerva Empire.

But during that transition, countless conflicts arose.

The final victor was the current imperial family and the House of Requilis.

The rest were eliminated to prevent future threats to the imperial family.

Even the Kingdom of Teres participated in the war but gained little.

It was a half-baked cold war, so to speak.

“So, the world can really split in two because of ideology, huh? As long as the nations are superpowers, I suppose…”

“Sounds like the future of Alvenheim and Helium, doesn’t it?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah. It does.”

Rina seemed flustered, nodding as if I had read her mind.

Her gaze silently asked how I knew.

I responded with a faint smile.

It wasn’t hard to deduce.

As long as I’m alive, there won’t be direct conflict, but Alvenheim and Helium are fundamentally different.

The chosen of the gods versus those victimized by demons.

Religiously, ideologically, and even racially, they’re set up for competition.

“That future won’t come anytime soon. Helium still has much to prove diplomatically and otherwise.

And as long as Arwen and Cecily rule, direct military clashes will be rare—or so I think, at least.”

“What about our empire? What will happen to us?”

“I’m not a prophet, Rina. These are just guesses. And there are many fundamental differences between the world I lived in and this one.”

Rina seemed disappointed by my firm answer.

I, on the other hand, casually picked up a cookie.

Honestly, there are too many variables in this world to give a definitive answer.

The gods might intervene, or demon worshippers might cause chaos.

In fact, there’s evidence suggesting demon worshippers have twisted history before.

Elena’s recent obsession is precisely because of that.

“Do you have more questions?”

“Yeah. Do you have books like the Chronicles of Zenon in your world? Books that turned the world upside down, I mean.”

“That ideology I mentioned earlier, the one emphasizing the collective, came from a book. It split the world in two after it was published.”

“I see. But why did such an ideology become the foundation of a nation—especially one of the strongest?”

“That’s a long story, so let’s skip it for now. Anything else?”

Rina asked me a variety of questions after that, mostly about policies, politics, and history.

Unlike science, which she struggled to grasp even with drawings, these topics were easier for her to understand.

Though this world resembles the Middle Ages and maintains a class system, the concept of human rights has surprisingly taken root, albeit faintly.

Take the Kingdom of Teres, for example.

The Zeros Revolution turned the country upside down, and the Chronicles of Zenon nearly sparked another revolution.

Though both ultimately failed, the people learned they couldn’t be treated as pawns and that united, they could be terrifyingly powerful.

“Didn’t your world have nobility?”

“Some places did, and some didn’t. Even where it existed, the systems varied.

Absolute monarchies where the emperor or king had total control, and constitutional monarchies where the monarch reigns but doesn’t govern.”

“Reigns but doesn’t govern… That sounds like a policy that greatly reduces the monarch’s power. Is that even possible?”

“It’s a system that settled into place after several stages. A lot happened in between.”

Modern constitutional monarchies didn’t emerge overnight—they went through numerous stages.

Initially, the goal was to stabilize the judicial system.

Later, concepts like human rights and democracy gradually took hold, ultimately resulting in today’s constitutional monarchies.

In that sense, this world is barely in its second stage. It’s just starting to embrace the concept of human rights.

Alvenheim and Helium, due to their racial characteristics, have fundamentally different systems, making comparisons difficult.

“Stages, huh… Do you think such a system will ever take root in our world?”

“I doubt it. Even if it does, the foundation will be entirely different.”

“Why do you think so?”

“Because here, individuals are just too powerful.”

Humans on Earth are individually weak—many can’t even overpower a large dog.

But with their unparalleled intelligence, they climbed to the top of the food chain.

Here, however, with enough effort and talent, someone could become an immense military force, like my father.

A force that could wipe out enemies with a single swing of a sword.

“This is something that likely won’t change much even as civilization advances.

The stronger one’s military power, the greater the authority that follows.

It’s the duty and responsibility of politicians like you, Rina, to coordinate that balance well.”

“You’ve studied political science, so you probably know. Politics is, fundamentally, the power to maintain social order and the core of authority.

But if there’s a force that surpasses that, it will crumble easily. You can see that just by looking at me, right?”

“That’s complicated. We can’t just focus on our side; we’ll have to include adventurers and mercenaries too.”

“Well, if I were to give you advice, I’d say to focus more on the common people than the king or nobles.

As you can see from the Kingdom of Teres, throughout history and across nations, public sentiment is the most powerful force.”

Even the infamous Nazi Germany was able to ignite a frenzied war by rallying public sentiment.

That alone demonstrates how public sentiment is the true power of a nation.

The same applies to me now.

Even if my current status places me just below the divine, I am still powerless in the face of public sentiment.

This is because humans are fundamentally social creatures who live within communities.

Without that, civilization wouldn’t exist; it would scatter like dust in the wind.

“I see… public sentiment…”

Hearing my advice, Rina nodded thoughtfully, her gaze dropping downward.

Her blue eyes, shining like a clear lake, deepened with thought.

I don’t know what kind of realization she had, but I hope it leads to something positive.

“By the way, Isaac, how many years apart is this world from the one you lived in?”

After a moment, Rina asked me in a softer voice.

Her eyes were brighter than before, carrying a deep and inexplicable trust.

I was briefly taken aback by the noticeable change in Rina’s demeanor but soon gathered my thoughts.

“Probably… at least 300 years, if I had to estimate.”

“Three hundred years? That’s such a long time!”

Rina exclaimed, seemingly amazed.

To me, it felt short, but to her, it must have been an almost unimaginable span of time.

Well, that’s to be expected.

I’ve lived in the modern era and learned about history, while Rina is living in the present.

I took a sip of tea to wet my throat before continuing.

“It could be even longer. There are many factors here that hinder scientific development, and even the magical engine wasn’t invented by humans but by dwarves.

More importantly, there’s no guarantee of a war on the scale of a species-wide conflict erupting.”

“Do you think war is necessary for scientific advancement?”

“There’s no definitive answer, as it’s still a topic of debate in my world. But it’s certain that war accelerates scientific development significantly.”

Humans advance science out of necessity, but war acts as a booster, drastically speeding up that progress.

You can see this clearly by comparing how science changed before and after World War II or the Cold War.

‘There likely aren’t any colonies here, either.’

More importantly, I’m skeptical about whether imperialism would even take root here.

Imperialism became a trend in Europe after the Industrial Revolution, leading to World War I.

But unlike Earth, this world doesn’t have many nations. You could count them on your fingers.

With so few nations, the concept of colonies is almost nonexistent.

Even if an industrial revolution were to occur, empires would simply extract resources from their own territories.

“As I’ve mentioned repeatedly, don’t blindly trust my words. Remember, the foundations of this world and the one I came from are fundamentally different.”

“I understand. Can I ask one more question?”

“Go ahead.”

“With all that knowledge, why did you stay quiet?”

I froze mid-motion as I reached for a cookie. It was an unexpected but sharp question.

I was momentarily caught off guard but quickly regained my composure, popping the cookie into my mouth.

Its sweet and savory flavor filled my mouth.

After swallowing the crumbs, I looked directly at Rina, who was staring at me with a curious expression.

For now, evasion seemed the best course of action.

“I didn’t stay quiet. There’s the ‘Chronicles of Zenon,’ after all.”

“That’s not what I mean. Why didn’t you write a book based on your world’s foundation from the start?

This world has dwarves, who are far better craftsmen than humans, as well as mana and magic, which don’t exist in your world.

With those, progress could be achieved much faster than you think.”

“You didn’t believe me at first, either.”

“I’m not talking about science. I mean the ‘flow of history’ itself.”

The flow of history… It’s hard to argue with the way she phrased it.

I lifted my teacup to gather my thoughts.

While the essence of this world differs, many aspects of its historical flow are strikingly similar.

For instance, despite the different races, the mere fact that civilizations were established indicates that their historical progress mirrors each other.

Events like the Zeros Revolution, the atrocities committed by the Savior in the past, and even the species-wide war—all of these reflect a similar flow.

Even if science and culture differ, the progression is eerily similar.

More importantly, if an industrial revolution were to occur, the oppression of workers would naturally follow, leading to the rise of communism.

It’s almost inevitable.

After organizing my thoughts, I set down my teacup.

Rina, her face adorned with a smile full of anticipation, was waiting for my answer.

I scratched my cheek and let out a small laugh.

Being treated like a prophet felt oddly complicated.

“First, there’s something you need to know. The ‘Chronicles of Zenon’ were nothing more than a hobby for me.

I had already planned to write a novel related to my world after finishing the Chronicles.”

“You’re really going to write it?”

“I’ve already decided. But now, after hearing your thoughts, I’m slightly worried.”

“What about?”

“Rina, rapid advancement inevitably leads to major upheavals.

It doesn’t matter if it’s science or culture. It happened in my world, and it’s happened in this world too.”

“…”

“In my world, there was an event similar to the Zeros Revolution. It was called the French Revolution, and it clearly shows what happens when such a revolution succeeds.

Do you want to know?”

“What… what happened?”

“Most of the nobles, including the king and queen, met their end under the guillotine. They were executed by the citizens, the commoners.”

“…..”

Gulp—

Hearing my words, Rina nervously swallowed, her eyes wide as she focused on my story.

“Afterward, various scientific inventions emerged, like steam locomotives, and two world-scale wars broke out. How many casualties do you think resulted from those wars?”

“Well… I’m not sure? Maybe similar to the species war, around 3 million?”

The species war claimed about 3 million lives, most of whom were massacred beastfolk.

It might seem low, but considering the war relied mainly on close-quarters combat, the number is somewhat understandable.

“What if I told you the total number was 100 million?”

“What?!”

“100 million lives were lost. In just two wars.”

“…”

The incomprehensible number left Rina speechless.

Such rapid advancements in science and culture always come with horrifying side effects.

Rina’s mouth clamped shut at the unimaginable numbers.

The rapid development of science and culture had led to such horrifying side effects.

It would be the same when writing the next piece.

There would be people like Rina trying to imitate it, claiming it came from future knowledge.

That’s why I’m writing about World War II.

To show what kind of horrors unfold when war breaks out in a world where science and culture have advanced greatly.

“The choice is yours. If civilization advances, not just you, but everyone will find life more convenient. Plus, the likelihood of war breaking out will decrease.”

“…Then why are you even telling me this when you’re just going to publish it in a book anyway?”

“Because you’re the princess of this country. And once the book comes out, there’s bound to be conflict.

Between those who insist on following what’s in the book and those who want to maintain the status quo. That’s just how the world works, isn’t it?”

The dwarves, regardless of my warnings, would eagerly follow whatever seemed innovative.

In fact, Luminous had even predicted that the dwarves would bring tanks.

Rina listened to my words and contemplated for a long time before letting out a deep sigh.

It seemed to be quite a difficult decision for her.

“…Can’t you just tell me what resources will be used in the future?”

Still, she couldn’t completely abandon her greed.

Hearing her question, I smirked.

“And what would you do with that? You wouldn’t be able to use it immediately anyway. Oh, but coal might be different.”

“Coal? You mean that black rock?”

“Yeah. Demand for coal will skyrocket soon. Even in my era, coal was consistently used as fuel.”

“Got it. I should tell my brother later. Anything else?”

“What else do you want to know?”

“Like culture or something I might be interested in?”

It seemed she wanted to shift from the heavy topics to something lighter.

Looking at Rina exuding her characteristic elegance, I smiled inwardly.

Something she’d really be interested in… there’s just one thing.

“There is one thing.”

“What is it?”

Rina immediately showed interest. I tried my best to suppress my laughter as I replied.

“Pornography. You see, it’s—”

After hearing my entire explanation, Rina’s reaction was:

“Hey! You’re unbelievable!!”

She nearly threw her teacup in anger.

Her face flushed bright red, and her clenched teeth were visible as she fumed.

‘Ah, this is fun.’