Seven Deadly Sins (1)

The sky is always clear after a storm has passed. When a storm that seems capable of sweeping away everything passes, only a peaceful atmosphere remains at the scene, as if nothing had happened.

But storms are powerful enough to sweep away everything in their path. The trunks of giant trees rooted deep in the ground snap helplessly in half, and the civilizations people have built are likewise destroyed without resistance before nature's power.

Thus, people endure storms so they can see the endlessly clear blue sky. Whether that storm is a literal storm or one of a different kind.

I too nearly collapsed like a tree trunk snapping in half after going through a storm, but Nicole's heartfelt consolation barely allowed me to hold on. Afterward, only a cloudless sky shone down on me, refreshing me.

I was currently writing volume 9 of The Life of Xenon, and if I wrote through volume 10, it would take a year at a leisurely pace. And since I'd said I would take a break until my third year, I was guaranteed at least a year of rest.

Perhaps because I had that thought, writing the manuscript became easier. I had terrifying concentration that carried me to the end once I started, but there was another reason I'd gained momentum.

[Isaac. I heard the news from your sister. I hear the Crown Prince and Princess came looking for you. It's fortunate that the two of them mistook me, not you, for the author, but I also heard that you've been feeling depressed. I'd like to visit the academy, but I don't have the time either. So...(abridged). Our family supports you wholeheartedly. It doesn't matter to us even if your writing doesn't do well. All we want is for you not to forget how to smile. Don't feel too bad about using your father like this. I'll gladly be your shield. A father is someone his children can lean on without hesitation.]

A single letter arrived from home just a few days later, a letter containing Father's true feelings.

Usually he sent letters with only simple words that were easy to understand, but this time a letter no less lengthy than Mother's arrived. Reading Father's letter, I couldn't help quietly wiping away a few tears.

I was happy to have such dependable people, but I also felt sorry. It got to the point where I wondered what was so important about this little book that I was clinging to it...