Ei replied, "Just trying something new. Uniformity is boring. Rest assured, as long as it's a story written with words, what could there be to misunderstand?"
[Yae Miko: Remember those words. This kind of statement usually ends with someone eating their words.]
[Ei: Eating my words? What does that mean? Who would come to make me eat my words?]
[Paimon: That's a recent slang term! Miko means you might end up contradicting yourself later.]
[Ei: Contradict myself? I don't think I would do that.]
[Ningguang: I've seen many cases of people eating their own words. Some young people just entering business love making promises.]
[Ei: I think I understand a little. As long as I don't say anything definitive, I won't end up eating my words. Then I definitely won't contradict myself.]
[Paimon: Ei... I don't think you really understand yet.]
Kuroda scratched his head. "While that logic makes sense..."
Paimon reassured him, "Don't worry! Even if there's something she doesn't understand, we'll explain it to the Shogun."
Lumine added, "You really don't need to be nervous. The Shogun genuinely just wants to look around."
Kuroda gestured toward a bookshelf. "Please, this way to the shelves over there. These are all the latest bestsellers."
"Among them is this award-winning novel from the 'This Novel Is Amazing!' competition. It was just compiled and put on sale recently. You don't need to take it too seriously—just read it for entertainment."
Ei approached the shelf and immediately fell into self-doubt. "How can this be? Did I underestimate the challenge? I recognize every word in these titles, so why do they become incomprehensible when strung together?"
[Ei: How embarrassing. So this is what it feels like to eat one's words? I truly cannot understand these things composed of characters.]
[Yae Miko: Haha, light novels these days really are different from before.]
[Ei: Miko, are you responsible for all of this?]
[Yae Miko: It's quite interesting, isn't it?]
"For example: 'Reincarnated as a Hilichurl—Just Eat Sunsettias to Keep Getting Stronger.'"
[Venti: Reincarnated as a Hilichurl? Just eat Sunsettias to keep getting stronger? This... this... I can't quite understand it either.]
[Zhongli: Mm. Though I have read extensively, I still encounter many obstacles reading this.]
[Ei: Miko, the things you've created are truly novel.]
"It's so long..."
"Can Hilichurls really become stronger just by eating Sunsettias? They should at least eat meat, right?"
Paimon explained, "That's the setting of this book, isn't it?"
Ei looked puzzled. "Setting?"
Lumine elaborated, "It's a hypothetical situation. Something the author gets to decide."
Ei remained confused. "What is the purpose of a setting? Without a sense of realism, can the story still be believable?"
"Besides, Hilichurls probably don't have the ability to write stories. Is the author documenting a Hilichurl's life?"
[Yae Miko: A setting is something the reader must accept. You have to accept the author's established premise for the book to be readable.]
[Ei: No matter how unreasonable the setting is?]
[Yae Miko: Haha, settings are inherently unreasonable. Otherwise, why call them settings?]
[Ei: I understand now. The world within the book is an independent world. The author can freely establish its rules.]
[Yae Miko: Not bad, Ei. In the art of novel reading, you've taken your first steps.]
[Paimon: As expected of an Archon. She understands so quickly!]
Paimon crossed her arms. "Now I understand why Kuroda said the Shogun would find this perplexing."
Lumine observed, "The concepts in these novels are truly trendy. They're something eternity doesn't contain."