Chapter 74

■ Chapter 73. Aftermath (4) □ ᓚᘏᗢ

"It's only amusing."

Queen Arwen of Alvenheim gazed at the 10th volume of the Xenon Chronicles, which she held dearly in her hands. Her lips pouted like a spoiled girl, clearly expressing her dissatisfaction.

If the Senate had seen her like this, they would have lectured her about maintaining the dignity of a queen, but there was no one around now. The risk of eavesdropping was also non-existent in the audience chamber.

"The elves must be noble, they keep nagging. They say they don't like elves being portrayed as arrogant in books. They whine that elf-human romances are absurd. What are they doing, they're not even kids."

Arwen, with no one around to see, harshly criticized the Senate that had been pressuring her just moments ago.

This time, when no one was around, was like a much-needed rain for Arwen. It was the perfect opportunity to vent the words she had been suppressing.

Though she was praised as a benevolent and affectionate queen in public, Arwen had a very girlish heart. She was only 150 years old, which would be considered quite young by human standards, but even by elven standards, she was still relatively young.

If she were human, people might have pointed out that 150 years was a long time, but that was only by human standards. By elven standards, she was a full member of society but still on the younger side.

Arwen ascended the throne at the young age of 50 and has ruled Alvenheim ever since. For elves, 50 is the age when all education is completed and one is ready to enter society, but the position of queen is not easy.

However, her political acumen, as evidenced by her ability to rule Alvenheim for over 100 years under the pressure of the Senate, is truly remarkable.

'Probably because of people like the Senate, Xenon went on hiatus. Humans have it even worse than the Senate; it must be really tough.'

Arwen, holding the Xenon Chronicles in her hands, looked at it with a sympathetic gaze and muttered to herself. She was one of the many fans of the Xenon Chronicles.

She was well aware of the immense influence the Xenon Chronicles had on the world and understood how easily it could be politically exploited.

Perhaps it even had more influence than she, the queen of Alvenheim. Even elves, chosen by the gods, are powerless against the immense force of 'culture.'

This made her even more regretful. Despite hiding her identity, the author was suffering mentally, and she could sense the immense burden the author must be carrying.

'Still, the author should at least write how the mentor and the queen end up. You bad author.'

But that's one thing, and this is another. Arwen was almost driven mad by her curiosity about how the relationship between the mentor and the elven queen in the story would develop.

Although the elven queen in the story was a fictional character completely different from herself, she found herself deeply immersed in it. The elven queen in the story was suffering as much, if not more, than she was.

Not only was she under severe scrutiny from the Senate, but the appearance of demons in various parts of the world and the signs of a great crisis looming over Alvenheim were also described. This left her with almost no personal life.

In such a situation, only the mentor provided her with emotional support, making their relationship even more touching.

'Xenon is truly remarkable. How does he know so much about elven mythology? The myths and history related to elves are not well-known to humans. Was he a scholar educated in Alvenheim?'

The Xenon Chronicles did not receive much attention from elves until the Seven Sins appeared. The protagonist, a human who had brought great humiliation to elves during the racial wars, and the fact that the story was set in human society until the appearance of the Seven Sins, made it less appealing to elves.

Scholars read it for research purposes, but among elves, it was a book read only by those interested. However, it was rarely criticized as boring.

Arwen, on the other hand, was a dedicated reader from the first volume. She naturally came across the Xenon Chronicles, which had swept the world, and was captivated by its excellent writing and engaging content.

However, the situation changed when the Seven Sins appeared and the protagonist's group entered Alvenheim. One of the demon faction's leaders being an elf, specifically one who embodies pride, created a lot of controversy.

The Senate, which had previously treated the Xenon Chronicles as kindling, now feared its appearance. If the author truly knew the reality and culture of Alvenheim, it could cause significant harm to them.

In the story, the Senate, or the 'council' as a political institution, was pressuring the elven queen for trivial reasons. This seemed to be based on historical accuracy, making Arwen feel both vindicated and bitter.

'By the way, will the 'Dark Elves' appear next?'

Elves, with lifespans several times longer than other races, have a vast recorded history. While the time when humans established civilization is uncertain, elves established their civilization exactly 3500 years ago.

During this long period, numerous events and incidents occurred. There were times when they tried to rule the world using their innate abilities, and there were times when they fought among themselves.

About 3200 years ago, a serious civil war broke out. The reason for the civil war was simple: religion.

Elves worship three gods: Luminous, Mora, and Hart. However, in the past, they were constantly in conflict and competition.

Naturally, the gods tried to prevent the conflict through divine revelations, but the elves did not listen. Ironically, the elves, who had longer ears than other races to hear the gods' voices more clearly, did not listen when it mattered.

The most significant damage was inflicted on the Mora sect. Mora sought compromise over conflict, but unfortunately, it was a time when power spoke louder than words.

Moreover, from the perspective of Luminous, who worshipped light, Mora was a thorn in the side. So, Luminous and Hart joined forces to expel them. The expulsion involved violent suppression.

Those expelled were mostly 'Dark Elves' with brown skin, which is why there are almost no Dark Elves living in Alvenheim. Most Dark Elves worshipped Mora and were all expelled, so none remained.

As a result, the Dark Elves developed a deep hatred for being elves and cut their ears in half as a symbol. This custom has continued to the present day, and you can see that Dark Elves have their ears cut in half.

'Still, to humans, they all look the same. But since I know the history, will they appear someday? How will they appear? The author really makes people curious.'

Two hundred years later, during the Demon War, when the elves were in crisis, they sought help from the Dark Elves they had expelled. However, the accumulated resentment could not be easily resolved.

Fortunately, the Dark Elves helped to defeat the demons, but they did not set foot in Alvenheim. This was due to the mutual distrust that had built up over 2000 years.

Especially, the Senate disliked the Dark Elves, as they were entrenched in racial superiority. The Dark Elves, in turn, disliked the stubborn Senate.

'In any case, the problem is the old guard. They don't even know how strong the Dark Elves are.'

Arwen, who could not avoid the Senate wherever she went, criticized them again. Since her ascension, she has been working to reintegrate the Dark Elves.

They were ultimately of the same lineage, and she believed that the elven race could only be complete with their inclusion. Moreover, while the Senate, which prioritized tradition and law, disliked the Dark Elves, the enlightened ones felt guilty towards them.

Their ancestors' atrocities had prevented the Dark Elves from returning to their homeland for so long. Arwen felt the same way.

"Aah~ What's the point of worrying like this? The next volume won't be out for two years!"

Arwen, hugging the book to her chest, whined like a child. Two years was a short time for elves, but it felt incredibly long.

Perhaps the two years waiting for the next volume of the Xenon Chronicles would be the longest two years in the world. She wished the two years would pass quickly.

Shhh~

"Huh?"

While leaning back as if lying on a throne, Arwen suddenly sensed a change in the flow of mana. Being naturally sensitive to mana, she knew what this meant.

Someone was using magic. However, in the audience chamber, only the king was allowed to use magic.

Arwen straightened up and quickly checked who had intruded. The Senate would not use magic in the audience chamber, but there was always the possibility.

As she activated a detection spell, she felt relieved. It was a very familiar presence.

"...Stop playing around."

Arwen spoke weakly, and someone slowly revealed themselves in front of the empty throne. Using some kind of magic, they had blended perfectly with the surroundings, making them invisible.

When the magic was dispelled, the intruder's appearance was fully revealed. They wore a robe that made it difficult to see their face, but Arwen knew exactly who this unknown intruder was.

"...Rain."

"Hello, Your Majesty!"

When Arwen called her name, the intruder, Rain, greeted her brightly. Despite her lively voice, her deep tone was quite charming.

Swoosh~

The unknown woman, after greeting, pulled back her robe. She had copper-colored skin and chestnut hair with a hint of red.

However, the most noticeable feature was her ears. They were long like any other elf, but the middle was cut off. This revealed her identity.

The woman standing before Arwen was a 'Dark Elf.'

"Looks like the old guard is being troublesome again, huh? You were lying on the throne."

Rain smiled and asked Arwen. Arwen, hearing her question about the Senate, cleared her throat.

It was fine to criticize the Senate, but Arwen was more concerned about not maintaining the dignity of a queen. Even if they were close, there were things to be mindful of.

"Hmm. Hmm. There were just some issues. But why are you here today?"

"I came to give you a gift, Your Majesty!"

"A gift?"

"Yes!"

Rain was always good at giving gifts to Arwen. Arwen was implementing policies to reintegrate the Dark Elves, and Rain, being a Dark Elf, was part of this effort.

Not only Rain, but the entire Dark Elf community was friendly towards Arwen. So, the Dark Elves sent Rain to build a closer relationship.

While Rain was sent for political reasons, Arwen genuinely liked her. There was no reason to dislike the innocent Rain, and she always brought the new volumes of the Xenon Chronicles.

Some might think of her as a messenger, but Rain acted voluntarily, so there was no problem. In fact, it made Arwen like her even more.

"A gift from you? I'm curious. What is it?"

"I think you'll love it, Your Majesty. It's closely related to the Xenon Chronicles."

"The Xenon Chronicles? Really?"

"Yes!"

When Rain said it was related to the Xenon Chronicles, Arwen's silver eyes filled with curiosity. Rain had already given her the 10th volume of the Xenon Chronicles.

Moreover, the Xenon Chronicles had announced a two-year hiatus. It was hard to guess what the gift could be.

"Ta-da!"

While Arwen was curious, Rain took something out from her robes and showed it to her. Arwen focused on the gift that Rain had revealed.

It looked like a worn-out piece of paper. This only increased her curiosity.

"Here you go!"

"Thank you."

When Rain handed her the piece of paper, Arwen thanked her and examined the gift. It was not just a piece of paper but a manuscript with elegant handwriting.

'Who wrote this? And...

Arwen's eyes widened as she read the first sentence. With her excellent memory, the first sentence was very familiar.

As mentioned before, Arwen was one of the dedicated readers of the Xenon Chronicles from the first volume. Dedicated readers often reread from the first volume to the latest.

She quickly began to read the manuscript, each familiar sentence hitting her brain.

"...Huh?"

Why is this here? Wasn't it stolen? The author was even begging for it to be returned.

Arwen's thoughts momentarily froze. Unaware of her inner turmoil, Rain, who had given the gift, placed her hands on her hips and proudly explained.

"It's the original draft of the first volume of the Xenon Chronicles! I visited the publishing house by chance, and they were displaying the draft. So, I took it that night."

"..."

A single thought floated in Arwen's mind upon hearing this explanation.

"I thought you'd love it since you like the Xenon Chronicles. This could be a great help to you."

This is unbelievable.

Unable to believe the reality, she thought again.

"By using this, you can meet the author of the Xenon Chronicles. If you mention the draft, the author will surely come to find it."

"..."

"Did I do well? Hehe."

All she could think was that this was a disaster.