Chapter 97

■ Chapter 96. A Strange Bond (2) □ ᓚᘏᗢ

For a moment, I felt a chill at the back of my neck, but the conversation with Arwen never broke off.

I liked how Arwen, despite pretending to be an adult, occasionally acted like a child, and it seemed that Arwen also had a fondness for me in her own way.

Later, I learned that Arwen, like a true bookworm, loved books immensely and, as an elf who had lived for a long time, possessed far more knowledge than I did.

It was said that adult elves were walking libraries, and I realized that this was no exaggeration. Not only did she answer all my questions thoroughly, but she also provided additional explanations that left me in awe.

But that was not all. She made me realize just how vast the gap was between elves and humans.

"Hmm... I didn't expect this book to be here. It's a book that was published about 80 years ago."

"8... 80 years? It's that old?"

"It was a rather famous book among us elves. I believe it is also stored in our sanctuary."

The statement that Arwen had lived nearly ten times longer than I did was not a lie. She had read books that had gone out of print long before I was born, and she even remembered them in great detail, which surprised me even more.

Books published over 20 years ago are extremely difficult to find, both in terms of publication and circulation. Even in libraries, they are stored in obscure corners and are hard to locate.

Thus, unless a book has achieved worldwide success like the Zeyon Chronicles, acquiring even a single copy requires a complex process.

However, Arwen not only read the books when they were first published but also remembered them all. As a result, I began to look at Arwen with renewed admiration.

I had been speaking to her informally due to her childlike behavior, but I started to wonder if I should use more formal language.

"Well, there's no need to speak more formally to me. Isn't this more comfortable for you?"

"...It is comfortable. Still, it's amazing."

"From a human perspective, perhaps. But to us elves, it's a matter of course. Each of us is like a walking sanctuary, and we are as powerful as a formidable army. Remembering the contents of books is no big deal."

Indeed, the unique racial characteristics of elves never go away. Arwen, seeing my genuine admiration, raised her nose and displayed her pride.

However, it wasn't arrogance or self-importance, as these only arise when they harm others or oneself. In Arwen's case, it was more like a pure sense of pride.

Of course, with her adorable appearance, she seemed like a child showing off. Despite being much older than me, her behavior was unmistakably that of a child.

I watched Arwen, who was still puffing up with pride, and smiled, then delivered a fact.

"Those elves suffered a great humiliation in the racial war 500 years ago, didn't they?"

"......"

When I hit her with a historical fact, Arwen's smile shattered like glass.

Elves place great importance on history, and the racial war was a source of immense humiliation for them. However, it was a history they had to learn.

"...Our ancestors were foolish."

Arwen turned her head to the side and muttered timidly. Her response, though not a denial, showed that the lesson was deeply ingrained.

I smiled at her reaction and quickly brought up a positive topic to lift her spirits. If I only spoke negatively about elves, Arwen might start to dislike me.

"Still, they learned from that and made great progress. There were some setbacks along the way, but now they actively engage with neighboring countries. I heard that the current elf queen is implementing an open policy?"

This was something I learned from Cindy.

In the past, elves believed they were a race chosen by the gods and kept their distance from other races. They did not interfere in the affairs of other races.

They believed that if they got involved, they would only suppress others by force, and they did not feel the need to do so. This was actually true.

However, as other races' civilizations developed to rival that of the elves and the racial war broke out, the situation changed.

Elves realized they were mortal beings in this world and began to actively engage with their surroundings.

"That's right. Alvenheim was almost completely isolated from the outside world until just 100 years ago. But everything changed after the queen ascended the throne."

Arwen seemed proud when I mentioned the achievements of the elf queen. It was clear that she, like Cindy, respected the elf queen.

I smiled softly at the puffed-up Arwen. She was much older than me, but her appearance made her seem like a child playing at being an adult.

"Arwen seems to have a good opinion of the elf queen. I know an elf who feels the same way."

"That elf is definitely young and has a proper perspective. Indeed, the current queen has ruled well."

"However, I heard that around 80 years ago, she made a significant diplomatic blunder. She imposed incorrect tariffs, causing significant economic losses."

As Arwen said, the current elf queen generally ruled well. However, due to her relatively young age for an elf, she had many shortcomings.

One of them was the tariff issue I just mentioned. Minerva Empire cleverly used the tariff problem to extract money from Alvenheim through diplomacy.

If she had more experience or was more cautious, she would have quickly realized it was a scam, but the elf queen did not. The Senate, which should have stepped in at such times, might have intentionally let it happen.

In the past, elf kings could not withstand the pressure from the Senate and stepped down. This might have been a similar case.

"That... couldn't be helped! Still, there have been no problems since then..."

At first, Arwen was startled and shouted, but then her voice gradually became softer. Seeing her dejected expression under her robe, I thought it was time to stop the teasing.

Still, I wanted to see her reaction. To lift her spirits, I pointed out the positive aspects.

"Well, you're right. Since that incident, the elf queen has not suffered any significant diplomatic losses. In fact, she even put us in a difficult position. Elves usually value the present and neglect development, but this queen is different."

"What do you think is different about her?"

When I was about to say something positive, Arwen, who had been dejected, suddenly looked at me with bright, silver eyes.

This pure child, who shows no intention of hiding her emotions, is really over 100 years old? Humans change their personalities as they age, but elves might do so more slowly.

I looked at Arwen's expectant face and shrugged before sharing my opinion.

"She constantly seeks development and forms ties with other countries for that purpose. Some of the professors at the academy are elves. I heard that becoming a professor requires a very arduous process. From our human perspective, they are talents we should cherish, yet they were willing to send them."

"Hmm. Hmm. And?"

Arwen cleared her throat, urging me to continue. Unfortunately, my knowledge has its limits.

"I want to say more, but this is as far as my knowledge goes. Still, this is a significant achievement."

Elves believed they were superior to other races and did not often venture out. Occasionally, a few individuals would leave to experience the world, but this was rare.

But now, it's different. Many elf scholars are traveling the world, acquiring diverse knowledge, and using it to gradually develop Alvenheim.

However, due to their long lifespan, they tend to be more relaxed, which slows down the process. Still, compared to the past, it's a remarkable achievement.

"Do you view the current elf queen favorably?"

"As a person, I don't know, but as a leader of a country, I do. There will be many objections to the policies she has implemented, but in a social context, it's a natural process. You can understand this by looking at human history. The policies of people recorded as great figures were often considered absurd at the time."

'Foresight'—policies that were met with strong opposition at the time often proved to be beneficial later. I saw this phenomenon often in my previous life.

However, no one is perfect. Even with foresight, there are always side effects. Those who oppose the policies likely do so out of concern for these side effects.

"Instead, a wise king must understand the reasons for the opposition and determine whether it is politically motivated or genuinely concerned for the country. If it's the latter, they must carefully consider to prevent future side effects. If it's the former, well... I don't know much about politics. Often, both factors are mixed."

"......"

Even after my explanation, Arwen continued to stare at me intently. Her bright, silver eyes were filled with interest.

"...Impressive. You're not even an adult, yet you have such thoughts."

"Anyone can know this if they study hard."

"That's knowledge, but your perspective is different. There's a world of difference between having knowledge and applying it."

"Is that so? I don't really know."

I shrugged at Arwen's compliment.

The unique perspective I have, influenced by my past life, also plays a role. What is natural to me is considered groundbreaking in this world.

The fact that my ordinary writing style from my past life is praised as a new paradigm here is a clear example.

"Anyway, let's end the conversation here. Why did you come to the bookstore? What book are you looking for?"

"I don't have a specific book in mind. The sanctuary stores all the books in the world, so I visited to see what the bookstore at the exhibition site is like."

"So, how was it? Honestly, it's not as impressive as the Zeyon Chronicles, right?"

"Objectively speaking, that's true. Of course, my standards might be higher due to the sanctuary. However, storing books is like storing knowledge. Although the scale is small, its significance cannot be underestimated."

Arwen spoke softly, sharing her thoughts. Her answer, filled with the pride of her race and her personal beliefs, was very unique.

I watched her as she looked at the books on the shelves and moved on to my next question.

"Then, what about the Zeyon Chronicles?"

"Huh?"

"What do you think of the Zeyon Chronicles as an elf?"

Perhaps she didn't expect me to ask such a question. Arwen looked slightly flustered when I asked about the Zeyon Chronicles.

She then turned her gaze away from me and glanced to the side. I followed the direction of her eyes, but saw only empty space. She was indeed avoiding my gaze.

When we finally made eye contact again, she quietly spoke.

"...Yes."

"What?"

"I said it's really interesting."

A positive answer came from her lips. Her slightly flushed face suggested she was a bit embarrassed.

Still, it was a satisfying response from the author's perspective. I smiled and slightly bowed to match her eye level.

Arwen was surprised when our eye levels matched, but I looked directly into her silver eyes and asked quietly.

"What part did you find interesting? I thought it wouldn't be very interesting to an elf."

"W-What do you mean! Although the protagonist is human, it's like a whole new world has been created. And the tragic story of Kair and Elisha moved us elves as well."

Arwen, who had been enthusiastically praising the Zeyon Chronicles, mentioned Kair and Elisha. Indeed, love stories seem to resonate with everyone, regardless of gender or race.

I smiled at her childlike appearance and gently asked.

"Then, do you want the two to be together?"

"What a question. Of course, they should be together. Only then can our relationship with humans improve, right?"

"Hmm... Is that so?"

Unfortunately, kid.

"I wish they were."

Kair is dead.