Ch.130Half-Blood (2)

Some people might be surprised to learn that Arwen is a half-blood, but others might also have questions. How could she ascend to the position of Queen when there’s a Senate that insists on pure bloodlines?

Furthermore, why doesn’t the Senate investigate bloodlines when half-bloods cause such social disruption? The answer lies in the characteristics of half-bloods themselves.

As explained, half-bloods inherit almost all elven traits even if one parent is human, with no noticeable differences. Even their slightly shorter ears are common enough to be overlooked.

Half-bloods enter Alfheim equipped with exceptional adaptability and social skills developed from growing up in human society. No one suspects them, and even if someone does, they can smoothly navigate past suspicion without anyone noticing.

Of course, occasionally some reveal their half-blood status by speaking carelessly, but surprisingly, this tends to remain secret. Alfheim has a stronger sense of collectivism than other countries, and if it became known that someone had been friendly with a half-blood?

The punishment wouldn’t just fall on the half-blood but could affect others as well, so people tacitly maintain the secret. Half-bloods know this, so they either live quietly or desperately strive to reach positions that no one can challenge.

Arwen is also a half-blood born between an elf and a human, but her case is somewhat unique. She was the fruit of love between her elven father and human mother, but sadly, her mother passed away shortly after giving birth to her.

Her father, after a brief period of grief, followed his wife’s dying wish and wandered throughout the human world with Arwen. While she might appear like a hothouse flower, the reality is quite the opposite.

Having witnessed and experienced both the bright and dark sides of human society, her way of thinking is closer to humans than most elves. The reason she could ascend to the throne at such a young age was because she skillfully utilized the darker aspects of human nature.

However, at that time, she still possessed the typical elven arrogance, which led to major diplomatic blunders, but she demonstrated remarkable adaptability and rose again.

From these experiences, Arwen learned one truth: if something is wrong, it must be corrected.

With this mindset alone, Arwen achieved tremendous growth in a short time and was able to stand against the snake-like Senate.

“We cannot just stand by and watch! We must formally protest to the humans!”

“And I believe we should expel all half-breeds currently in Alfheim. Who knows what chaos our Alfheim will suffer if this continues.”

“Phiren is right. Even if these half-breeds hold high positions, we must boldly expel them to maintain stability.”

One week after the release of Biography of Xenon Volume 12.

Sitting on her throne, Arwen looked at the Senate members protesting vehemently before her with irritated eyes.

She had been reviewing state affairs as usual when they suddenly barged in and started spouting such nonsense.

She was already dealing with the unexpected issue of half-bloods emerging, and now with the Senate getting involved, her stress levels were through the roof.

‘Do you know that your Queen is a half-blood?’

She almost let out a laugh of disbelief, more from incredulity than anger. Again, Arwen is a half-blood.

She pondered how to make them shut their filthy mouths. She already knew why the Senate was foaming at the mouth and having fits.

‘They must be afraid.’

After decades of verbal sparring with the Senate, she had fully grasped their behavioral patterns.

If they spoke in measured tones, they were just trying to get under her skin; if their voices were elevated, it meant they thought they had leverage.

But they rarely raised their voices like this. In fact, only once before—when revising Alfheim’s outdated “laws.”

At that time, the law was power itself in Alfheim, firmly gripped by the Senate. Naturally, they would resist any attempt to revise it.

Though the laws were revised after defeat in the racial war and changes in the system, they still remained in an outdated form. And the Senate had been keeping the kings and queens in check to maintain their vested interests.

However, those rulers were pure-bloods, not half-bloods, and had grown up like hothouse flowers. In contrast, Arwen was a great tree that had weathered storms since childhood.

‘From their perspective, half-bloods are dangerous elements.’

The potential of half-bloods far exceeds that of pure-blood elves. The reason isn’t clear, but the prevailing theory is that they inherit humans’ remarkable adaptability.

As a result, the more half-bloods there are, and the higher positions they reach, the more precarious the standing of the Senate and the old generation becomes. The new generation might think differently, but they’re likely more favorable toward half-bloods than the old generation.

For Senate members who believe elves are chosen by the gods and superior to other races, half-bloods are intolerable.

‘But even I didn’t know there were so many half-bloods…’

While half-listening to the Senate’s protests, Arwen thought about the half-bloods residing in Alfheim. The coming out (?) that started with Biography of Xenon Volume 12 had grown from a spark into a massive flame.

More surprisingly, even the half-bloods themselves had no idea there were other half-bloods. They might have had suspicions, but they didn’t realize there were so many.

Moreover, the half-bloods who had confessed were mostly high-ranking social elites. Professors, priests serving the gods, and even renowned warriors in the military.

There were even rumors that one of the Warchiefs was a half-blood, causing a great shock throughout Alfheim.

“Enough.”

“… …”

When Arwen commanded in a low voice, the Senate members who had been protesting fiercely fell silent. However, their expressions remained displeased.

Arwen then looked at each Senate member’s face with a contemptuous gaze before letting out a deep sigh. She couldn’t find anything likable about them.

“I understand your concerns. You want to find the author who has caused this chaos in Alfheim?”

“Yes. You know well what might happen if strange rumors about us elves start spreading, don’t you, Your Majesty?”

An elderly elf with wrinkles unusual for an elf pleaded to Arwen in a croaky voice. The persuasion from this representative of the Senate sounded plausible.

This wasn’t just any novel, but Biography of Xenon—a masterpiece that had completely changed perceptions of demons and had become a cultural phenomenon.

This was a concern not just for the Senate but for Arwen as well. Especially since Arwen had committed a great wrong against Xenon, or rather Issac, making her somewhat anxious.

“Moreover, there are signs that Alfheim will be invaded. Even if it’s just a novel, an attack on our Alfheim is unacceptable.”

A young elf standing next to the old man spoke in a measured voice. Arwen barely managed to suppress a laugh upon hearing this.

She thought it ridiculous to be so immersed in a novel, but it was understandable given they were elves. However, as someone who knew history, Arwen found it absurd.

“What a ridiculous statement. Even 3,000 years ago during the Demon War, our Alfheim was invaded—that’s a historical fact. How can you say it’s impossible?”

“At that time, the ‘World Tree’ didn’t exist. But as long as the World Tree exists…”

“The author probably knows about such elven arrogance, which is why Alfheim suffers in the story.”

“However…”

“Stop mentioning the contents of the novel. I don’t want to see you protesting with fictional stories. Speak about reality.”

“… …”

When Arwen cut him off, the young Senate member fell silent. Arwen clicked her tongue inwardly at the sight.

She found it absurd that they would say such things due to their deeply rooted belief that elves are superior to other races and always perfect. What a disgrace to try to censor even beautiful culture.

“By the way, you’ve done something interesting without my permission. You’ll ban the sale of Biography of Xenon in Alfheim if the story isn’t modified?”

“Yes. But we took swift action based on sound judgment.”

“What judgment? I’d like to hear it.”

Wondering what nonsense they would spout next, Arwen waited with a contemptuous expression, not even bothering to manage her facial expressions.

One thing was certain regardless of what the Senate said: the Senate was hopeless.

“Currently, Alfheim is suffering from the half-blood issue. Moreover, after the story about Alfheim came out, the number of people reading that book is increasing.”

As the old Senate member said, Biography of Xenon was originally unpopular among elves. This was likely because the protagonist was human and until recently, there had been little connection to elves.

However, when it was revealed that Merry was an elf, and the tragic epic of Kayre and Elisha emerged, its popularity soared. Merry was especially popular among the new generation for being un-elf-like—outspoken and aggressive.

Conversely, there was great dissatisfaction among the old generation. The elves they envisioned were valiant warriors and proud beings, not chatterboxes like Merry.

Still, except for hardliners like the Senate, almost no one disliked Biography of Xenon. Despite elves having unusually severe generational conflicts compared to other races, Biography of Xenon was treated as an exception.

“If strange stories about our elves emerge, who knows what might happen? Therefore, I believe we should find the author as soon as possible before the new volume is released and request modifications.”

“And if the author refuses to modify and releases it as is?”

“I believe it would be right for us to check the book before it’s imported and then release it.”

In other words, they wanted to censor it—to impose strong sanctions the moment anything negative about elves appeared.

Censorship by those in power leads to major side effects. Citizens become dissatisfied with the rulers, making governance more difficult.

Moreover, accepting this proposal would mean letting the Senate firmly grasp their vested interests, which Arwen could never accept. She narrowed her brow and spoke in a voice suppressing anger.

“Are you saying you want to suppress freedom of expression? Then why does art exist, and why does culture exist?”

“Are you saying it’s fine if unfavorable expressions about us elves appear?”

“That’s not for us to judge. It’s up to the people who directly see and hear that culture. If the expressions are far from the truth, many people will criticize them; if not, they will agree.”

“Even if everyone agrees, our image might change due to minor misunderstandings. Look at Volume 12. It features stories between elves and inferior races, and now half-breeds are running rampant.”

The old man’s retort had a strange power to irritate despite his elegant tone. Arwen felt her head throbbing and placed her hand on her forehead.

After organizing her thoughts for a while, she spoke in a quiet voice.

“…Councilor Phiren.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“How old are you currently?”

“Including this year, I have watched 845 springs.”

“845 springs…”

It was an answer befitting the old generation. The new generation wouldn’t answer like that, but would respond normally.

Arwen then removed her hand from her forehead and raised her head calmly. Sitting on the throne naturally put her in a position looking down at the Senate, and her silver-gray eyes gleamed.

“Councilor Phiren. You’ve watched over Alfheim for hundreds of years. In your eyes, I, who haven’t even experienced 200 springs, must seem like a novice. Isn’t that right?”

“Not at all. Your Majesty is Alfheim’s…”

“Enough with the flattery. I’m not a fool who doesn’t know your true feelings.”

“… …”

At her direct retort, Phiren looked up at Arwen with a slightly bewildered expression. He saw Arwen looking at him with a noble and lofty gaze, and a contemptuous expression.

Not the girl who had conversed with Issac at the exhibition, but truly a figure befitting a “Queen” in dignity and charisma. A powerful aura emanated from her, making even Phiren, who governed the Senate, flinch.

“Let me ask another question, Councilor Phiren. How many years have you governed Alfheim in the Senate?”

“…I have seen 531 springs while in the Senate.”

“What did you feel there? Were you able to rule Alfheim as you pleased? Of course, you probably did until the racial war broke out. Humans were too weak, beastkin were barbaric, and dwarves weren’t interested. Finally, demons couldn’t be touched carelessly because they had abilities equal to ours.”

“… …”

“However, while you may have ruled Alfheim, you have never once ruled the world.”

As this heavy fact struck him like a blow to the solar plexus, Phiren’s body visibly flinched. However, the councilors standing on either side of him had quite different reactions.

One kept his mouth shut, while the other was indignant and moved a step forward as if about to shout. But as soon as Arwen looked at him with a cold gaze, his body froze stiff, unable even to attempt it.

Sensing the Senate’s momentum gradually subsiding, Arwen continued in a gentle yet powerful voice.

“If you block the eyes and ears of the people and manage them as you please, why do the people exist, and why does the nation exist? The world is not like chess that you can move as you please. The people do not move as you wish, and the world will never change as you desire. We elves may be chosen by the gods, but in the end, compared to the world, we are merely mortals who live longer and possess stronger powers than other races. We should not change the world but entrust ourselves to the changing world. If we try to change the world, it would be tantamount to waging war against the entire world.”

“… …”

“Alfheim is ruled by me and you together, but we shouldn’t change it as we wish. The judgments we think are good might have negative effects on the people. Our reason for existence is only one: to make the people’s faces smile. Not to cultivate slaves without any emotions.”

Since each point was correct, the Senate couldn’t refute. To deny this would be to admit they were treating Alfheim’s people as slaves.

Seeing that the Senate members could only glare without saying anything, Arwen snorted as if finding them pathetic. Then, with an expression suggesting she had made a decision, she spoke to the Senate.

“One week from now, I will give a speech before the people. As you requested, I will take measures to stabilize the current situation.”

“…Where do you plan to give the speech?”

Phiren asked with a cautious attitude. His momentum had been dampened.

“I will speak in the Grand Plaza. I will prepare the magic myself. Do you have any objections?”

“…No.”

“Then withdraw now. I have much to think about.”

When Arwen dismissed them, the Senate reluctantly withdrew. Just before leaving the audience chamber, Phiren turned around and met Arwen’s gaze.

Arwen also met Phiren’s eyes, creating a subtle confrontation. Eventually, Phiren left the audience chamber without saying anything.

Finally, Arwen was left alone in the audience chamber, and she let out a deep sigh, released from stress.

“Phew…”

Then, throwing aside all queenly dignity, she grumbled.

“I’m craving something sweet…”

At the same time, a worry crossed her mind.

“…I’ve never given a speech before.”

She needs help.