Ch.141Speech (2)

Arwen’s shocking confession echoed throughout the square. The already quiet plaza was enveloped in a heavy atmosphere.

Considering the current situation in Alfheim, Arwen’s confession was beyond shocking—it was like a bomb. Now that purebloods and mixed-bloods had begun to check each other, her confession could potentially cause an even greater rift.

Metaphorically speaking, her confession could either be oil or sand.

It was truly a gamble, fitting the saying that the die has been cast.

“The Queen is…”

“Mixed-blood…?”

“Then we are…”

The heavy silence began to break with murmurs here and there. I silently looked around.

The Alfheim senate and nobles seated in front were clearly confused, as were the elves filling the square. Understandably so—they had firmly believed their Queen was a pureblood.

Moreover, they surely understood what it meant to reveal oneself as mixed-blood in these times. They also knew their Queen felt a heavy responsibility for this situation.

The elves knew this better than anyone.

“Everyone must be very confused. But look around you.”

Just as the murmuring grew louder and the square was about to become noisy, Arwen spoke. It was more of a command than a speech.

And everyone in the square, including myself, looked around. Cecilly sat on my left, and Marie on my right.

It seemed she was addressing her citizens rather than foreign dignitaries. My prediction was correct.

“Did you know if the person next to you was a pureblood? Or did you know they were mixed-blood? None of you knew. They weren’t purebloods or mixed-bloods to you—they were simply beloved family, friends, and relatives.”

“…”

The audience’s murmuring subsided again. I couldn’t help but be slightly surprised, as this wasn’t in the speech I had provided her.

Arwen seemed to have thought about this on her own, not just reciting the speech I had given her. Otherwise, such words wouldn’t have come out.

I watched Arwen on the platform with a serious expression, arms crossed. Just then, she shifted her gaze toward me.

She then smiled in a manner befitting a benevolent queen and looked back at the crowd. As I had noticed earlier, she seemed to gain confidence whenever our eyes met.

“Thousands of years ago, our ancestors stood by the gods. They were granted wisdom, strength, and eternal life from the gods. However, after committing a great sin, they lost their wings and descended to this land. The gods’ anger was beyond our imagination, but they did not abandon their affection for us. This is Alfheim, the country blessed by the gods.”

Finally, the introduction of my speech flowed from Arwen’s lips. She continued her speech with the gentle and affectionate, motherly warmth I had instructed.

Despite her youthful and innocent appearance, she exuded a strong charm that captivated the audience. Particularly, the most attention-grabbing part was definitely her hips…

‘…My eyes keep going there.’

I smiled bitterly. With Arwen’s notably developed hips in that tight dress, it was impossible not to look.

I even wondered if she wore such clothes to draw attention.

“We established Alfheim, the first civilization, on this sacred land and took our first steps as humanity. Since then, we have endured countless hardships, adversities, humiliations, and conflicts to reach where we are today. We gained much but also lost much. Warriors faced external invasions to protect this land in times of crisis, and priests restrained their desires to seek forgiveness from the gods. Three thousand years ago, we received a reward for those sacrifices—the seed of the World Tree, the symbol of Alfheim and our pride itself.”

The content of the speech was surprisingly simple. It told of the elves’ ancient history, what duties the gods had given them, and what sacrifices their ancestors had made to reach the present.

And finally, the consequences of their arrogance. It was all written in the speech I had given her.

“But was it because we lived longer than others? Or was it merely an excuse? We completely forgot the true honor our ancestors had preserved through their sacrifices. Pride turned into arrogance, confidence in abilities degraded into conceit, and honor became corrupted. Eventually, 300 years ago, we were caught in a massive storm that brought bloodshed across the world.”

The Racial War was a history marked by shame and humiliation for the elves, but no one spoke up. Even the senate members who had been constantly checking Arwen remained silent.

This proved that Arwen’s speaking ability was unexpectedly excellent. Even I, who knew she had a girlish sensibility, was watching silently—how much more so for others?

“That storm made us realize that we had harbored arrogance instead of pride all along. The humans we had looked down upon had developed greatly after the Demon War, but fundamentally, it was our arrogance that made us humiliated. The price of pride corrupted by arrogance made us miserable. Can we truly call ourselves elves, a race chosen by the gods? No, we are nothing more than a pathetic race steeped in conceit. True honor and pride are not something to extort from others but must be deeply held in our hearts to be truly effective.”

Words that raised questions about their own identity. Elves know better than anyone that they were chosen by the gods.

However, they only know this fact but have no idea why they were loved by the gods. The speech reminds them of this once again.

“Yet that honor and pride are once again on the verge of turning into arrogance at this very moment. Purebloods and mixed-bloods—this is why we are fighting now. In my blood, and in someone else’s blood, flows the blood of other races. But this is foolish. What is different about being a pureblood? What is different about being mixed-blood? We are the descendants who carry the pride and honor our ancestors protected, and we are elves, a race loved by the gods!”

Arwen’s voice grew increasingly passionate. Her calm voice had completely disappeared, igniting fire in people’s hearts.

That they must uphold the duty their ancestors had sacrificed to protect.

That they are not divided into purebloods and mixed-bloods, but are the elven race.

That it doesn’t matter if other races’ blood flows in them as long as they have strong pride.

That ultimately, they are a race chosen by the gods.

Arwen was reminding them of the elven identity.

“I command you once more! Look around you!”

Arwen’s voice had now completely risen. If her earlier words had been a request, now she displayed her authoritative aspect as Queen.

Not benevolence but charisma, not gentleness but firmness.

These qualities flowed from her words.

“Is the family, friend, or relative next to you a pureblood? Or a mixed-blood? We can never distinguish, nor should we! We must live on this land as elves, carrying the pride of elves and the honor our ancestors protected! That is the last chance the gods have given us and the only way we can repent for our mistakes! Not as you and I, but as ‘we’! Not as purebloods and mixed-bloods, but as one ‘elven’ race! We shall live in Alfheim, the land blessed by the gods!”

Just as Arwen’s intonation grew more elevated, the atmosphere among the audience also heated up.

Though they weren’t speaking, the elves’ reactions showed something significant.

Some had expressions of firm resolve, while others tightly held the hands of those beside them.

Through Arwen’s speech, they were transforming into a unified community called elves, not purebloods or mixed-bloods.

“Furthermore, we, as elves—neither purebloods nor mixed-bloods—will move forward with honor and pride in our hearts. Under divine protection, Alfheim must be free and equal for all, and by rejecting arrogance and becoming truly one, we will face the coming crisis… Remember! Who we are, and what our ancestors wanted to protect. That is the responsibility and duty of us who bear the name of elves!”

Now it was time for that famous quote. The speech that unified a divided America under Lincoln, a quote that would be remembered for generations.

Arwen slowly scanned the audience and placed one hand on the center of her chest. Then, with a voice full of determination, she cried out as if pleading:

“From this moment forward, I, Arwen Elidia, Queen of Alfheim, declare! As an elf, not a mixed-blood, I swear to the gods that this blessed land will not only guarantee freedom and equality but will become a nation of elves, by elves, for elves! I swear to you that we will live as one in such a beautiful country where no one is discriminated against!”

“…”

I couldn’t help but be slightly surprised. Lincoln’s famous quote was certainly what I had written for her, but Arwen didn’t stop there—she added her own flesh to it.

Whether she had prepared it separately or improvised, one thing was certain.

The additions she made to the speech were very effective. It was a speech that precisely hit the hearts of the elves, who were closer to collectivism than individualism.

Clap- Clap- Clap-

As Arwen’s speech ended, the quiet applause soon…

Clap! Clap! Clap! Clap! Clap!

…transformed into thunderous sound that filled the square. I too began to applaud as if entranced, as did my acquaintances seated beside me.

Some of the Alfheim nobles seated in front were so moved by Arwen’s speech that they stood up for a standing ovation. Of course, those presumed to be senate members remained seated, clapping slowly.

Waaaaaah!

Exclamations erupted here and there as the applause continued. Arwen looked around the audience with an excited expression and expressed sincere encouragement:

“Thank you all for listening to my speech! I pray that you will spend happy days with your loved ones in this land!”

Despite the noise filling the square, Arwen’s words reached my ears clearly. I applauded her enthusiastically with a sense of satisfaction.

Perhaps my feelings were conveyed to her. Arwen brought both hands to the center of her chest and looked at me. I also met her silver-gray eyes and smiled.

When I smiled, Arwen smiled back with utmost happiness and bowed her head politely. To others, it probably just looked like she was greeting everyone.

[Thank you, Issac. Thank you so much.]

Simultaneously, Arwen’s voice echoed in my mind. She seemed to have communicated through telepathy as before.

I flinched momentarily and then looked at her face. Arwen was looking at me with warm eyes, her cheeks slightly flushed.

[I will surely repay this favor. If there is anything you wish for, ask Cyris.]

Something I want… That was already fulfilled when Arwen appeared. I had thoroughly enjoyed watching her give the speech, so there wasn’t particularly anything I needed to ask of her.

‘I’ll just say watching the speech was enough.’

But at this point, I didn’t know what misunderstanding Arwen would make because of those words.

What misunderstanding the senate would have due to the speech draft she had mistakenly left behind.

“That was a truly wonderful speech, wasn’t it?”

“Yes.”

At least until then, I didn’t know.