Ch.143Writing Again (1)

Arwen’s national address had an impact not only on Alfheim but also worldwide. While elves normally appeared well-united, they tended to show division during times of crisis.

This can be confirmed by looking closely at Alfheim’s internal structure, where cracks exist throughout. The cracks were so fine that they went unnoticed, like a ticking time bomb that could explode at any moment.

During this half-blood incident, signs of division appeared again, but Arwen successfully resolved it through her speech and even began to foster true unity.

While the speech primarily focused on integrating pure-bloods and half-bloods, a closer look reveals her urging elves to cast aside their characteristic “pride.” She emphasized that pride is the true enemy and tarnishes the honor of their ancestors.

Thanks to this, the elves of Alfheim were given an opportunity for deep reflection. In essence, she brought about significant change throughout the nation.

Naturally, neighboring countries are watching cautiously, concerned about Alfheim potentially achieving true unity. Human nations in particular are observing closely, as elven unity would pose various difficulties for humans.

During the Racial War, humans were able to achieve victory precisely because of their unity. Despite appearing divided through various political schemes and power struggles, they remained united when it mattered.

The same was true during the Demon War 3,000 years ago, and to this day, “tenacity” and “unity” remain inseparable parts of human identity.

Despite their inherently inferior abilities compared to other races, humans’ indomitable spirit and ability to unite and fight together are their greatest strengths.

But what if elves were to acquire this strength? While it might not be an issue now, it could become a source of anxiety for the future.

[If elves become united, they may not pose a threat now, but could become a major threat in the distant future.]

[To other races, this might sound like incitement.]

[Will elves truly change?]

As these assessments suggest, people are focusing on the changes in elves. Some are wary that elves might devour the world in the distant future, while others assert that elves will always be elves and cannot rid themselves of pride.

Despite these varied assessments, there is one common evaluation: the content of the speech.

Particularly, the phrase mentioned at the end, “of the elves, by the elves, for the elves,” has been repeatedly discussed. It encapsulated the entire speech and, despite being a simple sentence, made a deep impression, earning praise.

Of course, all of this was written by Issac, but people had no way of knowing that.

“Issac.”

“Hmm?”

“You wrote that speech, didn’t you?”

Except for a select few.

*****

As Cecilly’s condition worsened, we returned to the Empire of Minerva without delay. Cecilly went back to Helium with Gartz Balack and promised to meet again tomorrow.

The next day, when I had free time, I enjoyed a date with just the two of us. Thanks to Marie being busy with classes and willingly giving way, we were able to enjoy ourselves.

Some students looked at us with strange gazes, but I ignored them all now. After all, our “date” consisted merely of having meals together or walking around the academy.

“Issac.”

“Hmm?”

“You wrote that speech, didn’t you?”

Suddenly, Cecilly asked such a question. We had secured a soundproof room to drink coffee, so no sound would leak outside.

I was slightly taken aback by Cecilly’s question but soon replied in a calm voice.

“You knew?”

“I was just taking a shot in the dark. Were you not planning to hide it anyway?”

“You know Arwen, and you’re perceptive, so I thought you’d figure it out eventually.”

It was the honest truth without a trace of deception. I had predicted that someone like Cecilly would know that Arwen had sought me out.

Moreover, with Cyris Lunatic acting as a messenger between Arwen and me, it was definitely not a wild guess.

“Surely you didn’t just help her for nothing? She may have a strong sense of responsibility, but that woman committed a great wrong against you.”

“I know. That’s why I asked her to teach me magic.”

“Magic?”

“Yes. Specifically, I asked her to document the types of magic and their effects. Elven and demonic magic are fundamentally different.”

“Hmm.”

Cecilly heard my answer and seemed to accept it. But that was only momentary, as she soon asked if that was enough.

“Isn’t that insufficient? Arwen’s national address ended successfully, and moreover, it provided an opportunity for Alfheim to develop significantly. I think you should receive more compensation, don’t you?”

“What compensation? I already have everything I want.”

“Oh…”

Cecilly rolled her red eyes, deep in thought at my words. Meanwhile, I leisurely drank my coffee and waited quietly.

Eventually, she made a disgruntled expression and spoke in a seemingly dejected voice.

“I suppose that’s true. You really do have everything you want. Still, I wish you were a bit more greedy.”

“Greed, huh…”

I put down my coffee cup and thought deeply. Perhaps due to the influence of my previous life, I wasn’t particularly greedy, as Cecilly suggested.

I’ve already achieved everything I wanted, so why would I be greedy? If anything, I’d like to delve deeper into history.

But even that is being addressed as I’m receiving books from Alfheim’s sacred grounds through Cyris. Thanks to this, my knowledge has increased, and I’ve been able to reference it for the Biography of Xenon.

Currently, if I have any desires, they would be for more people to read the Biography of Xenon and to develop the Mayshall territory into a cultural district. Essentially, just these two things.

‘For that, I need to release volume 13, and ultimately complete the series.’

I’ve already written about half of volume 13. Like volume 12, I’ve already planned everything out, and what remains is the invasion of Alfheim, or as it’s called in the book, Elvenheim.

Alfheim has pressured me to censor the content if Elvenheim is invaded, but honestly, I don’t care. It’s Alfheim that would suffer, not me.

Besides, Arwen told me it was a unilateral decision by the Senate, so it’s more like a self-inflicted wound. Politicians need to capture public sentiment, but they’re eroding it themselves.

‘If things don’t work out, I’ll have to send a letter.’

I know well from China in my previous life how base it is to censor culture. What’s more ironic is that even when culture is censored, people still seek it out till the end.

I wonder if a similar phenomenon might occur in Alfheim. Could this be an opportunity for Alfheim’s citizens to harbor discontent towards the Senate?

Emerging from my thoughts, I stared intently at Cecilly. She was also waiting patiently for me to speak.

While I didn’t have any significant desires before, looking at her now, I think one has emerged. It’s something I’ve been curious about all along.

“I didn’t have any before, but I think I have one now.”

“Really? What is it?”

“Horns.”

“Horns?”

“Yes.”

I nodded and then pointed to Cecilly’s horns with my finger.

“Can I touch your horns just once?”

“W-what?”

“I asked if I could touch your horns just once. I’ve been curious about them.”

I had heard from Cecilly what it means for someone to touch a demon’s horns. It’s something like a confession saying, “I will love you forever, even if you become a demon.”

It’s not just satisfying my personal curiosity but also showing my feelings for Cecilly. I think I should do at least this much on our first date in a while.

After hesitating for a moment, Cecilly quietly spoke.

“…Y-you can touch them.”

“Really?”

“Yes. I told you a few months ago, didn’t I? I’ll do anything you want. Whether it’s my horns or my body, it doesn’t matter.”

Cecilly placed her hand on her chest and answered sweetly. A faint blush appeared on her cheeks, and her voice trembled slightly, indicating her nervousness.

For demons, having one’s horns touched is equivalent to emotional communion. Given that they are more mentally than physically affected, it’s natural to value emotional communion.

As soon as Cecilly gave her permission, I got up from my seat and sat next to her. When I sat right beside her, Cecilly flinched and then lowered her head, adopting a modest attitude.

She subtly moved her head towards me as if asking me to touch it, which was unbearably cute, just like the sneezing incident. It feels like she’s urging me to pat her head quickly.

Is it that all women in love are cute, or is this just Cecilly’s personality? I looked at her face and then shifted my gaze to the horns near her temples.

Perhaps because her evil cycle was approaching, the proportion of red was greater than black.

*swish*

“Mmm…”

As I carefully touched her horns, Cecilly twisted her body, making a purring sound like a cat. She even closed her eyes, seemingly feeling my touch.

But as I heard before, there’s no sensation in the horns. She’s just feeling a sense of security from me touching her horns.

‘They’re hard.’

The demon horns I was touching for the first time in my life were hard. It’s natural for horns to be hard, but I thought the feeling would be different.

After caressing Cecilly’s horns for a while, I moved my other hand to hold her face. I slowly turned it to face me.

As I turned her face, Cecilly also opened her closed eyes and looked at me. Her deep red eyes were strangely moist and filled with intense emotion.

As I always think, Cecilly was so beautiful that even the word “beautiful” seemed insufficient.

“Noona. Do you know something?”

“…What?”

“You have unexpectedly cute aspects. Like the sneeze from before, and now this. You’re really lovable.”

“… …”

When I spoke with sincerity, Cecilly’s face rapidly turned red. Even her blood-red eyes were buried in her facial color, evidence of her embarrassment.

Yet, she didn’t avert her gaze, which I thought was very like her. If it were Marie, she would have shouted about being embarrassed and turned her head away.

I smiled slightly and then slowly began to bring my face closer. One hand gently caressing her horns, the other holding her face.

As I approached, Cecilly closed her eyes once more.

*smooch*

Soon, I felt something soft on my lips. I slightly opened my mouth at the sensation.

Cecilly also responded by carefully opening her mouth, allowing us to cover each other’s lips.

“… …”

“… …”

A deep kiss continued for a while. I could feel Cecilly’s body tensing up in real-time, but I didn’t mind.

We didn’t mix our tongues intensely. That’s something I plan to do in the main event, not in such a cramped space.

This kiss is just a prelude. With the vacation not far off, it’s a preliminary work to give her expectations.

I continued the kiss while gently caressing Cecilly’s horns, then carefully separated our lips. The sweet scent of coffee lingered in my mouth.

“Haa… Haa… Hmm…”

Had she been holding her breath during the kiss? Cecilly made a breathless sound and had a dreamy expression.

Last time, I didn’t touch her horns, but now, kissing while touching her horns seems to have emotionally intensified her.

I smiled brightly and then checked the horns I was still touching.

As I suspected, the proportion of red had increased even more than before. It seemed that along with the kiss, her desire had also intensified.

“Noona.”

“Hmm… Yes?”

“Can you wait until the vacation?”

I plan to officially visit Helium during the vacation. I need to observe Cecilly’s combat style as a reference for the Biography of Xenon, and furthermore, I plan to explore various parts of Helium.

And I should do as she wishes. For that, it would be good to meet her parents and explain the situation in detail.

“…You’re mean.”

Cecilly responded to my question by lightly hitting my chest with her fist, throwing a tantrum. But she was smiling, indicating she wasn’t entirely displeased.

I let out a light laugh but didn’t stop touching her horns. There was an inexplicable addiction to it, and since Cecilly liked it, it was hard to stop.

“Noona.”

“Yes, Issac.”

Cecilly answered with a happy smile at my call. I paused for a moment, admiring her beautiful appearance, then spoke.

“I told you that you’re the model for Lilith, right?”

“Yes.”

“I’m going to include an illustration of Lilith in volume 13. Is it okay if I use you as a reference?”

“Me?”

“Yes.”

When I mentioned using her as a reference for the illustration, Cecilly’s eyes widened. Indeed, unlike being a model, an illustration is drawn, so it’s a different matter.

While I’m said to have a knack for drawing, there’s a world of difference between drawing while looking at an actual person and drawing from imagination.

If possible, I’d like to illustrate all seven deadly sins, but that’s challenging in many ways, so I wanted to at least include an illustration of Lilith.

“I don’t mind, but am I really suitable?”

“No one would be more fitting for Lilith than you.”

“T-then it’s an honor for me. Will you be drawing it?”

“Yes. It might be lacking, but it should be better if I draw while looking at you.”

“Ahh…”

For some reason, Cecilly exhaled a hot breath. I looked at her face with curiosity for a moment.

Cecilly’s red eyes had deepened even more. Like a predator that had found its prey, her desire seemed about to explode at any moment.

The horns I’m touching now are the same. Except for the tip, they’re all red.

“With this… how can I wait…”

“… …”

“Issac…”

“…Yes, Noona.”

She held my face with both hands and spoke as if she had been defeated by desire.

“Can’t we just do it here?”

And then came the firm answer.

“No.”

“Just once…”

“No. If you keep this up, I won’t touch your horns anymore.”

“Hiing…”

Fortunately, Cecilly backed down obediently.

******

While the world was buzzing with Arwen’s national address, the publishing house that released the Biography of Xenon was in the midst of a busy schedule.

Regardless of national addresses or whatever, they had no time to rest with the flood of work coming in, and even the printing house that had developed new technology was frantically printing books.

Originally, the Biography of Xenon was most popular among humans, but from volume 11 onwards, it spread widely across all races. The love story that transcended races was enough to touch the hearts of readers.

Thanks to this, the publishing house’s president once again sat on a money cushion, but he now faced a troublesome situation.

“So what you’re saying is… you want to see the letters that Xenon sent?”

“That’s right.”

It was because of the elves right in front of him.

It was unprecedented for elves, not humans, to visit the publishing house, and moreover, people from renowned families in Alfheim had visited.

They were equivalent to high-ranking nobles in human terms, so even the president had to be cautious. Furthermore, Alfheim had even issued a statement demanding the modification of volume 13’s content.

The president looked intently at the elf standing proudly in luxurious silk clothes, then answered with a business smile.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t show you that. I’ve already burned them all.”

“It would be better not to lie, human.”

“Why would I lie? In a world where there are people who can track based on handwriting alone, such things must be erased.”

The president was referring to something that had actually happened. There are all sorts of people in the world, including those skilled in tracking.

Of course, tracking based on handwriting alone is practically impossible, but after the previous manuscript theft incident, he had to be cautious about everything.

Burning all the letters? That was a lie, as the elf said. How could he casually burn letters that held such great value?

But he had to lie to prepare for any eventuality. One can’t cut open the belly of the goose that lays golden eggs.

“I’ll pay you. If you want, I can even provide dew from the World Tree.”

“Dew from the World Tree…”

“It’s one of the main ingredients for the Elixir.”

This is tempting. The Elixir is known as a panacea, a famous medicine said to save even those on the brink of death.

However, its price is exorbitant, so even wealthy nobles have to endure massive financial losses to purchase it. Given the value of the Elixir, what about its main ingredient?

The president’s mind raced quickly. But he soon judged it to be a loss.

The dew from the World Tree isn’t something that would appear in a formal auction. Such items usually appear in black markets, and one often doesn’t receive proper payment.

So the president maintained his business smile and spoke in a friendly voice.

“I’m sorry. Even for the dew from the World Tree, no means no. I can’t give you something I don’t have.”

“Do you not know how valuable the dew from the World Tree is?”

“I do know. That’s why I’m refusing.”

The president had gone through thick and thin to grow his company. In his eyes, these elves were just trying to take advantage of him.

‘As if I’m not busy enough, they’re asking for letters?’

The president had a history of firmly rejecting even requests from personnel dispatched from the imperial palace. If he had refused proposals from high-ranking officials of his own country, dealing with foreign dignitaries was a breeze.

Above all, the president disliked these elves. They were excessively arrogant, and look at that condescending gaze. Who would accept such a proposal?

“Hmph. It seems you don’t understand the gravity of the situation. You’ll regret this.”

“As I said before, I can’t give you something I don’t have. You said you’re from a renowned family in Alfheim, right? May I know your name?”

“Karlas Shadowsinger.”

“I see.”

Who the hell is that? The president maintained a friendly smile, but inside, he was irritated.

“Anyway, I’ll visit again soon. I hope you’ll provide the letters then.”

“I’ll contact Xenon.”

“Understood. I’ll return exactly three days from now.”

The elf, presumed to be the representative, said this and disappeared. The other elves did the same.

The president completely erased his friendly smile as the elves vanished instantly through teleportation. Then, with a hardened expression, he looked straight ahead before glancing to the side.

Beside him stood his loyal secretary and trusted employee, Matthew. He seemed a bit nervous, sweating.

“Matthew.”

“Y-yes!”

“Those letters written by Xenon, I want you to transcribe them all.”

“Alright… What?”

“Transcribe the future letters too. Return the rest. It would be good to inform them of the news while you’re at it.”

The president gave this order, clicked his tongue, and muttered softly.

“Pointy-ears really don’t change.”