Ch.235Balance (2)

Speaking of balance, when it comes to balance, you can’t leave out “rivals.” Those who are so strong that it’s difficult to determine superiority between them, and who are equally symbolic in their own right.

In my previous life, there were various rivalries like lion vs. tiger, AK-47 vs. M16, Naruto vs. Sasuke, sauce on vs. sauce dipped, Cao Cao vs. Liu Bei, and so on.

Let’s ignore the odd one in the middle. Anyway, rivals are rivals.

People enjoy pitting similar types of powers against each other and debating which is superior. If that weren’t the case, none of the above would have emerged.

Sometimes on the internet, you can see users fighting in versus battles day after day. Especially when it’s difficult to determine superiority, they might argue all day.

Like this, even if the actual rivals themselves don’t care much about their rivalry, third parties are busy tearing each other apart over it. The same applies to the world I’ve reincarnated into.

Historically, various rivalries have existed, but there are some long-standing rivalries that have continued since the Demon War until now.

That would be Elves and Demons. Just hearing about it makes your heart race.

Elves are undoubtedly a race chosen by God and symbolize light, while Demons are a race tainted by devils and symbolize darkness.

Both races possess abilities that far surpass other races, but strangely, they’ve rarely clashed directly.

However, both have close connections with humans. Elves have a history of being taught a lesson by humans during the Racial War, and Demons originate from humans.

In fact, when pitting Elves against Demons, most people chose Elves. More accurately, they had no choice but to choose Elves.

That’s because until the Biography of Xenon appeared, Demons were persecuted and couldn’t show themselves in the world. No one knew what kind of reception they’d get if they chose Demons.

But after the Biography of Xenon appeared, the situation changed. People could openly compare their powers and abilities without worrying about others’ opinions.

Because of this, one philosopher described Elves as noble and Demons as sublime. It’s a saying that fits so perfectly that no one would challenge it.

Moreover, with each new volume of the Biography of Xenon, the perception of Demons has been rising vertically. Sacran’s sacrifice, as well as Jin and Lilly’s pure love, have cast Demons in an increasingly positive light.

But does that mean the perception of Elves has declined? Not at all.

Although the “Council” showed the dark side of Elves, the heroic deeds of the two heroes who destroyed the World Tree also depicted their nobility.

Moreover, the Queen of Alfheim, Arwen’s non-discriminatory actions and excellent policies have gradually changed people’s views for the better.

Because of this, readers, and by extension people in general, began to wonder:

Are Elves stronger? Or are Demons stronger?

I’m curious about this too. While Elves and Demons won’t directly clash in the book, I still need to adjust the balance appropriately.

There were complaints about why there were no Elves when Demons (Jin) appeared, but those complaints disappeared when Meri’s identity as an Elf was revealed.

Instead, requests for more active roles for certain characters doubled compared to before. Especially after volume 12, as people from all races became immersed in the Biography of Xenon.

In other words, fandoms—toxic fandoms—have begun to emerge. Even my mother supports Jin, so imagine how other readers must feel.

These rivalries have existed for a long time, but they’ve intensified since the Biography of Xenon appeared. Occasionally, newspapers report conflicts and fights over this topic.

People are the same everywhere—as the popularity of the Biography of Xenon rises, so does the influence of its fandom.

What’s notable here is that not only Elves and Demons, but humans have also joined in. The protagonist of the Biography of Xenon is human, yet people are fighting over whether Elves or Demons are stronger.

Humans naturally harbor admiration for what they cannot achieve. This feeling has grown and spread to the Elf vs. Demon fight.

Even though Elves are noble beings, some humans dislike them for being arrogant, and even though Demons are sublime beings, some humans dislike them because they originate from devils.

In such a situation where superiority cannot be determined, adjusting the balance is a natural step.

Xenon is the protagonist, so power inflation doesn’t matter for him, but other main and supporting characters need to be handled carefully. Why?

Because my book is treated as a prophecy, I need to be careful or people will talk. Moreover, a Demon princess and an Elf queen are watching closely.

Jin, as the final boss, will show a sublime sacrifice, and the nobility of Elves will be the same. Like in a certain game, they’ll show what style is during the Alfheim recapture operation.

But here too, balance holds me back. Both races display monstrous abilities by human standards, so I must be extremely careful in my descriptions.

‘Didn’t Cecilly say before that if she fully unleashed her power, she could destroy a mountain?’

This is partly because Cecilly is extremely strong, destined to be the next Demon Lord, but also because Demons, unlike other races, use “Dark Mana.”

Dark Mana was originally a power used by devils, which caused many problems for the first generation. Fortunately, with Mora’s generous support and refinement over generations, only its purity remains.

As a result, Demons are notably powerful in terms of “firepower.” While other races, including Elves, might use 10 units of mana to produce 10 units of power, Demons produce between 15 and 20 units.

That doesn’t mean they lack accuracy or precision. Demons, recognizing themselves as the most dangerous beings, have consistently made efforts toward “restraint.”

Thanks to this, they possess magical item creation abilities rivaling Dwarves and can turn barren environments fertile. In many ways, they’re close to being all-rounders.

Looking at this, one might think Demons are overpowered compared to Elves, but Elves have abilities that are no less impressive. They may lag in firepower, but they surpass Demons in magic.

Befitting the race that established the first civilization, their depth in magic is incomparably superior to other races.

For example, take arithmetic. Let’s say we have 15×27 instead of 1+1.

While humans would struggle with mental calculation, both Demons and Elves can answer immediately. For them, this level of mental calculation is like 1+1.

But for complex calculations like 2415×1172, even Demons need to calculate step by step, whereas Elves can, with slight exaggeration, calculate it all in the blink of an eye.

In other words, Demons have abilities equal to Elves up to a certain level, but beyond that, Elves have the upper hand.

Accuracy, precision, and margin of error go without saying. With such strengths and weaknesses on both sides, it’s not easy to determine superiority.

Especially since Jin will confront “Gluttony” head-on, and Meri will face off against “Lilith.”

The top executive of the Seven Deadly Sins in charge of “Pride,” an Elf, will be faced by Xenon.

Although it’s fantasy, so combat power varies and there are type advantages, I want to be thorough with my research as I’ve mentioned. In other words, I need consultation from both races.

I can get knowledge about Demons through Cecilly and Gartz, but Elves are a problem. Cyris is a Dark Elf so he’s excluded, and Elena and Cindy are scholars far from being combatants.

This means there’s hardly anyone closely related to “combat.” Arwen is there, but she’s currently very busy with state affairs.

‘I did send a letter though…’

I requested help from Arwen regarding the Biography of Xenon, saying she could refuse if she was busy.

Arwen did say before that she would visit me if she had time. The problem is, by Elf standards, I don’t know when that will be.

First, I need to understand the power of Demons in more detail. So what I need to do now is…

“So you’re asking me for help?”

“Yes.”

I need to know more precisely how strong Demons are through Cecilly. I’ve done my research, but asking the person directly is most efficient.

Moreover, she’s not just strong—she’s strong enough to destroy mountains with magic. Her strength can’t be ignored.

She’s the model for Lilith, one of the Seven Deadly Sins. She’s the perfect person to consult and can help with balance.

I’m almost done writing volume 18, and from volume 19 onwards, they’ll face the Seven Deadly Sins in earnest, so I need to understand this in advance.

So I came to a café alone with Cecilly, both for a date and for consultation. Cecilly was very satisfied, so the conversation progressed smoothly.

“Hmm… you want to reference me for the battle with Lilith?”

“Yes. Lilith isn’t just a Demon but a Demon who became a devil. I thought referencing your power would be good.”

“Who will face her? Xenon, I assume?”

“No, Meri will.”

“Hmm…”

When I answered that Meri, not Xenon, would face her, Cecilly fell into thought. Meanwhile, I leisurely admired her beauty.

When was the last time I was alone with Cecilly like this? Recently, with Adelia and joint attacks with Marie, we haven’t been alone much.

Marie has always been first, so Cecilly has yielded countless times. Feeling somewhat sorry, I plan to be as considerate as possible today.

“If I fully unleash my power… well, is Meri strong?”

“She’s the female protagonist and an Elf, so she’s strong. She also has a lot of combat experience.”

“Hmm… it’s still ambiguous. Maybe we should start by thinking about how many people in the world are as strong as me?”

“Ah.”

Her answer makes perfect sense. It might sound a bit arrogant, but this is Cecilly we’re talking about.

The reason I believe her is because I witnessed a fraction of her power in Helium. A beam shot from her index finger like a laser and shattered a boulder the size of a house.

So I should slightly tone down Lilith’s power and reference it for Gluttony, or “Beelzebub.”

“I understand. Then I’ll just reference your combat style for Lilith. I’ll put the power level in Beelzebub.”

“Huh? Beelzebub? Who’s that?”

“Ah.”

I accidentally revealed Gluttony’s real name. As I realized my mistake, Cecilly’s eyes narrowed, and she asked me in a voice that suggested she feared the worst.

“Don’t tell me that’s the name of one of the Seven Deadly Sins? Their names are revealed each time they appear.”

“…Sorry.”

“A year ago I was spoiled by Rina, and now I’m spoiled by the author himself.”

I unintentionally gave away a spoiler. One might say what’s in a name, but Demons like Cecilly treat the Biography of Xenon almost like scripture.

Naturally, even the names of each character are important, and for major characters like the Seven Deadly Sins, proper names haven’t been revealed for most of them yet.

Moreover, Gluttony, Beelzebub is Jin’s biological father and possesses power rivaling Pride.

I plan to drop a massive hint about him at the end of volume 18, so I’ve made a huge mistake.

Also, everyone would associate Beelzebub with “Gluttony,” but people in this world don’t know that at all. With just one name, I’ve revealed a chain of connected facts by mistake.

Cecilly, unaware of my thoughts, brushed her hair back and spoke as if forgiving me just this once.

“Well, I’ll forgive you if it’s not that important. A name is something I can overlook.”

“…It is important.”

“…”

When I, the author, emphasized its importance, Cecilly’s body instantly froze. Her deep red eyes were filled with both bewilderment and dismay.

I’m the guilty one, the bad guy who spoke carelessly. I lowered my head under her piercing gaze, unable to muster the courage to look up.

“Sigh… Issac.”

“Yes…”

“Let’s go to your room and think about this slowly, very slowly. Understand?”

“…I understand.”

So it comes to this. I inwardly let out a hollow laugh as I stood up. We probably won’t do anything intimate as soon as we enter my room.

Cecilly mixes her body with mine to express love, not because she can’t control her sexual desire like Marie, except during her evil cycle.

In other words, we’re really going to my room so she can scold me. And after that, she’ll show that she’s sorry.

How she’ll show she’s sorry… I believe everyone knows. It seems I won’t be writing today.

As we linked arms and arrived at the dormitory door, Cecilly paused and raised a question.

“Huh?”

“What’s wrong?”

“There’s someone inside right now.”

“What?”

I couldn’t help but be startled at the news that someone was in my personal dormitory. The dormitory is strictly a personal space and absolutely cannot be entered without a key.

The fact that someone is inside… is not something to take lightly. Moreover, the original manuscript of the Biography of Xenon is inside.

If it’s an intruder, the situation becomes serious. I hurriedly unlocked the door and went inside.

As soon as I entered, I was hit by a strong scent of lilac, and I could see someone reading the manuscript of volume 18 at my desk.

Just then, that person also sensed my presence and turned around in surprise.

“Who…!”

“Uh, uh…”

“…Oh? Huh?”

And as soon as our eyes met, we were both surprised. Because…

“Arwen?”

“Y-you?”

There was Arwen, who was supposedly busy with state affairs. And she was holding the unfinished manuscript in both hands.

While I was staring at her in bewilderment, Arwen quickly put the manuscript on the desk and exclaimed urgently:

“I-I didn’t see anything!”