Ch.246Volume 19 (1)

# Volume 19 focuses on the battle between protagonist Marie and Lust, Lilith, but should also concentrate on the conflict between Elves and Dark Elves.

From the beginning, the two races distrusted each other and occasional conflicts broke out between them.

Dark Elves insulted Elves, calling them fools who couldn’t even protect their homeland, while Elves responded by cursing them as heretics who cut off their ears.

This phenomenon would very likely occur if the two races were to actually unite.

As mentioned before, this is due to the cultural differences that developed between the two races after Dark Elves separated from Alfheim.

Elves in particular have cultures deeply rooted in their relationship with gods. For example, they have a culture that values their elongated ears, meant for communicating with gods, more than their lives.

The fact that one of the worst punishments in Alfheim is cutting off ears shows how precious they are.

However, Dark Elves were exiled in the past due to their blind fanaticism toward gods. Witnessing this, they developed a custom of cutting off their own ears out of deep hatred.

Because of this, they cannot easily trust each other. Even though Elves have fled to Dark Elf territory after Alfheim was occupied, it’s no different than an uncomfortable cohabitation.

Especially since Elves pride themselves as a race chosen by gods, no one knows when another conflict might break out.

The early story of Volume 19 describes what would happen if Elves and Dark Elves were to merge for some reason.

[This is what would happen if different cultures merged without any preparation.]

[Should Elves and Dark Elves be treated as different races? Or should they be treated as one race?]

[Just as humans have many ethnicities and cultures, these are definitely of the Elven race.]

It attracted much attention by vividly showing what devastation cultural differences can cause.

In fact, Arwen was also trying to win over the hearts of Dark Elves, and this is why she sponsored Rain, although it didn’t work out.

And like Arwen who tries to unite the two races, Marie in the Biography of Xenon is also making every effort.

[If it weren’t for the sacrifice of these two heroes, the situation would have been much worse.]

[Was their sacrifice truly meaningless?]

As the above evaluation states, if it weren’t for the sacrifice of the Elven heroes who perished with the World Tree through fusion, the situation would have spiraled into the worst.

In fact, their sacrifice essentially foreshadowed that Elves and Dark Elves would someday merge into one, though no one knows when that will be.

Right now, the old generation of Elves and new generation of Dark Elves are fighting each other, so rather than unity, civil war is the more pressing concern.

The one fortunate thing is that through this process, Elves are gradually moving away from the totalitarianism they so stubbornly adhered to.

[Only Elves would be capable of manifesting magic through punches.]

[Though it seems simple and crude, it would be tremendously efficient in battle.]

[A new combat style that destroys the common sense that magic requires incantations.]

The combat method Marie showed in her battle with Lilith also drew much attention.

Magicians in this world had a kind of prejudice that magic could only be cast by muttering incantations. So to humans, Marie’s combat method seemed not just innovative but almost bizarre.

However, this was just a prejudice held by humans, and Elves who could use magic as naturally as breathing had slightly different thoughts.

[A method that can produce extreme efficiency.]

[Is she treating her body as a kind of computation?]

[Very worthy of research, but could also be dangerous.]

They actually tried to follow it, saying it was worth researching.

Magic is essentially an ability manifested through calculation. But Marie transferred that calculation into ‘movement,’ which is a mind-blowing theory from an Elf’s perspective.

So even for Elves or demons, calculations are needed to cast basic magic like a fireball.

But by substituting that formula into specific movements, she can throw fire punches like a flame ability user from a certain pirate manga, which naturally draws interest.

If this theory is developed further, it would be possible to summon lightning from a clear sky or create a snowstorm just by snapping fingers.

[What is the name of this theory?]

[Yggdrasil of Alfheim. The theory shall be designated as ‘Memorize.’ If Xenon provides a definite name, we will change it to that.]

[Since it’s a theory taught by Xenon, it must be realizable.]

No. I didn’t think that far. What are these people trying to do now?

Now people are starting to not just imitate but try to realize the combat methods from the Biography of Xenon.

The scary part is that these people are not humans but Elves. Elves boast a higher level of magical depth than even demons.

In other words, if they decide to delve into it, things could be different.

In the book, it was just a combat method Marie created simply because she was ‘lazy,’ but they’re determined to apply it in reality.

‘…Well, they’re Elves after all.’

After all, this is a fantasy world. There are countless things that can’t be understood with common sense from my previous life, so I’ll just accept it.

[Lilith was just a demon who couldn’t forget her beloved. Her end was also tragic, befitting a demon.]

[Living to not forget. The truth about Lilith is finally revealed.]

[If Jin had lost Lily, he would have been no different from Lilith.]

[Such cases are countless. Demons who have become devils are unfortunate beings created by their environment.]

Not just the fight between Marie and Lilith, but especially Lilith’s end left a deep impression on readers.

She was already drawing attention due to her setting as a demon who became a devil, but when her past was vaguely revealed, people began to look at her with sympathy.

It’s a cliché often seen in previous lives, “This one was actually a pitiful being too,” and Lilith is a prime example that starkly shows the tragedy of demons.

Most evaluations suggest that if Jin were to lose Lily, he would become no different from Lilith. Moreover, since this happens frequently in reality, sympathetic gazes toward demons have also increased.

These evaluations were as I expected, which was very satisfying. Though I was a bit dumbfounded about people trying to imitate Marie’s combat method.

[Pride, Lucifer’s appearance is brief but very intense. What about his actions that befit Pride?]

[The end is not good for one who treats comrades as mere chess pieces.]

[What kind of end will he meet?]

The appearance of Pride, Lucifer, who killed Lilith, also left a strong impact. As one of the Seven Deadly Sins who killed a comrade and an Elf, he couldn’t help but draw attention.

Moreover, he mercilessly killed Lilith just as her past was being revealed and she was showing signs of rising popularity, so he’s receiving a barrage of criticism.

Comments like hoping he meets a terrible end, or wishing he would beg for his life soon, and so on.

He’s cultivating numerous anti-fans from the start. Even Alfheim is carefully distancing themselves, worried about potential backlash.

They’re stating that no matter how arrogant they might be, they’re not such ‘trash.’ It’s not an evaluation but a statement.

[Marie lost one ear after the fierce battle with Lilith. However, it will remain as a symbol.]

[Marie’s path carries the message of ‘us’ rather than ‘you and I.’ Very similar to the current Alfheim suffering from the mixed-blood situation.]

[Is the fusion of Elves and Dark Elves possible in reality as well?]

Thus, Volume 19 can be considered successful, except for the attempt to realize Marie’s combat method.

What about the “why is this happening”? I’ve given up on that. They would applaud and even be ecstatic even if I defecated, so I should just give up.

Right now, there’s something more important than “why is this happening.”

[Helium. A temple of Mora will be built in his birthplace, Mayshall territory.]

“…?”

I nearly choked on the bread I was leisurely eating in the dormitory when this bolt from the blue struck me. What does this mean?

I barely avoided choking and looked at the newspaper again.

No matter how many times I looked, I could only see the unbelievable news that they were going to build a temple in Mayshall territory in Helium.

“No. Why?”

I received a typewriter as a gift and was going to write a side story as thanks, so why are they doing this? Do demons understand give and take differently?

If it were not a temple but a simple facility like a teleport station, I could understand. But it’s not a simple facility, it’s a temple.

Unlike in my previous life, a temple is not something people can just gather and build.

It’s the only building where divinity exists and direct communication with gods is possible. The conditions for building a temple are extremely strict to begin with.

First, one must consider whether the area is densely populated. This is what you might call cost-effectiveness.

If the area had strong divine power from the beginning, it would be different, but Mayshall territory is just starting to develop.

Though it’s close to the capital, it’s not suitable for building a temple, and even as a form of gratitude, the scale is too large.

I heard that the Church of Luminus requires at least a cardinal-level person to directly supervise the building of a temple. So it must be the same for Mora.

‘Sister Cecilly must know about this too?’

I scratched my head in embarrassment as soon as I realized the situation was flowing in an unintended direction.

Most humans worship Luminus, but not all. However, it’s very difficult to find a temple of Mora in human society.

Above all, Mayshall territory is publicly known as Xenon’s birthplace. If a temple of Mora is built, there will naturally be opposition from Luminus and Hirt…

[According to current news, a Luminus temple is being built in Mayshall territory under the supervision and management of Cardinal Kate…]

[This means that temples of both Luminus and Mora will be built simultaneously in Mayshall territory. All that remains is a temple of Hirt.]

[Hirt is the goddess of life and nature, and unlike the twin gods, she doesn’t need a separate temple. Because nature itself is Hirt.]

[If a ‘ritual’ for Goddess Hirt is performed in Mayshall territory, Mayshall territory will have the rumored ‘Pantheon.’]

…So there’s no need for that! No wonder Kate hasn’t been visiting the academy, she went to our territory.

It seems she was busy building a temple in the territory, which is why there was no news. My parents probably didn’t send a letter to avoid burdening me.

Moreover, with Lily’s recent birth, they must be focusing more on that side and didn’t have time to worry about this.

“Hmm. Now I understand.”

I nodded with an enlightened expression. Actually, I don’t understand anything. Let’s just give up on understanding.

As I said earlier, the situation has reached a point where they would be ecstatic even if I defecated. What are they doing, building a temple without even asking for my opinion?

But come to think of it, our territory will become the safest area in the world under the protection of gods.

Just having one temple makes devil worshippers struggle, but with Mora and Hirt too…

By the way, since Hirt is the goddess of life and nature, there’s no need to build a separate temple; just performing rituals is enough. Hirt is the god most closely related to sorcery, like rain rituals.

Rather than a temple, just building an altar or ‘totem’ is enough. However, since divine power must be imbued, a sorcerer is absolutely necessary.

As for inviting a sorcerer… they’ll figure it out. I don’t know.

“Sigh…”

I let out a sigh filled with various meanings and flopped down on the bed. Now even I don’t know what to do.

The newspaper reported that my work speed had improved thanks to the gift from the demons, but surprisingly, there was no word from the Elves.

That’s what makes it more frightening. What are they plotting that they’re not saying anything? A similar example is Animus.

The reason Animus was quiet for a while was for political reasons. Alfheim might be similar.

‘What kind of gift will the Elves give…?’

Truly, not just empty words, but truly, I’m so excited that I might not be able to sleep.

******

Meanwhile, around the same time, in the audience hall of Alfheim.

The audience hall is a place where the king meets with subjects or shares opinions, but after Arwen’s rule, it changed to have a broader meaning.

It means that even if they’re not subjects, if it’s an important matter, ordinary citizens can visit. In other words, it means being able to hear the voices of the people more closely.

That’s the situation now. Currently, many Elves are kneeling respectfully before the throne where Arwen sits.

“…So we should also give a gift?”

“That is our opinion. We cannot lose to demons, and opinions are gathering to deliver the best gift that cannot be compared.”

“Hmm. I agree with that. So what gift do the people want to give?”

Arwen listened attentively to the story of the delegation that had entered the audience hall to make a request. In fact, she had been irritated since hearing the news.

The news that work speed had greatly improved thanks to the gift delivered by demons, scratching the pride of Elves, masters of magic.

It was more than enough to make Arwen’s under-eye twitch, especially after her argument with Cecilly last time.

So she was just about to consider what gift to give when, without having to issue a separate order, the people came forward like this.

“Since the demons improved Xenon’s work speed, we think a gift befitting that is appropriate.”

“That is natural.”

“So I ‘dare’ to say. It’s something only possible for the Queen, the sole connection to Xenon.”

What could it be that they emphasize the modifier ‘dare’? Curiosity and expectation settled in Arwen’s silver-gray eyes.

Then, the Elf representing the public straightened his head, faced Arwen directly, and said boldly:

“Our Queen and the symbol of Alfheim. We gift Queen Arwen to Xenon.”

“…What?”

Did she hear wrong? Arwen blinked her silver-gray eyes a couple of times after hearing his words and then questioned.

For a moment, she wasn’t sure if this was a joke or serious, but the determination in the eyes of the Elf who spoke was firm.

That’s why it’s more confusing. Even without going far, there’s the dew of the World Tree, which is the raw material of elixir, so why gift herself?

It didn’t make sense, so Arwen couldn’t say anything. Meanwhile, the delegation continued with a rigid voice.

“The Queen is the being who can be called ‘us.’ Gifting the Queen is no different from gifting our entire Elven race. It’s a gift worthy of the benefactor who saved the World Tree, incomparable to the demons’ gift.”

“… …”

For a moment, she almost asked, “What about my opinion?” but barely suppressed it. At first she was surprised, but things were flowing in her favor.

Yes. This is unavoidable. What king could refuse when the people want it so? Even if Issac would be dumbfounded, he would accept it at least on the surface.

Moreover, through that opinion, she learned how the people currently think of her.

That Alfheim would never abandon her. The Elf-related stories in the Biography of Xenon and Phiren’s desperate cries created a powerful synergy.

Of course, she would never abandon Alfheim either. She was a person who held power for an ideal rather than being greedy for power.

Arwen examined their expressions one by one, then cleared her throat slightly and answered as if reluctantly agreeing.

“…There is reason in that. I will consider it.”

Her subsequent statement was:

“This is not for me, but for our Elves.”

Elven-style communism was deeply embedded.