Ch.74Aftermath (5)

Demons, humans, and beastkin physically complete their growth around their early to mid-twenties, but elves take much longer, only finishing their physical development when they reach their thirties.

Having such a long physical development period means elves have an extended adolescence, and regardless of race, everyone learns things faster during adolescence than at other ages.

Moreover, long-lived races like elves and demons share the trait of exceptional memory. These two advantages combined mean that when elves reach adulthood, they possess knowledge as extensive as a walking library.

However, while elves are physically recognized as adults in their thirties, they aren’t “socially” acknowledged as adults until around fifty years of age on average.

Until then, they must find their own path and delve deeply into it, mastering specific abilities before being recognized as proper adults.

Thus, elves are naturally advantaged in acquiring broad knowledge, though they seem somewhat less impressive compared to humans’ learning speed. In exchange, they rarely forget knowledge like humans do, which gives them an equal advantage.

“I did well, didn’t I? Hehe.”

“… …”

Arwen Elidia, the elven queen who ascended to the throne at an exceptionally young age for an elf and had ruled Alfheim for 100 years, couldn’t even open her mouth despite Rain’s bright smile. She simply couldn’t easily process what was happening.

She had experienced numerous incidents and accidents throughout her century-long reign.

She had put in considerable effort to stand against the Council of Elders who looked down on her as a child, and occasionally used her talents to wisely navigate frictions with neighboring countries.

Recently, the Council had thrown a fit over the Biography of Xenon, but she had grown enough to easily brush it off. Compared to when she started as a novice queen, the transformation was truly remarkable.

‘…I’m screwed.’

But Arwen felt she was facing the greatest crisis in her 100-plus years of life. If it were merely a national disaster, she could somehow prepare for it, but this far exceeded that level.

The reason was the dark elf girl before her eyes, Rain alone. Yet Rain herself seemed completely oblivious to what she had done.

‘Oh my goodness, child…’

Though Arwen was trying her best to maintain composure, she couldn’t prevent the throbbing in her head. She desperately wanted to grab Rain by the shoulders and lament.

Currently, Rain had just passed ten years of age, very young, and every action of Arwen, who was acting as her guardian, was important. One wrong move could inflict an indelible wound on the girl.

Of course, the main reason was a strong premonition that scolding her severely now would lead to an uncontrollable explosion. It would be better to calmly reason with her now and call her separately later for a stern reprimand.

Arwen barely shook off her nearly whitening thoughts and calmed herself.

Right now, it seemed better to explain the situation to Rain.

“…Rain? Do you know what you’ve done?”

“Huh?”

“I asked if you know what you’ve done.”

Though Arwen asked in a gentle tone, deep anger was contained within it. But the young Rain didn’t notice.

She only blinked her eyes, trying to understand Arwen’s intention.

“Haah…”

Eventually, Arwen had to release the sigh she’d been holding back. Seeing that face without a trace of malice made her feel frustrated.

The girl had brought this manuscript purely to please her. While her intention was praiseworthy, the result was disastrous.

“…Your Majesty?”

Rain seemed to sense something was wrong from Arwen’s reaction and asked in a cautious voice. Her round blue eyes were filled with concern and worry.

In response, Arwen bit her teeth hard before forcing a smile.

“Rain. No matter how much you wanted to please me, this was wrong. Stealing from others is never right. How would you feel if someone stole something precious from you?”

“Hmm… I’d do the same to them. Or maybe take everything they have? That’s what my teachers taught me.”

A response that perfectly reflected the dark elf mindset.

They believe in exacting greater revenge when wronged, and conversely, they strive to repay kindness twofold.

The fortunate part was that at least she seemed to understand that stealing was wrong. Seeking revenge meant she recognized it as a bad deed.

However, the fact that she committed the wrong deed despite knowing it was wrong pained Arwen deeply.

As someone fulfilling the role of a parent, she couldn’t help but feel heartbroken.

“…I’m asking just in case, but do you know how valuable this paper is?”

“Whatever it is, the first edition of anything is the most valuable, right? That’s why I brought it. I thought it might help Your Majesty.”

Far from being helpful, it was a ticking time bomb. Arwen barely suppressed another sigh as she continued.

“…Then do you also know how important this paper is to humans?”

“Of course I do. That’s why if we use this well, we can gain the upper hand, right? Even if humans complain, they can’t attack us. We’re strong.”

She knows one thing but misses ten others. And above all, what an arrogant thought.

Whether elf or dark elf, that arrogance must be a racial characteristic.

A young age ignorant of the world, combined with racial arrogance, had produced this result.

‘…This is driving me crazy.’

Arwen rubbed her face with dry hands, inwardly muttering with a desire to cry.

If possible, returning it to its original place would be best, but it was too late now. It would take time for Rain to return to the publishing house, and even if returned, they might suspect whether the manuscript was genuine or fake.

Above all, the publishing house was currently being investigated by a delegation from the Empire of Minerva’s imperial family. No matter how excellent Rain’s stealth skills were, if discovered, it would be the end both politically and personally.

As the ruler of Alfheim, Arwen had to avoid the worst-case scenario at all costs, so choosing the lesser evil was better. Therefore, keeping the manuscript for now was beneficial.

“I understand. I’ll keep it for now. But I need to think, so please rest for a while.”

“Yes!”

“And prepare to be scolded later. Along with disciplinary action, I’ll have to inform the Elder about this.”

“Yes… Eh?”

Did she think everything would go smoothly? Rain’s eyes widened in surprise at Arwen’s cold words.

Arwen slightly frowned and glared at Rain. Even with family, necessary scolding must be given.

“It’s natural to be scolded when you’ve done something wrong, isn’t it? I’m your guardian, but I’m also fulfilling the role of a parent. When you do wrong, I must firmly discipline you. And what you’ve done now could bring a great crisis to Alfheim.”

“Is, is that true? Why?”

“Because humans are much stronger than you think. They may have many shortcomings compared to us, but they should never be underestimated. And not just humans, demons will also cause an uproar.”

“De-demons too? But, but we are…”

As Rain stammered in an attempt to argue, Arwen could only smile bitterly.

Rain was probably thinking: Why should we, a race chosen by the gods, bow our heads? We may have made mistakes during the racial war, but things are different now.

But moderation is best in all things. Rain currently harbors not pride, but “arrogance.” And having entered an emotionally unstable adolescence, that arrogance will only grow.

[Humans are inferior, so there’s no need to treat them as equals. Therefore, wronging them shouldn’t be a big problem.]

This was likely why she stole the manuscript despite knowing it was wrong.

Arwen herself had once been like that, but over more than a century, she had learned a few things.

No matter how chosen by the gods a race may be, they are still mortals with emotions, and the moment arrogance takes hold, it blinds them.

In the past, she had boldly stepped forward without knowing better and suffered great diplomatic damage from human nations. From then on, she changed her mind that humans should never be taken lightly.

So that arrogance needs to be corrected first. Arwen resolved to properly educate Rain in the future as she quietly spoke.

“Yes. As you think, we were chosen by the gods. But that doesn’t change the fact that what you did was wrong. Unforgivable actions cannot be forgiven.”

“But I…”

“But what? I’m holding back from scolding you harshly. My head hurts now, so could you please leave for a moment?”

Sensing Arwen’s sincerity, Rain’s expression darkened instantly.

Usually, Arwen didn’t scold her severely even when she misbehaved, but today seemed different.

“…I understand. May Mora grant you peace.”

Rain left with a dejected voice, offering the traditional dark elf greeting. Her perfect stealth skill made her blend completely with the surroundings.

As soon as Rain’s figure disappeared, Arwen immediately cast a detection spell. There was no trace of Rain or anything else in the audience chamber.

“Phew…”

Snap!

After exhaling a deep sigh, she snapped her fingers to cast another spell just in case. As soon as she activated it, a round barrier formed around her.

The identity of this spell was none other than…

“Kyaaaaaaaa!!”

A soundproofing spell. She roughly tousled her silver hair and let out a wyvern-like scream.

Normally, it would have been loud enough to be heard outside the audience chamber, but the soundproofing spell prevented any sound from escaping.

“Luminus! Why do you give me such trials! Aaaaargh!”

The stress that had been building up finally reached its limit and burst. Arwen strongly suppressed her desire to run away immediately.

The current situation could definitely be described as the worst. If discovered, it would be the worst of the worst, and even if not discovered, it was still the worst.

Moreover, to be blindsided like this by someone she trusted, rather than the Council of Elders—how must she feel? She wanted to sit on the floor and cry her heart out.

“Hoo… Hoo… Hoo…”

After a while of hysteria, she finally managed to calm down. Venting all her frustration had helped somewhat.

But her disheveled hair and fierce silver eyes revealed that her stress had reached its peak.

She was already in a situation where stress had been accumulating, and now facing the worst crisis from an unexpected source, she couldn’t help but explode.

‘But I can’t just sit still. I need to find the author somehow.’

She needed to meet them “personally,” not at a national level. And what to do when they meet?

‘First, I’ll bow my head. It’s necessary for survival.’

She’s willing to set aside her royal dignity and bow her head. It’s partly her fault for not stopping Rain, and she needs to somehow appease the author to prevent Alfheim from being destroyed.

This is no exaggeration—considering the influence of the Biography of Xenon, this manuscript is more destructive than a mass destruction spell. It’s an item that should be designated as a national treasure, and they would have no defense if war were declared.

Moreover, Alfheim has already issued a statement regarding the manuscript theft. There’s a very high possibility they’ll face tremendous criticism for shamelessly engaging in covert operations and then denying it.

‘But what if the author goes on hiatus while I’m searching? This could delay the book’s release. There were even protests, what should I do?’

Arwen bit her thumbnail anxiously out of habit.

To return the manuscript without any issues, she needs to meet the author personally. However, the author is currently hiding their identity for some reason and extremely reluctant to reveal themselves.

Until now, she hadn’t searched for the author due to issues with the Council of Elders and various other reasons, but the situation changed today. She must find the author, apologize somehow, and hand over the manuscript for herself and Alfheim to survive the aftermath.

“Ughhhh…”

This was a dilemma like no other. To avoid the worst, she needed to meet the author, but the moment she found them, there was a risk of them quitting writing.

Arwen pondered and pondered how to wisely resolve this situation.

For a moment, she thought about blaming the Council of Elders, but if they counterattacked, she would be finished. They were cunning snakes with sufficient ability to turn the tables.

‘First, I need to meet the dark elf elder. Despite the risks, I have no choice but to find the author.’

Certainly, the lesser evil is much better than the worst. Arwen made a firm resolution while glancing at the manuscript.

A manuscript with more cultural influence than a mass destruction spell was in her hands.

‘Wait. What if I use this to my advantage…?’

What if, after some time, she claimed the manuscript “coincidentally” came into her possession? Would people believe it? It would raise suspicions, but since it was already stolen, acting brazenly might work.

There would be no concrete evidence, and Alfheim is one of the strongest nations. In diplomacy, power often speaks louder than words, so even the Empire of Minerva might not be able to say anything.

But she soon had to discard this idea.

‘No. The Council of Elders would cause trouble again.’

The Council of Elders is always the problem. Arwen let out a hollow laugh, lamenting her situation as she touched the silver circlet on her forehead. A brilliant blue gem was embedded in the center, symbolizing royalty.

Arwen then removed the circlet from her forehead and looked down at it with a bitter smile.

She had worn this circlet for 100 years, but it had never felt as heavy as it did today.

“Truly, this is unbearable.”

The storm had completely passed, but its aftermath was devastating.