Chapter 122: Book 11(3)
Chapter 122: Book 11(3)
After being appointed as Professor Elena’s recommended student, my personal time became incredibly flexible. Since I didn't need to obsess over grades and could just attend the lectures I wanted, I was able to invest a significant amount of time into my writing.
Of course, if Professor Elena called, I had to dash to her laboratory immediately. Since she was the one who appointed me, I was essentially her assistant. Fortunately, as a fresh-faced freshman, she didn't work me to the bone like she did with Cindy.
Because of this arrangement, whenever I wanted a break from writing, I usually visited Professor Elena’s lab. Marina and Cecile usually met up with me after all their classes were over, so staying there until then wasn't an issue.
Teaching Cindy composition techniques in the lab had become a daily routine, and Professor Elena would often ask for my opinion or engage in debates when I questioned her.
Furthermore, because I possessed a surprising amount of knowledge and a unique perspective for my age, she had even begun showing signs of trying to groom me into a graduate student by handing me various papers and books.
In truth, calling it a "debate" was a bit of a stretch; it was impossible for me to match Elena, who had accumulated knowledge for centuries. Instead, she focused primarily on my unconventional viewpoints.
"I’m a recommended student, so I get it, but what exactly do the other students do when they reach their third year? No matter how I look at it, there are so few of them."
"It’s simple. They become assistants like you and receive direct knowledge from the professors. It’s actually more efficient for the professors to focus on individuals rather than dealing with a crowd of students."
"So they receive lectures from the professors in the History Hall?"
"Yes. If you want, I can ask them for you. All the professors here are my former students, so they’ll gladly agree."
"...I’m fine, thank you."
I was left speechless by Elena’s revelation that every professor in the History Hall was her student. Then again, as an Elf—the quintessential long-lived species—it made sense.
After that, I browsed through some books to gain more refined knowledge when a question suddenly occurred to me. It was a natural curiosity, given that Elena was an Elf.
"Professor. If you don't mind me asking, how old did you say you were?"
"Hm? I haven't even lived three hundred years yet. Why do you ask?"
Elena stopped reading and looked at me. Her green eyes sparkled with curiosity behind her round glasses.
I mentally calculated the timeline of the Race War before voicing my curiosity.
"According to Cindy, there’s a severe conflict between the generation of Elves who fought in the Race War and those who didn't. Is that actually true?"
"Hmm..."
Upon hearing my question, she leaned back in her chair and began to organize her thoughts.
After staring at the ceiling in contemplation for a while, Elena finally began to answer, choosing her words carefully.
"I’d say it’s half right and half wrong. The Race War was the catalyst for Elves to break away from racial supremacy. But as you know, deep-seated mindsets are incredibly difficult to change. This is especially true for Elves, who live for so long. Moreover, the Race War felt more like the Elves self-destructing rather than the Human Alliance doing particularly well, which makes it even harder for some to let go."
"Does that mean there are racial supremacists even among the new generation?"
"There are, but among the new generation, they’re generally treated as uneducated fools. Conversely, the old generation loathes philanthropists. To put it simply, it’s an ideological battle."
"Their social phenomena are just as complex as humans'."
"Do you think the saying 'people are the same everywhere' came out of nowhere? Generational conflict isn't unique to Elves; it happens across all races."
There is a very famous phrase from my previous life.
Kids these days have no manners.
This famous line was recorded not just in the 21st century, but as far back as ancient times. Ironically, however, it is always those "rude kids" who grow up to change the world.
"But why do you ask? Generational conflict is common among you humans as well."
"That’s true, but Elves seem particularly prone to failing to unite compared to humans. Professor, you know about the incident where Warlord Iker was arrested during the war, right?"
"Of course I do. Iker was an Elf who understood human combat tactics better than anyone, yet the Elder Council arrested him for 'violating the law.' Even as a fellow Elf, I found it incomprehensible."
As I’ve mentioned a few times before, the Elves were bafflingly disorganized during the Race War.
On the surface, it seemed like they fought with one heart and mind against the Human Alliance, but that was just the public narrative. The arrest of Warlord Iker proved otherwise.
Furthermore, Arwen had told me that the Dark Elves had tried to send reinforcements, but the Elder Council had flatly rejected them. Even while being pushed back by the Human Alliance, they refused help simply because the Dark Elves were "exiles."
In contrast, the humans did whatever it took to secure victory. Sending assassins was basic; they even cut off supply lines despite knowing it would cause massive casualties.
However, because of the complex political entanglements, the aftermath of the Race War was terrifying. A prime example is the ongoing conflict between the Minerva Empire and the Ters Republic.
I sank into deep thought after hearing Elena’s explanation before cautiously asking for her opinion.
"Do you really think it’s impossible for the Elves to unite as one? Even if a massive conflict like the Race War broke out again, do you think they’d still be arguing over laws and such?"
"The Queen wouldn't, but the Elder Council would likely have something to say. Even a toothless tiger still has its legs. Just like what you wrote on your exam paper last time—history tends to repeat itself."
"So, it’s very unlikely."
"Exactly. Above all, the new generation isn't that much different from the old. I don't know if it's a racial trait, but Elves tend to believe firmly in what they think is right. That’s why figures like Warlord Iker stood out so much."
I suppose fiction should stay fiction. If even Elena, with her objective perspective, spoke like that, then the Elven race must be incredibly inflexible.
Even Arwen, despite being a new-generation Elf who implemented various radical policies, occasionally showed signs of that same inflexibility. The same went for Siris, who was currently acting as my errand runner.
It was evident from the time I summoned her and she appeared while in the middle of a bath. I remembered how flustered I was as I sent her back immediately.
"Then I guess reconciliation between Elves and Dark Elves is even more impossible?"
"I can't give you a definitive answer on that. I know almost nothing about what the Dark Elves aim for as a people. I know their history well, but in over two hundred years of living, I’ve never befriended a single one. It’s actually one of my primary research topics right now."
In reality, the Dark Elves were one of the mysterious races about which almost nothing was known. They occasionally appeared in the world and drew much attention, but no one knew their true purpose.
Of course, I was different from others because I had a very useful errand runner named Siris. They lived a tribal life deep in forests or mountains, undergoing rigorous training from a young age to grow into formidable warriors.
Siris had told me that their occasional appearances in the world were to gather information and earn money to buy necessary goods. Since every Dark Elf warrior was worth a hundred ordinary soldiers, they only needed to do a bit of mercenary work.
The reason they continued this inconvenient lifestyle was to wait until Albenheim would finally accept them back.
It’s only natural for them to have a strong love for their homeland.
Even if Dark Elves were more flexible and individualistic than other Elves, they were still Elves at heart. They possessed a fundamental sense of being a chosen people, blessed by God, and they were powerful because of it.
And Albenheim was the first civilization established by Elves according to God’s will—a land flowing with milk and honey. Since almost everything worthy of being called "the first" was in Albenheim, their attachment to it was natural.
But I wonder how they’ll react if I destroy that Albenheim?
I looked up at the ceiling, plotting the development of Volume 12. While the main focus of Volume 12 was Mary’s confession to Xenon, it would end with the demons plotting a surprise attack on Albenheim.
The full-scale invasion of Albenheim would take place in Volume 13. Unfortunately, at that time, the Elf Queen Elisha was mentally devastated following Kair’s death, making it difficult for her to even prepare properly.
Not only that, but Xenon’s party would be out scouting with the Elven Warlord due to the constant threat of demons, which is when the Council’s trolling would begin in earnest.
I’m curious to see Arwen’s reaction.
When Volume 11 was released, Arwen had sent a letter through Siris expressing her feelings. It contained the absurd yet somehow cute concern of whether the reason Kair and Elisha grew apart was because of her.
Of course, since the story was already set, I didn't forget to explain things well enough to clear up her misunderstanding. Nevertheless, Arwen seemed uneasy and asked me to tell her through Siris if I ever needed anything.
Knock, knock, knock.
While I was busy brainstorming the story, someone knocked on the lab door. As I looked toward the entrance, a very familiar voice drifted from behind the door.
"It’s meeee... I’m coming in..."
It was the voice of Cindy, the Elven woman whose slurred, lethargic way of speaking was her trademark. Soon, the door opened, and her face came into view.
The deep dark circles, the half-closed eyes, and the hair loosely tied back were the same as ever, but being an Elf, she was still remarkably beautiful. In fact, she possessed a subtle, decadent charm that set her apart from the other Elves I knew.
And today, for some reason, she looked happier than usual. Her eyes were heavy with fatigue, but the corners of her mouth were slightly turned up.
Come to think of it, she went to Yggdrasil to submit her thesis, didn't she?
I remembered that she had headed to Yggdrasil, one of the holy lands of Albenheim, to submit her paper. Thanks to my "spoon-feeding" style of teaching her composition, Cindy’s writing skills had improved by leaps and bounds.
Even Elena had said it was more than enough when she first reviewed it and told her to hurry to Yggdrasil, so it should have been fine.
As I was thinking that, Elena looked at Cindy and asked with an expectant expression.
"Well? How did it go?"
"Yes... it passed safelyyy... Now I can finally sleep in peace... Hehehe..."
Cindy chuckled, her face full of relief. As I might have mentioned before, since Elves are known as walking libraries, the process of becoming a professor is grueling.
One must possess near-omniscient knowledge in their field, and even the theses submitted to Yggdrasil are absurdly difficult.
It makes sense, really. Since Elves live so long, they can research a single field intensively, and the number of existing papers is countless. Even if you pick a topic, there are usually hundreds of similar ones, making it extremely difficult to pass.
Therefore, Cindy’s thesis passing was something worth celebrating.
"Congratulations. Does this mean you’ve earned your doctorate now, Cindy?"
"Mhm..."
Cindy answered in her usual droopy tone and slowly walked toward me. She approached and gently took hold of my hand.
I was a bit taken aback, but seeing her genuinely happy smile, I stayed still. She then thanked me in a voice that, while lethargic, was filled with sincerity.
"It’s all thanks to youuu... Thank you so muchhh..."
"What did I even do? I only taught you how to write. The research was all your own work, Cindy."
It was the truth. I only taught her composition; the research was something Cindy led herself.
But Cindy seemed to think otherwise. She shook her head and gave a bright smile.
"It’s true that you helped meee... If it weren't for you, Isaac, it would have taken me decades for sureee..."
"Well, if you say so... Anyway, what are you going to do now? Now that you have your doctorate, you don't need to stay under Professor Elena anymore."
Cindy could now become a professor or a scholar whenever she wanted. It meant she no longer had to act as Professor Elena’s assistant.
Cindy seemed to realize that as well; she let go of my hand and thought about it. But since nothing specific came to mind, she tilted her head.
"I don't knowww... I’ll probably stay here for a whileee... There are still so many papers and books I haven't read yettt..."
"Is that so?"
"Mhm... So make sure to visit oftennn... You can ask me if there’s anything you don't knowww... I’ll help you however I cannn..."
"In that case..."
After a brief moment of wondering what to ask, I decided to ask Cindy the same question I had just asked Elena. Incidentally, Cindy was still holding onto my hand.
"Cindy, do you think the Elves can truly unite as one? Including the Dark Elves, not just the regular Elves."
"...Wouldn't that only happen in a novel? Besides, I don't even know what kind of people Dark Elves areee..."
Hmm. As expected, she treated it as something only possible in fiction. I nodded at her answer.
"Oh, right... I heard some interesting news at Yggdrasil todayyy..."
"What news?"
"You know the Xenon Biography that came out recently... The part where Kair and Elisha broke up..."
"Ah, that. What about it?"
Cindy, seemingly unaware that she was still gripping my hand tightly, gave her answer.
"There’s a lot of talk about thattt... The scholars are all fighting over ittt..."
"...Why would they fight over something like that?"
"Because it’s too realisticcc... In reality, there were so many cases where humans gave up or died first because the Elves couldn't bring themselves to accept themmm..."
"..."
"Right now, they’re conducting surveys nationwide and it’s a whole messs... I think a research paper might even come out soonnn..."
I’m really looking forward to the reaction to Volume 12.