Chapter 131: Mixed-blood(3)
Chapter 131: Mixed-blood(3)
Volume 12 of the Xenon Chronicle resulted in the formation of numerous interracial couples, but more interestingly, it served as the official announcement for the emergence of half-elves—the offspring of elves and humans who had been living in hiding.
It was a natural social phenomenon, arising as questions no one had previously considered began to surface one by one.
While other hybrids existed, the existence of elven-human half-bloods was rare enough to send shockwaves across the world. The reaction was particularly volatile in Albenheim.
Personally, I didn't see what the big deal was, so I just let it slide. Furthermore, half-elves—or rather, half-elves—inherited almost all elven traits except for their full potential.
This included their angelic appearance, lifespan, affinity for magic, and even their formidable physical abilities. In fact, half-elves often possessed greater latent potential than average elves and, having lived in human society, possessed a degree of flexibility their pure-blooded kin lacked.
I suspected the old generation, especially those in the Senate, were throwing a fit. According to what I’d heard from Cindy, the Senate was composed of racial supremacists who would vehemently reject the existence of mixed blood.
Moreover, since Queen Arwen was pursuing open-door policies, this phenomenon provided the Senate with the perfect leverage to keep her in check.
If she failed to mediate the chaos within Albenheim, they would tighten their grip on her; even if she succeeded, they could simply use the half-blood issue to harass her whenever they pleased.
Politics is a game where one must be despicable and cunning to seize victory.
I felt a slight twinge of guilt for the unexpected situation I'd caused, but since this was ultimately Arwen’s personal problem, I had no intention of interfering.
I would keep an eye on the news, but unless they came to me begging for help, I wouldn't step forward.
"Isaac. Just so you know, both Cindy and I will be away five days from now."
"Pardon?"
I was in Professor Elena’s laboratory, where I often went to read books and papers.
I had been leisurely reading while sipping tea Cindy had brewed for me, but I blinked in surprise at Elena’s words. It was unprecedented for both Elena and Cindy to be absent at the same time.
Cindy had returned to Albenheim recently to submit a thesis, but this was the first time Elena was leaving her post. I asked her while holding my teacup.
"So suddenly? Where are you going?"
"Albenheim. The Queen is going to give a National Address. She requested that as many citizens as possible attend, so we must go."
"A National Address?"
I tilted my head at Elena’s answer. A sudden National Address? Considering the current state of Albenheim, I wondered if that was a wise move.
As if reading my thoughts, Elena pushed up her slightly slipping glasses and spoke in her characteristic businesslike tone.
"As you know, Albenheim is currently in turmoil over the half-blood issue. She likely wants to resolve the matter quickly. It might feel a bit rushed, but staying silent and doing nothing is also a problem."
"Hmm... will it be okay?"
"Who knows? I’ve never seen the Queen give a speech before. In fact, I believe this is her first National Address."
If it was her first National Address, did that mean she hadn't even given one when she was crowned? As I tilted my head in confusion, Cindy, sitting across from me, explained instead.
"The King of Albenheim isn't elected by the people... the various clans, the nobility, they vote to select the ruler... Anyone can attend the ceremony, but the King is usually chosen from the prestigious families..."
Despite her characteristically slurred way of speaking, Cindy’s explanation was easy to follow. I turned toward her as she sipped her tea and asked another question.
"Was the current Queen also elected from a noble family?"
"No... Before her coronation, the current Queen was just an ordinary citizen you could find anywhere... Plus, she was far too young to be Queen... I don't really know how she took the throne... I heard she won over the prestigious families with her social maneuvering, but that's just a rumor..."
Well, Cindy would have been just a student or Elena’s assistant back then, so it made sense she wouldn't know the details. I figured I should ask Arwen myself if I ever got the chance.
"So when do you plan to return? Are you coming back right after the speech?"
"No... I'm going to visit my home for a bit... I forgot to stop by when I submitted my thesis last time..."
"I plan to exchange opinions with other scholars," Elena added bluntly after Cindy. "I'm curious to see what the academic world thinks of the half-bloods."
I looked back and forth between the two elves, then a sudden curiosity struck me.
"Come to think of it, are you two pure-blooded? I heard that half-bloods look no different from regular elves, except their ears are slightly shorter."
"I'm not sure myself. I never checked if my parents were pure-blooded or mixed. Perhaps there's a human somewhere in my distant ancestry. I should ask them this time."
"Me too..."
Elven genetics seemed to ignore things like Mendelian inheritance, to the point where they didn't even know if they were pure or mixed. It was a truly interesting situation.
I stared at the two elves, who seemed remarkably unbothered by the existence of half-bloods—a topic that was currently a political hot potato—and asked quietly.
"What do you two think about half-bloods?"
"I don't have any particular thoughts. If anything, a scholar like me would consider their existence a given. Hundreds of years have passed since elves and humans first made contact; it would be impossible for there to be no mixed offspring. Perhaps there are even half-bloods between elves and demons?"
A child born between a demon, a descendant of devils, and an elf, a descendant of angels...
Is that a Nephalem?
The race from a famous game in my previous life briefly crossed my mind, followed by another thought.
Wait, are there no half-bloods between demons and humans?
The focus was currently on half-elves, but it was entirely possible for someone born of a human and a demon to appear. However, unlike elves, demons had a terrible reputation until the Xenon Chronicle, so it was highly likely that such individuals didn't exist—or were well-hidden.
I decided to ask Cecile about this later after classes were over. While I was thinking, Cindy shared her thoughts after Elena.
"I think... for the sake of Albenheim, we should accept them... If this isn't handled correctly, it could cause a major rift within the kingdom... The old and new generations are already at odds, and if the half-blood issue is added to that..."
"It would get very serious."
"Yeah... I hope the Queen gives a good speech..."
Cindy spoke with a dejected expression, clearly worried about the emerging conflict. Seeing her long ears drooping, it was clear she sincerely cared for Albenheim.
No matter how close to perfection elves were as a race, they were ultimately just people. Conflicts over ideology were inevitable, and achieving true unity was incredibly difficult.
Furthermore, elves tended to have firm, deeply rooted convictions, making it hard for them to change their minds. One could call them steadfast, or one could call them stubborn.
If Arwen could change those hearts through a National Address, it would be a testament to her extraordinary talent and ability. I had seen countless instances in my previous life where a single speech changed the course of history.
Though to other countries, it'll just look like a weakness to exploit.
A nation that falls due to external pressure has a chance to rebuild, but if it collapses from within, there is no hope. The Albenheim I would write about in Volume 13 of the Xenon Chronicle would fall in such a manner, a fact proven by history.
What would the future of Albenheim be? Would they grow through this ordeal, or would it be the opposite?
A person's true ability, regardless of time or place, always reveals itself in a crisis.
"I hope it goes well."
"It has to... Who knows, maybe my own child will be born a half-blood..."
"Are you planning to marry a human?"
"Not necessarily... but you never know what will happen... There might be a human as handsome and kind-hearted as you..."
"Am I considered handsome even by elven standards?"
It was a bit of lighthearted banter. Cindy blinked, looking utterly dumbfounded by my joke.
"Eh...?"
She even let out a silly, cute sound. Seeing her skin—which was almost pale from staying inside the lab all day—turn a faint shade of red, it seemed she had realized what she’d said a moment too late.
While Cindy’s brain was still buffering, I closed my book and stood up. There was still some time before my friends' classes ended, but I planned to head back to my room and write.
"I'm joking. You don't have to take it so seriously."
"...Don't tease me..."
"Where else would I find someone as easy to tease as you?" Elena added a quiet jab. Naturally, Cindy began to grumble with her signature gloomy pout.
I let out a chuckle at the sight and bid them both farewell.
"I'll head back to my room for now. I'll take this book with me."
"Do as you wish."
"Bye-bye..."
After saying goodbye to the two elves, I stepped out of the laboratory. It was currently around 3:00 PM. There was about an hour and a half left until all classes were finished.
I could lounge around in my room or work on Volume 13 until then. Since I had already outlined the plot, I expected Volume 13 to be released as quickly as Volume 12.
"Um..."
"Yes?"
I was walking back to my dormitory when I heard a timid voice calling from behind me.
I turned around, but I didn't see anyone. Just as I was wondering if I had misheard, a voice came from below.
"H-Here."
"Huh?"
It was a very familiar voice. I looked down, half-expecting what I would see.
Just as I had seen at the exhibition, there was a tiny girl's head covered by a white robe. Silvery-gray hair peeking out from under the hood caught my eye.
The person who called me slowly lifted her head, revealing her face. Her galaxy-like, silvery-gray eyes sparkled with intelligence, and she possessed a cute, dainty beauty.
Despite the hood, her radiant looks couldn't be hidden. She was looking up at me with a slightly nervous gaze.
"...Arwen?"
It was Arwen, the Queen of Albenheim, who was scheduled to give a National Address in five days. As I stood there, stunned by her sudden appearance, Arwen spoke in a slightly hesitant voice.
"Y-You. Is your name, by any chance..."
"It's Isaac."
"Y-You've grown so much. It hasn't even been half a year since then... Your voice has changed, too..."
I had indeed grown quite a bit. Everyone around me said so, so I didn't feel much about it anymore.
Regardless, seeing her like this, Arwen really was small. When we stood side-by-side at the exhibition, she barely reached my shoulder, but now her head only came up to my chest.
Elves were naturally gifted with great physical abilities, but it seemed that didn't always translate into physical stature. I knew that even as small as she was, she possessed enough grip strength to crush a stone with her bare hands.
"So, why are you here? I heard you're giving a speech soon."
"W-Who did you hear that from?"
"From another elf. I've made a few connections."
"I see... Actually, I came here because of that."
"Because of the speech?"
When I looked at her inquisitively, Arwen gazed back with a nervous expression and spoke in a cautious voice.
"I was hoping you could help me write the speech..."
"..."
"I couldn't think of anyone else who writes as well as you."
For some reason, I was reminded of a president who had been impeached by their people.
*
To be honest, it was a bit absurd, but I brought Arwen back to my room for now. As I’ve mentioned before, visitors are technically forbidden in the dorms, but there’s no problem if you sneak them in.
Besides, in Arwen’s case, she could hide herself with magic, so there was zero risk of being caught. The ban on magic within the Academy only applied to spells with high mana consumption, like Teleport.
"So, you want me to help you with the speech?"
"I know it's shameless of me... but yes."
Arwen, sitting on my bed, answered quietly. She had taken off her hood, revealing her beautiful face, which was currently clouded with an apologetic expression.
And for good reason—she had a history of wronging me. Of course, it was ultimately a problem caused by Rain’s massive trolling, but it was an undeniable fact that she shared the responsibility.
Siris was currently acting as my errand runner without complaint, and Arwen was sending me books from the Holy Land, so she wasn't really in a position to ask for favors. But seeing her come here in person, she must be desperate.
I stared at Arwen, who looked like she was sitting on a bed of needles, and asked a question that had been bothering me.
"You said you didn't give a speech when you were crowned, right?"
"That is correct."
"How does Albenheim choose its King that you've never given a single speech? A friend told me the clans vote to elect the ruler."
"This will be my first time speaking before the people. Before my coronation, I declared my ambitions before the Senate and the influential families of Albenheim. But that wasn't a speech; it was literally just stating my goals."
"So you basically took the throne yourself?"
"Not exactly. As you may know, the owner of the throne changed several times over the past few decades. When I stepped forward, there were almost no other candidates, perhaps because the clans felt a sense of unease."
"Hmm..."
It seemed the political situation in Albenheim was quite complicated. Since there was a Senate, perhaps the previous rulers had stepped down under their pressure.
Furthermore, the fact that she ascended to the throne through her own strength without the backing of a major family proved that Arwen’s political skills were exceptional. She must have been using those skills to hold her own against the Senate all this time.
The manuscript theft incident was a disaster born of a lapse in judgment and Rain’s trolling; it didn't mean Arwen was incompetent. As a leader, she was generally evaluated by the public as having excellent virtues, even if she was personally a bit inexperienced.
"The content of the speech is obviously about the half-bloods, right?"
"Just as you say. I must resolve the current situation somehow... but honestly, it is too difficult. Speeches that move the hearts of the people are rare even in history..."
She was right. One only had to look at Lincoln or Martin Luther King Jr. to see the importance of a speech. Of course, those were examples of positive influence; for negative influence, there were Hitler and Goebbels.
A speech that moves people's hearts requires effort, but talent is paramount. There is a clear difference between reading a script like a textbook and speaking with a voice full of conviction.
But the most important thing is the content. The fact that the speeches of Lincoln and King are still discussed today, and that Hitler’s rise to power in Germany is still studied, proves this.
I stared at the dejected Arwen and spoke.
"Wait a moment."
A mischievous idea suddenly occurred to me, and I began to write in my notebook. Arwen looked confused at first, but when I sat at my desk and started writing, she waited patiently.
About five minutes later, I handed Arwen a draft that filled half a page. Arwen took the draft with a bewildered expression and glanced at me.
"It's just a draft I wrote for fun. Read it and see what you think."
"If you say so..."
Since it was just a draft, she accepted it without hesitation. Soon, her silvery-gray eyes were fixed on the page.
After about a minute, Arwen’s eyes widened in genuine admiration.
"This is a truly magnificent speech! As expected of the author of the Xenon Chronicle. However..."
But her admiration was short-lived as she tilted her head and muttered in confusion.
"Why do I feel like I'm inciting a crowd...?"
"Pfft... Hahaha..."
I couldn't hold back my laughter. The speech I had given Arwen was none other than...
"You? This seems strange no matter how I look at it... Even just reading it, there's such a strong accent..."
"Bwahahaha!"
It was the very speech that had allowed the infamous Hitler to seize power.