Chapter 135: To Alfheim(2)
Chapter 135: To Alfheim(2)
The day after my departure for Albenheim was finalized, Arwen paid a personal visit to my lodgings.
Since she was using magic to conceal her presence, she managed to slip inside without being detected by anyone. At first, I jumped out of my skin when a voice drifted out of thin air, but I quickly realized it was Arwen and felt my heart settle.
After she arrived, I shared the news with her before we could even start a proper conversation—the news that I was heading to Albenheim.
Arwen’s reaction was quite a sight to behold.
"Wh-what? What did you just say?"
"I’ll be heading to Albenheim soon. A friend of mine suggested we go together, and I thought the timing was right, so I accepted."
"Then that means..."
"It means I’ll be watching your speech with my own two eyes."
"Ugh..."
Apparently, she hadn't expected me to visit Albenheim at all. Arwen groaned, her hands flying up to fiddle with her ears. It was fascinating to watch her grip those long ears like handles; it seemed to be a habit she fell into whenever she was flustered.
Perhaps the thought of me watching her speech was weighing on her, as she spoke in a slightly anxious voice, her hands still firmly clutching her ears.
"C-could you perhaps... not come?"
"Why?"
"It is... well, it is embarrassing."
"You’ve already shown me everything there is to see. What’s there to be embarrassed about now?"
Her cheeks flushed like a sunset, as if she found embarrassment in the strangest places. Having seen her in full 'agitator' mode before, I couldn't help but chuckle.
Still, I could empathize to some extent. When you’ve been mentored in a skill and then have to display it before a massive crowd, having your teacher watching would easily double the pressure.
She was likely already burdened by the need to perform well; knowing I was watching would only make that weight feel monumental.
"Regardless, my seeing your speech is a done deal. The teleportation is already booked, and I have no reason to refuse."
"Could you not say... that you are busy writing your book?"
"I don't know. I think they’d argue the opposite. They’d ask why I’d pass up such perfect source material."
"Ngh..."
Accepting that my presence was inevitable, Arwen squeezed her eyes shut while still holding her ears.
She let out a long sigh, slowly released her 'ear-handles,' and murmured quietly.
"It cannot be helped, then... But do not expect too much. No matter how excellent the script you provided is, the result depends entirely on the speaker."
"Have some confidence. If you do it like you did last time, there won't be any problems."
"I hope so, but..."
The pressure Arwen was feeling seemed immense. Then again, this was her first national address, so it was only natural to be nervous.
Even giving a presentation in front of a few people is nerve-wracking enough to make one's legs shake, but this was a speech—a national address. As the day approached, her heart would likely tighten by the hour, and she’d probably struggle to sleep.
If it were anyone else, I might have ignored it, but since it was Arwen, I felt a desire to help. Even if she had made mistakes in the past, she had taken responsibility for them, and in a way, she was one of the few people I could truly call a 'friend.'
Since my social circle was incredibly narrow, I wanted to help my friends whenever possible. One could argue I was meddling deeply in state affairs, but to me, it was just helping a friend, so I didn't think much of it.
"If you want, should I cheer for you? Or maybe pat your head?"
"...Do not treat me like a child. Despite appearances, I have lived many times longer than you."
"For a grandmother, you certainly have a massive sweet tooth."
"You little... Sigh."
Arwen started to flare up at the 'grandmother' comment but stopped herself, patting her chest as if to calm down. I’d teased her about her age so much by now that she seemed to have grown accustomed to it.
In truth, Arwen was the only one I could call a grandmother. I’d tried it once as a joke with Cecile and nearly had my ears ripped off, so I never did it again.
Arwen, on the other hand, had the most entertaining reactions. She’d act like a child most of the time, but when teased, she’d try her hardest to act like a dignified adult.
And when she got sulky, she’d huff like a rabbit whose carrot had been stolen, making it very difficult to stop.
"...You are likely the only human who speaks to me so casually."
"Does that mean I'm special?"
"Hmm..."
I’d said it jokingly, but Arwen stared at me intently. Her gaze was so piercing that I was the one who ended up feeling awkward.
After a moment, she nodded and spoke in a calm voice.
"In a way, perhaps. When I lived in human society, I never made any human friends."
"Huh? Weren't you born in Albenheim?"
"I am a half-blood, with human blood running through half my veins. I suppose I forgot to mention it."
Arwen was a mixed-blood? That was surprising news. I’d held the prejudice that the Queen of Albenheim would naturally be a pure-blood.
However, as Cindy had mentioned before, Arwen had ascended to the throne through her own strength without the backing of a prestigious family. If she were an ordinary elf, that might have seemed suspicious, but if she was a half-blood, the story changed.
"I had no idea. So, did you live in the human world until one of your parents passed away of old age?"
"My mother passed into Mora’s embrace shortly after giving birth to me."
"Oh... I'm sorry."
I felt like I’d asked something I shouldn't have. I’d assumed her parents had lived out their full lives, and I worried I’d poked at a wound.
Fortunately, Arwen didn't seem to mind much. She shook her head to reassure me and then began to recount the past, her eyes growing distant as she recalled old memories.
"After Mother passed, Father took me with him as he traveled the world. I saw both the bright and dark sides of humanity with my own eyes, and I made their strengths my own. Even after entering Albenheim, I was able to put those lessons to good use, and eventually, I became Queen."
"Did you have to win over the noble families?"
"You could say it was something like that. I asked for their strength to keep the Elder Council in check. As it happened, the noble families also felt they needed a way to counter the Council's growing power, so they lent me their aid."
"Then you didn't attend the Academy?"
According to what I’d heard from Cindy, the elves of Albenheim receive education at a place called the first Academy. And they stay there until they’re fifty.
The reason they’re called 'walking libraries' is that they spend those fifty years immersed in education. Of course, it’s not rote memorization like in some countries; they focus on what they enjoy, so there are few complaints.
An elf is only recognized as a proper member of society once they graduate from the Academy. I wasn't sure how it worked for half-bloods, though.
"Half-bloods can attend the Academy. From what I have heard from others, most enter Albenheim after their human parent has lived out their natural life. Since the Academy’s doors are always open to fellow elves, receiving an education is not an issue."
"What about the part about studying until you're fifty?"
"That is the general rule, but it varies from person to person. If one only seeks to graduate, it can be done in ten years."
"They're surprisingly lenient when it comes to fellow elves."
"Perhaps it is only possible because of our long lifespans. It is impossible to tell one's age just by looking. Even elves usually guess each other's age through speech patterns or demeanor."
In a way, they showed a merciful side toward their own kind. But seeing the current turmoil over the half-blood issue, it was clear they still had a long way to go.
If this situation didn't settle down, they might accelerate the inspections for mixed blood. I worried that if the oppression intensified, a truly fascist state might be born.
If that happened, Arwen herself might be exiled. I looked at her for a moment before asking in a quiet voice.
"Are you going to reveal that you're a half-blood during the speech?"
"Hmm? Is that not obvious? If I do not, my desperation will not ring true."
"Your sense of responsibility is as strong as ever."
"Hmph. I am not particularly happy to be praised."
Arwen cleared her throat, but I could see it—the faint blush rising on her pale cheeks.
More importantly, I saw her long ears twitching up and down. No matter how much she tried to hide her emotions, her ears always gave her away.
"Not happy, my foot. Do something about your ears before you say that."
"Th-this is beyond my control!"
"If you can't hide your emotions like that, how do you even face off against the Elder Council?"
"As I said before, you are the only human I can speak with so freely. In truth, I do not have many people I can call friends."
Why did I feel a pang of pity for her? Perhaps the reason she protected Rain so fiercely was because she was lonely.
She’d lived a wandering life since birth, and after entering Albenheim, she’d taken the throne. It was no exaggeration to say she had almost no time to maintain personal relationships.
She spoke as if she were fine, but there were likely very few people she could truly open up to. She’d even confirmed my joke about being special.
"Friends... well, you'll make more as you live. You still have a lot more life left than I do."
"I hope so... but the problem is that because of the Elder Council, I cannot easily trust people. I never know where their eyes and ears might be, so I must be cautious in everything."
"That sounds like the perfect environment for developing paranoia."
Arwen nodded silently. High-level politicians like her knew all too well how futile 'trust' could be.
Politics is inherently tied to power, and the higher that power grows, the further it drifts from morality. Trust, naturally, loses its meaning along the way.
Furthermore, the moment that power weakens, the hyenas come swarming. Historically, tyrants are often born from an intoxication with power, but most of the time, they turn violent because of a festering paranoia.
‘If even Arwen ends up like that...’
A truly fascist elf might emerge. She could crush the Elder Council with sheer force until only she remained, leaving behind the darkest record in Albenheim’s history.
Of course, given Arwen’s kind nature, the probability was slim, but you never know how the world turns. History is full of examples of wise rulers who fell into darkness due to various tragedies.
I looked at Arwen with pity in my eyes. She must have read my gaze, as she gave a bittersweet smile.
"You do not need to look at me like that. This is the path I chose, so I have no right to complain. I am not as weak as you fear."
"Why did you choose to become Queen? You could have lived a normal life."
To achieve a specific goal, one needs high authority. So, what was Arwen’s goal?
She seemed to weigh whether she should answer my question before meeting my eyes. My face was reflected in her silver-gray pupils, which sparkled like the Milky Way.
Then, Arwen chuckled and spoke in a slightly coy tone.
"This is a story I have told no one. Since you are a special person to me, I shall graciously tell you."
"Then I guess I don't need to hear it."
"L-listen to people until they are finished!"
As expected, teasing Arwen was the best. She huffed, her face turning red as I chuckled.
It felt like teasing an innocent child, so I couldn't stop. But since it seemed like a serious story, I decided to listen.
Once Arwen saw that I was paying attention, she cleared her throat and stole a glance at me. Then, she spoke in a quiet, gentle voice.
"As I said, I traveled the human world with my father. I watched their bright and dark sides and realized many things. One of them was that humans experience so many failures. To put it another way, they never stop challenging themselves."
"Hmm..."
"On the other hand, what of us elves? We do nothing but walk the paths others have trodden before us. The problem is that even that single path is enough to overwhelm other races. It may be fine now, but in the future, it will surely lead to a great disaster."
"Because of humans?"
"It is more likely to be because of our own complacency. Even after the Race War, when all the shadows hidden behind the light were exposed, the Elder Council still has not come to its senses. Their power is growing ever stronger, even if it does not compare to the old days. You can see it in how many times the owner of the throne has been replaced."
Indeed, the Kings and Queens of Albenheim seemed to change quite frequently relative to their lifespans. Hearing Arwen’s story, it really did seem to be because of the Elder Council’s heavy interference.
"I wanted to stop that. Furthermore, I am constantly challenging things. Even if conflicts arise along the way, if those conflicts are resolved, a slight 'change' occurs. If those changes happen frequently, surely we elves will also experience progress."
"I don't know if you know this, but there are plenty of humans who hate change, too."
"But it is not as if there are no people who take on challenges. I simply wish to encourage our people to challenge themselves. I do not care if someone calls it a useless policy. Even if it is not recognized now, the evaluation may change in the distant future."
Just as Arwen said, policies that were harshly criticized in their own time are often praised as great achievements in the distant future. She was worrying about the future rather than the present.
But there was still a concerning part. I asked her in a worried voice.
"Then what about you? Are you going to be okay? You could be exiled if things go wrong."
"If it is the people, not the Council, who cast me out, I will gladly accept it. For that, too, would be a change."
"Looking at it this way, you really don't seem like an elf."
"I do not seem like an elf, you say..."
Arwen shrugged and replied nonchalantly.
"In a way, that may be true. I am a half-blood imbued with a human way of thinking. Still, I possess the pride of an elf."
"And that sounds like a very elven answer."
"Then what is an elf in your eyes? Do you think of us as an arrogant and stubborn race, as other humans do?"
"Well, I mean..."
I shifted my gaze and thought deeply. Like humans, elves were a race that couldn't be easily defined.
As Arwen said, elves possessed an arrogant and stiff-necked side, but conversely, that made them a race of high pride and valor. If humans were a mix of clear light and shadow, perhaps elves were a race where the light was so blinding that the hidden shadows were equally vast.
Still, I felt certain about one thing. I looked Arwen straight in the face and spoke.
"A race that only comes to its senses after getting smacked."
"...What?"
Arwen blinked. It was a reaction of total surprise.
I continued, adding a bit of a joke to my tone.
"I’m saying elves are a race that needs a good hit to wake up. The Race War was like that, and the discord between elves and dark elves you told me about is the same, isn't it? You don't think about moving until someone hits you."
"..."
"So, you only progress when someone gives you a smack. Do you get what I’m saying?"
"..."
Whether she found it absurd or was simply dumbfounded, Arwen just blinked with an innocent face. She looked so cute that I almost reached out to pat her head without thinking.
Eventually, having processed the thought, Arwen chuckled. She shook her head and spoke.
"My goodness... what an extraordinary answer. And yet, it is so true that I have no room to refute it."
"Now that you know, give them a good, refreshing smack during your speech. I’ll provide the script."
"Thank you. And... Isaac."
"Yeah?"
Arwen called my name and hesitated. Just as I gave her a puzzled look, she made a small request.
"If I ever start walking down the wrong path... could you give me a smack?"
"What?"
"It is because you are the only person I can call a friend, and the only one who could hit me."
So, she wanted me to yell at her to snap out of it whenever she went off the rails? Her choice of words was a bit strange, but Arwen was essentially asking me to be her 'brake.'
It seemed her words about me being a special person weren't a lie, but the truth. I was a bit flustered, but I soon accepted.
"Alright. That much should be easy enough."
"Thank you."
Arwen gave a soft smile and whispered.
"I am truly glad I met you."
*
A few days later.
"Is Cecile coming too?"
"Yes. She’ll be going with Sir Balak."
"And why is Mr. Gartz coming?"
"I’m just bringing him along. He’ll want to see you, and it’s a good opportunity."
I set off for Albenheim.