Chapter 142: The Speech(3)
Chapter 142: The Speech(3)
Arwen's speech was a resounding success, garnering fervent support from the people, but a closer look revealed it wasn't a complete triumph.
If misinterpreted, the content could easily lean toward racial supremacy—fascism, essentially—and she had even explicitly warned the people not to fall into the trap of pride.
However, there were certain elements she couldn't avoid if she wanted to unite the pure-bloods and mixed-bloods into a single entity known as "Elves."
The key now was to watch and see if the two groups could truly harmonize and become one. If things went as Arwen hoped, they might even be able to embrace the Dark Elves one day.
But given the nature of the Elder Council, which constantly sought to keep her in check, it was obvious they would try to hinder her achievements. I could only hope that Arwen would handle herself well.
Thus, even as the speech ended and the crowds began to disperse from the plaza, we remained seated. The reason was simple.
"It is an honor to meet you. I am..."
"I am truly moved to meet the Sun of the Empire..."
"If I might invite you to our country later..."
"What kind of place is Helium?"
As soon as the speech concluded, a swarm of people crowded around us, focusing primarily on Lina and Cecile. Since Albenheim hosted dignitaries not only from the Minerva Empire but from other nations as well, this was somewhat expected.
I felt uncomfortable in such settings and instinctively tried to slip away. It was a habit that surfaced despite knowing I needed to get used to these impromptu meetings for the sake of my future plans.
However, there was one person who stopped me.
"Where are you going? You need to start getting used to these things."
"I'd rather not..."
"Don't be a baby. Once you marry me, you'll have no choice but to debut in high society. You're not thinking of staying away from me just because you hate social circles, are you?"
It was my girlfriend, Mari. She pointed out the truth, point by point, and forced me to participate in the gathering.
I grumbled at first, but upon reflection, there was no downside to attending. Moreover, since it was an impromptu meeting, it would be brief, so there was no need to feel overwhelmed.
My only concern was that these weren't just nobles from the Minerva Empire, but royalty and nobility from other nations. I wasn't well-versed in their specific cultures or etiquette.
But that anxiety soon proved to be a groundless worry.
"Your name is Isaac, correct? Red hair is rare in this world; it's quite striking."
"I hear that often. I imagine you hear similar things, My Lady?"
"My hair is orange, so I do get a lot of comments. Do you hear that often as well, Princess Mari?"
"Indeed. White hair isn't exactly common either."
Perhaps because it was an informal gathering, or perhaps because of Mari's high status, everyone was kind. They made sure to mention my hair and eyes every time they spoke to me.
Furthermore, the fact that I was from a Baron's family while Mari was from a Duke's family was perfect for piquing people's curiosity. Occasionally, some would even ask Mari what she saw in me to become engaged.
It was a question that could have been offensive, but considering the gap in our social status, it was a natural doubt to have.
And every time that question arose, my girlfriend would point to my face and answer.
"I think you'll understand if you look at my fiancé's face. Just imagine him smiling kindly with a face like this."
"Oh... I see. Such a unique appearance is indeed rare."
"Yes, it is. And he seems to be in quite good shape..."
"I underwent knight training in the past. I stopped because I lacked talent, but I still exercise regularly."
"For the record, he is a promising talent even at the Halo Academy. He's already registered as a recommended student and is assisting the professors."
I ended up boasting a bit, but I was simply appealing to the fact that I was a man worthy of Mari. That way, they wouldn't look down on me.
As expected, once Mari's bragging session ended, both the women and the men looked at us with envious eyes. They likely saw us as a perfectly matched couple.
Mari, a beautiful woman from a ducal house, and I, a man of lower rank but with great ability and a unique appearance.
Moreover, since we were from the Minerva Empire—the strongest nation on the human side—we had nothing to feel inferior about. Thanks to that, building connections was a smooth process.
After some time, several people left due to their busy schedules. As the crowd thinned, Lina and Cecile naturally joined our group.
The women led most of the conversation, while the men answered their questions. Since women generally excel more at social conversation than men, it was only natural for them to take the lead.
I, too, simply listened to the women's chatter. Occasionally, I made eye contact with the other men; when I gave an awkward smile, they responded with bitter ones of their own.
Regardless of nationality, culture, or rank, men were simply too straightforward to fully join in on women's small talk.
"By the way, what did you all think of the speech?"
Then, one woman brought up the speech. She was a woman of modest yet elegant beauty, with brown hair and blue eyes.
If I recalled correctly from the earlier conversation, she was from the Duchy of Bellua. Though small, the Duchy of Bellua was a nation that had amassed enormous wealth as a global center of trade.
Even the greedy Minerva Empire wanted to conquer it, but they left it alone for now since it was a neutral state.
"It was a magnificent speech. I especially liked the phrase 'of the elves, by the elves, for the elves' at the end. But it felt a bit..."
"You felt a sense of racial supremacy, didn't you?"
Cecile, who had been listening quietly, answered for her. The woman, who had been hesitant to speak, brightened up and nodded vigorously when Cecile gave such a direct answer.
For some reason, Cecile glanced at me once before continuing with a smile.
"I'm worried about that part as well, but the Queen mentioned it repeatedly: do not fall into pride. Pride only becomes a vice when it causes harm to others. As long as they have pride without harming others, there shouldn't be a problem."
"I see. No wonder she mentioned the Race War; there was a reason for it."
"Yes. And we'll have to see how things unfold. The Queen handled it well, but one never knows how people will act."
While the critique of the speech continued, I shifted my gaze elsewhere. I looked toward where the nobles of Albenheim were gathered.
An impromptu meeting was taking place there as well, with people huddled together. Perhaps some of them were listening to our conversation.
It wasn't impossible; Elves could use magic as naturally as breathing, much like the Demon race, so they could be eavesdropping. Furthermore, the people here weren't just ordinary nobles, but royalty or high-ranking officials.
I'm not sure if it's okay to talk about this here.
Since it was an informal gathering, nothing too important would be said, but you never knew. Slips of the tongue happened.
Fortunately, the talk was mostly about how Arwen was surprisingly young, or how she must be old since she was an Elf, and so on. Nothing beyond that was discussed.
And if someone were to mindlessly bring up something strange...
"Lady Kate. I think it's a bit rude to discuss that here. There are nobles from Albenheim over there."
"Ah...! I-I'm sorry."
Lina, who could be considered the highest-ranking person here, immediately put a stop to it. Rank truly was everything.
In any case, the impromptu meeting ended shortly thereafter. Since we had to return to the Academy tomorrow, we began to move. I wanted to explore more of Albenheim, but time was short.
More importantly...
"Achoo!"
"Still at it?"
"Sniff. Yeah..."
Cecile's allergic reaction was growing increasingly severe. During the meeting just now, she had barely spoken, only answering when asked and otherwise keeping her mouth shut.
People must have thought it odd, but seeing her sneezing and sniffing now, they quickly realized she wasn't in good condition.
I looked at her with concern and suddenly noticed something near her neck.
It wasn't just goosebumps; there were small, bumpy protrusions...
"Huh? Sister. What's that on your neck?"
"Wh-what?"
Cecile was startled by my words and touched her neck. Her expression turned to one of pure panic as she hurriedly checked her arm.
On her fair skin, hives had broken out. Seeing that, we couldn't help but widen our eyes in shock.
The mana of the World Tree was more lethal to the Demon race than we had anticipated.
"...Sir Balak!"
"Yes, Princess."
After checking her arm, Cecile called for Gartz. Gartz appeared before us silently.
I was slightly surprised by his ability to appear without a trace, but that wasn't the issue. Cecile asked him urgently.
"Do you have hives as well, Sir Balak?"
"I haven't broken out in hives yet... Achoo! My apologies. I do not have hives like you, Princess."
"Hmm..."
Hearing his answer, Cecile furrowed her brows and looked at her arm. The hives weren't widespread yet, but her skin was turning red, and the symptoms were worsening.
Hives usually improve over time, but this was a first, so I wasn't sure. It wasn't pollen or food; it was a symptom caused by 'mana.'
Cecile turned her head to look back. Her gaze was fixed precisely on the World Tree.
"...I think I understand why the demons couldn't invade Albenheim."
She muttered bitterly and covered her hives with her hand. I watched her with a worried gaze.
Sensing my look, Cecile gave her characteristic smile to ease my concern.
"Don't worry too much. The fact that Sir Balak doesn't have hives means it's because I'm too strong. The stronger a demon is, the denser their concentration of black mana."
"...Let's just get back quickly. It might get worse."
"Thanks for worrying. But I'm not as weak as you think... Achoo!!"
"..."
I slowly closed my eyes the moment Cecile sneezed. Since we were facing each other, I felt the spray hit my face vividly.
If there had been a sign, I would have turned my head, but it happened so suddenly that I had no time to dodge.
"Sniff... S-sorry. Should I wipe it off?"
"...It's fine."
It seemed that if the Demon race ever wanted to come to Yggdrasil, they would need to be thoroughly prepared.
*
It was while Isaac's group was returning home. Arwen's speech had been enough to uproot the pride deeply embedded in the hearts of the Albenheim citizens, but that didn't mean there were no dissenters.
The most prominent among them was, naturally, Arwen's opposition: the Elder Council. They were stunned by Arwen's brilliant speech, which had far exceeded their expectations.
She'd had only about a week until the national address. Whether it was natural talent or a hidden card, she had displayed unexpected oratorical skill. But more than the delivery, the content itself had delivered a massive shock to the Council.
"Dammit! To think she was hiding such ability...!"
Piren, the head of the Elder Council and a Council Member, vented his rage as he returned to Elodia. Arwen's national address had ended in a success beyond his imagination, and furthermore, the boundaries between pure-bloods and mixed-bloods were beginning to dissolve.
As someone who constantly sought to keep Arwen in check, he couldn't accept this. He knew she loved books and was eloquent, but a speech was a different matter entirely.
He didn't know what had happened in that one week, but Arwen had moved the hearts of the Albenheim people and captured their sentiment.
I thought she would fail...
Piren pressed his fingers to his furrowed brow, deep in thought. The reason he hadn't interfered with Arwen during the week of preparation was that he predicted she would prepare a mediocre speech.
Originally, his goal was to incite conflict between pure-bloods and mixed-bloods to drive out all the mixed-bloods. When Arwen first revealed that she herself was a mixed-blood, he had been grinning ear to ear internally.
But that prediction had missed the mark spectacularly, and his plans had been reduced to scrap paper. He never imagined Arwen would form a single group called 'Elves' instead of distinguishing between pure and mixed blood.
It was obvious that Arwen would now eclipse him in political standing. It was even possible that the noble families who usually supported the Elder Council might switch their allegiance to her.
"Councilman Piren!"
"Hmm?"
As Piren was brooding, someone came running in a hurry. Piren snapped out of his thoughts to see who it was.
It was Zukiri, a trusted council member and an Elf who served as an informant. She possessed the beauty typical of an Elf, but her face was currently flushed with urgency.
"What is it?"
"There is something you must see. Look at this!"
Zukiri, panting as if she had run a great distance, handed a piece of paper to Piren. Piren took it without suspicion, thinking it might be a letter.
However, the content written on the paper was enough to make Piren's eyes widen.
The words on the paper were identical to the content of Arwen's national address.
The problem was that the handwriting wasn't Arwen's. He was already familiar with her script.
"This is..."
"A maid found it while tidying the Queen's bedchamber. It seems the Queen forgot to clear it away. But..."
"The handwriting is different. This wasn't written by the Queen."
"Yes, exactly. What do you make of it?"
"Hmm..."
Piren stroked his snow-white beard, lost in thought. If used correctly, this could be used to pressure Arwen, but this alone wasn't enough.
Who, when, where, the speech, delivered to Arwen, why.
Four of the six W's were missing. Piren racked his brain as fast as he could until a sudden hypothesis struck him.
Come to think of it, the Queen was strangely reluctant to search for Xenon...
The world was full of people who could write well. But there were very few who could write something that moved the heart like this speech.
Of course, it might be a leap in logic, but considering Arwen's past behavior, it wasn't entirely strange. She had rejected all their suggestions to find Xenon, dismissing him as just an author.
But what if Xenon and Arwen shared a close relationship? Arwen had even revealed she was a mixed-blood, and mixed-bloods were raised in human society.
Furthermore, the Xenon Biography contained the tragic narrative of Kair and Elisha. A love story between an Elven Queen and a human of exceptional ability.
Even Xenon was rumored to be a sage who had seen much of the world, and people said he had poured his own experiences into the Xenon Biography. It would have been impossible to create such a story otherwise.
Piren couldn't help but be suspicious as the puzzle pieces seemed to click into place.
Arwen and Xenon shared a deep, close bond from the past. Perhaps they had been separated by the difference in their lifespans.
"...Zukiri."
"Yes, Councilman."
"Send someone to the publisher of the Xenon Biography immediately. Tell them to bring back just one letter containing a statement from Xenon."
"Pardon? Why would you..."
In response to the puzzled Zukiri, Piren curled one side of his mouth into a smirk.
"Because I think an interesting story is about to emerge."