Chapter 144: Writing Again(2)
Chapter 144: Writing Again(2)
A villain must be compelling. This is a rule that applies not only to novels but to all forms of media.
If a villain is mediocre or plain, the reader feels little catharsis when the protagonist defeats them; more often than not, they simply take the victory for granted. Pathetic, petty villains usually fall into this category.
On the other hand, a compelling villain leaves a lasting impression even after their defeat, inviting evaluation from various perspectives. Readers wonder why the villain had to act that way and what drove them to cross the point of no return.
They consider the convictions the villain held, and so on. Popularity skyrockets especially when a villain serves as a perfect antithesis to the protagonist.
Even in my previous life, among the countless villains, there were those worthy of being recorded in history. Characters like Darth Vader from Star Wars, the Joker from The Dark Knight, or Arthas, the King of Filial Impiety, who is still talked about in the gaming world.
A villain must be just as charming and three-dimensional as the protagonist. This is especially true for villains with significant roles, like the Seven Deadly Sins.
If their backstories are mentioned in the novel and the readers find them convincing, then the character can be considered a success.
'Organizing them one by one is a chore in itself.'
Now that the Seven Deadly Sins had begun to reveal themselves in earnest, even just establishing their settings was a task. Since I could take my time with Volume 13, I planned to write the backstories of the Seven Deadly Sins first.
To summarize the races belonging to the Seven Deadly Sins: Pride is an Elf, Gluttony is a Devil, Lust is a Demon, Envy is a Human, Wrath is a Beastkin, Greed is a Dwarf, and finally, Sloth is a type of fragment.
Aside from Sloth, which is an artificial construct, they all share the commonality of having miserable pasts. To flesh this out, I’d need to drop mentions of it here and there, though writing them as side stories wouldn't be a bad idea either.
'First up is Lilith, who will be the first to be defeated...'
To prevent the protagonist's party from returning to Elvenheim, Lilith, the Sin of Lust, makes her appearance. Modeled after Cecile, she is a succubus who utilizes both swordsmanship and magic.
Possessing a sensual and decadent beauty, every one of her actions oozes an allure that tempts both men and women alike. However, true to her nature as a Demon, she carries a tragic past.
She once loved a human man, and that man loved her sincerely in return. But because the perception of Demons was at rock bottom, she lost him right before her eyes.
Afterward, like many Demons, she was unable to contain her rage and sorrow, eventually turning into a Devil.
Uniquely, however, she did not lose her reason. She carried out her revenge with a cold hatred, which caught Diabolus's eye and led to her being appointed as the Sin of Lust.
The reason she didn't lose her sanity was that, like Jin, she was a first-generation Demon—a half-blood of Devil and Human.
'She’s actually quite the devoted woman.'
I had already planned out how each member of the Seven Deadly Sins would retire. Lilith falls while calling out the name of the man she loved until the very moment of her death.
The very reason she became a Devil and struggled so hard to survive was simply to remember the man she loved for just a little longer—a truly pitiful and solemn reason.
'I hope this doesn't make people think the entire Demon race is just a bunch of hopeless romantics.'
It wasn't an exaggeration to say that the public perception of Demons was currently skyrocketing. With the release of Volume 12, news was trickling in that the number of people entering romantic relationships with Demons was increasing by the day.
Demons were also breaking away from the "Devil" stigma, gradually expanding their areas of activity and gaining diverse experiences. Of course, as seen in the immigration incident at Albenheim, minor discrimination still existed.
However, even that was now being clearly recognized as racial discrimination.
"Nnnngh...!"
I stretched after finishing the settings for the Seven Deadly Sins. Having sat at the desk for a long time, I heard a rhythmic cracking of bones.
I was writing Lilith's combat scenes using Cecile's fighting style as a reference, but that was for when they would face her in earnest, not in Volume 13. In Volume 13, she would engage them moderately with magic before departing.
Xenon's party was helpless against Lilith for a simple reason: Lilith had wings, and they didn't.
The difference in advantage between someone fighting from the air like the Air Force, raining down magic, and someone fighting on the ground like a grunt is astronomical. You can see it in how even the most formidable tank can be miserably destroyed by a single helicopter.
'The real problem is after the invasion of Elvenheim...'
I leaned back against the chair and looked up at the ceiling. As the name suggested, Elvenheim was the Albenheim within Xenon's Life. I had simply changed the words slightly so anyone could recognize it.
Furthermore, Elvenheim is not only invaded by Devils, but even the World Tree is seized. As evidenced by Cecile's allergic reaction, the mana emanating from the World Tree is fatal to Devils, but Lucifer, the Sin of Pride, nullifies that.
If you ask how, let's just move past it. I don't know either.
However, there is a mention that while the Elves were caught off guard by their own soaring arrogance, Lucifer temporarily polluted the 'roots' of the World Tree.
Whether that's actually possible, I don't know, and neither would the Senate or Queen Arwen. I must emphasize again: a novel is just a novel, and it's unlikely to be applicable in reality.
Though my novel is a bit of a unique case.
'Will it actually get censored?'
The Senate was determined to censor it, and honestly, the story was ripe for it.
Even if it was just a novel, Elvenheim gets occupied by Devils, and even the World Tree is reduced to mere nourishment for the resurrection of a Great Devil.
For Elves, who take pride in being chosen by the Gods, this was a story they could never, ever tolerate. There is nothing more uncomfortable than having the blessings and gifts of the Gods ruthlessly snatched away by Devils.
But if you think about it, it also serves as a warning. A long peace is enough to dull even the sharpest of blades.
'I'll ask Arwen about that later.'
The most important part comes after that. Following the story of conflict, cooperation, and eventual harmony between the Elf hero and the Dark Elf hero, the Beastkin finally make their appearance.
In reality, as in the novel, the relationship between Humans and Beastkin is nothing more and nothing less than a mutual growl.
Because of this, they clash in many ways, but as they subjugate the Devils, they gradually resolve their differences and eventually become friends. That's the story.
The problem is that I know almost nothing about Beastkin. I know their origins through various papers and history books in Elena's laboratory, but that's it.
It has only been 300 years since the Beastkin founded their civilization, Animus, and there are still Beastkin living in tribes scattered about. Books and papers are severely lacking in information.
'Do I really have to ask Leona?'
Given that she's enrolled in the Academy, Leona must have an extraordinary status. It's almost certain, considering she mentioned before that she wasn't some mere cat but a lion.
Technically, lions belong to the feline family, but let's let that slide. To a human like me, they're all just animals anyway.
"Hmm..."
I stared blankly at the ceiling with a pen in my mouth. The Beastkin don't appear until the end of Volume 14, and the real conflict begins in Volume 15.
That meant I had a few months of leeway, but time flies. Furthermore, for the sake of historical accuracy, I needed to seek advice not just from Leona but from others as well.
'Should I try asking?'
Leona might be taken aback, but I could just make an excuse that it's for research purposes. In return, she'll likely want something, so I planned to grant her request if possible.
Coincidentally, the next lecture is History, so I could ask her then. I glanced sideways to check the time. There was about an hour left until the History lecture.
During that time...
Rip!
I might as well call Siris. I took a summoning scroll from the desk drawer and tore it in half.
The torn scroll turned into blue particles and scattered into the air, and I waited quietly for Siris to respond.
After waiting for about ten seconds...
"You called."
Siris appeared out of thin air and spoke bluntly. She wasn't in her underwear like last time, but was neatly dressed in armor.
Of course, just because it wasn't underwear didn't mean it wasn't revealing; she was wearing what is commonly called bikini armor. Since Dark Elves specialize in ambushes rather than frontal combat, their bodies need to be light, and to ensure more effective stealth, a large area of skin must be exposed.
I squeezed my eyes shut at the Dark Elf culture I could never get used to, then slowly opened them. Although she covered the area around her mouth with a mask, it was still impossible to hide her radiant beauty.
"Have you been well? Nothing happened, right?"
"Yes."
"Do you know what Arwen has been up to lately?"
"Nothing out of the ordinary. However..."
"However?"
When I leaned in slightly, curious, Siris replied in her characteristically dry voice.
"The Queen has asked several times if it is truly alright to have no reward. Are you really okay with that?"
"I told you, it's fine. It wasn't even that difficult. Just tell her that seeing her give the speech was enough."
"Understood."
"And the reason I called you, Siris, is for a confirmation."
"A confirmation... you say?"
"Yes."
I handed the half-finished manuscript to Siris. Siris blinked her golden eyes—the same color as mine—and accepted the manuscript with a dazed expression.
She looked back and forth between the manuscript and me, seemingly unable to grasp what I wanted.
"I wrote a Dark Elf combat scene after getting some advice from you. I was curious to see what you think of it."
"Then... am I the first person to read this?"
"It's just a middle section, but technically, yes."
"Oh..."
Siris's eyes sparkled at the thought of being the first to read it. I thought she would be blunt and emotionless like Gartz, but she is surprisingly expressive.
Perhaps it was because she rarely had a reason to show emotion and didn't feel the need to, which made her personality seem stiff. I chuckled at Siris, who was shining like a child who had found a new toy.
"Hmm..."
"... ..."
I waited patiently while Siris checked the manuscript. I could see her golden eyes moving rapidly from side to side.
Honestly, I was a bit nervous. This was a combat scene for another race, and a Dark Elf one at that—a race not well known to the world. Would it be a scene that someone as skilled as her, even among Dark Elves, would find satisfactory?
One might think that since Dark Elves aren't well known to the public, it wouldn't matter if I wrote it haphazardly. However, that's precisely why accurate historical representation is needed.
If a strange stereotype were to be established, I would feel sorry for that race and would likely face criticism. So, I wanted to be as thorough as possible with the accuracy.
Flip—
"... ..."
"... ..."
"Um... Siris?"
"Yes."
"When will you be finished?"
There weren't that many Dark Elf combat scenes, yet I heard the sound of pages turning far more often than expected. I suspected she was reading the whole thing while pretending to just check the combat scenes.
At my words, Siris closed the manuscript and looked at me with her usual expressionless face. I didn't know why, but she looked somewhat disappointed.
Just as I was getting a bit tense, Siris spoke in a disappointed tone.
"There is nothing lacking in the combat scenes themselves. Especially the part where the Devil giant is defeated by first removing the Achilles tendon to break its balance and then stabbing the vital points one by one—that is excellent. It is a tactic we actually use when facing giant-type monsters."
"Thank you."
"But that is the human way, not the Dark Elf way. If we have used stealth, we throw all that away and attack the most lethal vital points, starting with the neck. Even if the giant is over five meters tall, we can reach the neck in an instant through spatial leaps. Furthermore, unless there is a Lich on the Devil's side, they have no means of detecting us."
"Ooh..."
"Keep this in mind. we value brevity over flashiness."
I marveled, my lips forming an 'O'. I was right to seek her advice.
At the same time, I began to lean toward the idea that I must seek advice from Leona as well. If these critiques were gathered, I would be able to boast a much higher level of completion.
"And..."
"Is there more?"
Sensing she had something else to say, I leaned forward slightly and waited. Siris then asked, her face clearly showing her disappointment.
"Why am I not in it?"
"Pardon?"
"You clearly said you would include me..."
"... ..."
"Will I appear in the next part?"
I looked at her with a bewildered expression and then checked Siris's ears. They were half-clipped, but still longer than a human's.
And those ears were drooping low. It seemed that even a Dark Elf couldn't control their ears.
"...You'll be in it soon."
"Is that a promise?"
"Yes."
"I shall believe you."
When I said that, Siris's ears perked up slightly, and her expression brightened a little. I could only manage a bitter smile at the sight.
Since the successor to the Dark Elf hero was scheduled to appear anyway, I could just put her there. The successor to the Elf hero was Kair, whom I had seen at the immigration inspection.
'Gartz seemed to want to be in it too, in his own way...'
Unfortunately, the Demons already had Jin, so I couldn't include him. I'd just have to tell him to be satisfied with an autograph.
"Is this all you require?"
"Hmm... if possible, please ask Arwen to send me some books related to Beastkin. I'm planning to have them appear soon."
"Understood. By the way, are you certain you do not need a separate reward? The Queen told me to mention it several times."
"I told you, it's fine."
I chuckled and waved my hand. I had already received my reward just by admiring Arwen's figure to my heart's content during her speech.
But since I couldn't say that outright, I just made something up.
"As I said before, seeing her give the speech was enough. I got to see a different side of Arwen."
"A different side..."
"I already knew she was beautiful, but she seemed even more beautiful then? Just tell her that."
"Hmm..."
Hearing my words, Siris looked at me with a strange glint in her eyes. Unlike before, it was a look that made it impossible to read her thoughts.
I tilted my head, puzzled.
"What is it?"
"It is nothing. Shall I deliver the message exactly as you said?"
"Yes."
Siris nodded at my blunt reply.
"Understood."