Chapter 175: Unexpected Situation(2)
Chapter 175: Unexpected Situation(2)
Seeing me return to the mansion, my father’s expression immediately shifted to one of visible frustration. It wasn't that he disliked me or Cecile; there was clearly something else weighing on him.
When I asked him what was wrong, he looked back and forth between Cecile and me with a troubled face before gesturing for us to follow him. Cecile and I exchanged a quick, blinking glance.
Though we had many questions, following him was the priority. Filled with doubt, we trailed behind my father.
The place we eventually arrived at was the same room where Adelia’s interview(?) had taken place. It wasn't a formal reception area, but rather a space designed for sharing opinions and engaging in deep conversation.
"You're here?"
"Yes, Mother."
My mother was already seated in the room, likely having been notified by my father in advance. Since my father had stepped out briefly before returning, I had already greeted her once.
Mother gave us her signature gentle smile and stroked her belly. Lily was growing healthy and strong, without any complications.
"Sit down, both of you. Princess, please take a seat next to Isaac."
"You can speak comfortably with me. After all, you're my father-in-law now, aren't you?"
"... ..."
When Cecile smiled brightly and used the term 'father-in-law,' my father shot me a complicated look. Since the matter was already settled, I saw no reason to deny it and simply shrugged.
My father let out a short chuckle at my shrug and sat down beside my mother. Cecile and I took our seats opposite them, waiting to hear what was on their minds.
I hoped it wasn't anything too serious, but given the oracle Mora had delivered, it likely wasn't good news. Furthermore, my father had been openly distressed from the moment he saw us.
Was it something deeply related to me, or something involving the family? Either way, the fact that it was 'troublesome' remained the same.
"Sigh... Didn't you say you were going to stay in Helium for the rest of the break?"
My father asked in a heavy voice, letting out another sigh. Whatever he was thinking, it seemed he hadn't expected Cecile and me to return so soon.
As he said, the original plan was to stay in Helium, but I had changed my mind after hearing Mora’s oracle. Since I had the perfect excuse of wanting to see my parents' faces, Cecile had happily tagged along.
Feeling a bit sheepish for no reason, I answered quietly.
"Staying only in Helium felt... well, you know. I should at least come by to see your faces."
"That’s true, but... of all times, it had to be now..."
"...Is something the matter?"
I had rarely seen my father look so distressed, clutching his head in his hands. I’d seen him get headaches over the recent explosion in his workload, but this felt different.
My father pondered my question for a moment before nodding slowly. It seemed he had reached a decision.
"When do you plan on heading back to Helium?"
He didn't miss the chance to probe, just in case. I maintained a calm demeanor as I spoke.
"I was thinking of staying for two or three days. There are still about fifteen days left of the break."
"And if I told you to go back immediately?"
"If it’s something that concerns me, I won't go."
Did he realize I wouldn't be swayed after hearing my unwavering answer? My father gave a small, helpless laugh and nodded.
He looked at my mother, who was carrying Lily, with eyes full of warmth and worry, before turning his gaze back to me. His golden eyes flashed with a fierce light.
"Since I've already made it obvious, there's no point in hiding it. As you’ve likely guessed, this is a matter deeply related to you. I heard the news from the contact who delivers your manuscripts."
"Wait, has he been caught?"
It was Cecile, not me, who asked the question. My father met her eyes and gave a heavy nod.
"Yes... I mean, that’s right. Fortunately, he hasn't been fully exposed. My ally noticed he was being tailed and took a long, winding route to get here. However, they will reach this place eventually."
Since Cecile had told him he could speak comfortably, my father immediately dropped the formal honorifics. Cecile didn't seem to mind at all.
"I’ve heard much of your prowess even in Helium, 'Red Lion.' Since you called him an ally, is he someone of comparable skill to you?"
"He’s a comrade I shared life and death with on the border. He was always in charge of intelligence and scouting, so he’s skilled in these matters. He’s helping me deliver the manuscripts because I once saved his life."
"But for someone like that to be tailed... could it be?"
"It could only be the Elves. And highly skilled ones at that."
Elves again. I did my best to suppress the scowl forming on my face.
Last time, a Dark Elf had trespassed into our mansion, and now it was the Elves. I couldn't understand why they were all causing trouble like this.
While there were normal Elves like Arwen and Keir, seeing how often they caused incidents made me think it was a racial trait.
"This is a letter sent by the publisher. He tried to be discreet by sending it from his home, but since he’s just a civilian, he was eventually caught."
"Hmm..."
I took the neatly folded letter from my father and slowly opened it. I made sure to hold it so Cecile could read it as well.
The contents were roughly as follows: after Arwen’s speech, the Elves who had come looking for my letter had returned. And unlike last time, they were relentlessly hounding him to find me.
I had heard about the Elves who visited the publisher. According to Arwen, they belonged to one of the prestigious families in the Senate. I heard they were close associates of the leader, 'Piren.'
The Senate was a political body, so it wasn't strange for prestigious families to be part of it. This meant there was a very high probability they were elitist old fogies.
"I don't know which faction they belong to, but they are certainly arrogant Elves. I can guarantee that."
"On what grounds?"
"Because if they weren't, they wouldn't have done this in the first place. These are the same people who were demanding the letters be handed over."
Coming from my father, who had encountered Elven scouts on the border, the statement carried immense weight. Moreover, having befriended several Elves myself, the words hit home.
However, that wasn't a fundamental solution. I thought for a moment before asking in a cautious tone.
"So, what do we do now? It won't take long for them to find this mansion."
"Two scenarios will likely unfold. First, the Elves visit this mansion 'officially.' If that happens, we can just talk our way through and send them back. But since they’ve realized the trail ends here, they’ll try something else."
My father paused for a moment before explaining the next scenario.
"And the second is trespassing into the mansion."
"Elves committing trespass?"
They weren't Dark Elves. During the Race War, the Elves were a race that refused even assassination, calling it a foul tactic.
It was hard for me to understand why such a race would resort to trespassing.
"Of course, they won't charge in openly. The idea that Elves don't resort to dirty tricks is something that only applied during the Race War. They’ll likely use magic to hide themselves and infiltrate. Whether it’s an order or for the 'greater good,' they’re quite capable of self-justification."
"Is the mansion’s security magic not enough?"
"Those Elves aren't fools; they’ll be able to neutralize standard security magic easily."
"In the end, both situations lead to the same result."
"Essentially, yes."
One way or another, it didn't seem like those Elves would back down easily. My father had sensed this and intended to take preemptive measures. However, our unexpected return seemed to have complicated the situation.
I pondered the increasingly complex situation before tossing a question to my father.
"What do those Elves hope to gain from this?"
"They must be doing this because there's something to gain. Haven't there been rumors recently about censoring your books within Albenheim? Furthermore, your books have brought the social issue of mixed-bloods to the surface. The Queen managed to settle it for now, but more incidents like that could happen. Right now, the existence of Dark Elves is also slowly coming to light. The same goes for the forbidden magic of fusion. From Albenheim's perspective, there are more than enough reasons to find you."
"... ..."
"You’ve likely heard that the Queen and the Senate are in opposition within Albenheim. The Queen is open-minded enough to pursue an open-door policy, but the Senate stands on the opposite side. Elves don't usually act on their own, so they must have received orders from one of the two. I’m betting on the Senate."
I already knew this, so I wasn't particularly surprised. The point was how to overcome this situation.
Before long, the Elves dispatched by the Senate would enter our mansion. As seen in Rain’s case, there was a very high probability they would enter my room to check for manuscripts.
But I couldn't just move the manuscripts elsewhere. If they discovered this mansion was the source of the letters, they weren't stupid enough to miss the connection.
"If we weren't here, how were you planning to handle it, Father?"
"I was planning to move all the manuscripts and letters and just hold out. If there’s no evidence, they’d have to leave eventually, however reluctantly."
"But Father-in-law, that’s only a temporary fix. There’s no guarantee they won't come back, so we’d be caught eventually."
Cecile pointed out the flaw in my father’s plan with a firm voice. As she said, the Elves could use magic to search this mansion thoroughly at any time.
We might hold out for now, but it wasn't a fundamental solution. To solve this completely, we had to deal with them.
"I know that. But since I don't even know where they came from, my options are limited. Based on the letter from the publisher, they’re likely nobles, but Elven nobles carry a different weight than human nobles. Above all, there’s a high risk of Isaac’s identity being exposed."
"Would it really matter if it was exposed? He has me and Mari. And Isaac is currently being treated as a Saint by the Church of Luminous. If they touch Isaac, the Savior won't just sit idly by."
"That’s true... but revealing his identity in the current situation would be difficult for Isaac. People are calling him a prophet or a person from the future, and he’s being watched because he possesses dangerous knowledge. It’s best to reveal it when that sentiment has died down at least a little."
"Hmm..."
While my father and Cecile were debating, I was lost in thought. If I played this right, I could wipe out not only those Elves but also the cancerous Senate in one fell swoop.
Explaining the circumstances of the incident wouldn't be a big problem either. As seen in Arwen’s speech, her oratorical skills were exceptional. I just had to shift the direction slightly toward 'agitation.'
I knew that public opinion toward Arwen was currently very positive. She had redefined the identity of 'Elf' without distinguishing between pure-bloods and mixed-bloods, and she had instilled pride, not arrogance, in the hearts of her people.
And what if I added the prestige of 'Xenon' to that? To the Elves, Xenon, who saved the World Tree from pollution, was a hero. The World Tree was a gift from the gods, after all.
If I combined these two appropriately, I could make even a lie seem like the truth. Of course, it shouldn't be entirely false; it had to be a proper mix.
I blinked as I pondered, my gaze falling on my right hand resting on my thigh. At that moment, an interesting plan occurred to me, and a slight smile played on my lips.
I felt like I finally understood the meaning of a hyena walking into a lion’s maw of its own accord.
"Father. I have a good plan. Would you like to hear it?"
"You have a plan?"
"Yes. If it works, I can keep my identity hidden and take down the Elves and everyone involved all at once. Before that... Noona."
"Yes, Isaac."
"Is there a magic that can plant suggestions or manipulate memories?"
Since Cecile was destined to be the next Demon King, her magical prowess must be extraordinary. When it came to magic, I could trust her completely.
Cecile looked puzzled for a moment at my question, then nodded and gave a positive answer.
"There is. But Elves naturally have high magic resistance, so I don't know if it will work. If there’s a priest among them, it’s practically useless."
"I see. Then what about planting an explosion spell inside their ears?"
"...Just what kind of plan involves planting explosion spells in someone's ears?"
Cecile asked back, looking at me with an absurd expression. Well, it was a bit out of the blue.
I shook my head, signaling it wasn't quite that extreme.
"I’m not actually going to use an explosion spell; it’s for intimidation. Anyway, is it possible?"
"It’s possible."
"Then that’s enough. Oh, what about location tracking magic?"
"As long as they don't leave the range, that’s possible too."
Magic truly was something else. It made things possible that were only achievable through science and technology in my previous life.
Meanwhile, my father, who seemed to have guessed what I was thinking after listening to our conversation, spoke up with a worried voice.
"Isaac. I think I have an idea of what you’re planning. But Elves are not opponents to be taken lightly. The spells you mentioned could easily be discovered with a simple investigation..."
"Do you think those people know Cecile Noona is here? Even if they’ve heard of your prowess, Father, they’ll at least know you can't use magic."
"Hmm... That’s true, but in Albenheim..."
"Ah. You don't have to worry about that either. I have an ally."
"What do you mean by that?"
My father’s eyes widened at the mention of an ally. My mother, sitting beside him, also looked quite surprised.
Understandably, having a political ally within Albenheim was a bewildering prospect. I had only been to Albenheim once, after all.
I debated how much to reveal before glancing at Cecile. She gave me a beaming smile, as if telling me to do as I pleased.
Gaining confidence from that, I began to slowly explain the 'ally' I had in Albenheim. I started with the theft of the manuscript.
My parents remained calm through the manuscript theft, but their expressions shifted in real-time as they heard about Rain’s trespassing incident during the exhibition. Their faces turned to pure shock when I mentioned that Arwen had apologized to me because of it.
"...So, I actually wrote the speech and sent it to the Queen. We’ve been in contact ever since."
"...Haha."
"T-That’s incredible."
When I finished explaining the speech, my father’s reaction went beyond flustered to outright bewildered, while my mother looked stunned. Honestly, those were the natural reactions.
The ally I mentioned was none other than the Queen of Albenheim, and that Queen had even knelt to apologize to me. Furthermore, we had maintained a connection ever since.
Without the context, it would sound like nonsense, but since the theft of Rain’s manuscript had actually happened, they had no choice but to believe it.
"The Queen told me that the Elves who came to the publisher are close associates of the Senate leader. As you know, Father, the Senate, unlike the Queen, adheres to pure-bloodism and excludes other races. They made the worst mistakes during the Race War."
"So you’re saying it doesn't matter if they disappear. But Isaac, if the Senate were to vanish, it would cause massive social upheaval in Albenheim. And since there are factions that support the Senate, they won't crumble so easily. They might even stage a desperate coup d'état."
"I don't know about that, Father. I think differently."
I grinned at my father’s concern.
As my father looked at me with a questioning expression, I showed him my right hand and spoke confidently.
"If news spread that my right hand had been crushed, would the commotion be limited to Albenheim?"
*
"By the way, Isaac. Why did your hair suddenly get so long?"
"Ah, this... there’s a bit of a story."
"It really suits you. You should keep it that way from now on. Understood?"
"...Yes."