Chapter 264: Soft Power(1)
Chapter 264: Soft Power(1)
Cherry’s switch had flipped completely, but the exhibition wasn't over yet. There was still plenty of time until the evening, which could be called the highlight, and more importantly, I had to provide guided tours after lunch.
So, once the lunch break ended, I made a request to Cherry. I told her that since my work wasn't finished, she should just wander around here and there. Since her identity was already out in the open anyway, I told her to just relax and enjoy herself.
When I told her I’d find her after the final tour, her response was quite a sight.
"You won't abandon me, will you?"
"..."
"Please promise me you'll come find me."
Why would I abandon you? I’d hate for someone I know to end their life, and if it happened because of my actions, I’d live with the guilt for the rest of my life.
Time passed, lunch ended, and I headed to the meeting place for the afternoon tour. From the afternoon onwards, the tours for Cecile and Arwen would begin.
Of course, unlike with Hiriya, calling it a "tour" was just a formality; we’d mostly just be hanging out and chatting.
However, I couldn't afford to let my guard down. As I’d seen before, Cecile and Arwen were strangely like oil and water. They seemed indifferent to each other, yet they were subtly keeping one another in check.
Furthermore, Cecile’s perception of Arwen wasn't great due to the manuscript theft incident—especially considering the grand confrontation they’d had back at the dormitory.
Though there were many reasons to be uneasy, the fact remained that both of them loved the Xenon Biography, so I figured there wouldn't be any major trouble.
"You're here?"
"Ah! Welcome."
When I arrived at the meeting spot on time after lunch, Cecile and Arwen were already waiting, just as expected.
Cecile was wearing the same black dress from earlier that revealed half her chest, while Arwen wore a dress that highlighted her own strengths without reservation.
Specifically, a silver dress that emphasized her hips. Fitting for a queen’s attire, it wasn't plain at all, with intricate patterns drawn across the entire fabric.
It even had a slit below the hip that revealed her snow-white thigh, accentuating her sexiness. In many ways, it was a dress that looked like she’d put a lot of effort into it for this exhibition.
Cecile focused on the upper body, Arwen on the lower.
Seeing them both reveal their charms so openly felt almost majestic. From their races to their signature colors, and finally to their respective physical strengths.
How could two people be so different from head to toe? I felt a sense of wonder but did my best to maintain a composed expression.
As I approached them, the guard knights standing by their sides caught my eye.
Gartz was naturally guarding Cecile, but by Arwen’s side stood a face I knew surprisingly well.
"Oh? Is that you, Mr. Keir?"
"It has been a long time."
It was Keir, the elf I had met when I first entered Albenheim. Just as I remembered, he was a man with the handsome features typical of an elf and an impressive, friendly smile.
I couldn't forget him because of the vivid memory of him kicking the immigration officer who had refused Cecile’s entry for a ridiculous reason.
"Weren't you originally an immigration supervisor, Mr. Keir?"
"I was fired."
"..."
Hearing him say he was "fired" felt a bit odd. I stood there with a blank expression for a moment before turning to Arwen for an explanation.
Arwen also seemed quite flustered; she cleared her throat and shot a sharp glare at Keir.
At that look, Keir gave a light, joking laugh and began to explain properly.
"My apologies. It was a joke, actually. Queen Arwen appointed me as her guard knight. She thought it would be better to bring a familiar face, wouldn't it?"
"I see."
As you know, Arwen’s usual guard is the Dark Elf, Siris. However, that arrangement is more of a deal between Arwen and the Dark Elves.
I’d heard that Arwen herself is quite powerful, but a royal guard knight serves as a direct representation of their country.
Especially at an event like an exhibition where one encounters many people, being accompanied by a guard knight is essential.
"Please, take good care of our Queen."
"You don't need to worry. Please enjoy the exhibition to your heart's content as well, Mr. Keir."
"I appreciate your kindness."
Keir bowed politely according to Albenheim etiquette and stepped away. Similarly, Gartz moved off after a simple nod.
Though the two guard knights had left, they would surely be watching us from not too far away. I looked back and forth between the two women left behind.
Honestly, they’re both powerful enough not to need guards.
Cecile is a terrifyingly strong individual who needs no explanation, and while I wasn't certain about Arwen, she is deeply versed in magic and likely very strong herself.
In fact, if anything were to happen, they could probably handle it all on their own. If anything, people should be praying to them for mercy if trouble started.
"Hello, Queen Arwen. It's been a long time."
"Ah. It is you. It has indeed been a while."
Once the guards were gone, Mari was the first to greet Arwen politely. As everyone knows, Mari and Arwen had met during the Senate incident.
Arwen accepted Mari’s greeting while wearing a subtle expression. I couldn't tell exactly what she was thinking, but it was definitely peculiar.
The reason was none other than Mari’s own expression. While she wore a bright smile, her eyes told a different story.
She was quickly scanning Arwen from head to toe, as if sizing up an opponent.
It seemed she was wary of Arwen after hearing that the Queen had romantic feelings for me.
"..."
Then, Mari’s gaze came to a sudden halt—right at Arwen’s exceptionally wide hips.
She hadn't noticed it during their last meeting, but now, with Arwen in a dress, it was impossible to miss.
At this, Mari looked back and forth between Arwen’s face and her hips before offering a compliment with her usual gentle smile.
"You are truly beautiful. You possess a different kind of beauty than Princess Cecile, Queen Arwen."
"T-thank you."
Arwen seemed a bit flustered by Mari’s rather direct compliment. However, seeing her face flush and the corners of her mouth twitch, she wasn't offended—quite the opposite, in fact.
"A different kind of beauty" than Cecile was likely a reference to her lower body. It was a common euphemism used among nobles when complimenting someone's figure.
For the record, some rude nobles might say someone looks like they would "raise children well" or "give birth well," but that is undeniably sexual harassment.
I watched the two women exchange compliments and then glanced behind me. Adelia was standing there, watching blankly.
The news that Mari and Arwen already knew each other must have been new to her. Still, she didn't look completely confused.
Despite Mari’s boisterous personality, she was still the daughter of a Duke. Adelia probably just accepted it as natural.
"By the way, may I ask who the person behind you is?"
Right on cue, Arwen pointed at Adelia and asked. All eyes turned toward Adelia in the back.
Adelia let out a small "Ah," bowed politely, and responded calmly.
"I am Master Isaac's guard kni—"
She almost said "guard knight" out of habit before quickly correcting herself.
"—No, I am his exclusive maid, Adelia Cross. It is an honor to meet the Queen of Albenheim."
"An exclusive maid..."
Arwen glanced at me after hearing Adelia’s introduction. If she were just a regular maid, it would be one thing, but hearing she was an "exclusive maid"—essentially a secretary—Arwen looked surprised.
Perhaps she thought Adelia also knew my identity. An exclusive maid’s role involves assisting their master at all times while they work.
To prevent any misunderstanding, I shook my head. I’d let a few things slip here and there, but Adelia hadn't properly caught on yet.
Understanding my meaning, Arwen nodded and introduced herself just as Adelia had. She spoke in her characteristic dignified, slightly archaic tone.
"As you likely know, my name is Arwen Elodia. Though I am lacking, I am the Queen who rules over Albenheim."
At Arwen’s introduction, Adelia placed her hand over her heart and bowed politely once more.
Now that the introductions were over, all that was left was the tour. Though, rather than a tour, it was more like just viewing the exhibition.
Adelia stood behind us, and the seating arrangement... didn't matter much. Mari and Cecile were always stuck to my sides, but Arwen...
"Ooh! This is a truly magnificent statue! It looks as if it might spring to life at any moment if given mana, like a golem!"
"This painting seems to depict Kair and Elisha. I was truly saddened when Kair died."
"It looks like there is a performance over there. Would you care to accompany me?"
She was busy having fun. I wasn't just being polite; she was genuinely preoccupied with viewing the artworks and performances scattered throughout the territory.
Her royal dignity had vanished without a trace, replaced by a young girl visiting an amusement park. Her small stature made her seem even more adorable.
Part of me wanted to help her maintain her authority, but looking at Arwen’s face, it didn't seem necessary. She didn't care at all.
"She must have had a very hard time lately."
"I'll say."
Just as Cecile said, Arwen was fully expressing her desire to release all the stress she’d been under through this exhibition.
The Senate had vanished into the shadows of history, and the truths Piren had blurted out in his final struggle had clearly exhausted her.
The manuscript theft, the mixed-blood issue, the Senate, and finally, her connection with me (Xenon).
These incidents had exploded in rapid succession, and she’d had nowhere to vent her stress.
Even as the Queen of a nation, Arwen was ultimately a person with clear emotions. Seeing her bouncing around and playing didn't seem like a bad thing.
"I heard earlier that many nobles have been clinging to the Queen, trying to form a connection with her by any means necessary."
"She’s suffering even after coming all the way here."
Hearing Mari’s words made me feel truly sorry for Arwen. I felt a natural urge to serve her with the utmost sincerity.
Munch, munch, munch.
"Is it delicious?"
"Of course it is!"
Seeing Arwen looking so happy with her mouth full of lamb skewers brought a natural smile to my face. I barely managed to suppress the urge to pat her head.
I wanted to ask her friendly questions, like where Siris was or if things had been difficult, but with Adelia right behind me, it was awkward to do so.
Instead, I decided to ask indirectly. Once Arwen had finished her skewers and looked satisfied, I posed a question.
"Your Majesty. May I ask you one thing?"
"I shall answer any question of yours."
"As Your Majesty knows, Xenon’s efficiency in his work increased significantly after receiving the Gift of the Demon Tribe. I find myself curious about what kind of gift the Elves, who hate losing to the Demons, might offer."
Flinch—
Arwen flinched visibly at my question. At the same time, Cecile and Mari turned to look at her with curious expressions.
As everyone knows, Elves hate losing to Demons. From their very origins, they are races that stand at opposite poles.
So, just as the Demons had, the Elves would surely give me a gift. Especially since Arwen is publicly known to have a connection with Xenon, she would likely know what that gift was.
However, Arwen’s reaction was a bit unusual. She hesitated, and her pale face rapidly turned bright red.
On top of that, she seemed to be struggling to meet my eyes. I became even more curious about what the gift could be.
"T-that... it is embarrassing to speak of right now."
"Embarrassing?"
"Y-yes. But know this: we shall gift you Albenheim itself. This is certain, and it is desired not only by me but by all the people of Albenheim."
Albenheim itself... I felt puzzled by Arwen’s answer.
It was such an abstract explanation that nothing specific came to mind. However, seeing Arwen so embarrassed, it must be deeply related to her...
...Wait.
A flash of insight struck my brain like lightning! If Elven Communism permeated all of Albenheim, it was a perfectly plausible story.
The Elven trait of hating to lose to Demons, their deep sense of community, and Arwen’s reaction—clutching her chest in shame.
If you put all these together, there was one predictable 'repayment.' I just couldn't say it out loud because Adelia was behind me.
As soon as that thought occurred, I immediately checked the reactions of the others. Adelia wouldn't suspect anything, so I only had to check Mari and Cecile.
First, Mari.
"...That sounds like a truly surprising gift."
As expected, she seemed to have caught on, looking utterly incredulous. Furthermore, the grip she had on my arm tightened significantly.
Welp. I can practically hear the sound of my life going down the drain from here. Next, I checked Cecile.
"..."
Surprisingly, Cecile was smiling broadly, as if she had no particular thoughts. But I knew.
She was definitely talking to Arwen via telepathy. I could infer this from the way Arwen flinched intermittently.
Crucially, Cecile was looking at me with her eyes narrowed into crescents. Her nodding suggested that, whatever conversation had taken place, she had accepted it.
One thing was for certain.
I'm screwed.
I was already screwed, but now I was even more screwed. To think that writing a single story could lead to such a result—in a way, my life was quite remarkable.
Just as I was laughing hollowly with a sense of resignation, someone spoke up in the awkward atmosphere.
"Oh, by the way, Your Majesty."
"Yes?"
"You'll be watching the performance this evening as well, won't you?"
It was Cecile. She clapped her hands to draw attention while asking Arwen.
Arwen, whose ears and face were still red, blinked her silver-gray eyes and answered quietly.
"Of course. I could never miss a collaboration between the Matrix Theater Troupe and the Lirus Orchestra."
"Are there any artists like Director Skal in Albenheim? Artists who use magic for their performances."
"...There are none. Even if there were, no Elf would use magic for a mere performance."
"I see."
Cecile nodded at Arwen’s answer and continued in a confident voice.
"Perhaps, based on this exhibition, our Helium’s cultural power might far surpass Albenheim’s."
"What?"
At the blatant provocation, Arwen’s gaze hardened slightly. For Albenheim, culture was one of their undeniable strengths.
Even if the Kingdom of Ters was a cultural powerhouse, the starting point of that culture had been Albenheim. Naturally, she couldn't be pleased.
Mari and I watched their spat with curious faces.
I’d heard it at the mansion, but Cecile had proudly stated that they had established a 'project' for this exhibition at the national level.
The Matrix Theater Troupe was at the center of that project, and they had poured full support into Director Skal.
I had been inwardly curious about what it was, and it seemed she was going to reveal it indirectly while provoking Arwen.
Thinking about it again, Cecile really did seem to have a strange sense of rivalry toward Arwen.
"Just imagine it. Instead of showing a stage in real-time like a play, selecting only the most wonderful and magnificent scenes to show. And vividly showing people events occurring in various terrains, transcending the environmental limitations of a stage. Do you truly believe such a thing is possible?"
"..."
Yes. It’s possible. I saw it countless times in my past life.
I listened to Cecile’s elegant explanation and wondered if it was what I suspected.
Meanwhile, Cecile placed her hand over her ample chest and continued with an air of confidence.
"We in Helium have made that possible. By combining the 'culture' and 'magic' we have cultivated, we have created yet another form of culture. We intend to show it through this exhibition."
Finally, she made her declaration, punctuating it like a period.
"We plan to deliver another 'gift' to Xenon."
Cecile’s words were the will of Helium. In essence, it was as if Helium itself were speaking.
They were going to demonstrate a level of cultural power one step above Albenheim’s. Naturally, Albenheim wouldn't take this kindly.
Arwen responded with a crooked smile.
"I look forward to it."