If we were to name the most perfect race in this world, anyone would name the “Elf”.
It starts with their looks that are insufficiently described as beautiful, their innate superiority in physique, and even the magical abilities that they can use as naturally as breathing thanks to the blessings of the gods.
Through a lifespan that far surpasses that of other races, each member possesses remarkable intellectual abilities. As they highly regard “tradition” and “history” more than other races, they inevitably possess a wealth of knowledge in their heads.
However, no matter how close to perfection an elf may be, they carry great flaws in many ways. Valuing tradition and history means disliking change, in other words.
Moreover, each individual elf who has lived for over 500 years tends to have stronger stubbornness than others. The reason is simple.
There were no problems living like this so far. Being an elf and not interacting with any other species naturally results in a fixed way of thinking.
[The most fitting race for Pride. However, paradoxically, they possess the ability that best fits Pride.]
[They boast about themselves as the descendants of gods, but they are ultimately mere mortals.]
[Someday that arrogance will become a sword and pierce their own necks.]
For these reasons, elves do not receive good evaluations from other species. Especially among them, humans are the ones who give the harshest evaluations to elves, and even the species they are on the worst terms with are humans.
Many people may think that dwarves hate elves the most, but surprisingly, that is not the case.
Dwarves treat elves as talkative old farts, and elves think of dwarves as a noisy species, at least “equal” to themselves.
But humans are not the same. Other species also view humans as a species without any outstanding strengths. However, elves have a strong tendency to look down on them.
If even ogres hate humans, then elves treat humans like monkeys. As near-perfect elves, they do not feel the need to consider humans, who have almost no remarkable qualities, as equals.
However, as the world evaluates them, their arrogance will imprison them. After the “racial war” broke out, the elves realized too late that they were wrong.
[Human beings can never understand elves, and elves will never be able to understand humans. This is because the two races are completely opposed to each other.]
[Humans desire progress because they have nothing, while elves, who had everything from the beginning, are content with their reality. How can these two races, running parallel to each other, coexist in the same world?]
During the racial war, the elves faced a serious internal division when a major crisis struck, while humans, on the contrary, united their strength internally and achieved a dazzling growth.
Of course, there were various political rumors and speeches among humans, but at least they did not go so far as to self-destruct like the elves did.
In fact, every mistake the elves made resulted in significant losses. They were too complacent to believe that they didn’t need to fight with full force and as a result, they allowed strategic key points to be easily occupied.
They also suffered significant losses when they rushed into traps, thinking they could overcome anything with their own power, or when they fought against humans for no reason.
Furthermore, during the war, the elves even committed atrocities such as imprisoning warriors who had accumulated brilliant achievements, simply because they violated ‘laws.’ As expected, humans took advantage of the absence of these warriors and launched fierce attacks.
Thanks to this, humans were in a favorable position even during the ceasefire, but the elves were completely the opposite. The news of their defeat to humans, whom they had always ignored, was enough to confuse them greatly.
Fortunately, they realized their mistakes on their own. And if they recognize their mistakes, then change is naturally something that must happen.
-Old laws are no longer necessary. The world has changed.
-We must make our own laws, not laws that God has decreed.
After the Race War, the first thing the elves did was to completely overhaul their upper echelons through a generational shift.
In Alvenheim, each race was ruled by elders elected to a political institution called the Council of Elders.
However, after the generational shift, the system changed: the highest authority figure, the king, was established above the council.
However, many restrictions were put in place to prevent the king from acting recklessly in times of crisis like the Council of Elders had done in the past. The laws were also revised so that the king would not have absolute power over them.
But did this mean that the Council of Elders, which had ruled Alvenheim for so long, disappeared completely? Not at all. Although they had almost led the country to defeat during the Race War, it was a fact that Alvenheim could not have existed without them.
There was significant opposition from the established generation, many of whom were still part of the council.
This caused such intense division that it almost led to a major crisis, but fortunately it was resolved before it could escalate. From then on, the plan was to create a king while keeping the Council of Elders intact.
As a result, Alvenheim began to be ruled by both the council and the king, with each serving as a check on the other. The problem was that while the king was open-minded, the council still clung to outdated laws.
Therefore, even though Alvenheim now embodies the epitome of generational change, it is not an exaggeration to say that it is currently in a state of flux.
Compared to humans who have short lifespans and frequently undergo generational shifts, the elves’ long lifespans are a clear advantage.
However, it is also a significant disadvantage, as they carry the risk of becoming like stagnant water, ultimately turning into fossils.
Fortunately, the Elder Council realized their mistake and, up until now, only minor incidents have occurred without causing any significant problems. Even when Alvenheim began to engage in active exchanges with other countries after the Race War, they did not refuse, although they may not have been entirely pleased.
Thus, about 500 years have passed since the Race War. Both humans and elves had been healing from the scars of the war, as time passed.
[Xenon’s Biography, which had always caused a great stir whenever it appeared. This time, a love story between the Elf Queen and a human?]
[It’s a story that is certainly impossible, but since it’s a novel, it’s intriguing. However, there’s a notice of a hiatus…]
[Breaking News! The manuscript for Xenon’s Biography has been stolen! The investigation revealed that either an elf and a beastmen are the suspects…]
Until another work that begins to create another rift within Alvenheim appears.
******
Yggdrasil.
The city where the first “civilization” was established and the capital of Alvenheim, where all knowledge of this world exists.
It is a city that every scholar must visit before they die, as it contains valuable resources both historically and culturally. In particular, the divine tree, “World Tree,” which was directly managed by the gods, can be considered the embodiment of history.
Although the World Tree and Yggdrasil have the same meaning, they are spoken of differently to distinguish between the two.
Anyway, according to mythology, the World Tree was the driving force that allowed the first civilization to begin, and it is said that the gods directly educated the elves. Following this mythology, the elves have also established higher education institutions within Yggdrasil to foster talented individuals.
Additionally, the World Tree is also used as a temple. According to the records in mythology, it is an obvious phenomenon.
Then where are the political institutions located? They are located right in front of the world tree, as gods cannot directly involve themselves in politics within the world tree that they have raised themselves.
The name of the institution established to rule over Alvenheim is ‘Erodia.’ If the world tree is the most beautiful place politically in Alvenheim, Erodia is the most politically messy place.
“Your Majesty, please reconsider. We cannot endure such humiliation any longer.”
One elf pleaded earnestly to someone, bowing respectfully. From the elderly elf’s wrinkled and weathered voice, it was clear that he was considerably aged, even for an elf, who tends to age slower than other races.
Beside the elf stood two others, a male and a female, of similar age but younger than the elderly elf. They appeared to be in their middle age, with their inherent beauty still intact.
The one thing they all had in common was the expression of dissatisfaction on their faces, directed at one person.
“I have already said that I am fine. I do not understand why you are saying these things to me.”
A voice that was both pure and full of compassion echoed throughout the space. The elderly elf slowly raised his head, which he had bowed before.
One elf sitting on a high throne looked down haughtily. She had an appearance that was both kind and stern, with her silver-gray hair and eyes that were the same color, which exuded a sense of mystery.
Additionally, her appearance, with his skin as white as ivory, made him appear girlish.
Her name is Arwen Elydia, who stands out with her beauty more than any other elf. She has been the queen of the Elves who ruled over Rivendell for a hundred years and is currently in conflict with the “Council of Elders.”
“Your Majesty, this is not only an insult to you, but also a mockery of our Elves. Why should our Elves endure such humiliation?”
An elderly elf, presumably the leader, protested fiercely. The elves standing on either side of him nodded in agreement, exchanging a word or two.
“We feel the same way. The fact that they designated the highest-ranking demon’s subordinate as an Elf was not enough. They also insulted us by calling us ‘arrogant.’ “
“Even if it’s just a novel, we can’t sit idly by as this book spreads around the world. Above all, they even touched on the queen. I can’t understand the love between humans and our queen.”
The topic of their protest to Arwen is about the widely-spread novel, Xenon’s Biography. As it became popular worldwide, the Elves couldn’t avoid encountering it naturally.
At first, they read it with pleasure, simply finding it entertaining. However, after the appearance of the “Seven Deadly Sins,” the atmosphere began to change, and it became more talkative in the latest volume.
Strictly speaking, the established generation, including the Council of Elders, showed a strong reaction, but others did not pay much attention to it. Instead, the younger generation who had thoroughly studied history watched it with interest from various perspectives.
The elves were bitter about the title of “pride”, and the story of love between the elf queen and a human was filled with anticipation and anxiety.
But the Council of Elders was different. They expressed their anger at a level of rage, saying that they were insulting the elf race itself.
“Haa…”
As Arwen let out a deep sigh, the council of elders who had been strongly objecting fell silent. As those who had watched over Arwen for hundreds of years, they had no choice but to quiet down.
Because everyone knew that if Arwen had sighed in front of them, it meant that she was angry. In fact, her beautiful features were slightly wrinkled in displeasure, revealing her frustration.
Then, Arwen looked at the council of elders with her silver-grey eyes, one by one. They still had faces full of complaints.
“…Is it really worth getting so upset over a single book?”
Arwen retorted to the council with a voice filled with bitterness. There was no trace of her kindness, only her coldness remained.
“And what have you learned from history? Haven’t you experienced shame in the racial war because of your arrogance? It’s really amusing that you try to deny history.”
As she threw out the solid fact, the expression of the council of elders was mercilessly crumpled. For them, the racial war was even more shameful than anything else.
In other words, Arwen did not just curse at them in front of their faces, but she had said something that was even more severe than that. The council of elders were angry, but they had nothing to say.
However, the council of elders were not to be underestimated either. They knew very well that if they got angry here, they would only provide an excuse.
“…That’s right. Your Majesty. Please consider the worldwide influence of Xenon’s Biography. Just changing the perception of the demons is a significant achievement. If we continue like this, the way people view us elves may change as well.”
“I agree. No one knows what will happen if the author makes a negative portrayal of us.”
So, maintaining her composure, she expressed her thoughts in a calm and steady manner. Though her words were measured, her message was clear.
She requested that the search for the author of Xenon’s Biography be officially authorized. If given permission, they would handle it themselves.
“… …”
Arwen narrowed her eyes slightly as she looked at the Council. She was so frustrated with their obvious motives that she couldn’t believe it.
Anyone could imagine what would happen if they were to search for the author. They would either threaten or go so far as to deny any negative portrayal of the elves.
The Elves boasted of being a chosen race of the gods, but the Council was extreme in their views. Essentially, they were filled with superiority.
Normally, the Council’s control was enough to keep anyone from becoming ill-tempered, but Arwen was different. She had one reason why she could hold the queen’s throne for over a hundred years.
“Oh. Are you afraid of a mere book or something? That’s really interesting. You claim to be a race chosen by the gods, yet you’re afraid of a book written by a mere human. How ridiculous.”
“… …”
“If it’s really that scary, why don’t you write a book yourself? I don’t understand why you’re objecting to me when you can write a more interesting book than Xenon’s Biography.”
It was because of her exceptional ability to refute the other’s words. Until now, the Kings of Alvenheim had not been able to withstand the Council’s constraints, but Arwen’s story was different.
She possessed the political talent to easily brush off the attacks of the Council, and even counterattack if necessary. She also had the mental strength to withstand countless pressures.
From the perspective of the Elder Council, it was natural for Arwen to be seen as a thorn in their side. They tried to find a weakness, but couldn’t find an opportunity to exploit.
“I understand your thoughts well. But for now, it’s not a good time. The author is currently on a break, and if we approach them unnecessarily, it will only make things worse for us.”
“When do we need to worry about what others think of us? We are Elves chosen by the gods.”
“That’s right. Although we made a big mistake during the racial war, it was our mistake, not because humans were superior.”
The Elder Council showed no sign of backing down. Arwen could only frown in response to their appeal.
They believed that they made mistakes during the racial war, and refused to admit that humans were superior. Of course, it was true that humans could gain an advantage because the Elves had destroyed themselves. But that didn’t mean that humans should be underestimated.
Arwen forcefully suppressed the urge to sigh at the behavior of the Elder Council, which demonstrated the characteristics of being a stickler. Engaging in such a futile debate was not good for herself.
“Enough! Are you planning to waste your precious time with those books forever? You also have a lot of work to do, don’t you?”
“But, Lady Arwen…”
“That’s enough. Please leave now. I also have a lot to think about.”
When the queen’s anger exploded, even the councilors had no choice but to back down. If they pushed any further, it could have resulted in a backlash.
An elderly elf who was the representative figure politely bowed his head and greeted her.
“I understand. Please listen to our words.”
“You don’t have to worry about that. I wasn’t ignoring you either.”
“Thank you. Then we will take our leave now.”
After the long and arduous fight was over, the councilors moved outside the hall. Until the very moment they left, they did not forget to send Arwen a fierce look.
“Whew…”
Arwen let out a sigh she had been holding in as soon as the councilors left. She then checked with magic that no one was around and muttered quietly to herself.
“Those damn old geezers.”
It was not the kind of language that would come out of the queen’s mouth. Rather, it was a crude insult that would be more fitting for a hoodlum.
Moreover, her relatively youthful appearance added to the surreal feeling. If the councilors saw her like this, wouldn’t they be shocked?
Anyway, Arwen pouted and complained like a child.
“Why are they acting like that? I don’t understand.”
Snap!
As Arwen absentmindedly flicked her finger, a book materialized out of thin air. It was a teleportation spell that could only be performed at the level of a human wizard.
As an elf who could use magic as easily as breathing, Arwen could perform the spell without any incantation.
She then carefully grasped the book that had materialized in mid-air with both hands. The title, Xenon’s Biography was prominently displayed on the cover.
“It’s just fun.”
Translators note:
I gotta study for a goddamn math test so no chapters for the next 3 days.
But in return I’m gonna post 2 chapters on monday, so do look forward to it. They’re hilarious.
