How To Live As A Writer In A Fantasy World

Chapter 181: Bait (2)

Council of Elders.

Boasting a history long enough to rightfully claim a place in the annals of Alvenheim, the political institution with a storied past. In any civilization, a ‘leader’ to guide the civilization forward is essential, most often taking the form of a ‘king’. This king holds the duty and responsibility to ensure the people’s more stable lives and the nation’s robust growth against surrounding threats.

However, during the founding of Alvenheim, there was no ‘king’. A king, by nature, reigns over the people with formidable power, a being to which ordinary citizens must look up. At that time, the Elves vehemently resisted being ruled by anyone due to their pride in being chosen by the gods. They believed that only the gods could govern them and thus decided to operate the nation under the guidance of their trust in the gods.

Consequently, the initial leaders were ‘priests’. The clergy offered high-quality offerings to the gods and received their direct guidance, efficiently managing the nation. Despite some grumbling among the people of Alvenheim, life continued without issues.

Until the event of the ‘Devil War’, which led to some doubts about the gods’ power.

Fortunately, having received the seed of the World Tree as a gift, the Elves managed to repel the threat, but they realized the potential danger. They understood that it might be too late to heed the gods’ voices in the face of a similar crisis in the future.

They came to the realization that it should not be the gods, but the Elves themselves who must oversee Alvenheim’s progress. This realization gave birth to the political institution known as the ‘Council of Elders’.

At first, the elves were wary of being dominated by mortals rather than gods, but as time passed, that thought gradually faded. Furthermore, as is often the case with beginnings, the Council led Alvenheim wisely, with pure hearts and uncompromised beliefs. Among them were also the Dark Elves. In truth, one could say that this was the last true era of the elves.

However, power has a tendency to corrupt and decay as it grows stronger. The Council of Elders began to restrict other forces in order to secure their own interests. Dark Elves were a prime example. They were a convenient target for oppression due to their distinct ethnicity, skin color, and even the deity they worshiped. The result was the exile of the Dark Elves.

In a sense, the involvement of the Council of Elders in the exile of the Dark Elves was substantial. Externally, the religious disputes had escalated into madness, but the Council of Elders had ignited the fuse of that powder keg.

Subsequently, through divine intervention, the madness subsided, and the Council of Elders, in an attempt to hide the worst aspects, even erased records. Despite its inherent corruption, the political entity of the Council of Elders managed to persist instead of being dissolved.

The Dark Elf exile incident was a major event in itself, but it triggered a full-scale racial war, revealing the Council of Elders’s corruption. They imprisoned even the capable warrior commanders who could have turned the tide of war, and led the nation to defeat.

What used to be silent discontent erupted all at once, causing an increase in demands for the dissolution of the Council of Elders and ultimately leading to the birth of the “monarch.” Nevertheless, the Council of Elders managed to persist relentlessly.

The Council of Elders, merely by its existence, symbolized a part of Alvenheim’s history, whether positive or negative. Erasing this symbol would be a significant loss for Alvenheim.

It can be said that elves, unlike other races, particularly dislike ‘change’.Follow the latest novels at novelhall.com

“Please, have a seat. Ah, is there anything you’d like to eat?”

“No, thank you.”

In the reception room of a mansion in Yggdrasil. Two men were facing each other across the table in the modestly decorated room. The head of the Council of Elders, Fieren, and his subordinate, Kalas.

Fieren had a smile like a gentle grandfather, while Kalas seemed slightly tense, his face somewhat stiff.

“A cup of tea brewed from the leaves of the World Tree. Perfect for fatigue.”

“I’ll gladly have some.”

When Kalas hesitated upon Fieren’s offer to drink, he looked at the liquid in the cup. It had a faint greenish hue and emitted a subtle fragrance that tantalized his senses. Tea brewed from the leaves of the World Tree was outrageously expensive, as the name suggested.

There were few who could approach the World Tree directly, and magical treatment was necessary to preserve the freshness of the leaves. However, its effects were remarkable as well. It was excellent for fatigue, and its calming effect was exceptional, similar to a tranquility potion.

It was a perfect choice for Kalas, who was currently nervous. As he finally took a sip of the tea, a refreshing taste spread through his mouth. Unlike its greenish appearance, it had no discernible flavor, only a sense of coolness.

“So, did you find Xenon?”

Fieren cut through the trivial words and got straight to the point. He had given Kalas the command to find Xenon, so it was only natural that he was eager for updates.

He hesitated for a moment, but then Kalas flashed a natural smile. If Fieren were to have any suspicions here, he would have no choice but to let his ears rot away.

No matter how esteemed he might be in the Council, it’s not worth sacrificing one’s own ears.

“Of course. Humans are truly unremarkable. Especially a publishing company executive, an utterly incompetent human – easy to track.”

“Oh, impressive. I thought Xenon might have concealed his identity by borrowing power from another race. Like demons, for instance.”

While Fieren spoke casually, Kalas couldn’t help but feel a pang.

“Truly... impressive. I never expected we’d come this far. Looks like I underestimated you. I apologize.”

“No, it’s not like that. I was just lucky. And besides, didn’t we both not know what kind of person Xenon was until now?”

“That’s true, but your abilities are outstanding, there’s no denying that. Thanks to you, the Council of Elders will be able to exert its influence.”

Though it seemed like a heartwarming scene on the surface, the true emotions were quite the opposite. Suppression, manipulation, and the dirtiness of political maneuvering were rampant.

And there was one person observing all this filth from the shadows...

‘...This makes me want to throw up.’

Dark Elf infiltrator, Siris, who had bypassed all the protective magic of the mansion. She watched every bit of this situation, recording it all with her eyes.

If she were an ordinary thief or wizard, she might have been detected by the security spells. But she was a Dark Elf. If she moved cautiously, infiltration wasn’t difficult.

Moreover, she didn’t forget to receive divine power from Mora in preparation for the worst-case scenario. No matter how skilled a dark elf’s infiltration abilities were, there were clear limits.

Perhaps it could be considered somewhat fortunate, but Fieren’s mansion had surprisingly weak security, fitting the owner’s personality. It seemed no one expected that the mansion would be infiltrated.

“You’ve done an excellent job indeed. Keep up the good work.”

“Thank you. However, it seems like there aren’t any young ones trying to join the Council of Elders lately. Is that okay?”

“Don’t worry about that. We don’t need uncertain individuals like those. We need talents like you.”

Upon hearing this conversation, Siris almost smirked. The reason the new generation of elves distanced themselves from the Council of Elders was simple: they recognized that even if something was rotted, it could still rot to dust.

As if corruption wasn’t already inevitable with power, who knew what would happen to the Council of Elders. Especially with the elves’ longevity, the phenomenon of the ‘rotten water’ would inevitably become more pronounced.

As time passed, the Council of Elders’s power would weaken, but since that would take too long, who knew what incidents might occur in the meantime?

‘Now, that time will probably be moved up.’

Siris listened to the conversation between Fieren and Kalas and then disappeared quietly. Since they had already obtained decisive evidence, all that was left was to relay it to Arwen.

‘How long will it be until we can enter Alvenheim?’

The Dark Elf Exile occurred just 800 years ago. There were still some dark elves who remembered that event, but they still longed for Alvenheim. Some of the younger generation of dark elves couldn’t understand them, and Siris felt similarly. However, after reading the recently published Xenon’s Biography, her feelings had changed somewhat.

Living in the forest was impossible for long, and even though they had cut off their own ears, they still held on to the pride of being chosen by the gods. Xenon’s Biography moved not only the hearts of the elves but also the hearts of the dark elves gradually.

‘The queen will surely succeed.’

With subtle emotions in her heart, Siris walked towards where Arwen was staying.

*****

A few days later, in the Minerva Empire’s publishing house.

“Is, is this real?”

“...Yes. It is. Though it’s crooked, the fact that there’s even a genuine signature...”

“Ah...”

The CEO of the publishing house despaired upon reading the letter sent by Isaac. The content of the letter was as follows:

[Dear readers, I apologize. Due to a villain’s attack, my right hand has been seriously injured. Serialization will be impossible for the time being...]

They had enough matches prepared in advance to light the fuse.