When I was appointed as a recommended student to Professor Elena, my personal time became very relaxed. I didn’t need to obsess over my grades and could just take the classes I wanted, so I could invest a lot of time in writing. Of course, if Elena called me, I had to run to the lab right away. Since she appointed me as a recommended student, I was practically her assistant. But as a fresh-faced newcomer, I didn’t act like Cindy and make a fuss about it.
So when I wanted to take a break from writing, I would visit Elena’s lab. Marie and Cecily usually met me after her classes were over, so it was okay until then. Teaching Cindy writing skills in the lab was an everyday occurrence, so I didn’t pay much attention to it. Elena would ask me for my opinion or we would discuss things together.
Finally, despite what I thought of myself, I showed signs of having exceptional knowledge and a unique perspective. Elena even gave me various papers and books to read, as if she wanted to cultivate me as a graduate student.
Originally, it was just a discussion, so it was impossible to compare with Elena, who had accumulated knowledge for hundreds of years. She mainly focused on my unique perspective.
“But I’m a recommended student, so I’m okay. But what exactly do other students do when they become third-year students? The number of students seems too small.”
“It’s simple. They become assistants like you and receive knowledge from professors. Professors can concentrate on each student rather than dealing with many students, so it’s also efficient.”
“So are they taking lectures from professors in the main building?”
“Yes. If you want, I can ask them to teach you. These professors are all my disciples and they will be happy to help.”
“…Okay.”
I had nothing to say in response to Elena’s answer that all the professors there were her disciples. It was understandable, as Elena was one of the long-lived elves.
Afterwards, while examining books to acquire better knowledge, I suddenly had a question that came to mind. It was a natural curiosity that arose as Elena was also an elf.
“Excuse me, Professor. May I ask how old you are?”
“Hmm? I haven’t even reached 300 years old yet. Why do you ask?”
Elena looked at me instead of reading her book, her green eyes sparkling with curiosity behind her round glasses.
As I thought about the time when the racial war broke out, I asked the question that had been on my mind.
“I heard from Cindy that there is a lot of conflict between the generations of elves who fought in the racial war and those who did not. Is that true?”
“Um…”
She leaned back in her chair and began to organize her thoughts, gazing at the ceiling for a while. After a while, Elena slowly began to answer my question.
“Half of it is right and half of it is wrong. The race war was a turning point for the Elves to break away from racial supremacy. But as you know, it’s very difficult to change entrenched ways of thinking. Especially for the Elves, who live for many years, this tendency is particularly pronounced. In addition, the race war was not so much a result of the human alliance’s success as it was the Elves’ self-destruction.”
“So, are there still racial supremacists among the new generation?”
“Well, there are, but they are generally treated as uneducated among the younger generation. On the other hand, among the older generation, they hate the appeasers. In other words, it’s an ideological fight.”
“Social phenomena are just as complex for humans.”
Just like the saying, ‘Kids these days have no manners,’ right?
It’s a very famous phrase from not only the 21st century, but even from ancient times. Ironically, those unruly kids are the ones who end up changing the world.
“But why do you ask that? Intergenerational conflict is common among humans as well.”
“That’s true, but the Elves have a particularly strong tendency to conform to rules and regulations, unlike humans. Professor, you know about the case where Ikehr, the former commander, was arrested during the war, right?”
“Of course, I do. Ikehr was one of the few Elves who understood human combat tactics, but he was arrested by the council for violating the law. Even as an Elf, I couldn’t understand it.”
“Although I’ve mentioned it several times before, the Elves had such a lack of conformity during the race war that it was hard to understand.”
On the surface, it may seem like the elves were fighting with one heart and one mind, but that’s only a superficial story, as seen in the case of the arrest of Ikehr, the former warrior leader. Furthermore, Arwen told me that the Dark Elves tried to send support, but the council flatly rejected it, citing their status as outcasts. Despite being outmatched by the human alliance, the Dark Elves were refused their help because of their status as exiles.
On the other hand, humans did not hesitate to use any means necessary to gain victory. Sending assassins was standard practice, and they even blocked supply routes, regardless of the sacrifices that had to be made.
However, due to the complexity of politics, the aftermath of the race war was horrific. One of the most prominent conflicts that still persists is the ongoing tension between the Minerva Empire and the Ters Kingdom.
I listened carefully to Elena’s explanation and thought deeply before cautiously offering my opinion.
“Do you really think it’s impossible for the elves to unify as one? Although in a large-scale war like the race war, it may be difficult to follow laws and regulations.”
“The queen probably won’t, but the council might bring it up. Even if a tiger loses its teeth, it’s still a tiger. Like what you wrote on the exam last time, history tends to repeat itself.”
“It sounds like it’s very difficult.”
“Yes. Above all, there’s not much difference between the new and old generations. I’m not sure if it’s a racial trait, but elves tend to firmly believe that they are right. That’s why figures like Ikehr, the former warrior leader, stood out even more.”
It seemed that this was something that should be written as fiction. As Elena, who had an objective perspective, said, the elven race seemed to have a disturbing lack of flexibility.
Arwen, as a new generation elf, is implementing various radical policies in various ways, befitting her status. However, occasionally, she shows inflexibility, as with my current errand runner, Siris. I remember summoning her once before, and she appeared while taking a bath. I was so surprised that I sent her back right away.
“Does this mean that it’s even more impossible for the reconciliation between elves and dark elves?”
“I can’t give a definite answer to that. I hardly know what kind of people dark elves are and what their purpose is. I know about their history, but I haven’t had a single friendly relationship with any of them for over 200 years. It’s one of the major items on my current research list.”
In reality, dark elves are one of the unknown races with little known information. Occasionally, they reveal themselves to the world, attracting the attention of many, but nobody knows what their purpose is.
Of course, I am different from others because I have Siris, a very useful errand runner. They live a harsh life in the deep forests and mountains, undergoing rigorous training from a young age and growing up to become respectable warriors.
Occasionally, they reveal themselves to the world to gather information and purchase necessary items with the money they earn. I heard that each dark elf warrior exceeds the level of one hundred soldiers, so they only need to work as mercenaries for a short time.
According to Siris, the reason they continue their uncomfortable lifestyle is that they are waiting for acceptance from Alvenheim.
‘It’s inevitable for them to have strong feelings for their homeland.’
Dark elves are more flexible and individualistic than other elves, but they are still the same elves at heart. The sense of being chosen by the gods is ingrained in them and is just as strong.
And Alvenheim, which follows the will of the gods, is the first civilization established by the elves and a land flowing with milk and honey. It’s natural for one to have a strong attachment to it, as almost everything that can be called “the first” is found in Alvenheim.
‘But what kind of reaction would we see if I destroyed Alvenheim?’
As I looked up at the ceiling, I thought about the development of the 12th volume. The main content of the 12th volume is Mary’s confession to Xenon, but towards the end, the demons plot to attack Alvenheim, leading to a cliffhanger.
The full-scale invasion of Alvenheim takes place in the 13th volume, and at that time, Queen Elf Elisha’s mental state had already deteriorated after the Kair’s death, making it difficult for her to prepare properly.
Not only that, but Xenon’s party also went on reconnaissance with the Elf Warriors due to the continued threat of the demons, and that’s when the trolling of the Council begins.
‘I wonder what Arwen’s reaction will be.’
Even when the 11th volume was released, Arwen sent a letter through Siris containing her own feelings. It was a ridiculous but cute content wondering if the reason Kair and Elisha were separated was because of herself.
Of course, I did not forget to explain it well enough to clear up her misunderstanding, as the story was already decided. Nevertheless, Arwen seemed to be very anxious and asked Siris to tell her if there was anything I needed.
Knock, knock, knock…
While I was brainstorming the story in my head, someone knocked on the door of my laboratory. As I lifted my head towards the door, I heard a very familiar voice from behind it.
“It’s me…I’m coming in…”
The voice belonged to Cindy, an elf woman whose tired and hesitant tone left an impression. As the door opened, I could see her face with both eyes. Her heavily shadowed dark circles, half-closed eyes, and roughly tied hair were all characteristic of an elf, but her beauty was exceptional. Unlike the elves I knew, she emitted a subtle charm that felt rather decadent.
Today, she seemed happier than usual. Though her eyes were tired, her lips were slightly upturned.
“Come to think of it, you went to Yggdrasil to submit your thesis, right?”
I remembered that Cindy had headed to Yggdrasil, one of the sacred places of Alvenheim, to submit her thesis. Thanks to my coaching, which I had been forcing down her throat, her writing skills had improved considerably.
When Elena had reviewed it first, she had deemed it good enough and had urged Cindy to hurry to Yggdrasil. So I thought it should be fine.
As I was thinking about it, Elena looked at Cindy with an expectant expression and asked.
“How was it? Did it go well?”
“Yeah… I passed without a hitch… I can finally rest easy… Hehehe…”
Cindy’s face was filled with a contented smile. As I had mentioned before, to become a professor, an elf had to go through a difficult process, given that they were known as walking libraries. They needed to possess knowledge that was almost equivalent to that of an expert in all things and the thesis they had to submit to Yggdrasil was so difficult that it was almost nonsensical, especially for their major.
In fact, it is natural for elves to be able to concentrate on a particular field as much as they live long, and the number of papers accumulated over time is so numerous that it cannot be counted. Even if they select a topic, there are so many similar ones that it is extremely difficult to pass. Therefore, the fact that Cindy’s paper has been approved is a cause for celebration.
“Congratulations. Does this mean Cindy has earned a doctor’s degree now?”
“Uh-huh…”
Cindy replied with a sobbing tone and slowly walked towards me. After a while, she approached me and gently held my hand.
Although I was slightly surprised, I stayed still and looked at Cindy’s sincerely happy smile. She then expressed her gratitude to me in a sobbing yet sincere voice.
“It’s thanks to you… I’m really grateful.”
“What did I do? I just taught you how to write. It was all Cindy’s research.”
It’s true. I only taught Cindy writing techniques, and she independently led her research.
But it seems that Cindy doesn’t think so. She shook her head vigorously and smiled brightly.
“It’s true that you helped me… Isaac, if it weren’t for you, it would have taken decades…”
“If Cindy thinks so… Anyway, what are you going to do now? Since you have earned a doctor’s degree, you don’t need to work as Professor Elena’s assistant anymore.”
Now Cindy can become a professor or scholar if she wants to. There is no need for her to work as Professor Elena’s assistant.
Cindy also seemed to know that, released my hand, and thought deeply. However, she seemed to have no specific ideas and tilted her head.
“Well… I’ll probably be here for a while… I still have a lot of unread papers and books…”
“Really?”
“Yeah… So, come visit me often… If you have any questions, you can ask me… I’ll help you as much as I can…”
“Okay then…”
I paused for a moment, thinking about what question to ask, and decided to ask the same question I had asked Elena earlier. It was worth noting that Cindy was still holding onto my hand.
“Do you think that the elves, including the dark elves, can really be united as one? I mean, in reality.”
“…I think that’s something that only happens in novels… And I don’t know what dark elves are like…”
Hmm. As expected, it seems like it’s treated as something that only happens in novels. I nodded my head after hearing Cindy’s answer.
“Oh, by the way… I heard some interesting news in Yggdrasil today…”
“What kind of news?”
“You know Xenon’s Biography that came out recently… Kair and Elisha broke up in it…”
“Oh. That. Why did they break up?”
Cindy didn’t seem to realize it and answered while still tightly holding onto my hand.
“There was a lot of talk about it… The scholars were arguing about it…”
“…Why would they argue about something like that?”
“It’s too realistic… Because of this, many humans either turn their hearts away or die first, so the elves did not readily accept it…”
“… …”
“There’s even a nationwide survey going on right now… It’s not even a joke… I wonder if a paper will come out soon…?”
I’m looking forward to seeing the reactions to the 12th book.
Translators note:
4/5
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