Chapter 180: Bait (1)

The elves should tell Fieren a certain lie. It goes something like this: Xenon’s real name and residence, appearance, and finally, the fact that measures have been taken ‘hostage’ to prevent him from writing any more. Since this lie doesn’t violate the agreement, and considering Fieren was willing to entrust them with tracking, which implied a reasonable level of trust, making it highly likely he will buy into these lies.

Of course, Fieren isn’t a fool, so he’ll probably demand evidence. To prepare for that, there’s the ‘fake pact.’ Although pacts require mutual agreement to be effective, being a kind of ‘contract,’ they are often subjected to fraud. Among the most significant fraudulent methods was, as mentioned before, the fake pact.

People frequently lie about having made a pact, showing seemingly acceptable terms even though no agreement was reached. Since there are various ways to confirm whether a pact was formed, it doesn’t work well with strangers. Hence, this method is only effective with someone who has built a certain level of trust. Kalas stated that Fieren indicated them for a reason, not necessarily implying full trust but enough to merit credibility, so it should be plausible.Yôur favorite stories at novelhall.com

However, meticulous manipulation was essential to ensure that the fake pact remains undiscovered. Cecily assured that this aspect was not a concern, so there shouldn’t be a significant issue. All the bait should be ready. All that’s left is to wait for the opportunity.

Amid various preparations, the sunrise was nearly upon us without us realizing it. I looked at the exhausted Kalas and his group and sought confirmation.

“Do you understand? If you don’t want your ears to turn pitch black, it’s best to do as I say.”

“...Understood.”

Now even Kalas, perhaps with his pride worn down, used polite language. After enduring hours of pressure in a strained state, it’s no wonder their spirits would be drained. Moreover, they were elves. They likely never experienced such a situation before.

“Isaac, I’ve written down the pact here.”

“Hmm...”

A little while later, I received a fake treaty from Cecily and confirmed its terms. I had asked her to write it from the perspective of an arrogant elf, and I’m curious about how she actually wrote it.

[From now on, Xenon’s Biography will be written with the supervision of the Council.]

Okay. Just looking at Clause 1 was enough. There was also a clause asking to exclude all the negative aspects of the elves and only write down the positives, but the first one was sufficient.

Even if it contained clauses that could easily please Fieren’s egoistic mind, filled with racial superiority, it wouldn’t matter if all those clauses were not included. If I had written Xenon’s Biography according to these terms, it would surely become mere propaganda.

The terms were written solely with the focus on the elves, uncomplicated and concise.

“Sign here... You too, sign.”

Kalas signed on the fake treaty and tucked it into his robe. With the fake treaty also prepared, I warned once again.

“Remember. Depending on how you come out of this, it might not be your ears, but your life that you lose. Got it?”

“...We will keep that in mind.”

“Then return to that old elf, Fieren. Make good use of what I’ve taught you.”

As I gestured and spoke, the elves hid their appearances without needing anyone to signal them. Seeing the waves of mana, it seemed like they had used teleportation.

It was slightly amusing to see them fleeing as soon as the opportunity presented itself, but there was still work to be done. As soon as the elf tracking party disappeared, I spoke to Cecily.

“Noona. Did you tell Siris?”

“By now, she’s probably gone after them.”

“Is there no issue using teleportation?”

“Yeah. If you understand the principles of teleportation, tracking isn’t difficult. In fact, the risk of teleportation being traced is high. Do you want me to explain the principles?”

“No, it’s fine.”

Attributing magic to a fantasy was beneficial. I have a lot of knowledge thanks to my past life memories, but I’m not necessarily well-versed.

“Do you really believe it will succeed, my son?”

My father asked me, his arms folded, seemingly sensing that the situation had reached a certain conclusion. His face held a sense of doubt. While I did provide a rough plan before the elves invaded the mansion, he still appeared skeptical.

I hadn’t directly stepped into politics, but having observed from afar, I’m concerned about the current situation. Like my father, I don’t believe there’s a 100% chance of success either. The world doesn’t always go as one desires, and people tend to exhibit unpredictable behavior when cornered.

But as the saying goes, with strategy, one can win a hundred battles. In reality, we hold a significant advantage in this fight. There are allies who can block any unexpected variables that arise, so the overall course of events won’t be disrupted.

“Well, I don’t think we’ll completely succeed. However, the flow should remain intact. The rest depends on how well the queen can use it.”

At the moment, there was nothing they could do. Kalas opened his mouth quietly, a voice tinged with resignation.

“For now, let’s return to Alvenheim. We’ll have to hope that Fierin notices.”

“But the pact...”

“Just because it’s a pact doesn’t mean it’s flawless. There must be a way out.”

The pact only takes effect if it’s based on the truth; if it’s a lie, it won’t be effective. So, they would use this in reverse. Kalas, as if he had come up with a good idea while pondering, erased his resigned expression and smiled. Lena and Mael’s expressions also brightened slightly at that smile.

“Yeah, that’s right. When we report to Lord Fieren, we can indicate that we’re lying. Since the pact doesn’t work with falsehoods.”

“Th-then that should work! But how do we lie...”

“When people lie, their body reacts. Like shifting their gaze to the left or fidgeting with their hands, among other things. There are many signs. Lord Fieren wouldn’t be unaware of that either.”

Given Fieren’s extensive political experience, his intuition was quick. Furthermore, once he gets a hint, he won’t let it go until his suspicions are resolved. Even if they didn’t lie, once Fieren became suspicious, he would keep digging and digging.

And they can use that to their advantage. The ears rotting due to the black mana? What’s crucial now is buying time. It’s most important to somehow delay Fieren from taking action.

“But be careful. We don’t know who the traitor within Alvenheim might be. Considering he even knows Fieren’s full name, the probability of him being from one of the prestigious families is high.”

“Why would a mere human like him have ties to a prestigious family... even a young one...”

“There must be a connection. Or perhaps he’s really from the future. Surely the gods have imposed limitations on him, not allowing him to act recklessly. So, we...”

Skkrt­

Thud!

During Kalas’s speech, a strong gust of wind swept through, making a sharp sound as it struck something. Startled, Kalas and his companions turned their heads towards the direction of the sound.

A dagger was lodged into the stem of a plant, stretching high into the sky. Tied to the hilt of the dagger was a note. Kalas stared at the dagger stuck right above his head with a dumbfounded expression, then reached out his hand. He carefully removed the dagger, and with trembling hands, he untied the note.

Gulp...

Amidst the sudden ambush, the sound of someone swallowing nervously could be heard. Kalas unfolded the note with a mixture of anticipation and anxiety.

And on that note was...

[Don’t do unnecessary things.]

A clear warning was written.

“... ...”

Kalas felt his blood run cold in real-time. He urgently cast detection magic around but found nothing.

“How? Did they use teleportation? What kind of trick is this?”

Could it be the ability of that demon princess? Demons were utterly enigmatic, with no known facts about them, so the impossible wasn’t ruled out.

Above all, demons, like Dark Elves, were a prominent race that revered Morah. Concealing oneself in darkness wasn’t out of the question, especially for something like this.

Truly, he was surrounded by eyes and ears in every direction. Even the path to Alvengard would be under surveillance. For Kalas, it felt like his world was crumbling.

‘What is that guy...?’

Xenon, or rather, Isaac. Just how powerful was he? Kalas looked up at the sky with a despondent expression.

In stark contrast to his feelings, the sky was brilliantly clear.

‘It’s over.’

Kalas let out a bitter laugh, consumed by a sense of futility.