How To Live As A Writer In A Fantasy World

Chapter 287: Impersonation (2)

The world is vast, and there are many crazy people. It’s the same wherever people live. Therefore, even in this world I live in, there are many crazy people.

It might sound like a ridiculous syllogism, but it’s a logic that actually holds true. There are all sorts of madmen in the world.

Especially in this world, compared to Earth, you often witness people engaging in bizarre behaviors. The security in places like the Michelle territory and Halo Academy is quite good, so you don’t see it often, but if you go to a blind spot, you’ll understand what I mean. Theft and pickpocketing are common, and violent incidents in taverns occur almost daily, with occasional murders.

Unlike in my previous life, this world is a fantasy world, meaning unique powers like mana exist. Not everyone can wield mana, but those who can have much more power than ordinary people. Fortunately, it’s almost impossible to wield such power recklessly in the face of the grand order of ‘law,’ but given the nature of this society, many such acts are overlooked.

People who have made a name for themselves, especially adventurers or mercenaries, often have terrible personalities. You might ask what the difference is between an adventurer and a mercenary. An adventurer is not affiliated with a guild, while a mercenary is part of a mercenary guild. To put it simply, an adventurer is a freelancer, whereas a mercenary is literally a mercenary.

Adventurers have more freedom since they are freelancers, but they earn less than mercenaries for the same job. This is because a mercenary’s accomplishments are recorded if they complete a task, but an adventurer’s skills are judged based only on rumors, which makes their reliability lower.

However, even this is a matter of personal preference. For both adventurers and mercenaries, their combat skills, experience, and the knowledge they possess are crucial.

Even in a world without the internet, rumors related to these professions spread quickly. Even if bad rumors circulate, most people won’t avoid them if they still do their job well.

The job performance is what matters. Even if their personality is terrible, as long as they complete the task, the client is satisfied.

Especially in a society not as developed as my previous life, except for the upper class, there are quite a few people lacking moral integrity.

So, even if bad rumors spread, completing a request successfully will naturally elevate their honor. Particularly, if they are given a ‘title,’ their honor soars.

Just like my father is called the ‘Red Lion’ and Kate is known as the ‘Blue Flame,’ there are many titles going around.

At least titles like my father’s and Kate’s sound cool, but if you dig a bit deeper, there are plenty of bizarre nicknames. I’d mention some, but there are too many, so let’s move on.

These titles clearly showcase a person’s reputation, so those who have them consider it an honor.

In any case, these factors combined have given adventurers, especially mercenaries, a reputation for being reliable but not people you’d want to get close to.

Did someone commit a bizarre act that seems like a lie? It might be a hasty generalization, but it’s usually a mercenary who did it.

[Currently, the number of people in Alvenheim claiming to be the inspiration for Kair and engaging in disputes and violence is increasing…]

[Among them are the Blue Ghost, the Hyena, and the Phantom of Mesos. Notable adventurers and mercenaries are included.]

Just like the recent news I heard. People claiming to be the inspiration for Kair, crossing over to Alvenheim, and seeking out Arwen.

As everyone knows, Elysia’s lover in Xenon’s Biography is the human male Kair. Their love story between a human and an elf, ending in tragedy, is as popular as the main storyline.

Their story is so popular that it was even made into a movie by the Matrics Theatre Troupe.

Given that Arwen declared herself the inspiration for Elysia, it was only natural for people to wonder if there might be a human man who could be the inspiration for Kair.

Cecily’s display of her devil transformation had already opened up the ‘possibility,’ and Arwen stamped it with a resounding seal of approval.

The problem is that while the lover of the character modeled after Cecily, Lilith, remains unknown, Elysia’s lover, Kair, is well-defined.

People’s logic is probably: rather than choosing someone whose whereabouts are uncertain, pick someone more definite. That’s the thinking of the crazies in the news.

‘With the invention of the mana engine…’

Imposters—it’s an ambiguous term, but let’s call them that. The reason these imposters have been so vocal is not just about being motifs but largely due to the existence of the mana engine.

The difference between something that exists and something vaguely claimed as a motif is clear. While cases like Cecily and Arwen are uncertain, the mana engine exists.

With the mana engine, which everyone thought impossible, becoming a reality, Cecily and Arwen declaring themselves as the inspirations for characters was also readily believed.

If this were Earth, it could be analyzed scientifically, but here, there’s no such thing. People just go, “Oh? Really?” and believe it outright.

Because of this, some imposters might genuinely believe they are Kair. In fact, most of them probably do.

What kind of crazy person would loudly claim to be the lover of the Elf Queen just to gain some recognition? Even scammers know how to cover their tracks, but these imposters are sincere.

“There used to be someone who pretended to be Isaac.”

“Such a crazy fucker existed?”

We gathered at a cafe to discuss the current situation. When Marie mentioned an old incident, Cecily’s eyes widened in surprise.

Cecily, who usually speaks so gracefully, was shocked enough to utter harsh words without hesitation.

Meanwhile, Rina, who knew about the incident, sipped her tea calmly.

Adelia also sat quietly, listening with an intrigued expression.

“Yes. About a year ago, there was a guy who went around pretending to be Xenon. Boldly, he even came to our family to ask for support. We quickly realized and punished him.”

“A year ago… that was well before the World Tree root contamination.”

“Yes. If he had impersonated now instead of then, he would have been dragged away for blasphemy.”

“Dragged away? He would have deserved divine punishment.”

Listening to Marie and Cecily’s conversation, I wanted to say something but held back. It genuinely seemed like that could happen.

If someone impersonated me, Cecily might personally take care of it.

Of course, the common folk might deal with the imposter before she even gives the order. The gods might not turn a blind eye either.

I weakly smiled and turned my head away from their conversation. On the other side, Rina was elegantly sipping her tea without saying a word.

I was curious about what Rina thought of the current situation, just as much as Cecily.

“Rina.”

“Yes?”

“What do you think about the current situation?”

Clink—

As soon as the question left my mouth, Rina set down her teacup. Simultaneously, everyone’s gaze shifted towards her.

Lina seemed to think for a moment, lightly tapping her cheek with her fingers before smiling and speaking.

“It seems like an amusing situation.”

“You think so too?”

As soon as Rina spoke, Cecily nodded in agreement.

Indeed, from the perspective of an outsider, it is a funny situation.

Alvenheim made the announcement to keep Helium and Cecily in check, but instead, unexpected imposters have swarmed in.

For Alvenheim and Arwen, it’s as if numerous leeches have latched on.

Trying to get rid of them seems difficult, and accepting them would only cause more trouble, especially from those with poor reputations.

“It will be hard to shake them off easily. Even imposters have some sense, they wouldn’t shout that they are the inspiration for Kair without reason.”

“Isn’t it difficult because of their appearance?”

“Have you ever compared the appearance of Elysia in Xenon’s Biography to Queen Arwen?”

Marie blinked as she looked up, then nodded in understanding after a moment.

Even if she accepted it, Elysia and Arwen’s appearances are just too different.

Elysia, unlike Arwen, is a pure-blooded elf according to the setting, which makes her superior not only in height but also in physique.

On the other hand, Arwen only has a great body (especially her hips) and is not tall at all, not even slightly above average. Rather, she is slightly shorter than average.

Unlike Arwen, who looks like a cute girl, Elysia is mature and intellectual. There is a difference even in their appearances.

Nevertheless, the reason Arwen can say she was the inspiration for Elysia is because their situations were very similar.

“Because of that, some adventurers or mercenaries who seem to be a bit strong visited. As you heard, they are people with at least a high rank.”

“Are those people as strong as my father?”

Since they are said to be of high rank, I wonder how strong they are. Roughly speaking, since they are among the top ten, they should be as strong as my father.

However, as soon as Rina heard my question, she looked at me with a face as if she heard something crazy, squinting one eye.

That reaction wasn’t just from Rina but also from Marie and Adelia. They all had expressions asking if I was serious.

Cecily, who doesn’t know much about my father, just stared blankly.

“Hoo… Isaac.”

“Yes?”

“Even with the help of the army, your father is the first ‘human’ in the history of the Minerva Empire to slay a dragon alone. Do you understand what I mean?”

“… …”

Honestly, I don’t really understand. It seems like dragons in this world are more than just disasters, unlike those in media who are frequently exterminated.

Then just how strong is my father? While I was deep in thought, Marie helped me out.

“Rina is right. Father-in-law is more fitting as an inspiration for Kair than those who boast in Alvenheim now. If father-in-law were an adventurer or mercenary, his credibility would have increased even more.”

“Are you saying there are no adventurers or mercenaries as strong as father?”

“If there were, the country would have moved to recruit them. They are as powerful as the elf commander. Also, the ages of the impersonators range from their 20s to 50s. They firmly believe that their future selves will become as strong as Kair. With a complacent thought of ‘maybe it’s me?’.”

Arrogance and delusion combined to produce numerous impersonators. Confidence can be a good driving force to improve skills, but arrogance has the opposite effect.

The impersonators currently have a baseless belief in their abilities, along with delusion.

I can vividly see Arwen holding her head and feeling dizzy. I wonder how she will react.

“Isaac.”

“Yes?”

“Will you help?”

As I was anticipating Arwen’s reaction, Cecily asked me in a subtle voice. The gaze of the others also turned to me.

While enduring the various gazes, I pondered how to answer Cecily’s question.

To be honest, there’s almost nothing I can do to help. If anything, I could write a letter.

A single letter could resolve everything, but it would cause issues with the aftermath. If Kair is fake, people might also question if Elysia and Lilith are fake.

Moreover, always helping out like this wouldn’t be good for Arwen. She is already known for her connection with Xenon.

If I were to write a letter, there’s a high possibility that they would say I lied for Arwen’s sake, which is ridiculous.

More importantly, Arwen would feel sorry for bothering me every time and it could have a negative impact on her growth.

“We have to watch and wait for now. I can’t always help.”

“You’ve thought it through. It’s a bit of a tricky issue, so it’s better to wait until Alvenheim makes a move.”

“I’ll take note of that.”

Three days passed after Rina’s words.

[Alvenheim, Queen Arwen is a gift for the saint, Xenon. Do not even think of taking her away.]

Alvenheim made a bold move.

“What will you do now?”

“… …”

“Alvenheim says they’re giving Queen Arwen as a gift.”

In response to my question, Rina spoke with a trembling voice.

“…This isn’t just the queen’s personal statement, right? It’s the stance of the entire nation? Including the people?”

“Yes. It says ‘from all the people of Alvenheim’.”

“…Are they collectively insane?”

They were intoxicated by elf-style communism.

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Translators note:

Yesterday’s chapter, my bad