How To Live As A Writer In A Fantasy World[part1]

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.

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.