Chapter 162: Back to Helion(2)
Chapter 162: Back to Helion(2)
The food in Helium was truly diverse. It ranged from insect dishes born of necessity during times of hardship to delicacies that emerged alongside the advancement of their civilization.
The Demons had started from a state of misery that the word "destitute" couldn't even begin to describe, and traces of that struggle remained everywhere—not just in their food, but in their distinct cultural practices as well.
After the Demon War ended 3,000 years ago, the Demons had built a civilization literally just to survive, so their foundations differed from others in many ways. For one, the people were generally positive, optimistic, and bright.
When I asked Gartz why, he explained that negative thoughts could make one more susceptible to their "inner evil," so most maintained a positive mindset. Because of this, if a Demon actually got angry, it was usually because the other person had done something seriously wrong.
Secondly, they didn't lose their tempers easily. As one might expect, this was because they practiced endurance-based training methods—similar to yoga—from a young age, giving them a very high level of mental discipline.
Lastly, and this was a more recent change: Demons used to be extremely cautious when dealing with other races. They were acutely aware of themselves as potential "danger factors" who could turn into devils at any time or place.
However, since the publication of the Xenon Biography, a sense of pride had taken root, making them much more proactive and open when interacting with other races.
Of course, not every Demon was like this, just as human personalities vary wildly. Some were stoic and emotionally restrained like Gartz, while others were entirely different.
Think of it as a stereotype. For example, the way Koreans are known for eating spicy food and having a "hurry-hurry" culture.
"Mr. Gartz."
"Yes. Please, speak."
"I haven't asked until now, but do you have a family, Mr. Gartz?"
I paused my exploration of Helium and sat on a nearby bench to ask him. At my request, Gartz sat down beside me and blinked a few times.
"Family... you say?"
"Yes. I've been asking all about the Demons, but I realized I don't know much about the person right next to me. So I got curious."
Thanks to Gartz, I had learned a lot about Helium and Demon culture, but I knew almost nothing about the man himself.
I only knew that he was an escort knight personally summoned by Cecile and that his skills were exceptional. Beyond that, he was a mystery.
Since we had plenty of time before heading to the temple, I figured it wouldn't hurt to ask.
"I have parents and a younger sister."
"Are you married?"
"I have a fiancée. We have promised our futures to each other."
"How old are you?"
"I am 132 years old."
In Demon society, one is recognized as a true adult at the age of 100. It serves as proof that they have lived as a person without turning into a devil for a century.
Their physical growth is no different from humans, and they typically enter the workforce around the age of 25. The age of 100 is more of a milestone for mental and spiritual adulthood.
For this reason, Demons can only marry after they turn 100. The logic is that one must be able to thoroughly manage oneself before taking responsibility for another person.
Still, as expected of a long-lived species alongside the Elves, he was much older than he looked. Cecile had said she was 105, so he was significantly older than her.
"Maybe it's because I'm human, but that sounds quite old. Are you considered young among Demons?"
"I am a novice among novices, having only recently become an adult. Especially since Demon culture respects age, I am indeed quite green."
The reason Demon elders were respected was likely because they had resisted turning into devils for such a long time.
Still, a hundred years was a span of time longer than I could imagine. It was a duration that made the word "vast" feel appropriate.
I quietly watched the people of Helium passing by on the street. Smiles bloomed on their faces, and children were running around.
As I had felt before, Helium was bright and vibrant. It didn't feel like a place where devils lived; despite the horns, it felt deeply human.
I wondered if it had been like this before the Xenon Biography was published. I watched a Demon child walking happily while holding their parent's hand before turning back to Gartz.
"Mr. Gartz."
"Yes."
"Was Helium this bright even before the Xenon Biography came out?"
To my calm question, Gartz replied in his characteristically blunt tone.
"It was bright. But we lived with a lingering, underlying fear. No matter how much we trained our patience or lived positively, the inner evil remained a tangible threat to every Demon."
"... ..."
"But it is different now. We haven't just learned to avoid the evil; we've gained the courage to face it head-on. We have gained the confidence that we can do it, and the pride to never surrender to the darkness."
If the Helium of the past had been a defense mechanism to avoid a threat, the brightness now was pure.
There is a difference between a smile of relief and a smile of pure joy. The citizens of Helium were enjoying their lives with the latter.
"...Hm?"
"... ..."
Just as I was feeling a sense of pride and letting a small smile tug at my lips, I suddenly felt a presence nearby. I turned my head to see a young girl standing there.
She had long straight hair, round red eyes, and was clutching a pink rabbit doll tightly to her chest. She had sheep-like horns similar to Gartz's, but they were very small.
A little lady who could only be described as "cute as a doll" was staring intently at me.
I blinked at the girl who had approached so silently, then gave her a kind smile.
"Hello there."
"Hic."
When I greeted her warmly, she flinched and took a step back. The way she squeezed her rabbit doll was unbearably adorable.
She peeked at me tentatively, then pointed a finger and shouted.
"Red!"
"Red?"
"Mommy said! If black turns to red, it's dangerous! Our hair is black, but yours is red!"
Was this her first time seeing a human? Even though the frequency of other races visiting Helium had increased recently, I suppose it was possible she'd never seen one.
It seemed that since all Demons have black hair, she thought I was undergoing a demonic transformation because of my red hair.
I gestured for Gartz to stay back as he moved to intervene, and continued talking to the girl.
"Is it because my hair is red?"
"Uh-huh!"
"But little one, I don't have any horns."
"Huh?"
The girl blinked as I pointed out the lack of horns. She stared intensely at my face, then spoke in a flustered voice.
"Huh? Wh-why are there no horns? And your eyes are sparkly-colored!"
"Sparkly-colored? What's that?"
"Sparkly-color is sparkly-color! They're all twinkly."
You really can't beat the innocence of children. Calling gold "sparkly-color."
I couldn't hide the "fatherly smile" spreading across my face as I continued the conversation. I didn't know when her parents would show up, but they'd likely be here soon.
"May I ask the name of this lovely little lady?"
"My name is Amy. What's the name of the hornless big brother?"
"You can call me Isaac. And I don't have horns because I'm a human."
"A human?"
"People who don't have horns, like me."
"Then do all humans have no horns and bright red hair? And sparkly eyes?"
Since all Demons have black hair and red eyes, it was a natural question for her.
"No. Some people have red hair like me, and others have white or sparkly-colored hair. Unlike Demons, humans have all sorts of different hair and eye colors."
"What does 'all sorts' mean?"
"It means many different kinds. And..."
"Amy!"
In the middle of our conversation, a woman's urgent cry reached my ears. I looked up to see a Demon woman who looked exactly like Amy rushing toward us.
As soon as she reached Amy, she scooped her up and faced me. Her expression was as frantic as her voice.
"I am so sorry! Did Amy say something rude to you?"
"No, not at all. It seems your daughter was just curious about my hair."
"Mommy, Mommy. That brother's hair is red, but he's okay, right?"
"Sigh... Amy. I am truly sorry. This is the first time she's seen a human since she started talking..."
"It's fine. It was actually quite fun."
I wondered if Lily would be as cute and precious as this child when she was born. The woman apologized repeatedly before leaving with Amy, and Amy waved at me while being carried away.
I waved back at the receding Amy. This would likely remain one of my most memorable moments in Helium.
'I should probably head to the temple now.'
As I wandered around Helium, the sky had gradually begun to turn a deep indigo. Unlike the Minerva Empire, which had distinct seasons, Helium tended to be chilly or cold year-round.
It was a harsh environment for living or basic farming, but the Demons had built a civilization through sheer tenacity and superior magic.
In terms of "grit," they were second to none, even compared to humans. Though, since their origins were human, perhaps that was only natural.
"Shall we head to the temple?"
"Yes, sir."
"By the way, Mr. Gartz. Seeing that child made me wonder—do Demons have a puberty phase?"
"We usually call them 'Little Devils.' It's an emotionally unstable period and a very dangerous stage of growth, so that is the name we use."
"The name sounds somewhat cute."
"To me, it sounds alarming."
Following Gartz's lead, we walked toward the Temple of Mora. As evening set in, the weather grew sharply colder, and my breath began to mist in the air.
Fortunately, I was wearing clothes enchanted with warmth magic, so I wasn't cold. For the record, Cecile had given me these clothes as a gift, but she said such garments were common in Helium. They were only expensive if the design was particularly beautiful.
In the Minerva Empire, you'd have to pay a fortune for something like this, but in Helium, where even ordinary civilians could use magic with ease, it was only natural for such things to be popularized.
"You mentioned Helium started diplomatic efforts a few months ago, right? I heard the delegation gave magic-woven silk as a gift."
"You remember. Since that news spread, many merchant groups have been traveling to and from Helium."
"I imagine the demand for just this kind of clothing would be massive."
"Yes. The Minerva Empire has already ordered a vast quantity of thermal clothing. They said it would be for military use."
I nodded, recognizing a pattern from my previous life where technology often passed through the military before reaching the public. One only had to look at the endless casualties from freezing during the German-Soviet War to understand the importance of staying warm.
Perhaps Helium would come to hold a position for humans equal to that of the Dwarven nation, Machina. The Dwarves provided weapons, while the Demons provided essential goods like medical supplies.
For reference, Albenheim's main exports were medicines like the Dew of the World Tree, the base for elixirs. The Beastkin nation, Animus... their civilization wasn't that developed yet, so it was a bit ambiguous.
"Since trade has begun, are there any goods that have been particularly useful for the Demons?"
"I don't know much about that myself, as the focus is currently on the significance of trade having started at all. Also, while the Queen of Albenheim gave her approval, the Senate's opposition is so fierce that it's causing quite a headache. There is still a long way to go. Diplomacy doesn't happen overnight."
"Has Machina suggested a joint venture for the magic locomotives? Demons would surely be a great help."
"I am not sure about that part."
As we walked and chatted, we eventually arrived at the Temple of Mora. Perhaps because she and Luminous were twins, the temple's form was similar to his.
The difference lay in the distribution of space. Luminous's temple was structured to let in as much light as possible, but Mora's temple was enclosed on all sides.
It looked like it would be pitch black even in the middle of the day. Still, it was a design fitting for the Goddess of Darkness and Rest.
'I suppose funerals are held here too?'
As the Goddess of Rest, Mora also presided over funerals. Even the followers of Luminous didn't object to Mora's priests conducting funeral rites.
In fact, if a follower of Luminous tried to interfere, Mora wouldn't even have to act; Luminous himself would harshly scold them. Thanks to this, the jurisdictions of the two orders were strictly separated.
"Welcome. Welcome to the sanctuary of Lady Mora."
As soon as we entered the somewhat dark temple, a priestess greeted us warmly. she was a beauty with drooping eyes and a languid impression—and, naturally, a Demon.
While the habits of Luminous's followers were based on white, Mora's were very similar to the nun habits of my previous life. However, the black was even deeper, almost ink-like.
I bowed politely to the priestess, who looked somewhat sleepy.
"Hello. I've come to offer a prayer to Lady Mora. Are there private chapels available?"
"Of course. It will be 5 silver."
"I will wait outside while you pray."
Gartz paid the 5 silver to the priestess and moved outside the temple. I followed the priestess, looking around the dark interior.
The atmosphere suited the title of Goddess of Darkness and Rest, but it wasn't completely sealed off from light. Small holes allowed enough light to leak in so one could distinguish what was ahead.
Furthermore, candles were lit in various places, giving it an eerie feeling in many ways. Yet, strangely, it felt comfortable—as if I could fall asleep immediately if there were only a bed.
"This is the chapel. If it's too dark, you may light the candles, so please do as you find comfortable."
"Thank you."
"It's my first time seeing a human pray to Lady Mora. I hope you have a peaceful time."
The languid priestess bowed her head and firmly closed the chapel door. As soon as the door shut, I looked around Mora's private chapel.
Unlike Luminous's, it was a world of darkness, save for the light leaking through the tiny holes. Just as the priestess had said, several candles stood before the statue of Mora.
Unlike her twin brother Luminous, Mora had a tomboyish and innocent personality, which was reflected in her statue. While her brother wore a benevolent smile, the key point of Mora's statue was the way the corners of her mouth were pulled up in a wide grin.
However, the effort put into the carving was evident, allowing one to guess her beauty even from the stone. Since Demons were well-versed in the arts, they had clearly carved the deity they served with great care.
'I don't really need to light the candles right now.'
I figured I could just position myself where the light leaked from the holes and pray. I slowly knelt on the floor, just as I had done for Luminous.
The atmosphere was 180 degrees different, which made it a bit awkward, but the method of prayer should be the same. I folded my hands neatly and closed my eyes.
'...Lady Mora? Are you there...?'
[YOU'RE HERE!!! You're finally here!! What took you so long!!]
Whoa, startled me.