Chapter 164: A Night in Helion(1)
Chapter 164: A Night in Helion(1)
I wonder if I could have maintained my composure if I hadn't received divine power from Mora before heading to Helium. The thought crossed my mind suddenly.
Cecile chose to walk slowly toward the royal palace instead of teleporting, and she never once let go of my arm. We walked together, sharing intimate conversation like a couple that had only recently started dating.
I used the divine power I’d received from Mora to steady my racing heart. Besides, I had grown somewhat accustomed to Cecile’s physical affection, so I was at least able to handle it.
Of course, that didn't mean I wasn't excited. The deep curve of her cleavage constantly drew my gaze, and the aura radiating from her was far from ordinary.
I wasn't sure if I should call it pheromones or a sultry allure, but the atmosphere around her was several times thicker and more cloying than usual. I had a strong premonition that if I let myself fall for it, I would never be able to escape.
'And now her horns have turned completely red.'
Except for the very tips, Cecile’s horns were saturated with a deep crimson. This meant that her lust cycle was approaching, and she would soon be unable to properly control her desires.
I wondered if she could maintain her self-restraint until tonight. She was wearing the old necklace I’d seen during the last exhibition, but one could never be too sure. It might not be enough to hold her back this time, so I had to stay on guard.
How long had we been walking like that? Before I knew it, we had arrived in front of Helium’s royal castle.
"We're here already. I wanted to walk a bit longer."
"I know. It’s a shame."
"If it’s a shame, should we walk a bit more?"
Cecile pressed her chest even tighter against my arm, her voice low and suggestive. I was tempted for a moment, but I exercised my self-control. As much as I wanted to talk more with her, the night was deep, and we would have plenty of time once we were inside the castle.
"No. Your parents must be waiting, so let’s go inside."
"Tch. Fine."
At first, Cecile clicked her tongue and expressed her disappointment.
"The night is long anyway, isn't it?"
"... ..."
"And we don't necessarily have to talk outside."
When I leaned in and whispered softly into her ear, the corners of her mouth curled upward. She even squeezed my arm tighter.
I looked at Cecile, whose ears had turned bright red even in the dark of night, thinking how cute she was, and then I took in the sight of Helium’s royal palace. Now that my eyes had adjusted to the darkness, I could make out its general appearance.
While the Imperial Palace of the Minerva Empire was flashy and glittering as if plated in gold, making it easy to see even at night, Helium’s royal palace was modest.
Historically, the position of 'King' in Helium was established exactly 2,000 years ago. Unlike humans, they had steadily maintained their place from then until now, so perhaps being modest was only natural.
However, having endured for over a millennium, it looked incredibly sturdy. In fact, it looked more like a royal castle—a fortress merged with a palace—than a simple royal residence.
'But are there no guards?'
Even as we approached the main gate, I didn't see any guards on duty. Or perhaps it was just so dark that I couldn't see them.
Only the lanterns lining the path beyond the gate provided any light; the rest of Helium’s royal castle was generally dark and eerie. It wouldn't have been surprising if a ghost popped out at any moment.
"Why are you looking around like that? Is it strange that there are no guards?"
"Yeah. Usually, security would be tight, wouldn't it?"
"Don't worry. They're just hidden in the shadows. Security is actually very tight."
"Hidden in the shadows? Like stealth?"
"It’s not stealth; they’re just wearing black clothes, so they’re hard to see. Carrying a lantern would just be advertising where you are, wouldn't it? You only carry a lantern when you can't see what's in front of you, but for us demons, darkness is meaningless."
I always thought this, but demons were an incredibly overpowered race, comparable to elves. In some aspects, they were even more exceptional than elves, making humans seem utterly insignificant by comparison.
It was a good thing demons were friendly toward humans; if they ever decided to go to war, wouldn't it end in a crushing defeat for humanity? It was a great relief that such a thing wasn't happening.
Creeeeeak—
As we neared the main gate, the iron doors swung wide open like an automatic door. I looked to both sides to see if there was someone specifically opening the doors, but I saw nothing but pitch-black darkness.
As I tilted my head in confusion, Cecile explained from beside me.
"This is a magic gate. It’s hard to see now because it’s night, but there’s a device in the center of the gate. It recognizes me and opens the doors."
"What about other people?"
"People who live in the palace or visit frequently usually show a token. Think of it like a key."
Magic truly was limitless. The reason some inventions seemed out of place for the era was precisely because of this magic.
I watched the doors begin to slowly close and realized that Gartz had disappeared. It seemed he had hidden himself for a moment since Cecile was with me.
After that, we began heading toward the main entrance, using the lanterns along the path as our only source of light. I didn't forget to ask questions along the way.
"Can all demons hide in the darkness like dark elves?"
"It’s possible, but it consumes a lot of mana and isn't as perfect as a dark elf's. The stealth dark elves use completely assimilates them with their surroundings, making them hard to catch even with presence detection."
"I see. I thought it would be a given since both races worship Lady Mora."
"There’s a reason elves are the race chosen by the gods. But since she grants us peaceful nights and rest, we aren't jealous."
"You pray every day, don't you, Noona? Once when you wake up, and once before you go to bed."
"Yes. You remember well. Originally, my prayer before bed was to give thanks for a peaceful rest tonight, but I think it might be a little different this time."
"What kind of prayer?"
"Mmm~"
When I asked, Cecile let out a sultry hum and looked at me. There was a reddish tint in her eyes, which were curved like crescent moons.
Then, she provocatively licked her lips and spoke in a voice laced with desire.
"Should I tell you now? Or should I show you later tonight?"
"Um... show me later. It won't be fun if I know beforehand."
"All right. You can look forward to it."
I wondered what kind of prayer it was that I should look forward to it. I looked at Cecile with a bitter smile, as if she were beyond help.
Cecile seemed truly excited for that moment, smiling brightly as she leaned her face against my shoulder.
Poke!
"Ow!"
"O-Oh my. I-I'm sorry. Are you okay?"
"Ow, ow... No, I'm fine. They're surprisingly sharp at the tips."
A minor mishap occurred where she poked my arm with her horn. Fortunately, I was wearing thick clothes, so no actual injury occurred.
I reassured Cecile, who looked genuinely apologetic. As I comforted her, we reached the main entrance of the palace at the end of the path.
Befitting demons who were well-versed in the arts, the palace doors were beautifully carved. At the very top, a woman presumed to be Mora was ascending, and below her, demons were in the act of prayer.
Since the lanterns faintly illuminated the main entrance, I was able to take a closer look.
Clack—
As I stood there looking at the carvings on the door, the main entrance began to slowly open with a clicking sound. It was my first time being invited to a royal palace rather than a mansion, so I was a bit nervous.
Above all, I would soon have to meet Cecile’s parents. Cecile had said she would put in a good word for me, but I couldn't help being nervous.
No matter if I was the author of Xenon’s Biography, the fact remained that I was meeting my girlfriend’s parents for the first time.
Creeeeeak—
Finally, the main entrance of the palace was fully opened. The first thing that caught my eye was the color red. A red carpet was spread across the entire floor.
Beyond that, there were stairs leading to the upper floors and various corridors, but there was one person waiting behind the main entrance.
She wasn't a maid, but a woman wearing a modest red dress and a gentle smile.
Her beautiful features and the figure revealed despite the dress caught my eye, but the most striking thing was undoubtedly her face, which looked exactly like Cecile’s.
While Cecile had bangs, the woman before me had her forehead fully exposed and was wearing a silver circlet.
"Welcome. You must be tired after your long journey."
Just as I was guessing who she might be, the woman politely bowed her head and offered a greeting. While Cecile had an alluring and sexy voice, the demon woman before me had a voice mixed with maturity.
Then, she straightened her back and introduced herself in a calm tone.
"My name is Aisilia Drat bin. I am the Queen of Helium. It is an honor to host the benefactor of the demons."
As expected, she was Cecile’s mother and the Queen of Helium. In fact, it wasn't hard to guess because they looked so much alike I could have mistaken them for twins. Cecile had mentioned before that she was an only child.
"I am Isaac Ducard Maishal of the Minerva Empire. It is an honor to meet the Queen of Helium."
Once her introduction was finished, I greeted her politely according to etiquette. Seeing as she called me the benefactor of the demons and there wasn't a single maid accompanying her, it seemed she had already been briefed.
Queen Aisilia nodded at my greeting and spoke in a gentle tone.
"As I’ve heard, your red hair and golden eyes are quite charming."
"Thank you. You are also beautiful, Your Majesty."
"Hoho. Thank you. Have you had dinner yet?"
"No. I haven't eaten yet."
"That’s perfect, then. First, let’s go meet my husband."
The fact that she referred to him as 'husband' rather than 'King' suggested that this was more of a private meeting. After all, even if I was officially invited, I was here primarily as Cecile’s boyfriend.
As Aisilia began to lead the way, Cecile and I slowly followed behind her. Cecile didn't seem to have any intention of letting go of my arm even inside the palace, keeping her hold on me even in front of Aisilia.
"I heard from my daughter. You've been a great help to her at Halo Academy?"
"I don't think I've particularly helped her much..."
"A truly good person often doesn't remember the good deeds they've done. Only the recipient remembers them."
When had I ever helped Cecile? Honestly, I didn't remember well. Before I revealed that I was Xenon, our relationship was just that of a mischievous older sister and a younger brother who was easy to tease.
I could only assume Cecile had spoken highly of me. Even if she told me, there was a good chance I wouldn't realize it.
While following Aisilia, I diligently scanned the interior of the palace. Unlike the exterior, which looked somewhat ordinary and even worn, the interior perfectly reflected the unique atmosphere of the demons.
The floors were unified with red carpets, and now that it was evening, the reliance on candlelight alone gave it an eerie feeling. It seemed to be because I had become so accustomed to the darkness that I could distinguish what was ahead even with a small amount of light.
It might look different to a demon, but to me, a human, it was enough to feel a bit scary. The stillness and the heavy silence were at a level where it wouldn't be strange if something popped out right now.
Even the paintings installed on the corridor walls looked as if they might wriggle and come to life.
"By the way, Isaac. I have something I'm curious about. May I ask?"
"Yes? Oh, yes, of course. You may."
"You said you had no connection with demons until you met Cecile, right?"
"Yes."
"Then I was curious why you described them that way in Xenon’s Biography. As you know, before Xenon’s Biography appeared, demons were considered nothing more and nothing less than devils."
Aisilia asked, turning her head slightly. In fact, I had received questions similar to that countless times.
I received it first from my parents, then from Mari, and finally from Cecile. I knew that Cecile, being a demon, had asked in even more detail.
The problem was that I didn't remember exactly what I had said then. I thought for a moment and then answered honestly.
Or rather, I was about to.
"Could it be..."
"Yes?"
"Are you someone from the future, as the rumors say?"
"... ..."
To think I would hear those words from Cecile’s mother. While I was debating how to respond out of sheer absurdity, Aisilia spoke calmly.
"Actually, if it weren't for that, it would be almost impossible for someone not even twenty years old, like you, to have such thoughts. Was it fifty years ago? I once saw a human child only five years old pointing a finger at a demon and calling them a devil. Prejudice is a terrifying thing."
"That’s true."
"But you saw us demons through a different lens. Especially when Volume 5 of Xenon’s Biography came out, you were only sixteen. That means you wrote it during your time as a 'little devil'—or in human terms, during puberty. It’s only natural to wonder... if it’s even possible to write such things during a time of emotional turmoil."
Indeed, until the 'Why Is This Real?' streak happened three times in a row, the world had assumed Xenon was a wise sage with a wealth of life experience. Not only because of the writing style, but because the incidents in Xenon’s Biography would be almost impossible to write without diverse experiences.
However, the memories of my past life were vividly etched in my mind. A soul that had crossed over from another dimension due to a mistake here.
I had lived in the sea of information known as the internet and had indirectly experienced various other civilizations. It was only natural that my perspective was more diverse than that of the people here.
Of course, I couldn't just tell her the truth. After listening to Aisilia’s story and thinking for a long time, I asked her back.
"I see. Then, Your Majesty, do you believe I am from the future?"
"I'm keeping that possibility in mind. Of course, only you and the gods know the truth."
"First, I can tell you for certain that I am not."
"I see. Then, Cecile, what do you think?"
Aisilia then asked for Cecile’s opinion. Cecile, who was still holding my arm, lifted her face from my shoulder and looked up at me.
I also looked straight into her blood-red eyes. Her cheeks, faintly tinged with a reddish hue, and her sparkling eyes exuded a charm that felt like I was being drawn in.
She stared at me for a long time, then smiled brightly, hugged my arm tightly, and answered vigorously.
"I don't care what it is, Mom."
"Is that so?"
"Yes. There’s no need to think about it so complicatedly, is there?"
Having said that, Cecile continued in a thick, sultry voice.
"He’s going to be my man soon anyway."
"... ..."
"I don't want to think about complicated things right now."
She really has been completely consumed by desire. As I looked at Cecile’s eyes, which were starting to take on a heart-shaped glow, and gave a bitter smile, Aisilia muttered softly in front of us.
"Is Lilith really our daughter...?"
No, she isn't.