Chapter 23: Human(2)
Chapter 23: Human(2)
During my time at the Academy, I discovered one thing: Cecile possessed a playful, almost mischievous personality. While she had been the epitome of a polite princess when she used formal speech with me, she had been teasing me relentlessly ever since we switched to informal terms.
"You can be honest. I know I'm beautiful. That's why you were staring at my face earlier, right?"
"...I told you, that's not it."
"Then why is your face so red?"
It was the same even after the anthropology lecture ended. Cecile’s teasing didn't stop as we headed toward the school cafeteria. She seemed determined to hear the answer from my own lips, prodding me with a soft, lilting voice.
I could feel my face turning beet-red with every word she spoke, but I denied it as much as possible. I knew that if I admitted it, I couldn't even begin to imagine what kind of teasing would follow.
When I continued to deny it to the end, Cecile made a face as if she truly couldn't understand.
"You called me 'Noona' so easily last time, so why won't you answer me now? I just don't get it."
"That was then, and this is now. Besides, people are watching."
Just as I said, I could see students whispering to each other nearby. It wasn't just me being hypersensitive; even a quick glance around confirmed that many students' eyes were fixed squarely on us.
Naturally, it was because of how friendly Cecile was being toward me. Her appearance was striking enough on its own, but Cecile was also the Princess of Helium. Having been a person of interest since the entrance ceremony, it was only natural for people to be curious.
And such a person was acting close with some random male student no one had ever heard of? It was only natural for all sorts of rumors to spread throughout the Academy. About three weeks had passed since the entrance ceremony, and since there weren't many Liberal Arts students compared to those in Martial Studies, the rumors had likely already spread as far as they could.
I haven't run into any major problems yet, but...
Since I have ears, I had a vague idea of what my current reputation was. To the professors, I was a person of interest; to my fellow students, I was that "obnoxious redhead." These were all things I had overheard by chance in the cafeteria.
For now, it seemed they were just watching me because of Cecile and Lina, but there was no telling when things might explode. The students at Halo Academy were adolescents who weren't yet emotionally mature, and many were the prideful children of noble families. I didn't have to look far—that guy Jackson already clearly disliked me.
"...You're right."
Cecile seemed to grasp the atmosphere only after hearing my words. Judging by the slight frown on her face, she didn't seem very pleased. Still, as Cecile looked around, the whispering died down.
I watched her reaction and then made a cautious suggestion.
"If it's uncomfortable, I can walk separately."
"No. This much is fine. This sort of thing happened all the time in Helium, too."
"Aren't there no nobles in Helium besides the King?"
"Even if they aren't nobles, it's not like there aren't ways to keep the King in check."
Cecile gave a vague answer with a bright smile. It seemed to be a matter I wasn't supposed to know about. Of course, it wasn't that I didn't understand.
When I nodded as if I understood, a faint smile played on her lips. It was close to a look of gratitude for not prying, but a moment later, her smile deepened, and a mischievous glint began to overflow. I realized my mistake, but it was already too late.
"So, about that answer from before? When are you going to give it to me?"
"..."
"If you keep your mouth shut like that, I might do something strange, you know?"
In the end, I had no choice but to surrender. I covered my face with one hand and spoke with an air of resignation.
"Yes. You're incredibly beautiful. Out of everyone I've seen so far, you're the prettiest, Cecile-ssi."
"You're supposed to call me Cecile Noona, right?"
"...Cecile Noona."
"Hehe. Thanks. It feels a bit like I'm forcing it out of you, but hearing it from Isaac feels new."
"Phew..."
Now my face felt like it was about to explode. I let out a deep sigh, trying to vent the heat rising from within. Even so, it showed no signs of subsiding, which was quite embarrassing.
Regardless, Cecile giggled like a young girl, her laughter tickling my ears. Was teasing me really that much fun? It was hard for me to understand.
"Sorry. Your reaction is just so funny I can't stop."
"...My reaction is funny?"
"Yeah."
"Then it won't be fun if I don't react at all, right?"
"Give it a try."
"...I'm sorry."
As expected, I had no leverage whatsoever. Once I tucked my tail, Cecile let out a soft chuckle and spoke more gently than before.
"Isaac."
"Yes."
"Is there anything you're curious about regarding Demons?"
"Why do you ask?"
When I asked back, Cecile brought up what had happened during the anthropology class.
"Earlier, you asked why the Elf population is so small. So I wondered if you weren't curious about Demons."
"No, I have plenty of things I'm curious about."
"Then why don't you ask?"
Cecile tilted her head, her tone suggesting she didn't understand. I looked into her eyes for a moment before answering quietly.
"Because I'm afraid I might make a mistake."
"A mistake?"
"Yes."
Demons were a race that had been persecuted by all other races for over several hundred years. That was why I was a bit cautious about asking Cecile, of all people, questions related to Demons. If I accidentally touched upon a painful subject, things would surely become awkward for both of us.
One might call it a lack of courage, but by my standards, it was a form of consideration. At the very least, one shouldn't poke at another person's wounds if they want to maintain a smooth relationship. This was why I was quietly putting up with Cecile's mischievous teasing without pushing back.
"...Right. Isaac, you've always been a very considerate boy."
Cecile seemed to understand my feelings, murmuring with a satisfied smile. Then, she spoke to me as if she were granting a grand favor.
"It's okay. You can ask me anything."
"Really?"
"Yeah. Because it's you, Isaac. I know you won't have any ill intent."
"If you say so..."
My voice trailed off as I looked around. While we were talking, we had arrived at the cafeteria, which didn't have many students. Most of them went off-campus to eat.
I picked up an empty tray and asked Cecile a question. It was something I had always been curious about, so I was a bit excited.
"What purpose do those horns serve?"
"Huh? My horns?"
"Yes."
Hearing my question, Cecile fiddled with the horns that curved upward from her temples. The higher the horns went, the more intense their red hue became.
Along with black mana, horns were a characteristic that could be called the symbol of a Demon. However, there had been no proper research into Demon horns, and they were surrounded by all sorts of bizarre rumors.
For instance, that mana was concentrated in a Demon's horns, or that they were simply a symbol of the devil, and so on. Because of this, I had hardly been able to write anything about horns in the Xenon Biography.
"Hmm..."
Cecile began to pile food onto her tray, perhaps organizing her thoughts. I waited for her to answer as I added food to my own tray, one item at a time.
By the time we found an empty spot and sat down, Cecile, who was sitting across from me, gave her answer.
"I guess you could say they indicate my menstrual cycle?"
"...Excuse me?"
Clatter—
It was such a shocking answer that I dropped the fork I had been using to pick up food. For a moment, I couldn't tell if she was being serious or joking. But unlike my internal state, Cecile's face remained perfectly calm.
Through this, I realized she wasn't joking; she was serious.
Even as I stared at her with a dumbfounded expression, Cecile continued as if it were no big deal.
"As you know, Demons are descendants of devils. And devils are, quite literally, the embodiment of 'desire.' Because of this, we Demons have periods where it's difficult to control our desires at specific intervals. This phenomenon is called the 'Evil Cycle,' but while men call it that, women usually just consider it their period. Ironically, the timing overlaps with menstruation."
"..."
It certainly made sense to call it a menstrual cycle. Thanks to that, my frozen brain gradually calmed down enough to think. However, I couldn't help the heat rising to my face.
I cleared my throat to shake off the thoughts in my head and moved on to another question.
"Then how do you endure it? I wouldn't know since I'm a human male, but I've heard that women feel like their stomachs are being torn apart during their periods."
"Usually, we calm ourselves through meditation. And recently, medicine has been invented, so it's not a big problem."
"What if someone provokes you during the Evil Cycle? Do you become a devil?"
"No. You don't become a devil just because of the Evil Cycle. Demons usually become devils when they experience a terrible tragedy. Like losing a beloved partner right before their eyes, or being betrayed by a friend they trusted."
Cecile spoke as she poked a piece of cut meat with her fork and put it in her mouth.
"Well, as you said, we do become as violent as devils. Especially the women."
"That's the same for humans."
"Really? I heard earlier that humans have periods once a month. That must be so hard. For Demons, it's once every six months."
Did long-lived species have longer cycles? Both Elves and Demons had incredibly long cycles. Or perhaps it was humans and Beastkin whose cycles were abnormally short.
With my curiosity growing, I hurried to the next question. Learning about what kind of race Demons were was more important than the meal.
"Then does it mean the cycle is approaching as the horns grow longer?"
"No. The horns don't grow; this red part just covers the entire horn."
Cecile tapped the upper part of her horns, which were stained red as if painted. Currently, about a quarter of them were covered in red.
I should definitely make sure never to provoke her when her horns are completely red.
There was no telling what kind of disaster might occur if I did. I chewed the food in my mouth and followed up with another question.
"What happens if a horn is cut off?"
"It restores itself quickly. And there's no sensation even if it's cut."
"There's no feeling in the horns themselves?"
"Yeah."
"Then, if you don't mind, may I touch them once?"
"...Eh? You... you want to touch my horns?"
Cecile's reaction to my question was quite strange. Her eyes widened, she stammered, and a faint blush appeared on her cheeks. She was clearly showing that she felt embarrassed.
I tilted my head at her unusual reaction, only to realize belatedly that it was a sensitive topic. If she was that embarrassed, there was bound to be a significant meaning behind it. And my guess was spot on.
"Well... sorry. For a Demon, touching someone's horns is an act of affection between lovers. It means 'I can love you even if you become a devil.'"
"Oh... that's romantic."
"I-is it? Romantic... that's the first time I've heard that from a human, not a Demon."
Cecile scratched her cheek sheepishly. It was a completely different side of her from the way she usually teased me, so it felt fresh.
Thanks to this, I've got something to add.
This was information that could add depth to the story of Jin and Lily, who were in the middle of a poignant love line in the Xenon Biography.
Since Jin was a knight solely for Lily, when he knelt on one knee to show his respect, Lily would stroke his horns. Then Jin would look up at Lily in surprise. There could be no story in this world as sad as the love between a Demon and a priest.
Of course, in the final stages, I planned to have Jin appear as the final boss without fail. I felt sorry for my mother, but because there were too many foreshadowings and plot hooks already laid out, it was difficult to change the ending. If it really came down to it, I planned to release a side story.
Just before the atmosphere turned awkward, I swallowed all the food in my mouth and spoke to Cecile.
"Cecile Noona, is there anything you're curious about regarding humans?"
"H-huh? Something I'm curious about regarding humans?"
"Yes. It felt a bit one-sided for only me to be asking. If you have anything you're curious about, please ask."
"Humans, huh..."
Fortunately, I managed to steer away from the awkward atmosphere. I quietly ate my food until Cecile spoke. Cecile also began to continue her meal, perhaps organizing her thoughts.
Step, step, step—
Just then, a familiar face entered my field of vision. As I chewed my food and shifted my gaze, I saw Leona, the beauty with the stern expression, walking some distance away.
I hadn't noticed before because I wasn't interested, but unlike the other female students, Leona was wearing pants. Despite her pretty face, her expression was so stiff and sharp that she looked like a male student from afar.
Does she not have any friends? Why is she sitting so far away?
Despite there being few students in the cafeteria, Leona sat particularly far apart. In fact, she stood out even more because there was no one around her.
As I rested my chin on my hand and chewed, Leona, who had taken a seat, let out a deep sigh as if she had some sort of worry. And then...
Twitch—
Suddenly, something twitched and popped up from the top of her head. Not just one, but two things.
Unfortunately, because my eyesight wasn't that great, I couldn't make an accurate identification. However, I could tell that something had definitely popped up on top of her head.
"...!"
Leona also seemed to realize that something had popped up on her head and hurriedly placed her hands over them. Her stiff expression vanished instantly, replaced by a look of sheer panic that was quite a sight to behold.
I blinked and rubbed my eyes, wondering if I had seen wrong. When I rubbed my eyes and looked back at Leona, she was eating her meal with her usual expressionless face, as if she had never been flustered.
While I was staring intently at Leona, Cecile, who had finished organizing her thoughts, called my name.
"Isaac?"
"...Ah. Yes, yes. Noona."
"You seemed to be spacing out for a moment. I thought of a question, can I ask?"
"Yes. You can ask."
With my permission, Cecile asked in a tone of genuine curiosity.
"What do you think is the reason humans were able to become the center of the world?"
"The reason we were able to become the center?"
"Yeah. I heard about it in the lecture, but I'm curious about your opinion."
"Hmm..."
It was a rather complex question to answer. Even on Earth, where there were only humans, they were a race that couldn't be easily defined. Because, in the end, it was humans who were judging humans. But ironically, that was why an objective explanation was possible.
Still, one thing was certain. Humans were beings who could become infinitely good, but also infinitely malicious. One only had to think of the fierce debates between the theories of innate goodness and innate evil.
However, that was the standard for Earth; this world had to be viewed from a slightly different perspective.
Out of habit, I rubbed my writer's callus with my thumb and glanced at Cecile. She was staring at me intently, as if waiting for my answer.
I stopped rubbing my callus and spoke quietly.
"I'll say this in advance, but this is just my subjective opinion, so you don't need to take it too seriously. There are many professors with more life experience than me."
"It's okay. You can tell me."
"Yes. Well..."
I paused mid-sentence and looked behind Cecile. Leona, who had been eating alone, had her gaze fixed exactly on me.
I wondered if she had heard our conversation even from that distance, but I decided that wasn't the case. Our voices weren't loud, and the distance was quite far. So, I didn't mind and continued what I was saying.
"...The reason humans were able to become the center of this world is simple. It's because humans are so stupid, reckless, and foolish."
Twitch—
As soon as I said those words, those strange things popped up from Leona's head once again.