Chapter 99: Highlight(1)
Chapter 99: Highlight(1)
To cut straight to the chase... I got motion sickness and puked. I kept going until every last bit of food in my stomach had seen the light of day.
It was all because the gravity had suddenly vanished, and Cecile, thinking she was being funny, started playing with me like a toy. As she flicked her fingers this way and that, my body tossed and turned in every direction, up, down, left, and right, as if I were on a wild carnival ride.
Cecile was used to it because she used magic, but for me, it was a first. My body simply couldn't handle it.
"Ugh..."
"I'm so sorry. Are you... are you okay?"
As I dry-heaved, my face a pale shade of green, Cecile hovered over me with a worried expression. Having a beauty so stunning she could make anyone's head spin worry over me felt nice, but it didn't change my condition.
My head was spinning, and my stomach was doing somersaults. I’d probably feel better after resting at the mansion for a bit, but I’d have to give up on seeing the exhibition until the highlight event.
"...I think I need to go back to the mansion and rest."
"I apologize again. I’d love to cast a recovery spell on you, but since I'm a demon..."
"Demons can't use recovery magic?"
"We can, but only on other demons. As you know, black mana is the power of devils. If I used it on any other race, the side effects would be disastrous."
As she explained, black mana was the exclusive domain of devils—an energy completely antithetical to the divine power used by priests.
While divine power provides beneficial effects to all races except demons, black mana has a negative impact just by coming into contact with it.
Recovery magic was no different, but I wondered how the levitation spell from earlier had worked.
"Then that spell from before..."
"Levitation is different. It doesn't involve circulating mana through the body like recovery magic does."
Magic truly was a mysterious and fascinating power. Since I was ignorant about the specifics of magic, I hadn't been able to describe it in detail in the Xenon Biography, but I felt like I could soon.
To do that, I’d need the help of someone with deep knowledge of magic, like Cecile. However, being a demon, she’d probably explain it in terms of "feeling" rather than formulas.
'For now, let's just get back to the mansion...'
I had rinsed my mouth with water, but it still felt gross. Specifically, that unpleasant squeaky sensation on my teeth after vomiting was incredibly annoying.
I smacked my lips, tasting the lingering bitterness, and slowly lifted my head. I met Cecile's eyes, which were filled with genuine concern.
She must have felt guilty, having intended it as a fun prank only for it to end like this. I forced a smile to show her I was okay.
"...I'll head back to the mansion first. What about you, Sister?"
"I'll go with you. At the very least, I should take responsibility—"
"Who's taking responsibility for what?"
In the middle of Cecile's sentence, a sharp, feminine voice pierced the air. Both of us turned our heads simultaneously.
There stood my lovely girlfriend, Mari, glaring at us with her arms crossed.
She looked back and forth between the two of us, but when she saw how pale I was, her eyes widened. The sharp, cat-like edge in her gaze vanished instantly, replaced by worry.
"Why do you look so pale? Are you sick?"
Mari brushed past Cecile as if she weren't even there and hurried to support me. As she held me up, I stole a glance at Cecile's expression.
She maintained a poker face, making it even harder to read her thoughts.
However, when our eyes met, she immediately looked apologetic and turned to Mari to explain.
"Sorry. I played a prank on him, but I didn't account for the racial differences."
"What kind of prank?"
Cecile explained the situation in detail, though she omitted the part about meeting Arwen.
"...No wonder he's throwing up."
Mari muttered, looking exasperated after hearing the whole story. Then, she stroked my cheek with her soft hand.
Perhaps it was thanks to her gentle, warm touch, but I felt a bit better, though a slight dizziness remained.
Mari fussed over me for a while, stroking my cheek under the guise of concern, before speaking to Cecile.
"Is that what you meant by taking responsibility? Going back to the mansion with Isaac?"
"Yes."
"Then let's go back together. We've seen most of what there is to see anyway. Besides, the highlight doesn't start until evening."
As Mari said, the true start of a festival is after the sun goes down. It was noisy now, but the atmosphere would only heat up further once evening arrived.
It didn't matter if we viewed the exhibited works in the evening either. While there was a separate highlight event, the exhibits would remain, so we wouldn't miss out.
"Alright. We can grab dinner while we're at it. Can you stand?"
"I think I'm okay now."
I was still a bit dizzy, but I figured I’d recover once I got back to the mansion and rested. I could spend the time reading the new books I’d bought.
I managed to suppress my nausea and started walking. Mari stayed by my side, supporting me in case I tripped.
But I wasn't sure if she was doing it unconsciously or on purpose, but she kept pulling my arm toward her chest. Thanks to that, I could vividly feel a soft, pillowy sensation.
Was I embarrassed?
Of course not. Quite the opposite, actually.
I’d been subjected to this so often that I didn't just let it slide anymore; I was at the point where I could actually enjoy it.
Of course, if Cecile had done it, my conscience would have pricked me and my body would have gone stiff, but Mari was my girlfriend. I could handle this much without a fuss.
Still, I felt I should say something for the sake of politeness. Feeling my arm practically buried in her cleavage, I called out to her softly.
"Mari?"
"Yeah?"
"I can... feel a lot of things right now."
"I heard guys like this kind of thing?"
It was both sad and happy that I couldn't deny it. While I was grappling with those ironic emotions, Mari continued with her signature beaming smile.
"And since you're a pervert, you like it even more, don't you?"
"Why am I a pervert?"
"Your lips are twitching."
"...Anyway, Cecile is right next to us, so try not to say things like that if you can help it."
"Then stay glued to me. Like this!"
Mari gripped my arm and pulled hard. Naturally, my body leaned into hers, and we were pressed tightly together.
I was briefly startled by her bold move, and then I glanced at Cecile. I was slightly worried she might feel uncomfortable, but...
"Mmm-hmm."
Contrary to my expectations, Cecile let out a sultry hum and curled the corners of her mouth upward. The mischievous glint in her eyes triggered a sense of unease in me.
Mari must have felt the same, as she hugged my arm even tighter, as if refusing to let go. My arm was now completely buried between her breasts.
Then, Cecile looked back and forth between the two of us and gently reached out to grab my other arm, which was still relatively free. She spoke in a slightly breathless voice.
"Is this how you do it?"
Squish—
Just as Mari had done, Cecile buried my arm between her own breasts. Both of my arms began to scream for help (or joy) from between the bosoms of two beautiful women.
As I felt the similar yet distinct sensations perfectly, I squeezed my eyes shut and prayed to God. I begged Him to stop my male instincts from surfacing.
But I couldn't stop my lips from twitching. In the end, I lowered my head to hide my expression.
"Hey! Let go of him right now!"
"Why? I'm just playing a prank, just like you."
"This is something only couples do! You did this during the last event too, calling it an endurance test!"
"That was then, and this is just a prank now. I couldn't help myself because you kept doing it right next to me."
"You...!"
I wasn't sure if the sparks flying between Mari and Cecile were a hallucination or exactly what they looked like. The problem was that I was caught right in the middle.
As I was being dragged along by them like a puppet with its strings cut, I stole a glance at Cecile.
Because my head was lowered, her breasts, boasting an overwhelming presence, were right in my line of sight. My arm, on the verge of suffocation, was wedged between them.
When I shifted my gaze further up, I saw Cecile's seductive face. Even her two horns were turning increasingly red.
'She looks like she's reaching her limit...'
Cecile seemed particularly mischievous today. I looked away from her and toward the other side.
There was Mari's pretty face, glaring at Cecile like a cat with its fur standing on end. Seeing her so jealous only made her look cuter.
Still, I had a feeling I’d get an earful later. I lowered my head again and walked slowly.
'I'm really living the dream...'
It wasn't until we reached the mansion that my arms were finally freed.
"Isaac. Follow me."
"Why?"
"...Never mind. I'll just bite you here. Nom!"
"Ow!"
I got a "confirmation stamp" in the form of a bite from Mari.
*
After getting my cheek bitten and then sharing a kiss, I was finally able to escape Mari's embrace.
...To be honest, I think I enjoyed it enough to hug her for thirty minutes. Truly, there is no medicine as sweet or effective as a hug from one's lover.
Anyway, I returned to my bedroom to rest. On the way, I briefly ran into Adelia and Nicole.
The dizziness had improved during the walk back, but my stomach was still a mess, so rest was essential.
"Whew."
I drank some cold water to settle my stomach and lay down on the bed. The experience of flying through the sky was a first for me, and just thinking about it made me dizzy.
It felt like my equilibrium had been shattered. It was an experience that was beyond new—it was spectacular.
'It would have been nice if she hadn't played that prank.'
There was no better view than looking down at the town from the sky. I thought about asking her again later, but knowing Cecile's personality, she’d likely pull another prank.
More importantly, Cecile's behavior lately felt a bit strange, making me hesitant to ask. The deepening red glow of her horns meant her demonic cycle was approaching, and the red had already overtaken most of the black on her horns.
Did the approaching demonic cycle make her more prone to following her desires? She had likely passed through many cycles over her hundred-plus years of life, but I couldn't help but worry.
"Up we go."
No point in worrying about it now. I hopped out of bed and walked over to my desk.
I had some personal downtime until dinner, so I figured I’d spend it reading. I had the books I’d just bought at the bookstore, so those would do.
Mari said she was going to stay with her family in the guest room to touch up her makeup, so I could enjoy some peace and quiet.
Knock, knock, knock.
"Isaac. It's me. Can I come in?"
I was just about to sit down and start reading. Along with the knock, Cecile's voice drifted through the door.
Come to think of it, before we entered the mansion, Cecile had asked if she could visit my bedroom for a moment. I didn't mind, so I had readily agreed.
I set the book down on the desk and gave her permission.
"Come in."
"Pardon the intrusion."
Click—
Once granted entry, Cecile opened the door and stepped inside. Her guard knight, Gartz, was nowhere to be seen; she was alone.
I stood up as she entered. Mari had been in my room once before, but this was Cecile's first time.
It felt better for me, the owner of the room, to show her around rather than just sitting there.
"Oh, there's no need to stand. I can come to you."
As I stood up, Cecile held out a hand to stop me. Unlike before, she was using formal speech.
I blinked, caught in a half-standing position. Now that I thought about it, she had said something like this back at the Academy.
That when we were alone, she would speak formally out of respect. I had completely forgotten since we hadn't been alone recently.
"So this is where my benefactor rests."
Once I straightened up, Cecile looked around the bedroom and offered her impression. To a princess of Helium, it must have looked like an incredibly ordinary room.
Feeling a bit self-conscious, I rubbed the back of my neck. As Cecile scanned the room, her gaze fixed on my desk. On it sat a book and a stack of unused manuscript paper.
"And you wrote the Xenon Biography here until you entered the Academy. Is that right?"
"Yes."
"I thought so. This place..."
Cecile's eyes sparkled as she walked toward the desk. As she approached, I remembered something I wanted to show her and leaned down.
I reached for a drawer that was firmly locked. Using the key I always carried, I easily unlocked it. When I opened the drawer, stacks of manuscript paper, yellowed with time, were revealed.
As you might have guessed, these were the original manuscripts for the Xenon Biography, excluding Volume 1. I figured Cecile would love to see them.
"Sister. Would you like to see these?"
"These are..."
"The original manuscripts for the Xenon Biography. I thought you might like them."
"Ah...!"
I expected her to be happy, but Cecile's reaction was intense. She looked as if she were being handed a priceless treasure.
She looked back and forth between the manuscripts in my hand and me, then took them with trembling hands. She began to flip through them page by page, checking their condition.
"It's true... They're exactly the same as what I read."
"Now do you believe I'm the author of the Xenon Biography?"
Of course, Cecile already knew I was the author. This was just for final confirmation.
I had intended to show her the manuscripts at the Academy, but the opportunity never arose, so I was showing her now.
"...Yes."
When I spoke with a bright smile, Cecile blushed slightly and nodded. She looked between the manuscripts and me again, then asked tentatively.
"Um... my benefactor. May I ask one favor?"
"What is it?"
"Would it be alright if we kept these manuscripts in Helium...?"
"No."
No means no. Perhaps because of the memory of the Volume 1 manuscript being stolen, I wanted to manage the other manuscripts myself.
If the situation were truly dire, I might entrust them to the state, but not now. It was absurd to entrust them to anyone when I didn't know what might happen with even a single manuscript.
Even if that person was Cecile. I didn't think she, a demon, would use the manuscripts for political gain, but it was far too early for that.
"...I'm sorry. I was too hasty."
When I firmly refused, Cecile apologized with a dejected expression. She looked so different from her usual self that my heart fluttered for a moment.
But I was a man with a girlfriend. I thought of Mari and cleared my throat.
"The timing just isn't right. I don't know exactly what the value of these manuscripts is to demons, but there are a lot of things that concern me. You understand, right?"
"Yes. But we demons would never exploit these manuscripts. The Xenon Biography is like salvation sent to us by God. And these manuscripts are no different from holy relics granted by Him."
"Ahem..."
Was this what it felt like to have your face gilded? I felt embarrassed and cleared my throat again.
Cecile looked at the manuscripts with lingering regret before handing them back to me. I put them back in the drawer and locked it tight.
"Are you sure it's okay to keep them there? At least a safe..."
"Hardly anyone knows I'm the author of the Xenon Biography, and a safe would only draw more attention."
There's a saying that it's darkest under the lamp. Keeping them in a safe might actually attract unwanted eyes.
Besides, hadn't the publisher said their high-performance safe was cleaned out entirely? Against that level of skill, any ordinary safe would be useless.
"If, and I mean if, my identity is ever revealed to the world, I'll consider it then. Helium carries less of a burden than other countries."
"Why do you think so?"
"I can see the answer just by looking at you."
Lina and Leort had a track record that made me hesitant to trust them, and the Kingdom of Ters... I didn't know about their politics, but I didn't like their character.
Even if I entrusted them to Mari's family, the Rekilis, there was the imperial family above them, so the chance of conflict was high. The Rekilis family would likely move the manuscripts elsewhere out of concern for that very point.
Therefore, Helium was the only option left. As Cecile said, if they treated these manuscripts as holy relics, other countries wouldn't dare touch them.
Most importantly, demons had much longer lifespans than humans. That meant Cecile could keep them safe even after I was gone.
'Come to think of it, Helium is in a neutral position.'
As I was thinking that...
Cecile had a mysterious expression after hearing my answer, but then she broke into a gentle smile. It was a smile so beautiful it could shake the heart of any man.
"My benefactor... I feel this every time, but you are truly remarkable. You must have thought well of us demons even when you were writing these manuscripts... didn't you?"
"I just thought of you as people. If demons turn into devils, well, there are plenty of people in this world who are worse than devils."
A prime example was 'humans.' There was a famous meme from my previous life where a devil shouted at God.
He asked why God had created humans when He had already created devils like them.
It was a symbolic image of how human cruelty can sometimes surpass that of a devil. In fact, there's a theory that angels and devils represent the inner nature of humans.
Finally, I had seen countless people on the internet who were worse than devils. There were cases so extreme they made me wonder if a human could truly do such things.
"Thinking of us as people... Sometimes you feel like someone who has lived much longer than I have."
"Haha. What a funny joke."
I felt a slight pang of guilt, but I brushed it off with a laugh. I intended to keep the fact that I was a reincarnator a secret until the day I died.
"I wish you had a longer lifespan as well..."
"Pardon?"
"It's nothing. But my benefactor, may I ask you one thing? Something occurred to me after reading the Kair Side Story you published recently."
"What is it?"
I crossed my arms, inviting her to speak. She hesitated for a moment, then looked me straight in the eye and spoke.
Her voice sounded nervous, yet filled with anticipation.
"Do you really... do you really believe an elf and a human can be together?"
"Hmm..."
"Specifically, I wonder if you think they can be together despite such a vast difference in lifespan. No matter how much they love each other, the fate ordained by God cannot be defied."
Cecile brought up the fundamental issue of love between different races: 'lifespan.' I fell into thought upon hearing her question.
As I’d often mentioned, lifespan was like a fate ordained by God. A human living a hundred years was considered long-lived, while elves easily lived over three hundred years.
So even if they loved each other, separation was inevitable. For the human, it might be different, but the elf would have to carry that wound for the rest of their life.
'Elisha will be the same...'
After the death of Kair, Xenon's master, the Elf Queen Elisha falls into deep grief. She is consumed by regret because they had confirmed their feelings for each other but had been unable to express them.
Not only that, but I had seen many sorrowful love stories caused by lifespan differences in my previous life. Most ended in 'regret' without ever being together, and in severe cases, they took their own lives.
And there's a saying that's always mentioned in these cases: if you can't decide anything, it's much better to make a choice and regret it later.
I stared at Cecile, who was silently waiting for an answer. Her red eyes held both tension and concern.
After meeting her gaze for a while, I spoke my thoughts quietly.
"As you said, Sister, lifespan is something ordained by God. Even if two people love each other, separation is unavoidable. Humans might not feel it as much, but elves would fear that part. In a way, you could say humans are being selfish."
"...Then should they just give up?"
Cecile asked with a somber expression. It seemed she felt sorry that Kair and Elisha couldn't be together.
I hesitated for a moment, wondering whether or not I should say this. It was because this point tied directly into the scene where Mary, the heroine, undergoes her awakening after witnessing Elisha’s descent into grief following Kair’s death.
As Edin had predicted at the previous event, Mary is an elf. Furthermore, she is currently developing romantic feelings for Xenon, with whom she has shared life-and-death struggles.
She watches the tragedy of Kair and Elisha unfold with her own eyes and falls into deep thought, but eventually, she steels her resolve and approaches Xenon.
Xenon, in the midst of mourning the death of Kair—who was like a father to him—receives Mary’s confession.
"No. There’s no need to give up."
"Then, what should they do...?"
"It’s simple."
I looked Cecile straight in the eye and continued with a bright smile.
"You just have to long for them."
"... ..."
"Isn't it better to live a life cherishing someone's memory than to live forever buried in regret?"
Memories are naturally at their happiest and most beautiful when they are being made, but they are at their saddest when they are all that remains.
If Elisha had accepted Kair’s feelings, those memories would have remained as a fond longing rather than a bitter regret.
One can carry that longing for a lifetime, or perhaps bury it somewhere and move on to create new memories.
"Parting is inevitable, but it’s up to the individual to decide whether to fill that brief time with happy longing or sorrowful regret. If it were me, I think I would choose the longing."
"...That is an answer worthy of my benefactor."
Cecile wore a gentle smile as she met my gaze. Then, she reached out and softly took my hands in hers.
"Thank you, truly. For easing my worries so effortlessly."
"It was nothing, really... Wait, what?"
What was she talking about? Hearing Cecile’s thanks, I sensed something was off.
As I stood there flustered, she released my hands and took a few slow, deliberate steps backward.
She cast a brief glance at the bed beside her, then looked back at me with a suggestive glint in her eyes.
"Now that I look at it, the bed is quite spacious. It looks like it could easily fit two people."
"... ..."
"Well then, I shall see you at mealtime."
Creeak—
Before I knew it, Cecile had reached the door and pulled it open. Her eyes, however, remained fixed on me.
While I stood there with a dazed expression, Cecile maintained her beaming smile and left me with one final remark.
"My lovely benefactor."
Click!
The door shut firmly.