Chapter 166: CH 162

August 6th, 2023

The cuisine of Helium was truly diverse. It ranged from insect dishes that emerged from impoverished lives to delicacies that evolved with the advancement of civilization. The traces of poverty were pitifully evident throughout, not only in food but also in the discriminatory cultures.

Starting from the conclusion of the Devil War 3,000 years ago, the demons, in order to survive, established their own civilization, which led to numerous differences from the foundation. 

First and foremost, people possessed a positive, optimistic, and bright nature. When I asked Gartz about the reason, he said that having negative thoughts would only further immerse them in their inner evil, so they mostly maintain a positive mindset. Consequently, if someone manages to anger a demon, more often than not, it means the other party is at fault.

Secondly, they rarely get angry. This was roughly expected, as from a young age, they undergo training that demands patience, similar to yoga, resulting in a high level of mental cultivation.

Lastly, this is a recent change. Originally, demons were extremely cautious when dealing with different species, recognizing themselves as a potential danger that could transform into devils at any time and place. However, thanks to the emergence of Xenon’s Biography, a sense of pride has developed, and they have become more proactive when dealing with other species.

Of course, just like how each individual has a unique personality, not all demons were the same. Just as there are people like Gartz who are blunt and try to restrain their emotions as much as possible, demons also have various personalities.

You can think of it as a kind of stereotype. For example, Koreans are known for eating spicy food well and having a culture of doing things quickly, which may give the impression that they have impatient personalities.

“Mr. Gartz.” 

“Yes, please speak.” 

“I haven’t asked until now, but do you have a family, Mr. Gartz?”

I paused my contemplation of Helium and sat on a nearby bench, asking Gartz. Following my request, Gartz sat next to me and blinked his eyes a couple of times upon hearing my question. 

“A family… you say?” 

“Yes. I’m asking about demons, but don’t know anything about the one next to me. So I became curious.”

Thanks to Gartz, I’ve learned a lot about Helium and demon culture, but I know very little about him specifically. I only know that he is a knight personally appointed by Cecily and that he is exceptionally skilled. Beyond that, I know very little.

Since there is still plenty of time, it didn’t seem like a bad idea to ask some questions before heading to the temple.

“I have parents and a younger sister.” 

“You’re not married?” 

“I have a fiancée whom I’ve promised my future to.” 

“How old are you?” 

“I am 132 years old.”

When a demon reaches 100 years old, they are recognized as true adults. It is a testament that they have lived as humans without becoming devils until the age of 100. Their physical growth is no different from humans, and socially, they each get their own professions around the age of 25. However, being 100 years old can be considered as a mental milestone of adulthood.

For this reason, demons can marry after the age of 100. It is because they believe that before taking responsibility for another person, they must thoroughly manage themselves.

By the way, as the representative of the long-lived races along with elves, the demons appeared much younger than they seemed. Cecil mentioned that she was 105 years old, so she was much older than me.

“I don’t know if it’s because I’m human, but you seem quite old. Among demons, you would be considered young, right?”

“I’m a rookie among rookies who have recently become adults. Especially among demons, there is a culture of respect for the older ones, so in reality, I am still young.”

The reason why elder demons are respected is probably because they have not turned into devils over all those long years. Still, a hundred years is unimaginably long.

I quietly observed the people of Helium wandering the streets. Their faces bloomed with smiles, and children were running around on the streets.

As I felt before, Helium was bright and lively. It wasn’t a place where devils live, it was just a place where people with horns live.

Was it the same even before the publication of Xenon’s Biography? While I glanced at a demon child that was happily walking holding their parents’ hands and asked Gartz. 

“Mr. Gartz.”

“Yes.” 

“Was Helium this bright even before Xenon’s Biography came out?”

In response to my calm question, Gartz answered in his characteristic blunt tone. 

“It was bright indeed. But unknowingly, we carried fear with us. No matter how much patience we cultivated or lived positively, the evil within us was a practical threat to the demons.” 

“… …” 

“But not anymore. Now we have gained the courage to face it head-on instead of avoiding evil. We have gained the confidence that we can do it and took pride in not yielding to our inner evil.”

If the previous Helium had some defense mechanism to avoid threats, now it is genuinely bright. There is a difference between a pure smile and a smile with intention. And the citizens of Helium are now enjoying life with pure smiles.

“… Huh?”

“… …”

While feeling a sense of inexplicable pride, just as I raised the corners of my mouth, I suddenly felt a presence beside me. When I turned my head, there was a little girl standing quietly.

Long curly hair, red eyes, and a tightly clutched pink rabbit doll. She had horns similar to Gartz, but they were much smaller in size.

She was a little lady who truly deserves the adjective “cute like a doll,” and she was staring at me intently. I blinked my eyes and greeted the girl who had silently approached me with a warm smile.

“Hello?”

“Hair.”

As I greeted her warmly, the girl seemed startled and took a step back. Clutching her rabbit doll tightly, she exuded an irresistible charm.

Then, as if sensing my curiosity, she pointed at me with her finger and exclaimed,

“Red!”

“Red?”

“My mom said that it’s dangerous if black turns into red! Our hair is black, but yours is red!”

Is she seeing a human for the first time? Recently, there has been an increase in visits from different species to Helium, but it’s possible that she’s encountering one for the first time.

It seems she’s under the misconception that all demons have black hair, and she believes I’m a danger due to my red hair. Perhaps that assumption only applies to horns, and hair color doesn’t matter. With a gentle smile, I momentarily tugged on Gartz, who was trying to move forward, and continued the conversation with the girl.

“So, it’s because my hair is red?”

“Yeah!”

“But hey, I don’t have any horns, you know?”

“Huh?”

The girl blinked her eyes when I said I had no horns. Then she stared at my face intently and spoke in a startled voice.

“Huh? Why don’t you have horns? And your eyes are sparkling colors!”

“Sparkling colors? What’s that?”

“Sparkling colors are sparkling colors. They shimmer and shine, you know.”

Indeed, the innocence of children is incomparable. Especially when she called gold color “sparkling colors.”

Unable to hide the smile on my face, I continued the conversation with the girl. Although I didn’t know when her parents would come, they would likely arrive soon.

“May I ask for the name of the adorable young lady?”

“My name is Amy. What’s the name of the hornless brother?”

“You can call me Isaac. And I’m a human, that’s why I don’t have horns.”

“Human?”

“A person like me without horns.”

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“Then do humans also have no horns and have bright red heads? And sparkling colored eyes?”

It seemed like the girl was asking such questions because demons all have black hair and eyes.

“No, humans can have red hair like mine, or they can have white or sparkling colored hair. Unlike demons, humans have a variety of hair and eye colors.”

“What does ‘a variety of colors’ mean?”

“It means many different colors. And…”

“Amy!”

While conversing with the girl, a desperate cry of a woman entered my ears. As I raised my head, I saw a demon woman who closely resembled the girl rushing towards me.

As soon as she saw Amy, the woman swiftly embraced her and faced me. Her expression was urgent, resembling her voice.

“I’m sorry. Did Amy say something disrespectful by any chance?”

“No, she didn’t. I think she was just curious about my hair.”

“Mom, mom, is it okay if the guy’s hair is red?”

“Sigh, Amy… I’m truly sorry. It’s the first time she has spoken to a human…”

“It’s okay. Thanks to that, it was interesting.”

I wondered if Lily, when she is born, will be as cute and adorable as Amy. The woman apologized again and left with Amy, while Amy waved her hand while being held by her own mother.

I also waved my hand to Amy, who was getting farther away. It seemed like one of the most memorable moments since I arrived in Helium.

‘Should I go to the temple soon?’

As I wandered around Helium, I noticed that the sky was gradually turning purplish-blue. Unlike the Minerva Empire, where the four seasons were distinct, Helium remained cold or chilly throughout the year.

Although the environment is harsh for people to live in or cultivate basic crops, demons have built a civilization with their tenacious vitality and excellent magic.

In many ways, ‘determination’ was one aspect that humans and demons alike had. Since their origin is human, it may be natural.

“Shall we go to the temple?” 

“Yes, understood.” 

“By the way, Mr. Gartz. Looking at that child, I suddenly had a thought. Do demons also go through adolescence?” 

“They are usually called ‘imps.’ It’s a period of emotional instability and a very dangerous stage in their growth, so they are referred to as such.” 

“It sounds cute in a way.” 

“It sounds unsettling to me.” 

Following Gartz’s guidance, we walked to the location of Mora’s temple. As evening approached, the weather suddenly turned chilly, and I could see my breath in the air.

Fortunately, wearing clothes enchanted with a warming spell, I wasn’t cold. By the way, these clothes were personally gifted by Cecily, but in Helium, they were widely available. They were expensive due to their attractive design.

If it were the Minerva Empire, one would have had to pay a hefty price for them, but in Helium, even ordinary civilians could easily use magic, so it was only natural for them to become popularized.

“A few months ago, Helium started engaging in diplomacy, right? I heard that the diplomatic envoy presented silk woven with magic as a gift.” 

“You remember it well. That news spread, and many merchants are now conducting business with Helium.” 

“With just this clothing alone, there would be a tremendous demand, don’t you think?” 

“Yes, indeed. The Minerva Empire has already placed a substantial order for thermal clothing to be used for military purposes.”

It was a phenomenon I frequently witnessed since my previous life, so I could nod my head in agreement starting from the military. Seeing the endless stream of casualties due to chemical warfare, one can understand the importance of protection.

Perhaps Helium will take a position comparable to the Dwarven Kingdom Makina has for humans. Dwarves provide weapons, while demons would provide basic necessities like medical supplies. 

By the way, Alvenheim primarily trades the main ingredient of elixirs, the dew of the World Tree. And for the country of beastmen, Animers, it was still somewhat ambiguous as to whether their civilization has developed to that extent.

“If you’ve started trading, were there any useful goods for demons?” 

“I can’t say for sure since I value the act of trading itself. As for Alvenheim, although the queen has given permission, there is strong resistance from the Council of Elders, which is causing a headache. We still have a long way to go. Diplomacy isn’t something that can happen overnight.”

“Was there no suggestion to collaborate with Makina on creating magical locomotives? It would be quite helpful for demons.” 

“I’m not sure about that aspect.”

As we engaged in various conversations while walking, we suddenly found themselves at the Temple of Mora. Indeed, being twins with Luminous, the form of the temple was also similar.

The only difference was the distribution of space. Luminous’s temple had a structure that allowed more light to enter, but Mora’s temple was enclosed from all sides.

With such an arrangement, wouldn’t it be dim even during bright daylight? Nevertheless, it was a design befitting the goddess of darkness and repose.

‘Funeral rites also take place here, right?’

Mora, as the goddess of rest, also presides over funerals. Even the followers of Luminous do not object when Mora’s disciples conduct funeral ceremonies. In fact, if Luminous worshippers interfere, in severe cases, Mora herself may retaliate instead of her disciples. Thanks to this, the authority between the two sects was strictly separated.

“Welcome. You have arrived at Mora’s sanctuary.”

As we entered a somewhat dimly lit temple, a priestess greeted us warmly. She had drooping eyes and a languid impression, as one would expect from a demon.

If the attire of Luminous disciples had a white base, Mora’s attire was very similar to that of a nun from my past life, except it was even darker, reaching a pitch-black level.

I politely greeted the somewhat drowsy-looking priestess.

“Hello. I have come to worship Mora. Is there a private room available?”

“Of course, there is. It’s just 5 silver.”

“Then I will wait outside while you’re praying.”

Gartz paid 5 silver to the priestess and moved outside the temple. I followed her and looked around the dimly lit interior of the temple.

The atmosphere was fitting for the temple of the goddess of darkness and rest, although it wasn’t completely blocked from light. Light seeped through small openings, allowing me to discern the surroundings.

Moreover, candles were placed in various locations, creating an overall gloomy feeling. Strangely, if there was a bed, I felt like I would fall asleep immediately, feeling comfortable.

“This is the worship room. If it’s too dark, you can light a candle as you please and make yourself comfortable.”

“Thank you.”

“It’s the first time I’ve seen a human worshiping Mora. I hope it will be a relaxing time for you.”

The languid priestess bowed her head and firmly closed the door to the worship room. As soon as the door closed, I looked around Mora’s private worship room.

Except for the faint light seeping through small, scattered holes, it was pitch black, unlike Luminous’. As the priestess had mentioned earlier, there were several candles placed in front of Mora’s statue.

Unlike her twin brother, Luminous, who had small holes through which light gently emanated, Morrah possessed a mischievous personality and was depicted the same way in the statue. While her brother had a compassionate smile, Mora had her lips curled upwards, which was the defining feature.

However, one could see the meticulousness with which her statue was sculpted. Since the demons also had a deep appreciation for art, they must have carefully carved the deity they worship.

‘I guess there’s no need to light the candles right now.’

Maybe I could just bow my head towards the direction where the light seeped through the holes and pray. I knelt down on the floor, just as I had prayed to Luminous.

‘…Lady Mora, are you there…’

[I’m here!!! You finally came!! Why are you so late?!]

Oh my.

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