NABC Chapter 164: Night at Helium (1)
Chapter 164: Night at Helium (1)
If I had headed to Helium without receiving divine power from Mora, would I have been able to maintain composure? Suddenly, such thoughts come to mind.
Cecily walked slowly to the palace without using teleportation, keeping our arms crossed. She moved her steps as she conversed cordially, like a lover that had recently started dating.
I, too, suppressed the excited heartbeats with the divine power I received from Mora. Moreover, I was familiar with Cecily’s physical contact, so I could handle it to some extent.
Of course, that doesn’t mean I’m not excited. The deep collarbone that was clearly visible continued to captivate my gaze, and the aura emanating from her was extraordinary.
It could be called a kind of pheromone, or perhaps allure. The atmosphere was several times more intense than usual and felt sticky.
I had a strong premonition that if I fell for it, I wouldn’t be able to escape.
‘Now the horns have completely turned red.’
Except for the tips, Cecily’s horns were filled with red color. It meant that soon, due to the evil cycle, she would no longer be able to control herself properly.
Will she be able to exert self-restraint until tonight? Last time, she had the worn-out necklace to rely on, but this time, there was no guarantee. So caution was necessary.
How much time had passed since I walked the road with Cecily? Before we knew it, we reached the entrance of Helium’s palace.
“We’ve arrived already. I wanted to walk a bit more.”
“Yeah, it’s a shame.”
“If you’re disappointed, do you want to walk a bit more?”
Cecily, with a subtle voice, urged me while pressing her chest against my arm. It was tempting, but I exercised self-control.
In my heart, I wanted to have a conversation with Cecily a bit longer, but it was already late at night, and there would be plenty of time after we entered the palace.
“No. Your parents must be waiting. Let’s go inside.”
“Tsk. Fine.”
At first, Cecily expressed disappointment, clicking her tongue.
“The long night will be long anyway.”
“... ...”
“So there’s no need to have a conversation outside.”
She whispered softly near my ear, her lips brushing against it and her mouth curled up. She even tightly hugged my arm.
In the midst of the dark night, I glanced at Cecily blushing, finding her adorable, and then my eyes caught sight of the Palace of Helium. Thanks to becoming accustomed to the darkness, I could make out its rough appearance.
The imperial palace of Minerva was gleaming like it was coated in gold, visible even in the middle of the night. On the other hand, the Palace of Helium was ordinary.
Historically, it had been exactly 2000 years since Helium had a ‘king.’ Unlike humans, they had consistently maintained their position since that time, so it was only natural for it to appear ordinary.
However, it looked solid enough to have endured for over 1000 years. It resembled a fortress combined with a palace more than a mere palace.
‘But are there no guards?’
Even though we approached the main gate, I couldn’t see any guards on duty. Or perhaps the surroundings were too dark for me to see.
Beyond the main gate, only the street lamps scattered along the path cast their light. The Helium Palace was generally dark and dreary. It wouldn’t be surprising if a ghost suddenly popped out.
“Why are you looking around like that? Is it strange that there are no guards?”
“Yeah, usually there should be some strict security, right?”
“Don’t worry. They are just hiding in the darkness, unseen. In reality, they are quite strict.”
“Hiding in the darkness? Like camouflage?”
“Not exactly camouflage, but they wear black clothes to blend in and not be easily seen. If they were walking around with a lantern, it would be like advertising their presence, right? You would only use the lantern when you can’t see ahead, but darkness means nothing to our kind.”
I always think about this, but demons are a cunning race incomparable to elves. And in some aspects, they stand out even more than elves, making humans seem infinitely inferior.
It’s fortunate that demons are friendly toward humans, otherwise, if they intentionally started a war, it would surely end in our defeat. It’s a relief that such a thing hasn’t happened.
Creak!
As I approached the front gate, the iron gate swung open wide, much like an automatic door. I looked around on both sides, wondering if there were personnel responsible for opening the gate, but all I saw was pitch-black darkness.
Curious, I expressed my doubts, and at that moment, Cecily explained from the side.
“This is a magic gate. It might not be easy to see at night, but there’s a device in the center of the gate. It recognized me and opened the door.”
“What about other people?”
“People who reside in the palace or those who frequently visit usually show a token. Think of it as a key.”
Indeed, magic’s uses are infinite. Some inventions seem unfit for their time due to the influence of such magic. As I gazed at the slowly closing door, I suddenly realized that Gartz had disappeared. It seems that Cecily must have sent him away for a moment.
Afterward, we began to make our way toward the main entrance, using the street lamps as the only source of light. In the meantime, I didn’t forget to ask a question.
“I heard from my daughter that you’ve been a great help at the Halo Academy.”
“I don’t think I’ve helped her much, to be honest...”
“Well, good people tend to forget the good deeds they’ve done themselves. Only the recipients remember them.”
When did I ever help Cecily? Honestly, I don’t remember well. Until I revealed that I was Xenon, we simply had a mischievous noona and obedient younger brother relationship. I could only think that Cecily spoke kindly to me. Even if she had told me, there was a high possibility that I wouldn’t have known.
As we followed behind Eisilia, I diligently explored the interior of the palace. Unlike the somewhat ordinary and shabby exterior, the interior fully embodied the atmosphere unique to demons.
The floors were unified with red carpets, and now, in the evening, I could feel a sense of eeriness relying solely on candlelight. Perhaps it was because I had become too accustomed to darkness, I could discern my path even with the faintest light.
While demons might view it differently, it gave humans a slightly eerie feeling. The calm yet profound silence had settled to the point that nothing seemed out of the question, even if something were to jump out. Even the paintings installed on the corridor walls seemed to crawl and come to life.
“By the way, Lord Isaac, I have something I’m curious about. May I ask?”
“Yes? Ah, yes, you may.”
“You said that you had no connection to demons before meeting Cecily.”
“Yes.”
“But I was curious why it was described like that in Xenon’s Biography. As you know, before Xenon’s Biography, demons were more or less devils, right?”
Eisilia turned her head slightly and asked, drawing in a breath. In truth, I had received similar questions countless times before. I first received it from my parents, then from Marie, and finally from Cecily. Especially Cecily, who was a demon, asked in more detail.
The problem was that I couldn’t remember exactly what I said back then. Ipondered for a moment and then answered honestly.
No. It was exactly the moment I was going to do it.
“Perhaps...”
“What?”
“As rumor has it, you’re from the future?”
“...”
Little did I know that I would hear those words from Cecily’s mother. In my confusion, I wondered what I should say, but Eisilia gently spoke up.
“Actually, it’s almost impossible for someone like Isaac, who hasn’t even turned 20 yet, to have such thoughts. About 50 years ago, I’ve even seen a 5-year-old human child point a finger at a demon, calling it a devil. Originally, Prejudice is terrifying.”
“That’s true.”
“But Isaac saw us demons from a different perspective. Especially when the fifth volume of Xenon’s Biography came out, Isaac was 16 years old. That means you wrote it during your adolescence, a period of emotional turmoil for humans. It’s only natural to have doubts about whether it’s possible to write such a story during that time.”
Well, before the three consecutive hits, the world only regarded Xenon as a highly experienced sage. Not only does Xenon possess great writing skills, but the incidents and accidents within the Xenon saga are nearly impossible to write without diverse experiences.
However, vivid memories of my past life were deeply ingrained in my mind. I am a soul that crossed over from another dimension due to an accident in this place. I lived within the sea of information called the internet and indirectly experienced various civilizations. It is natural for my perspective to be broader than the people here.
Of course, I cannot simply state this fact outright. After listening to Eisilia’s story, I pondered for a long time and responded with a question.
“I see. Then, do you think the Queen believes that I came from the future?”
“I keep that possibility in mind. Of course, only Isaac and the gods know the truth.”
“For now, I can say with certainty that I didn’t come from the future.”
“I understand. Then, what do you think, Cecily?”
Eisilia sought Cecily’s opinion next. Cecily, who had been standing with our arms crossed, lifted her face from leaning on my shoulder and looked up at me.
I, too, met her gaze directly with my eyes, which were as red as blood. The reddish energy emanating from her cheeks and sparkling pupils exuded a captivating charm that seemed to draw me in.
After staring at me for a while, she smiled lightly and tightly embraced my arm, responding energetically.
“It doesn’t matter to me, Mom, no matter what.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes, there’s no need to complicate things, right?”
After saying that, Cecily continued in a sticky voice.
“Anyway, he’ll become my man in a little while.”
“... ...”
“I don’t want to think about complicated things right now.”
Seems like she’s completely absorbed in desire. As I looked at Cecily, who had started to emit a heart-like glow, I let out a bitter smile. At that moment, Eisilia murmured softly from the front.
“Is our daughter really Lilith...”
No, she isn’t.
Translators note: