Chapter 24

■ Chapter 23. Human (2) □ ᓚᘏᗢ

There's one thing I learned while attending the academy: Cecilie is a mischievous and playful person. Until she started using informal language with me, she was the epitome of a well-mannered princess. But ever since we dropped the formalities, she has been constantly playing pranks on me.

"Be honest. I know I'm pretty. That's why you were staring at me just now, right?"

"…No, I wasn't."

"Then why are your cheeks so red?"

Even after the anthropology lecture, it was the same. On our way to the school cafeteria, Cecilie's pranks didn't stop. She seemed determined to get a response from me, encouraging me with a teasing voice.

I felt my face turning red with every word she said, but I tried my best to deny it. I couldn't predict what kind of prank would follow if I admitted it.

Cecilie, seeing that I wouldn't budge, looked genuinely confused.

"You called me 'sister' so easily last time, but why aren't you answering now? I don't understand."

"It's different now. And other people are watching."

As I said, students around us were whispering. It wasn't just my imagination; a quick glance around showed that many students were staring directly at us.

Of course, it was because Cecilie was being so friendly with me. Her appearance was striking, but more importantly, she was the princess of Helium. She had been a topic of conversation since the opening ceremony, so it was natural that many people were interested in her.

And for such a person to be close with an unknown male student? It was only natural that all sorts of rumors would spread throughout the academy. It had been about three weeks since the opening ceremony, and the number of literature students was much smaller than that of the magic students, so the rumors had already spread far and wide.

‘There haven’t been any major problems yet…’

I could roughly gauge my current reputation. To the professors, I was a person of interest, and to the other students, I was an unlucky red-haired guy. I overheard these comments in the cafeteria.

For now, it seemed they were keeping an eye on me because of Cecilie and Lina, but I couldn't predict when things might blow up. The students at the Halo Academy were emotionally immature teenagers, and many were from high-nosed noble families. I didn't have to look far to see that Jackson was already annoyed with me.

"…Really."

Cecilie finally seemed to understand the situation after hearing my words. Her slightly frowning face suggested she wasn't too pleased. However, her awareness of the surroundings did calm the whispers.

I took the opportunity to suggest to Cecilie in a cautious voice.

"If it makes you uncomfortable, I can keep my distance."

"No, it's fine. This is something I've dealt with in Helium too."

"Helium doesn't have nobles except for the king, right?"

"Even without nobles, there are ways to check the king's power."

Cecilie smiled and gave a vague answer. It seemed there were things I shouldn't know. Of course, I understood that.

I nodded as if I understood, and she smiled faintly. Her smile seemed to express gratitude for not pressing the issue, but soon it deepened, and her playful side emerged. I realized too late that it was already too late.

"So, what about your answer earlier? When are you going to give it?"

"… …"

"If you keep your mouth shut, I'll do something strange, okay?"

In the end, I had no choice but to give in. I covered my face with one hand and spoke with a resigned tone.

"Yes. You're incredibly beautiful. You're the prettiest person I've ever seen."

"Call me 'sister.'"

"…Sister Cecilie."

"Hehe. Thanks. It feels like I'm getting a bow, but it's new to hear from Isaac."

"Phew…"

My face felt like it was going to burst. I sighed deeply to try to release the heat rising from within, but it didn't seem to be subsiding.

Meanwhile, Cecilie giggled like a girl, tickling my ear. I couldn't understand why she found it so amusing to tease me.

"I'm sorry. Your reaction is just too funny, I can't stop."

"…You find my reaction funny?"

"Yes."

"Then if I don't react at all, it won't be fun, right?"

"Try it."

"…I'm sorry."

Of course, I had no control over the situation. Cecilie, seeing me give in, smiled faintly and spoke more gently than before.

"Isaac."

"Yes."

"Isaac, aren't you curious about demons?"

"Why do you ask?"

When I countered, Cecilie mentioned what happened during the human lecture.

"You asked about the reason for the small elf population earlier. I thought you might be curious about demons too."

"No, I'm very curious."

"Then why don't you ask?"

Cecilie tilted her head, clearly puzzled. I looked at her face for a moment before quietly answering.

"I'm afraid I might make a mistake."

"Afraid of making a mistake?"

"Yes."

The demons, who had been oppressed for hundreds of years regardless of their race, made me a bit cautious about asking Cecilie, of all people, questions related to demons. If I inadvertently touched on a painful topic, it would be awkward for both of us.

One could say I lacked courage, but in my view, it was a form of consideration. To maintain a harmonious relationship, one shouldn't dig into the other person's wounds. That's why I didn't play along with Cecilie's teasing and just listened quietly.

"…Right. Isaac is a considerate boy."

Cecilie seemed to understand my feelings and smiled contentedly. She then said to me in a condescending tone.

"It's okay. You can ask anything."

"Really?"

"Yes. Since it's you, I don't think you have any ill intentions."

"In that case…"

I trailed off and looked around. We had arrived at the cafeteria, but there weren't many students there. Most had gone outside to eat.

I picked up an empty bowl and asked Cecilie, feeling a bit excited about a question I had been curious about.

"What is the role of those horns?"

"Horns?"

"Yes."

Cecilie touched the horns that sprouted from her temples, which became increasingly red as they grew.

Along with black mana, the horns are a distinctive feature of demons. However, proper research on demon horns has not been conducted, and all sorts of strange rumors abound.

For example, that demon horns are a concentration of mana, or that they are simply a symbol of evil. Because of this, the Zayon Chronicles barely mention horns.

"Hmm…"

Cecilie seemed to be organizing her thoughts as she started piling food into the empty bowl. I waited for her to answer while helping to fill the bowl.

When we found a seat and sat down, Cecilie, who was sitting across from me, finally answered.

"Maybe they indicate the menstrual cycle?"

"…What?"

Clang—

I was so surprised that I dropped my fork. For a moment, I couldn't tell if she was serious or joking. But Cecilie's expression remained calm, indicating she was serious.

She continued as if it wasn't a big deal, despite my bewildered look.

"As you know, demons are descendants of devils. And devils are, literally, embodiments of desire. Because of this, we demons have periods when we find it hard to control our desires. This phenomenon is called the 'evil cycle,' but men call it that, while women just consider it a menstrual cycle. Coincidentally, it overlaps with menstruation."

"… …"

It made sense to call it a menstrual cycle. My mind, which had been in a daze, gradually calmed down, allowing me to think. However, my face still felt hot.

I cleared my throat to shake off the thoughts in my head and asked another question.

"How do you deal with it? I know human women suffer from severe abdominal pain during menstruation."

"Usually, we calm down through meditation. Recently, they've invented medicine, so it's not a big problem."

"What if someone touches you during the evil cycle? Do you turn into a devil?"

"No. Just because of the evil cycle, we don't turn into devils. Demons usually become devils after experiencing a terrible tragedy, like losing a loved one or being betrayed by a trusted friend."

Cecilie said this while putting a piece of finely cut meat into her mouth.

"Well, as you said, we do become quite violent, especially women."

"That's the same for humans."

"Really? I heard humans menstruate once a month. It must be tough. Demons menstruate once every six months."

Long-lived races seem to have longer menstrual cycles. Both elves and demons have extremely long cycles. Or perhaps humans and mermaids have abnormally short cycles.

Driven by growing curiosity, I quickly moved on to the next question. Understanding what demons were like was more important than eating.

"So, does the horn growing longer mean the cycle is approaching?"

"No. The horn doesn't grow longer; the red part covers the entire horn."

Cecilie tapped the red-tinted top of her horn, which was currently about a quarter red.

'If the horn turns completely red, I shouldn't touch it at all.'

I didn't know what kind of disaster might occur if I did. After swallowing the food in my mouth, I asked another question.

"What happens if the horn is cut off?"

"It quickly regenerates. And there's no sensation even if it's cut."

"Do the horns themselves have no sensation?"

"Yes."

"Then, may I touch it, if I may?"

"…Eh? Touch, touch the horn?"

Cecilie's reaction to my question was strange. She widened her eyes and stammered, a slight blush appearing on her cheeks, clearly showing her embarrassment.

I tilted my head, puzzled by her reaction, and then realized it was a sensitive topic. If she was this embarrassed, it must have a significant meaning. And my guess was correct.

"Um, sorry. For demons, touching horns is a sign of affection between lovers. It means you can still love someone even if they become a devil."

"Oh… That's romantic."

"R-Really? Romantic… I've never heard that from a human before."

Cecilie scratched her cheek, looking embarrassed. It was a completely different side from her usual playful self, making her seem new to me.

'Thanks to this, I can add some details to Jin and Lily's love story in the Zayon Chronicles.'

Jin, the knight dedicated to Lily, kneels on one knee and shows respect, and Lily gently strokes his horn. After that, Jin looks up at Lily in surprise. There's no sadder story than the love between a demon and a cleric in this world.

Of course, I plan to make Jin the final boss in the final chapters. I feel bad for my mother, but because of the many foreshadowings and plot points, it's hard to change the ending. If it gets too difficult, I plan to release a side story.

Just before the atmosphere became awkward, I swallowed the food in my mouth and asked Cecilie.

"Sister Cecilie, don't you have any questions about humans?"

"U-Uh? Questions about humans?"

"Yes. I don't want to be the only one asking questions. If you have any, feel free to ask."

"Humans…"

Fortunately, the awkward atmosphere seemed to dissipate. I ate my food quietly while waiting for Cecilie to speak. She also seemed to be organizing her thoughts and continued eating.

Thud— Thud— Thud—

At that moment, a familiar face entered my field of vision. As I chewed my food and shifted my gaze, I saw Leona, the stern-looking beauty, walking some distance away.

I hadn't noticed before, but Leona, unlike other female students, was wearing pants. Her pretty face contrasted sharply with her stern and sharp appearance, making her look like a boy from a distance.

'Does she have no friends? Why is she sitting so far away?'

Even though the cafeteria wasn't crowded, Leona sat far away from everyone else, making her stand out even more.

As I rested my chin and chewed, Leona, who had just sat down, sighed deeply, as if she had something on her mind. Then…

Snap—

Something suddenly sprouted from her head. Not just one, but two.

Unfortunately, my eyesight wasn't good enough to identify them clearly, but I could tell something had sprouted from her head.

"…!"

Leona, realizing something had sprouted from her head, quickly put her hand on it. Her stern expression vanished, leaving only a look of confusion, which was quite amusing.

I blinked, thinking I might have seen it wrong, and rubbed my eyes. When I looked at Leona again, she was eating her food with her usual expression, as if nothing had happened.

While I was staring at Leona, Cecilie, who had apparently organized her thoughts, called my name.

"Isaac?"

"…Ah. Yes, sister."

"You were spacing out for a moment. I have a question, can I ask it?"

"Yes, you can ask."

With my permission, Cecilie asked in a genuinely curious tone.

"What do you think is the reason humans became the center of the world?"

"The reason they became the center?"

"Yes. I heard it in the lecture, but I'm curious about your opinion."

"Hmm…"

It was a complex question to answer. Even on Earth, where only humans existed, humans were a race that couldn't be easily defined. After all, humans were the ones judging humans. But ironically, this made an objective explanation possible.

But one thing was certain: humans can be incredibly kind and incredibly cruel. Just think about the intense debates between the theories of innate goodness and innate evil.

However, that was the standard on Earth, and this world needed to be viewed from a slightly different perspective.

I rubbed the pen cap with my thumb, a habit of mine, and glanced at Cecilie. She was looking at me intently, waiting for my answer.

I stopped rubbing the pen cap and spoke quietly.

"Let me preface this by saying 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 say it."

"Yes. Well…"

I paused and looked behind Cecilie. Leona, who was eating alone, was staring directly at me.

I wondered if she could hear our conversation from this distance, but I concluded she couldn't. Our voices weren't loud, and the distance was considerable. I ignored it and continued.

"…The reason humans became the center of this world is simple. It's because humans are too stupid, reckless, and foolish."

Snap—

As soon as I said that, something strange sprouted from Leona's head again.