Ch.91Exhibition (3)

“Excuse me for a moment.”

“Huh?”

My companions and I approached the demon man who was having a friendly conversation with a human woman and called to them briefly.

The demon stopped his conversation with the woman, presumably his lover, and shifted his gaze to me.

If Gartz’s horns resembled those of a sheep, this man’s horns were long and twisted, extending upward.

His appearance featured the black hair and red eyes characteristic of the demon race, and unlike Cecilly’s knight, Gartz Balack, he had a sturdy build and looked cheerful and passionate.

The human woman presumed to be his lover also displayed a modest and delicate beauty, though not quite matching Marie and Cecilly.

However, there was a noticeable size difference between them, with the woman clinging tightly to the man’s arm, almost attached to him.

“…What can I do for you?”

The demon initially asked with plenty of wariness, but upon noticing Cecilly, his expression softened considerably.

It seemed he had determined that we weren’t approaching with disrespectful intentions, especially with another demon in our company.

However, the woman presumed to be his lover still maintained her guard. In fact, as soon as the demon slightly lowered his guard, she clung even more tightly to his arm.

I stared at the woman who was clinging to the demon’s arm like a cicada, then turned my head to face the demon.

Finally, meeting those deep red eyes like Cecilly’s, I voiced my curiosity.

“I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions.”

“Questions?”

“Yes.”

“Well… I’m not sure what nobles like yourselves would want to know, but I’ll answer as sincerely as possible.”

The man seemed to have immediately recognized us as nobles from our appearance and attire.

However, he didn’t seem to know that Cecilly was the Princess of Helium. If he was a commoner, it would make sense that he wouldn’t recognize who Cecilly was, since Helium had a class system similar to human society.

“Rai…”

Meanwhile, the woman still clinging to his arm called the demon with a worried voice. Her face showed increased anxiety upon learning we were nobles.

In response, Rai, as she called him, patted her head gently with a soft smile.

The woman seemed somewhat reassured by her sturdy boyfriend’s comfort.

I showed an expression of increased curiosity at their apparent close bond, then reassured her.

“We’re not bad people. We really just approached because we have questions, so there’s no need to be so guarded.”

“…Alright.”

“Thank you. Did you say your name was Rai?”

“Yes. I’m Rai Estor.”

“I’m Issac Dukar Mayshall. I was just curious about how you came to our territory.”

At my question, Rai stared at me intently, then glanced briefly at Cecilly. Then he spoke in a calm voice.

“It seems you’re asking because I’m a demon.”

“Precisely.”

“Hmm…”

Rai scratched his chin with the hand not occupied by the clinging woman. I waited patiently for him to speak.

If Cecilly hadn’t been present, he might have been somewhat suspicious of my question, but he showed no such signs.

Perhaps Rai also realized this was merely something like an interview.

Still, as a demon who must have experienced many hardships, it wouldn’t be entirely easy.

“First of all, my reason for visiting your territory is the same as everyone else’s. We’re both fans of the Biography of Xenon. That’s all there is to it.”

“I see. Then, may I ask something more personal?”

“That’s fine.”

“As you know, demons couldn’t freely show themselves before the publication of the Biography of Xenon. Even if you hid your identity, once discovered, you would often face harsh treatment.”

As I continued my explanation, Rai maintained a stoic expression, while the woman’s face showed increasing suspicion.

It seemed she absolutely trusted Rai and was uncomfortable with him being treated as a demon.

I glanced at the woman once before getting to the main point.

“But things changed after the Biography of Xenon was released. The perception of demons completely transformed, and being treated as devils decreased dramatically. So my question is: when did you leave Helium, what kind of life have you lived, and lastly, how did you meet your companion here?”

“Was that all? My goodness. Now I feel embarrassed for being suspicious. Hahaha.”

Hearing my question, Rai laughed heartily, seemingly having completely dropped his guard. Thanks to this, the woman also appeared to have relaxed a bit.

Following this, Rai seemed to organize his thoughts before starting to share his life story with a bright smile.

“As you said, I’m from Helium. I came out to human society about 5 years ago. Hiding my identity wasn’t a problem as long as I was careful, thanks to magic. During that time, I met various people and formed many relationships. Of course, there were challenges. Occasionally, my identity was discovered, and I had to cut ties with people.”

“Why did you leave Helium?”

“Nothing special. I just felt restless staying only in Helium. So I took the risk and left.”

Rai seemed to have an adventurous nature.

I’m not sure whether to call him brave or reckless for embarking on an adventure despite knowing what discrimination demons faced.

“Almost every demon who left Helium experienced terrible tragedy. Was it worth it?”

Cecilly, who had been quietly listening, asked Rai in a tone suggesting she couldn’t quite understand.

Unlike me, who had used polite speech, Cecilly spoke casually to Rai. Well, he was one of her subjects, so there was no need for her to use formal language.

“Well…”

Rai looked at Cecilly’s face, then instinctively his gaze dropped lower. I barely managed to suppress a smile at this truly masculine reaction.

He then forcibly fixed his gaze on Cecilly’s face as he spoke. Even as he did so, his eyes kept drifting downward.

“Ahem. It’s not that it was worth it, but rather I left to find something worth it. We demons live longer than other races, so living only in Helium felt limiting. Although I’ve experienced both good and difficult things, right now I’m experiencing something good.”

“You’re referring to your girlfriend here, right?”

“Yes. She’s the only one who stayed by my side even after knowing I was a demon. And that was before the Biography of Xenon came out.”

The story of Lilly and Jin in the Biography of Xenon was certainly not fictional.

The world is vast and full of people, so I had expected that such relationships existed, but actually meeting them in person gave me a peculiar feeling.

I looked at the couple emanating a lovey-dovey atmosphere and said with a gentle smile:

“That’s a romantic story. I never thought I’d see in person what I’ve only read about in the Biography of Xenon.”

“Hahaha. I’ve heard that comparison countless times already.”

“Then, since when were you able to proudly reveal your identity like now?”

“Naturally, after volume 5 of the Biography of Xenon. Before that, I had no choice but to hide my identity.”

The perception of demons fundamentally changed after the climax of volume 5, the sacrifice of Sakran, which is still discussed as one of the most memorable scenes.

After that iconic scene, the perception of demons changed 180 degrees, so I assume that’s when he started proudly showing his true form.

“But is it really okay? Even though the view toward us demons has changed thanks to the Biography of Xenon, the deep-rooted conflicts from the past must be difficult to resolve.”

This was Cecilly’s question. As the Princess of Helium, she had been somewhat free from discriminatory views, but she didn’t fully understand the circumstances of commoners.

This concern was natural, as demons had been persecuted by other races for a full 1,000 years. This meant that over those 1,000 years, mutual feelings hadn’t been diluted but maintained.

Moreover, there was a history of Sabre massacring demons by labeling them as devils, so the depth of conflict between them was deeper than a ravine.

Therefore, demons might view others with resentment or contempt, and other races might still consider them devils.

“That’s right. Thanks to the Biography of Xenon, life has become easier, but discriminatory views still remain in many ways. Just a month ago, there were instances where I couldn’t stay at an inn or receive a request because I’m a demon.”

“… …”

Listening to Rai’s story, I naturally recalled the racial discrimination that was prevalent in my previous life.

Except for certain countries, racial discrimination is strictly prohibited, but sadly, crimes due to racial discrimination are still reported occasionally.

In this world, there exists racial discrimination even worse than that, so it would be more severe, not less.

“…We still have a long way to go.”

Cecilly smiled sadly after hearing Rai’s story. Certainly, things had improved significantly, but prejudice against demons still remained.

Rai saw Cecilly’s melancholic smile and spoke as if to reassure her.

“But there’s no need to worry too much. Although unfavorable views toward us remain, we demons no longer need to feel intimidated. As the Princess knows, the Biography of Xenon has given us demons a sense of pride.”

“…So you knew who I was?”

“Of course. Only royalty can wear that necklace. I apologize for recognizing you so late.”

I checked the necklace Cecilly was wearing today after hearing Rai’s words.

Though it appeared to be just an old silver necklace, it seemed to hold special meaning for demons.

‘Come to think of it, did she wear that necklace at the event too?’

My memory isn’t great, so I’m not sure if she wore this necklace then. I only remember her provocative dress from that time.

“No, it’s fine. It seems like you were enjoying time with your girlfriend, and I feel like I’ve interrupted.”

“Not at all. It was a pleasant conversation.”

“Then let me ask one last thing. In what direction would you like to see our demon race move forward?”

“As I said earlier, moving forward as shown in the Biography of Xenon is enough. Born as demons but moving toward the light, being more human than anyone else. Isn’t that sufficient?”

Rai answered faithfully with a satisfied smile across his face. It was an answer that only someone with firm conviction could give, without a trace of doubt.

The content I wrote in the book provided direction for certain people. It was truly a gratifying result.

“…You’re right. That’s our demon identity. Anyway, thank you for answering.”

“I hope the Princess also finds her light.”

Rai offered his well-wishes to Cecilly while gently embracing the woman attached to his arm.

It seems Rai found his light through his relationship with that woman.

Although there will be a separation due to their difference in lifespan, he probably won’t regret it.

For this moment at least, it will become a beautiful memory for them.

“Light…”

Cecilly murmured softly, then slowly turned her head toward me. I also faced her.

After staring intently at my face for a while, she smiled brightly and then shifted her gaze back to Rai.

“Thank you. Thanks to you, I think I’ve realized again what light means to me.”

“I’m honored to have been of help.”

“What honor? Well, we should get going. Oh, by the way, what’s your name?”

“…Veronica Echens.”

“Veronica, make sure to stay close to Rai. We demons tend to wander when our light leaves us.”

“…Yes.”

Her answer was as timid as her appearance suggested. Cecilly heard Veronica’s response and smiled brightly, then said to me:

“Let’s go now.”

“Yes. Marie?”

“…Alright.”

Marie didn’t look at me when I called her, keeping her gaze fixed only on Cecilly.

Even when she answered, there was something… a kind of wariness. Moreover, she linked arms with me, pressing her body closer.

I was startled by the soft sensation, but Marie’s expression turned my surprise into confusion. Her blue eyes were filled with deep suspicion.

It seemed she had sensed something from the conversation between Cecilly and Rai earlier. While I was thinking this, Marie looked at Cecilly and called to her in a quiet voice.

“…Cecilly.”

“Yes? What is it?”

“You’re not thinking something strange, are you?”

At her anxious question, Cecilly blinked, then smiled slyly.

Half-closing her eyes, making her deep red eyes gleam mischievously, she answered in a subtle voice:

“Who knows? I don’t understand what you’re asking.”

“You…”

“Hmm… Marie? Why don’t we have a private conversation between just us?”

Cecilly said this, then looked at me and finished her sentence.

“It might be important for you.”

It might be my imagination, but her horns seemed to glow an even deeper red.