August 6th, 2023
In the world, there is a saying that goes like this: Luminous, uses a compassionate and dignified tone, more suited to the God of Darkness, while Mora is playful and chatters like a songbird, more suited to the God of Light.
Mora, the goddess of darkness and rest, is famous for having a more lively and bright personality than her twin brother Luminous. Even Gartz’s demeanor seemed somewhat hesitant when describing Mora as a good god, emphasizing her energetic and lively nature.
However, due to the significantly smaller number of Mora’s followers compared to Luminous, she had a deep affection for her own devotees. Especially unlike Luminous, Mora was uniquely associated with “death,” but Mora wished for her followers not to die.
Although Mora outwardly displays a brighter personality than light, I’ve heard that her inner self was actually quite delicate. You can think of Luminous as having a strong exterior but a gentle interior, while Mora is the opposite.
[Do you know how long I’ve been waiting? You should have come find me as soon as you arrived in Helium!]
‘Um… I’m sorry?’
I couldn’t help but freeze for a moment at the resonating, clanging voice of a woman in my mind. Unlike the soft and low-toned Luminous, Mora had a resonant and high-toned voice.
From the start, comparing them was ambiguous due to their different genders, but at least I could tell that Mora’s atmosphere, from voice to everything, was the opposite of Luminous.
[Hmph. I’ll let it slide this time. At least, you still remembered to come here.]
‘Well… thank you. May I ask why you’re looking for me?’
After the conversation with Luminous, Mora had thrown a bit of a tantrum, asking to meet me. As a result, Helium, who made Mora their national religion, found themselves in a very perplexing situation.
However, I wouldn’t have been summoned by a goddess just because she was bored. Luminous had already explained the whole situation before, but seeing Mora looking for me, I wondered if there was something she wanted to tell me.
With that thought in mind, I closed my eyes and waited for Mora’s response. It was around that time when Mora gave a response that exceeded my expectations.
[Because I was sad.]
‘What?’
[I called you because I was sad. If I hadn’t said anything, you wouldn’t have come looking for me, right? Isn’t that so?]
‘… …’
Did you really turn the world upside down for such a petty reason? And even went so far as to send a divine oracle? My mind became dizzy with the answer that left me speechless.
Looking at her grumbling tone, it was a sincere response without a hint of falsehood. She truly embodied the keyword “mischievous,” and yet, thanks to her honest answer, I didn’t feel bad.
I managed to hold back the sigh that was about to burst out and finally, barely, spoke to Mora.
‘…That’s not true. I was originally planning to visit Helium, so I was going to pray to you as well.’
[Ah, now that I think about it, I was planning to spend the first night with the child I treasure. I completely forgot.]
‘By the child you treasure, are you referring to Cecily?’
[Yeah. She’s been praying every day for the salvation of the demons long before you were born. She’s still doing it now.]
By the way, I vaguely remember hearing that even at the Academy, that Cecily consistently prayed. Once in the morning and once before going to bed, something like that. The content of the prayers was really touching when I heard about them.
In the morning, the prayer expressed gratitude for being able to see the sunlight, and at night, it thanked for being able to have a peaceful sleep without being swayed by evil.
[Lately, thanks to you, everything that was bothering me has been resolved. Even the salvation of the demons she longed for has been realized, and it has led to a connection with that benefactor. Hearing her pray every day also puts my mind at ease.]
‘I feel a little embarrassed.’
[Tonight, you’re going to do even more embarrassing things. But apart from that, you’re unnecessarily generous. If Luminous hadn’t warned you, I would have one more child to bless.]
‘… …’
By the way, I’ve been diligent about taking birth control pills. No matter what, accidents should be avoided, right?
When I was silently sweating and worrying, Mora, who was fiercely criticizing her twin brother, spoke to me in her distinct, bright voice.
[Anyway, let me start by saying thank you. As you know, most of my believers are demons and dark elves. Thanks to your book, the power that reaches me has become several times stronger than before.]
‘Can you tell me what that has to do with it?’
[Before Xenon’s Biography appeared, demons yearned for eternal rest as humans, not as devils. I had a hard time comforting their hearts. Wanting rest means there are many negative emotions in their hearts. I have to soothe those emotions or, if it seems impossible, even euthanize them. Because I am the deity of darkness and repose.]
‘You must be under a lot of mental strain.’
Just listening to it made me feel overwhelmed. No matter how transcendent the existence is, it must be painful to accept negative emotions or comfort the dying.
With an excited voice, filled with my sincere words, Mora replied cheerfully.
[Right? You understand my heart. There must be a reason why that child marked you. It’s only natural to fall for someone with such profound consideration.]
‘It’s embarrassing. Honestly, the biggest thing is probably that I’m the author of Xenon’s Biography.’
[That’s true. But the feelings that child has for you are genuine. If you were a worthless person, wouldn’t that child have secretly despised you? She would have endured steadfastly until the day you died, thinking of repaying her debt.]
Even up to this point, I let it slide.
[Above all, you’re handsome! Out of everything else, being handsome is the best, as expected!]
‘…Cecily, aren’t your standards as the princess of demons quite low?’
[That may be true, but you have exceptional individuality, don’t you? The unique combination of rare red hair and golden eyes! Don’t you know how attractive your face is?]
Upon hearing Mora’s words, I could only let out a bitter laugh. As if it wasn’t enough that this damn red hair of mine stands out wherever I go, receiving compliments didn’t exactly make me feel good.
Still, I could find solace in the fact that my appearance was praised even by the gods. Like her words, being handsome is indeed the best.
[Don’t you ever think of growing your hair out? I think it would suit you well.]
‘Isn’t that purely Mora’s preference?‘
[Hehe. Did I let it slip too soon?]
I’m a bit confused about whether I’m having a conversation with a goddess or a normal girl. When I talked to Luminous, we had serious conversations that put my mind at ease, but now I feel a sense of urgency.
Instead of a vertical relationship, it would have been more comfortable to have a horizontal relationship with his followers. Luminous had an indescribable charisma that made it difficult to interact with him, albeit unknowingly.
[Oh, right. You released the 14th volume this time, didn’t you?]
‘Yes, I sent it to the publisher before coming to Helium.’
[I heard you wrote quite an interesting story. It’s about elves and dark elves transforming into a pure mana entity and subduing devils, right?]
‘I see… um?’
Wait, what is that supposed to mean?
‘Lady Mora?’
[Yes?]
‘How do you know about it?’
[Well, I’m watching, so I know. How else would I know?]
‘No, why would you, Lady Mora…’
The news that even a goddess is reading my book was enough to make me feel distant from reality.
Come to think of it, didn’t Luminous occasionally mention the contents of my book in passing? At that time, I didn’t realize, because the focus wasn’t on that, but now I realize that Luminous was also aware of my book.
When my thoughts were tangled and confused, Mora asked me as if there was some problem.
[What’s the matter? There’s a child from a different dimension who wrote a book, so naturally I have to read it. If you wrote a book related to certain ideologies, it would be a big problem for us.]
‘Then did you read all of them?’
[Yeah. I did read them all?]
I wanted to disappear into a mouse hole. I opened my hands neatly folded in front of me and covered my face with them. Despite that, I could feel my face getting hotter and hotter.
I should have expected that my book would cause a commotion in the world to some extent, but I was too careless.
[Why are you so embarrassed? You should be proud. ‘Even the gods read my books! ‘Be proud like that.]
‘…Just don’t say anything.’
[You’re surprisingly embarrassed about strange things, huh? How cute. So when is the next volume coming out?]
‘… …’
I couldn’t say a word, and my lips trembled. Mora burst into laughter. If I were to mix my mother and Cecily’s mischievousness, it would feel something like this.
I focused on calming down my flushed face for a while. Since there was no way to undo what had already happened, avoiding it wasn’t right. Well, I wouldn’t have been able to avoid it in the first place.
Once the heat in my face subsided to some extent, I quietly spoke up. Clearing the atmosphere with a fake cough as an extra touch.
‘Yes. Yes. Thank you for reading it nicely. However, in the world I lived in, it was an exceedingly ordinary piece of writing.’
[It’s nice to be humble. Since we’re at it, how about writing down a song that existed in your world? I want to hear one.]
‘What are you talking about, wanting to hear one?’
[If you write a song in the book, naturally people will compose that song. Your world has many good songs, after all.]
‘Well…’
Indeed, there were many good songs. With the development of civilization and culture, music has naturally progressed countless times. Especially in South Korea, there were many songs related to love, so they could be utilized appropriately. But the problem is knowing when to include that song.
‘I’ll consider it. It’s not like I haven’t thought about it at all.’
[I’ll be looking forward to it.]
‘You don’t need to look forward to it…’
Now, even Mora started to burden me. Just the fact that she was reading Xenon’s Biography was already overwhelming, and now she was adding expectations.
With a mischievous tone unique to Mora, she muttered somewhat hesitantly. However, the content was as serious as it could be.
[Don’t worry, you don’t have to feel burdened. We can’t just go back and forth, and besides, I feel grateful to you right now. Just the fact that we delayed the devil invasion by 2000 years is something to be thankful for.]
‘Is that really just a coincidence?’
[Yeah. Didn’t my brother tell you? For example, let’s say a passerby in danger coincidentally gets saved by an adventurer. Even if it was just a passing encounter for the adventurer, would the passerby not feel gratitude? There’s a matter of scale, but it’s the same principle.]
‘It’s the same story as what Luminous said.’
Mora continued with her lively voice, as if she understood what I meant.
[So, if you want, I can bestow grace upon you. Although I don’t have powers as strong as my brother, I can give you the ability to hide in the darkness if you wish. Like a Dark Elf.]
‘Is there nothing else?’
[If you have insomnia, I can help alleviate it or keep your mind clear. I can also free you from various worries and stress. Honestly, it would probably have a greater effect on demons than humans.]
Indeed, most humans believe in Luminous because his powers surpass those of Mora. Luminous is the god of light and hope with various merits.
On the other hand, Mora brings solace to people suffering from incurable diseases or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and helps them hide in the darkness, but there are some aspects where she falls short compared to Luminous.
However, Mora was an important goddess for soldiers with combat experience, in other words, PTSD patients. While Luminous cannot cure PTSD, Mora makes it possible and helps those suffering from nightmares to fall into a deep sleep.
My father was a devout follower of Luminous and retired early. If he had visited Mora’s temple even once, he could still have been actively serving.
‘I probably won’t have to go into battle, but I’ll keep that in mind. After revealing my identity, I have a feeling I’ll be entangled in various incidents and accidents.’
[You’ve thought well. Oh, by the way, for now, I’ll give you divine power. It should be quite useful.]
‘Huh? Are you sure…’
In a moment when I was about to refuse, Mora spoke with a serious and earnest voice unlike her usual self.
[No. Aren’t you going to have your first night with that child today? I will transfer my divine power to you and prevent accidents in advance.]
‘Accidents? I brought the medicine with me.’
[It’s not just any accident. When a demon enters the evil cycle, they become a creature similar to mantises. When a female mantis mates, it devours the male mantis, right? It’s similar to that. That child will suck up your energy! So if I give you divine power, there won’t be any problems.]
‘… …’
It was almost a big problem.
******
After the conversation with Mora, I came out of the temple immediately to head towards Helium’s palace. However, it seemed that Gartz had already contacted Cecily, as she was waiting outside the temple.
Although the sun had completely set outside, enveloping everything in darkness, I could see Cecily thanks to the candles lit in the temple. With joy in my heart, I approached Cecily.
“You’ve come, Isaac.”
“… …”
As soon as Cecily and I met face to face, she waved her hand and greeted me warmly. I was too preoccupied with examining her attire to have the energy to respond.
Due to being an off-shoulder dress that fully exposes the shoulders, it revealed so much of her ample chest that it barely covered it. The dress’s chest area precisely aligned with the border, practically exposing all of her chest. Moreover, the dress’s black color contrasts even more with her fair skin, emphasizing what couldn’t be seen during the freshman event a few months ago. It seems that the red dress she wore back then expertly concealed certain aspects.
No matter how much I tried, I couldn’t prevent my gaze from constantly turning in that direction. Originally, Cecily alone had a powerful impact, but combining it with such revealing attire made my mind go hazy.
Whether she knew about my state of mind or not, Cecily slowly approached me and affectionately crossed our arms. A sensation of strong elasticity transmitted through my arm.
“Shall we go now? My parents are also expecting us.”
“…Yeah.”
I could feel it from Cecily’s teasing smile. This succubus had indeed made meticulous plans.
‘…I’m relieved.’
As mentioned earlier, Mora’s divine power had an outstanding effect in maintaining composure.
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