After a few seconds, I let out a deep sigh and nod.
"Yeah, that's the part that I was hiding from you when we first spoke. I don't know how else to say this, so I'll just be blunt. I wasn't born on Azura. To be more specific, as of a year ago, I was living my life on a completely different planet from you. That is, until I was brought here by Azazel, just like your ancestors were dozens of millennia ago.
"That's the reason for my initial confusion. I know who my parents are, and I was never some kind of anomaly. It's just that, while the humans of this planet look similar enough to me for us to pass for the same race, we are quite literally worlds apart." (Mizuki)
Shocked silence descends over the group as I take in their incredulous expressions for several moments. Eventually, I hear Cara's voice, overcome with disbelief.
"So you're...an alien? Seriously?" (Cara)
Her amber eyes are studying me with newfound curiosity, and perhaps a trace of concern. I raise my eyebrows, and I can't help but chuckle out loud at the experience of hearing that term applied to me.
I give her a small smile and nod. It's time to really blow their minds...gotta sell this inhuman narrative, after all.
"Yes, I suppose that's accurate. And, all the novel things I've introduced to your country are inspired by things from my home planet. All the games flooding Eden, the MMCs, and even the trains. Although, they are admittedly poor imitations. For example, only a fraction of people have enough magic power to operate my trains, but those on my home planet could be operated by any elf in your entire country.
"You see, my planet is drastically more advanced than yours, and as I said, I'm nothing special by their standards. In addition, despite what you may assume since I won't age, I'm quite young still. Me fully replicating the things from my planet would be like a twenty years old elf at the Elven Magic Academy being able to recite all the information in the royal library. It's simply laughable.
"What you've seen me create is just a fraction of what my people have achieved. They have items that can fly hundreds of people through the air faster than my trains, others that can destroy entire countries in a flash of light, those that can solve more math problems in a moment than your entire academy can in a year, and even some that can carry my people to other planets." (Mizuki)
At this point, I'm unsurprised but definitely amused by the sight of every royal and noble except Alara and Ilina staring at me with their mouths wide open. Deserved or not, I'm experiencing a rare moment of pride about Earthlings.
Eventually, Tessa breaks the silence.
"You're telling me that, not only are your people that much more advanced than us, but you also don't stick out at all among them? Someone like you is...ordinary?" (Tessa)
I turn towards her and see her grey eyes studying me incredulously. Truthfully, it's a little misleading to say I was ordinary. While I certainly wasn't a genius, just a guy with a great memory and above-average intelligence, getting a college degree in physics still isn't easy. But this is the perfect time to really set my people apart from Azura's humans.
So, I just smile and nod at Tessa.
"That's exactly right. Both physically and intellectually...ordinary. Speaking of which, when I told some of you that my eyes are green because of my connection with Nina, that was a lie to cover my ass. I was born with them. Blue and green eyes are quite common for my people, unlike with the humans here." (Mizuki)
Helena snorts.
"Well then I think it's pretty fucking safe to assume that your people are not human. Which begs the question, what the hell are you, exactly?" (Helena)
Jackpot. I've already thought about the answer to this a lot – it's a pretty interesting topic. Honestly, I don't even have to lie to explain this to my advantage.
I shrug at Helena nonchalantly.
"Keep in mind, I didn't learn the common tongue of this planet like the rest of you. It was basically inserted into my mind by Azazel, just like for Nina and the other Elder Dragons. That means that words I know are interpreted through my birth language.
"If I encounter something deemed familiar to me, then my known word for it will be linked in my mind with your word for it. Conversely, if I encounter something foreign to me, then I won't know the word for it, and I'll hear a strange-sounding new word when someone identifies it to me. Similarly, if I try and talk about a thing or idea foreign to Azura, I have no translation for it and will speak in my native language.
"Consequently, my brain would tell you that I am a human, because I, Azazel, or both of us – depending on how the translation magic works – saw the physical similarities and assumed we were the same race. If it was instead determined that there was no version of my species on Azura, then I assume that the magic would have left the word untranslated. Hence, I'd be a human {in English}. But, those words mean the same thing to me.
"So, to answer your question, I have no idea what race you should call me, if not human. Or rather, I didn't until very recently. After I told my secret to Alara, and she recalled some of your people's fables, we were surprised to discover that elves and my race are already acquainted. Thankfully, there seems to be an Elvish term for my people." (Mizuki)
Helena gives me a dumbfounded look and turns to look at Alara.
"What is he talking about?" (Helena)
At the same time, Elira, Dargo, and many others outside my inner circle are wearing dumbfounded expressions. Before anyone can follow up on Helena's question, however, an ear-piercing shriek erupts from behind Tessa.
Everyone turns to Tessa's daughter, Selena, whose eyes are so wide that they're more white than grey. One of her hands is outstretched, pointing towards me as it shakes like a leaf, while the other is covering her own mouth.
"Oh my gods! Y-you're...you're a Nephilim!" (Selena)
{AN: I won't italicize and clarify it every time, but it's implied that when Mizuki hears the word 'Nephilim', it's derived from Elvish. There's no word for it in Azura Common. The opposite is true for when Mizuki has mentioned words with no counterpart in Azura's languages. E.g., when he said 'apples' in an earlier chapter, it was in English. I'll try to be more clear when Mizuki 'senses' that a word being said isn't Azura Common henceforth.}
This time, it's my turn to widen my eyes in shock. Did Ilina tell her or drop breadcrumbs...to make the revelation more believable to someone like Tessa? That would be...impressive.
I turn to glance at Ilina, but she looks just as surprised as me. In retrospect, of course she didn't tell Selena. How would she have even broached the topic without raising suspicion or Selena relaying it to her paranoid mother?
I look at Selena again, who is still staring at me...not in fear, but not in awe either. Perhaps both, or something in between.
Since an independent person bringing it up gives us credibility, I nod at her approvingly.
"Well that's unexpected...Alara told me that the stories were mostly lost to time among elves." (Mizuki)
At my 'confirmation', Selena sways a bit on her feet, and I have to fight the impulse to look amused. She opens her mouth to respond, but nothing comes out.
By now, Tessa has registered the remark as well, and her face has gone completely pale as the strength seems to leave her body. She grips the table in front of her, her eyes fixed on me with rabid intensity. Her voice is barely a whisper.
"That's...no...a Nephilim...that's impossible..." (Tessa)
Apparently she didn't whisper it too quietly, because there's immediately another shrill voice from near Darak.
"No, it makes perfect sense! His gem-like eyes, godly magic, otherworldly origin, and eternal youth. The wisdom of his race, how he's trying to help us with trains and MMCs, and how kind he's been to the elves without good reason. Even his marriage to the Princess...it's just like the legends! Selena is right, Mizuki must be a Nephilim!" (Linnea)
Darak's likable daughter, Linnea, has moved to lean over the table near him, her eyes gleaming in excitement as she stares at me. She's seemingly oblivious to all the stares she has drawn. Next to her, Darak, who I assume knows at least as much about Nephilim as his daughter, is staring at me open mouthed with a deeply thoughtful look, as though I'm a specimen he wants to study.
My rising trepidation over his behavior is cut short by Helena's annoyed voice.
"Anyone want to enlighten us mere elves what the hell a Nephilim is, and why you're all so excited about it?" (Helena)
Helena sweeps the room with a scowl, and Zakariah's meek voice soon follows.
"Uhm...yes, I'd like an explanation as well. My father has never mentioned them before." (Zakariah)
Their inquiries are enough to finally snap Elira and Dargo, who have been staring at me with expressions that slowly morphed from disbelief to greedy excitement, out of their reveries.
Elira clears her throat, her voice calm, but she never takes her eyes off me.
"Ehem...yes, I believe explanations are in order. Nephilim are something that only those close to the royal family are likely aware of. As Mizuki mentioned, their story has mostly been lost to history. Dargo, dear, you're the bookworm...do you mind?" (Elira)
Elira glances over her shoulder at Dargo as she poses the question, and he nods and steps forward quickly.
"Of course, my Queen. Allow me to expl-" (Dargo)
His words are cut off by the sounds of something violently colliding with the table and a chair being scraped across the floor. My head snaps towards the source of the commotion, and I see Tessa sprawled out on the floor unceremoniously. Her escort, a woman that's not her daughter, is cradling Tessa's head as though she caught Tessa when she fell. The woman glances up, noticing all the stares, and speaks in an embarrassed tone.
"I...believe she fainted..." (Tessa's escort)
My eyebrows raise curiously, and I lean over to observe the incapacitated Tessa.
"Huh...well that's inconvenient..." (Mizuki)