One Child raised their hand, and after following the previous steps, their question was relayed to the Elders.
"That's an excellent question, Child. Tian Dao is our Overseer, Creator, and the System that enables us to maintain our Civilisation. Tian Dao came into being at the moment this Universe was created. It serves as the governing body of all fundamental laws within this Universe, and Tian Dao created us to uphold peace and stability. Each Class has different responsibilities in this endeavour, but those will be explained in detail within the basic Knowledge Tian Dao will provide to you."
"You can think of the Heavenly Clans as the physical extension of this governing body, which itself has no proper form. We receive commands from Tian Dao through a central computer, also called Tian Dao, which governs our Clans," explained Immortal Demon Elder Shen in a detached tone.
Another question was relayed, and this time, Mortal Elder Sky replied, "That is a valid question, Child. We do not perceive any Clan, Class, Bloodline, or gender as inferior or superior to others. Each individual, regardless of their Clan, Class, Bloodline, or gender, is simply another component of the machine that enables our Civilisation and Tian Dao to ensure peace and stability throughout the Universe," he said with conviction.
The Elders received another question, and this time, Celestial Elder Soleil erupted into a fit of gleeful giggles. After a moment, he managed to respond. "Child, I am grateful that pregnancies do not occur haphazardly. Otherwise, managing the size of our Civilisation would become quite challenging. Pregnancies occur only after females and Gers enter a phase called Estrus. This phase begins at age twenty-five and recurs every ten years thereafter. There are exceptions, but these are rare; we have never encountered a case of yearly Estrus."
"And honestly, I doubt anyone would want that either, as Estrus, along with the accompanying male Rut, creates logistical nightmares. Thankfully, Tian Dao notifies us a week in advance when someone is about to enter Estrus. This allows us to isolate them until their Estrus period ends, which typically lasts about a week from onset," he explained between giggles and sighs.
The Elders were asked another question, to which Celestial Elder Sky answered: "Child, male Rut is dangerous, but not to the female or Ger they are paired with. Males become territorial and may attack anyone who approaches them or their Mate. Twin Demons, always male, can be especially troublesome."
"We have designated areas where Slayers and Twin Demons can isolate themselves to prevent accidental injuries or damage to buildings, as both tend to lose control over their strength and Mana during this time."
"Such incidents are rare. Most of those hurt are not from our Clans, but Outsiders who inadvertently approach a Rutting Twin Demon and their Mate. In about one in every trillion cases, one of the two may suddenly enter Estrus or Rut due to heightened excitement. In those situations, an evacuation order is issued to everyone nearby, specifying names, Clans, Classes, and locations as well as the minimum safe evacuation distance."
"This is why we call Estrus and Rut logistical nightmares. We are grateful that they occur infrequently," Celestial Elder Sky sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.
The other Elders nodded in agreement.
Another question was presented, and the Elders nodded in understanding.
"I was wondering when this question would come up. Our Civilisation, which currently numbers fifty trillion people over the age of twenty-five—our designated age of maturity—is known as a ManaTech Civilisation. A ManaTech Civilisation combines magic and technology, creating a system in which each element complements and enhances the other."
"We use both simultaneously to cultivate and sustain our lives, produce food and other essentials, and defend or attack when necessary. Mana is the energy within our bodies and can be increased through cultivation. We harness this Mana to strengthen our bodies, cast spells, and enhance our senses, physical strength, defences, and attacks."
"We also use Mana to power various technological and mechanical devices for creation, production, and many other purposes. We increase the Mana in our bodies by absorbing ambient energy and converting it into Mana, which is stored in a special container called the Dantian. We circulate this energy through pathways known as Meridians to transform it from raw energy into Mana, and further circulate it for use. The names of our Clans come from the types of energy required for our cultivation."
"The Mortal Clan draws predominantly from the land, requiring Mortal energy. The Immortal Clan relies on Immortal energy, which comes mainly from the air. The Infernal Clan harnesses Infernal energy, a negative energy derived from adverse emotions, death, and the Abyss, which houses all hostile Outsiders and rule-breakers. The Celestial Clan draws on Celestial energy, a positive force stemming from good emotions, life, and merit."
"Does this mean the Mortal Clan is weaker than, say, the Infernal Clan? The answer is no. While the Mortal Clan may appear weaker in combat due to the Infernal Clan's more aggressive nature, both Clans are, in fact, equally strong or weak in their own ways."
"The main differences between the Clans lie in our lifespans. The Mortal Clan has the shortest life expectancy, though it is still longer than the average human lifespan of around one hundred years. For the Mortal Clan, lifespans extend to ten thousand years. The Immortal Clan lives for one hundred thousand years. The Celestial Clan can live up to five hundred thousand years. The Infernal Clan can live for as long as one million years for reasons not fully understood," Immortal Demon Elder Shen explained impassively.
The Children gaped as the information sank in. Several hands shot up immediately, and the Children bounced in their seats, barely containing their excitement.
The servants relayed these questions to the Elders, as always.
The Elders chuckled, exchanging knowing smiles with the Children.
"We expected this question, as it always comes up when our lifespans are mentioned. I think it would be best to share our ages as we continue with what we were doing before we got sidetracked," Celestial Elder Soleil teased good-naturedly.
"Let us proceed with the reveal of our appearances; we will do this in pairs. After each pair presents themselves, we will also reveal their ages."
"Since I have already introduced myself, it's now time for my Mate, Celestial Demon Sky. I'll let him explain his features, then I'll share our ages." He turned to Celestial Demon Sky, who stood and removed his cloak.
"As you can see, I look quite different from my Mate. I have only two colours: white, representing my Celestial Clan, and gold, our accessory colour. My horns, skeletal frame, and clothing also differ, reflecting my identity as a male Demon."
"My horns and clothing are typical of Demons; we tend to have more aggressive horns, regardless of gender, aligning us more with combat. This trait comes from our role as guardians for our Mates. Twin Demons, in particular, are especially protective."
"A word of advice: never approach a Slayer of any Clan. Twin Demons will instinctively see you as a threat and loom over you, ready to attack at the slightest movement toward their Mate."
"The clothing I wear is standard for all Demons, including Twin Demons. There are minor gender adjustments; females and Gers typically cover their chests, while males do not."
"Demon skin and horns usually reflect their Clan colour, while our eyes and hair display our accessory colour. We also have Runic tattoos in our accessory colour on our bodies, except on the face. These tattoos appear during Awakening and are unique, permanent features of Demons."
"My skeletal frame is a result of being male, but muscular Gers and females are not uncommon—they may be muscular by preference or due to their Class, or both," Celestial Demon Sky explained.
As he spoke, Celestial Elder Soleil highlighted certain features on projection screens.
"My Mate forgot to mention that the crystals embedded in Demons and Twin Demons follow their accessory colour rather than their Class colour. Now, the moment you've been waiting for: the age reveal."
"My Mate and I are both one thousand five hundred years old. The first year after birth is considered our newborn phase; we count our age from then. When we celebrate our first birthday, our age changes from zero to one," Celestial Elder Soleil concluded cheerfully.
Immortal Elder Lucius stood up. "I'll go next, then my Mate. It's only wise for the Infernals to go last."
He removed his cloak. "As you can see, my primary colour is teal-green, my accessory colour is jade, and my Class colour is light blue. I'm wearing a Hanfu-style robe, similar to Celestial Elder Soleil's, as is customary for our Class. Our Class is Nursery Elder, which means we manage the Nursery and everyone and everything here. Think of Classes as similar to professions from your home world."
"My frame is larger than Celestial Elder Soleil's because I am male. My antlers indicate my Bloodline, which differs from Celestial Elder Soleil's. We will discuss Bloodlines in more detail once everyone has revealed themselves. My crystals are light blue, which denotes my Class; they're positioned just as on Celestial Elder Soleil. Now, for my Mate, Immortal Demon Shen," he said, gesturing to the Elder beside him and sitting back down.
Immortal Demon Shen stood and removed his cloak.
"My build is similar to Immortal Elder Soleil's, but I am more muscular. This is because I'm a Ger, and as a Demon, I prefer being more muscular to protect my Mate better. My colour scheme is only teal-green and jade; my chest is covered, as is customary for Gers and females."
"My horns, clothing, and Runic tattoos are styled after Celestial Demon Sky's, but use different colouring. My skin also has a teal-green tint. My crystals are jade, my accessory colour. My Mate and others before me forgot to mention that all of us actually have six additional crystals along our spines—something Celestial Demon Sky will demonstrate now."
"My Mate and I are one thousand eight hundred fifty years old," he added, then sat down and gestured to Celestial Demon Sky.
Celestial Demon Sky stood and turned, showing his bare back as Celestial Elder Soleil highlighted the crystals on screens, then both resumed their seats.
Mortal Elder Kyle stood and removed his cloak.
"As you can see, Children, from my stature, I am a Ger like Celestial Elder Soleil and Immortal Demon Shen. I'm less muscular than Immortal Demon Shen, but this is my preference, as our Class doesn't require it. My Clan colour is brown, my accessory colour is diamond, and my Class colour, like the Elders before me, is light blue."
"As with those before me, I'm wearing the clothing of our Class as Nursery Elder. My horns differ from those of the other Elders because my Bloodline is different, but we'll discuss that later. Now, my Mate: Mortal Demon Sean," he said, gesturing for his Mate before sitting down.
Mortal Demon Sean stood and removed his cloak.
"Alright, let's begin. My build is large and muscular, like Celestial Demon Sky, because I'm male and want to be strong enough to help my Mate. My skin is brown, matching my Clan colour. My eyes, hair, Runic tattoos, and crystals are all diamond, my accessory colour."
"Since I'm male, my chest is bare, and as you can see on my back, there are six additional crystals. My Mate and I are five hundred years old; yes, we're the youngest in the group," he finished with a jovial grin.
Infernal Elder Caine rose, crossed his arms, and said, "My Mate and I were left for last for good reason. Before revealing myself, let me explain a bit about Infernals. Even our non-combative Classes are inherently aggressive, and this aggression is reflected in our appearance, so please don't be alarmed when you see us."
He gave the Children a moment to take in his words before removing his cloak.
The Children gasped as they saw Infernal Elder Caine unveiled.
"As you see, I am male. My build is larger and more imposing than the others. My primary colour is black, my accessory colour is silver, and my Class colour is light blue. My horns are more aggressive, a trait from my Bloodline."
"My eyes are light blue like the other Elders'. However, my pupils are vertically slit, not the round, non-aggressive type of the others—typical for all Infernals regardless of Class or gender. Also, instead of the white part of the eye, all Infernals have irises that encompass the entire eyeball."
"All Infernals, like me, have fangs visible even when our mouths are closed. Our ears are larger and pointed, resembling those of beasts more than the others. Our nails are silver and retractable like claws, making us formidable even when unarmed."
"Lastly, I am the tallest among those present, yet still among the smallest Infernals—there are many others who are much taller than I am. Now, I believe it is time for my Mate, Infernal Demon Lucifer, to take the stage." His voice was gruff, yet oddly gentle.