How to Live the Life of a Demon

  

Not long ago, Lucius had created a reagent using the essence of the Sechu stem.

 

Sechu is a plant that can often be found in the forest, and it has the ability to dull one’s senses. It causes dysphoria with one to go in circles in the same place.

 

The research revealed that when the toxicity of the sap from the Sechu stem was sufficiently reduced, it aided in masking one’s presence. 

 

This was particularly effective in the forest environment, where it showcased remarkable efficacy in dealing with monsters during forest inspections.

 

Lucius sprayed it on himself and walked slowly down the hallway.

 

It didn’t work against highly skilled demons, but it was suitable against students.

 

‘Three so far? It’s less than Epsilon.’

 

A total of seven students have so far noticed Lucius in the hallway of Epsilon class.

 

In contrast, in the hallway of Gamma Class, only three students were aware of Lucius so far.

 

‘I heard that the average entrance score for freshmen this year is relatively high, but the difference is bigger than I thought.’

 

Students in the Gamma class who have been enrolled for at least one year are worse than those in Epsilon who are freshmen.

 

As he received systematic training, his magic flow was relatively more stable, but that was all.

 

How meaningful it would be to look back on Gamma as it is.

 

After thinking for a moment, Lucius calmed down a bit and burrowed his way through the crowd.

 

And soon he was able to find the person he was looking for.

 

Lugain.

 

However, Lucius’ eyes turned to the side.

 

A rugged body, huge goat horns, sharp black nails, and bat-shaped wings.

 

‘Is that guy’s name Vince?’

 

His appearance was unmistakable.

 

He wasn’t fooled though.

 

‘The sense of discomfort unique to doppelgangers remains.’

 

Leaning against the patternless white wall made it difficult to notice, but his surroundings subtly rippled and distorted. 

 

It was the inherent and persistent weakness of shapeshifting doppelgangers, who could manipulate shadows and light to transform into desired forms.

 

‘Since he instructed the students to look for him, it can be assumed that he deliberately revealed himself to some extent. He seems to be more diligent than expected.’

 

As expected, laughter came out.

 

Although he didn’t intend to, he felt quite happy about finding him sooner than expected.

 

Lucius pretended not to notice and approached them as they were chatting.

 

“By the way, did you hear the news? Mr. Arnold is teaching Epsilon this time.”

 

He was telling a rather interesting story.

 

“Oh, I heard that. I thought it was just a rumor.”

 

“But it’s a bit pitiful. I don’t know if it’s Alpha or Beta, but if it’s Epsilon, Professor Arnold’s class will be very difficult.”

 

Judging by his reaction, it seemed like he didn’t notice that Mr. Arnold was disguised as Vince.

 

Usually students wouldn’t recognize him at a glance.

 

‘Well, if it was hidden that much, it would be difficult to recognize it unless it was quite serious.’

 

If so, he needed evidence on how he found it.

 

Suddenly, Lucius began to think about how to react when he met Mr. Arnold a little later.

 

It was easy to recognize the doppelganger’s magic because of the unique sense of incongruity, but it was easy to recognize because it was him.

 

In other words, it is difficult to get Mr. Arnold to nod his head.

 

‘In times like this, I think a standard answer would be the most acceptable.’

 

There were also ways to use special plants. However, using too much force could cause him to raise unnecessary questions.

 

“I know that you made a great appeal to learn from Professor Arnold in Alpha Class, but I guess you failed.”

 

“I envy the Epsilon kids, but I feel sorry for them. That professor gives challenging exams, assigns a lot of assignments, and the grading is tough too. Well, he’s undoubtedly skilled, though… Huh?”

 

While Lugain was contemplating how to respond, he abruptly stopped speaking, sensing a presence or cue.

 

In response to the situation, Lucius smoothly shifted his body and concealed himself among the crowd of students.

 

Unable to see anything in his line of sight, Lugain looked puzzled and scratched his head in confusion.

 

“Is it just me? I could feel the gaze.”

 

“Gaze?”

 

Arnold looked around, shrugged his shoulders, and said as if it was no big deal.

 

“I guess the other kids saw us for a moment.”

 

“Hmm… is it?”

 

Lugain, who had been tilting his head, soon relaxed his guard and began talking again.

 

‘I deliberately let my guard down, but I ended up blaming it on my mood.’

 

***

 

Considering Siren’s exceptional skills in wide-range detection magic, he wasn’t too shabby in terms of basic abilities.

 

But a separate disappointment came.

 

‘The Gamma class is a bit disappointing.’

 

He thought it would be easier to raise than Epsilon because he received training, but when he actually encountered it, the difference was bigger than he thought.

 

The level of Epsilon was overwhelmingly higher than Gamma, especially when considering growth potential.

 

Moreover, if we consider students who haven’t received academy education yet, there is an advantage of being able to mold them according to his preferences.

 

Although their foundational skills may be lacking at the moment, with proper training, they can easily surpass those limitations.

 

‘Now that I know Mr. Arnold’s location, let’s go somewhere else first.’

 

It won’t be too late to make a decision after seeing all the students selected as candidates.

 

After thinking about it, he left first.

 

How long has it been since he walked around the campus and saw students?

 

Lucius couldn’t help but click his tongue.

 

The student he would choose had to have outstanding skills beyond being a partner and ultimately pleasing to the Demon King.

 

But it didn’t even satisfy his eyes, let alone the Royal Palace.

 

“I don’t feel like it, but… As unfortunate as it is, should I at least capture Lugain? Where on earth is the other guy hiding?”

 

The last student who’s been around the campus for a long time but had never been seen.

 

As Lucius was pacing and contemplating, a large poster on the bulletin board appeared in his field of vision.

 

In front of it, students were huddled together and talking.

 

“So, this year is Gustav.”

 

“They say the reason there are so few new students this year is because of the festival.”

 

“You have to get good grades at the festival, but you can only participate in the festival once.”

 

The Gustav Festival was held every 10 years in collaboration with all academies, and was one of the largest events in the demon world.

 

During the event, medals were awarded to the academy that made the greatest contribution to student development, and outstanding students were praised.

 

Since it was an opportunity to make a name for themselves, students also participated with great enthusiasm.

 

The problem was the new students who entered the school the year the festival was held.

 

It is a difficult condition to show excellent results since you have to participate in a festival without receiving less than a year of education.

 

The academy graduation period is 10 years, and the festival is held every 10 years.

 

Once you participate in the festival as a freshman, there are no more opportunities.

 

Naturally, the number of new students that year is bound to be small.

 

Lucius crossed his arms in front of the poster and was lost in thought. He didn’t even know that the festival this year. This was an opportunity.

 

‘If the newly enrolled students are making a significant impact, I can’t ignore their contributions to a certain point. It’s also an opportunity to showcase their abilities to His Majesty.’

 

At every festival, invitations were sent to the Demon King and the elders, so the Demon King had ample reason to attend the event.

 

‘I need to make sure Kian, Rayel, and my partner can perform well at the Gustav Festival. If you do that much, His Majesty will be fully satisfied. After that, if you stay careful until you graduate early…’

 

Lucius was thinking for a moment when sunlight suddenly fell on his eyes.

 

When he turned his head and looked out the window, the sun of the Demon World passed through the middle of the sky and was slowly setting.

 

‘Two hours until the bell rings.’

 

Where was the last student?

 

* * *

 

“I’m sorry for calling you when you were busy, Lennox.”

 

A woman sits on a sofa and speaks in a soft voice.

 

Her slender hands held a warm, steaming teacup.

 

“…”

 

But the boy in front of her just remained silent.

 

She held her teacup forward and spoke, as if embarrassed.

 

“I had no choice because of problems with my partner. Please understand.”

 

Lennox, the boy in front of him, could feel the irritation mixed in her gentle tone.

 

Of course.

 

It’s like taking on a huge burden from the first day of school.

 

“… Tell me.”

 

“Is there any student you would like as a partner?”

 

Lennox couldn’t help but snort at that pretentious expression.

 

You have to say something that makes sense.

 

“If I were to nominate that person, they would undoubtedly be thrilled. You must be aware of it, Teacher.”

 

“What nonsense are you talking about? There’s no way they wouldn’t be thrilled. You’re a genius who advanced all the way to the Beta class in just five years.”

 

“Are you serious?”

 

He wanted to get out of his seat as he saw the teacher smiling.

 

Beta class after 5 years.

 

He couldn’t help but laugh.

 

After 3 years, he was promoted to Alpha and then demoted.

 

“Of course. If you take the initiative and talk to them, I think you’ll have a lot of friends who want to be partners.”

 

What a damn teacher.

 

‘

I’m not saying because I don’t know, but because it’s annoying and a pain in the ass

.’

 

Until two years ago, he was considered a talented person who would graduate early and was very popular among teachers and friends.

 

However, when his partner died in an accident, his life at the academy began to deteriorate.

 

His reputation suffered as rumors spread that he had intentionally killed his partner, and he was even demoted due to poor performance.

 

“Well.”

 

He endured last year, forcing himself to carry on despite the grief of losing his partner.

 

It’s unlikely to be any different this year.

 

“So, do you have no intention of finding a partner?”

 

The teacher’s expression slowly began to show irritation.

 

I’m sorry, but I couldn’t help it.

 

Lennox stood up, adjusting his stiff, wrinkle-free collar once again.

 

As he did so, a neatly tied strand of his hair slipped slightly to the side, prompting him to comb it back with his hand, tucking it behind his ear.

 

“Yes. I’m sorry. I don’t care who it is, so please take good care of me.”

 

“…Okay. You should go now.”

 

The teacher also waved her hand as if she had given up.

 

Lennox bowed lightly and then stood up.

 

‘A partner, huh.’

 

Until he entered school, like other freshmen, he had expectations about who his partner would be.

 

He couldn’t even imagine that the system would hold him back this much.

 

As he let out a long, faint sigh, he felt gazes on him from somewhere.

 

He thought there wouldn’t be any students passing by because the counseling office is in a corner.

 

As he looked around, a boy with unusually bright silver hair caught his attention.

 

His eyes were looking straight at him.

 

“Do you have any business for me?”

 

Lennox felt burdened by the way he was looking at me, so he spoke to him cautiously.

 

‘Judging from its appearance and the energy of the forest, it looks like a dryad.’

 

A feeling of being overwhelmed by something.

 

A presence that makes it impossible to relax.

 

Dryads usually liked books and research. Beings who were knowledgeable, enjoyed taking care of plants, and had a laid-back and quiet personality.

 

But he couldn’t get that feeling from the boy in front of him. On the contrary, it even seemed rather belligerent.

 

In particular, his confident, unintimidated expression and flawless behavior made it impossible to take your eyes off him.

 

‘Three red diagonal lines. Is it Epsilon?’

 

Lennox looked for a long time with a belated glance at his tie.

 

“I was passing by. Is it a beta class?”

 

Then, when the other person suddenly spoke, his body started to tremble. Lennox was very glad that he didn’t seem to know him, perhaps because he was a freshman.

 

“It looks like you’re a student at Epsilon. Your classroom is far from here. Are you lost?”

 

The boy’s eyes were secretive, as if he was hiding something, or he seemed busy exploring the other person just like me, or full of pure curiosity and confidence.

 

Lennox was not confident enough to meet those eyes, so he avoided his gaze.

 

“I think so. It was my first day, so I was going to go around and learn the way… I think it’s wider than I thought.”

 

“That’s right. I also used to get lost a lot when I was a freshman. If you go that way and turn right…”

 

Let’s end the meeting before anyone passes by.

 

Because it wouldn’t be a good scene to show to other students.

 

However, the person who knew nothing spoke innocently.

 

“My name is Lucius Kendrick. As you can see, it’s an Epsilon class. How about you?”

 

“…”

 

Lennox, who had been pointing his finger at the back, was left speechless by the sudden communication.

 

Lennox did not want to reveal his real name.

 

He thought that the casual attitude that this new student named Lucius showed toward him was because he didn’t know his name.

 

“As you saw, it’s a beta class. I’ll continue explaining the route.”

 

Lucius’ eyes narrowed when Lennox did not reveal his name.

 

The innocent-looking pupils folded neatly, sending a shiver down his spine.

 

With a meaningful smile that seemed to see through all his thoughts, Lucius shrugged his shoulders and made a proposal.

 

“While I’m not quite familiar with it just from hearing, may I ask for your assistance in guiding me around the school?”

 

“Guiding? Me?”

 

“Well, we appear to have a connection. If you have some spare time, it would be great if you could spare a little to help me.”