How to Live the Life of a Demon

  

The classroom in the morning was very noisy, but the atmosphere was different from before.

 

This is because the students who had been playing in groups, as if divided into cliques, were all laughing together and chatting about the first assignment.

 

“I wasn’t expecting a dragon to appear out of nowhere. I was shocked. I had no idea the card had such a purpose.”

 

“That’s right. I was fighting a dragon before I even realized what was going on. I totally forgot about Lucius.”

 

“Ah, he’s suddenly fighting with us. I’m not sure how he’s so thick-skinned. Haha. He’s incredible.”

 

“I got help, too. He’s amazing… I felt very reassured, thinking we were on the same side.”

 

Bern recalled yesterday’s events.

 

When Bern was hit by the dragon and sent flying, he thought he was going to crash into the ground. But when he regained consciousness, he found himself supported by a web.

 

At that moment, his mind was in a daze, and he immediately returned to the frontlines. But upon reflection, he realized that there was only one person who could have done such a thing.

 

“See, I’m right. The theme of this class was cooperation. Did you happen to notice Mr. Arnold’s expression?”

 

Esf puffed out his chest in triumph. Esmerida, who was standing next to him, snorted.

 

“If I had done as you said, I wouldn’t have saved my money.”

 

Other students who were listening to their story in the front row also thought what she said was right.

 

If they had just tried to gather the cards as they initially thought, they wouldn’t have achieved such a good result.

 

Especially with the shadow dragon that appeared at the end, they would never have been able to defeat it.

 

Iron recalled the time he met Lucius.

 

“It’s an opportunity to finish the class with the highest evaluation. What do you think?”

 

Given the structure of the Cyrus Academy, if one’s combat skills fell behind, their score would inevitably be low.

 

As a dwarf, he couldn’t defeat other students, so he resorted to secretly stealing their cards.

 

And it was during that time that he encountered Lucius.

 

“About 10 minutes from now, Rayel will discover you. Just follow his lead. After that, do as Rayel says.”

 

It was a very attractive offer.

 

It’s as simple as being tied to a vine, and when other students inquire what happened, all you have to do is express your rage at what happened because of Lucius Kendrick.

 

They had lost all of their cards and had no other options, so they decided to give it a shot because they had the same probability of losing whether it was serious or a joke.

 

As Lucius said, Rayel appeared 10 minutes after he was gone.

 

They cursed at him as hard as Lucius had told them to, and Rayel suggested that they all join forces.

 

Iron did as Lucius said and helped Rayel by adding his opinions.

 

As a result, Iron was able to finish his first class successfully.

 

If Iron had the chance today, he would have wanted to speak to Lucius properly and say hello.

 

Rrrr.

 

As time passed, the long-awaited demon appeared.

 

* * *

 

Lucius gained more from his first class than he expected.

 

He was able to confirm not only Rayel’s skills but also the overall level of his classmates.

 

He’s reevaluating Mr. Arnold as well and more closely formulating his policy on how to move on from Cyrus going forward.

 

Lucius, who woke up feeling refreshed, fell into a new worry as he walked to school.

 

There was one problem that he put off for a while because of class.

 

It was about Lennox.

 

He was thinking of waiting until he mentally prepared, but looking at his condition, he didn’t think giving him time would work.

 

Furthermore.

 

‘The nightmare is getting worse day by day. I think it’s probably because of Ophelia, but there’s a limit to how much I can care for her every night.’

 

At the very least, the problem with the nightmares must be resolved.

 

While he was pondering, he stood in front of the sliding door of his class.

 

And as soon as he went inside the classroom, the noisy atmosphere typical of mornings suddenly became quiet, as if cold water had been poured on it.

 

A student approached Lucius, who was puzzled for a moment.

 

It was a solemn voice, as if he had made a big decision about something.

 

“Lucius Kendrick, I’m late to say hello. I am Iron of the Dwarf Clan. I’m focusing on making firearms. Please take care of me in the future. If you need anything, let me know.”

 

Lucius took a look around. All the eyes in the class were focused on him.

 

There was not a single hostile gaze among them. Everyone seemed eager to approach and engage in conversation. They didn’t seem to pay much attention to the fact that he forcibly took their cards during yesterday’s class.

 

First, he introduced himself one more time to the people in front of him.

 

“Lucius Kendrick, Dryad. You had a hard time yesterday.”

 

After he finished meeting Iron, the students began to gather around him one by one, introducing themselves, giving their names and races, and expressing their wish to get along.

 

Rrrr.

 

At that time, the classroom door opened again.

 

Arnold, who came in for assembly, saw students crowded around Lucius and knocked on the door several times.

 

“It’s attendance time, guys. Go back to your place.”

 

The students quickly returned to their seats and held their breath, but the atmosphere was a little excited, perhaps because they had successfully completed their first class.

 

Arnold said it with a satisfied expression.

 

“As you are all aware, today is a demonic beast class. I happened to have some free time, so I chose to attend the lesson with the teacher, Hamel.”

 

Lucius, who had not heard anything from Hamel beforehand, scratched his chin.

 

‘There’s no way Hamel would have suggested a joint class first; it must be Arnold who wanted it.’

 

It seems like expectations for the class have grown because of yesterday’s class.

 

After a short break, class began.

 

Hamel, dressed neatly, entered the room with a slight smile, his eyes narrowed.

 

“Hello, I am Hamel, who will be teaching the demonic beast class for a year. Today, I decided to receive a little help from Teacher Arnold.”

 

He would be embarrassed if he heard it himself, but standing in front of the teacher’s table like that made him look like a proper teacher.

 

As Lucius chuckled, Hamel’s eyes twitched. He seemed to know what Lucius was thinking.

 

Hamel, who had been staring at him with momentary dissatisfaction, began the class.

 

As it was the first class, he provided basic information, but the students still found it enjoyable.

 

Above all, the students’ interest was aroused by the fact that Arnold, the doppelganger, created a model of the shadow demon.

 

“The creature you see here is a ‘Greyhound.’ Among demonic beasts, it possesses the highest level of agility. Their advanced vision allows them to spot prey from afar.”

 

While teaching, he stroked Arnold’s shadow demon with his hand. Greyhounds were also Hamel’s breed.

 

“Since it’s a shadow demon, it remains docile like this. However, in reality, once it sets its sights on prey, it never lets go and hunts with tenacity.”

 

The sight of Hamel’s narrowed smile suddenly reminded him of the past.

 

Before signing the contract, Hamel was, as he said, very persistent and vicious.

 

Because of his extreme hunger, he lost his senses and ate everything he saw around him.

 

Everything, whether it’s a demonic beast or a demonic race.

 

“You will also receive external training later. You might even sign a contract with a demonic beast if you’re lucky. It will be far more difficult than you anticipate. Demonic beasts are not this submissive. Ah. If you stumble across an intelligent demonic beast, flee. It may not be doable, but it is still possible.”

 

“Is there such a demonic beast?”

 

“In each region where demonic beasts live, there are demonic beasts that have grown through the nourishment of the demonic energy and morale unique to that area. Unlike ordinary demonic beasts, they can communicate. They all have unusual personalities, so it’s best to flee.”

 

Meeting Lucius was a fortunate event for him.

 

Hamel would have been subdued by the demon king’s army sooner or later if he hadn’t struck a deal with Lucius.

 

“It will be an enjoyable experience in its own way. It is said that these days, there are cases where contracts are made for pets. Think about it carefully, and then decide.”

 

“Teacher, did you also sign a contract with a demonic beast?”

 

Hamel smiled and nodded his head in response to someone’s question.

 

“I guess I signed a contract somehow.”

 

“What kind of demonic beast is it?”

 

“Well…”

 

Hamel trailed off, looked at Lucius for a moment, and then spoke playfully.

 

“It’s incredibly strong, but it’s so arbitrary that it’s too much to handle.”

 

The student’s eyes lit up, curious about Hamel’s demonic beast. Lucius gave Hamel a crooked look.

 

Hamel continued the class, pretending not to know anything despite the stare.

 

* * *

 

‘… Is it already morning?’

 

Lennox suddenly opened his eyes, the morning sunlight piercing his eyelids.

 

As he lifted his heavy body and opened the curtains, he was able to see the unusually sunny scenery outside today.

 

High skies, nicely manicured gardens, small flying birds, and lively students.

 

“…”

 

Displeasure that seeps in without knowing why.

 

He soon closed the curtains again. After leaving the otherworldly scenery behind, he started getting ready for school.

 

Dress neatly and tie his slightly short hair into a low ponytail.

 

Stand in front of the mirror to check for any blemishes.

 

After going through this series of processes every morning, he gave himself the same review in the mirror every time.

 

‘Pathetic guy.’

 

Even as he thought that, a meaningless laugh escaped him.

 

What would that dead guy say if he saw this?

 

‘Edion.’

 

He will scold him for doing something useless.

 

Every time Lennox turned his head while thinking nonsense, he could see his new partner tying his hair in front of the mirror with an embarrassed expression on his face.

 

Lucius Kendrick.

 

A new student who entered school this year and a temporary partner.

 

He accepted the request to be a temporary partner because he thought it would be easier to deal with someone who seemed to have a plan rather than a naive student who didn’t know him.

 

He’s still not sure if it was a good choice.

 

“Ah, Lennox. Good morning.”

 

Lucius, who made eye contact through the mirror, gave a warm greeting. He couldn’t bring himself to say, ‘Good morning.’ He kept his mouth shut and turned his head.

 

‘It can’t be a good morning.’

 

He’s been having nightmares for the past two years.

 

A dream in which he struggles desperately to save his partner, Edion, and ends with disastrous results every time.

 

He can’t even remember the last time he woke up feeling refreshed.

 

As he was thinking that, one fact suddenly crossed his mind.

 

Did I have that dream today?

 

“…”

 

He didn’t dream.

 

Now that he thinks about it, he hasn’t been dreaming for some time.

 

Even though he slept, he still couldn’t recover his energy, but at least he no longer woke up in the morning struggling with nightmares.

 

When did it stop?

As he tried to figure it out, his gaze instinctively shifted towards Lucius.

 

“Lucius, by any chance…”

 

“Hmm?”

 

“No, never mind.”

 

He stopped himself from saying what he intended to say.

 

What was he trying to say?

 

Did Lucius notice that he has been having nightmares every night? Did Lucius know when he stopped having dreams?

 

In that moment of silence, Lucius smiled and spoke.

“I’m almost ready. Just wait a little longer.”

 

“I get it.”

 

After answering that, he lowered his gaze to his wrist.

 

If it weren’t for Mr. Arnold’s spell, he would never have gone with Lucius. Because it stands out in a bad way.

 

Not long after, Lucius came out ready. He hurried his steps and hoped that this time would pass quickly.

 

When he got to the lobby like that, Lucius caught him, who was about to split up.

 

“Lennox. I’d like to talk with you today after school.”

 

“Talk?”

 

“Don’t we still have a lot left to talk about?”

 

Lucius said so with a thoughtful smile.

 

Lennox instinctively understood what he was saying.

 

What is coming has come.

 

His vision began to blur. The tranquil emotions he believed he had were now in turmoil, turning into tremendous waves rushing in.

 

Lucius spoke, his eyes still resembling a serene and clear forest as he looked at him.

 

What the hell does this guy expect from him?

 

Lucius appeared to be both threatening and reassuring, as if urging him not to worry.

 

His expression is not hostile.

 

“I’m giving you some space to think and say what you want. So, take your time and think about it.”

 

“I’ll do that.”

 

Even though he responded in that manner, he was unsure.

 

Is it really okay to speak up?