NOVPUB"Why did you stop talking?"
"...I need to read more before I can make an objective evaluation of Miss Talia."
Lanci was wary of bursting Hyperion’s bubble, just by the mere thought of Talia sitting in an armchair, reading newspapers, sipping tea, and nibbling on snacks.
She was indeed unlike other demons, her biggest desire was to eat. She managed to conceal this from other demons due to her princely dignity and restraint, hence in their eyes, she was an invincible Holy Demon, void of any demonic weakness.
Actually, now that she had assumed the unknown human identity "Tata" in the Capital of Hutton, she had let herself loose every day.
Blissfully ignoring her demonic nature.
God, he must never let Talia find out that he knew she was Talia.
Otherwise, if she felt embarrassed, she would probably bring him down with her in order to silence him.
Still, it was fine as long as she didn’t bring a few demons, whom she knew well from the Great Demon Clan, back to the South Continent to observe her laid-back new life. She probably wouldn’t feel too embarrassed, then.
"Is it acceptable to express admiration for Demon Race?"
Lanci asked, confused.
The current era was marked by prejudice against different races, which had seemingly reached its peak.
"Are you going to report me?"
Like Talia, Zestira’s questions rarely carried a tone of inquiry.
"No."
Lanci and Frey always enjoyed discussing dangerous topics.
"Then there’s no problem."
Either way, she trusted Lanci now and had no intention of hiding anything from him. Just like her father, she believed trust was essential when it came to individuals.
"Yes, I admire Talia, but no one knows whether she is still alive or where she is now."
Zestira expressed a rarely seen regret.
"If she was safe and sound now, what would you want to do?"
Lanci had his hands on the book cover, deeply musing.
Strangely enough, ever since he came to the Northern Continent, his life coincidentally seemed to replicate his early encounters with Talia.
Whether it was ingratiating himself with the wealthy, becoming a tutor, or obtaining an identity, to eventually follow his students to the Magic Academy in the capital...
But there was one thing where he differed from Tata.
While he always spoke of wanting to retire, he tended to follow through once his ambition was ignited. Talia, on the other hand, always gave the impression of ambition, yet truly desired nothing but retirement.
"I want to learn from her, how to become a truly rational demon. I yearn for her knowledge and teachings."
Zestira answered immediately, without any hesitation.
"Don’t you want to be a human?"
Lanci asked in surprise.
Having spent a long time with Ichrite, he assumed that those half-demons or returned demons who grew up in the Human Kingdom and suffered prejudice would all yearn to be recognized as humans.
Yet, to his surprise, Zestira declared otherwise.
"No, I want to be a member of the Great Demon Clan."
Zestira looked straight at Lanci as she boldly stated her aspirations.
You can argue about what is right or wrong, but there’s no remedy for bias. Instead of fighting against her own desires, she chose to proudly embrace her demonic identity.
But she quickly realized that she may have said too much and ought to have tempered her response.
Even the mild-mannered Lanci might find her a tad intimidating after hearing such words.
After all, her stance was rather extreme.
The Lanci sitting opposite her went silent for a moment after hearing what she said.
"You’ll have to take back the Demon Ancestral Land first... without the Demon King and the Ancestor’s Soul granting you the official title, becoming a member of the Great Demon Clan is not just about honor, it’s a form of ultimate recognition for a demon. It’s not something verbal affirmation can legitimise. Personally, if you want to accomplish your dream, the first step should be to investigate and consolidate the remaining forces of the demon race, and prepare to recover the demon’s heritage..."
Lanci held his chin with his gloved hand, thoughtfully analysing aloud.
"..."
This was the first time Zestira felt a bit frightened by this man from the South Continent.
She somehow felt that Lanci was more eager for the revival of the demon race than she was... At one point, she even wondered about the race Lanci belonged to beneath his human skin.
Plus, she was just daydreaming, but this man seemed to be the kind who was ready to put such grand plans into action.
However, upon further reflection, she realized that disguise magic cannot fool the imperial security checks. He shouldn’t have any magic to disguise himself as a human.
Normally, a human wouldn’t need to disguise himself as a human. This is common sense.
"Alright, let’s talk about matters within the school."
Zestira interrupted Lanci in an attempt to change the subject.
Their talk about the holy war ended there, as Zestira felt that Lanci’s exposition was more dangerous than the topic she raised.
Zestira gazed out of the window, the quietness broken only by the low rumble of the train on the tracks. The silhouettes of the mountains were immense and enchanting, distinct in form, while specks of light dotted it like fireflies.
She pondered for a moment.
"Once we get to the school, be very careful. There are safe zones within the school that are protected by enchantments, where no one can fight. There are also areas with rules where fights between students of the same level are allowed, followed by completely unrestricted dangerous areas. Anything that happens in these areas is not subject to legal responsibility. You will sign a clause when we process your follower procedures, so this is a heads up. Absolutely do not inadvertently enter a non-safe zone, even if you are provoked. Don’t fall for it."
Zestira emphasized.
Rocky was very weak, since she took him, she is responsible for his safety.
"Also, besides the weekend, you can’t leave school. If a student does not return to school before Monday, they will lose a lot of credits, and if followers do not return before Monday, they will not be able to enter the school until the following weekend."
She added another point.
This was a basic rule of the school.
"I understand."
Lanci nodded in confirmation.
Managed under controlled conditions, that’s good.
"Are the schools on the South Continent the same as this?"
Zestira felt puzzled as to why Lanci accepted the school rules so naturally, as if he didn’t find the school uncomfortable at all.
She heard that the educational climate on the South Continent is relatively peaceful and friendly.
"The schools on the South Continent, well, the whole school is a safe zone. Students don’t fight in the school and they are allowed to go out anytime. There was a guy who bunked school and spent a week in a casino before the dean caught him. Also, students can get many vacation rewards for completing the Shadow World challenges and public service activities. If one fails a class, they won’t be expelled but a hearing will be convened to discuss the study plan for the next semester with the Education Department, the school and the student. It might lead to reduced course loads for the student and delay in graduation, and such."
Lanci shared his experiences from his half-year stay at Ichrite with Zestira.
"Are you kidding? Is there really such a school?"
Zestira felt Lanci was playing with her.
"Indeed, I also feel it’s quite miraculous, very lax."
Lanci crossed his arms in agreement.
The Purgatory Corridor Academy is indeed the coolest school.
