Chapter 1

### How to Live Like a Demon - Chapter 1 (1/385)

#### How to Live Like a Demon Chapter 1

001 Lucius Kendrick (1)

Silence filled the room.

Rustle, rustle.

The sound of pages being turned softly echoed.

In the office draped with red curtains, someone was carefully flipping through documents at a large desk by the window.

Surprisingly, the person handling the documents appeared to be a young man who had just shed his youthful appearance.

However, despite his youthful appearance, his hands and gaze were steady and serious as he skimmed through the documents.

His silver hair swayed with each page turn.

His golden eyes rolled as he traced the words.

His lips, as cold as ice, were tightly sealed, expressionless like a statue.

“...”

For how long had the silence continued?

Suddenly, the young man put down the documents.

“Lord Lucius.”

The sound of someone approaching broke the silence.

The man, Hamel, spoke cautiously.

“It is the Demon King’s command to immediately come to the Demon King’s Castle. He has summoned all the elders.”

All the elders?

A hint of confusion flickered across his cold face.

But at the mention of the “Demon King’s command,” the young man reluctantly stood up.

The young man’s name was Lucius Kendrick.

He was one of the five elders in the Demon Realm, and his position was the Fifth Elder.

“Unexpected summons, as always.”

Lucius muttered, adjusting his collar with a bored expression. Hamel, with a long, narrow-eyed smile, approached and straightened his ribbon.

“Was there no reason given for the summons?”

Lucius asked as Hamel’s hands worked.

“There was no information provided.”

A less-than-satisfactory answer.

Lucius, furrowing his brow slightly, complained softly.

“Damn Demon King, what’s his game this time?”

Hamel, tying up Lucius’s silver hair that reached his waist, continued the conversation.

“Do you have any idea?”

“I’m not sure...”

Uncertain, Lucius trailed off and began to move.

It had been two years since he became an elder.

During that time, numerous incidents had occurred in the Demon Realm.

However, without a doubt,

the Demon King had never before summoned all the elders in an emergency.

Because when the Demon King, known as the strongest in the history of the Demon Realm, intervened, any issue, regardless of its weight, was resolved.

Despite this history, such a sudden summons...

He pondered for a moment, but a plausible reason eluded him.

As he walked, his thoughts deepened, and before he knew it, he had arrived at the warp gate leading to the Demon King’s Castle.

“Lord Lucius, we are about to arrive at the Demon King’s Castle.”

“Right.”

The two demons stepped onto the gate, and soon the magic circle activated.

* * *

The light from the activated magic circle gradually faded, revealing the landscape of the Demon King’s Castle.

The gatekeeper, recognizing Elder Lucius, bowed deeply.

Lucius nodded lightly in acknowledgment and instructed Hamel to wait. The gatekeeper then opened the door to the audience chamber.

Creak!

With a loud noise, the massive door moved.

The scene of the audience chamber slowly revealed itself, and five pairs of eyes focused on him.

‘They must all be here.’

Each of the powerful demons exuded a strange aura.

Lucius fixed his gaze on the figure seated on the highest throne at the center of the hall, looking down at him.

A man with crimson eyes in the shadows and jet-black hair that flowed like ink.

He exuded a dignity and aura that set him apart from the other four.

‘Rugal Levan Baal Beelzebub.’

The strongest Demon King in history, who had torn through numerous candidates and ascended to the throne in one fell swoop.

“Hail, Baal Beelzebub.”

Lucius knelt and bowed before him.

“It’s been a while, Fifth Elder. Rise.”

“Apologies for being late, Your Majesty. And to the other elders.”

He raised his head and took in the Demon King and the four elders before him.

‘From First Elder Marilla Levan to Second Elder Rüdiger Zachar, Third Elder Leontine Negus, and Fourth Elder Irene Phoe.’

Even the Third and Fourth Elders, who usually made excuses about being busy and never showed up for regular meetings, were present.

He had been somewhat neglecting central affairs while focusing on his territory recently. Could something significant have happened in the meantime?

He had thought it might just be the Demon King’s whim...

But the atmosphere suggested otherwise. The Demon King’s failure to provide the meeting agenda beforehand seemed to be for the sake of confidentiality.

Sensing the gravity of the situation, Lucius moved to his place with a stern expression.

“Now that the Fifth Elder is here, let’s start the meeting quickly.”

Surprisingly, it was the First Elder, Marilla, the Demon King’s younger sister, who broke the heavy silence.

She, known for her cautious and careful nature, was uncharacteristically urging them to hurry.

What could this summons be about?

“That’s right, Your Majesty. It would be best to get to the main point quickly, wouldn’t it, Fifth Elder?”

The Fourth Elder, Irene, flapped her wings strongly and echoed her sentiment.

It wasn’t just Irene and Marilla.

The dignified and meticulous Third Elder, Leontine, and the usually taciturn Second Elder, Rüdiger, who maintained a serious atmosphere, also aligned with them.

Faced with the other elders’ urging, the Demon King finally spoke.

“Since that is your opinion, I will respect it and get straight to the point.”

Lucius swallowed hard, waiting for the Demon King’s next words.

“Fifth Elder, how old are you this year?”

“...?”

The sudden question was completely unexpected.

Why was he asking about his age out of the blue?

Lucius tried to hide his confusion and looked around.

However, the others maintained their solemn and unwavering attitudes, unlike him.

Lucius answered cautiously.

“...71.”

The Demon King nodded, seemingly satisfied with the answer.

“So, the Fifth Elder is finally at the age to enter the Academy.”

“...Excuse me?”

“As you know, demons over 60 must enter the Academy. There can be no exceptions. Equal education for all is the principle of the Academy and the will of the previous king.”

Lucius’s lips twitched silently.

Was the Demon King really telling him to enter the Academy?

Demons undergo three coming-of-age ceremonies, typically completing the third one around 100 years old.

Each ceremony triggers a burst of latent magic power, requiring a healthy body and mind to handle it.

The Academy was established as a countermeasure.

The Demon King’s words were not wrong.

Indeed, he had the third coming-of-age ceremony left, was over 60, and had not entered the Academy.

However, he had a significant difference from other demons.

Lucius stood up abruptly.

“Your Majesty, I am the Fifth Elder!”

The absurd order made him speak loudly.

Being an elder was far from a comfortable and relaxed position.

He was responsible for the Demon Realm’s policies and directives, as well as overseeing and governing the territories entrusted to him.

Even with two bodies, he would be stretched thin. And now, he was being told to enter the Academy!

It would be fortunate if he were just confused.

He was completely at a loss.

But the Demon King remained unmoved, his lips curving into a crescent moon.

“It would be good for the Fifth Elder to use this opportunity to nurture a promising student. What do you think?”

“Your Majesty!”

Despite his confusion, he shouted again, but the Demon King showed no intention of changing his mind.

Lucius glanced at the other elders.

Their gazes, which had been unusually focused on him, now held a hint of amusement. They had clearly conspired among themselves, excluding him.

Lucius realized he had fallen into a trap and gritted his teeth.

What he thought was an emergency summons was a carefully designed trap from the start.

“This is an unreasonable order. For an elder to enter the Academy...”

“Fifth Elder.”

“Yes.”

The Demon King’s voice deepened.

He leaned back in his throne, resting his chin on his hand. Then, in a slow but firm tone, he spoke.

“As the youngest elder, you must set an example. You know this, don’t you, Fifth Elder?”

“...”

Unable to hold back, Lucius’s clenched fists trembled.

The Demon King often issued arbitrary orders, always finding a justification.

“Of course, you are one of the five elders in the Demon Realm. However, there is no clause in the Demon Realm’s law that allows an elder to skip the Academy if they are a minor.”

“...”

“If you refuse to enter the Academy, you will not only defy me but also the command of the previous Demon King. Can you bear the weight of such a crime?”

He had forgotten the Demon King’s nature due to the sudden summons.

For the Demon King, the title of the first emergency summons was merely a useful tool for his amusement.

He felt foolish for worrying about some major upheaval in the Demon Realm.

“Are you threatening me, Your Majesty?”

“Of course not. This is all for your benefit.”

The Demon King shrugged and added.

“If we change the law, there’s no guarantee that someone won’t abuse it. I’m sure the intelligent Fifth Elder understands, right?”

Nonsense.

If a guardian made a minor an elder to avoid the Academy, the minor would soon be killed in the power struggles.

It was just an excuse for the Demon King’s amusement.

Lucius stood up. He couldn’t comply with this order.

“I apologize, but in the Demon Realm, only those with sufficient ability can become elders. No young demon has ever coveted this position just to avoid the Academy, and none will in the future.”

Blowing off the pent-up frustration, he felt a sense of relief.

“I will not comply with this order, Your Majesty.”

The Demon King’s smile deepened, as if he had expected this.

The other elders’ eyes sparkled with anticipation.

“It seems the youngest elder’s complaints are reaching the heavens.”

With a snap of his fingers, a red chain shot out from the shadows and instantly wrapped around Lucius’s body.

The playful and languid tone of the Demon King’s voice was suffocating.

“You know, don’t you? The weak have no right to speak, Lucius.”

“Even a young demon knows that much.”

Bang!

Gathering his magic power, he severed a part of the chain wrapping around him.

A clear provocation to the Demon King.

His purple magic power, like a mist, hovered over the broken chain.

For his age, it was an unimaginably powerful force.

“I happen to need a suitable punching bag right now.”