Chapter 5

How to Live Like a Demon - Chapter 5 (5/385)

How to Live Like a Demon Chapter 5

005 Lucius Kendrick (5)

“I was introducing myself as the temporary class representative. I’m the class president, and Kian is the vice president.”

There was a peculiar expectation in Rayel’s eyes as he introduced himself.

Lucius soon realized what his expectation stemmed from. As an elf, Rayel might find the dryad Lucius welcoming.

After all, elves and dryads have traditionally helped and befriended each other.

“My name is Lucius Kendrick.”

In the demon world, surnames are determined by one’s race.

Lucius, a dryad, has the surname Kendrick; Rayel, an elf, has the surname Phoe; and Kian, a war bear, has the surname Boar.

Rayel’s eyes widened when he heard Lucius’s surname, and he seemed as delighted as if he had met a fellow from a distant land.

“Oh, I didn’t think it would be true, but it is! I’m so happy to finally meet a dryad, born deep in the forest.”

Recently, due to the severe mutations in the forest, powerful monsters have proliferated, causing the birth rate of dryads to plummet.

In nearly 100 years, no dryad has been born except for Lucius.

Thus, Rayel’s unusual reaction was understandable.

“Can I call you Lucius?”

“Sure. I plan to call you Rayel as well.”

Rayel’s wings fluttered happily, and a bright smile spread across his face.

‘His thoughts are written all over his face.’

It’s easy to understand someone who doesn’t hide their feelings.

Meanwhile, Kian, who had been silently listening to their conversation, silently handed over a piece of paper.

Lucius took the paper and looked at Kian.

Beast-type demons are generally insensitive to others’ demonic energy but have highly developed senses.

That’s why Kian had been particularly aggressive towards Lucius since they first met, with a probing, sharp gaze.

‘Should I accept or ignore it?’

While he was pondering this, Kian spoke in a blunt tone.

“This is the first assignment.”

At the same time, the tension that had been lingering around Kian melted away like snow.

Lucius shrugged and asked, “What kind of assignment?”

Kian didn’t respond, but Rayel interjected.

He seemed to think it was better to explain it himself rather than leave it to Kian.

“Oh, let me explain. This is the first assignment given by our homeroom teacher. You need to get as many signatures from your classmates as possible on this paper.”

“Signatures? From friends?”

“You’re supposed to meet and talk to each other, and exchange seals. The other students are gathering for this reason. You can use magic to sign.”

“I see.”

He thought he understood what the homeroom teacher was trying to do.

Even though they wear the same uniform and are in the same class, students tend to form their own groups from the moment they enter school.

Based on their lineage or family affiliations.

‘It’s a futile effort.’

Once they venture out of the academy, the only thing that matters is their own strength.

The abilities of those who haven’t even completed their third growth are all about the same.

There’s no guarantee that a strong parent will have a strong child. No one knows how they will grow.

That’s the law of the demon world.

Lucius examined the paper, flipping it over.

It seemed no special magical treatment had been applied.

“Is there anything else? Like a minimum number of signatures?”

“There was no specific mention of that.”

“I see. Then, let’s start.”

Lucius extended the paper to Rayel.

“I’ll start with your signature.”

Rayel looked at him in surprise.

He had been explaining the assignment to the other students with Kian, but no one had asked him for a signature.

Kian, being a war bear, had received some requests.

But Rayel, being from a relatively weaker race, had not.

Rayel smiled happily, pressed his index finger on the paper, and focused.

A seal with a butterfly design appeared on the paper.

“Done. Oh, by the way, can you sign my paper too, Lucius? Will you?”

Rayel extended his paper with a bright smile.

Lucius, who usually signed documents without much thought, hesitated.

‘Is it okay? To stamp my seal here?’

A magical seal cannot be changed once it’s made. It serves as a unique identifier for each demon.

The problem was that Lucius was not just a student but a current elder.

All documents requiring elder approval bear his seal.

While students might not recognize it, the homeroom teacher, as an elder, would easily identify it.

After some thought, Lucius withdrew his hand.

It’s better not to do something foolish.

“……”

“Oh, no, it’s fine. If it’s too much trouble, you don’t have to sign.”

Lucius, who had extended his finger but then withdrew it, remained silent.

Rayel, interpreting his silence, waved his hand and looked at him with concern.

“I can get signatures from other students. You don’t need to worry. Your magic hasn’t stabilized yet, right? It took me a long time to stabilize mine. I only recently managed to make a seal.”

Sometimes, demons have delayed magic stabilization, which slows their growth and lowers their combat abilities, and they might not even be able to make a seal.

Rayel’s eyes were full of worry and concern as he looked at Lucius.

Although Lucius found his misunderstanding absurd, he decided to let it be.

If he knew how to make a seal but refused to, Rayel would surely be disappointed.

Rayel spoke in a caring tone.

“If you need any help, just call me, Lucius.”

Rayel was very humble and friendly.

He didn’t outshine Kian and wasn’t particularly noticeable, but he had performed well in the practical exams.

Rayel moved around busily, informing other students about the assignment.

Lucius’s lips curved slightly as he watched the busy boy.

‘If raised well, he might become a valuable asset to the Demon King’s army.’

A commander must not only be strong but also earn the trust of their subordinates and make quick judgments. This allows them to move their unit efficiently and organically.

From the brief interaction, Rayel seemed to have the makings of a good commander.

Of course, more observation would be needed for a precise judgment.

‘What kind of training should I give him?’

As Lucius pondered the various training methods he had experienced, he noticed a small box marked at the bottom of the paper.

‘What’s this?’

Just as he was wondering, Rayel came running from a distance, pointing to the bottom of the paper and saying he had almost forgotten to explain it.

“I’m sorry, I forgot to mention this. Do you see the small box at the bottom? You might already know, but Cyrus Academy operates a partner system.”

“I know. I heard about it before coming.”

“That’s good. Then, you need to find a partner and get their signature in this box.”

The partner system.

It’s one of the most distinctive features of Cyrus Academy.

Students at Cyrus participate in various school events with a partner of their choice.

For new students, some form partnerships with friends, but most are assigned temporary partners by their homeroom teacher.

Once a partnership is formed, it lasts for a year, after which they can choose to continue or end it.

Occasionally, some maintain their temporary partnership until graduation.

“The deadline is before the paper is collected. If you don’t have a partner, you can submit it to the homeroom teacher, Mr. Arnauld. However, you need to find him somewhere in the building. If you can’t find him by the deadline, you can leave it on the teacher’s desk.”

“Sounds interesting. Rayel, do you have a partner already?”

Upon hearing about the partner system, Lucius had already considered a few potential partners.

Rayel, who was in the same class and had good skills, was a valuable candidate for a partner.

As the class president, Rayel could gather information faster than anyone else, eliminating the need for Lucius to do so himself.

‘But Rayel’s partner is, of course, …’

Lucius’s gaze briefly shifted to Kian.

Kian, who had been watching Rayel with intense eyes, seemed very concerned.

‘Animal-type demons have a particularly strong bond, I’ve heard.’

Rayel lived near Kian’s village with his father and had always been close to Kian. It was likely they had already agreed to be partners.

Sure enough, Rayel shook his head firmly.

“I’m going to be partners with Kian. So, I’m going to look for Mr. Arnauld now.”

Of course.

He had expected as much, but it was a bit disappointing to lose an easy option.

As Rayel firmly rejected, Kian’s intense gaze also disappeared.

Lucius chuckled and shrugged.

“Then, I’ll go look for a partner too.”

“Oh, and the teacher said there’s a penalty if you can’t find your partner in time.”

“Penalty? Hmm… I’ll keep that in mind.”

Lucius nodded after a moment of thought.

He had heard about Arnauld before, even before conducting a detailed investigation.

‘Rank 101, Doppleganger Arnauld.’

When Lucius became a fifth elder, Arnauld, who had just reached the lower ranks of the named demons, was pushed down in the rankings.

He had a mischievous personality and often drew complaints from students, but he was passionate about education and had volunteered to be a teacher at the academy, which was rare among demons.

The classes he taught last semester were so well-structured and interconnected that even Lucius had nothing to criticize.

This assignment was likely part of his teaching plan.

Other students might just see it as a quirk of the homeroom teacher.

“Good luck. I’m going to look for the teacher!”

As Rayel and Kian left to find Arnauld, Lucius slowly left the classroom, deep in thought.

“Find me on your own, huh.”

Dopplegangers are skilled in hiding.

This means that if Arnauld wanted to, the students of Apsylon would never find him.

But he told them to find and submit it.

It was a way of giving them a chance.

Since each demon has different characteristics and abilities, there’s no simpler or more efficient way to assess the students’ capabilities.

In other words.

It’s a way to evaluate each student.

‘He’s prepared quite thoroughly for the first assignment.’

Lucius’s lips curled into a smile.

He was looking forward to seeing how Arnauld would demonstrate his abilities.

“I need to find a partner first.”

Lucius moved, recalling the list Hamel had given him.

If he went down the right corridor and up the stairs, he would reach the Gamma Class, which was one level above Apsylon.

“Lugain of the Sirens, right?”

Sirens, a race known for luring prey with their songs and music and then eating them, are particularly useful as partners.

Moreover, the siren who was his partner last year had graduated, and his friends already had partners, so Lugain likely didn’t have a partner yet.

Looking around, he saw many students still searching for partners, floundering.

‘Now I understand why most new students just get assigned temporary partners.’

New students are naturally slower than returning students.

Even if they want to ask for a partnership, they don’t know the others well enough to make a move.

Lucius had gathered enough information beforehand, but it was natural for regular students to lack such preparation.

As soon as he entered the Gamma Class area, the excitement of the first day of school was palpable, unlike in the Apsylon Class.

Students were bustling about, catching up from the break or looking for new partners, like fresh sprouts.

‘It feels like I’m picking out the best chick among a bunch of chicks …’