Chapter 7

### How to Live Like a Demon - Chapter 7 (7/385)

How to Live Like a Demon - Chapter 7

007 Lucius Kendrick (7)

The sky had already turned to dusk, and the sunset was settling over the land. The white walls of the academy were gradually turning red.

Lennox, who had been momentarily lost in the sight of the garden being painted by the twilight, turned his gaze to Lucius, who was a step ahead of him.

'Is he really a freshman?'

It wasn't just because of his beautiful appearance.

His walking posture, actions, and tone of voice exuded confidence and ease.

This wasn't something that could be practiced.

It had to come naturally, as effortlessly as breathing.

His unique mysterious aura was enough to draw the interest of others.

Lennox was uneasy about this fresh-faced freshman.

He didn't want him to get entangled in complicated rumors just by being with him, and he didn't want to attract more attention than usual by walking alongside a freshman who drew so much attention.

Lennox broke his reverie of the scenery.

"Lucius, since you're still a freshman, there must be something you don't know yet..."

"Alpha Class, how many years have you been in school?"

Just as Lennox opened his mouth, Lucius cut him off with a question.

Lennox's eyes widened in surprise at Lucius's question.

"...What do you want to know?"

How many years have I been here? Or how long does it take to advance to Alpha Class?

Why are you being so bothersome?

Because I look strong?

Because I'm in Alpha Class?

Or...

Lennox involuntarily furrowed his brow, unable to fathom Lucius's intentions.

"Exactly what it sounds like. I know that how quickly one advances depends on their own abilities. I'm curious how long it took you to reach Alpha Class."

"It's been five years this year."

Lennox didn't want anyone to suffer because of him.

So he wanted to keep his distance from this freshman.

"I want to go to the library. Can you show me the way? I don't know the route well."

"I'm busy, so I'll take my leave now."

Lennox deliberately replied in an irritated tone.

But at that moment,

a soft murmur came from beside him.

"Ah, you've already found a partner, I see."

Lennox's steps naturally halted at those words.

His gaze fell on the tie.

Three diagonal red lines. The mark of a freshman.

'Does this mean he wants to be my partner?'

Lennox's mind became complicated.

Anyway, as long as he was at Cyra, a partner was essential.

If so, the freshman in front of him wasn't a bad choice.

"Can I ask what you mean?"

"Before that, didn't you ask me to show you the library?"

Lucius asked, a smile playing on his lips.

Their gazes clashed, but eventually one of them had to back down.

"Follow me. I'll show you the way."

Lennox began to guide Lucius to the library.

The library was lined with books that were hard to take in at a glance. Considering that many books had been lost due to countless disputes and wars in the demon world, it was quite a substantial collection.

Lucius looked around the bookshelves with a very satisfied expression.

"Pretty good. I should be able to find some good books."

Lucius's demeanor, with a faint smile on his lips, seemed noticeably more relaxed.

Lennox observed him quietly.

'He looks like a completely different demon.'

Just a moment ago, he seemed like an old, cunning snake, but now he looked like an ordinary student.

'What is this sense of dissonance?'

After finishing the tour of the library, Lennox suddenly felt a strange sensation.

Looking around, he saw a few students whispering and glancing at him.

However, their eyes only showed fear and disdain, not curiosity or interest.

He suddenly realized the source of the dissonance.

No one was talking about Lucius.

Despite his striking appearance and presence, and despite being right next to him.

"Thanks. I also want to see the gym. Can you show me the way?"

Lennox quietly observed Lucius, who was smiling calmly.

Only then did he realize how faint Lucius's presence was.

Lennox bit his lip.

With this level of skill, how could he not hear the whispers around him?

It's impossible. He must be pretending not to hear.

If he knew everything, why did he bring up the topic of partners? Was it a deliberate approach from the beginning?

For what reason?

His mind became complicated. Whatever the reason, it wasn't pleasant.

"I need to go back."

"Why suddenly?"

Lucius asked innocently and naturally.

"......Then, I'll take my leave."

"Alright, let's call it a day. Thanks for the tour."

If it was a deliberate approach, Lennox expected Lucius to try to hold him back, but Lucius easily let him go.

The phrase "for today" was a bit unsettling, but he turned around.

The feeling of Lucius's gaze on his back was unbearably intense, but he didn't want to turn around again.

Meanwhile, Lucius was methodically organizing his observations of Lennox from today.

'Among the students I've seen so far, his skills are the best.'

While moving to the library, Lucius had used the potion he made from the centaur's essence.

He wanted to gauge the level of other students and avoid getting entangled with Lennox, who hadn't been assigned a partner yet.

Most importantly, he was curious about how Lennox would react to the potion.

The results were quite satisfactory.

Although he couldn't pinpoint the cause, at some point, Lennox began to feel a sense of dissonance and started to have doubts.

'Not only his senses, but his observational skills are excellent. His judgment of situations is also quick.'

Lennox's expression and tone were very brusque and sharp, but he wasn't rude or disrespectful.

From the way he quickly guided Lucius to the library despite the sudden request, it was clear he was quick to weigh the pros and cons.

"He doesn't seem like someone who would deliberately try to kill their partner."

The information from the academy didn't provide detailed circumstances of the incident.

Lucius had also tried to investigate, but there were no students who knew much about it, making it difficult to obtain meaningful information.

"I need to observe him more."

He needed to hear the full story from Lucius himself, not just from the investigation or rumors.

He was also curious about Lucius's thought process.

In any case, the bad rumors about Lennox might be an opportunity.

Lucius decided to use the rumors about Lennox to his advantage.

* * *

Arnold, who was assigned to the fourth class of Apsylon, was leaning against the Gamma Class corridor, lost in thought.

He knew from the headmaster that the level of this year's Apsylon was higher than usual.

That was why he was assigned to Apsylon instead of Alpha.

However, the headmaster always made a fuss about how the students' high level meant they could expect good results during the Gustav Festival.

But the results were always the same.

Third place.

Kiera and Aaron were insurmountable walls.

Thorben was focused on research, so he was an exception.

Therefore, Arnold didn't have high expectations for this year's students.

He also didn't want to burden the children with the petty concerns of adults, such as the festival and performance.

However, one student completely contradicted Arnold's thoughts.

"Lucius Kendrick."

When he received the list of new students, one name stood out.

It was Lucius.

The reason Lucius caught his eye when he first saw the list was simply because his name was the same as one of the five elders.

Damn, he had been named a named character for less than 30 minutes before his position was taken away.

It was due to the birth of a new elder.

Curious about the new elder, he had commissioned various information sources to investigate.

Although the demon king had imposed a gag order, he managed to obtain information that the new elder was one of the five elders and the one who had subdued the thousand-year-old demon eight years ago.

'If a demon can suppress the ferocity of Epiratis, it's natural for them to become an elder.'

After hearing this story, Arnold stopped investigating the fifth elder and accepted that his original rank was 101.

So, a student with the same name had passed by, but the Lucius he saw in person far exceeded his expectations.

Approaching without being detected by Rugar, he demonstrated perfect stealth for a student, gradually releasing his aura.

It seemed like he was testing how quickly Rugar would notice him.

When Rugar felt the gaze and looked around, Lucius naturally disappeared, which was truly impressive.

When Arnold played along, Rugar dismissed it as a feeling.

"Could he be the fifth elder?"

He thought so for a moment.

"But that's impossible."

It was a far-fetched guess, so he quickly dismissed it.

Would a druid known for being weak have risen to the position of elder? If that were true, it would have been widely known in the demon world.

"He'll be here soon."

The sunlight slanted, making his eyes squint.

The sun was setting, and it was almost time for the bell to ring.

So far, only three out of 20 students had come to submit their assignments.

Whether they had found a partner or not, they needed to come to Arnold to submit their assignments.

Arnold was very curious about how Lucius would approach him.

"Hello, Mr. Arnold."

Arnold slowly turned around at the voice from behind.

"I've come to submit my assignment."

The existence that had plunged him into deep thought.

It was Lucius.

"How did you find me?"

"I didn't think you would give us a difficult assignment on the first day. So, I thought you would be near the classroom and looked for you."

At first glance, it seemed like a smooth answer, but Arnold frowned, knowing it wasn't that simple.

"Alright. Let me rephrase. How did you know it was me? I'm just a student right now."

Lucius remained calm, even though he must have realized Arnold was suspicious.

"Your shadow was short. Dopplegangers use shadows to change their appearance, so their shadows are shorter than others."

There were no loopholes.

His answer was so exemplary and textbook that Arnold found it hard to find fault.

However, something felt off.

"Impressive, to figure that out in such a short time."

"It was just luck."

Despite Lucius's bright smile, Arnold's frown didn't ease.

Clearly, Lucius had only stayed in that place for a short time, and his purpose was Rugar, not Arnold.

Yet, he had detected Arnold's presence in that short time?

"Mr. Arnold, I'd like to submit my assignment now."

Lucius held out the paper again.

The time for the bell to ring was almost up.

In other words, if Arnold didn't take the paper, Lucius would miss the deadline.

However, Arnold continued the conversation without taking the paper.

"Didn't you find a partner?"

The paper only had the signatures of Rayel and Kian.

Arnold's expression changed in confusion when he saw the empty partner signature section.

Considering Lucius's skills and keen eye, it was rare for someone to reject a partner offer.

"Is there a problem? I heard it's not mandatory to have a partner."

"It's not mandatory, but it's best to find one yourself. Temporary partners are chosen by force, after all. Try to find a suitable person."

Who would be a suitable person?

Someone whose talent matched his to some extent.

"Then, could you designate someone I have in mind?"

"Hmm? What do you mean? If you have someone in mind, why didn't you get their partner signature?"

"It was a bit difficult to approach them."

Arnold nodded.

It sounds like he was rejected.

If that's the case, it would be a difficult task even for Arnold.

"Even if I'm the teacher, I can't force anyone. If the other person doesn't want to, there's nothing I can do. Who is it, though?"

"Lennox."

"......Who?"

"Lennox from the Beta Class. I want him to be my partner."