What did I do to piss him off this ti?
Naturally, I had no clue.
So I did what I always do when life throws sothing confusing at :
I ignored it.
Honestly, attracting weirdos, especially powerful and unstable ones, had beco my new normal.
Azriel being pissed was basically background noise at this point.
"The Noxvalen Academy only welcos those who have the will to survive and adapt,"
Azriel continued, voice flat as a dead fish.
anwhile, my brain was focused on far more important matters.
Like… Why does my cloak look so majestic even when I am sitting?
And do I look more handso with white hair of my terminally-ill state or black hair of my normal state?
You know, productive thoughts.
Useless speeches were never my cup of tea, especially not when delivered in Azriel's signature "I'd rather be anywhere but here" monotone.
To be fair, he was probably forced to read this whole thing every year.
But still, who cares?
After what felt like a long hour, probably because it actually was, Azriel finally wrapped up his speech.
Bless.
Orientation was over.
"The Noxvalen Academy does not force its students into a rigid curriculum," Azriel continued, expression unreadable, voice still flatter than my will to live during long speeches. "Each student has the right to choose their own path according to their interests."
He paused only long enough to make sure everyone was listening.
"And to make that possible, the first two weeks will not require compulsory attendance. Students may use this period to adjust to the academy and decide on the curriculum, subjects and training fields they wish to pursue."
The final important detail of orientation… delivered with the enthusiasm of a corpse.
"There will be a rank allocation exam after two months where all the things you learned in the academy will be tested."
"You may take missions from the Mission Hall during this ti to earn academic credits," Azriel added. "Although you will not be charged anything for the first few months."
Yeah, the academy took credits from students for even basic anities and Azriel had introduced that sowhere in his long speech which I ignored.
But I knew about it from the novel.
Thankfully, the first years won't be charged anything for the first two or three months until the rank allocation exam.
Then, without warning, he dropped the most Azriel line imaginable:
"I hope you all won't die soon."
…Right.
Very comforting.
With that cheerful blessing, he turned around and walked out of the hall without a single glance back.
But just before Azriel exited the hall, a voice slipped straight into my head.
'Principal Morvana wishes to et you.'
It was unmistakably Azriel's voice.
…But the content?
Yeah, that was enough to make my brain start juggling every bad life decision I had made in the past twenty-four hours.
Why does she want to et ?
Countless possibilities shot through my head instantly.
Maybe she did hear calling demons "filthy parasites" on purpose just so Serafim would take the bait…
But what if Serafim wasn't the one tailing ?
What if Morvana had sent so other sneaky demon spy?
Soone who heard every word I said… and reported straight to Morvana?
And now she's summoning for "clarification"?
I an, I did expect the possibility, so, it wasn't a shock.
But still, I couldn't be sure.
For all I care, she could be just wanting to see my handso face.
In any case, I would find out soon enough.
"Hey, Viola," I said, standing up casually. "You and Seraphina go ahead and check out the classes. I have got a eting."
Her eyes narrowed instantly. "What kind of eting?"
"I'm going to et my mother-in-law." I waved her off before she could even process that abomination of a sentence. "Okay, cya now."
I could see Seraphina blinking three tis as if her brain short circuited.
Ahh, right, she didn't know I was engaged now.
But I didn't bother explaining anything and just slipped away like a guilty criminal fleeing the scene before Viola could say anything.
—
It didn't take long to reach the principal's office.
…Okay, that's a lie.
It took a shit-ton of ti.
Because apparently every assistant professors in the academy had decided today was "Hunt the Demon King's Successor" day.
One after another kept stopping in the halls, all smiles, glowing eyes and suspicious enthusiasm, trying to convince how my life would beco "more demonic, more enlightened and significantly cooler" if I joined the totally-not-shady courses of their godly professors.
I didn't even bla them.
The academy had hundreds of professors and they earned more the more students they pulled in.
So if they didn't hunt fresh at like starving hyenas, they would get left in the dust and eventually be thrown out of the academy.
And I was a guaranteed magnet for clueless students since I was the successor of the Demon King and also a high-ranking noble of the human empire.
In other words… an easy bait who could draw fish from two races.
And to top it all, I was divinely handso.
No wonder they kept trying to reel in.
In any case, I was finally here.
I finally stopped in front of the grand double doors, the entrance to the lair of the evil witch herself.
My future mother-in-law.
The woman who, in another tiline, murdered my imaginary children out of pure greed.
Truly heartwarming family dynamics.
I knocked once and then barged right in without waiting for a response.
I an, co on, she definitely sensed coming from half the damn campus away.
And besides… isn't this exactly how entitled son-in-laws are supposed to behave?
I'm gonna commit to the bit, I might as well do it properly.
"Hey Mom—"
The mont I stepped inside, the scene hit like a truck as my body froze mid-sentence.
Arza was standing there with her usual calm, expressionless face, the perfect picture of "emotionally neutral murder princess."
Beside her stood a man who looked my age but was older than half the universe combined, the Demon King himself.
And he was smiling at .
anwhile, Morvana actually looked… nervous.
The Demon King's smile grew even wider as his eyes locked onto .
"I heard," he said, voice dripping with amusent, "you want to marry my daughter?"
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