The Narrow-Eyed Villain of the Demon Academy
chapter-18-1

We began our search for the admissions office as we strolled through the capital.

At every corner, we could see armored Demon soldiers wielding spears.

'Their discipline is impeccable.'

Perhaps it was due to the aftermath of the war.

The soldiers were lined up in formation, exuding a sharp aura.

In contrast, the townspeople seemed very peaceful.

It was hard to believe that they were preparing for another war with the Human Realm.

This was a testament to the fact that the current Demon King of the Demon Realm was a 'Wise King'.

The current Demon King had succeeded the throne after the previous Demon King had fallen in the Great Demon-Human War.

In the original story, Demon King was none other than the final boss of the Demon Realm.

'...I'll probably see her once I enroll in Sytan.'

After all, she had attacked the Imperial Academy alongside the Demons of Sytan.

If the opportunity arose, I might even be able to see her face.

"Let's go."

Rene urged me on as I looked around the Demon Realm's capital.

I nodded and followed her.

How long had we been walking?

Before long, I could see a magnificent 'fortress' in the distance.

"This is it."

My jaw dropped.

Before me stood a colossal building in a Western architectural style.

Recalling the contents of the original story, I realized what this building was.

The Demon Realm's only training ground, created for the invasion of the Imperial Academy.

'Sytan.'

It was even more massive than I had imagined.

Its grandeur rivaled that of any castle.

Was it three times the size of a typical university?

Well, they would need a massive training ground to teach Demons.

In addition, they would need servants to cater to the students' every need, instructors to teach them, and a place to store weapons that could kill with a single touch.

Sytan was essentially a 'weapon' disguised as a building, posing a threat to the human realm.

I had to enroll in this place and spend three years here.

With monsters known as Demons...

To them, humans would seem like monsters, but to me, they were both monsters.

No matter where I went, if my true identity as a descendant of Arsene was discovered, I would be killed.

Thud-.

Rene and I stopped in front of Sytan.

Several tents had been set up near the entrance to Sytan.

Under each tent, a middle-aged Demon was holding a pen and paper, interviewing young Demons.

"No family name, and your name is...? Registration is complete, so come back in two days."

"Yes."

I listened to their conversation in silence, and it was clear that this was the registration office.

We waited for the young demons' registration to finish before moving on.

"We're here to register."

"Hmm?"

The receptionist looked up when I spoke.

He was a middle-aged demon who looked no different from a human in appearance.

"Those horns are...!?"

The receptionist adjusted his glasses and looked between Rene and me.

Soon, his gaze was fixed on Rene, not me.

He must have realized that Rene was a descendant of Bares through her horns.

The receptionist spoke in a rather surprised tone.

"This year's riders are amazing... All the descendants of the Seven Deadly Sins are participating."

"Hoo."

So that's how it is.

The Seven Deadly Sins must have noticed that the flow of the Demon Realm's energy was turning towards war.

The reason they sent their descendants to Sytan was to get a piece of that war.

"Descendants of the Seven Deadly Sins don't need to take the entrance exam, but we still need to go through the formalities. State your name and family."

The receptionist, who had quickly changed his attitude, asked Rene.

Rene replied in a disinterested and cold voice.

"Bares, Rene."

"Bares Rene... That's a name I've heard before. You're Bares's battle genius, aren't you? May I see your ID?"

"Here you go."

At the receptionist's words, Rene took out a rectangular card from her pocket.

The receptionist nodded repeatedly as he looked at the ID and wrote down Rene's name on the document.

"It doesn't seem to be a forgery. How many people would dare to impersonate the Seven Deadly Sins? You may take it back."

Swish.

The receptionist's gaze turned to me as he handed back her ID.

He looked at me with a hint of amusement and asked.

"Who are you?"

I hesitated.

What should I say?

Unlike Rene, I had no way to prove my identity.

Since I came from the human world, I naturally didn't have a Demon Realm ID.

I racked my brain and came up with the best option.

"...I'm the lady's escort."

"Huh, a half-demon as an escort?"

It was a mocking tone.

He was looking down on me because he sensed that the mana in my body was mixed with that of a human.

It was a natural reaction since I was in the Demon Realm, so I couldn't say anything.

During the Human-Demon War, the Half-Demons observed the strengths of both humans and demons, carefully weighing their options.

And in the end, they sided with the one who held the upper hand.

That's why the demons harbored deep resentment towards the Half-Demons.

"A Half-Demon as an escort? The Seven Deadly Sins must think very little of us. And to think they'd even try to enroll in Sytan."

"That's enough."

Rene cut off the receptionist's venomous tirade.

"Insulting Bares... I can't tolerate that."

Rene's eyes were as cold as ice.

The receptionist seemed to realize his mistake and swallowed his words, his mouth snapping shut.

"......There's a rule against discrimination based on origin, so let it go. Show me your ID."

The receptionist snapped his fingers, demanding that I show him my identification.

I felt a wave of frustration and swallowed hard.

I had hoped that I could get by without an ID, using the excuse of being Rene's escort,

But my Half-Demon origin had come back to haunt me.