Chapter 12: A Master’s Peculiar Concerns

Oh, right, there was that aspect to consider.

Lulu pinched her chin, nodding in agreement with Nia. Indeed, in this world, magic possessed a hereditary quality.

Parents could transmit superior talent to their children through their magical bloodlines.

Children from common families were naturally at a significant disadvantage in magical aptitude compared to those of noble birth. Furthermore, magic academies were quite expensive, making it impossible for commoners to afford the hefty tuition.

Consequently, magic academies primarily enrolled the offspring of nobility.

Hmm…

“You know how those children at the magic academies are,” Nia began. “They deem their bloodlines superior and look down on commoners.”

“Forming cliques and ostracizing others is commonplace. Miss Lulu, you wouldn’t want your apprentice to be bullied at school, would you?”

Nia’s words seemed perfectly normal, yet Lulu found them strangely unsettling.

Still, she decided not to delve into any peculiar ‘h-novel’ scenarios for now.

Lulu pinched her chin again, lost in thought.

‘If the Little Demon Lord goes to school, there’s a chance he might be ostracized by his classmates?’

‘That’s a point I hadn’t considered. Oh, in that case, letting the Little Demon Lord enroll would be quite problematic, wouldn’t it?’

‘If that’s the case, then…’

Finally, it was finally happening!

Beside her, Alexius quickly straightened his posture, listening intently. ‘Yes, this is it! As expected, since Luxstina decided to take me as her apprentice, she would surely consider my well-being seriously at a crucial moment!’

‘She couldn’t possibly be so unreliable every single day, right?! Caring for her apprentice, worrying about her apprentice—these were the normal thoughts a master would have for their pupil!’

‘Any second now, Lulu should start deliberating whether to send me to school. Perhaps she’d even consider using her teacher status to protect me, or fabricating a noble identity for me, or even directly teaching me powerful spells to boost my strength, forcing my noble classmates to look at me with respect.’

‘Come on, worry about me for once in your heart! Let me hear how truly sincere you are towards me. After I conquer the world, I might even consider giving you a position guarding the Demon Lord’s fortress gate!’

‘After all, wasn’t Luxstina guarding a gate in her previous life? The gate to the Goddess’s Temple…’

‘This is practically a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! Hahaha, wouldn’t this just make the Little Demon Lord totally shut down?’

Alexius: ‘Huh? What?’

‘Send the Little Demon Lord into school, then let him clash with those arrogant noble brats. My future days will be heavenly, hahaha~’

‘Maybe I’ll even get to see the Little Demon Lord get frustrated. Hmm~ what a truly exciting development! He probably won’t learn much in such an environment, right? Well… I’ll have to keep an eye on things, can’t let it get too out of hand. After all, he’s my apprentice, isn’t bullying him the same as bullying myself?’

‘And besides, what if the Little Demon Lord gets too bullied, starts to work hard out of anger, and develops a desire for revenge? That would make it even easier for him to go astray, wouldn’t it? If things turn around for him, I probably won’t be able to escape either.’

‘Oh~ thinking about it like this, it’s quite a dilemma. What should I do?’

Alexius had fallen silent upon hearing this. ‘How is it that the reason for her dilemma… is never related to actually caring about me?’

‘This woman is truly…’

After waiting for what felt like ages, Lulu suddenly smacked her forehead, then nodded inwardly.

‘It’s fine, it’s fine if he doesn’t get along with his classmates. Doesn’t he still have his teacher~? I’ll just comfort him a bit when he’s sad, and his favorability will definitely shoot up, hahaha!’

Alexius: ‘…’

‘Fine, just great.’

The Little Demon Lord nodded inwardly. ‘With your current mindset, you can forget about that gate-guarding position at the Demon Lord’s fortress. The dark basement with chains seems much more fitting for you.’

‘Anyway, the Little Demon Lord can’t do anything right now, so he’ll definitely need my help. Pfft pfft~ I’ll just passively gain favorability and make sure everything goes wrong for him~! A win-win, I win twice!’

“It’s fine,” Lulu declared, suddenly lifting her head. “My apprentice is very capable.”

Alexius: ‘…’

“Oh ho, is that so?” Nia chuckled. “You’ve got quite the knack, Xiu-chan. To make Lulu look at you with such admiration, your talent must be exceptional~ No wonder our genius mage took you as an apprentice. So, what do you say? Do you have the confidence to impress those noble brats?!”

“Hmm…” The Little Demon Lord wiped the sweat from his brow. “I don’t know. My master seems to think highly of me, so maybe I can…”

Lulu awkwardly turned her head away. ‘Oh dear…’

‘I can’t believe the Little Demon Lord actually believed me. Sigh~ what a sin, what a sin.’

‘Still, it’s not entirely impossible. After all, the Little Demon Lord is a reincarnated Demon Lord. His magical bloodline is undoubtedly far superior to those arrogant noble brats, who are just products of intense inbreeding.’

‘Come to think of it, was I overthinking my worries about him being bullied? Hmm…’

‘Oh, I’m so kind. To consider so much for my apprentice, I truly am a responsible master.’

The young girl nodded, pinching her chin. One could only say… the Little Demon Lord was doing his best to clench his fists discreetly.

“Well, we’ve talked so much about the magic academy, but it seems we haven’t gotten to the most crucial point,” Lulu mused. “Enrollment. There’s no point discussing school matters if he isn’t enrolled yet, right?”

Lulu suddenly remembered the most vital detail. Nia nodded. “Isn’t your magic academy about to accept new students? Why not go ask? Every year, they take a batch through entrance exams. Of course, since you’re a teacher, you could probably use your connections to get Xiu-chan into the school, couldn’t you?”

“Hmm… I’ve never been in charge of admissions, so I’m not entirely sure,” Lulu replied. “Alright, I’ll go ask then. We’ve talked enough here. Goodbye, Nia.”

Lulu turned her head, looking at Alexius beside her, and instructed:

“Xiu’er, say goodbye to Auntie.”

“Uh…”

The Little Demon Lord turned to see Nia’s lips twitching slightly.

“Shouldn’t he call me Big Sister!”

“He’s my apprentice. Calling you Big Sister would mess up the seniority, wouldn’t it?”

Lulu smiled faintly, then quickly composed her expression. The Little Demon Lord, looking slightly helpless, nodded. “Goodbye, Auntie Nia!”

“…You two and your apprentice better never come back here,” Nia grumbled.

Nia fumed, shouting from the doorway. Lulu, pretending not to hear, suppressed her laughter and led the Little Demon Lord out of the Adventurer’s Guild.

Next, the young girl intended to take the Little Demon Lord directly to the school. Entrance exams were troublesome, so she wanted to see if she could use her connections to get him admitted.

Lost in thought, Lulu led the Little Demon Lord to the most bustling central area of Caffa City.

They crossed a stone bridge, and on a small island in the middle of the river, a magnificent cluster of classical medieval buildings stood.

The Caffa Magic Academy was nestled there.

Lulu, with the Little Demon Lord admiring the scenery beside her, entered the teaching building and arrived at an office door. She knocked.

“Come in,” a voice responded.