Chapter 14: A Punch, A Lesson, and a Teacher’s Pride

Alexius remained silent, until he abruptly stood. He then reached out, throwing a punch that stirred a powerful gust of wind, hurtling towards Josen’s nose.

This sudden turn of events left Lulu, who was present, utterly bewildered. Josen, the target of the attack, watched the scene unfold with sheer disbelief.

He had initially intended to block the strike, but by the time he reacted, it was already too late. The opponent’s fist stopped just a mere centimeter from his nose. The fierce wind generated by the punch had already brushed against Josen’s face, making it clear that the Little Demon King was using his full power.

Lulu, trembling on the spot, tightly shut her eyes in anxiety.

[Oh my god, why did they suddenly start fighting? Ahh… this is bad, this is bad, this is so bad.]

[Even if that teacher had a foul mouth, it shouldn’t escalate to an actual fight. This, this, this… does the Little Demon King have some violent genes? Oh, now that I think about it, don’t forget past events; it seems quite possible.]

[The Little Demon King won’t become an abuser in the future… No, wait, he wouldn’t disrespect his teacher to such an extent, would he? Hiss—this child absolutely cannot be kept… right?]

[Huh, why is it silent now? Did the Little Demon King land the punch?]

Lulu slowly opened her eyes, only to catch a fleeting glimpse of Alexius’s helpless gaze. The Little Demon King then turned his head, observing Josen, who was still cowering with his eyes shut in fear. He smirked disdainfully, reaching out to remove Josen’s glasses.

“Heh, so these are just prescription glasses? I tolerated it when you called my aptitude mediocre, but how dare you claim that Teacher Lulu has poor judgment? Heh… I actually thought you had some eye condition and were wearing sunglasses. My apologies, are you perfectly healthy then? That’s rather strange.”

The Little Demon King set the spectacle frames on the table with a cold sneer. Beside him, Lulu subtly twitched the corner of her lips.

[I’ll just assume, Little Demon King, that you’re uncultured to mistake glasses for sunglasses! Guess why they’re called sunglasses? They’re definitely dark-tinted!]

Alexius: ‘…’

‘I’ll just assume you know I can hear your thoughts, and that’s why you’re playing dumb. Who the hell doesn’t know these aren’t sunglasses?! I was merely mimicking Josen’s sarcastic tone!’

‘Luxstina… the legendary ice queen, why does she sound more like an idiot the more I listen?’

“You!” Josen, startled by the sudden action, furiously opened his eyes. He pointed at the Little Demon King, railing in disbelief, “How dare you assault a teacher of the Magic Academy? Do you even know what kind of behavior this is? Luxstina, look at what this apprentice of unknown origin you’ve taken in is doing!”

“Uh… didn’t he just… take off your glasses to look at them? Teacher Josen, there’s no need to be so agitated, is there?”

Lulu tilted her head slightly, speaking with a calm demeanor. Upon hearing her words, Josen gnashed his teeth in fury. ‘These two, master and apprentice, are playing dumb together, aren’t they?!’

“Well then, if there’s nothing else, Teacher Lulu and I will take our leave. Also, I’d like to add, shouldn’t the Magic Academy’s entrance exam be a meritocracy? The one with the highest score is naturally admitted. When did it become tied to one’s background? I will participate in the upcoming entrance exam, and I look forward to seeing you there, Teacher Josen.”

Alexius let out a cold laugh, then turned to depart. Beside him, Lulu wore a bewildered expression. ‘This… what kind of male lead aura is this?’

“Heh, do you truly believe that your current faint magical aura can contend with the talents of noble children? Let me tell you, what happened today isn’t something that can be dismissed as a joke. You’re staying right here!”

“Enough, Teacher Josen, stop talking! Why are you making such a racket in my office? Heh… it’s utterly ungraceful~”

Brook let out a cold snort, then quickly gestured to Lulu and the others with his eyes. ‘Hurry and leave, don’t talk to this arrogant man anymore.’

However, Alexius still wished to linger. He turned his head with a smile, then grasped Lulu’s shoulder. Lulu, utterly bewildered, was pulled to his side by her apprentice, watching as the Little Demon King addressed Josen:

“Yes, you are right. Perhaps my talent is not on par with those noble children. But I have the genius mage, Big Sister Lulu, as my teacher! I believe how well one learns depends not only on their innate talent and effort but also on whether they have guidance from a renowned master. Clearly, there are differences among teachers as well. Some are mediocre, while others are naturally exceptional, wouldn’t you agree?”

“You…”

Josen was rendered speechless. Primarily, the age gap between him and Lulu was about twenty years, yet Lulu’s professional title was even slightly higher than his. This…

“Cough, cough, Xiu’er, that’s enough talk, let’s go.”

Lulu felt a surge of secret delight within her, but decided against letting her apprentice show off any further. ‘What if he gets addicted to showing off and awakens a protagonist’s halo?’

The young mistress led the Little Demon King away from the office, finally letting out a sigh of relief.

However, upon closer thought, Lulu couldn’t help but feel a pang of anxiety.

‘Well, this trip didn’t achieve its objective. I was mocked, and it seems I even offended someone. Hmm… Quite a failure.’

‘Although, the other party initiated the provocation.’

‘Besides, we even mocked them back. Cough, cough…’

[Ah, now that you mention it, was the Little Demon King angry just now because Josen was speaking ill of me?]

[Oh… if that’s the case, then it’s actually quite surprising, hehe~]

[Even though he currently lacks strength, the Little Demon King still dared to act on behalf of his teacher. How truly touching.]

[That… when he confronted Josen just now, he actually seemed… a bit handsome. Hmm… he’s only a fifteen-year-old boy, yet how can he have such an imposing presence? No wonder he was so successful as a Demon King in his previous life, ugh…]

[I’m a little happy, cough, cough… I suppose I’ve taken in a good apprentice, hehe~ However, I shouldn’t get carried away. I need to keep him in check, lest he stops listening to me later on.]

All the while, Alexius silently listened to the mental whirlwind of the girl who outwardly feigned an undisturbed inner world. He had even prepared his responses for when he would inevitably be questioned. Just then, Lulu spoke.

The young mistress walked ahead of the Little Demon King, speaking with an air of casual indifference:

“Xiu’er, don’t act so impulsively in the future. For everything, cultivate more patience and avoid being rash.”

“It was because… he could speak ill of me, but speaking ill of my teacher? Unacceptable!” The Little Demon King chose the path most likely to earn favor.

“Hmph, Xiu’er, do you think this will make me happy?”

Lulu turned to him, observing him with a hint of seriousness. She then shook her head, explaining, “I don’t care for the opinions of such uninteresting people, nor will I be happy because you stood up for me. I wish for you to be more rational. If you pay too much attention to the buzzing of flies, you won’t be able to forge a successful path forward.”

“Is that so, Teacher? I understand! I know you also mean well for me, but I also wanted to help you vent and feel a bit happier. So, you don’t feel that way?”

“Yes, I don’t. My heart remains utterly unperturbed.”

Lulu nodded solemnly, then turned her head and continued walking forward with an aloof air.

[Ehehe~ So happy! Alexius, you didn’t expect this, did you~ Today, you’ve been completely played by me!]

Alexius: ‘Hmm…’

‘She won’t be happy.’

‘Ah, right, right, right!’