Chapter 6: Lessons in Nobility

The morning bell rang.

A maid suddenly entered the room.

Lucy, still half-asleep, looked at her and suddenly recalled the name Rubia.

She was one of the maids introduced last night—her purple hair and bronze skin made her stand out, making her easy to remember.

Rubia looked down at Lucy with her sparkling purple eyes and soon cheerfully announced the morning.

“Good morning, Lady Lucy—”

A beautiful maid had come to wake her up with the morning breeze.

It was an over-the-top treatment, but Lucy wasn’t feeling it at all.

She hadn’t gotten enough sleep.

It was the consequence of wandering around outside until late last night.

Still drowsy, Lucy turned around and refused to get up.

“I’ll sleep for 30 more minutes…”

She said 30 minutes, but in reality, she was planning to sleep until lunchtime.

However, perhaps reading her mind, Rubia—who had come to help with her morning routine—refused to let her.

She gently shook Lucy’s shoulders, trying to wake her up.

“Lucy~ If you don’t wake up, breakfast will get cold.”
“I don’t want to eat…”
“Skipping meals is bad for your health.”
“Ugh… please.”
“Come on, let’s wake up and stretch.”

Despite Lucy’s repeated refusals, Rubia didn’t back down—no, she couldn’t.

Her mission from the royal family was to teach Lucy proper manners until Satan returned. That meant she couldn’t let her act like a spoiled child from the first day.

In the end, Lucy reluctantly got up, half-forced.

‘Since I’ve decided to act like a princess, I guess I have to maintain at least a minimum level of decorum.’

Getting ready for the morning was easy.

Well, for Lucy, at least.

She simply had to sit quietly in front of the vanity mirror, while Rubia took care of Washing her, Dressing her up and grooming afterwards.

It felt awkward, like she was a newborn baby, but since she had no idea how to dress up herself, she had no choice but to stay still.

Once Rubia finished dressing her, she guided Lucy to the dining hall.

The palace banquet hall was massive.

On a large round table, over 12 different dishes were lavishly prepared, including Steak, Soup, Salads, and Freshly baked bread.

Lucy, sitting at the center, looked around.

Despite the grand feast, she was the only one at the table.

“Am I eating alone?”

Rubia smiled and nodded.

“Yes. I don’t know your favorite foods yet, so I asked the chefs to prepare as much variety as possible. Is there anything you don’t like?”
“No… Anyway, I’ll enjoy it.”

She began eating. The taste was excellent, but…

She had never used a knife before, so cutting the food was a struggle.

Rubia, who had been observing, gently stepped in to teach her dining etiquette.

– “Hold the knife like this, using your index and middle fingers.”
– “Be careful not to let your elbows touch the tablecloth.”
– “Please raise your chin when eating.”

Royal dining etiquette was strict.

Every time she made even a slight mistake, Rubia would correct her immediately.

Because of that, Lucy couldn’t even enjoy the delicious meal properly.

Still, Rubia persisted in teaching her.

“Excuse me, can’t I just eat comfortably?”
“I’m sorry, but that won’t do. Since your admission to the Magic Academy has been decided, you need to get used to royal etiquette before then.”

Lucy froze.

“Wait… Admission?”

The familiar word lingered in her ears.

Lucy tilted her head in confusion.

“What do you mean?”
“A letter arrived this morning. Lord Satan has decided to enroll you in the Magic Academy.”
“Academy..? Why all of a sudden?”
“He believes it will help improve your sociability.”

Lucy was dumbfounded.

She was already busy gathering information while pretending to be a princess, and now she had another task?

On top of that, attending the academy would mean even more restrictions on her movements.

“I have to enroll..?”

She swallowed her words mid-sentence.

‘There’s no reason to refuse… It’s best to follow Satan’s instructions for now.’

Still, she was curious about the Demon Academy.

“When is the admission?”
“The exact date isn’t mentioned, but given how fast he works, I assume it’ll be soon.”
“So that’s why you’re giving me etiquette lessons like this… I see. What’s my schedule for today?”
“Since it’s only your first day, I’ve planned to start with the basics.”

Lucy’s eyes lit up.

“Does that mean I have some free time?”
“Yes. Is there anything else you’d like to do?”
“If possible, I’d like to visit the city center.”

She had glimpsed it last night, but since the city was so vast, there were many places she hadn’t explored.

And besides, morning and dawn offered different perspectives.

For example, she could observe the daily lives of the residents or immerse herself in this world’s unique culture.

Fortunately, there were no schedule conflicts, so Rubia readily agreed.

“Then, I will seek Lady Arasia’s permission.”
“Thank you.”
“However, it will take some time to assemble the guards, so please wait a moment.”

Lucy nodded. It seemed guards were necessary, but she didn’t protest.

Soon, Rubia left the banquet hall to meet Lady Arasia.

Now alone, Lucy finished her meal and stood up.

“Should I look around the castle in the meantime?”

Rubia had said that preparing the guards would take time, so a quick tour of Satan Castle seemed like a perfect way to pass the time—and help with digestion.

Clank—

Lucy stepped out of the banquet hall.

The palace corridors stretched endlessly before her, lined with nobles who moved with solemn expressions, their heavy robes sweeping the marble floors. These were the officials who worked within Satan Castle, and at the sight of her, they instinctively parted, bowing their heads in respect.

Not yet accustomed to the etiquette of royalty, Lucy merely gave a curt nod and walked past them, feigning the aloofness expected of a princess.

Stepping outside, she was met with a breathtaking view of the castle grounds.

Five grand buildings stood tall, encircled by a fortified wall. Of them, only the palace was familiar to her. If she was going to be living here, she figured she might as well get to know the rest.

Her first destination was the pristine, white building opposite the palace.

Unlike the ornate halls she had just left, this structure was more austere—square-shaped, built for function rather than grandeur. It was a military facility, home to the knights of the palace.

As she neared, the rhythmic sound of clashing wood filled the air.

Knock! Knock! Knock! Knock!

On the vast lawn before the building, dozens of knights were deep in training, their wooden swords striking each other in relentless exchanges. Sweat dripped from their brows as they practiced attack and defense drills.

Curious, Lucy stepped closer.

One knight in particular caught her eye—a young man with silver-gray hair. Unlike the others, he exuded an air of command, his posture sharp, his presence striking. Noticing her approach, he immediately stepped forward and addressed her.

“Are you by any chance Princess Lucy?”

“Yes, and you are?”

“Yes! I am the commander of the Third Knights, Ableus Leonhardt! It is an honor to meet you, Princess!”

His voice was loud, crisp, and filled with unwavering discipline.

Lucy was momentarily taken aback. He looked like one of the younger knights, yet he held the rank of commander?

Then again, appearances could be deceiving. Among demons, age was often impossible to gauge by looks alone. Accepting this, she returned his greeting with a nod.

“I look forward to working with you, Commander.”

“It is an honor, Princess. But if I may ask, what brings you here?”

Lucy hesitated.

She couldn’t exactly say she was just wandering aimlessly after breakfast. That would hardly sound dignified.

“Training,” she finally said, choosing her words carefully. “I wanted to see the knights in action with my own eyes… right?”

She had almost slipped into informal speech but quickly corrected herself, remembering Rubia’s earlier lessons on etiquette. In the game, the characters had always spoken casually—adapting to this new level of formality was proving difficult.

Hearing her interest in the training, Ableus straightened proudly.

“I see! In that case, I will have a chair prepared for you—”

“That won’t be necessary,” Lucy interjected. “I only intend to observe briefly.”

“Understood, then please, this way.”

He led her to a shaded area, ensuring she had the best vantage point.

From there, Lucy silently watched as the knights continued their drills.

The training was straightforward.

One group focused on attacking, while the other practiced defending, their roles alternating at precise intervals. Though the force of their strikes wasn’t overwhelming, their determination burned fiercely.

“They’re working hard,” Lucy observed.

“Of course,” Ableus replied without hesitation. “We are the royal swords. Training every moment is the only way to prove our loyalty and strength.”

“Hmm…”

Lucy turned her gaze to the young commander.

The thugs she had encountered the night before had been weaker than expected, but she was curious—just how strong was this knight commander?

“Commander.”

“Yes, Princess?”

“How strong are the knights of Satan Castle?”

Ableus hesitated briefly before answering.

“In terms of rank, I believe we are the strongest, second only to Lord Satan himself and the Great Demons.”

“And how many Great Demons are there?”

“They are known as the Seven Great Demons, so naturally, there are seven in total.”

Satan and the Seven Great Demons. That meant Ableus’ strength placed him among the top-tier combatants in Satan’s ranks.

Lucy tapped her fingers thoughtfully.

“Commander, I have a request.”

“Please, speak.”

“Can you use sword techniques? Like, say, a Slash attack?”

“Of course.”

“Then could you show me your strongest technique?”

“Right now?”

“Yes, please.”

Ableus seemed slightly caught off guard by the request but quickly composed himself.

“As you wish. I will demonstrate.”

With levels and stats hidden from sight in this world, gauging someone’s strength was difficult. The best way to estimate it was through skills. By analyzing the impact, characteristics, and execution of a skill, Lucy could make an educated guess about their level and combat style.

Drawing his sword, Ableus stepped toward a row of wooden training dummies.

“Please remain behind this line for your safety, Princess,” he instructed.

“I will.”

Lucy took a step back, watching intently.

There were five wooden dummies lined up in the ground, spaced evenly apart.

Ableus adjusted his stance.

He planted his feet firmly, twisting his body slightly as he positioned his sword at his waist.

Then, in one swift motion—

Shuaak!

His blade sliced through the air in a powerful arc.

A whirlwind erupted along its trajectory, carrying an invisible force that cleaved through all five dummies in a single strike.

The severed halves fell to the ground with a resounding thud.

Clap. Clap. Clap. Clap.

The gathered knights broke into applause, clearly impressed by the display.

Lucy, however, barely reacted.

Because she recognized that skill immediately.

Whirlwind Slash.

A classic warrior-type technique.

She had raised a battle warrior as a secondary class in the game, so she knew the move inside and out.

And because she knew it so well—

She let out an internal sigh.

That’s not how you use it…