Chapter 13: An Inelegant Request

“Come in.”

Hearing the voice, Lulu turned her head to address the little demon king beside her.

“We’re going to see the Principal. Later, Xiu’er, you don’t need to speak. Just stay by my side.”

“Yes, I understand, Teacher.”

The little demon king nodded. Not having to speak was certainly preferable. He didn’t want to be teased again, like when he met Sister Nia earlier. Alexius truly couldn’t handle it.

The young woman pushed open the door and led her disciple into the room. Inside the office, the Principal was seated on the reception sofa. Across from him sat a middle-aged man wearing gold-rimmed glasses, presenting a refined appearance. Lulu recognized this man; he was also a teacher at the school, her colleague.

“Oh, isn’t that Lulu? How strange! Why are you at school during the holidays? Haha~”

Principal Brook was an eccentric old man. He was well over seventy, with white hair and beard, yet he maintained an odd, meticulous refinement, constantly pursuing an aristocratic elegance.

Unlike other elderly men who paid no mind to their attire, his standard ensemble—a monocle, a cane, a top hat, and a tailcoat—had remained unchanged since Lulu’s childhood, when he was her homeroom teacher. Lulu had even wondered if he slept in his tailcoat; he was simply too elegant.

Precisely because Lulu had once been his student, this prodigious young mage had left an indelible mark on the old man. This wasn’t solely due to her magical talent, but also because she once used his cane to stir excrement and nearly blew up the magic laboratory with fire.

Ahem, of course, the old man bore no grudge. On the contrary, such mischievous students often created many joyful memories that became even fonder in retrospect. Thus, after Lulu was transferred to the magic school by the church, Brook, now the Principal, displayed a distinct fondness for his former student, treating her with a touch of paternal affection.

“I came to ask you something. Are you and Teacher Josen still discussing matters? Should I wait outside for a moment?”

Lulu tilted her head, inquiring. Teacher Josen, the man across from the Principal, also turned his head to look at the young woman. Though her age and experience were far inferior to his, her future was immeasurably brighter. A hint of disdain and envy flickered in his eyes, but his gaze quickly shifted to Alexius, who stood beside Lulu.

A single woman accompanied by a boy who appeared to be fifteen or sixteen was indeed a sight to behold. Josen sneered, then spoke “politely.”

“It’s no matter, Teacher Luxstina. The Principal and I were merely discussing this year’s admissions. If you have something to ask the Principal, please speak now. There are no outsiders here.”

“Ah… I actually came about admissions.”

Lulu nodded, a slight awkwardness in her demeanor. She wasn’t particularly familiar with this male teacher. If only her old homeroom teacher, the Principal, had been present, she would have certainly felt more at ease.

However, Josen had already risen to make space for the teacher and disciple. He moved to sit beside the Principal, who also nodded and then spoke.

“It’s fine. Teacher Josen is also in charge of today’s admissions, so you can ask him directly if you have any questions.”

“Hmm…”

Lulu led the little demon king to the sofa. After a moment of silence, she introduced him to the Principal.

“Allow me to introduce him first. This is my newly accepted disciple, Alexius. He’s a wonderful child with high talent, and I value him greatly. However… I’ve been thinking that if I’m at work, I won’t be able to look after him at home. So, I was wondering if it would be possible to directly enroll Xiu’er into the school?”

“Hmm… Ah, is that so…”

Upon hearing Lulu’s words, the Principal appeared somewhat hesitant. While the school did have regulations for caring for teachers’ family members, directly enrolling Lulu’s newly accepted disciple might easily invite criticism. It seemed… rather inelegant.

“Hmph, Teacher Lulu is truly naive and adorable.”

Before the Principal could even speak, Josen, who was nearby, suddenly let out a cold laugh. He looked at Lulu, his words clearly carrying a hidden meaning, or rather, implying something about her.

“So many noble families are scrambling to send their children to our academy, donating money and resources, to the point where it’s overflowing. We even need a selective entrance exam to decide who gets in.”

“What makes Teacher Lulu’s disciple so special that they can be directly admitted? Could it be that this young disciple was entrusted to Teacher Lulu by some great noble family?”

Josen sneered as he gazed at the plainly dressed youth beside Lulu. The boy’s disheveled hair and commoner’s attire immediately revealed his humble origins. A commoner, indeed.

He probably didn’t even know what kind of stray orphan he was.

Alexius frowned beside Lulu. This male teacher, despite his earlier pleasantries, was clearly trying to embarrass Lulu. Alexius knew he was certainly not the child of some great noble family, differing completely from noble children in both attire and demeanor.

Consequently, if Lulu lied, she would be exposed, and if she denied it directly, she would be mocked.

Lulu was visibly awkward. She had no idea about the little demon king’s family situation. The child was an orphan now. Uh… his immense power seemed to stem from being a reincarnated demon king, which had nothing to do with his family background.

“Um, Xiu’er, what was your family’s situation again?”

Lulu turned her head, asking softly with a hint of embarrassment, hoping ‘Xiu’er would be clever enough to say his family was at least a minor noble house.’

Before Alexius could answer, Josen beside them chuckled, then shook his head.

“No way? Teacher Lulu doesn’t even know her own disciple’s family situation? This little disciple of yours seems to have a rather murky background, doesn’t he? Oh! I heard the Demon King’s army has been sending spies into Kafa City recently to gather intelligence. Teacher Lulu, don’t let a cute little boy deceive you.”

‘Ugh… this person isn’t some spy for the Demon King’s army. This is the Demon King himself.’

Lulu grumbled inwardly, yet found herself at a loss for how to respond. These teachers’ obsession with lineage was truly severe. With the false premise that a better background equated to greater strength already established, Lulu was truly in a difficult position to argue.

“Enough, Josen, say no more. As for you, Lulu, the school has its rules. If you wish for your disciple to study here, then he must take the entrance examination.”

The Principal, who was beside them, didn’t want to further embarrass his former student. However, since Lulu had fallen silent, he couldn’t openly show too much favoritism in front of an outsider. Moreover…

The Principal glanced at Alexius. He, too, felt that this child… lacked elegance! His talent seemed quite ordinary.

“Principal, even the entrance examination has a threshold. Is this child even suitable? Generally speaking, unless they’re from a major noble family, they wouldn’t even qualify to take our entrance exam, would they?”

Josen continued to mock. “It seems Miss Lulu has misjudged this time. Well… Teacher Lulu is quite young, and her own strength is rather average, so it’s perfectly normal for her to make a mistake, isn’t it?”

“Just don’t make a fool of yourself again. Our academy serves the children of noble families; we don’t have time to educate some commoner from who knows where…”

The next second, before Josen could even finish speaking, Alexius abruptly stood up!