Chapter 22: The Oath of a Devil’s Heir

One sunny day after the rain.

Lucy, who had arrived at the academy early in the morning, was climbing the steep slope alone.

The ground was still damp from the drizzle that had fallen the night before.

With each step she took, her new leather shoes caught her eye. The cute brown sneakers had been a gift from Arasia to celebrate her entrance into the academy.

She had heard that Arasia had made them herself or something like that, but regardless, they felt quite comfortable.

Her destination was the Academy auditorium.

The entrance ceremony was scheduled to take place there, and she wore a school uniform to match the occasion.

A striped skirt. A shirt. And even a coat adorned with Edem’s emblem.

Despite being in a fantasy world, the school uniforms weren’t much different from modern ones. In fact, they were more elegant.

The only thing she wasn’t used to was the fact that she was wearing a girl’s uniform instead of a boy’s.

Lucy stroked the hem of her skirt—a black one that reached down to her knees.

She had worn it several times now, yet she still couldn’t get used to it.

Soon, beyond the steep slope, the round-roofed school building came into view.

Near the entrance, students in the same uniform were lined up, entering the auditorium in an orderly fashion.

They were all demons, their appearances diverse. Some had horns, some had purple skin, and some had four arms.

To put it nicely, they were unique.

Among them, she thought she looked relatively ordinary. But ironically, she was the one who drew the most attention.

Her youthful appearance. The fact that she was the top student admitted. And her status as a princess.

It was these three factors that made her the center of whispers and stares.

Though she was aware of the murmurs around her, Lucy stood in line as if she didn’t notice them.

Inside the auditorium.

The luxurious chandeliers illuminated a space so crowded that there was hardly any room to step.

A rehearsal was ongoing on stage while new students bustled around, searching for their assigned seats.

According to Edem’s custom, the top student had to take the oath of admission. Because of this, Lucy’s assigned seat was at the very front.

After scanning the area, she found her seat and sat down.

Fortunately, the front row was spacious and comfortable.

Anderjan (Andreyan) , whom she had met before, was on stage leading the faculty members.

When their eyes met, he greeted her with a subtle nod.

At that moment, she was reminded of what had happened last time.

It was strange.

Why did they pick me as the top student?

The practical exams had been postponed, and while she had ranked first in the written exam, she didn’t think she had performed exceptionally.

Yet she had received the notice of acceptance. And not just that—she was the top student.

Perhaps that was why she had felt more puzzled than happy when she first saw the results. And even now, that feeling remained.

Anderjan, however, didn’t seem to care about her doubts. He simply acknowledged her and continued with his tasks.

Resting her chin on her hand, Lucy muttered to herself, “A man whose intentions I can’t understand at all.”

Meanwhile, the preparations for the entrance ceremony proceeded quickly, and soon, all the seats were filled with new students.

Anderjan, having finished the rehearsal, stepped down from the stage and approached Lucy, holding a piece of paper.

“What’s that?” she asked, glancing at it.

“It’s the oath for the ceremony. I thought it would be better for you to review it in advance.”

Lucy took the paper and frowned.

The absurdly long oath.

Just the thought of reciting it in front of hundreds of people made her head ache.

She had tried to refuse, but the academy had insisted that it was “a long-standing tradition spanning hundreds of years.”

In the end, she had no choice but to comply.

As she scanned the document with a look of mild annoyance, Anderjan adjusted his glasses and looked around.

The seat next to Lucy remained empty.

“Is that Miss Abbet in the second row? Being late to the entrance ceremony is quite the offense.”

The entrance ceremony proceeded smoothly.

Total number of students: 150. Current number of students: 149. Remarks: 1 student absent. Name: Abbet von Lichberg.

Above the main floor, seats had been arranged for the parents who had come to celebrate their children’s admission.

As expected of a prestigious academy, the audience was composed mainly of upper-class demons—the wealthy aristocrats, the aristocratic council, and the priests.

But unlike most gatherings of nobles, the atmosphere was oddly silent.

Even though the ceremony had yet to begin, no one was making casual conversation.

Instead, they all stared at the stage, holding their breath.

It was unusual.

Normally, aristocratic parents attended entrance ceremonies to build connections. There was no better place to network than an event like this.

And yet, no one was speaking.

The reason was clear.

At the very back of the audience, four figures sat, radiating an overwhelming presence.

Even without any introduction, the nobles instantly recognized them by the ‘Uroboros’ insignias on their cloaks.

The Seven Great Demons.

Loyal servants of Satan. The ones entrusted with a portion of Helatos’ ruling authority. Beings of absolute power.

No matter how high the nobles ranked, in front of these four, they were nothing more than meek lambs.

Why had they come here?

The answer was obvious.

Lucy Deviluke. The rumored princess. The daughter of Satan.

Today was her entrance ceremony.

The nobles whispered the names of the four demons in their minds.

From the left: Bloody Empress Elsa. Eye of Helathor, Abrod. Darkness, the Dark Demon. Sword of Satan, Agamut.

Four of the Seven Great Demons were here.

The only ones missing were Dragos, who was on an expedition to the northern region, and Arasia, who was guarding the palace.

The unprecedented sight left the nobles speechless.

At that moment, Elsa broke the silence with her usual bluntness.

“When is this ceremony going to start? I’m getting bored.”

“Mind your words, Elsa,” Agamut scolded. “We are here under Satan’s orders to celebrate Princess Lucy’s ceremony.”

“Yeah, yeah. But let’s be real—we just want to see his kid.”

Elsa scowled, clearly irritated.

Her displeasure was palpable, and the nobles in the audience instinctively flinched at the sheer menace emanating from her.

“If it weren’t for that damn Arasia, I’d be guarding the palace instead of her. But no—Lord Satan thinks she’s better suited than me.”

Agamut sighed, looking as though he was about to lose his mind.

Darkness, meanwhile, seemed utterly unbothered by the conversation, as if he had heard it all before.

In the end, it was Abrod who stepped in to mediate.

“Calm down, Elsa. Arasia was chosen simply because her abilities were deemed more suited to guarding the palace. It’s not a matter of who’s superior.”

“Hmph.”

“Oh, look. The ceremony is starting.”

The idle chatter ceased as the entrance ceremony formally began.

After a brief address from the faculty, it was time for the student oath.

Lucy stepped onto the stage.

The entire audience leaned forward in anticipation.

Even the Great Demons.

“She’s so cute!” Elsa blurted out.

“Watch your tongue.”

“Oh, so that’s Satan’s daughter.”

“Hm.”

Lucy began reciting the long oath.

“What do you think when you see her with your own eyes, Abrod?” Agamut asked Abrod, who was endowed with the best pair of magic eyes among them. His discerning eyes were famous for their ability to see beyond the ‘magic’ of the target and even penetrate their souls.

Abrod nodded and slowly opened his eyes to evaluate Lucy’s potential, eyes that had been closed this whole time. He gazed upon Lucy with his famous eyes—eyes that could pierce through magic itself.

Yet when he looked at Lucy, he saw… nothing. Precisely, he couldn’t see.

“.!?”

For the first time in his life, Abrod doubted his own vision.

Then, as if noticing his gaze, Lucy shot him a sharp glare.

A cold sweat ran down Abrod’s forehead.

“What’s wrong?” Agamut asked.

Abrod chuckled nervously.

“…She’s a little scary, haha.”