Chapter 39: The Seven Great Demons’ Oath

The four demons knelt in unison.

Then, they introduced themselves as the Seven Great Demons!

It was only then that Lucy realized why they had come to her entrance ceremony.

It was by Satan’s order.

And, more than that, it was to assess what kind of being Satan’s daughter truly was.

Understanding the situation, Lucy turned her sharp gaze to one of the four demons—the man who had kept his eyes wide open since the beginning.

He was the same demon who had tried to spy on her during the entrance ceremony.

Feeling her gaze, the man—Abrod—smiled broadly and spoke first.

“I’m sorry about last time.”

His voice was smooth, his tone almost playful.

“I’m used to spying on others, so I acted without thinking. It was rude of me.”

He apologized sincerely for his attempt to spy on her.

Lucy, who hadn’t paid much attention to the incident in the first place, waved a hand dismissively.

“It’s fine. You failed anyway.”

Abrod chuckled at her casual response, seemingly relieved.

At that moment, the tall woman stepped forward and suddenly stood up from her seat.

She had bronze skin, a dark scar running down her cheek, and wore an outfit made of rough leather that exposed more skin than was appropriate for such a formal setting.

She introduced herself with a confident smirk.

“I’m Elsa.”

With that, she strode forward in a single step and wrapped Lucy in a tight embrace.

“I’m Satan’s future companion!”

Lucy’s entire body tensed.

The audacity!

The hug wasn’t just overwhelming—it was outright unpleasant.

“Wait a minute—”

Lucy struggled to free herself, pushing against Elsa’s iron grip, but the demon’s muscles were like steel.

For sheer brute strength, Elsa was clearly superior.

A warrior class, Lucy realized.

“You don’t like it? Stop it, Elsa!”

At last, another demon, Agamut, spoke up with a frown.

Only then did Elsa release Lucy, albeit with an exaggerated sigh of regret.

“Tsk. You’re no fun.”

Lucy, meanwhile, straightened her wrinkled clothes, brushing down the creases with a scowl.

Her crimson eyes flashed dangerously.

“Hmm. So, since you’re all here… does that mean my father will be arriving soon?”

“No. With the war still ongoing… Let’s move first.”

Lucy nodded, then led them to the conference room in the central tower.

A grand room with a large round table awaited them.

However, upon entering, Lucy was met with a strange sight.

“What… are you doing, Abres?”

The commander of the Fourth Knights, Abres, had his forehead pressed against the marble floor.

Lucy’s red eyes blinked.

Abres was kneeling in disgrace?

And, from the looks of it, it wasn’t of his own accord.

Agamut, standing behind Lucy, coughed lightly.

“Stand up, Abres.”

“Yes!”

Abres shot up immediately.

Judging by the atmosphere, it was Agamut who had ordered his punishment.

Lucy tilted her head.

Agamut, noticing her curiosity, calmly explained.

“He’s my son.”

Lucy’s eyes widened slightly.

“I was disciplining him for failing to act during the recent palace invasion. You needn’t be concerned.”

“Ah…”

“I’m ashamed, Father… Lady Lucy…”

Abres lowered his head, looking genuinely remorseful.

Now that Lucy observed them properly, there was a resemblance—Abres had the same striking features as Agamut, though his gray hair made him appear slightly older.

Agamut’s voice was strict.

“As a disciplinary measure, I could remove him from his position as commander of the knights.”

Lucy shook her head.

“It was an unavoidable situation. There’s no need to go that far.”

“If that is Lady Lucy’s judgment…”

At her defense, Agamut let the matter drop.

Abres, though maintaining his neutral expression, cast Lucy a silent look of gratitude.

Just as the tension settled—

“Yeah, what responsibility would I have?”

A sharp voice cut in.

Lucy turned her head to see Elsa leaning back in her chair, arms crossed.

“The real responsibility should go to the one in charge of palace security.”

At that exact moment, as if summoned by fate, Arasia strode into the conference room.

“Are you talking about me?”

“Yeah, we were all badmouthing you.”

“You’re the only one who would, Elsa. Your inferiority complex is showing again.”

“Inferiority? Who would feel inferior to someone who failed to prevent a kidnapping?”

Immediately, the room tensed.

The two demons locked eyes in a silent battle of wills.

It was clear—they weren’t just rivals.

They were enemies.

Lucy, seated between them, let out a slow sigh.

“Are you trying to avoid responsibility, Arasia?”

Elsa’s voice was biting,

“Why don’t you just step down as guardian of the palace?”

Arasia smirked.

“The punishment for that is Satan’s decision—not yours, subordinate.”

Agamut, who had been silent until now, finally stepped in.

“Lucy is watching. Enough.”

“Tsk.”

“Tsk.”

The two demons clicked their tongues in sync, but they backed down.

Moments later, a maid entered, serving tea.

With tensions still thick in the air, the five demons and Lucy finally sat down at the round table.

Lucy was the first to speak.

“Tell me about my father. What’s happening with the war?”

Abrod was the one to answer.

“The Northern Forces put up a fierce resistance, but thanks to Satan’s overwhelming power, we have successfully reclaimed all lost territories. The enemy has retreated, and the war is nearing its conclusion.”

Lucy listened silently.

It was a clear victory for Helatos.

More than a war, it seemed to have been a one-sided suppression.

A predictable outcome, given Helatos had ruled the Demon Continent unchallenged for centuries.

No wonder the capital remained untouched by conflict.

No wonder the people worship my father so much.

With the briefing concluded, Lucy stood up.

Her expression remained unreadable.

Meanwhile, Elsa and Arasia had already resumed their growling contest.

Lucy left the room, completely exhausted by their endless bickering.

Edem Academy

Lucy sat at her desk, her sharp eyes trailing Angelica’s every movement.

Today was the day.

According to Angelica, the operation would be carried out during PE class.

Their plan?

To pour poison into Lucy’s water bottle.

Of course, they weren’t actually trying to poison her.

They were trying to frame Abet.

Lucy almost laughed at the absurdity of it all.

They had gone so far as to manipulate purchase records, set up fake witnesses, and even recruit Abet’s former friends to testify against her.

How thorough.

But it was pointless.

Poison?

Lucy was naturally immune to most poisons.

Unless they had managed to extract venom from a Hydra, their plan was doomed from the start.

Still, she waited patiently.

Soon, the students were called out for physical examinations.

“Next up… Lucy?”

The school nurse ran through the routine checks.

Height, weight, demonic traits—everything was recorded.

Lucy was 139 cm tall. 35 kg.

“…You’re in your prime, so you’ll grow quickly. No need to feel bad about it, okay?”

For some reason, the nurse pitied her.

Lucy stared at her blankly.

Why would I care about that?

As she returned to the classroom, chaos awaited her.

Angelica’s plan was unfolding right before her eyes.

The students had surrounded Abet.

“Abet put poison in the princess’s water bottle!”

Angelica’s voice rang loud, filled with perfectly rehearsed outrage.

A girl from her faction produced a small pouch of white powder from Abet’s bag.

Lucy leaned against the doorway, watching in silence.

Her red eyes glittered with amusement.

“Is this a school… or a theater production?”

This was going to be fun