I got into school for nothing-276
I got into school for nothing (276)
Lesson 54. Things You Shouldn't Touch – 1
"Eat up, everyone! The food of Diabolo stirs a warrior's blood and enhances a beauty's allure. Its flavor is so renowned that even the arrogant bastards from S-rank dimensions seek it out."
"What in the world..."
Ban Yuwon wondered if the Demon King might be a split personality. Just moments before Mumyeong appeared, the Demon King had been ready to toss aside his promise to his daughter and tear the group limb from limb. Now, he was offering them a lavish banquet, piled so high it seemed the table legs would groan, all while smiling genially like a friendly neighborhood uncle.
"Come on, eat up. Especially you! You look like you'll have a lot of work ahead of you that requires strength!"
"Thank you...?"
However, whether the Demon King was a split personality or not, the food was innocent, so Ban Yuwon decided to focus on the fried ribs laid out before him.
The claim that even people from higher dimensions loved it was no lie; it was a magnificent flavor, difficult to find even in Union Academy's most luxurious restaurants.
"You eat with such gusto, while the others are wary, wondering if there might be poison in it!"
"Ah, I already knew there was no poison."
"Indeed... You truly are interesting."
The Demon King's eyes gleamed meaningfully as he looked at Ban Yuwon, but Ban Yuwon, having encountered many middle-aged or older individuals who licked their lips at him after he awakened his abilities, felt no particular emotion.
However, the Demon King's glances toward Shati, along with gestures that seemed to say "Why aren't you eating him already?", were hard to tolerate.
"If you got beaten that badly, give up on messing with our junior, Demon King. And hurry up and die. How can you even call yourself a Demon King if you can't properly control your own magic?" Shati retorted gruffly, picking up a piece of fried ribs, the same kind Ban Yuwon had chosen.
Beside her, her younger brother, Kron, was chattering about how she shouldn't use such barbaric language and that her eating style should be more refined, but she completely ignored him.
Moreover, even Kron, while pretending to be concerned about his sister, was subtly stealing glances at Dokgo Yeon.
"She is a formidable strong person. Furthermore, she might have been the one to resolve my age-old anguish. Even though I knew I shouldn't, my blood surged, and reason simply flew out the window. Kahahaha!"
"Seriously, I'm so embarrassed in front of our juniors..."
Only then did Ban Yuwon understand what was meant by "couldn't control his magic."
Indeed, the Demon King's sudden outburst earlier had been heavily influenced by Blood Magic.
After all, no matter how great the secret Dokgo Yeon and her home dimension held, for the Demon King himself to disregard the mission he had given Shati and charge forward was an unbecoming display for a ruler.
"You seem fine now, but did you calm down a bit after rampaging enough to destroy half the castle?"
"Impossible. Once Blood Magic runs wild, it won't settle until it sees blood. Cheonma left me both a restriction and a gift."
The Demon King clenched and unclenched his fist, narrowing his eyes.
He seemed to have an understanding of what Cheonma had done to him, as one strong individual recognizes another.
However, the fact that it could even suppress the Demon King's Blood Magic was quite surprising to Ban Yuwon... yet, considering the nature of the power emanating from Mumyeong's martial arts, it made sense.
Perhaps that power was akin to the power of severance residing in the Executioner's Longsword...
'He might teach me. If, say, I were to marry into Yeon's family—the place called Shin-gyo.'
Incidentally, the group was currently in the grand dining hall on the first basement floor of the Demon King's castle.
Astonishingly, the underground structure of this castle was built far more robustly than its above-ground counterpart; even though the upper part of the castle had been completely blown away, the dozens of stories of subterranean space below held firm!
When Ban Yuwon asked Shati about this ridiculous feat, she explained that for thousands of years, the Demon King's castle had been destroyed so frequently that they stopped investing much in the surface, instead dedicating their resources to faithfully constructing the underground levels.
Upon hearing this, it sounded quite plausible, and he immediately accepted it.
"A gift? Hmm, well. It probably won't last long, but it's not my problem."
"Hahahaha, you're still as heartless as your mother's daughter, I see."
"Don't... bring up my mother. And the only ones I'm heartless towards are you lot."
The Demon King saw his daughter's gaze briefly land on Mira as she spoke, but he said nothing about it.
Instead, he offered Ban Yuwon a rib, speaking with a rather serious expression.
"You are my only hope. I will support you, so try your best."
"I don't know what you're talking about, but I'll enjoy the ribs."
Honestly, Ban Yuwon didn't want to stay in this insane Demon King's castle for long.
The Demon King might be pretending to be a friendly dad, but in reality, he just wanted to set up Ban Yuwon—the man Cheonma had chosen as his son-in-law—with his own daughter. And Kron, completely oblivious to his place, was eyeing Dokgo Yeon!
"Your Majesty."
At that moment, the dining hall doors opened, and an Iblis in full armor appeared.
The fact that he showed no reaction despite knowing the Demon King had just minutes ago decimated dozens of Iblis Knights for his battle with Mumyeong hinted at the Demon King's absolute dominance within Diabolo.
"The Empire has detected the commotion at the castle and is mobilizing its army again. It seems they believe the Princess has turned against us, surmising that an internal conflict has erupted."
"Aha, so they believe my daughter seized the Horn of the Demon King and marched straight into the castle?"
"The castle hasn't fallen in years. Last time, the Princess herself took action..."
"..."
As everyone's eyes simultaneously turned to her, Shati sharply averted her gaze, almost with an audible snap.
The Demon King chuckled and clapped his hands.
"If those fools underestimate us, we'll simply overturn everything. Perfect timing, actually. Shati, wouldn't you like to test the power of the Dark Magic Soldiers I'm giving you?"
"You want me to go out and fight again?"
"Tsk, I had hoped that after gaining the First Generation's magic, you'd be more willing to fight, but you're still as reluctant as ever."
The Demon King looked displeased but eventually shook his head. "I was talking about letting you assess the quality of the troops I'm giving you. I even planned to give you a chance to showcase your abilities as their new master, but if you don't want to, there's nothing I can do. Well, it might be for the best. After all, I'm the Demon King, and I was just seen getting beaten to a pulp..."
He crammed another piece of fried ribs into his mouth, then stood up.
"I suppose I'll have to put on a proper show of strength. I'll head out first, so finish your meals and follow."
He declared with a smirk, gripping a greatsword—perfectly restored in a short time—in one hand. His other hand felt empty, so he clenched it in the air a couple of times, making a smacking sound with his lips.
"In terms of performance, it was better than a mere sword, but you utterly shattered it."
"Hmph, you should be grateful you're still alive."
"True. For all the power he wields, he's a ridiculously soft man. Kahahaha!"
The Demon King chuckled heartily at Shati's gruff remark, nodded, and then left the table.
Mira, who had delicately wiped her mouth with a napkin, put it down and spoke.
"Shati, can I curse your father?"
"Go ahead."
"He seemed like a madman. How can his attitude change so drastically?"
"Now do you understand why I detest Blood Magic?"
"Sister! You shouldn't say such things!"
"Oh, you're still here."
Shati narrowed her eyes at Kron, who immediately raised his voice at his sister the moment the Demon King left. She glanced at Dokgo Yeon's expression, then at Ban Yuwon's.
"You, go."
"But Sister."
"Rub against a wall that will actually support you. Don't get hurt for nothing, just go."
"Ugh?!"
The young man, surprised to be caught, frantically darted his eyes between Shati and Dokgo Yeon.
But Shati merely stared at him with an expressionless face, and Dokgo Yeon, still preoccupied with why Mumyeong—that is, the sect leader—had been following her, had no time to spare a thought for someone like Kron.
"Ugh... Hey!"
Yet, despite his sister's warning and the tense atmosphere, Kron bravely took a step forward.
He approached Dokgo Yeon, extending a hand—
Swish. The next moment, a blade rested against his throat.
"What is it?"
Dokgo Yeon said in a chilling voice, instinctively pointing her blade at Kron's throat as she felt him approach.
He, as if expecting such a reaction, continued undeterred.
"I am captivated by your strength and elegance...! Please, grant me just one chance before you leave this place! I wish to ask you on a date!"
"?"
Dokgo Yeon blinked, seemingly having no inkling that such words would come from Kron.
She was Dokgo Yeon, who, despite Lusein Ortima persistently bothering her with declarations of affection since the beginning of the semester, firmly believed he was only approaching her because of her abilities or her home dimension.
She was hopelessly oblivious to romantic interest or signals between sexes, and unlike Shati and Ban Yuwon, who had already guessed Kron's feelings, she hadn't given him a second thought.
Instead of Dokgo Yeon, who was flustered and just mouthing words, unsure how to respond, Ban Yuwon stepped forward.
"You, come with me."
"I apologize, but right now, I am facing the most crucial moment of my life. Human, do not interfere carelessly—Ugh!"
Ban Yuwon's stylish right hook sent Kron crashing into the wall.
"This bastard dares to pull a stunt right in front of me."
Ban Yuwon, who would unhesitatingly knock down even the heir of a Ten Great Families if they tried to mess with a precious comrade—no, with a girl he liked—was certainly not going to hesitate just because Kron was the Demon King's son.
With that clean punch, Kron, a strong individual in his own right, couldn't resist at all and collapsed unconscious. Dokgo Yeon, who had been blinking as she watched, then clapped softly and said, "Your martial arts have improved. That was a good punch."
"Dokgo Yeon, is that your impression after witnessing that scene just now?!" Rucell shrieked, unable to bear her dull reaction. Dokgo Yeon tilted her head and replied, "I know he protected me. However, it's not the first time he's stopped someone attempting a detestable scheme against me. Aside from that fact, all that remains is an evaluation of his combat technique."
"How pathetic. Not even the 'S' for 'sincere' of his pure heart got through..."
"At this point, it's practically obsessive. No, is our junior's heart even being properly conveyed?"
"..."
At Shati's words, Dokgo Yeon finally realized what they were trying to discuss. She cleared her throat, "Ahem."
"Are you perhaps suggesting that your brother just now truly had romantic interest in me and was proposing a secret rendezvous?"
"Of course! I mean, I know there's a huge secret about your abilities and your home dimension, but after the Demon King himself coveted it and got soundly beaten, there's no way Kron would do the same thing! He's just smitten with you!"
"Ah— is, is that so?"
"......Huh?"
"......!"
"?!"
"Ha."
First, Rucell, then Mira.
After them, Shati, and finally Aire, all understood her meaning and their eyes widened.
She hadn't been oblivious to Kron's feelings.
No matter how dull she was, after several different men had consistently expressed their interest, it was time she realized she possessed her own charm.
She had merely pretended not to know, deliberately, because she was worried Ban Yuwon would mind if she showed interest in other men!
"...Wow, I just got goosebumps."
"She's a type I've never seen before. It's scary. Is this why Yuwon is most wary of her?"
"Kgh, she's already strong in combat, but being strong here too is just unfair...!"
As everyone else either gasped in admiration or groaned, only Asha, understanding nothing, tilted her head.
"What did she just say? I get that Dokgo Yeon is incredibly dense, but what else?"
"Queen, you still have a long way to go. Keep striving."
"I told you not to call me Queen!"
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