"Courage is commendable... In the last five hundred years, Hell has experienced a talent drain, and the Demon King Academy in Demon City has essentially become a place for the scions of Hell's nobility to gild their names. Disappointing and lamentable! Who would have thought the most courageous of all would be a human! Of course, I'm not implying humans are incapable; all servants of the Demon God should be treated as equals."

It seems even a Demigod can't escape political correctness.

Feeling a sour twinge in his heart, Luo Yan thought, 'So much for so-called power.'

Reining in his exaggerated demeanor, he continued in a seemingly sincere and honest manner,

"Sir, you flatter me too much! Just as you said, all servants of the Demon God are equal... Although I have only the strength of a bronze-tier, I too wish to contribute my strength to His Majesty the Demon God!"

This might seem contradictory to what he said earlier, but it actually isn't at all.

The Demon God encourages ambition, even famously saying, "A Demon King who doesn't wish to be a Demon God is no good Demon King."

Of course, repeating that phrase harmlessly is one thing, but to actually do it or to cry it out every day would be rather unwise.

Avin looked at the young human with approval, growing fonder of him the more he looked.

Back when he was alive, he had also been a human, and even at seventeen or eighteen, he was just your average Undead Mage... Although perhaps not as low as bronze-tier, but higher by two levels—silver or even gold—these details are not the point!

The point is, he had the heart to become a strong being!

By contrast, the Enchanting Demon sitting opposite him, despite having silver-tier strength, was whimpering like a little girl... Even if that might somewhat be a part of the Enchanting Demons' nature, he still felt it was disgraceful!

The Enchanting Demons of a thousand years ago were nothing like this!

With their eight-pack abs, they were beings even the Horror Demons feared, capable of bursting human knights clean off their mounts with their bare hands!

And now?

They're left with nothing but a little coquetry!

From that fellow, he couldn't see any ambition to become strong at all!

Today, all the Demons who had written letters, even if they ended up finding good jobs, secured cushy positions in sought-after departments, and lived a life free from worry and the danger of the front lines... As a teacher, he utterly despised them from the bottom of his heart!

Weaklings!

All so damn weak!

Tapping his cane on the floor, Avin looked at Luo Yan with a serious expression and said meaningfully,

"Young man, I'll remember you. After dinner, come to my office; I have something to give you... You can consider it a gift."

Having said that, the old Witch Demon clad in a grey robe, his beard white with age, floated away.

Egger looked at Luo Yan with an adoring face, practically idolizing him.

But Luo Yan couldn't be happy; instead, he felt a headache coming on.

It was somewhat uncomfortable.

He felt he might have boasted a bit too much...

All he wanted was to be a demon king far from Demon City, close to human cities, ready to flee at any sign of trouble, and even willing to offer himself to a female knight.

After all, he wasn't a true Undead, simply a less-than-proficient Undead Mage, no real threat to humans.

As long as the church on the surface didn't mind, he wouldn't hesitate to convert on the spot.

He hoped no troublesome issues would come looking for him...

Luo Yan seemingly prayed devoutly to the Demon God.

...

After dinner, with growing anxiety, Luo Yan went to the faculty building. He declined Professor Lillith's offer for extra lessons and headed straight to the principal's office at the top of the tower.

As he knocked and entered, the old Witch Demon was standing by the window, puffing on a curved pipe, the smoke above it shredding like the torn souls of ghosts.

For all he knew, that tobacco might have indeed been made from the souls of ghosts.

Looking at the old man who was worried about the future of Hell, Luo Yan bravely greeted him.

"Sir, I'm here."

Without turning around, Principal Avin said kindly,

"Come here, child."

Luo Yan obediently walked over.

"I'm glad you remember our agreement," Avin said, extinguishing his smoking pipe and tucking it away before turning to the window and speaking, "From this place, what do you see outside? Tell me."

Unsure what the old Witch Demon was getting at, Luo Yan tentatively replied,

"...The Demon King Academy?"

"And what else?"

"The canteen of the West Tower... Ugh, I mean, Demon City!"

"Look further! Don't you see it? This dusky dome, the inferior imitation moonlight, and the ceaseless gushing lava... By the Demon God, this is Hell! The place we've been languishing in for a thousand years!"

The old Witch Demon spoke with a mix of anger and disappointment,

Luo Yan couldn't help but think, 'Like anyone could have guessed,' but he couldn't afford to argue with this man and instead replied compliantly,

"Of course I see it... But me, living in comfort, I really don't have the right to speak these words."

Frankly, life here was tolerable.

Even with the lava constantly erupting, it hadn't burned him to death, had it?

But, these old monsters of a bygone era might have a different perspective.

Principal Avin gave him an approving look, seemingly pleased, and then turned his gaze back outside,

Staring out at that desolate but rich city, the old Witch Demon spoke as if in a dream,

"We've been dwelling underground for so long that our children think... we were born here."

Weren't they?

Luo Yan thought silently as the Witch Demon continued,

"A long, long time ago, things weren't like this. Back in the distant First Epoch, we weren't any different from the surface dwellers. We too lived on vast lands, had our own kingdoms, and worshiped our gods... Of course, since the Undead are averse to sunlight and Demons prefer the night, we usually nested in lightless valleys or caves."