Episode 473. Practical Sparring (4)

• Boss. One cream waffle, please.

• Mom. When is Oppa’s sparring starting?

An internal commercial district has formed within the Academy.

Since there was quite a big event today, the number of people coming and going increased even more, and the commercial district bustled with energy.

Smiles bloomed for the shop owners who saw the peak season arrive as soon as the break ended, and customers using the commercial district were also delighted by the new experience.

“As expected, Rebecca is a capable woman. It’s tiring coming to a place with so many people after so long, but it’s not bad!”

“Mmm. It’s my first time inside the Academy too. Since Daeun is here, it’s definitely easier.”

“Yes, I’ll guide you.”

And then, five women were walking through the commercial district.

Nam Daeun, leading the way, guided the other women through the Academy.

The original purpose was to watch the sparring in the main hall, but Lee Hoyeon’s match was scheduled last.

It was crowded and complicated, and at Liliana’s suggestion that they should just eat something delicious rather than watch someone else’s sparring, they all came out to the commercial district.

“Since we went to the trouble of coming out, I want to do something fun. They said the viewers would find it really fun too.”

Liliana looked around the commercial district here and there, turning her head.

It had been a while since she last came into the Academy, so she felt excited.

“The chicken skewer shop Liliana-nim likes is over there.”

“Oh, as expected of a scout. Let’s go!”

“Unnie. Can I have chicken skewers too?”

“Yeah. Unnie will buy them for you.”

“Speaking of which, the Academy’s facilities are incredibly nice. It seems like it would make anyone want to study, whether it’s Baby’s Dad or Daeun.”

“They say it’s the best in the world. The Academy in France seemed like an ordinary university.”

Rebecca walked down the street, chatting while maintaining her barrier.

The people using the commercial district did not direct their gazes at Rebecca and the other women. It was thanks to her barrier.

Since she didn’t want to receive bothersome attention, she always used to cast Rune’s barrier when she came outside.

Pat-pat-pat.

Approaching the chicken skewer shop, Liliana confidently ordered chicken skewers.

“Mister. Give me some chicken skewers.”

“Ah, you’re a cadet. What flavor would you like?”

“Umm. Chef’s recommendation?”

“Certainly.”

“Mister. Two for us, please. Ah, Scarlet-ssi and Rebecca-ssi, would you like some?”

“I’m fine.”

“Give me one~.”

Rune’s barrier even included perception-lowering magic, so using the commercial district posed no problem.

Rebecca smiled, looking at Liliana and Nam Dahee holding chicken skewers in their mouths.

“Here you go. Rebecca-ssi.”

“Thanks.”

Rebecca received the chicken skewer that Nam Daeun handed over.

Will it feel like this when the baby is born later?

Sometimes they acted in ways she didn’t understand, but even that was cute.

“It would be nice if Baby’s Dad were here too. Right? Scarlet-yang.”

“He’s busy. It probably won’t be easy to meet him today, even after the sparring ends.”

It was natural that Lee Hoyeon was busy.

He was becoming increasingly famous, and was the top prospect even within the Academy.

The attention will likely continue even after the sparring ends. Perhaps it will be difficult to meet him today.

“Unexpectedly, living together seems like a disadvantage sometimes. He receives less attention when it matters.”

“I also think he should receive a little more attention.”

“Right? Well, we have a lot to do too, since we need to keep tabs on what Baby’s Dad is up to. It’s a shame, though. Right. How are things going with Irene-ssi?”

“We’ve been contacting each other often since that day. We agreed to share any information we find, but it seems there hasn’t been any progress yet.”

“Indeed. You can’t find it right away.”

Rebecca smiled contentedly, continuing her conversation with Scarlet.

It was because Liliana and Nam Dahee eating chicken skewers were cute.

Rebecca, who had been staring blankly at the two, suddenly felt something strange.

“Ugh, ughh….”

“Liliana?”

Liliana’s expression began to stiffen, as she was eating chicken skewers while making strange noises as usual.

Her pupils were trembling, and she was turning her head back and forth as if anxious.

Rebecca approached Liliana in a worried voice.

“Liliana, what’s wrong?”

“… It’s strange. The magic power is too, too dense….”

“Magic power…?”

Hearing the word “magic power,” Rebecca expanded Rune’s barrier widely.

And only then did she feel a strange flow.

People were walking in one direction, following the unknown magic power.

As if trying to escape this place, even the people who were just doing business walked towards the other side of the commercial district as if possessed by something.

“What is this? Just a moment… huh…?”

In the exact opposite direction of where the people were heading.

Black magic power was emanating from that place.

A man was standing in the middle of it.

Rebecca felt her body hair stand on end.

She had experienced the power of hell’s magic enough during her sparring with Lee Hoyeon.

… If it’s that strong, just what kind of power does it possess?

Rebecca swallowed, watching the approaching black magic power.

*

The Demon King’s first successor, Lucifer.

He walked through the Academy with a confident bearing.

To avoid troublesome matters, he didn’t forget to use his demonic eyes (Ma-an) to scatter the gazes of passersby.

It was a natural measure since Lucifer was an alien existence in the human world, but the absence of reverent gazes he received in the Underworld felt awkward.

“All the humans here are weak.”

Lucifer was wearing a neat black tuxedo.

The most dignified clothing among human attire was this black tuxedo. As the Demon King’s successor, he should naturally wear this.

• Oppa. Buy me that.

• Huh, huh? Ah, okay….

Although they were weak humans, sightseeing in the human world was not a bad entertainment.

Connecting the Underworld and the human world was a topic Lucifer was interested in.

At first, he planned to simply make it a colony, but… after the Demon King suddenly went into seclusion and he fell into the human world, his thoughts changed.

His own powerlessness felt in the Demon King’s castle.

There was an existence in the world that could block his demonic eyes.

Let’s put aside the magic power of the Demon King’s castle.

But a mere human blocking his demonic eyes?

Lucifer became interested in the human named Lee Hoyeon, whom Maestro had shown him.

But he didn’t know how to find Lee Hoyeon.

Currently, he is wandering without a plan, but if it takes too long, he’ll have to capture some passing humans.

“… Hmm?”

Lucifer, walking down the street, felt dense Underworld magic power.

There was a black pillar in one part of the Academy, so it was natural for Underworld magic to flow, but what he felt now was slightly different.

Magic power that seemed to have been artificially created by someone.

Underworld magic was spread throughout the Academy.

It was like the magic circles used by the mages of the Underworld.

“What are these suspicious things…? How is there magic in a place like this? Is there an Underworld mage I don’t know about?”

Lucifer smiled, as if he had discovered something interesting.

Someone was using Underworld magic.

Whoever it is, he would be able to obtain new information.

The more interesting things there were, the more his enjoyment increased.

Zzzing-.

Lucifer’s demonic eyes glowed red.

Lucifer’s demonic eyes, which could read everything, could even read the path he must take.

He had come to find the man named Lee Hoyeon, but he had found something just as interesting.

A little more. A little more.

Lucifer focused on sensing the Underworld magic.

The mysterious magic was enough to stimulate his curiosity.

And.

He finally found it.

“… Calliope?”

Different from the magic he was looking for, a completely unexpected gift.

He recognized the existence of a faint thread that he wouldn’t have felt if he hadn’t concentrated.

‘My sibling’s magic power… Is Liliana Calliope here?’

Lucifer followed the thread of magic power as if possessed by something.

Excitement, thrill, elation.

Various emotions heated Lucifer’s heart.

In his long life, he had never felt a feeling this wondrous.

Could it be? To find Calliope’s trace this quickly. It was an unexpected harvest.

His mood changed into magic power, rippling outwards.

Magic power to find Liliana Calliope a little faster.

Lucifer pushed away all the humans exposed to the magic power.

One by one, the surrounding humans disappeared, and Lucifer calmly followed the trail of magic.

And not long after, he found her.

“… Found you.”

Black hair and purple eyes.

Sharp eyes and a sharp expression.

You could tell even from a distance.

His sibling and sole rival.

It was Liliana Calliope.

Longing and nostalgia surged.

An era when war was commonplace. He recalled that time of fierce competition for the position of Demon King.

Thump. Thump.

Lucifer slowly walked.

There were many interfering humans beside Liliana, but he didn’t care.

As Lucifer’s emotions heightened, Underworld magic flowed outwards, and the other women, including Scarlet, couldn’t help but notice.

“Ugh, ughh….”

“… I’m sorry. Dahee.”

Thud-

As Lucifer got closer, Nam Dahee, who was inside Rune’s barrier, was also exposed to Lucifer’s magic power.

Nam Daeun infused magic power into Nam Dahee’s body, which was about to move with dazed eyes, and knocked her out briefly.

Hiding her younger sister behind her, Nam Daeun glared at Lucifer and quietly said.

“Do you happen to know him? … I don’t.”

“He is not an acquaintance of mine either. We should probably consider him an enemy.”

“Ugh, ugh… My head hurts. Scout. I’m having a bit of a hard time.”

“Liliana. Snap out of it. Argh. What is this now? If trouble like this happens every time we leave the house, I’ll have no choice but to be a housewife forever. Right?”

“… I know, right? I want to join as just a housewife too.”

“If it’s Scarlet, I’ll welcome you. Ah, I’ll take care of my kid, so don’t worry.”

“Yes. But we need to get out of the current situation.”

Scarlet glared at the man walking towards them.

A tall stature and a decent face. Even a gentle impression and aura.

Except for emanating an unsettling aura and murderous intent from his entire body, he wasn’t a bad man.

“Liliana Calliope. You were here. Do you know how long I’ve been looking for you? I have many questions. Why you suddenly disappeared. Why you are in the human world. Whether you haven’t given up the Demon King’s position yet. And… hmm?”

Lucifer scanned Liliana’s body with his demonic eyes.

Everything about her was the same as when she competed with him.

From her face to the magic power in her body, it was the same….

“… What is it?”

Lucifer frowned.

Since he hadn’t fully assimilated into the human world yet, there might have been a mistake.

Lucifer shone his demonic eyes once again.

But the result was the same.

The magic power filling her body was not Liliana Calliope’s own.

It was the magic power of the cunning queen, the Succubus Queen, often seen in the Demon King’s castle.

And that too, not ordinary magic power, but a strong seal.

“A seal…? Liliana Calliope. What happened? You wouldn’t not know about the seal on your body… What are you sealing?”

“W-what the fuck? These crazy bastards. Acting like they know again. Ugh, ughh….”

Liliana felt a fed-up feeling, even while enduring the headache.

She was sick of those hell-dwellers always talking in ways only they understand.

It felt like watching viewers who only made useless chat.

“Something is wrong. It’s fine. Since I needed to find the human named Lee Hoyeon anyway, you’ll be enough entertainment.”

Lucifer gathered the Underworld magic.

The one he is interested in is only one person.

Liliana.

The obstacles around her can be removed.

“I thought it wouldn’t be this time, but was it Baby’s Dad’s problem again? I don’t want to fight….”

“I will join too. Rebecca-nim.”

“… Me too.”

Rebecca, Scarlet, and Nam Daeun simultaneously assumed a battle stance.

They had no information about the opponent, but they could tell from the magic power they felt.

A storm of dark and ferocious magic power corrodes the air.

The cells in their bodies were screaming to run away.

Nam Daeun gulped down her saliva.

The upcoming sparring was already forgotten from Nam Daeun’s memory.

What’s important now is surviving the opponent before them.

‘… Hoyeon-ah. Can I do it?’

Even if I can’t, I must do it.

Nam Daeun drew her sword after a short prayer.