How to Live the Life of a Demon Chapter 21 - No favor is given without expecting compensation (2)

 

The light that had been obscuring their vision faded away like a receding tide. After a while, a completely different landscape came into view.

 

A few students, including Lucius and Lennox, were standing in a space barely big enough to accommodate a single class.

 

‘It looks like the coordinates weren’t all the same,’ Lucius observed, scanning the faces of the students.

 

A demon wearing a pointed, deep purple hat welcomed the students. 

 

She was the witch in charge of the first Delta class.

 

“You’ve all worked hard to get here, my dears,” she said kindly, smiling warmly at the students.

 

Clap. Clap!

 

She then clapped her hands a few times to get their attention.

 

“Now, I’m sorry to start right away without a break, but our schedule is tight. This task is quite simple, and I believe you can handle it with your own strength.”

 

As she said, the task was indeed simple.

 

As Lucius had anticipated, they were in the Hens Zone, located to the east of the demon realm.

 

In the center of the Hens Zone was a massive sinkhole. 

 

It was said that falling into the sinkhole could lead one to the domain of the demons, although the exact appearance and principles maintaining it were unknown.

 

This belief led to several demons disappearing after throwing themselves into the sinkhole.

 

However, it was speculated that the increasing concentration of demonic energy was due to the corpses of the demons that had fallen into the sinkhole, causing the rocks of the Hens Zone to become demonized.

 

“Your task is to drive away the monsters here. They are relatively young and not very powerful, so if you can keep track of their movements, you should be able to complete the task easily.”

 

“Alright, that shouldn’t be too difficult.”

 

“I’ll be able to warm up after a long time.”

 

The students dispersed, each expressing their confidence.

 

Lucius summoned a flying plant, and Lennox also spread his wings and flew into the sky.

 

“It’s good here with all these rocks, the visibility is great,” Lennox remarked.

 

Lucius chuckled at his brief observation. 

 

“It’s more common than you think for natural elements that have absorbed disruptive magic to turn into monsters. They may not be very powerful, but if left unattended, their numbers can grow exponentially and become a nuisance.”

 

“I’ve heard of that. It’s recommended for lighter missions.”

 

Lucius nodded.

 

The vast Hens Zone appeared peaceful and serene, with the shadows of monsters being hard to find.

 

“It’s difficult to distinguish these monsters from natural objects. It’s meaningless to disrupt and destroy the surroundings in an attempt to catch them. You need to know how to distinguish between them and their surroundings. Got it?”

 

“Hmm.”

 

After hearing this, Lennox narrowed his eyes and observed the scenery closely.

 

Then suddenly he asked Lucius.

 

“Do you know how to detect them properly?”

 

“Of course. Because the dryads are a race that is more sensitive to nature than anyone else.”

 

Lennox nodded as if he understood. Lucius crossed his arms and assessed the situation.

 

Soon Lennox went down, lowering his altitude as if he had found a monster.

 

‘That’s fast. I thought you’d ask how to tell the difference.’

 

“I’m going to give it a shot.”

 

“Are you confident?”

 

Instead of answering, Lennox just nodded. Lucius decided to take a step back and watch Lennox.

 

Lennox, who accurately identified the monster, pulled out his sword and held it back. Then he plunged his sword vertically into what looked like a normal rock.

 

The sword covered in demonic energy was deeply embedded with a clear sound.

 

Crack!!

 

At the same time, a stone worm with a long body appeared.

 

Spark! Spark! Pak!

 

Sparks arose from the gap where the sword was inserted. Lennox frowned and pushed the magic energy between them in one go.

 

“Hmph!”

 

Crack!

 

Cracks began to form around the sword, and soon the rock the sword was stuck in shattered into pieces.

 

It was about the middle of the stone worm’s body.

 

“The stone worm’s weak spot is the seam between rocks…”

 

Lennox muttered in a low voice.

 

“But to completely remove it, you have to break the hardest head.”

 

It struggled, lashed its tail, and shook the ground, but each time he swung his sword, the stone worm’s body was cut off segment by segment.

 

Grrr!!

 

Whether it was a scream or anger, the Stone Worm roared enormously.

 

Lucius muttered softly as he looked at Lennox, who was about to jump high and make his final attack.

 

“You’re good at it.”

 

Lennox was a student with talent and sense who understood and put into practice even if he was told just one thing.

 

The stone worm’s head was completely broken, and its body became an ordinary rock and fell to the ground. Lennox sighed deeply and sharpened his sword.

 

Flutter.

 

Lucius found a small piece of paper falling among the Stone Worm’s corpse and took it with him.

 

It was the same item as the travel scroll he received in the auditorium.

 

He breathed magical energy into the scroll again.

 

Then, light rushed in and enveloped their bodies.

 

*** 

 

The next place they arrived was a place filled with the smell of book dust. Lucius slowly looked around, smelling the familiar smell of paper.

 

Endless bookshelves and neatly organized books.

 

A faint ray of light comes through the window.

 

He expected such a sight.

 

“Coo-coo.”

 

The demon in front of him groaned.

 

Lucius lightly touched his forehead.

 

The room was moderately spacious and round, and there were bookcases like a tower so that the ceiling could be seen in the distance.

 

There were also stairs and ladders installed along the walls.

 

It would have been fun to look at if it was packed with books, but the reality was not that easy.

 

“What is this?”

 

“Oh, are you the students from the academy? Ugh.”

 

The demon, who looked like an old man with a bent back, chuckled and stroked his chin. Then he brushed off the books that were buried in his body and approached Lucius.

 

“You’ve arrived just in time. Trying to sort things out with my old body never ends. I need you guys to help me.”

 

As he said, this place was a mess.

 

It was hard to find neatly placed books, and there were a few bookshelves that were worn out and had collapsed.

 

Lucius stared at the old man.

 

He’s not a simple librarian.

 

‘His skills are no joke.’

 

Lucius couldn’t find any gaps.

 

“Cluck cluck. What are you doing? Please help me quickly.”

 

The old man pushed their backs with his cane. Lucius picked up the book that had fallen at his feet.

 

‘This?’

 

“Wait a minute, Lennox. Don’t touch it.”

 

“…?”

 

Lennox, who was trying to pick up the book, stopped.

 

Lucius put down the book he had examined and picked up another one. Then he picked up another, and another.

 

‘It’s not just one. All the books here.’

 

“It’s a grimoire.”

 

“What do you mean, these are all grimoires?”

 

Lennox was astonished by his conclusion.

 

The grimoire itself had special powers and was managed through strict barriers and seals.

 

It was impossible to gauge where they were, but seeing so many spellbooks, he had a guess.

 

The Dimensional Library on the 6th floor of the Demon King’s underground labyrinth.

 

It was a place where entry was not possible except for very good reasons.

 

Then the old man in front of them was Bahamut, the great sage.

 

It was a demon known to predict the fate of the demon world.

 

‘Of course it is. But he submitted a request to the Academy?’

 

Lucius had only heard rumors and it was his first time meeting him.

 

Bahamut had an introverted nature and never met with other demons.

 

Bahamut laughed heartily and picked up a book.

 

“You have a good eye, young friend. That’s right. These are all grimoires.”

 

He straightened his hunched back and stretched out his hand to put a book on the bookshelf. Then he picked up another book.

 

“Can you help me with this first? This place is so old that the bookshelves have collapsed. The books are all messed up.”

 

“Is the request to organize all of these books?”

 

“That… hmm.”

 

Bahamut’s murky, blue eyes turned to Lucius.

 

His deep gaze curved as if he was looking into the deep sea.

 

‘It’s no one else, it’s Bahamut. You probably already knew I would be here.’

 

What kind of plan is this?

 

Lucius spoke in a hard voice, as if warning.

 

“Unfortunately, we don’t have much time. If it is not an official request, please fill out the correct request form through the academy.”

 

“Ay, kids these days aren’t fun.”

 

Bahamut, who was looking grumpy and dissatisfied, hit the cane that was supporting his body once on the floor.

 

And then he said it as if he was showing his trump card.

 

“If you help me organize the shelves, I’ll give you a book you want. What do you think? I don’t know about that dream demon, but this dryad seems very interested.”

 

“I’m grateful for that…”

 

This is definitely the Demon King’s library.

 

Although Bahamut was in charge of the library, permission from the Demon King was needed to take books.

 

And he’s trying to bribe him to keep his mouth shut with just one grimoire.

 

He didn’t even make him come all the way here just to organize the books.

 

Bahamut looked at the two’s expressions and soon smiled again and answered Lucius.

 

“Don’t worry about permission. I’ll put my name on it and make sure you don’t have trouble. Since I have everything planned out, how about giving me a chance to earn your trust?”

 

Lucius took a moment to weigh his request and the current situation.

 

And then he couldn’t help but nod his head.

 

“Alright. Let us help you.”

 

Since they moved quickly from the first location, there was plenty of time left.

 

Lennox shared a look with Lucius. And without saying a word, he picked up a grimoire.

 

Bahamut added as if he had forgotten.

 

“Ah, there are some grimoires that do not have a particularly good compatibility with dream demons, so be careful…”

 

“… ! Elder, that kind of thing…!”

 

Fizzle!

 

Just then, flames erupted from the grimoire that Lennox had picked up.

 

The gaping book had hideous teeth like the mouth of a monster.

 

Bahamut scratched his head in emptiness.

 

“Oh my, this friend has a short temper.”

 

***

 

Three days have passed since they started organizing the library.

 

Lucius looked at the somewhat organized bookshelf and nodded with satisfaction.

 

Then, using the vines he had summoned, he placed the books one by one on the upper bookshelf.

 

‘By the way.’

 

His gaze landed on Bahamut. After going on a rant about having an idea, he ended up saying nothing for three days.

 

‘For what purpose?’

 

Lennox, who was flying around sorting out books, looked at Lucius and said with dissatisfaction, “No matter how much I think about it, it’s a bit unfair.”

 

He is flying around and tidying things up with his own hands, while someone else is just sitting still and controlling the plants.

 

“It’s a racial trait, so it can’t be helped.”

 

“That’s right. Still, thanks to you, the cleanup was quick. We can finish it today.”

 

Lennox, who came down for a moment, flew up again with a bunch of grimoires in his arms.

 

The floor, which had been hidden from view due to the pile of books, began to slowly reveal itself. As Lennox said, it seemed like if they just organized it a little more, the work would be over in no time.

 

Lucius started to show signs of impatience.

 

“Elder. Shouldn’t you please let me know what the real request is?”

 

Bahamut, who was taking a break to catch his breath, stopped and averted his gaze in response to Lucius’ question.

 

“Hmm, that’s… Well, you see…”

 

Bahamut awkwardly chuckled, tapping his index finger. 

 

Lucius folded his arms, as if to say, “Go on, tell me.”

 

“The truth is, my granddaughter hid a drawing inside these grimoires. She said it’s a surprise gift for me. The reason the library is in such a mess is because I’ve been searching for it.”

 

“So?”

 

“I would appreciate it if you could find it for me. But I don’t really know which book it’s in. Perhaps the teleportation scroll you need is also hidden in one of the grimoires.”

 

So that’s it.

 

While his actions still didn’t make sense, at least now it seemed like he had a reason for asking them to pick up the grimoires. 

 

Given his nature, it was highly likely that he intentionally tucked the teleportation scroll into the spellbook to make them search for the drawing.

 

“Why didn’t you just tell us from the beginning?”

 

When he clicked his tongue, Bahamut pursed his lips.

 

“If I had told you from the start, wouldn’t you have just grabbed the scroll and run away? How could I clean up this mess on my own?”

 

“I see.”

 

The old man glanced at his calm response.

 

He held both of Lucius’s hands, looking up at him as if pleading, but Lucius didn’t flinch.

 

As Lucius stared at Bahamut, he spoke up.

 

“If the drawing is that precious… it seems like one grimoire won’t be enough. Don’t you think?”

 

Bahamut’s complexion turned ashen.