Volume 3, Chapter 2-1 – The Dignity of a Master

Stella blinked.

She suspected that her Mia essence had not only made her lay an egg, but had even corroded her hearing.

“Demolishing… the training arena?”

She repeated the words.

Lainia, who was usually meek and timid and only ever showed killing intent while washing dishes?

A novice nun who had once been knocked flat with a single punch by a Blackthorn Guard Captain?

“To be precise, she’s demolishing it right now.”

Remedios took out another notebook and pulled out another pen.

Write, write, write.

“I don’t know what kind of brew she’s been secretly drinking lately, but it’s like she mutated. Her appetite has tripled, and every day she’s either eating in the cafeteria or camping out in the training arena, doing nothing but torturing herself. If I hadn’t kept putting money on your meal card, she would’ve starved to death ages ago.”

The corner of Stella’s eye twitched.

Lainia really could eat as much as ever.

As for the changes in her…

What brew?

Judging from Remedios’s description, it was most likely the high-level secret art recorded in The Asrita Scripture, Heart of Holy Light.

According to the Scripture, this secret art could use highly pure Holy Light to envelop the blood vessels around the heart, forcibly accelerating blood circulation like a pressure pump.

Even under extreme conditions such as oxygen deprivation, blood loss, or being on the verge of death, as long as the heart was still beating, the Holy Light could continuously squeeze out physical strength. If one possessed sufficient divine energy, it could even provide uninterrupted Holy Healing.

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But…

Hadn’t she given Lainia the Heart of Holy Light to save her life?

“She just got stronger.” Stella pursed her lips. “What’s there to make such a fuss about? As my… property, being stronger is still better than getting poked to death with one finger.”

“If she’d only gotten stronger, I wouldn’t even bother.”

Remedios shrugged.

“The problem is, your human slave’s mentality lately seems to have gotten a little… carried away.”

“Let me put it this way. She planted a sign right in the middle of the training arena. It says, ‘Human slave here. Demons are all trash mobs. Come fight me if you disagree.’”

Stella: “…”

“As of this morning, she’s already sent thirteen little succubi to the infirmary. Two of them were even flame demon hybrids famous for their thick hides and sturdy bodies.”

Stella opened her mouth, but no sound came out.

She felt as though something in her brain had snapped.

“Normally, the faculty would turn a blind eye to something like this. After all, even when beating a dog, you have to consider its master. You’re the Valentine heir and Principal Gehenna’s ‘model’ disciple. As long as nobody dies, no one’s going to come looking for trouble with you over a few little students.”

Remedios closed her notebook, and her tone suddenly became subtle.

“But two days ago, a new faculty member arrived at the school.”

“Who?”

“A higher demon from the Samael family named Lavinia. She was part of the Nexus Council investigation team some time ago. Since they failed to uncover any clues about the Ash Drinker, they deliberately left her behind as the school’s new Administrator to keep watch over the school. Now our poor Phil, who’s always carrying around that feather duster, has basically been stripped of her authority.”

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“So?”

“Demons from the Samael family are famously hostile toward humans.” Remedios paused and glanced at Stella’s gradually stiffening expression. “And as a higher demon, her strength is far beyond that of ordinary students… you know, in the Abyss’ hierarchy, higher demons are second only to Archdemons. They already count as major powers in their own right. No matter how good Lainia is at fighting, she can’t possibly win.”

A demon from the Samael family.

A higher demon.

Taking action.

Those three phrases instantly combined into a terrifying equation inside Stella’s head.

Lainia beats students down = enormous medical bills.

Samael demon takes action = Lainia gets beaten to death = loss of valuable property.

Or Lainia injures a faculty member = school accident = enormous compensation payments.

No matter which outcome occurred, they all ultimately pointed toward the exact same conclusion…

‘They are going to make me pay!!!’

Stella instantly threw off the blanket and jumped out of bed barefoot.

After sleeping for an entire month, her interwoven silver and crimson hair had grown to a ridiculous length, its ends almost brushing the carpet.

She casually grabbed the purple velvet hair tie lying beside the bed and held it between her teeth. Facing the mirror, she quickly gathered her long hair behind her head with both hands.

Remedios sat in the chair with her cheek propped on one hand, her azure gaze sliding from Stella’s pale neck to the high ponytail she had tied up.

“Dorothy and I have made a bit of new progress lately in our research on the Mirror Realm,” Miss Book Demon said casually. “Once you finish cleaning up this mess, remember to come by the Lionheart Society clubroom.”

As she spoke, Remedios stood up and pulled the curtains open a little, letting some light into the room.

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“What progress?”

Stella was buttoning the collar of her shirt and instinctively looked back.

“Secret.” Remedios raised one finger to her lips. “Consider it a surprise for you. See you later.”

Stella rolled her eyes.

What kind of relationship did she and Remedios have? Why were the two of them playing at all this mysterious nonsense?

She draped her coat over her shoulders, pushed open the door, and rushed out.

The wind howled through the corridor.

Stella was surprised to discover that her stamina seemed far greater than before.

Even while running at full speed, her breathing remained as steady as though she were merely taking a stroll.

So light, yet so solid. Not even two fine steeds would have been able to catch her.

And so, she ran like a whirlwind.

That was probably one of the only two pieces of good news.

The other piece of good news was that she had not gone bankrupt yet.

But when Stella sprinted all the way to the edge of the training arena in a single breath, that second piece of good news was already hanging by a thread.

The sight before her could only be described as a disaster zone.

The once-flat granite floor looked as though it had been plowed over, with spiderweb-like cracks spreading everywhere and chunks of broken stone scattered across the ground.

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Residual magical power and dust that had yet to disperse still hung in the air.

Several stretchers hurried past her. The demon students lying on them were either unconscious or clutching broken arms and wailing, unable to get out even a complete sentence.

Stella stopped and swept her gaze over the stretchers.

One, two, three…

Every time she counted another one, her heart spasmed.

How much was this going to cost?

Lilith School’s medical fees were priced by the second, with rates so predatory they might as well have been robbery.

Could it be that she had only just inherited the Valentine estate and had not even gotten the chance to take a look at that mansion on Nightmare Street, yet she was already going to have to shamelessly write to that bargain-bin mother of hers and ask for money?

Stella clutched her chest.

When the wind blew against her, her entire body felt icy cold, from the bottom of her heart all the way to the soles of her feet.

‘…That’s all cold, hard cash!!!’

Translator Note

ngl I should add the poor protagonist tag for this novel. All Stella thinking about is just money and money TvT