As soon as the light faded from the summoning circle, I found myself in an unfamiliar place. People in black uniforms with white coats sat to my left and right, and below me were rows of others in similar black uniforms.
"What happened…? Where are we?" I asked.
No answer.
The dragon was definitely still with me—she was just hiding for some reason. That reason became clear the moment I used [Soulstess].
Every single person in the building possessed an immense magical energy core. Especially the ones seated beside me—some had cores as large as mine, or even larger. The ones below us had smaller cores, still greater than a normal human's, but not by much.
And those eyes… red and glowing.
Demons. All of them were definitely demons. The black and red aura surrounding them practically screamed it.
But that wasn't the most pressing issue.
Why was I—a human, well, a 'doll'—sitting here? And where was here, exactly?
As those thoughts swirled in my head, a voice drew my attention. Elegant and clear.
A red-haired man looking to be in his mid twenties walked up the stairs, speaking as he went. His features were flawless, like something out of a painting.
"As you all may know, I am the representative of this year's freshmen—and also your 'senior'..."
Laughter erupted at that last part, but quickly died down when he continued. Probably an inside joke I wasn't in on.
That confirmed it—this was an entrance ceremony.
"…As both, I'll do my absolute best." He reached the top of the stairs and walked past me. Our eyes met.
His magical energy core was no joke—equal in size to mine. And those eyes held no arrogance. Just the steady calm of someone who knew his worth.
He stopped in front of the railing, placing his hands on it. This time, his voice turned grave, as if he were announcing the end of the world.
"The Holy Infernal War that took place five thousand years ago devastated the demon realm. Our numbers dwindled, and our Lord sacrificed himself to grant us a fleeting era of peace."
The demon realm…
That confirmed it—I had been transported elsewhere. But what followed next held even more weight.
He gripped the railing tightly, anger burning in his gaze.
"But… Sky Rain is threatening that peace. As you all may have heard, they've declared a second Holy Infernal War. Their goal is nothing less than the total annihilation of our race."
The atmosphere shifted instantly. Fear and unease rippled through the crowd.
"But fear not," he continued. "We have the six great demon generals on our side… and those of us who are candidates for the next Demon Lord—including myself. I ask that no one here forget who they are. We are of the noble race. We are demons. Have pride in your bloodline."
A moment of silence.
Then—cheers. Applause. Whistles. The air grew electrified with resolve.
From where I sat, I guessed this was the main hall of an academy. The people below were likely students. The ones seated beside me were probably professors.
But why was I here—seated with the professors?
And why hadn't anyone said anything? I clearly didn't belong.
The red-haired representative spoke again.
"Before I close, I would like to introduce our newest Elemental Magic professor. Lucivar Velmorian."
All eyes turned to me.
Did I blow my cover?
No… that wasn't it.
"Professor Velmorian?" the representative said, looking directly at me.
I was Lucivar Velmorian…?
That made no sense.
Unless…
I remembered. The demon I killed. Could he have been Lucivar Velmorian?
Yes. That had to be it.
The summoning circle wasn't for me—it was meant for him. But I'd stepped in.
Did I… take his place?
"Professor?"
Every single eye was on me now.
I didn't know how the real Lucivar Velmorian would act, but for now—I had no choice.
Go with the flow.
I stood. A few surprised faces popped up—probably shocked by my absurd height. I cleared my throat.
"Yes. I am Lucivar Velmorian, the new professor teaching Elemental Magic," I said calmly. "Although I'm still inexperienced as a teacher, I will do my best and learn as I teach."
The representative gave a satisfied nod.
I sat down, greeting those beside me. Some returned the gesture with a smile, while others completely ignored me.
The representative continued shortly after.
"With that, I welcome you all to Helsguard Academy. I'll now be going over the academy rules…"
He explained the rules and officially closed the ceremony. The students left first, then the professors. A servant escorted me to the room prepared for me.
And now—I stood outside that very room.
"Sir, if you need anything else, please don't hesitate to call," the servant said with a bow. "Official classes start in a week. I'll be showing you around the academy tomorrow morning."
With that, he left.
I opened the door and locked it behind me.
A single bed sat beneath two large windows, overlooking a beautiful garden. A glistening glass teahouse stood at its center. A mirror with three drawers rested beside the bed, and across from it stood a closet.
Small, but not lacking in nobility.
Still, the room's elegance wasn't what I needed to focus on.
"Dragon! Hey, Ester—"
"NO!!!" The dragon shrieked, leaping from my bag onto the bed in a panic. "Human! I told you not to call me by that name! Just call me Luna!" she snapped.
'Still afraid of her name being used. What's so special about it?'
"So? How do we get out of here?"
"Why are you asking me?" she replied with a shrug.
"Tch. You're so useless. I guess you're a 'defective' one."
"Human, what did you just say?!" Her eyes flared. "How dare you insult a noble dragon like that?! If my mother heard this, she would—!"
And so, she went on and on about how her clan would execute me.
I ignored her.
Now wasn't the time to argue with a spoiled bratty dragon. One mistake could get me killed here. And that demon—Lucivar—he must've had friends… family. They'd see right through me if I wasn't careful.
None of this was going according to plan.
Everything had been going smoothly—and now this.
To make matters worse… my headache came back.
"Argh…!" I groaned, clutching my head. The pain this time was unbearable.
Why wasn't my trait [Oblivious] working?
Darkness consumed my vision.
"Human…!"
That was the last thing I heard.
The first time… I ever lost consciousness from one of these headaches.