The young lady’s forename was Sophia, but naturally, Stephen was not in a position to address her by name — even though they were the same age.

The woman coughed slightly before squeaking out a single word: “Servant.”

‘Perverts.’

Stephen’s thought was without scorn. His tone was more apathetic, as if it were just an objective fact to him.

In his mind, the nobility had a perversion for delineating one’s status. It was nonsensical and inefficient — a practice from a previous era when powerful clans existed to combat the threat of demons.

That was the era of immortals and hermits, heroes and demons, gods and devils, constellations and the divine.

Things had changed in the present era. Free market capitalism was on the rise, publicly traded companies dominated commerce, and both bureaucratic as well as elected administrative authorities now existed. Alchemy, magic, and even worship were systematized.

Yet, the old ways had their own values. While Stephen felt the aristocracy should be abolished, the State wouldn’t wholly cut off a branch, even if it was dry and weak. It would simply prune the edges as needed.

Still, despite Stephen’s feelings towards nobility, his judgment remained clear. Under the scrutiny of Oracle, Sophia’s enunciation was unnatural — awkward even. Stephen listened to such details carefully.

Sophia shifted her weight, and Stephen could visualize it.

At the bottom of her freckled face, her slightly wetted lips twitched as they slowly formed a feigned grimace. She was holding her breath slightly. He could feel the hidden expectation almost bursting forth. Of course, this was relative to Stephen’s high level of perception.

“I’m going to ignore you.”

Despite the nature of Stephen’s words, his voice remained pleasant and measured.

Although Stephen didn’t interact with Sophia regularly, they had been acquainted with each other at the school for a few years now. Consequently, his treatment of Sophia followed previously established patterns.

“Excuse me?!”

Pretending it was an accident, Stephen spoke again with the same pleasant cadence, “Did I say that out loud? I must be more tired than I thought.”

Sophia’s mana pulsed, and with it, the temperature seemed to rise once more.

“P-peasant! How uncivilized… it is proper to turn and look at your betters, no?” she whispered harshly. He could almost feel her turning her head to see if anyone was watching. With a quick glance, he noticed that a smile hidden in the frown on her face.

Stephen sighed.

It was quiet enough that only Sophia could hear him. It was a habit he truly needed to control when interacting with others.

‘That should be enough.’

Seeing the emotional disturbance he had caused, Stephen took a self-proclaimed victory. Without further hesitation, he buried his meager pride.

First, Stephen donned a practiced smile. He followed it with a long, polite bow. The corners of his eyes scanned the room.

The classroom could accommodate over a hundred students, but fewer than a dozen were currently present. It was barely enough to attract some wandering stares. He ignored them and refocused his attention on the student before him.

“Much better—”

Sophia’s words faltered as their eyes met. As always, Stephen was mindful not to glance at the lady’s ears. They were a sensitive point.

Sophia’s maroon eyes, slightly darker than her shoulder-length red hair, shook under Stephen’s unmoving and focused gaze. Others flattered her for her beauty, so Stephen was obligated to follow suit.

Given that Sophia indeed possessed a beautiful and charmingly cute exterior, it wasn’t exactly a difficult task.

Yet, noticing how Sophia stiffened, Stephen held back his tongue that was about to sing well-articulated yet empty praise. The cogs of his mind turned.

‘Did I go too far? Is she in a bad mood today? Am I supposed to notice something new about her? Should I still find a compliment for her?’

Despite the continuous stream of internal questions, Stephen remained untroubled.

They continued to simply stare at each other. The brief moment felt prolonged, but seeing Sophia squirm, Stephen felt like he realized his mistake. While his bow and overall mannerisms were adequate, the tension he felt over the black sun made his gaze heavier than usual.

In fact, Stephen’s already sharp gaze was literally glowing due to the ‘Lux Oculus’ spell that was still in effect.

‘It must be because I’m too sexy,’ Stephen nodded to himself, ‘Yes, there is no other answer… at least the probability of such is very low. Good job, me.’

Stephen didn’t doubt this premise. Or rather, he couldn’t. As long as he gave himself a plausible answer, his mind would be satisfied, and he wouldn’t have to suffer the recoil of Oracle.

As such, he even praised himself for his own rationale.

‘Yup. None of these brats are as intelligent as we are, and naturally, they would never get the better of us.’

Sophia gave a light hiccup but remained silent. Her eyes wandered, meeting his gaze only to dart away before returning and repeating the cycle.

Stephen felt his own lips twitching in response. He hardened his expression before it worsened. Internally, he gave a self-deprecating laugh, yet his mind was silent.

It was wishful thinking, but he somewhat hoped the black sun was a sign. A demon lord would truly be easier to deal with than these students.

However, it didn’t do well to be complacent and let the mind wander. A perceived mistake in one’s conduct could lead to arbitrary consequences.

Stephen softened his gaze and did his best to appear as though he was giving Sophia his undivided attention. Sophia gulped a deep breath of air. Her freckled face was almost as red as her hair.

‘All these fuckers are crazy,’ he thought, maintaining his smile.

Despite acting like a little tyrant, the sheltered heiress of the Red Tower was secretly a massive masochist. Stephen had discovered this fact the previous year and had since used it to his advantage.

It was apparent that teasing Sophia in the right amount made her more docile. Of course, he couldn’t be overt about it because appearances still had to be maintained.

It was actually possible that someone would die if the truth ever came out — well, another one.

Stephen had navigated over countless bodies of his peers and sidestepped numerous possibilities of bad endings throughout his years of employment at the Academy. Despite this, just as he had discovered Sophia’s masochistic tendencies, he had amassed a wealth of information that he kept hidden away.

Stephen had long ago concluded that none of the aristocracy were normal. Perhaps none of the State's citizens were.

“How may this humble servant be of assistance to the beautiful Red Duchess?” Stephen asked, widening his smile.

“Hmph,” Sophia scoffed, as if the previous interaction hadn’t happened. “I’m not—”

“Everyone knows of your standing and how far you surpass your sisters.”

Even though Stephen cut her off, Sophia was evidently pleased. A potential crisis had been averted. Oblivious to his thoughts, she stood tall and puffed out her petite chest with unabashed pride.

The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

“It is only natural.”

It seemed Sophia wanted more compliments, but Stephen only gave a curt nod, waiting for her to get to the point. Perhaps an awkward silence would even cause her to leave him alone.

Stephen had important things to do, after all — like staring out the window.

“S-so… umm, what did you dream about last night?” Sophia twiddled her fingers while averting her eyes.

If Stephen hadn’t trained his facial muscles, his mouth would have been agape at the unexpected question. Still, even he couldn’t stop his lips from twitching slightly.

“Young miss?”

“Yes…”

“Class is about to start.”

“Oh, but—”

“If the young miss desires, we can discuss this at a more appropriate time.”

“You better not—”

“I won’t.”

“It’s not like I want to—”

“I understand, young miss.”

“I don’t think you do…” Sophia muttered to herself. She appeared giddy for a moment before she turned around, whereupon her face froze over instantly, as if an icy mask now clung to her skin.

Stephen held back a sigh of relief.

Usually, it wasn’t that easy. The arrogant brats of the academy had no hesitation in bothering Stephen even while the professors gave their lectures.

Although Stephen was officially recognized as part of the Academy’s security force, he was, in reality, there to satisfy and entertain the impulses of the entitled nobility.

If they said to bark, Stephen had to bark. If they wanted him to retrieve something, he had to go pick it up for them. Still, he did what was expected without complaint.

As Stephen was about to return his attention to the window, a large thud echoed out.

One student grabbed another by the collar of his uniform and slammed him to the ground. The assailant didn’t hesitate to get on top of his victim and smash his face several times.

Mirthful jeers, ecstatic claps, and goading praise erupted around the scuffle.

At the same time, Stephen caught the eye of the professor, who was hesitating at the doorway. Well, it was more like he pretended to be hesitating. The man acted timid, but his eyes belied his true nature.

They appeared to smile at Stephen.

Although Stephen had to attend to the students’ every beck and call, he also had to ensure they didn’t kill each other.

Stephen caught himself as he was about to let out a sigh. It wasn’t that the lives of the students particularly mattered, but the ramifications of such events would extend into the political arena. If a young scion were killed by another, prestige and status would be impacted, after all.

“Alexander.” Stephen's lethargic voice echoed through the lecture hall. Its chalkboard-scraping dryness seemed to halt the scuffle.

“What do you want, bitch?” The assailant’s fist stopped as he looked up. Through the young man’s messy blue hair, his gray-green eyes were filled with utter hatred.

“Try not to kill the Sage’s Disciple, but make sure you don’t lose, or else I’ll have to report this affair to the Headmaster.”

“My old man? Ha,” Alex said, then spat. It landed on the other student’s forehead, right between a pair of antlers jutting out from either side of his head.

Cervus was the disciple of one of the revered sages that resided in the country. That sage was also one of the few of his rank with military authority: the Sage General of Hammer Port.

Alex dismounted Cervus, who groaned audibly.

Stephen sighed as Alex approached. They had once been childhood friends, but numerous things had happened since then.

While Stephen had been denied entrance into the Academy, this battle junkie and delinquent had been admitted into the honors program without even needing to take the entrance exam, thanks to his adopted father.

And that was just the relatively recent summary of their estranged relationship.

“Clench your teeth.”

The loud blow caused silence to fill the room. The strike was clean, but Stephen didn’t even flinch.

Instead, it was Alex who rubbed his fist. While it was true the young man possessed a strong build, with muscles visible even through his uniform, he was a magic combatant like everyone else in Class A.

On the other hand, Stephen was a martial practitioner, so the hit barely stung.

Other nobles wouldn’t hesitate to use their magic on a lowly servant like Stephen, but Alex had an inferiority complex due to their past relationship.

Of course, that didn’t necessarily make it any less dangerous. There was even a time when Alex smacked the back of Stephen’s head with a metal bat.

“Bitch. Go get me a snack.” Alex threw a bunch of coins at Stephen, who was reminiscing. “As if I’d fucking lose.” He spat on the ground.

“Do you have a preference, young master?” Stephen smiled, his expression flawless without even the semblance of a twitch.

“Creepy bastard, just fuck off already.”

“Alright. I’ll come back with the usual.” Stephen bowed not only to Alex but also to the various delinquents in his group. Naturally, he had to provide refreshments for all of them.

As Stephen was exiting the room, a bombastic voice made him halt.

“Oii, me too!”

He nodded to the smiling woman. She hailed from the White Tower as the daughter of a powerful cardinal. While she was indeed a healer, her personality was completely fucked up.

“I’d like some booze!”

“I forgot my favorite pillow… don’t snoop around my room… Ugh, if you come across any magazines they belong to my roommate.”

“...”

The requests came one after another. Even Cervus, who had gotten up, asked Stephen to acquire some fresh herbs for him. It was as if the previous confrontation hadn’t even happened.

‘Perhaps I shouldn’t have gotten involved…’

Yet, surely these students would die in some random manner if Stephen ever became complacent, and that would impact his own life.

Once outside, Stephen began to sprint.

The Academic Island was huge, and if he wanted to make it back in a reasonable time, it would require some effort. There were public transport options, but he could pocket some extra cash if he used his own two feet.

Observing the dark sky, Stephen wondered if any of that would even matter.

‘It is important to train though… so it’s fine…’ Stephen rationalized his choice. He even laughed slightly. It was important to have a positive mindset. ‘But what if I actually come across some corpses…’

Stephen shook his head and tuned back into the broadcasts instead of letting his mind wander further. While nothing of immediate importance was mentioned, it did help pass the time.

***

And before Stephen knew it, he was climbing the stairway of the academic building, albeit covered in sweat after completing the errands.

Luckily, his gear included a pocket dimension, allowing him to store things instead of carrying them on his person.

Nonetheless, he slowed down, panting slightly as he caught his breath. Class A was just around the corner, and he didn’t want to return and get heckled just for appearing slightly disheveled.

As Stephen adjusted his clothes after casting a self-cleaning spell, his ears twitched at an unusual sound. It was like a crunch. It was a familiar sound — like a predator eating some prey.

Rather than speculate, Stephen swiftly and silently made a cautious approach towards the source of the sound. He stopped at the intersection in the hallway, peeking around the corner.

‘Well, that isn’t normal.’

Stephen watched a student gorge itself on the flesh of another student.

Oracle was silent.

After silently tapping his wrist, a pleasant voice echoed inside his head.

[Authenticating: Special Agent, Red Dog. Authentication approved. Combat form activating.]

Pieces of armor resembling black scales seemed to slither out from the multipurpose artifact, enveloping and reinforcing Stephen’s uniform. He ensured his gear was functioning properly before stepping into the open.

“It is against school policy to eat a fellow student,” Stephen said, unsure of what else to say in this situation. Although the words felt awkward, he was accustomed to such things.

The student didn’t respond and continued munching on its victim. Stephen held out his hand, and a spear materialized.

Stephen had non-lethal weapons in his arsenal, but after determining that the injured student couldn’t be saved and that the assailant was unresponsive, he decided that lethal measures were the best course of action.

The martial energy within Stephen swelled like a ceaseless wave. He dispersed it throughout his body, saturating his muscles. With his strength bolstered, he stepped forward and hurled the spear. Imbued with his energy, the spear shot forward like a massive bullet.

‘Pierce the air. Double the speed. Spin.’

However, just as the augmented spear was about to impale the student’s chest, a loud ding sounded in his mind. It was followed by a monotone voice.

World Notice: The System governing this world is now undergoing a reset. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Estimated time of completion: 3 days, 12 hours, 5 minutes, 42 seconds.

The spear vanished. The suit that covered Stephen’s body retracted. His reinforced strength dissipated, and even his eyes dulled as the internal energy in his body disappeared.

At the same time, the large male gorging on his peer turned towards Stephen. It was no longer human.

Nails were replaced with black claws, pulsating veins pushed out against its leathery gray skin, and sharp teeth were visible behind its bloody lips.

It almost seemed to smile at Stephen. Horrible swallowing noises emanated from its throat, but the auditory horror wasn’t over as a series of cracking and bubbling sounds emerged.

Under the creature’s uniform, the original skin began to melt away. Meanwhile, its bones elongated and hardened, jutting out of the disintegrating skin. Leathery gray muscle fibers then contorted and knotted themselves around these reinforced bones.

It was all inhuman — like a doll being remodeled, but the ingredients were flesh and blood.

“Well, fuck me.”