"Let me guess?" Luo Wei looked at them with a playful smile. "What if I actually guess it right?"

If she guessed correctly, would these two hold a grudge and try to kill her?

Theodore said, "If you guess correctly, I'll grant you one request!"

Hol added, "I'll serve as your servant for seven days."

"You said it yourselves," Luo Wei's interest was piqued as she scrutinized the two of them. "Theodore, you're from the seaside, and today you're masking your scent with salted fish hanging on your body. You must be from a sea tribe, right?"

Theodore raised his chin proudly. "Who wouldn't guess that? There are so many sea tribes. You have to name exactly which one I belong to for it to count."

The smile on Luo Wei's lips grew wider. "Then I'll be direct. You're from the Kraken Sea Tribe."

Theodore's eyes bulged. "Y-you, how did you figure that out?"

Wasn't it obvious? With that dark complexion, he couldn't possibly be a mermaid.

But Luo Wei considered herself a polite person and decided to spare her classmate's feelings. "According to legend, there are seven major sea tribes: Sirens, Merfolk, Krakens, Gorgons, Vortex Beasts, Leviathans, and Jörmungandr Sea Serpents."

"Among these, only the first four tribes can transform into human form. Of these four, Krakens are the strongest, which matches your personality perfectly. So, I guessed you're a Kraken."

The more Theodore listened, the happier he became. He gave Luo Wei a "you have great taste" kind of look and said proudly, "That's right! I'm from the Kraken Sea Tribe!"

Luo Wei couldn't help but laugh. Most other demons would be secretive about their identities, some even resenting their parents and hating their origins for being non-human. Yet Theodore took immense pride in his heritage.

To be fair, the Kraken Sea Tribe was indeed powerful. They originated from the Northern Sea Kraken, possessing massive bodies and resilient tentacles, making them impervious to humans.

Back in the day, their ancestor Kraken didn't eat people one by one but devoured entire ships, swallowing both vessels and crew.

Books stated that the people of the Western Continent were hostile to these sea tribes because their ancestors had been eaten by them. To Luo Wei, this reasoning was entirely baseless.

It was obvious they feared the sea tribes' strength and wanted to eliminate them as threats, yet they blamed the ancestors of these tribes, who hadn't even gained sentience thousands of years ago.

The Kraken may have eaten people, but not nearly as many as the Western Continent's humans had eaten of their own kind. Thousands of years ago, during times of famine, humans would raid other tribes for food, consuming not only war prisoners and decayed corpses but even their own kin.

Moreover, humans on the Star of Galan had consumed plenty of sea tribe members.

Among the seven major sea tribes, aside from the Vortex Beasts, Leviathans, and Jörmungandr Sea Serpents that hadn't appeared for millennia, the other four tribes had been nearly wiped out by slaughter.

Merfolk were the first to suffer. With their beautiful appearances and large fishtails, they were captured and sent to the banquets of nobles and clergy. These people would admire the merfolk's beauty while flaying their bodies alive and eating their flesh raw.

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Believing that eating merfolk meat could enhance their beauty and prolong their lives, humans went on frenzied hunting expeditions, driving merfolk to extinction.

Next were the Sirens, bird-like creatures with human heads who shared a common ancestor with the Merfolk. Each Siren possessed unparalleled beauty and a heavenly voice. It was once fashionable for royalty and even bishops to keep a Siren for singing.

However, Sirens were proud by nature, and most of them starved to death in captivity.

Then there were the Gorgons, whose ancestors were said to be three beautiful snake-haired sisters, the most famous of whom was Medusa. Together, they were known as the Gorgon Sisters.

The Gorgons inherited their ancestors' beauty and snake-like hair. They often basked in the sun or fished in shallow waters, only to be ambushed by humans hiding among the rocks with nets.

Once captured, Gorgons would have their hair cut off and sent to the rich and powerful as trophies. Some were imprisoned in dark basements by wealthy merchants, and unable to bear the pain, they would end their lives by smashing their heads against walls.

Only the Krakens were spared, as their true forms were venomous giant octopuses—inedible, unattractive, and notoriously vengeful.

Kraken bodies grew larger with age, and the older they got, the bigger they became. If someone angered a young Kraken, it would complain to the elder of its tribe. When the elder Kraken intervened, a single tentacle could destroy half a city.

Such power was indeed overwhelming.

So, Theodore's arrogance at the academy was understandable. Despite being poor, he had a strong backing!

As Luo Wei pondered, she suddenly found it odd and asked Theodore, "Doesn't the Kraken Sea Tribe have its own inherited talents? Why are you at Siria Magic Academy?"

"Because I'm a half-demon," Theodore said nonchalantly. "I didn't inherit my mother's innate abilities, only my human father's magical talents."

Theodore then told a rather cliché story.

A noble youth went on a sea adventure, fell into the water, and was saved by an innocent Kraken maiden.

The youth not only didn't fear her but fell in love with her. He brought her back to land, claiming he wanted to marry her and start a family.

The two shared a sweet time together until the Kraken maiden became pregnant and gave birth to a human child without the Kraken's talents. Suddenly, the man revealed his true colors.

It turned out he never loved the Kraken maiden. He had only been with her to produce a young Kraken.

Kraken talents included devouring willpower and instilling fear in humans. The man had planned to take the young Kraken and raise it as a weapon to conquer territories and seize power.

When the Kraken maiden learned the truth, she was heartbroken. She slapped the noble's head clean off and returned to the sea with Theodore.

Humans didn't accept half-demons, but the Kraken tribe was much more tolerant. Theodore was the first new Kraken born in two hundred years, and the tribe adored him.

But the sea was full of dangers, including sea monsters. A young Kraken couldn't stay in its mother's arms forever, especially since his mother had found a new partner. He had to learn independence and grow stronger.

With no other choice, he came ashore to learn magic from humans.

"I heard Siria Magic Academy doesn't care about your background when admitting students, so here I am," Theodore said, spreading his hands.

"What a dramatic story!" Luo Wei and Gladys exclaimed simultaneously.

"What's so dramatic about it? Stories like this have played out hundreds of times among those brainless Merfolk," Theodore sneered, then urged, "Miss Luo Wei, quickly guess what kind of creature Hol is. I bet you can't figure it out!"

Hol, whom Theodore was silently criticizing as a "two-faced schemer," wore a simple and harmless smile, looking as innocent as ever.

Luo Wei rested her chin on her hand, studying Hol. "This... is actually quite hard to guess."

He liked smearing mud on himself. Could he be some kind of crocodile demon? Or maybe a warty hog demon?

No, basing it solely on this habit wouldn't work. Elephants, rhinos, and even dogs enjoyed wallowing in mud. This preference wasn't unique enough to pinpoint his species.

Hol coated himself in mud primarily to mask his scent.

Theodore had mentioned that a Paladin's nose was sharper than a dog's, capable of detecting scents that ordinary people couldn't. That's how Axina had been exposed.

So, what scent was Hol trying to mask?

Mud, rot, excrement, swamp?

"You can't guess, can you?" Theodore laughed loudly. "Those ten copper coins are mine! Hol, pay up!"

"""