Under the warm candlelight, the Demon Lord's Royal Restaurant was bathed in a golden warmth.

The silver candlestick at the center of the table exuded an air of nobility and solemnity. The flickering flame at its top cast bright reflections on the surrounding utensils. Through the orange-red flame, the air took on a dreamy quality.

The dancing shadows of the candlelight projected onto the table surface. The white tablecloth with gold trim contrasted beautifully with the dark texture of the table, creating an atmosphere so cozy and beautiful that it seemed to make one forget all worries.

"Huberrian, did you see that? I successfully put a stop to the outrageous waste of food," Lanqi said to Huberrian, his words brimming with positivity.

"..."

Huberrian lowered her head, not daring to respond to Lanqi's comment or even make a sound.

She was worried that when the Goddess deducted Lanqi's virtue points, she might be implicated as well just for being nearby.

No matter what, having been raised as a human in human lands since childhood, she still wanted to remain human in her heart!

In the distance.

The restaurant manager, having dealt with the silver-haired demon who violated the restaurant's rules, walked briskly towards Lanqi with a concerned look.

A few seconds later.

"I sincerely apologize for the unpleasant dining experience you've had in our restaurant. We will do our utmost to provide you with satisfactory compensation," the manager said earnestly to Lanqi as he placed a warming demonic medicinal wine next to him.

"No... it's not your fault. Thank you very much," Lanqi said, his fingertips trembling slightly as he picked up the wine glass.

After taking a sip, his state, which had seemed as if he was struggling in a snowy field, finally eased.

He took a deep breath and looked at the manager again:

"Mr. Manager, may I ask if the dishes that the silver-haired customer had ordered earlier, but which weren't served in the end, are now available? And would it be possible for us to order some new dishes?"

Lanqi hadn't seen those two limited-edition dishes on the silver-haired demon's table earlier.

Evidently, the silver-haired demon had ordered them first but intended to enjoy them as the final courses.

"Of course, that's possible," the manager replied, slightly inclining his body and nodding to Lanqi.

"Then, these two," Lanqi said, opening the menu and showing the manager the pages for those two limited-edition dishes.

"Certainly, and as per our restaurant's custom, we still need to offer you compensation," the manager said, taking the menu from Lanqi's hand and bowing slightly to both of them.

Lanqi looked at the manager, hesitated for a moment, and then sighed.

"I don't think you bear any responsibility. If anyone is at fault, it should be that fellow who recklessly wasted food and failed to appreciate the exquisite dishes that the chefs put their hearts into preparing," Lanqi said, his words filled with both regret and resignation as he looked at the silver-haired demon's corpse.

If you come across this story on Amazon, it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.

"The matter of compensation shouldn't be your burden to bear. This is a restaurant that I find extremely satisfactory. I like it and hope it can continue to operate even better. That's all."

"..."

Hearing this, the manager fell silent for a moment before nodding in gratitude once again.

Lanqi's words made him feel pleased and incredibly comfortable, instilling a sense of pride and satisfaction.

As a restaurant that prioritized service quality and strictly adhered to the highest standards, they naturally harbored some anger and dissatisfaction towards overly picky customers, or those like the silver-haired demon who looked down on their efforts with an air of superiority.

In contrast to the silver-haired demon, customers like Lanqi, who understood the preciousness of food and even approached their dishes with appreciation and gratitude, presented a stark difference.

"However, every grievance has its source, and every debt has its debtor. If possible, could you hand over that fellow's remains to me for disposal? I'd like to personally bury him and offer a requiem for his soul," Lanqi said, looking at the motionless body of the silver-haired demon on the ground.

What Lanqi truly wanted were the gold coins that would drop from this silver-haired demon.

This hidden monster might have some treasures on him, as well as a large number of credit coins.

"Certainly, I'll take care of packaging it for you," the restaurant manager said, having already noticed the Music Department badge on Lanqi's chest and quickly understanding his intention.

He knew that the Music Department had some forbidden necromantic magic, and clearly, this silver-haired demon would make for good material.

If it was just this request, the restaurant manager was more than happy to oblige, and having a teacher willing to take the corpse off their hands would save them some work as well.

"Sir, we will do our utmost to provide you with the best service during your meal. We hope you will have a satisfactory experience," the manager bowed to Lanqi before stepping away.

...

The time that followed seemed to flow particularly slowly and peacefully.

In the restaurant, soft music played in the background, occasionally punctuated by the crisp sound of silverware clinking. Accompanied by the faint aroma of dishes wafting from the distant kitchen, the atmosphere was left with only a sense of wonder and harmony.

"Let's eat and drink our fill first, then we'll go count the spoils of war," Lanqi said cheerfully, his fork reaching for the fresh vegetables before gently bringing a small piece to his mouth.

What flashed across his face was a genuine sense of satisfaction and happiness.

He had protected the restaurant's ingredients from being wasted, and in return, the restaurant rewarded him with a large corpse full of gold coins. He had done another great deed today.

"..."

Huberrian stole a glance at Lanqi, wanting to say something but unable to find the words.

"Lanqi, when we get back, let's go to the Goddess's temple together and pray," Huberrian said softly.

She felt that she needed to repent, and Lanqi needed to repent even more. The act of sacrificing virtue points couldn't be done too often.

Even if it was for her missing father, she needed to accumulate more virtue. Only then might the Goddess look favorably upon her.

Since childhood, Huberrian had heard that the Goddess loved all living beings equally. Even demons, as long as they harbored good intentions, would receive her guidance and redemption.

"No problem. Hiss, but this flag you're raising..." Lanqi suddenly realized the danger in Huberrian's words.

Often, when such promises are made, there's a chance they might not be able to return to the real world.

But Lanqi thought again: Could there really be such a good thing? Could he truly stay in the demon academy without having to go back?

Twelve hours was really too short.

How he wished he could truly spend a complete student life in this Inferno Corridor Academy.

"..."

Huberrian raised her eyes to observe the subtle changes in Lanqi's expression, feeling that his inner thoughts were unusually active.

But she couldn't understand.

She didn't know if this gap was because she didn't understand human hearts, or because she didn't understand demon hearts.

After spending a long time with Lanqi, this very new human, Huberrian often felt confused and even began to doubt herself.

She shook her head.

The virtue points had already been deducted.

At this point, it was better to just eat first.