I Swear I'm Not a Demon Masquerading as a Human

Light shimmered across the glass walls, illuminating the mural with a soft, brilliant radiance. The entire examination hall, filled with a delicate fragrance, was serene under the rippling light. Lance felt a profound sense of relaxation once he exited the artificial Shadow Realm and returned to the indoor space. The contrast between the two environments made it feel like it had been a lifetime ago since he had left.

He shifted his gaze from the stretcher outside the hall back to Hyperion, the only classmate he knew.

"Hyp—" Lance was in the middle of greeting her when he suddenly froze. For some reason, the atmosphere in the atrium was far from harmonious. Originally, he had imagined a scene where everyone calmly discussed the exam, whiling away their morning leisure time before sincerely wishing the next group of candidates, potential future classmates, good luck.

However, that was clearly not the case now. In the center of the hall, a palpable tension crackled between Hyperion and another examinee, a young woman with light blonde hair and an equally distinguished air. They were clearly about to clash.

Had Lance's arrival not drawn everyone's attention, it was entirely possible that Hyperion and that noblewoman would have disregarded the rules and come to blows the very next moment.

The two young women seemed to know each other, and the blonde girl clearly harbored deep hostility toward Hyperion. While the other two candidates in the second group didn't openly confront the young would-be duchess, the looks they cast her way were filled with undisguised wariness, as if she were the walking plague itself.

After today's grueling, high-stakes exam, Lance had gathered that his teammate Hyperion was likely a prominent figure in the capital... And a walking magnet for hostility.

In his view, she was a perfectly decent person, so why did she have so many enemies? Lance scratched his head in confusion. He couldn't fathom why the capital's noble circles were so rife with animosity.

"Hey everyone, let's remember that friendship comes first..." Lance spoke up, trying his best to smooth things over. A harmonious atmosphere was important, and he truly hoped everyone could get along and enjoy each other's company.

After all, even Ferrat, who had been so infuriated earlier, was able to reconcile with Lance. In a world filled with love, nothing was impossible.

Once Lance appeared, Hyperion lost interest in continuing the pointless quarrel. She shook her head and cast a cold, stern glance at the noble young lady. "Your Highness Vivian, if you wish to be taught a lesson in the arena after we've all enrolled, I'll be waiting for you."

She then walked away without waiting for a response, heading toward the waiting area. Lance was already there, waiting for Instructor Theresa to return to give them the post-exam instructions.

Only when Hyperion had come to a stop near Lance did he lower his voice and say to her in astonishment, "Good grief, you're truly fearless to treat a princess so casually."

Vivian was undoubtedly a princess of the Kingdom of Hutton! Furthermore, she was a royal who was quite skilled herself, given that she was scheduled to take the test right after their group.

Hyperion's own family background must also be impressive since she dared to snap at Vivian with such reckless abandon. Judging by the size of her guts alone, she certainly couldn't belong to a minor noble house. The capital was truly something. Big shots could be encountered anywhere. It certainly made things thrilling.

Hyperion didn't quite know how to respond to Lance's remark. You treat me, a duke's daughter, with such casual flippancy, yet you actually know that one ought to show respect to high-ranking nobility?

Regardless, she didn't dislike Lance's attitude. The very people who had shown her flattering deference when all was well with her family were the quickest to spew vitriol once House Aransar looked shaky. In contrast, his sincerity, treating everyone equally regardless of status, was something she found rare and refreshing.

Even after that brief prelude, Instructor Theresa had yet to return. Princess Vivian stood a short distance away, staring at Hyperion and Lance with a glint of irritation in her eyes. After a long silence, the princess finally spoke, her tone carrying a distinct air of haughty condescension, "You're Lance Wilford, right?"

She snippily continued, "I don't know how your team managed to defeat Ferrat Chavenson, but it was surely due to your abilities."

Clearly, Hyperion could never have defeated Ferrat on her own. Vivian had known Hyperion since childhood and knew her all too well. She had expected Hyperion to leave the artificial Shadow Realm today filled with resentment. Instead, it was the examiner, Ferrat, who ended up being carried out.

That meant the "elegant young man with black hair and green eyes" who was rumored to have speed-run The Hidden Flame of Winter must have pulled off another stunt that left everyone dumbfounded.

"It wasn't a solo victory; it was the result of teamwork," Lance answered modestly as he bowed slightly towards Vivian.

Hyperion simply stood silently without denying it. Although she knew Lance was being humble, she saw no reason to reveal any further details.

Vivian found it difficult to remain aggressive after receiving his polite response. "...I see."

Although Lance might have cleared the second test through a mix of luck and performance, successfully completing the third test that was set at a very high difficulty level, proved that he had some genuine ability. A young composed and reserved man like him was a Shadow Realm challenger to be reckoned with. There was no need to bully or antagonize such a talent from her own kingdom.

"Let me give you a piece of advice: stay away from Lady Hyperion Aransar in the future. Don't let her beauty bewitch you." Vivian glanced at Hyperion as she spoke, though her words were clearly intended for Lance.

Lance tilted his head in confusion. He felt that Vivian was under some sort of misunderstanding. The examiner, Ferrat, had seemed to harbor the same misconception. Did they all find the idea of him helping Hyperion so inconceivable? He had simply wanted to pass the exam.

It didn't matter, however. Lance had a lingering sense that Vivian's attitude toward Hyperion wasn't one of pure malice, like the kind Ferrat had. Instead, it was rather something complex and hard to put into words.

He bowed to Vivian once more, then remarked with a gentle smile, "Your Highness. So, in your eyes, Miss Hyperion is very beautiful."

Hyperion glanced at Lance, looking somewhat uncomfortable, while Vivian's composure visibly cracked.

"No!" denied the princess, sounding a bit agitated.

Hyperion also wanted to end this topic quickly, so she interjected firmly, "There is no possibility of the two of us reconciling. You're wasting your time in trying to smooth things over."

Hearing this, Lance looked at Hyperion and let out an "Oh," as if he had suddenly understood something. He smiled gently at Vivian again, paraphrasing Hyperion's words as if he was acting as her translator, "Your Highness, it seems Miss Hyperion has actually considered the idea of reconciling with you after all."

"No!!" Hyperion denied it vehemently, and it was a rare display of such strong emotion from her.

Upon hearing this, Vivian, whose composure had already been shaken, seemed to deflate. She pursed her lips and looked away. Lance maintained his gentle smile, seemingly waiting for the two of them to speak again so he could convey their thoughts. However, neither Hyperion nor Vivian said another word.

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