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

Chapter 64: Lance's Upright Values

"Bakar, you could also simply guide us to the corridor where the restaurant is located. Then, you can go attend your class as usual. After the second period ends, come find us and continue guiding us. Whether it's a Difficulty 2 or Difficulty 3 classroom, I'll make sure you can get through it."

Lance looked at Bakar. His tone was calm, yet it couldn't conceal the spirited, confident aura coming off of him. Bakar was clearly reluctant to spend his precious credit coins. After all, for a student teetering on the edge of expulsion, every spare coin was invaluable.

Bakar hurriedly bowed to Lance out of a mix of gratitude and trepidation. "O-okay, sure."

When he had passed out in the music room earlier, this Radiant Demon hadn't tried to take those two credit coins of his. What Bakar feared most was being targeted or enslaved by a powerful, high rank demon. In this world, the weak were often nothing more than prey, yet his interactions with Lance, a truly powerful figure, had surprised him.

While this Radiant Demon was terrifying, his immense rationality revealed a reasonableness that seemed uncharacteristic of a demon. Demons possessing such qualities were often the highest-ranking and most fearsome of all.

On the same token, unless one actively provoked them, they wouldn't deign to target or torment a lowly demon. With that settled, Bakar fully slipped back into his role as a guide. Speaking respectfully, yet with an air of certainty, he began leading Lance and Hyperion toward their new destination.

About ten minutes passed, and the scenery before them gradually shifted. The grim teaching corridors gave way to an elegant, leisurely indoor environment. Upon entering the functional zones, the air in the hallway felt fresh, which was a stark contrast to the gloomy classroom corridors they had just left, making it feel like an entirely different world.

Here, the oppressive aura of the pitch-black abyss seemed less intense, replaced instead by a sense of pure tranquility.

Standing at the entrance to a brightly lit corridor, Bakar bowed to bid Lance farewell. There was a hint of relief in his voice, as if he had completed a grueling task. "This is the place. I'll come find you again during the next break."

"Alright, stay safe." Lance replied with a wave, watching as Bakar disappeared around the bend of the corridor.

Then, he and Hyperion walked together along the corridor that was bathed in a soft, dim crimson glow. Soon, they saw the restaurant, which was a venue that featured walls of floor-to-ceiling glass. The name itself seemed to promise an experience of aristocratic luxury.

[Time remaining: 9 hours 36 minutes]

[Challengers Lance & Hyperion are in Corridor S02: Demon King's Bestowed Restaurant.]

After passing through the revolving glass doors, they could see an interior defined by a high-quality, pure black aesthetic, yet it was also filled with unconventional, ingenious touches of creativity. For instance, a closer look at the tree branches and stones adorning the tables revealed them to be part of the tableware itself.

Expansive floor-to-ceiling windows framed the suspended scenery outside Purgatory Corridor Academy as a backdrop. Only here did the true nature of the school become apparent; it was a castle of corridors built atop Purgatory itself. As night fell, the starlight reflected upon the tabletops, creating an atmosphere that was both surreal and dreamlike in its beauty.

As the demon server guided them to their seats, she handed them a meticulously crafted manual bound in black leather. "Guests, please take a look at this first."

The cover featured a distinctive diamond pattern and the faint scent of leather, evoking the charm of an ancient era. Lance looked at the words that were arranged neatly and orderly across the cover. Several lines of foil-stamped elegant text were there, outlining the rules of the Demon King's Bestowed Restaurant.

Improper attire is prohibited within the restaurant.

Fighting, brawling, or causing disturbances is prohibited.

Pets, summoned beasts, and familiars are not permitted.

Skipping out on the bill is prohibited.

Insulting other patrons is prohibited.

Violators will be executed by the restaurant manager.

Should you suffer a poor experience due to another patron's violation of the rules, the restaurant will provide compensation.

Lance couldn't help but remark to Hyperion, who was beside him, "It really does have that Demon Kingdom style."

He had to admit that the practice of meting out immediate punishment for rule violations had fostered truly excellent etiquette and social norms within the Demon Kingdom.

Hyperion nodded. "Indeed."

She felt she was gradually adapting to the norms of the Demon Kingdom. This wasn’t because of the demonic blood flowing in her veins, but instead because she had been influenced by and rapidly adapted alongside Lance, who acted even more like a local than the native demons themselves.

The restaurant was bathed in soft light, and the air was filled with the rich, savory aroma of delicious food. Only a few scattered students occupied the corners of the restaurant. They sat quietly, heads bowed over menus or waiting patiently for their meals to arrive. Each person added a unique touch to the restaurant's atmosphere.

After Lance and Hyperion had spent some time looking over the menu, the demon waitress who had greeted them earlier approached again with an apologetic smile. She offered a sincere apology, showing clear respect for Lance, given his status as a teacher, "I am terribly sorry for the delay. We've been quite busy. I hope you'll forgive us."

"It's quite alright." Lance held an exquisite menu in his hands. His fingers traced lightly across the paper as his gaze swept over the text and illustrations, trying to grasp the characteristics and flavors of each dish.

Finally, he settled on a particular page. This restaurant fused Demon Kingdom aesthetics with ingredients native to Purgatory, creating an innovative style of demonic cuisine. He didn't recognize the specific names of the demonic ingredients, but at least the pictures gave him some hints.

There was a stat-boosting dish that looked like charcoal-grilled potato balls paired with smoked eel. The sauce appeared to be a blend of a smoked onion reduction and clear eel broth, finished with a drizzle of dill oil for a touch of freshness.

There was also a dark chocolate custard soufflé, and it was likely the signature dessert. The soufflé looked warm and airy, and it was paired with a crystalline custard sauce. The combination promised a delightful contrast of hot and cold, rich yet light. These two limited-edition dishes were must-haves, and they were priced at five credit coins each. Furthermore, they specialized in Hyperion's attack attributes, allowing her to reach Rank 4 combat capability by tonight.

With a powerhouse capable of rivaling the level of the Shadow Realm dimension at their disposal, they would have far more room to maneuver. Other dishes, delicious though they might be, offered no special effects and were far less expensive. They could simply order a few of those depending on the situation.

However, the demon waitress wore a troubled expression when she realized what he was interested in. Her melodious voice was tinged with undisguised regret, "Sir, those two items have already sold out for the day."

Lance frowned as a look of puzzlement crossed his face. "Are all the limited-edition dishes gone?"

This was the first break of the day. Had the limited items really sold out that quickly? What puzzled him even more was that, despite the restaurant's spacious and luxurious appearance, there were only a handful of customers, yet the waitress seemed incredibly busy.

The demon waitress nodded helplessly and explained to Lance, "They're gone. We're also running low on ingredients for the standard dishes. Right now, we only have..."

As she spoke, she carefully pointed out the remaining available options on the menu for him. Lance felt a sense of bewilderment. He glanced around the restaurant and then quickly spotted the source of the problem.

At a luxurious long table sat a rather striking demon. His silvery-white hair looked like it was dusted with starlight, and he exuded an air of aristocratic elegance and aloofness.

In that fleeting, almost imperceptible glance, Lance could sense the undisguised pickiness and dissatisfaction in his eyes. Restaurant staff bustled around him like ants bearing heavy burdens, constantly delivering exquisite dishes to his table.

However, that silver-haired demon would merely lower his head slightly, pick up a fork or spoon to take a bite or two, and then, with brow furrowed and an expression of utter displeasure, push the plate aside.

The food would then be immediately whisked away by the staff and dumped into the trash. The dishes he discarded had barely been tasted. The contrast between the staff's frantic activity and his disdainful pickiness was stark.

Every demon looked to the silver-haired demon for their next instructions, spinning frantically like mice on a wheel. Even the restaurant manager was compelled to approach his table, forced to endure his scathing critiques and accusations.

Lance silently observed his dining habits, looking somewhat displeased. The silver-haired demon quickly noticed his unblinking stare. He turned his head and locked eyes with Lance. His gaze was as piercing as shards of ice.

A hint of annoyance flickered in his eyes. He was clearly displeased by Lance's scrutiny. The corners of his mouth turned down into a stern, cold line, accompanied by a contemptuous snort.

His gaze swept over Lance and Hyperion as if he was appraising cheap merchandise with an expression filled with disdain. Then, he gestured for the nearby restaurant manager to come over. He said a single, nonchalant sentence, "I'll take every single high-end ingredient you have today."

The imperious air in his words was impossible to ignore, much like the aristocratic aura he exuded. Clearly, he intended to demonstrate the vast gulf in status between himself and them while simultaneously depriving them of the chance to enjoy fine cuisine.

It seemed that a single glance from Lance had prompted the silver-haired demon to decide that Lance and Hyperion would not be allowed to enjoy food of the same caliber as his own today.

However, Lance merely frowned slightly as he gazed at the silver-haired demon's long table, remaining silent.

Hyperion spoke softly, trying to ease his frustration, "Lance, let it go."

She was certain that the silver-haired student, who possessed an absurdly vast amount of credit coins, was someone not to be trifled with. Moreover, there was hardly any room for a physical confrontation in this kind of facility.

Lance's signature tactics, such as combining taunts with the Poet of Boundless Love, or using silence spells alongside other forms of manipulation, would not work here, given that the summoning of entities was prohibited.

Silence hung in the air. Finally, Lance appeared to heed Hyperion's advice. He shifted his attention away from the silver-haired demon's table and turned to look at Hyperion's face.

He finally intoned, "Conserving food and eliminating waste requires a collective effort. We ought to consciously uphold the virtues of being thrifty, foster the mindset that saving is honorable while wasting is shameful, step up publicity against waste, and strive to cultivate a social atmosphere of civilized dining and rational consumption."

As he was earnestly explaining these values to Hyperion, she stared at him suspiciously. She couldn't shake a certain feeling. While there was nothing inherently wrong with Lance's ideas, hearing them somehow made them sound like criminal jargon. After all, his understanding of virtues and the like was, to put it mildly, rather unique!

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