Under the gaze of their leader, Hyperion, the three Demon King's Army royal guards quickly returned to their cold, standby state.
Yet their meaning was unmistakable: if Hyperion gave the order, they would eliminate this warden in the cleanest, swiftest manner possible.
Cold sweat breaking out across her brow, Hyperion pulled her gaze away from the three.
All three were the type to "straighten out the workplace." Setting aside whatever reconditioning Lanqi had subjected them to, the creed of the Domination branch inherently valued capability above all else; the weak submitted to the strong, with zero regard for seniority.
Although Warden Corendan's words made Hyperion feel her demon blood stirring within, she was long accustomed to bottling up the vicious impulse to carve an enemy to ribbons deep inside her heart.
Resorting to violence here would only make things worse.
Her desire to live as a human did not mean she had to eradicate every demonic urge and instinct until she became hollow and desireless; rather, it meant conquering desire, even transcending it, becoming someone who held absolute mastery over it.
"What kind of attitude is that from you people?"
Warden Corendan looked up once more, studying the group in his office with an amused, scrutinizing squint.
Having dealt with criminals for years, he was adept at detecting malice from scoundrels.
If his eyes didn't deceive him, those students had actually been contemplating using force to bring him to heel just now.
As an esteemed Tier 6 warden, bolstered by the prison's barrier formations, there was no way on earth he could lose if it truly came down to a fight with these presumptuous students.
And should these youngsters dare to lift a finger, he guaranteed he would subject them to the harshest treatment imaginable, teaching them a lesson that would last a lifetime about whom to respect and where they stood.
"It seems you still haven't learned how to work around here. In that case, you have even less business getting easy tasks. Stop dawdling. Go do your jobs, and don't let me catch that attitude again."
Warden Corendan's voice grew considerably harsher.
With that, the warden lowered his head and resumed his work, clearly not intending to pay these students the slightest bit of attention no matter what else they said today.
With those words, he had made his stance bluntly evident: today, he had zero intention of showing any leniency, determined to make things as difficult for them as possible.
Such was authority; he held all the leverage to dictate terms to these intern guards.
He would have plenty of ways later to break these naive youngsters until they begged for forgiveness.
"..."
At this, Hyperion realized things had taken a turn for the worse—not just from the warden's hostility, but also because the chill radiating from behind her was spreading. The three Domination priests seemed to be growing even angrier.
Yet Hyperion did not give up.
She understood that under these circumstances, any reckless action would yield nothing good.
During the guard internship, a first physical infraction would merely receive a warning without disciplinary penalty.
In other words, the Domination priests had interpreted this to mean that each person had one free chance to resolve a dispute through physical violence.
Though Hyperion was also sorely tempted to take a yellow card and teach this warden a lesson, a second offense would result in a red card and immediate ejection. Having just entered the prison, it was better to save such a precious opportunity.
"Lord Warden Corendan, Chief Warden Bakas is currently in discussions with our headmaster, Mr. Luoqi McCarthy, at the Protos Royal Magic Academy," Hyperion said with a pleasant smile, laying out her thoughts with deep respect. "The few of us are students personally groomed by Headmaster Luoqi McCarthy. Our abilities are entirely dependable, and we are well suited for the most demanding tasks. Perhaps, for Headmaster Luoqi McCarthy's sake, you might show us a little consideration?"
"...What good is running your mouth going to do?"
A subtle, chilly detachment lingered in Warden Corendan's eyes.
Her words did nothing to soften the warden's demeanor. The more earnest Hyperion appeared, the more ridiculous he found her.
"Do you know what? Down here, even if Luoqi McCarthy himself came, he'd have to bring me two cartons of cigarettes."
Warden Corendan sneered, convinced that Hyperion's words were still challenging his authority.
"Not to mention you're merely his student, not his wife. Did you really think you were somebody special?"
These youngsters still didn't understand one basic fact.
In a place like Basement Level 1 of Herrom Prison, where everyone just drifted by waiting out the days, seniority mattered far more than capability.
Those with real ability had already gone down to the deeper levels.
Unless you managed to become a warden or even chief warden—and in that case, you wouldn't give Basement Level 1 a second look anyway.
First and foremost, showing him respect outweighed everything else. Don't even think about making empty promises or dropping big names to intimidate him.
"I am not your teacher, and I have no obligation to teach you social etiquette. But if you can't figure it out, then no matter how outstanding you were at the Protos Royal Magic Academy, it won't mean a damn thing."
Warden Corendan continued his taunts, his cadence deliberate and heavy. Every word underscored these youngsters' ignorance and arrogance, slicing through the intern guards' confidence like a sharp blade.
"..."
An evident flicker of embarrassment and fluster showed on Hyperion's face. Under Warden Corendan's relentless mockery, she strained to keep her mounting irritation in check.
Beyond the immediate pressure, the three Domination priests standing behind Hyperion could barely suppress their icy malice any longer.
The aura of the Resurrection Church stretched the office's atmosphere taut, as though it could explode at any moment.
Yet faced with this tension, the warden remained utterly fearless; if anything, he appeared even more entrenched. The corner of his mouth curled into a faint smirk devoid of warmth, laden with provocation and scorn.
It was as if he were daring them: *Go ahead, try laying a hand on me.*
Just as Hyperion sat on pins and needles, pressed to make a decision, she suddenly noticed the black-haired, green-eyed Poet of Great Love beside her stir.
It seemed Warden Corendan had just triggered a keyword.
After Warden Corendan blurted out the name Luoqi McCarthy, the Poet of Great Love beside Hyperion resembled a student who had daydreamed through class until the teacher called on him. She slowly snapped back to her senses and began focusing her attention on the man who had spoken his name.
Before long, the Poet of Great Love blinked and looked around in bewilderment, like waking from a dream.
Her expression was completely innocent, untarnished by loss of that natural wonder and curiosity toward the world, forming a stark contrast with the fraught atmosphere around them.
She gazed at Warden Corendan, looking puzzled, as if wondering whether he had just said something about "social etiquette."
The Poet of Great Love turned toward Hyperion.
Catching Hyperion's distressed expression, her eyes instantly brightened, having roughly grasped the rules of this floor.
Immediately, she looked back at Hyperion with burning eagerness. Even though the mask concealed her mouth, the smile in her eyes was unmistakable, wordlessly reassuring Hyperion—*If it's a "social accident" he wants, let's give him one! Rest easy, Hyperion!*
Chapter 395