Lanqi's Employment

Not until the most agonizing two minutes in the history of the Demon King's Bestowed Theater finally came to an end did Lanqi and the Poet of Great Love conclude their performance. Upon the stage, everything returned to calm. With a sly, dazzling smile, the Poet of Great Love glanced back at Lanqi before melting back into him, thoroughly contented. Beneath the stage, however, the nuclear fusion of hellish sound had already reached completion, seemingly unable to ever stop. Lanqi rose from the piano and stepped to the center of the stage. Bathed in the spotlight, his figure appeared solitary and transcendent, the air around him still carrying the lingering traces of that shocking performance. Amidst the echoing remnants of the music and song, Lanqi slowly raised his hand, bowed his head, and gave a deep, formal bow toward the auditorium. It was an artist's bow, filled with sincerity and gratitude. "Thank you to my fellow students and the esteemed mentor judges for your appreciation." A fresh wave of shrieks and wails roared back at him in response. ... "Stop it, Lanqi... Turn back now, and you might still keep your status as a human..." Hyperion buried her face in her hands, slumping against the hard back of her seat like a storm-battered ship finally making landfall. Her voice was utterly exhausted, her soul feeling as though it had endured endless torture. The sheer length of that performance still left lingering dread in her heart. Had she not possessed prior experience and preparation for dealing with the Poet of Great Love, guarding her mind well in advance, she too would likely have fallen into this inescapable closed loop! Meanwhile, at the side of the stage... The Music Department Director, whose silver hair had previously been combed neatly into place as he presided over the event, now looked utterly disheveled, as if he had just emerged from a hurricane. His face was deathly pale from having witnessed an absolute catastrophe. Down below, the four music mentors and the demon students were either sprawled across their chairs convulsing or screaming their lungs out in shrill agony. Their faces were twisted, completely mad, trapped deep in a hell from which they could not escape. At this moment, within the Demon King's Bestowed Theater, aside from Lanqi, only the Music Department Director—who held the highest tier and possessed the academy's strongest resistance to musical magic—could remain standing. "Sir, are you all right?" Seeing the director's state, Lanqi hurried forward, intending to support him. "I'm fine... There's nothing wrong with me." The Music Department Director pushed Lanqi's hand away. Though his voice trembled slightly, his attitude remained resolute. As the head of the Music Department, if he couldn't even withstand a student's performance, he would become an utter laughingstock before the great nobles of the Demon Realm! Sensing the director's stubborn pride, Lanqi nodded understandingly. "In that case, how many mentors' approval did I earn this time?" Lanqi glanced down at the four music mentors who were currently out of their minds, then turned back to the director, inquiring with utmost sincerity. "..." The director gritted his teeth, his gaze darting between Lanqi's face and the four mentors below. For a long time, he was rendered speechless, his expression gradually growing exceedingly conflicted. "According to the oath the four mentors swore to His Majesty the Demon King before this public performance... you are bound to receive the approval of all four." The director finally admitted as much, drawing out four credit coins and placing them into Lanqi's hand. His voice sounded rather hoarse, tinged with a reluctant resignation. No matter what, even though that performance—worthy of being etched into the annals of Demon Realm music—had contained a certain degree of staging mishap, its entertainment value was virtually unprecedented. It was guaranteed to win rave reviews from the nobles of the Demon Realm. It was just a bit hard on the students and teachers. "Hand me your student ID," the director added. Since he stood here presiding over a grand public performance before the nobility and had made a promise, he would not renege on it. Hearing this, Lanqi rummaged through his pockets and quickly produced a black metal card, handing it over to the director. Soon after, the director temporarily left the stage, disappearing through a door at the side of the theater to parts unknown. About ten minutes later, when the director reappeared at the theater door, in addition to Lanqi's original student ID, he held an exquisite small nameplate and a card that shimmered with a silvery-white luster. "The nameplate identifies your faculty status in the Music Department, while this teacher's ID functions similarly to a student card, though its primary use is for collecting your salary. From now on, you are an instructor in our Music Department." The director handed over the rewards as promised. After officially inducting Lanqi as an employee of their department, his tone softened noticeably. A genius at creating showmanship like Lanqi might actually be an exceptional fit for their department. In fact, it was hard to say how much potential he possessed to become a great demon in his own right. Lanqi took the teacher's card and the nameplate forged from black metal. Along its outer edge was a fretwork pattern of musical notes, with a line of golden text embedded in the center that read: *Lanqi, Music Department Instructor*. "Do I have any teaching assignments?" Lanqi asked, admiring his new faculty credentials. The director remained silent. He looked at Lanqi, then glanced out at the living hell sprawling across the auditorium seats, silently leaving Lanqi to read the room. "Start teaching next semester. There aren't many students left this semester for you to ruin," the director said coldly. "Uh..." Lanqi couldn't help but feel a pang of regret. Once dawn broke tomorrow, he would have to return to the real world. It was like a sweet dream—just before reaching the most delightful part, one had to wake up and face reality. If he could stay at this school, he was honestly somewhat reluctant to return to Ikerite Academy. "Could I drop out as a student right now and become a full-time instructor?" Lanqi pondered for a moment and asked. He recalled that according to the school rules Bachel had mentioned, any student unable to pay five credit coins every morning would be expelled immediately, and expulsion carried the punishment of execution. However, there were certain exceptional circumstances under which the school permitted a normal withdrawal—such as being requisitioned by an important institution or a high-ranking authority in the Demon Realm. "You can apply with the Headmaster. But there's no need to look for him today; he happens to be away from the academy for the next few days. Besides, if you wish to obtain a diploma from this institution to pursue better opportunities in the Demon Realm later on, I advise you to finish your studies. As long as you manage your time properly, you can teach in the Music Department while attending your classes." "I see." Lanqi had a rough grasp of it now. His current situation was somewhat akin to being a doctoral student, able to pursue his studies while balancing teaching duties. Yet he also swiftly caught onto a crucial detail within the director's words— The Headmaster wasn't at the academy? This inadvertently acquired piece of vital intelligence... Lanqi felt it was very likely tied to [Mission Objective 2: Investigate the source of tonight's danger]. After all, with the Headmaster—the wielder of the academy's supreme authority—absent, certain loopholes were bound to emerge across the school!