Principle of Dekan’s Home Ground
Dekan naturally entered work mode.
Wearing a one-hundred-percent business smile, he walked into the operating area of this restaurant.
The closer he got to the center area, the more he realized this restaurant was even more luxurious than Bachelor’s cooking classroom from before. Even with its darker color theme, it exuded an elegance not typically found in regular restaurants.
Dekan’s task was simple.
He had to wait in a spot that wouldn’t disturb the esteemed diners while keeping a constant eye on their movements, ensuring that he was always available when called upon.
As for serving meals, that didn’t seem to fall under his responsibility. Other prison guards would handle it.
But before Dekan could even enter standby mode, he noticed several demons waving at him.
The instant he had arrived at the restaurant with the warden, these demons had been completely fixated on Dekan.
These powerful demons lacked for nothing on this level.
Except for attractive female demons.
New prison guards were rare enough as it was.
It was like a lottery.
Even among the female demons, there was no guarantee they’d be good-looking.
But this time, a stunning succubus prison guard had appeared, completely unexpected.
Under normal circumstances, if these demons had still been free in the Demon Realm, such a succubus wouldn’t have been particularly rare.
But inside the prison, the appearance of such a beautiful succubus was akin to hitting the jackpot.
Moreover, this succubus seemed extraordinary.
First, any prison guard who made it to the third level was bound to be formidable.
Second, this succubus was unlike any they had ever encountered.
She exuded a saintly purity akin to a human nun, combined with a graceful demeanor.
This only heightened her distinctive charm.
Every demon noble present harbored thoughts of getting her.
Seeing the customers wave, Dekan naturally approached them with a gentle demeanor.
Walking gracefully yet swiftly, he soon arrived at the table.
“Is there anything I can help you with?”
Dekan asked in a soft voice.
“Do you know the rules of this level, girl?”
One demon closest to Dekan asked, his scale-covered face wearing a smile of feigned gentlemanliness but with no attempt to hide the disdain and arrogance in his eyes.
“Ah, yes, I do,” Dekan answered with a nod.
“Then it’s simple. Would you be willing to go with me later?”
“Go where?”
“Ha, do you really love playing dumb?”
“Sorry, esteemed guest, I genuinely don’t understand what you mean.”
Dekan’s brow furrowed slightly with a hint of worry as he said this.
“Do I need to spell it out? I want to do the things your kind of lowly succubi enjoy the most.”
The scaley demon smiled as if examining a plaything, speaking in a commanding tone.
“Sorry, please allow me to decline,” Dekan politely refused.
The scaley demon’s expression immediately soured, ready to make a fuss when the silver-haired demon beside him started laughing.
“It seems she doesn’t like you, but no matter,” the silver-haired demon patted the scaley demon on the shoulder, looking at Dekan with a playful expression.
“Just choose any one of us, and he’ll have no say in it. You’re smart, aren’t you? Tell us, who do you pick?”
These powerful demons were accustomed to doing as they pleased.
Even in the prison, it existed solely for their convenience.
In their understanding, no lowly prison guard would dare disobey their orders.
After all, even if you made your way to the lower prisons, could you really survive back in the Demon Realm?
It would be better to curry favor with them here.
Dekan understood their meaning.
For some reason, demons were rather straightforward.
He momentarily fell silent.
The customs of the Demon Realm were far too depraved!
They needed reform.
Though Dekan was the warden and they the prisoners, it seemed they were treating it as if they were the real masters.
Moreover, their attitudes were entirely off.
Even granting them a generous leeway, imagine a situation where some junior prison officer tried to flirt with a female guard.
Could they show a modicum of respect?
Was it that hard to act like a prince until the moment of persuasion?
Now, it felt like a few Mr. Wangs or General Wangs, encountering a pure female college student at a health spa, pressuring her into acts that violated her dignity.
Dekan felt utterly confused about his role now—was he a warden, a waiter, or perhaps someone being hired for company?
In a fleeting moment, he even considered becoming a proxy executioner for the Demon King, cleaning up this mess.
Dekan mused further.
If this was the demon academy Dekan from the past, he’d have already beaten these fools without hesitation on behalf of the Demon King.
Now, though, from a human perspective, especially from an outside viewer’s perspective, if he were to immediately lose his temper, it would make his earlier sincere act of hard work seem false.
From a human point of view, it would only make him appear more terrifying.
Dekan wished to rehabilitate his reputation, even though he’d reached the brink of despair on the second floor.
He quickly rallied his spirit, determined to accumulate good deeds.
It wasn’t just about his reputation now, Dekan had to think about Tarta’s future.
He realized how much his actions in the earlier levels had inadvertently affected Tarta.
Now, he was in Tarta’s body.
So before the [Blood Mimicry] dissipated and he reverted to his original self, Dekan decided to endure these provocations.
He wanted to maintain a good reputation while still being able to act decisively when the time came.
But enduring, it turned out, was a science.
He believed his current poor reputation and the looming crisis of becoming the “Lord of Calamity” stemmed from his lack of patience.
He was no longer a student in the Demon Academy.
He was now part of Demon society, a working adult.
Even if his boss or clients were as foolish as these demons, he had to try handling things with wisdom.
He would learn to endure (wa) and yield (keng).
This was his mercy towards these idiotic demons.
Dekan decided to suppress his anger and restrain himself.
“So, who will you pick? Speak your choice.”
A demon across from Dekan extended a hand, inquiring.
“No one,” Dekan shook his head calmly yet gently responded.
“Hm?”
The demons were somewhat surprised by this.
“Are you sure?”
The silver-haired demon who seemingly helped Dekan before now dropped all pretense of elegance, coldly glaring at Dekan.
“Hm, I have absolute reasons not to comply with your requests,” Dekan said resolutely.
“Heh, do tell,” the silver-haired demon laughed mockingly.
The other demons shared similar attitudes.
It seemed they were certain Dekan could not find a valid excuse.
What was the difference between a succubus who didn’t serve ‘customers’ and a bus refusing to pick up passengers?
If Dekan gave a ridiculous reason, they would certainly not let him off easily.
Dekan: “I’m a minor.”
All demons: “???”
“I’m only sixteen years old, far from the legal adult age for demons. Essentially, I’m a lolita, just mature-looking.”
Dekan noticed the stunned demons and further explained.
Although Dekan didn’t know the exact legal age in the Demon Realm, with the lifespan of demons, adulthood usually started from over a hundred years.
So, Dekan’s actual age was equivalent to an infant in demon terms!
“Do you realize the consequences of deceiving us?”
“I swear by the Demon’s Eye above that I am a minor.”
Dekan pointed at the large, ominous eye above, making a firm declaration.
The Demon’s Eye didn’t respond.
Apparently, the warden concurred with Dekan’s claim.
The demons began gritting their teeth.
Subsequently, Dekan smiled and asked the demons, “Gentlemen, you wouldn’t want to compound your sins and have the Demon King send you to an even lower prison, would you?”
“…”
In that moment, the demons fell silent.
They suddenly felt like they had lost control of the situation.
