LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 17: Enrollment
The inside of the academy's main castle was nothing short of breathtaking, and as Aiden stepped through one of its colossal double doors, he felt like he had entered a world made for gods. The ceilings stretched so high they disappeared into an abyss of purple shadows, lit dimly by chandeliers made of glowing, molten stone. Every hallway was vast and cavernous, each turn revealing arches and towering columns that could easily fit beings ten times his size. The air carried a faint scent of sulfur mixed with the rich tang of ancient parchment, as if the stones themselves held memories of centuries past.
As Lilith and Aiden walked through the grand hallways, their presence didn't go unnoticed. Demons of all shapes and sizes paused to watch, some blushing in awe at Lilith's striking beauty and commanding presence, while others glared with barely concealed envy. Whispers trailed behind them like a second shadow, the sound of rumors and admiration weaving into the air.
Lilith led him briskly down one of these corridors, her footsteps echoing like the toll of a bell, while Aiden struggled to keep up. Exhaustion weighed heavily on him, but he tried to mask it with forced optimism. They arrived at another set of double doors—these engraved with writhing demonic symbols that shifted under his gaze. Inside was an office that could only be described as "efficiently intimidating." It was grand yet eerily practical, with a single enormous desk in the center, made from what appeared to be obsidian and held up by petrified demon hands clawing out of the floor. The assistant waiting for them looked like a perfect embodiment of bureaucratic hell—an androgynous figure with glowing yellow eyes, ink-stained fingers, and a perpetual expression of disdain etched into their angular face.
The assistant in the office was a tall, unnervingly composed figure with pale, slate-gray skin and glowing yellow eyes that seemed to pierce through souls. Her head was adorned with small, spiraling horns, and her black hair was slicked back into a tight, severe bun. She wore a perfectly tailored suit that shimmered faintly, as if sewn with threads of molten gold. Her long, ink-stained fingers moved with mechanical precision, and their voice carried an icy monotone that made even the simplest phrase sound like a commandment.
Lilith didn't wait for pleasantries. "This is Aiden," she said, her voice dripping with authority. "Get him enrolled. He'll need access to everything—classes, dorms, the works."
The assistant sighed, muttering something under their breath about "entitled nobles," but they didn't dare argue. "Cutting it close, aren't we, Lady Lilith?" the assistant muttered, her voice dripping with disinterest as she shuffled a stack of papers that appeared to organize themselves. "The convocation starts in an hour. Enrollment this late is a... rarity."
"Spare me the commentary," Lilith snapped, waving a hand dismissively. "I'm exercising my family's privilege. He's to be enrolled immediately."
The assistant glanced at Aiden, her fiery eye narrowing. "A human? You're seriously enrolling this into our academy?" She leaned back, letting out a dry chuckle. "I've seen nobles bring pets, slaves, even cursed artifacts—but this is new."
"Formalities are just that. Formalities," Lilith replied coldly, her red eyes flashing. "Now hurry up and process him. He's already late for being late."
"Late enrollments are rare, but not unheard of," The assistant remarked, the assistant sighed dramatically, flicking her fingers. A glowing orb appeared mid-air, scanning Aiden from head to toe. "Let's see if this one even has the capacity to handle Miasma. Wouldn't want him collapsing in the hallway before lunchtime."
Aiden stood still, unsure if he was being judged for his ability to wield Miasma or his existence in general. "Channel some of your Miasma into this. Don't blow it up, and don't faint. Let's see if you're even worth wasting ink on."
Aiden, feeling the weight of both Lilith's gaze and the assistant's impatience, hesitated before extending his hand toward the orb. The swirling black energy of his Miasma flickered into existence, spiraling around his fingers before flowing into the orb. The device hummed, its glow intensifying as it absorbed the energy. Aiden gritted his teeth as a sharp pain shot through his veins—it wasn't much, but it was enough to make him break a sweat.
The orb hovered around him, its glowing brighter before dimming with certain hues of color. The assistant raised an eyebrow. "Well, it's not going to win any awards, but it'll do. I've seen worse. Huh. He's... interesting. Not exactly strong, but there's something peculiar about his resonance with Miasma." She smirked. "Almost like he shouldn't be here at all. How poetic." They stamped a few documents with a wax seal that glowed ominously. "You're in. For now. Don't die too quickly—it's a hassle to clean up."
As Aiden withdrew his hand and shook off the lingering sting, he couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. The entire process felt like a formality, a thin veneer of order over an institution that thrived on chaos. Lilith, however, looked pleased.
Their tone clipped as they pulled out a glowing parchment. "Name, age, race, occupation," they muttered, sliding the parchment toward Aiden without even glancing up. "Fill it in."
Aiden stared at the parchment, its surface faintly humming with magic, and took the quill offered to him. To have him fill this paper with such basic and few information, this was deliberately short so that Demon students could sneak whoever they want inside the academy, clearly they don't want the academy intruding in vassals identity and the school clearly doesn't even care. Beside him, Lilith snatched it out of his hand with an exaggerated sigh.
"Oh, let me help you, darling," she said with a mischievous grin. Before he could protest, she scribbled down the answers for him.
Name: Aiden Carter
Race: Human
Age: 17
Occupation: Lilith's Adorable Pet
Aiden's eye twitched. "Really? I don't think that's—"
"You're welcome," Lilith interrupted, returning the quill to him with a flourish. The assistant glanced over the parchment, barely raising an eyebrow at the absurdity.
"Formality is merely a façade here," they muttered under their breath, filing the parchment away with a snap of their fingers. "We've seen worse."
As they finalized the paperwork, Aiden overheard snippets of conversation between Lilith and the assistant that made his stomach twist. The academy wasn't just a school; it was a dumping ground for Hell's most unruly, violent, and dangerous offspring. Nobles brought their entourages to ensure survival in the chaotic environment, and vassals, knights, and slaves were often enrolled alongside their masters to serve as buffers or meat shields. Aiden realized that, as a lone human with no allies, he was essentially walking into the lion's den with a sign on his back that said Kick Me.
"See? That wasn't so bad," she said with a grin, clapping him on the shoulder. "Now let's get to the convocation. You're officially part of the madness."
"You'll do fine," Lilith said cheerily, snapping Aiden out of his thoughts as they turned to leave. "Just keep that positive attitude of yours and… well, try not to die."
"Not dying sounds like a great plan," Aiden muttered. As they stepped out of the office, the looming convocation ceremony weighed heavily on his mind. If this place really was as dangerous as it seemed, he'd have to rely on more than optimism to make it out alive. But for now, he clung to his resolve, determined not to give Lilith the satisfaction of seeing him break.