The Demon King is unfathomable

Chapter 357 Zero points?!
Three days and three nights had passed since that snowy night, and Sir Kyle Richter, the master of Eagle Rock Territory, had also spent three agonizing nights.

Prince Colin still has not come to his castle.

He paced back and forth in his study, which was built with exorbitant taxes, like a wild beast trapped in a cage.

He would pause by the window, cursing the endless snow outside in frustration, then run to the wall and devoutly make the sign of the cross over the portrait of Saint Sis, praying that God would bless the "Prince Colin's" carriage so that it was merely trapped in the desolate snowstorm and that nothing bad would happen to it.

He wasn't really worried about Prince Colin, but rather about missing this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to build a connection with a big shot in the Holy City.

"Perhaps His Highness has simply changed his mind and gone somewhere else," a sarcastic voice came from beside the fireplace, where his wife was sitting on the sofa leisurely sipping hot tea. "Kyle, you can save your good wine for next winter."

These words added fuel to the fire, further enraging Sir Richter. But before he could reprimand him, a servant scrambled in from outside, looking flustered.

"My lord! My lord!"

Sir Richter's heart tightened, and he hurriedly asked, "Is there news from His Highness the Prince?!"

“No…no,” the servant gasped, hesitatingly saying, “it’s…it’s about the aftermath of the undead attack on Pompeii a few days ago. The villagers are saying that one of the adventurers who went to deal with the undead troubles a few days ago was led by someone named ‘Colin’! A sentry who was out on patrol heard about it and immediately returned—”

"Colin?! Are you sure?!"

Sir Richter was struck dumb, frozen in place.

For some unknown reason, His Highness disguised himself as an adventurer during his journey.

And not only did I fail to fulfill my duty as a host, I also sent this noble prince to deal with the dead in my territory!
"By Saint Sith... please forgive me, I... I never imagined things would turn out this way!"

In an instant, Sir Richter was overwhelmed with remorse, and he wished he could kneel before the idol and repent for his negligence.

but--

It's not too late!

Sir Richter suddenly realized that the prince should still be on his territory at this moment, which meant he still had a chance to show hospitality!
Can't wait any longer!
He must immediately, right now, make amends for his heinous mistake!

"Prepare the horses!" Sir Richter roared frantically, his voice trembling with excitement. "Quickly! Bring out my best warhorses! Gather all the guards! Now!!"

Like a raging bull, he charged out of the study, ignoring the lady's harsh disapproving looks. The entire Eagle Rock Fortress was thrown into a chaotic frenzy at his command, so much so that some new recruits who hadn't heard the order clearly thought that undead were attacking.

On the other side, the first rays of dawn had just crossed the plows of Pompeii, and the impoverished village was beginning to recover some peace from the fear of the dead.

The morning sun melted the snow, and the villagers, carrying tools, were busy repairing the fence that had been destroyed by the spirits.

The air was filled with the joy of surviving a disaster, and a faint sense of peace.

However, this hard-won tranquility was soon shattered by the approaching sound of hooves and the clanging of armor.

Sir Richter led his men into the village with a menacing air, about two hundred men under a row of banners.

The smiles on the villagers' faces froze instantly, replaced by deep fear.

They all stopped what they were doing and stood blankly by the roadside, afraid that the old man would cause some trouble again.

This entourage clearly doesn't look like they're there to protect them.

Sir Richter ignored the timid villagers and rode his tall warhorse straight to the village mill, looking down at the miller who was directing the repair of the waterwheel.

"You!" he pointed his whip at the miller and demanded menacingly, "I'm asking you! Wasn't there a gentleman named 'Colin' here a few days ago?!"

The miller was so frightened by his display that his legs went weak. He nodded hurriedly and poured out everything he knew.

“Yes…yes, sir! I…I saw Mr. Colin and his companions. They were the ones who killed the witch and saved my son…”

“I don’t care who he killed!” Richter interrupted him rudely, asking urgently, “Where is His Highness? Where is he now?!”

Your Highness?!
Only then did the miller belatedly realize what was happening, and his face turned slightly pale.

Could it be——

That Mr. Colin is the rumored prince?!
That prince's name isn't Krankel, it's Colin!
The middle-aged man was terrified upon recalling what he had said to His Highness the Prince. He stammered and pointed in a direction, "They...they seemed to have headed towards the travelers' camp early the other morning..."

"The other day?! The Travelers' Camp?!"

Upon hearing this, Sir Richter's vision went black, and his body swayed on his horse, almost falling off.

A wave of dizziness washed over him, followed by immense shame!

"By Saint Sith!" he cried out in grief and indignation, "I... I actually made His Highness condescend to live in such a lowly place!"

He felt that his reputation and even the honor of his family had been trampled into the mud.

Ignoring the villagers who were already terrified, he suddenly pulled on the reins, turned his horse around, and roared orders at his bewildered guards.

"Full speed ahead!"

"To the Travelers' Camp!"

The large group continued on their way, this time heading to a traveler's campsite a dozen kilometers away.

However, this esteemed Sir Richter always seemed to be a step behind in everything he did.

The undead who wreaked havoc are dead, and his army has finally reached the undead-infested village of Pompeii. And now, Prince Colin has gone far away, and his banner is once again raised outside the gates of the Travelers' Camp.

Leading his men, the esteemed knight stormed into the travelers' camp like a whirlwind, only to be met with a deathly silence.

This place has almost become a "ghost town".

Since the exams for the Academy have already begun, most of the students in the camp have already gone to the snowfields beyond the border.

Only a few dilapidated tents abandoned by their owners remained in the camp, drifting helplessly in the cold wind, stirring up snow and dust from the ground.

Unable to find Prince Colin's magnificent carriage, Sir Richter's pent-up anger grew ever stronger, making him resemble a volcano about to erupt, his eyes bulging like a frog's.

Just then, he suddenly noticed a group of idle people huddled together in a corner of the camp.

To be precise, it was a group of women.

They wore sheepskin coats that were easy to untie, and their faces were covered with thick, cheap makeup, which stood out starkly against the pure snow, like dust falling on a statue of Saint Sis.

Sir Richter frowned, pointed his whip at the furtive women, and asked his men in a tone of extreme disgust.

"What are those guys who draw ghosts for?"

The servants exchanged glances. They knew what those women did, of course, but none of them dared to speak up when their lord was on the verge of exploding in anger.

It wasn't until a young servant, unable to withstand the knight's murderous gaze, whispered uncertainly, "Sir...maybe...maybe a prostitute..."

"prostitute?!"

This word was like a spark that ignited a powder keg.

Richter flew into a rage: "By Saint Sith! How dare these morally corrupt, hell-deserving bastards appear on my territory!"

The thought that these filthy things had polluted His Highness Colin's noble eyes and disgraced the Richter family and even Duke Blackwood of the North made him wish he could hang these guys who had sold their souls to the devil.

He swung his whip sharply, creating a loud crack in the air, and roared with a sacred and unquestionable majesty.

"Arrest them! Throw them all into the dungeon!"

"I want to interrogate them myself!!!"

Sir Richter's roar echoed across the empty camp.

This knight, who had remained silent when facing the real undead, suddenly regained his knightly spirit and remembered that Saint Sith was watching from heaven.

His guards pounced on the screaming, panicked women like wolves, tied them up, and threw them onto the horses.

Moments later, the victorious team, carrying their spoils and singing songs of victory, returned to the castle in a grand procession.

The servants standing in the castle breathed a sigh of relief when they saw Lord Richter looking triumphant.

Many people didn't know what the knight who left in such a hurry was going to do, and thought that he had set off with an army to punish the ghosts that were harassing Pompeii.

only……

Which one is "Green Fang" Hecagelin?
Looking at the demons and monsters on horseback, they were dumbfounded and couldn't tell them apart for a moment.

Sir Johann Richter, always a step behind, was always so decisive and efficient.

He tossed the reins to the butler and, before he could even say a word, rushed off to the next battlefield—to face the lady's screams and roars.

"Enough! Kyle! I've had enough of you! You and Colin go ahead, I'm going back to my father's for a few days. Remember to write to me when you've had your fun!"

"No! Madam! You, you listen to me!" Richter, who had been standing tall before leaving, panicked when he saw that his wife was really angry. His knees buckled, as if he had been hit by an arrow.

He wouldn't dare let his wife go back to her parents' home!
It wasn't that he was afraid of his father-in-law, but if word got out, how could he ever face anyone at the lord's banquets again?!

And so, Sir Richter, busy putting out fires in his own backyard, completely forgot about those devils in sheep's clothing.

Saint Sis, thanks to the busy Sir Richter.

Today, Eagle Rock Territory remains peaceful as always, and the Holy Light continues to shine on every inch of the Empire's land.

congratulations.

……

Congratulations! Xuebang's efficiency is astonishing.

In just one day, tens of thousands of written test papers were graded, and the students of the Empire no longer had to endure the mages' obedience tests in the snow.

The following afternoon, the black stone tablet, representing absolute authority, once again shone with a firefly-like light under the watchful eyes of the crowd.

This time, however, what appeared on the surface of the stone tablet was not the exam questions, but a long string of densely packed candidate numbers representing those who "passed".

The list of those who passed the written test is out!

The entire snowfield was instantly detonated!
Tens of thousands of candidates stared at the stone tablet, holding their breath and frantically searching for their own destiny among the dense numbers.

Whenever someone finds their number on the list, the crowd erupts in jubilant cheers, some even weeping with joy.

Many others, after repeatedly confirming the results to no avail, let out disappointed sighs, and the light in their eyes quickly dimmed.

A thousand families rejoice, ten thousand families grieve.

Although passing the written exam doesn't guarantee admission to the academy, it's at least a ticket to a brighter future! "I...I passed!" Irara pointed to a line of small print on the stone tablet, her voice trembling with excitement, "Seventy points! I passed!"

“I’m up there too! Sixty-five!” Phoenix excitedly high-fived her, then turned his gaze to Barrett.

“Hehe, me too…60!” Barrett chuckled憨厚ly, and the two were genuinely happy for the blacksmith’s son.

After their initial elation, they immediately began searching the list for "Mr. Colin's" number, but after going through it several times, they found nothing.

"Could it be that Mr. Colin's name was forgotten?" Ira asked in a low voice, her face full of confusion.

Phoenix and Barrett exchanged glances, their joy quickly replaced by deep worry.

Mr. Colin actually failed the exam?
how can that be!

They could accept their own lack of ability and failing the written test, but they couldn't accept that their respected Mr. Colin hadn't passed the exam.

Soon, they found Luo Yan sitting leisurely in the carriage reading a book and told him about the situation with great concern.

"Pfft—pfft pfft pfft!"

Taf, who was dozing off, couldn't help but laugh out loud, while Luo Yan was slightly surprised and closed the book in his hand.

"Oh? Well, that makes me a little curious."

After saying this, he got off the carriage and told Sarah that he wanted to eat noodles later, with three eggs added. Then he left the terribly pale-faced Taff and went to the nearby camp.

Out of concern, Phoenix and the others hurriedly followed.

The camp was packed with people, more than half of whom were there to ask about their scores.

Some people couldn't accept the fact that they were bad at the test and shouted that they wanted to see the test paper, but without exception, they were all kicked out.

This is not a troublesome matter, but it does not mean that these formally employed apprentices have an obligation to help them.

When Luo Yan found the magic apprentice in charge of disposing of the invalid exam papers, the freckled boy was impatiently throwing the invalid scrolls into a huge recycling bin.

He took the wooden plaque from Luo Yan, glanced at him with an almost contemptuous look, found the corresponding name on the roster, and announced it indifferently.

"Colin, zero points."

Seemingly feeling that wasn't sarcastic enough, he added a cold, sarcastic remark.

"You didn't get any of those simple questions right. I really feel bad for you. I suggest you go home and grow pumpkins."

These words struck like a bolt from the blue, leaving Phoenix and his two companions utterly stunned. Even after the apprentice had walked far away, they were still in shock.

Zero points?

How can it be! ?
Illala was the first to react. She looked at Mr. Colin's still calm profile and tried to comfort him with the most reasonable explanation.

“Mr. Colin, don’t be discouraged! Could it be… that your answer just happens to coincide with someone else’s? The rules say that this situation would be invalid, but with your talent, this… this is entirely possible!”

Faced with Ira's well-intentioned words of comfort, Luo Yan simply smiled noncommittally.

"maybe."

His calm reaction surprised Phoenix and the other two.

They had expected Mr. Colin to be angry, frustrated, or to argue his case, but to their surprise, he was so indifferent, as if the outcome was a trivial matter to him, like snowflakes falling from a pine tree.

Luo Yan didn't really care about other people's opinions, but he was still a little curious about the "zero score" result itself.

After leaving Phoenix and his group, he walked alone at the edge of the noisy camp, his mind racing with analysis.

Differences in theory?
Not too possible.

Even if the magical theories of Hell and the Empire differ in detail, their underlying logic is the same.

Based on his understanding of magic, even if his answers to those subjective questions differed from the standard answers of the academic community, he would certainly not be completely without any points.

Are the answers identical?

That's even more impossible.

If someone else on this small snowfield really wrote down the exact same answer as him, then that person would definitely be a genius.

The esteemed Councilor Luo Yan would even personally write a letter recommending this talented individual to the renowned Professor Lilith, who would then send him directly to her alma mater—the Demon King Academy—for further studies.

Just as he was deep in thought, he suddenly heard two other candidates who had also failed the exam walking past him dejectedly.

One of them complained indignantly.

"This is utterly absurd! That was something I wrote with my heart, how could they just destroy it like that!"

"Exactly! These apprentices are bullying us too much!"

"I really don't know what they have to be so proud of! I thought they were all some amazing magicians!"

The complaints faded into the distance across the snow, but Luo Yan, who happened to hear them, stopped in his tracks, a hint of amusement flashing in his eyes.

destroy?
In his view, this was actually an opportunity.

……

In the afternoon, Luo Yan returned to his carriage.

The once bustling snowfield now appeared somewhat desolate, as most of the candidates who had failed the exam had packed their bags and embarked on their journey home.

The air was thick with the silence that followed the shattering of dreams.

Those who passed the written test, after the initial excitement, began to feel uneasy about the upcoming interview.

Sarah was holding Taff and intently "urging" her to lay eggs, while the latter's dragon face turned red and her mouth trembled slightly, it was hard to tell whether she was angry or straining.

Seeing Luo Yan return, Sarah said with shame.

“Your Highness… Taff has tried her best, but only one seed was produced. Please wait patiently a little longer…”

Taff: "%@￥%!!"

"Alright, Sarah, let's not worry about the egg for now. I have a task for you."

Ignoring the brat who was swearing and speaking in an alien language, Luo Yan turned his gaze to Sarah and continued concisely.

"Xuebang plans to destroy the exam papers. Go to the 'incineration site,' find my paper, and bring it back to me. Remember to do it cleanly, leave no trace, and make sure no one finds out."

"Yes, Your Highness."

Sarah's eyes sharpened, and with a swift movement, she disappeared into the shadows of the carriage, vanishing from the snow-covered plains.

Taf sat down on the ground, rubbing her tail which had been pinched red, and glared at her owner with bared teeth.

"I just chuckled, is it really necessary to hold such a grudge?"

That cunning guy!
Luo Yan gave her a strange look.

"Laughing? Holding a grudge? What are you talking about?"

Taff: "%￥#@!"

……

As dusk fell, the setting sun, like blood, stained the snow with a poignant crimson hue.

In a corner of the Xuebang temporary administrative camp, inside a huge, heavily guarded tent, several apprentices were expressionlessly piling boxes of invalid exam papers into categories next to the furnace, awaiting the final order to destroy them.

“Honestly, they’re all trash anyway, is it really necessary to sort them before burning them?” one apprentice couldn’t help but complain. He felt he was wasting precious meditation time, and for a bunch of novices who weren’t worth it at all.

Although the apprentice next to him also thought it was unnecessary, he still pretended to be profound and criticized this ignorant junior.

"What do you know? This is called a sense of ritual!"

"Okay, this damn sense of ritual..."

What are you showing off for?
The young apprentice muttered something and turned to move another box of files.

Just then, an almost imperceptible dark shadow, like the twilight itself, quietly slipped into the blind spot of the tent.

The shadow, as light as a cat, paused briefly in front of a wooden box labeled "Number 1000~1050," and then the scroll on the top of the box vanished without a trace.

The whole process took only a blink of an eye, without disturbing anyone or even stirring up a breeze.

About fifteen minutes later, Sarah returned to the carriage, knelt on one knee, and respectfully presented the scroll that concerned her master's "face".

“Your Highness, as you instructed, I brought the scroll back before they destroyed it…without alerting anyone.”

As she left, she witnessed two apprentices carrying the box and dumping the scroll into a burning pit of fire.

Luo Yan casually took the scroll and slowly unfurled it.

But when he saw the first line of text written on the scroll, his ordinary expression suddenly became subtle.

That was undoubtedly his "number," exactly the same as the number on the wooden tag in his storage ring.

However, the contents of the scroll were not written by him, and were completely irrelevant—it was simply a doggerel that did not rhyme.

Ah, the cage of knowledge cannot imprison my soul that yearns for freedom—

My heart is a hungry wolf in the wilderness, howling under the starry sky. Foolish mortals, how can you know the blood, tears, and sublimity of art?

The fact that the teaching assistant or apprentice in charge of grading didn't tear up the disruptive exam paper on the spot shows how good-natured they are.

What kind of nonsense is this?

"This, this has been switched?!" Youyou appeared in shock, staring at the unfamiliar scroll in disbelief.

It watched Luo Yan answer the questions with its own eyes!
That's not what's written on his scroll at all!
"Obviously, this isn't my test paper." Looking at Sarah's surprised expression, Luo Yan's lips curled into a playful smile.

interesting.

I wonder which fool has lost his mind this time, setting up a scheme against "Prince Roxie Collin".

(End of this chapter)