Baator Hell Promotion

"It's okay...wait, did you do something in there?" Hopper reacted and thought of the purple dragon that suddenly appeared, and suspicion arose in his heart.

Vera laughed sweetly, shook her silver hair, sank into the bathtub, and avoided answering.

Before Hopper could say anything, there was a knock on the dormitory door. Lacy, who had been lazily playing with her silver hair in the water, also stood up. Who was coming at this hour?

Outside the door was a small tiefling, barely a man. Hopper had seen her once or twice before, one of the handmaidens who always followed the Lady with the Silver Eyes.

"Ms. Hopper, hello." The tiefling held a tray containing several scrolls similar to the ones the silver-eyed lady had given Lati. The girl's eyes darted around the room, then quickly lowered her head upon seeing the lightly dressed Lacy. The tan skin behind her ears brightened. "Professor Beth of Religious Studies asked me to give you these scrolls and to tell you that you need to write a paper on each of the five topics you choose."

"Wait, five?" Hopper asked in disbelief, thinking he had misheard.

"Yes, five," Tiefling nodded and continued, "and she asked me to tell you that she was originally only required to write one, but since your friend Ms. Lati said that other courses are not important, and she didn't choose religion, please help her write four more so that she can understand the importance of other courses."

Chapter 74 Girl

"Ms. Hopper, I finally found you." A crisp voice sounded in Hopper's ears. The succubus raised his head with his eyes wide open, looking for his target in a daze.

Since returning from the City of Thousand Rocks, the sun had risen over Torchhold a dozen times. Professor Biguan hadn't asked them to resume their studies immediately. Instead, he graciously stated that leading devils deserved special treatment and some free time. Hopper and the others could enjoy their rare downtime until all the students returned.

Clearly, the other professors didn't agree with Professor Bi Guan, or perhaps this was the result of a consensus. Aside from the three combat instructors, the remaining professors added extra homework during this period. The advantage of the leading Devil was that they could complete a sufficient amount of academic work in a longer period of time.

Hopper finally spotted her target: a tiefling girl, barely taller than a table, standing neatly in the center of the tiled floor in a neatly fitted dress. Despite her youth, she possessed a calm and composed demeanor. She had remained silent since her last sentence, politely awaiting the demon's response.

The demon tugged at the parchment that had been dragged to the ground, placed the quill back into the inkwell, rubbed her head, and prepared to deal with the newcomer. The other person's attire and aura gave her some not-so-nice associations.

"I'm like, what's the matter?"

"The honorable Ms. Youdi asked me to inform you that Professor Bi Guan has closed all transmission channels. The castle will operate normally from today. Please attend the social relations and etiquette class after lunch on time."

As expected, the Devil's heart sank. She was indeed Professor Yuti's servant.

"Are the rest of the students here? I haven't heard about this." Hopper closed the "Sounds of the Stars" in front of him. It seemed that he would not be able to write to the length required by Professor Beth today.

"I don't know exactly how many people have returned," the tiefling girl said, "but I saw many coming back injured, and many of them were seriously injured."

"I understand. Please pay your respects to the respected Professor Youdi. I will be there on time this afternoon."

Hopper carefully observed the students at the table during lunch. Just as the tiefling girl had said, quite a few were injured to varying degrees. Hopper's memory included the yellow-skinned Cambion, who had caused the argument between Vera and him on that rainy day. His upper body was covered in bandages, and one of his wings was missing. Salil, who had danced with Danya at the ball, had a gash deep enough to reveal the bone. And a red-haired succubus, a familiar figure to Hopper, had black blood oozing from the bandages around his neck. It seemed everyone's journey home was not going to be smooth.

Then she saw an even more unexpected scene. Lati was sitting dejectedly at the table, while Lil beside her was patting her elbow awkwardly, as if trying to comfort her.

"What's wrong?" Hopper squeezed over and sat next to Lati and asked. When he got closer, he found that her eyes were red and her silver-gray cheeks were wet.

"Lati received another letter from home," Lil said in a low voice.

Hopper pursed his lips, and the two of them left Lati, who was too lost in her emotions to pay attention to anything else. Only after they reached the corner did Hopper ask a question.

"again?"

"The letter from home was given to Lati by Lady Silver Eyes on the day she returned. She just received another one, written by her grandmother herself."

"Did something bad happen?" Hopper had a vague guess in his mind, wondering if Professor Youti had sent a letter to complain.

"I don't know. Lati refused to tell Lil." Lil bit her nails and looked at Lati at the table worriedly. "But Lil guessed that Lati's grades have always been good. But Lati's family puts a lot of pressure on her. Maybe it's because she didn't get first place in this combat practice class."

"What's wrong with not taking first place? The high-ranking nobles in the castle were competing with Lati with piles of magical items. Isn't third place already very good?"

"Lil heard that competition in Avernus is very fierce. Maybe that's why Lati's family is so strict."

Hopper shrugged and said nothing more. She rarely visited the Bronze Fortress, but she could imagine the scene there: a city on the front lines of war, packed with 50% of the nobles of the first tier. In Baator, one of the greatest and most important uses of children was to show off. The nobles always loved to brag about their children's outstanding performances, and this competition had long become pathological. In a place like the Bronze Fortress, where the nobles were so densely populated, if a child didn't become the pride of their parents, they would most likely become their leather armor or tapestries.

Of course, in a frontier city like this, if you excel, it's easy to gain the nobility's appreciation. This is why countless devils risked eternal extinction to join the Bronze Fortress—compared to other levels firmly controlled by the nobles, the Bronze Fortress at least offered devils a chance to advance through combat effectiveness. Legends of overnight success were even heard of.

Lati had never revealed which family she belonged to, and Lil and Hopper had tacitly agreed not to ask. If it were another matter, perhaps it was due to the need for secrecy, but in Avernus, there was only one possibility: her bloodline came from an exiled noble.

Exiled nobles are a unique group of devils that roam Avernus. Lady Bist, the great-grandmother of Hellcat Lightnin, was one of them. These nobles often lost political battles, but their strength was so great that they were not eliminated, merely exiled. Or perhaps they were simply troublemakers whom the King of the Nine Hells disliked but felt it was unnecessary to eliminate, leaving them to fend for themselves in Avernus. Exiled nobles possess no status. The so-called title of nobility is more of a mockery than a title. This was evident in Nora's ball—she invited even herself, a groundless succubus, but not Lati.

If evil and lawlessness are the essence of demons, then conspiracy, power, and struggle are their flesh and blood. Forced from their beloved seat of power, the exiled nobles' every action is ultimately aimed at returning. Whether through bribery, research, marriage alliances, backstabbing, or even military exploits on the battlefield, they will try any possible avenue. The King of the Nine Hells seems to particularly enjoy playing this game of slinging a hundred donkeys with a single turnip, and even more delights in watching the donkeys frantically tear at each other while bludgeoning each other for the turnip.

After Grand Duke Bayer ascended to power, the Lord of the Nine Hells seemed to favor the youngest Grand Duke at the time, granting him certain authority. Grand Duke Bayer also enjoyed playing the turnip and donkey game, but he was more compassionate. The passage he offered was no longer a vague wish but achievable military merit. Once the exiled nobles had accumulated sufficient military merit, he would personally advise Asmodeus, requesting that the Lord of the Nine Hells consider allowing them to return to the stage.

Under such circumstances, the exiled nobles not only struggled to gain advantages themselves, but also became doubly harsh and harsh towards their own relatives. After all, each outstanding relative provided a point of increased combat effectiveness, meaning more military merit could be earned in bloody battles. If Lil was right, Lati might be a direct descendant of an exiled noble, which meant she likely faced even greater pressure than the average noble relative.

But, Hopper smacked her lips. As far as she knew, no exiled noble had achieved enough military merit to satisfy Grand Duke Bayer.

The ringing of the bell interrupted Hopper's divergent thoughts. She jumped up and pulled up the still depressed Lati and Lil. If they dared to be late for the first class, Professor Yuti would definitely eat them.

Author's words: I won't update when I go home tomorrow.

Chapter 75: Praise

The door almost brushed against Hopper's skirt as she closed. Under everyone's gaze, she quickly walked to the back of the lecture hall, feeling extremely glad that she was wearing a veil.

Almost as soon as the three of them took their seats, Professor Uti pushed open the classroom door and walked to the podium with a dignified gait, looking the students in the eye with her head held high. Honestly, Hopper thought Professor Uti was the most beautiful succubus in Torchhold, even more so than the alluringly beautiful Vera. But she was too serious, her high cheekbones rarely revealing a smile. The etiquette professor was like a model for her own class, her every word and action embodying proper etiquette.

When her gaze swept over, the three of them lowered their heads at the same time, trying to avoid her in vain and guiltily.

However, they obviously underestimated the etiquette professor. She didn't react at all, not even looking at him for a second before she flipped open the book and said in a voice just loud enough for everyone to hear:

"Now everyone pay attention and open the books on your tables."

Hopper quickly flipped through the pages, not forgetting to straighten his back and tuck his elbows in as required by etiquette. The black-covered textbook wasn't thick, probably less than two hundred pages. A very familiar symbol—an iron mask—was burned into the cover. Hopper flipped open the book, and on the title page was a line of words written in a fluent and complex cursive script:

"My autobiography, as told by the stern lady of Torchhold, the ruthless avenger and educator. Written by Ottaviano."

"I believe you all have read the book." Professor Yuti seemed to be stuck in an hourglass. As soon as Hopper finished reading the line of words, she spoke. "Today's class is..."

She turned to face the blackboard, and with a smooth and graceful arc, the wand in her hand swung out two large, shining words.

"Singing Praise"

"In past classes, I've introduced you to the Grand Dukes of Baator, the undercurrents of power, the various levels of aristocratic families, traditional etiquette, and how to gracefully enter and exit various occasions. These things must eventually be put into practice. I can't currently lead you all to a Malborge ball to make friends, but one day you will encounter such a situation. Therefore, you must be prepared for it."

The professor paused, and Hopper wasn't sure if she was hinting at the combat practice class. But she didn't say anything more and continued:

"Singing praises is the first step in your practice. Who can tell me what the most basic elements of singing praises are?"

All the demons, including Hopper, raised their hands in unison. The professor pointed with his stick and said, "Ms. Quispe."

The red-haired succubus stood up with a bandage still on her neck. The wound on her neck seemed to have damaged her vocal cords, and her voice was strangely breathy when she spoke.

"Dear Professor Yuti, the most fundamental thing about singing praises is understanding."

"Very good, please sit down," Professor Youti nodded. "If you want the person you are listening to to feel your sincerity, you need to use your wisdom and ingenuity. Only when you understand the person you are listening to better can your words penetrate their heart."

"So, does anyone know about the story of the Harsh Lady?" she continued to ask. This time the classroom was silent and no devil raised his hand.

"Everyone, deduct five points from the final exam," Professor Uti shook her head, looking very disappointed. "You've lived in Torchhold for so long, and you haven't even thought about understanding its rulers and those in power."

"I'm particularly disappointed in you, Miss Hopper." Her eyes were as aggressive as her tone. "I thought you were promoted, so you naturally wouldn't have the arrogance and superiority of an aristocrat. It seems that birth can't prevent the breeding of arrogance."

"And you, Miss Vera and Miss Nora," the professor said, switching his gun and letting go of Hopper, whose face was burning. "You boast of your noble birth and wide social connections, but didn't your tutor teach you basic survival skills?"

"Now, everyone, open your books and begin reciting the five great achievements of the Strict Lady."

The classroom immediately filled with the sound of reading. Hopper and Lati exchanged a glance and resigned themselves to following.

However, Hopper soon discovered that Lady Harsh's autobiography offered a fascinating reading. As one of the few succubi born on the first level, Lady Harsh initially joined Grand Duke Zariel's legion, earning her title there. After Zariel's fall, she joined the Serpent of Pleasure and nearly used a magical belt to seduce a noble (the book hints at Grand Duke Levistus) into passing the throne to her. Her plan failed, and she returned to the first four levels, defeating hundreds of competitors before serving as a judge on the Tribunal for centuries. Tired of being governed by four Grand Dukes, Lady Harsh decided to enjoy life, claiming to have seduced a Turanian and conceived his child. Soon after, both her lover and child perished in jealousy and backstabbing, she defected to the Furies, donning the Iron Mask and slaughtering all demons implicated in the affair. Finally, perhaps weary of the constant strife, or perhaps because of the generous offer from Grand Duke Mammon's consort, Lady Gawa, she arrived at Emberhold and became headmistress.

As Hopper discovered at the outset, the book isn't overly concise. Despite being an autobiography, the author doesn't dwell on boasting or praise, instead focusing on established facts and objects, such as the Harsh Lady's magical belt, the Iron Mask, and quotations from documents she reviewed at the Tribunal of Demons. This allows the book to escape its bombastic tone and instead feel substantial.

"Ms. Lati," Professor Lati's voice suddenly came from behind, startling Hopper. The reading in the classroom stopped unconsciously. "You answer this question. After the fall of the former First Duke, who favored Ms. Stern?"

The gray-skinned Cambion shrank, trying in vain to shrink his massive frame. Lil was sweating with anxiety, but with Lady Uti right behind them, she didn't dare pass on the message to Lati.

Ms. Uti put a hand on Hopper's shoulder, startling her so much that she stopped writing on the table.

"Very good, Ms. Lati, please stand by the podium." The professor's voice was as cold as the wind on the fifth floor. "Perhaps this will help you focus in my class."

For the rest of the class, Professor Yuti ignored Lati, though she would occasionally wander over to where Cambion stood upright, drawing the students' attention to her. Perhaps due to her military experience, Lati's endurance exceeded Professor Yuti's expectations. She remained calm until the bell rang again.

"That's all for today's class," Professor Youti finally let them go. "Homework: Choose a story about a demanding woman and write a long poem of at least 100 lines. Use at least three major rhetorical devices and maintain beautiful rhythm. Next class, I'll randomly select one lucky person to sing your poem."

Almost all the students cast sympathetic glances at Lati who was standing stiffly.

As soon as Professor Uti disappeared, Lati rushed out of the classroom, and Hopper only had time to see her receding back.

"Lil will go and comfort Lati," Lil tried hard to act like an adult and patted Hopper's arm.

Chapter 76 Lati

Dinner isn't a necessity for demons, but it is for Torchhold. You may not like to eat, but you can't skip it. Lady Strict seems to treat the complex customs of the Material Plane as part of her studies. Not only are they required, but the housekeeper also oversees every meal and even occasionally calls out names.

Obviously, Professor Bi Guan had no intention of changing the established rules. Therefore, regardless of whether Hopper was worried about Lati, she had to stay at the table and follow the established procedures honestly - after all, she couldn't have no one to defend herself when Lady Silver Eyes called the roll.

During dinner, Lady Silver Eyes presented her with a new problem. The housekeeper had issued a new schedule, with combat classes now taking up less space, with other subjects taking up more space. This wouldn't have been a big deal, but tomorrow morning's first period was religion.

Hopper hesitated. She had only completed three of Professor Beth's extra papers, was still in the final stages of one, and she hadn't even thought of a title for the last one. If she went to see Lati tonight, she might not be able to finish tomorrow's homework.

After several struggles between heaven and man, the Devil of Desire decided to go and see if Lati was in the dormitory. It wouldn't take much time, and for the sake of her future life in hell, maintaining a good relationship with the offspring of an exiled noble was also an advance investment.

The dormitory door was ajar. Honestly, the Torchhold didn't treat succubi and kambions very differently, at least Hopper didn't notice it. Lati and Lil were in the same dormitory, not far from the statue of Grand Duke Mammon she'd encountered during her last night outing.

Hopper knocked on the door and it was Lil who opened it. Lati was sitting on the bed and seemed to have calmed down.

"Are you okay?" Hopper walked over, her large wings folded behind her back to avoid scratching other people's beds. She looked at Lati carefully. Cambion's face was normal, only the remaining tears in her eyes reflected her recent mood.

"I'm fine. I made a mistake. My grandmother always said that a stick can persuade people more easily than words. I've been in Emberhold for so long that I've forgotten this wise saying." She shook her head and said in a complicated tone.

"Don't worry. I've already gone to Professor Yuti to apologize, and she even gave me today's textbook. I think she might not be as mean as she appears in class."

As she spoke, she held up the book she had been reading before Hopper came in. It was the autobiography of a strict lady written by Ottaviano.

"That's good," Hopper breathed a sigh of relief. After all, Lati had been on the battlefield, and she'd endured a high-pressure upbringing at home, so it was understandable that she'd recovered. "Don't worry about schoolwork. After I finish Professor Beth's paper tonight, the only thing left for religion studies should be the final thesis. That'll give me plenty of time to help you with Professor Uti's assignment."

"So Hopper's classes should be almost over. Lil's too. After the art exam, Lil didn't take any electives."

"The end of the course means we don't have to stay in Torchhold in fear anymore," Hopper stood up and stretched. In the first few days after returning, Hopper and Lati were almost inseparable from Lil. No matter what Lil did, there was at least one person accompanying her. However, as the course became more demanding, they also let down their guard a little. After all, compared to those classmates who were missing limbs, they all came back safely. As a hag, Qiannianchang couldn't have been unaware that this was almost a clear indication that someone was helping them, and the cunning and cautious nature of a hag wouldn't let her act rashly. "Brother Lil can take her back too."

"Yeah," Lati sighed, looking a little disappointed, "it will be over soon."

"Don't worry, Lati, Lil will invite you to my house to play." Lil climbed onto the bed and nestled next to Lati. Lati combed her hair and smiled comfortingly.

"I'm relieved to see you're okay. I have to go to the library to finish my paper. Otherwise, Professor Beth won't let me off easily tomorrow."

When the bell rang again, Hopper noticed the candle on the table had long since burned out. Her eyes, accustomed to darkness, narrowed in the sunlight. The succubus rubbed her sore wrists, her spine cracking as she stood up. To prevent ruining her painstakingly finished paper, she carefully grabbed a handful of wood ash from a nearby box and sprinkled it evenly on the scroll to absorb the last traces of ink before carefully rolling it up.

Professor Beth was an elderly tiefling, Hopper suspected she was even as old as Torchhold itself. The professor's face was more wrinkled than the folds of her black turban. In a sign of piety, she had not only shaved her head, but also had her horns smoothed out. Her skin was thinner than Hopper's thesis, held together entirely by her prominent cheekbones. Beneath her drooping eyelids, a pair of clear pupils, entirely belying her age, rapidly scanned Hopper's meticulous handwriting.

"Not bad," the old professor finally nodded grudgingly. "Although it didn't exceed my expectations, you didn't disappoint me either. The fact that you didn't disappoint me was beyond my expectations. Now, tell me about your torch?"

Hopper took out the black iron torch, the nebula-like ointment still slowly swirling on the base. The succubus described to the professor in detail how he had manipulated the Dragon Vein Lady's emotions, how he had made her feel both sad and happy, and finally how he had collected the torch's fuel.

Professor Beth stroked the torch and chanted a spell Hopper couldn't quite make out. A tiny spark danced on the ointment before quickly extinguishing itself. The old tiefling raised his eyelids, looked directly at Hopper, and said meaningfully, "Servant of the Inescapable. I haven't heard that title in a long time. I didn't think you'd stick with it."

"Why? Isn't it Enriyes's duty to be an Avenger? Or is the process too difficult?"

"I advised Madam Stern long ago not to teach young succubi like you about the Ancient Path," Professor Beth handed the torch back. "The reason I didn't tell you how to embark on this path before was because I didn't agree. With the situation already established, attempting to follow the Ancient Path is too arduous and thankless. The Ancient Path doesn't have more thorns than other roads, but you'll walk it with great loneliness."

"Because this path is too lofty. The Darkest Tales speculates that the birth of the first Enreyes wasn't due to them allowing mortals to sow seeds on the pure land of Heaven, tainting the purity of Heaven, and passively accepting punishment. Quite the contrary, the Darkest Tales argues that they were overly proud, believing that the path of revenge was above all goodness and justice in the world, and that they would use any means necessary to achieve their vengeance. Thus, they actively dyed their wings black and followed the Nameless King."

"Throughout Baator's bloody history, countless conspirators have sought to exploit the Angels of Vengeance, only to be spurred to varying degrees by their self-willed nature. In Baator, independence is a small degree of capriciousness permitted by the Grand Duke within the framework of rules. A group completely devoted to its duties and uncontrolled by other Grand Dukes is a flaw in Baator's perfect order. It's no wonder that Lady Stern believes that successive Grand Dukes have, to varying degrees, actively or tacitly encouraged the dismantling of Enreyes, leading more and more succubi to abandon the ancient ways and choose a more relaxed lifestyle."

"After all, this is just Ms. Strict's own obsession. You have excellent grades in religious studies, and it wouldn't be difficult for you to become a scribe or even a professor of religious studies. There's absolutely no need for you to choose this path just because of her obsession."

"On the one hand, as a tiefling, becoming a professor at Torchhold shouldn't be a difficult feat for a succubus." Professor Beth extended her hand, examining the bracelet dedicated to the gods on her wrist. "On the other hand, I've already reached the ceiling of my race. Do you think you can't reach it? The Angel of Vengeance is ultimately just a nail in the iron chasm of Bartor."

Professor Beth was right, Hopper thought. Do I really want to be an avenger who hunts and punishes others? Can I go higher than Professor Beth?

Why not? Before she could come up with an answer, a small voice deep in her heart retorted. Neither Ms. Harsh nor Professor Beth were lying. If I just wanted to be a humble follower of some important figure, why would I bother trying so hard to get promoted? Wouldn't it be enough to just become some important figure's little devil's messenger?

"No, professor, I really like to use my wisdom to capture the souls of mortals." She heard her own voice answering the professor of religion.

Chapter 77 Disease

After coming out of Professor Beth's office, Hopper breathed a sigh of relief, as if the question he had been wondering about had been answered. He felt both heavy and strangely relieved in his heart.

Immersed in her own world, Hopper didn't notice that Lati and Lil were missing from the lunch table until the Silver Eyed Lady appeared before her and gave her some strange and bad news.

"Is Lati sick?" Hopper asked curiously. "What's wrong? Can I go visit her?"

"To avoid misrepresentation, I suggest you ask the doctor in charge for details," the housekeeper replied expressionlessly. "Of course you can visit her. I sincerely hope that Miss Lati can recover smoothly."

Before the lunch bell rang, Hopper was already standing in front of Lati's dormitory. To her surprise, the door was open, and three tieflings wearing white gauze dresses and veils on their heads were standing inside, carrying baskets.

As Hopper entered, the tiefling gestured to her to keep quiet. Over the tiefling's shoulder, Hopper could only see Professor Greencrest's towering figure and emerald wings, covering Lati's bed with a veil. The room was fully curtained, but the light was abundant, a soft silver glow emanating from Professor Greencrest. Hopper guessed he might be carrying an expensive magic lantern.

But she soon realized she was wrong. A soft yet firm female voice rang out from the bed: "I'm not sure what caused her illness. Considering her ancestry, it's unlikely she's contracted malaria. Furthermore, the patient reported having nightmares, which isn't a common symptom of malaria."

"I respect your expertise, Lady Naomi," the Dragonborn's voice was low and slow. "But with all due respect, I'm not particularly concerned about the cause of her illness. I'm more worried about Lady Maiaree. You see, Lady Lati's grandmother wasn't known for her rationality and restraint. While it's somewhat unusual for Lady Maiaree's granddaughter to contract malaria, since willow infusion with zinape and wormwood has stabilized her condition, I suggest we proceed with that treatment."