Chapter 76: The Correct Way to Use the Poet of Boundless Love

After a turbulent flight that took most of the night, the Demon Kingdom Inspectorate's guard detachment, mounted on the Demon Kingdom's flying wyverns, finally arrived at their destination: Purgatory Corridor Academy.

It was one of the Demon Kingdom's premier institutions. Furthermore, Purgatory was also where the infamous Nine Layered Prison of the Demon Kingdom was situated, which was a place that struck terror into the hearts of all demons.

Having cleared the academy's outer perimeter checkpoints, they moved into an area where unauthorized demonic beasts were strictly prohibited. The detachment's wyverns circled in the air before finally touching down steadily on an open expanse of ground.

The demon officers dismounted one by one. After scanning the surroundings and confirming the area was safe, a figure finally stepped leisurely down the ramp lowered from their wyvern. His gait was composed, and he exuded an aura of nobility, as if he were the very master of the deep night.

A broad avenue stretched out before them like a bridge, and it was paved with dark grey stone blocks, resembling a giant serpent guiding the way directly to the entrance of the academy. Starlight from the night sky intertwined with the crimson glow that was unique to Purgatory. The two lights played off one another to cast a surreal, hypnotic quality over the darkness.

Led by the officers, the group advanced along the path. The scorching heat radiating from Purgatory's lands seemed to weigh heavily upon the air. In the distance, the academy's massive main gates slowly swung open, appearing to offer a grand welcome to the arriving vampire envoy.

The person in question made no attempt to conceal his distinctive mana signature. His scarlet eyes seemed to hold a profound, mysterious power akin to "Truth" itself. He walked with effortless composure and was clad in dark, exquisitely crafted aristocratic attire that lent him an air of cold, solemn dignity.

As they moved forward, the officer responsible for coordinating the inspection, who had been following close behind the envoy, realized they were on the verge of meeting the academy officials. He decided to take the liberty of sounding out the vampire's attitude beforehand. He lowered his voice and asked, "Baron Sanchez, do you wish for us to use force to seize the initiative?"

Before they set out, their superiors at the Inspectorate had instructed them not to let the academy higher-up's objections stand in their way. Ensuring the vampire envoy's satisfaction was their top priority. Of course, the orders from above were flexible. Whether or not to actually use force depended on the attitude of the vampire envoy himself.

Baron Sanchez replied succinctly, "There is no need for that. However, if I do uncover humans, and the school authorities attempt to stall or refuse to admit fault, then simply do whatever you deem necessary."

The officer behind him grasped the baron's meaning and confidently responded, "Understood."

Sanchez nodded with a faint smile. Although the demons had currently adopted an attitude of avoiding conflict with the vampires, being overly aggressive toward them could make the vampires appear unreasonable, potentially giving the demons a chance to turn the tables.

However, once the humans hiding within the school were exposed, the demons would have no grounds to argue with the evidence laid bare. At that point, if the school administration dared to resist, they would only be compounding their error. The vampires had plenty of ways to leverage the situation and pressure the Demon King for greater concessions.

Baron Sanchez's confidence stemmed from the fact that no one, whether within the Demon Kingdom's Inspectorate, the Department of Education, or Purgatory Corridor Academy, knew just how precisely his innate power could detect humans.

Even though he was only a Rank 5 entity, he possessed a unique, innate ability: True Eyes of the Blood. This allowed him to pierce through any disguise and perceive the target's soul in its most fundamental state. Once someone entered Sanchez's range of perception, neither magical nor physical disguises held any meaning.

Even though the Empire's modification surgeries could make humans pass convincingly as demons, their souls remained unchanged. As distinct species, demons and humans possessed fundamental differences from the moment of their creation.

Before Sanchez, any attempt to deceive him was basically wishful thinking and would make them appear utterly foolish. Not even the academy's senior leadership, nor the headmaster himself, could fool him.

***

Baron Sanchez walked forward along the bridge with his accompanying officers. At the far end of the stone-paved path, they spotted the waiting delegation from the academy.

The delegation was composed of the academy's entire senior faculty, and they had gathered to welcome this distinguished guest. They stood together with solemn gravity, though the looks in their eyes betrayed their lack of enthusiasm for the ceremony.

Despite the formalities appearing somewhat superficial and performed with a hint of reluctance, they ultimately went through the motions completely. A vampire envoy might seem like a minor figure, but he represented the vampires who ruled the entire Southern Continent. Even demons had no desire to antagonize a species born with terrifying innate powers and the gift of immortality.

"Baron Sanchez, Envoy of the Vampires, welcome to Purgatory Corridor Academy."

The acting headmaster of Purgatory Corridor Academy had come to greet the envoy, and she gazed at the approaching vampire with a beaming smile. With an elegant posture, she offered a slight, graceful bow. Behind her stood the deputy headmaster and the rest of the academy's senior faculty.

Baron Sanchez's crimson eyes shimmered as if they were imbued with a life of their own. They locked onto this headmaster, intent on piercing through her exterior to scrutinize her very soul and essence. His eyes then swept over the other senior instructors as well, subjecting them to the same intense inspection.

While it was highly unlikely that a human could infiltrate into the ranks of the faculty, let alone rise to a senior position, absolute caution dictated that a check be performed. Moments later, his eyes returned to normal. The verdict? Nothing amiss.

There were no issues with any of the faculty members. Although the acting headmaster was incredibly, remarkably weak, she was, without a doubt, a genuine High Demon, noble and mysterious.

Clad in a deep crimson formal gown, the acting headmaster raised a hand to smooth her long gray hair and asked the vampire envoy with an intrigued smile, "Baron Sanchez, did you suspect that I was actually a human in disguise?"

Baron Sanchez was momentarily dazed by the female demon questioning him. The mere sound of her soft voice stirred his heart. The gray haired demon before him, with her bright, expressive eyes, was the very embodiment of charm and beauty.

Sanchez quickly reined in his vampiric aura and averted his gaze. "Not at all. You must surely be a noble of high standing in the Demon Kingdom, a distinguished High Demon."

He then offered a slight, respectful bow. "I must exercise caution while doing my duties. Please forgive any offense."

The gray haired demon smiled silently as her eyes shimmered like the rippling surface of a lake. A subtle shift at the corners of her mouth revealed a hint of sly, triumphant amusement.

She was clearly not Lance. As the Poet of Boundless Love, she was a being who shared a deep, telepathic bond with Lance. Thus, she was now acting in perfect tandem with him to welcome the vampire envoy while he sat in the headmaster's office!