"Lord Huberos, are you sure that you'd like to walk to school? Surely it would be easier to arrive by carriage."
A young Huberos wore a school uniform as he walked out the door, and Ferdinand called to him before he left.
"Ferdinand, the academy is just down the block. Don't tell me that you are concerned with me getting lost."
"No, nothing of the sort, Lord Huberos. It is merely that all the other students will likely be arriving in such a manner. You would stick out in doing so."
"I do not mind. If the other students are too pampered to use the legs they were born with, then they can feel free to ride in their carriages. I have no need for such a thing."
"I see. If you insist."
Giving in with a light nod, Ferdinand saw Huberos off, waving like a father to his son.
All the maids and butlers of the house had gathered as well to see the boy off on his first day, though he walked off without looking back.
'If I am to become a proper Lord, then I should do my best not to rely on conveniences and subordinates. If I am unable to solve my problems on my own, then I will grow to become incompetent and dependent upon others.'
With this mindset, Huberos walked off.
The school truly was a short distance away, just outside the district of all the mansions. Being no more than a 10 minute walk, Huberos could actually see the school just down the street in the distance.
As he walked, a number of carriages passed by him.
'Do they really feel such need to go to such lengths? Are they simply lazy? Or perhaps they are focused on putting on a grand display on their arrival?'
Huberos laughed at the sentiment.
'Foolish.'
As he came closer to the school, from a distance he watched as two carriages parked themselves side by side, each rolling out a red carpet while lining up rows of servants to announce the arrival of the people.
"Ladies and gentlemen!!!! Behold! Opus van Handacia, the heir to the noble Handacia household has arrived!", one butler shouted.
Exiting from one of the carriages was someone who Huberos would describe as a pretty boy among demons.
With long fangs and horns that shot straight backwards, the demons skin was a deep shade of green. His hair was long and well styled, and his smile captured the attention of all the female demons who were exiting their own carriages.
He walked forth with pride, folding his hands behind his back as he walked forth, surrounded by servants.
The crowd of students seemed to part for this boy, who merely walked forth to enter the school.
Once he had left, the students and surrounding faculty alike began whispering to themselves.
'I heard that he is the closest to becoming the next Demon Lord.'
'His grandfather was the previous Host of Pride, right?'
'Whoa. Amazing.'
'Now that he has passed away, many are saying that his grandson will receive the title. Some are even saying that he's talented enough to overtake the other Hosts of Sin and become the one true demon lord.'
'Really!? Wow.... do you think he could do that?'
'If it's him, then I think so.'
However, there were only a few moments of peace before another man spoke up for all to hear.
"Ladies and gentlemen, behold!! For we present to you the future heir to the Fergiarus Company, Cespor di Fergiarus!"
One of the butlers standing before the 2nd carriage shouted out for all to hear, announcing the arrival of his own young master.
Exiting the 2nd carriage was yet another demon. This one had his hair styled up nicely like a businessman and his skin was a navy blue shade. His eyes were sharp, and his fangs sharper, and his horns pointed up then sharply turned downward to form what looked like an upside down check mark.
He walked forth with excessive confidence, not even bothering to look at the people around him as if he expected them to clear a path before him.
Unlike the other one who gave off a sly smile, this demon kept a serious expression as he walked forth.
Soon enough, the two had both entered the school, and the others began to file in one by one.
'That was Cespor di Fergarius..... I heard that he's a genius even among business holders. His father apparently started a company, deriving from the typical duties of a noble household, but after it's success he gained a large amount of respect among the other nobles. Cespor has apparently assisted with that company even from a young age, and will take over as the CEO soon enough.'
Huberos listened in to the surrounding gossip, acquiring information on those around him.
As Huberos walked alongside many other students, he couldn't help but feel their glares on him.
'I suppose choosing to walk really has made me stand out? Well, not that it makes a difference. If they wish to look down upon me, then that is acceptable. I will show them through actions the difference between a slum rat and a noble.'
Walking with his chest puffed out, Huberos didn't back down at the glances around him.
He had no reason to be ashamed of his upbringing, nor did these nobles have any reason to judge him.
'If I have learned anything about noble society, it is that looks are everything. Regardless of their own personal hatred towards me, the worst they will do is slander my name. Hah. How fitting for those who sit at the top, no? They are too scared to get into a scuffle, therefore they will use their own authority to indirectly harm others when they dislike them.'
How many times had Huberos been physically beaten for scrounging through the trash when he was young?
How many times had he been driven off like a rat, just trying to get a bite to eat?
'Life is so simple and easy these days. Paperwork, studies, social interactions.... they are all so simple compared to the survival that I once had to endure. These nobles like to flaunt their own successes, but they truly haven't done all that much, have they?'
Huberos walked through the front gates of the school and entered into the halls, coming to a place where there was a board which stated class numbers and had a map of the school.
While many were gathered to see what class they were in, the two boys who had put on grand entrances stood up front.
"It would seem that we are in the same class, Cespor. I look forward to working with you once again."
"Indeed, Opus. I hope that we can have a profitable year."
Many females seemed to be swooning as the two shook hands with one another.
Standing at the back, Huberos pushed up his glasses, eyeballing the chart.
'It would seem that their heads are in the way. Those annoying horns only serve to block even more names. Would you two mind removing yourselves from the premises so that everyone else can get to their classes? I couldn't care a single bit about your partnership.'
Huberos was irritated at the fact that the two put on such a show, bringing the progress of everyone else to a halt, but it seemed that he was the only one who stared at them with annoyance.
The females swooned and the males smiled with aspiration, as if looking at their own role models- the people who they wanted to be like.
Then, looking forward, the one with green hair and horns which went straight back looked to the crowds with a smile.
"And to everyone here, I hope that we can all work together for another great year. Particularly so to all those in class C."
At this, the two finally walked off, as a path was opened for them.
Huberos found himself as the only person who had not stepped out of the way for the two, yet he did not step back.
Instead, he stood with hands folded behind his back, thinning his eyes.
"Excuse me, I am walking.", the one named Opus stated with a smile.
"Ah. Pardon me. Was I in your way?", Huberos responded while stepping out of the way, motioning his hand with an excessive gesture.
"Yes. You were.", the one named Cespor responded with serious expression, staring at Huberos with intensity.
At this interaction all the people around held their breath, but the two merely walked off, given that Huberos had offered them the path.
As they passed though, the one named Opus smiled grandly, closing his eyes and leaning in to whisper something to Huberos.
"You had best to stay out of our way from now on."
His words were hushed so that none aside from Huberos heard, however Huberos did not flinch at the words. Instead, he merely looked at the man with a lazy expression, as if he were disappointed.
"I'm sorry, I am a bit hard of hearing. Could you repeat that?"
Huberos spoke without a care, causing the two to stop in their tracks as they continued walking.
"I'm not sure what you're talking about. I didn't say anything.", Opus stated without turning around.
As he paused, not a single person spoke, yet Huberos could feel the irritated glares of every person focused on him.
Turning around, Opus gave Huberos a grand smile as he looked him in the eyes.
Speaking in low tone to the point where it was almost a whisper, his voice was heard by all.
"There is nothing that I have to say to you."
While the people around the man smiled with satisfaction, Huberos kept a bored look as if the man before him was nothing special.
He then turned away, and walked towards the board, completely ignoring the man.
"Let's see..... ah, here we are. Class C, I suppose? How cliché."
Walking off, Huberos completely ignored the very existence of those around him, to the great irritation of the two big shots, and all of the people around them.
'Why that little.....'
'Who the hell does he think he is?'
'Speaking so casually to Opus like that....'
'And then to ignore him.....'
With looks of spite, Huberos walked through the crowds, however they then closed in on him, shutting off the path which they had made for the two.
Rushing forth to see their own classes, they ensured not to give Huberos any room to get through, allowing the two to walk off on their own.
"Oh!! Me too! I got class C with them!!"
"Ah! I'm in class A!!"
"Grr.... I'm in class B.... you lucky little...."
As if they were a helpless mob, Huberos found himself choked as he was surrounded by frantic followers.
'These are supposed to be nobles, no? Where are there manners? Goodness. At this rate I'll be late.'
Biting his lip, Huberos forced his way through the crowd, eventually making his way out.
Dusting his own uniform off, he looked down with irritation as he noticed that someone had ripped off one of his buttons.
'Hm? How annoying. Now I've become all mismatched. Was it on purpose? Or perhaps it was due to the chaotic nature of the crowd? Either way..... tch.'
Reaching into his pocket, Huberos grabbed a needle and threat, quickly fixing the tear in his uniform on the way.
'Fortunately, I've come prepared for such issues. Come forth, people of this academy. I dare you to irritate me. Piss me off. Try and get me to lash back at you. If you think you're worth my effort, then I'll show you that you're nothing more than a child who has lost their temper.'
----
Huberos entered the class to witness a female teacher who was waiting patiently at her desk while students filed in.
She looked to be a young woman, yet she was strict and well prepared. The moment Huberos walked in, she stood up with a notepad, eyeballing him with one eye while keeping the other on her notes.
"Name?"
"Huberos Garefol"
"Your seat is the 2nd row from the back, 3rd seat from the left."
"Understood."
Huberos looked over to his seat to see that the two were sitting on his left and his right.
Opus and Cespor.
Taking his seat next to the two, Huberos folded his hands in front of him, closing his eyes and not so much as bothering to acknowledge the two at each side of him.
Looking straight forward, he waited for class to start.
"It would seem that fate has placed you by my side.", Opus stated. "Please try not to make too much noise while I am trying to study, ok?"
Huberos merely ignored the words of the pretty boy, facing forward as if he didn't even hear the statement.
'How do you irritate someone more than anything? It is quite simple, really. I merely do to them that which would piss me off the most. And there is nothing more irritating than for your very existence to be ignored.'
At the failure to provoke a reaction, the shining smile of the pretty boy seemed to become crooked, and his forehead was wrought with wrinkles.
'You allow a mere peasant like me to irritate you? Is this what you consider to be noble? Haha.... how amusing.'
Huberos merely grinned, ever so lightly.
And he laughed.
"Heh."
Letting out just that light chuckle, the eyes of the prettyboy went wide.
"Why you...."
"I'm sorry, could you quiet down a bit? Class is about to start, after all.", Huberos stated.
With this statement, Huberos rested his chin on his hand, looking straight forward.
'Perhaps I should not make so many powerful enemies so early on. But I cannot help it. After all.... I am surrounded by idiots.'
----
"Good morning everyone. My name is Nadis Mardia, but you may refer to me as Mrs. Mardia. I will be your instructor for the coming year."
The teacher stood up and introduced herself, speaking in a serious yet slightly friendly tone.
"As the finest among Regalis, you sons and daughters of noble line are destined to stand at the head of this city one day. Your efforts here will certainly carry forth into the future, and so I implore you all to treasure the contacts and relationships you form here, as well as to consider the implications of each of your actions. Remember. There is nothing which you do which holds no consequence."
Giving a short speech, the teacher seemed to take pride in her position.
"What does it mean to stand at the front? It means to take responsibility. It means to understand well that you were not born to merely laze around. You were born to lead. Each and every one of you here has been accepted to this academy, which proves your own blood relation to a noble line. Therefore, I will implore each and every one of you."
Thinning her eyes, the tone of the teacher became low.
"Do not do anything to disgrace your families. Rather, ensure that they are able to stand behind your achievements with pride."
Walking back over to her desk, the teacher pulled out a stack of papers, handing them to the first student and instructing him to pass them out.
And so began Huberos' first day of class as a peasant in an academy meant for those of noble birth.
----
Huberos sat in a courtyard holding a single apple in his hand.
"Lord Huberos, are you sure that is all you wish to take? If you would like, I would be delighted to prepare a lunch for you-"
"No. I will learn myself. If I am unable to do something, I do not wish to force anyone else to do it. I will learn to cook on my own before forcing you to do so for me."
"But why? It is my purpose as your maid-"
"I do not wish to force anyone to do something which I myself cannot do."
Earlier that morning, Huberos had cut off all conversation with that statement.
Therefore right now, he sat on a bench alone as he bit into that single apple.
"It is not bruised or rotten. Even this is more than what I was not allowed to have."
Reminiscing to the past, he wondered how his mother and siblings were.
Around the courtyard there were many tables and a number of students were currently eating within the area.
Many had entire banquet feasts presented before them, and a number of servants had been allowed onto the school grounds for the sole purpose of feeding their respective students.
'Spoiled beyond belief.'
As he took another bite of the apple, Huberos savored the sweet flavor.
'Spoiled to the point of rotting, yet still pristine and prettied up on the outside.'
Chuckling to himself, Huberos looked around him with disgust at the happy faces of all those around him.
Some students talked to one another while laughing, and almost every person who passed him seemed to glare with irritation.
'It would seem that I've made a truly rotten impression on them, haven't I? They truly are.... obsessed with those two, aren't they?'
Looking over, he saw the two sitting together at a table while delicately eating from the feast which had been spread out before them.
On each of their sides was a woman who they held in their arms, and they flaunted not only their wealth, but also their position.
Many gathered around them in an attempt to make conversation, to which they were met with smiles and handshakes.
'Do these nobles have any pride? They are so quick to suck up to them, yet they look down upon me as if I am some sort of gutter trash. Well, perhaps from their point I am... but do they not realize the hypocrisy of their own actions? They look down on those below them, yet to those above them they beg like dogs, hoping for scraps to fall from the table.'
With a light smirk, Huberos chuckled to himself.
'Disgraceful.'
Huberos closed his eyes, resting for a few minutes.
The classes for today had not been excessive. Aside from a basic introduction, they began classes as would be expected of a normal high class education.
Of course, Huberos had done his best to learn as much as possible about noble society beforehand, so the topics of today were beyond simple.
It was as he was resting that time passed, and eventually he looked up to see two demons before him.
One was colored a navy blue, and the other a deep green. Both had long horns and fangs, yet the horns were of different shapes. Standing by the side of the one known as Opus was a white demon with black claws and horns, and by the side of the one known as Cespor was a black demon with white claws and horns.
The two clung to their respective man like their lives depended on it.
"Your name is.... Huberos Garefol, no? Or rather..... perhaps just Huberos?"
Closing his eyes with a grin, Huberos stood up to see that he had been surrounded by students, all followers of the two.
"Do you approach me with a crowd to prevent me from escaping?"
"Answer my question."
If Huberos tried to merely walk away, he would be unable to.
"Will you resort to violence if I refuse? That wouldn't exactly be the noble thing to do. Fine then. My name is Huberos, yes. The last name which has been given to me is Garefol."
"I knew it."
Stepping forward, the pretty boy had a sly grin.
"This demon is no noble. He is a peasant. Look at his horns.... or rather, his lack of horns."
This statement caused a wave of laughter in the people around Huberos.
"He really doesn't have any horns...."
"Pfft...."
"Is he even a noble?"
Holding his hand up, the one known as Cespor walked forth.
"Is he even a demon?", he asked.
Huberos watched as the boy walked forth, placing his hand on his head.
"What exactly are you doing?", Huberos asked with thinned eyes.
Moving his hair aside, Cespor revealed the tiny horns of Huberos to all.
"Just barely.", he said with a smirk.
And with that, everyone around Huberos burst into laughter.
"Ahaha!!"
"Look at how small they are!!"
"So tiny!!"
"If his horns and fangs are so tiny, then doesn't that mean that something else is tiny?"
"Barely a demon, barely a man!"
"Ahaha!"
Huberos' eye twitched as he was bombarded by the laughter of the crowds.
He believed that his own suffering within the slums was greater than anything verbal attacks could match, yet right now he felt a greater irritation than ever before.
'Why..... do I feel worse than when I was starving to death?'
Thinning his eyes, Huberos frowned lightly, taking another bite of his apple.
"And look!! That's all he's got to eat!"
"He didn't even arrive in a carriage this morning!!"
"AHAHA!!!"
The insults began, and once they had started they didn't stop.
Breathing in with irritation, Huberos looked up to the boys before him.
"Is that all you have come to say? I am trying to eat in peace, yet the excessive laughter pierces my ears."
"They are all laughing at you, ill-bred.", Opus stated with a grin. "Quiet down, everyone."
As Opus raised his hand, the people quieted their laughter.
"Thank you. Now I can get back to my peaceful meal."
Before Opus even had a chance to speak, Huberos sat back down with a smug grin, taking another bite of his apple.
"Why you.... you truly don't understand your own position here, do you?"
"My position? Perhaps it is because of your position that you have become a spoiled prick. Leave my sight and go play with your toys, little boy. I don't have time for your games. Come back when you're all grown up and you don't have a daddy behind you to run to."
Huberos continued to eat with closed eyes, having reduced the apple to a mere core.
"Ah.... I shouldn't waste this."
Sliding the core down his own throat, the people around Huberos gagged at his display.
"Eww!!"
"Disgusting!!"
"Nasty!!"
"He really is a peasant!!"
Indignant, Opus stepped forward with an annoyed expression.
"What you said just now is something that I cannot ignore."
"Indeed. I too cannot agree with the musings of this ignorant one.", Cespor added.
Stepping forth, he gazed into Huberos with piercing eyes.
"Apologize. On your knees. Now."