Chapter 182 - Agent Zero (1) (1/2)
It didn't matter if Zero had been here before. The beautiful sight still awed him. As Morning Star Academy rolled up, the teen wondered if he looked odd. The school uniform was made of comfortable cloth but nothing as comfortable as the tracksuit he'd gotten used to wearing or the other clothes he wore. The fact that the lab coat got banned made him slightly depressed.
Baal noticed that his friend was fidgeting more frequently as they got nearer. Ever since they could see Lucifer's domain, the teen wouldn't stop checking the time. It's not as if Lucifer would punish them for being tardy. Punctualness wasn't an important factor for first impressions amongst demons. Capability on the other hand was.
”Relax,” he told the apprentice who jumped at his voice.
The young doctor laughed weakly and a light blush was dusted on his cheeks at being found out. Zero thought that meditating would help. He met many people so far but the idea of meeting new people whom he could possibly become friends with made his stomach tumble in itself. The emotion was unfamiliar but Zero recognised it as a sign of apprehension or nervousness from his medical training with Hua Tuo.
There was excitement at making new friends, dread at being disliked by said potential friend candidates and worry about not knowing what to do or how to fit in with the class. Baal watched all of those emotions play out on his friend's face with interest. For someone as powerful as Zero, it was funny how he was sweating over the smaller stuff in life. Baal never showed an interest in school or in making friends. Mammon and Lilith were co-workers that stuck with him and were less annoying than the others. For Zero to get excited over meeting a bunch of strangers who may or may not wish him harm, Baal found it incredibly amusing.
The carriage pulled up on the steps of the main entrance and Zero half wondered if it was alright to be stepping on such polished marble flooring. He felt slightly bad but followed Baal quickly and hopped off the transport. Baal seemed to know where he was going so Zero decided that he should follow his friend who looked every bit like a teacher after transformation.
The Demon Lord was older now. He looked dashing in his suit that Coux ironed for him. Baal even went through the trouble of wearing a tie and a pair of glasses to complete the intellectual look as expected of a guest lecturer. Zero has never been prouder of his friend.
The walked down brightly lit hallways furnished with expensive looking carpets in silence. The glass windows were huge and Zero could see the school's courtyard from where they were. Occasionally there would be a random vase with some poisonous flower and a picture in a golden frame on the wall. Mammon once explained that interior decor reflected one's wealth here in the abyss. The Academy certainly looked like it was very rich. Nothing could compare to Mammon's humble abode but when compared to Baal's homey castle, Zero couldn't get used to the obscene amount of sparkly things. He felt like his shabby self didn't belong in such a refined place. Everyone behaved so elegantly as they walked or flew to their classes. Zero passed by a few students on the way and couldn't believe what he was seeing. Most of them looked human even if they didn't feel like one with their predatory smiles.
Baal finally halted in front of a large white double door with golden handles. Zero was beginning to wonder what the deal was with gold. Did Lucifer have a gold obsession like Mammon? Then again, Mammon wouldn't make things using gold. He preferred to keep them in his vault away from prying eyes. The Demon Lord knocked twice before twisting the handle and letting himself in.
Zero was once more blinded by the sight of shiny objects when they entered. It took him a while to adjust to it and realise that the dean was already seated at the other side of the very large wooden desk. Zero eyed the chair that looked very similar to the throne he saw Lucifer sitting on during the trials. he wondered if that was the same throne or if it was a duplicate. Lucifer was rich enough to have several duplicates of that if he really wanted to.
”Welcome to the Morning Star Academy,” Lucifer greeted smoothly and offered them a seat.
Baal didn't stand on ceremony and sat right down while Zero fidgeted before following suit. Lucifer didn't waste any time and got right into it. Zero glanced through the folder that contained the profiles of several students. He wasn't quite sure why he was looking at the profiles of students but he studied them with interest anyway.
”Are they the target?”
Lucifer smiled. ”Thankfully we have them narrowed down to two classes. Beelzebub is working in Class-B but there is nobody capable of monitoring the suspects in Class-A. That's where you come in Zero. We received word that they will make a move by the end of the week. It will be best to catch them before that or in the act. Cleaning up messes is always troublesome.”
Zero raised an eyebrow. ”What are you talking about? What mess? Is something going on?”
Lucifer gave Baal a strange look. ”You didn't tell the kid anything?”
Baal shrugged nonchalantly and Lucifer's face darkened. There was silence for a while and Zero wondered if he said anything wrong.
”Zero, do you understand what this is all about?”
The teen nodded. ”I'm going to school for a week to do something for you, right? We had an agreement.”
Lucifer nodded. ”That's right. Do you know what the... errand is about?”
Baal closed his eyes and opted for a short nap, leaving Lucifer and Zero to talk it out. The ancient demon sighed tiredly. He should have seen it coming.