CHAPTER 40: LINDY SAVES THE DAY

Lindy cooked them rabbit soup. It not only smelled delicious — it tasted amazing too. Damian enjoyed the meal. It had a different flavor from what he was used to.

But what he really wanted to know was why she had called him there.

She looked hesitant to say what was on her mind. Damian didn’t push her. He simply waited until she was ready to speak.

"I think this request of mine might be one that all the other students would refuse..." Lindy said.

Damian smiled. "Well, I’m sure whatever you have in mind will benefit me somehow, so please, go ahead."

"So I’ll go straight to the point," Lindy said. "I need an assistant to help me with my demonology research, and you seem like the best candidate. This is the first time I’ve ever taken an assistant since the day I stepped foot in this place. But there’s a catch — and that’s why I think you won’t accept it..."

"Your combat classes with Randal — you’ll have way fewer of them because you’ll need to help me. So you could say your progress in combat might be hindered."

That was exactly why Lindy thought no student would ever accept her offer. But to her luck, having less time with Randal was exactly what Damian wanted.

He was already facing a problem with his training — he couldn’t practice the skills like everyone else — so for him, spending less time with Randal was actually a good thing.

So much so that he asked, "Is there a chance I could stop having classes with Randal completely?"

Lindy was shocked to hear that. "Really? Do you hate combat or something?"

"I just like demonology more," Damian said.

"Well... I could speak with the higher-ups and make that happen. But how are you going to pass the fighting exams that happen every six months? You have to pass them, or else you’ll get kicked out," Lindy explained.

"And how is this exam?" Damian asked her.

"Basically, it’s a fight against someone from the academy — usually a recruit who’s been here longer than you. If you show good progress in combat, then you pass."

That wasn’t a problem for Damian. If he didn’t need to show progress with the breathing technique or the other skills, then he wasn’t worried about that test at all.

"I see. Well, you can help me with combat from time to time, and I’m confident I can pass without Randal’s guidance. So, if you could speak with the people in charge about it, that would be great."

Lindy was slightly worried about Damian, thinking he might not learn combat properly, but at the same time, she was excited to finally have an assistant to help her with her demon research.

"I’ll speak with them tomorrow," Lindy said. "And I’ll give you an answer as soon as I can."

Damian nodded.

They enjoyed their dinner, talking about demons and the type of research Lindy was doing. She looked excited while talking about demons, never stopping for a second, always with a smile on her face.

Damian also liked talking about that. Learning everything about demons was one of his goals. It would help him not only get stronger but maybe understand more about the world — and his system.

After they finished eating, Damian returned to his dorm. He couldn’t wander around for too long at night, or the guards would give him a written warning — and he didn’t want that.

Mitra and Curt were already inside the room. Both were still awake, reading their books and talking to each other.

Mitra was the first to ask, being the curious one.

"Where were you, Damian?" she asked, setting her book down. "It’s really late."

Curt stopped reading too. He looked at Damian, waiting for an answer.

There was no need to hide where he had been. If he really became Lindy’s assistant, then everyone would know about it anyway.

"I was with Teacher Lindy," Damian said. "She wanted to talk to me about something, and we ended up having dinner together."

Mitra and Curt exchanged glances. Curt said, "You know a romance with a teacher is prohibited, right? And isn’t she too old for you?"

They were already thinking about that. Damian gave Curt the middle finger. "Shut up, Curt. We were just talking, that’s all."

"Talking about what?" Mitra asked. "If you tell us, we’ll stop messing with you."

"She wanted to talk to me about the assistant position. Apparently, she needs one, and I’m her candidate," Damian said.

Mitra and Curt couldn’t believe it.

"Really? That’s incredible! Becoming an assistant to one of the teachers is something most recruits would die for. And how did you get it? You just got here!" Mitra said.

They were genuinely surprised to hear that. Becoming an assistant wasn’t easy. Students had to show their talent for a long time before a teacher would even consider giving them a chance.

And some teachers didn’t take assistants at all.

"I helped her with her research during her first class," Damian said. "That’s why she wants me as her assistant."

Mitra finally understood. "Right. That explains why she kept looking at you during her lecture. It all makes sense now."

"I really hope you get the position," Curt said. "And don’t forget about us when you do."

They were happy for him. Damian was glad his roommates were decent people.

Anyway, Damian was tired. He could barely keep his eyelids open. The first day of class had been hard on him—especially because of Randal.

So, he went to bed. Mitra and Curt didn’t stay up for long either. They all had to wake up early the next day for class.

Speaking of class, it was once again with Randal. Damian enjoyed breakfast, using the time to chill before having to endure another session with him.

The others weren’t feeling the same way. Damian knew he was being targeted by Randal for some reason, and that’s why he didn’t want to be there.

Randal began his lecture, always keeping an eye on the students—especially Damian.

"I can see some of you have improved compared to yesterday," he said. "You’re certainly practicing your first breathing technique."

Then, he looked straight at Damian and added, "While others don’t seem to be making any progress. Don’t slack off on training—especially those with low talent."

Damian didn’t need to be a genius to know Randal was talking shit about him again. He really wanted to punch the guy in the face, though he knew he didn’t stand a chance in a fight. At least not yet.

As Damian was silently pleading for his life, enduring Randal’s jabs all morning, someone came to his rescue.

It was Lindy. She walked in and said, "Excuse me, Randal, can I borrow one of your students?"

Randal wasn’t just harsh with the students. He was harsh with everyone.

"May I ask why? Your class is only in the afternoon, so I have the students for now," Randal said.

Lindy didn’t back down, though. She wasn’t scared of him like the students were.

"I know that, but I really need to borrow one of your students. The higher-ups will explain things to you later today."

Randal, having no choice, allowed her to take one of his students. When he saw who she wanted to talk to, Randal couldn’t help but say, "Really? This guy?"

Damian could tell Randal was doing his best not to talk shit about him in front of Lindy. She was, after all, a fellow teacher, so Randal couldn’t act like that around her.

Damian simply ignored Randal’s glare and left with Lindy. They went outside.

There, she said, "I talked to the higher-ups, and they agreed to let you stop taking classes with Randal. Also, they said that if you show talent and eagerness to learn with me, they’ll make your combat test easier so you can keep studying here."

Demonology had recently become a really important subject—not just in that hunter academy, but in all hunter academies scattered around the world.

Humans were trying to learn more about demons, and researchers like Lindy were doing a great job uncovering new information.

Because of that, the academy was more than willing to help Damian, especially if he showed talent for it. Not everyone could learn the demon language, so the help he gave Lindy had proven quite valuable.

Anyway, Damian couldn’t contain his happiness. "Really? So you’re saying I won’t have classes with Randal anymore?"

"Yes," Lindy said. "Why do you seem so happy about it? I don’t like Randal either, but do you two have a problem or something?"

Damian didn’t know for sure. "I don’t know. Anyway, when will I start as your new assistant?"

"Today," Lindy said. "You’re coming with me now. I’ll show you my research room."

Damian was really happy about how things turned out. He found a way to avoid Randal, all thanks to Lindy. Also, he didn’t need to show progress in his breathing technique and skills anymore, and that was great.

He was also excited to learn more about demons with Lindy.