Devouring Monarch: Rebirth of the Profane Phoenix

Helliana was on the table eating some cured meats, her size seeming to grow each day he saw her. She flicked her wings upon noticing him before she ate the mixed fish and meat in the bowl like Asura might steal it.

'This cheeky bird...'

He looked out the window and checked the time. It seemed they had missed most of the morning's lessons, which made him wonder if Lorem would get into trouble because she had not turned up.

"Well, she already left after the bath. It seems she should be fine."

Asura quickly finished the meal prepared by the maids and then headed out of the mansion in his usual black and red uniform. The streets were empty and lacked the usual charm he remembered—instead, there were only guards and knights patrolling as if to look for criminals or miscreants.

The sun's searing heat caused Asura to feel irritable, a light sweat from the humidity while walking to the academy; today, he wouldn't be learning with Verana but would attend actual lessons for once.

"Good afternoon, Lord Fenix—welcome to the academy."

"Please enter."

Asura arrived at the gate. He met Xavida for the first time, noticing the guards remained the same people who did nothing last time and just watched in silence. 'Well, it's not like I'd want them fired when they cannot go against their prince and his orders.

"This place is nostalgic, but entering without issue is quite a pleasant change."

'In the past, the guards and knights would always cause issues for me, like second or third-rate villains...'

The academy gates were wide open for him this time, and the building looked far more dignified than the unkempt one in his past life. Asura remembered the academy after the various battles in the capital, and the eastern and northern invaders destroyed its walls, statues and beautiful artwork.

Inside the academy, several students in uniform walked in groups of two or three. Many students moved toward the massive lecture halls or training grounds, which could contain over a thousand people.

'They seem to be second and third years...'

A familiar sensation welcomed Asura as he walked through the grounds. The environment wasn't as flashy as the palace, and the interior was grand, with no need for excess or ineffective decoration. The other students appeared more diligent and focused on learning.

"Such a long time since I came to this corridor..."

Outside the windows, he saw the arena used for training and competition purposes while a few students in the fourth year seemed to set up a stage for something. "Is the war that close... It feels much sooner than I thought."

The other students looked at the black-haired youth walking alone. Not everyone recognised Asura. Many seemed to whisper something to their friends as he approached Lorem's classroom, wondering why people felt the need to insult others for no reason.

They had nothing terrible in mind, but Asura noticed several were not regular students and belonged to the council of knights, who Vela might choose as her Royal Knights when she becomes the Queen.

"Lord Fenix!"

"Hmmm?"

It was a mere coincidence, but the two girls who called out to him seemed to be friends of Mu Xue. From what Asura knew, the girls he asked her to befriend in the first days of class exchanged many details and started calling Mu Xue Big Sis After she saved them from some overly confident men in the city centre who wanted to flirt with them.

The girls were 19 years old and dressed in uniforms. One had golden blonde hair, while the other had brown. The women wore shorter skirts, exposing more skin around their thighs and knees.

'To Kick easier, eh? Not an awful choice for a distraction.'

"What's wrong? Isn't there a class?"

"We're only coming back from the cafeteria!"

"We were with Big Sis Mu Xue, but she seemed a little angry today and went to class ahead of us. Because instructor Lorem was late, we are starting in ten minutes."

"The academy council asked her to join them the other day, too—maybe she felt bothered by them," the brunette said with a worried face.

'The council, why didn't she mention this to me?' Asura didn't like it. He felt jealous despite spending the past thirty hours sleeping with their instructor.

"Did she accept?"

The pair looked at each other as they approached the door, with Asura standing to the side. They giggled and tapped his shoulder before rushing inside. "Never. Big Sis is too much in love with you."

"Haha, she sent the guy flying with ice magic because he insulted you for always being absent."

"Shhh... Marie, don't tell him!"

"Ah... Big Sis said to stay quiet..."

'Mu Xue made some friends. I am so happy for her... Let's monitor their growth and help them go further. Since they are Xue'ers friends, I don't want them to die or suffer.'

He didn't rush to follow the two inside, listening to the gossip and them speaking with the girls who sat around Mu Xue. Asura watched as she seemed to become the group's centre, most of them listening to or seeking her advice.

'It's true... she looks a little angry today. She's furrowing her brows, and the gap between is all wrinkled.'

Asura ignored the many stares when he opened the door. The feeling of entering this classroom had changed over the past two months. He felt others' gazes change from admiration to envy to disgust or rage. He walked straight to his desk only to notice that Xavida wasn't in her seat but was playing near Mu Xue.

"Hmmm?" Asura noticed her gaze, but she just turned away and pouted.

"Hmph..."

'I guess they are mad because of my actions...'

He didn't dwell on it too much because they also had the same treatment when he first became their lover. So, he took out his learning utensils and waited for Lorem to arrive while leaning on his arms, enjoying the sounds of the classroom.

Asura felt he finally returned for the first time in a while, almost drifting into sleep.

"Asura, wake up!"

"Ning... don't want to.."

Lorem flicked Asura's forehead when he dozed off, drawing the class's attention.

When she came to the lesson to find him sleeping, it warmed her heart, and she felt his sleeping face was cute. However, this was her job, so she needed him to wake up and stop sleeping during her lessons because he already missed enough in the past few months.

"Did you not get any rest?"

Asura held her hand when Lorem flicked him, waking him up. His face relaxed, and he almost kissed her fingertips before she suddenly slapped his face and dashed away, allowing him to realise they weren't in his bedroom anymore.

'Damn... I almost made a mistake.'

"Student Fenix! Hurry and prepare for the lesson, or you will lose credits and must return after hours!" Lorem spoke angrily and busied herself with preparing the teaching materials.

The other students did not see her everyday interactions, so they started whispering something, blaming Asura for making her mad.

Yet none of them could see the slight red hue on her cheeks or the smile she hid behind the teaching tablet while secretly peeking at Asura, who sleepily prepared himself.

"Please hurry."

'Hmmm... Just because I can't show everyone we're lovers... tsk...'

Mu Xue looked back for a moment, and it seemed her gentle heart would soon forgive him. The moment Lorem slapped his face, she created a sharp spike of ice in her palm as if ready to kill their teacher.

'Xavi?'

Asura noticed Xavida seemed to ignore him, her tail purposely slapping down on his desk, covering his learning materials or stealing his pen. Because he annoyed her, he grasped her tail and trapped it between his fingertips while playing with it.

"Geh!" Xavida's face changed to fear, and she quickly tried to stab him with the tip, only for him to drag her closer.

'She seems a bit disturbed by me sleeping with Lorem. That's fine. Maybe she'll talk about it later.'

"Okay, everyone, despite the rare customer of our lesson. Today's topic concerns magical elements unrelated to birth and the norm."

"Oh? Miss, what do you mean?"

One of the male nobles at the front with several pieces of parchment ready asked; at the start of the term, he complained and acted pompous, but now he brought several types of pens and pencils, always ready for her lessons on magic and its theory.

"It's quite simple, Aldebaran. Earth, Fire, Water and Wind... These are the elements that anyone can be born with, whether you are a noble, royal, monster, beast, dragon or even a commoner. Nobody can take this element away, although it can be random. You will always gain one of these affinities upon birth."

'So she said... this is just the basic stuff. Like the lesson on elements taught by Professor Sallen.'

Asura looked at Mu Xue as Lorem explained the concept. He could remember things his sister had done in the past, causing trouble for Mu Xue because her wind had an advantage against her ice element, but this time, Mu Xue won.

She might not have mastered the control of her ice, but she could win with grace and surprise.

"Technically, these are called innate elements and matter the most. However, are you interested in what we call Mutated elements or Bloodline elements?"

Lorem paced along the aisles. Each time she passes Asura, her hand strokes his body, but she uses her magic to hide any actions, like a young woman in love.