An Aura Farmer's Guide to Another World-Chapter 31: Demon Army Commissioning Ceremony

At the heart of Velmora, the capital of the Demon Empire, stood King’s Cathedral, a dark Gothic structure, its two prominent, incredibly tall spires piercing the sky.

The Demon Academy was holding a commissioning ceremony for the seventeenth graduating class of its military institution. Cadets from all five houses comprising the demon army were in attendance.

Inside the King’s Cathedral, looking down from a high vantage point, one could see rows upon rows of wooden benches filled with cadets. From the entrance, a long red carpet leads up to the altar, which is set on a raised platform.

Sunlight streamed through the enormous stained-glass windows at the far end, casting a luminous glow on the altar area.

The altar housed three things: the demon queen, seated to the far left, flanked by the generals of the demon army; a stone resembling the peak of Mount Everest, in which a black sword was embedded, its hilt catching the sunlight; and the podium, where the Duke, second in hierarchy in the Demon Empire, stood behind a tiny microphone.

***

Lana, who was seated to the left of Queen Violet, crossed her legs and leaned back, sinking into the backrest.

Wearing a casual green kimono, she stood apart from the other generals, who were clad in formal demon army attire.

"Why would you recommend a no-body, a mere human, to join the house of sinners?" Lana’s aide asked, leaning in close, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Everything regarding Liam Becker is classified information." Lana tilted her head, her gaze settling on a woman in a dark uniform featuring a white blouse and a small hat.

"People pay fortunes to be recommended, yet you recommended a weakling who couldn’t even pass the devil’s island test."

Lana’s eyes moved away from her aide and settled on the cadets seated on the wooden benches. "Classified, and that’s all. Move on."

"But our reputation—"

"Mind your fucking business." She shoved Emily’s face back, her fingers gripping it. "Besides, soon enough, you will know why I chose him."

***

Cupcake’s POV

Standing beside Louis, the Duke of the Demon Empire, Cupcake crossed her index and middle fingers, creating a protective barrier around him in the form of a glass cube.

"Esteemed guests, welcome to the commissioning ceremony of the Demon Academy’s seventeenth graduating class. My name is Louis Goldman, and it is my distinct honor to serve as your Master of Ceremonies for this auspicious occasion."

Cupcake glanced at Louis from the corner of her eye. ’Why the fuck was I asked to create a barrier.’

With a nervous bite of her lip, she gazed forward. "Surely, no one in their right mind, or otherwise, would dare attack with Zaza nearby."

Louis steadied himself at the podium, microphone in hand. "Members of the House of War," he announced, "please come forward to the Altar. There, Zaza will present your insignia, officially inducting you into the Demon Army as second lieutenants."

In unison, the cadets seated in the front row of the cathedral rose and marched together towards the altar.

Cupcake raised an eyebrow and created an opening in the barrier, allowing the cadets to enter.

Her dark purple hair, styled in long pigtails, was flicked to the side.

’Huuuh...’

’My fingers are going to be screaming by the time this thing is done,’ she sighed.

The cadets formed a precise rectangular shape in front of the altar, with their class representative standing forward.

"We are ready, sir." Julian, their class representative, said.

As he spoke, the cadets executed a synchronized, precise movement, raising their legs and then returning them to the ground with a soft thud, simultaneously positioning their hands clasped firmly behind their backs.

’Thud thud!’

Cupcake glanced right, her gaze settling on Queen Violet.

General Zaza, a high-ranking four-star officer, rose from his seat and proceeded in the direction of the House of War’s class representative.

He possesses long flowing white hair and a neatly trimmed white beard. His expression was serious and composed.

Zaza was clad in a formal, dark military uniform, rich with intricate details and ornamentation.

The uniform features prominent gold epaulets with fringe on the shoulders, and numerous gold braids and decorative elements on the chest and sleeves.

Cupcake watched Zaza approach the barrier. With a raised eyebrow, she permitted him entry and then promptly sealed it once more.

Standing before Julian, Zaza instructed the cadets, "Okay, hold up your right hand and say these words after me."

Cupcake narrowed her vision to Julian as he and the rest of the cadets raised their hands; in her eyes, she could see a faint green aura glowing from their form.

Zaza’s voice, thick with manhood, echoed throughout the vast Cathedral as he continued speaking.

"State your full names and solemnly swear that you will support and defend the Demon Empire against all enemies, foreign and domestic."

Cupcake’s fur-trimmed jacket slipped slightly on her shoulders as she watched the cadets begin their Oath. A twitch ran through her shoulder. "Let’s find out how many of them intend to betray the Demon Empire," she thought, her eyes scanning the crowd.

"I am Julian Everest, and I solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Demon Empire against all enemies, foreign and domestic."

Glancing at Julian, Cupcake murmured to herself, "Green, he is telling the truth."

Scanning the rest of the cadets within her barrier, her eyes finally spotted a faint red glow at the back. A smile touched her lips. "Found you," she murmured, then glanced away.

Within her barrier, she possesses the subtle ability to detect falsehoods in spoken words, which is a skill she keeps hidden from everyone.

Carefully, Zaza stepped to Julian’s side and attached an insignia on his shoulder. The emblem featured a purple rose with a single petal.

He moved along the line, fastening the insignia onto each of the remaining cadets. Once finished, he returned to his place before the podium and announced, "As of this moment, you are officially Second Lieutenants within the Demon Army."

The cadets promptly executed a synchronized salute, placing their palms on their temples before moving them to their backs.

"Dismiss," Zaza commanded before returning to his seat beside the queen.

After the members of the House of War departed, Louis summoned the House of Beast, followed by the House of Greed, then the House of Lust, and finally, the House of Sinners.

Cupcake had crossed her fingers for over four hours without a break to maintain the barrier; the look on her face can only be compared to that of a person holding their breath for an impossibly long time.

Louis placed his hand on the podium and adjusted the microphone.

’Not again," Cupcake muttered.

"Members of the House of sinners, approach the Altar. Lana will now administer your insignia, formally welcoming you as second lieutenants into the Demon Army."

Turning her head left to face Lana, Cupcake gave a small, courteous smile that didn’t extend to her eyes. She was hoping her boss, a two-star Major General, wouldn’t pick up on any sign of weakness from her.

Approaching Cupcake at the podium, Lana smiled back as she came to stand next to her.

At that moment, two women, dressed in black hooded cloaks that concealed their entire figures, approached and positioned themselves before Lana.

Lana distributed white slips of paper. "You’ve been removed from the family registry and are now declared dead. As members of the House of Sinners, you must leave your former life behind, severing all ties. Revealing your true identity to anyone outside the organization is forbidden."

Cupcake, a captain serving under the House of Sinners, a spy organization operating directly under the authority of Queen Violet, observed the recruits. A sudden flash of her time on Devils Island resurfaced, sending an unusual electric shock through her body.

"Why can’t we go to the Demon Academy for five years like any other house?" She murmured, her eyes tracking Lana as she moved around the recruits, scrutinizing every detail of their appearance.

"The paper I have given to you is crafted from an artifact. Place a single drop of your blood on it, and it will use your blood to inscribe on the paper. The name inscribed will become your new name."

As though pain was nothing more than a word to them, the recruits bit their lips until blood flowed freely.

Positioned before the taller of the two recruits, Lana took the blood-soaked paper from her hand and quickly read it out loud.

"Going forward, your name will be Princess."

Removing the recruit’s cloak, Lana revealed Evelyn, a six-foot-tall female elf distinguished by her silver hair and purple eyes.

"Lucky her," Cupcake muttered, glancing at Evelyn. "Why on earth was my name Cupcake? Of all the names that shitty artifact could have given me, it chose Cupcake."

Lana accepted the white paper from the last recruit. A silent disbelief washed over her as she read its contents. "This cannot be," she thought.

"Why is Lucy still on the paper? It hasn’t been altered at all."

Lana seized Lucy’s wrist. "Excuse me." She then pressed the bloody finger onto the paper.

"Even so, Lucy, this is impossible.".

Ignoring Lana, Lucy swiftly took off her cloak and snatched the paper. "Who gave you the permission to keep me waiting?" She said.

Lana stood still, lost for words.

Reading the inscription, Lucy scoffed, "Of course, my name cannot be changed by a mere artifact." She proceeded and tore the paper into pieces, scattering them across the floor.

"A goddess’ name cannot be tampered with."

Lana stood silently, her veins throbbing, blinking rapidly as she fought to maintain a composed expression. ’The queen wants me to be patient; I can handle this.’

With an awkward smile, Lana lifted her hand and instructed, "Repeat the Oath after me."

"I am Princess, and I solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Queen against all enemies, foreign and domestic," Evelyn repeated.

With arms folded, Lucy turned away, deliberately avoiding eye contact.

"Ahem!" Lana coughed into her knuckle.

"Fine, I would do it," Lucy repeated the Oath in such a manner that you will think she was talking to a bug.

Trying to mask her fury, Lana maintained a smile like a nun. Instead of the expected shoulder insignia, she gave them a dog tag marked with a purple rose that had one petal.

"You are now officially members of the House of Sinners. Congratulations."

*** frёewebnoѵēl.com

Following the conclusion of the commissioning ceremony, only one candidate remained. Louis stood at the podium and cleared his throat.

"The irregular should come forward."

1 minute....

2 minutes...

3 minutes...

The cathedral was silent, and nobody stepped forward.

"Ahem!" Louis coughed into the microphone.

"The nominee for the House of Sinners recommended by Lana should come forward."

Lana tapped her finger aggressively against her thigh, and as if that weren’t enough, her foot also tapped, creating a low humming vibration.

"Surely, he wouldn’t do this to me?"

She glanced to her right toward the queen.

Violet was seated on her golden throne, her posture perfectly erect, and her gaze was directed forward and unblinking, portraying no emotion.

Seeing the expressions on the four generals’ faces as they sat next to the queen, Lana instantly averted her gaze.

4 minutes...

5 minutes...

6 minutes...

7 minutes...

8 minutes...

9 minutes...

10 minutes...

The grand double doors of the cathedral swung open, revealing a man clad in a black suit, his hair meticulously styled as though he were a member of a K-pop band.

"I am sorry, my haircut took longer than expected."

Walking toward the altar, Liam became the center of attention. Every gaze followed his progress, from the cadets seated on the wooden benches to the Duke, who stood observing from behind the podium.

Upon realizing he had captured the attention of the queen and the Generals, he flicked the collar of his tuxedo shirt, winking at them.

"This is going to be epic."