[BL] I Accidentally Summoned A Demon Husband Now He Won't Leave-Chapter 26: Elliot Hawthorn

Answering his question of the inspectors cleared his throat harshly, his eyes narrowing as he delivered the punishment. "Your punishment will be a night in the ’Abyssal Chamber’ with mana chains binding your limbs. You will be left in complete darkness, with mana-consuming specters that will drain your energy slowly, leaving you weak and vulnerable. These specters will also invade your mind, preying on your fears, twisting them into horrifying illusions that can break even the strongest of minds. You will hear screams—echoes of past victims who lost their sanity within those walls. Most who enter the Abyssal Chamber come out scarred for life, if they ever come out at all. No food. No water. Just you, the darkness, and the spirits of despair."

The cruelty of the punishment made Elliot shiver uncontrollably. This was simply inhumane, and he was going to face this? At this rate, he wasn’t sure he would come out alive... or even sane.

No. He had to do something. Opening his mouth, he blurted out in shock, "This... This kind of punishment... Even murderers don’t receive something so cruel! How can you give mages a punishment like this?" His voice trembled, his eyes wide with disbelief.

The strict inspector only snorted, crossing his arms as he looked down on Elliot with a condescending gaze. "Of course, the punishment is well-deserved. If you don’t want to be punished, it’s simple—don’t break the rules. You did. Which is a rare case, since everyone practically avoids being punished here." His cold eyes glinted. "Blame your punishment on your ignorance and bad luck."

Elliot’s heart sank. They were completely unyielding. Nothing he said would make them reconsider.

Charles, realizing the severity of the situation, finally stepped up. He had heard the rumors, the terrifying tales of the dorm inspectors’ cruel punishments for rule breakers. But hearing it directly from the inspectors’ mouths was something else entirely. It felt like witnessing a death sentence, and he knew Elliot wouldn’t survive this.

With a forced smile, Charles tried to reason with them, "I agree with him... This punishment is too harsh. Most people wouldn’t survive it."

The inspectors only scoffed, their expressions hardened. "Oh, there were a few students who broke the rules a long time ago. If they could survive it, then your friend here should be able to, too."

"Well, he can’t."

"I can’t."

Both Charles and Elliot spoke at the same time. Their voices overlapped, laced with panic and urgency.

The strict inspector frowned, his eyes narrowing. "Why can’t he?"

Elliot was momentarily stunned, his mind spinning. Yes... Why couldn’t he? Wasn’t he a mage? Mages were supposed to have magic or spiritual energy to withstand harsh conditions. So why couldn’t he?

The answer was glaring, a painful truth that he tried desperately to hide. He didn’t have any magic. Not really. The only energy he had absorbed was running wild inside him, untamed and uncontrollable. He had no idea how to use it. He was helpless.

Humiliation surged through him, his cheeks burning with shame. He didn’t want them to know. Not the inspectors, not Charles... No one. He was already known as the weakest mage, the one who couldn’t even muster a spark. It was mortifying. And currently he didn’t want these dorm inspector’s to recognize him. His face flushed with humiliation, and he kept his mouth shut, praying that Charles would come up with a different answer, an excuse, anything to protect his secret. But his hopes were shattered when he heard Charles speak with a calm, matter-of-fact tone,

"He’s a weak mage," Charles stated matter-of-factly. "He doesn’t even have mana. He’d basically die at the beginning of the punishment."

Elliot’s face burned with humiliation. The words felt like a knife, cutting deep. Charles had said it out loud. His secret was out. The well-known fact that he was the weakest mage, the one who couldn’t even summon a spark, was now exposed to these inspectors. His face burned with shame, and he wished he could disappear.

But the strict inspector merely shrugged, his expression cold and indifferent. "We’ve already given you enough respect, Mr. Glyde. We believed your statements without investigating further, even though we had every reason to. That respect was only because of your family’s influence. If you push this any further, we’ll open a full investigation. And if we find out you’ve lied or broken any rules, it could lead to your expulsion."

Charles’s face hardened. His earlier arrogance faded, and he took a step back, realizing he had crossed a line. He had wanted to help Elliot, but he couldn’t risk his own position. If they really did investigate, it could end badly for both of them. His silence was a clear sign of his resignation.

The dorm inspector’s cold eyes turned back to Elliot, scrutinizing him with disdain. "So, can you tell me your name? What dorm and class section are you in?"

Elliot swallowed, his mouth dry. This was it. There was no escaping. Elliot’s throat went dry. His mind screamed at him to lie, to give a fake name, to say he was from another dorm, but he knew that would only make things worse. His voice was shaky as he whispered, "I’m... I’m Elliot... Elliot Hawthorn... from dorm—"

Before he could finish, one of the inspectors interrupted with wide eyes, his voice trembling with shock, "Elliot Hawthorn? As in the one who summoned the Demon King as his husband yesterday?"

The room went silent. The other inspectors looked at each other, their faces a mixture of fear and disbelief. They whispered among themselves, their voices low and urgent.

Elliot’s heart skipped a beat, his body freezing. Was this going to get him into more trouble? He couldn’t lie; he wasn’t even good at it. With his head lowered, he nodded aggressively, muttering, "Yes."

At his word’s one of the inspectors turned to the others, his face pale as he muttered, "That’s bad... This is really bad..."