Chapter 194: The Night Prince and the Black and White Princesses (4k)
December 24th, Sunday.
Sunday is the most special day of the week, both a Sabbath and a day of worship.
Devotees usually attend church on this day for worship.
With tonight being Christmas Eve, thousands of households head to the church to pray for everyone’s safety.
Although the Kingdom’s Church actually supports the hawkish faction, this does not prevent the grassroots believers from yearning for peace.
After experiencing the baptism of blood during the war with the Demons, the current peace seems all the more precious.
People’s wisdom grows rapidly in war, and they see gods and faith more clearly, avoiding blind devotion.
Most grassroots believers go to church for peace of mind rather than genuine belief in unseen deities.
After all, when they were in danger, it wasn’t any deity that saved them, but the heroes who bravely sacrificed themselves on the front lines!
…
As the most renowned hero production base, Saint Maryann Academy is held in high regard, surpassing even the Church.
However, Saint Maryann Academy does not open its doors to the public and has no churches in various towns; people have nowhere to pay their respects.
There’s no help for it; this is life.
If you can’t get the best, you settle for second-best.
At least the Church has produced some heroes.
One of the notable ones is the battlefield saintess who inherited the title of “Jeanne.”
…
In the midst of the murmuring prayers, the kingdom welcomed a new day.
Saint Maryann was no exception.
Sister Carrian put on an overcoat after completing her daily worship.
She had finally finished the accumulated work from the past few days yesterday.
Starting today, she would have a holiday—if she was lucky enough!
Unfortunately, according to previous patterns, there would always be a few issues every Christmas.
This made her too afraid to drink freely at the ball.
But this year, she came prepared with a secret hangover remedy!
A single dose of the hangover potion would instantly sober her up, no matter how drunk she was.
Though the price was double the next day’s drunkenness…
“Ah—”
She yawned and planned to take some free time to visit Traveler’s Street and buy a few small gifts.
Usually, she stayed in the infirmary and did not socialize much, but now she couldn’t avoid it.
Teachers often exchanged gifts among themselves.
Especially the professors who remained at the academy.
That included Professor Lily, Professor Kazel, and Professor Shylph.
They were all homeless, so they had to band together for warmth; otherwise, how would they survive the cold winter?
…
Speaking of those professors.
Professor Lily was drunk again last night, sprawled on the sofa like a dead pig, probably only getting up in the afternoon.
Professors Kazel and Shylph were busy preparing for the Christmas ball.
Professor Shylph was in charge of decorating the ball, while Professor Kazel was using the Holy Grail to create disposable wish-making devices—Christmas stockings!
Thinking about it, Professor Kazel was really unlucky.
Eighty percent of the ghosts on Halloween were his creations.
And a thousand Christmas stockings were also his handiwork…
Yet, he received only a regular professor’s salary at Saint Maryann.
Unlucky!
…
Frost had already formed on the buildings in the early morning, and thin ice had appeared on the lake surface.
As the sunlight gradually warmed up, the frost melted, and Saint Maryann Academy slowly regained its vitality.
Students began to leave the tall tower one by one.
All their savings and preparations would be tested tonight!
Dak, in the dormitory of the Noble Academy, was still reading “Claire’s Travels.”
The book turned out to be unexpectedly interesting.
Aunt Claire, despite her appearance, had a humorous and light-hearted writing style, vividly describing each place she visited with illustrations, showing great care and effort.
Reading the book felt like following her footsteps across mountains and rivers.
It was hard to imagine traveling such a long distance alone.
The ease and humor in the text could not hide the hardships of the journey.
Moreover, the dangers in the deep forests and the ferocity of bandits and thieves were not easily overlooked.
Suddenly, Dak felt he shouldn’t have given her that bottle named “Pangea,” perhaps he should have bought her a whole set of cosmetics.
Of course, Claire herself might prefer the bottle of wine.
Forty-eight hours passed in a blink, and it was unknown whether Claire had arrived home.
Perhaps tonight, on Christmas Eve, she would light a candle at the dinner table and savor a bottle of fiery red wine with Alvaraite, filled with the scent of battlefield blood!
…
Another afternoon passed.
Dak packed his belongings and prepared for the battle.
He genuinely enjoyed the youthful atmosphere of these festivals, but too much involvement sometimes brought many interpersonal troubles.
The entrance time for the Christmas ball was exactly seven o’clock in the evening.
The venue was still the same hall used during the house sorting ceremony, which students sometimes referred to as the Grand Hall or Banquet Hall.
Unlike Halloween, there was no masquerade, and most professors were not at school, so the school didn’t enforce strict time rules.
If desired, one could enter the Grand Hall as early as five or six in the evening.
Tonight’s ball did not have a princess guest, but a performing magic circus troupe from Traveler’s Street was invited.
Even though the young magi could summon golems, the magic circus troupe’s control of golems gave a fresh feeling.
Around six thirty in the evening, Dak had just changed into the Night Prince outfit when he heard a knock at the door.
He pushed the useless Black Crow mask to the corner of the table and straightened his collar before going to open the door.
“Good evening, ladies.”
The moment he opened the door, he performed a perfectly standard gentleman bow.
Diana, standing at the door, paused for a moment before happily extending her hand.
“Good evening, Dak.”
Dak took her hand and lightly tapped it with his black lace glove, causing her to giggle.
Rose immediately showed a look of frustration.
Dak then looked up and examined the two elegantly dressed women.
Diana, as expected, had changed into the Night Princess outfit, wearing a black velvet princess dress that swayed with a special fullness supported by the hoop skirt. The extravagant decorations and cute pleats on the dress were not something ordinary people could pull off.
Diana’s silver hair was neatly combed, clearly a handiwork of Rose.
The expensive hair accessory added a touch of nobility, reducing her childlike appearance slightly.
Her crystal shoes with high heels compensated somewhat for her height, which was slightly shorter than her peers.
Diana’s striking personality often overshadowed her royal lineage, but her smooth silver hair still exuded an unreachable nobility.
Twelve-year-old Diana, after meticulous grooming, began to look like a beauty.
…
Dak’s gaze then shifted to Rose.
Unlike the military attire at the masquerade ball, today Rose wore a dress that matched her temperament.
She clearly preferred a clean and pure white tone. Her taller figure, aided by corsetry, became more curvaceous, making her waist appear slimmer. The skirt, supported by a hoop, bloomed like a flower, with multiple layers creating a strong visual impact.
Rose, wearing flat red dancing shoes, stood almost the same height as Diana, without contrasting her.
It seemed she always paid attention not to overshadow Diana, but her natural beauty could not be hidden by such minor details.
Her pale gold hair, inherited from her noble parents, made her look like a real princess.
Even if Anna and Angie were here, they couldn’t completely eclipse her radiance.
Unlike when she first arrived at Saint Maryann, Rose was clearly more relaxed. This was partly due to Diana’s influence and partly because there was a boy in their circle who gathered all the spotlight.
Although it might sound bad at first, it was indeed true.
No matter where they were, the class of their social circle greatly influenced their mentality and perception of the outside world.
Their trio formed a small circle, undoubtedly the top tier among the first-year students at the Noble Academy.
Diana, who was carefree, did not notice this.
But Rose, with her keen eye, always saw envy in her classmates’ eyes, improving her previously hidden feelings of inferiority.
So she always felt incredibly lucky to meet Diana and Dak.
Her smile grew brighter.
…
Dak averted his gaze, feeling a sense of relief.
Thankfully, he was no longer the person he used to be.
After being tempered by Senior Pandora and the cute offensive of the cat grass, his mindset had become firm enough to resist triggering his inner power rashly.
“The timing is perfect.”
Dak locked the door and headed towards the stairwell.
Rose nudged Diana’s arm, and Diana quickly realized and reached out to hold Dak’s arm.
But she obviously wasn’t accustomed to the high heels, causing her body to tilt.
Dak reacted quickly, stepping back slightly and catching her hand.
It was small but warm.
Diana’s face flushed slightly, revealing a shy smile.
Then she naturally held onto Dak’s arm and walked downstairs.
Dak didn’t pay much attention, glancing at Rose instead.
Rose winked at him, indicating she could walk alone.
The three of them walked one after another to the Common Room.
It was an awkward time, with many people still chatting and passing time in the Common Room, just as they saw the trio.
While golden boys and girls were common, tonight had a different significance.
The students of the Noble Academy still remembered the sixteen consecutive invitations from the night before, and seeing Dak and Diana together, they suddenly realized the final winner was right here!
Especially the first-year girls who had been rejected on the spot, now looked at Diana with intense envy.
They muttered things like “the closest water gets the moon first” and gestured to their chests, then each showed a disappointed expression.
Why them?
Eudora, hiding in a corner reading a book, had average grades.
Although eleven and twelve seemed close in age, the mental growth during this period was rapid, and she was somewhat lagging behind.
But fortunately, she was diligent enough.
“I’m still young.”
Glancing at Diana’s chest, Eudora indicated she still had potential.
As for not receiving a reply the other night, it was within her expectations.
She didn’t know she was the only one who hadn’t received a reply, as no one would publicize such matters, and they had already been rejected once in public.
Dak’s response seemed sincere and polite, but to the girls, it was another rejection.
He lacked experience in such matters in his previous life, and there were inevitable oversights in emotional matters.
…
When Dak and the others pushed open the main door, the students in the Common Room took it as a cue to stand up and start leaving one by one.
The light from inside the door illuminated the bridge, and every student who walked through it felt a sense of additional ceremony.
The Christmas ball had already begun in their hearts.
From the tower of the Noble Academy to the Grand Hall on the first floor, it would take about five minutes if they walked slowly.
Dak was very concerned about Diana possibly tripping, so he kept holding her hand.
Outside the Grand Hall’s main entrance stood two glowing reindeer, each wearing a cute Santa hat.
Dak, emulating the seniors’ actions, removed one of the reindeer’s Santa hats, and sure enough, another hat rotated down from above, landing perfectly on the reindeer’s head.
This seemingly simple action contained considerable technical skill.
Dak admired it and placed the Santa hat on Diana’s head, then put one on himself.
Two first-year students wearing Santa hats entered the hall.
Immediately, the entire Grand Hall’s decor came into view!
The characteristic four long tables were still arranged in their usual spots, with red tablecloths embroidered with Christmas trees, reindeer, and sleighs. Silver candles floated above the tables, though they were not yet lit.
On the stage in front of the hall stood a huge Christmas tree!
The tree was adorned with numerous gift boxes and countless decorations.
The most eye-catching decoration was a crown, a mana book, a lance, and a “Fool” tarot card!
These symbols represented the four academies, embodying the spirit of the schools.
Glowing little fairies flew around the Christmas tree, laughing like silver bells.
The atmosphere of the Christmas ball overflowed!
