Chapter 515: Dark Demon Goes Against the Tide (10k)
Even Dark himself had never received such treatment in past classes.
Three teachers and one parent were distributing test papers on the podium, starting from the lowest score…
In the era that emphasized “reducing burden” and advocated not publicizing grades, this behavior was indeed going against the tide.
However, the golem children were different from human children; their endurance was much stronger than humans.
Under normal circumstances, they could be fully energized with just two hours of sleep out of 24 hours.
Even if they went without sleep for 24 hours, they could still maintain a basic state.
Of course, maintaining just the basic state was not suitable for learning.
As Dark walked past the podium, he nodded slightly to the golem children and sat down in a corner seat, observing.
The golem children all secretly glanced towards him.
There were confident ones like Eevee, and timid ones like Little Cubone.
But Little Cubone had only recently been born, so its poor performance was understandable.
While Dark was thinking this, Mrs. Cook, the head tutor, opened her mouth and said, “Since I started tutoring you, it has already been over a month. Despite the fact that you are not human, you are smarter than some human children I’ve taught before. And most students have worked very hard.”
“I always believe that diligence pays off. Hardworking people will get what they want.” The prologue ended here, and she continued, “Now, let’s announce the scores, starting from the last place.”
No sooner had she spoken than the atmosphere in the classroom froze.
The golem children did not expect the main event to come so early and suddenly.
Compared to the first place, they were more concerned about who would be last—the most embarrassing and pitiable position.
Before Mrs. Cook even announced it, most of the golem children focused on Little Cubone and Trash Slime.
Little Cubone had only recently been born, was gluttonous and lazy, and its poor performance was understandable.
Trash Slime’s intelligence level was not high, even though it had improved somewhat with Mrs. Plant’s help, it still remained at the bottom.
The two of them were undoubtedly the top contenders for last place!
When everyone’s gaze fell upon them, Little Cubone still licked its fingers with a foolish expression, while Trash Slime instinctively shrank towards Ditto.
“Who will be the last one?”
Holding their breaths as if the award was being revealed, when Mrs. Cook pulled out the first test paper, everyone’s attention shifted to the podium.
Mrs. Cook glanced at the test paper in her hand, then sternly pointed at the憨憨(Literally ‘stupid’) Little Cubone, saying, “Now, let’s reveal the scores. Last place, Little Cubone, score, 0!”
…
“0 points?”
The classroom erupted in a cacophony of noise.
Although Little Cubone winning the last place was expected, no one imagined it would get zero points!
But how could it be so happy and peaceful despite getting no points?
The golem children’s eyes filled with endless confusion.
Even Dark couldn’t help but be stunned.
This Little Cubone didn’t have the “Thick Fat” ability…
“Kabu?”
Little Cubone bit its finger, confused by its family’s strange looks.
“Cough.”
Dark couldn’t help but ask, “If I’m not mistaken, there were four subjects this time, each worth 100 points, right?”
“Yes,” Mrs. Cook replied seriously, “The four subjects are Reading and Writing, Arithmetic, Common Sense, and History.”
“Which are Chinese, Math, Natural Science, and History.”
Dark nodded. This indeed met his requirements for teaching.
But given such a configuration, how could someone get zero points?
Could it be that they left the answers blank?
From what he remembered, except for a person called “Nobita,” few people could master this special skill.
“Hand me the test paper,” Dark said to Mrs. Cook.
Mrs. Plant, standing beside, stepped forward and handed the test paper to him.
Dark took the test paper, flipped through it, and his expression gradually darkened.
Little Cubone’s learning progress was faster than expected, at least it could write its name properly.
It also used phonetic symbols to replace words it couldn’t write.
But precisely because of this, the problem became bigger.
Because this meant that the reason for getting zero points couldn’t be attributed to “not knowing how to read.”
Especially in the Arithmetic test paper, there were fundamental calculations like “13 + 14 =”, but its answer was 1314!
“13 + 14 = 1314”???
Dark continued reading and found that in the subsequent questions, besides scribbling nonsense, it had drawn twisted food pictures.
“This is an attitude issue.”
He closed the test paper and said to the audience, “Little Cubone, come up and take your test paper.”
“Kabu!” Little Cubone hummed lightly, got off the chair, and happily walked toward Dark.
Dark handed the test paper to it and decisively said, “Starting today, your rations will be halved.”
“Kabu!”
Its mouth wide open, it was stuck in shock.
But Dark Diemon never lied, “I’ll let the teachers rate your learning attitude after class, and decide the next day’s rations based on the score. A standard line of five points, each additional point increases the rations by 10 kg, each less point reduces the rations by 10 kg, with a maximum of 12 points. Do you have any objections?”
Little Cubone hurriedly raised its hands and loudly said, “Kabu kabu!”
Dark: “Come e? Good, no objections, you can go now.”
So Little Cubone held the test paper and petrified into a sculpture.
…
Dark’s disciplinary action made the atmosphere increasingly tense.
Mrs. Cook took out the second test paper and said, “Second to last, which is 19th…”
Looking at the audience, she then sternly said, “Solo Sword Sheath, come up and take your test paper!”
“Clang!”
Solo Sword Sheath, leaning against the chair, emitted a broken sound like a sword sheath suddenly shattering.
Trash Slime, sitting next to Ditto, suddenly perked up, its soft body stiffening.
No one expected Trash Slime to not be among the last two.
Solo Sword Sheath floated unsteadily to the podium, turning its ribbon into a hand to grab the test paper, then cautiously peeked at the owner’s reaction.
But unlike Little Cubone, Dark didn’t say much to it, just looking at it with a calm gaze.
Thus, its flight path became even more chaotic.
“18th place.”
Mrs. Cook then took out the third test paper and looked at the audience.
The expressions of the golem children became tense.
Little Cubone’s zero score broke the lower limit, and Solo Sword Sheath’s second-to-last place shocked everyone. No one wanted to be the third one surpassed by Trash Slime.
But the gap between those who put in effort and those who slacked off widened when they did so.
“18th place, Baby Blue-Eye Dragon!”
The dragon baby, hugging its head, walked onto the podium with its head hanging.
Its cheeks were red, even dyeing its scales, and it quickly fled after picking up the test paper.
As the embodiment of “Pride,” Baby Blue-Eye Dragon’s pride was hidden deep inside. Its seemingly obedient exterior was just the pure attribute of a young dragon.
It hadn’t studied seriously, and even formed a gluttonous and lazy duo with Little Cubone after its birth.
Even during this interim test, it felt that not being last was enough—yet this laziness made it fall into the bottom three!
The gaze of the golem children pierced through its thick dragon scales and high stats, unable to withstand the penetration.
The pride hidden deep within finally surfaced.
It vowed in its heart to listen carefully in class!
Dark observed Solo Sword Sheath and Baby Blue-Eye Dragon, nodding, “Knowing shame leads to improvement, courage comes after knowing shame.”
…
After the bottom three, came 17th place.
When Mrs. Cook took out the fourth test paper, she showed a satisfied smile.
Although 17th place was not ideal, compared to the student’s own abilities, this was already great progress.
She looked up at Trash Slime and said, “17th place, Slime, Ditto, come up and help it get the test paper.”
“Busy busy!”
Ditto jumped three feet high.
It was even happier than getting first place itself.
Although 17th place wasn’t much, Trash Slime’s previous level was unparalleled. Now it not only made significant progress but also escaped the bottom, naturally worth celebrating.
“PAPAPA!”
Dark suddenly clapped.
“Well done.”
Following his lead, the golem children who were surprised by Trash Slime’s score also began to clap, filling the classroom with thunderous applause.
Trash Slime couldn’t help but stand up, squeezing out a small fist from its tentacles.
Learning had become this joyful.
It needed to keep working hard!
…
Only after the applause subsided did Mrs. Cook start distributing the remaining test papers.
Next, 16th place…
“Moon Maiden,” Mrs. Cook looked at the Soul of the Moon Goddess and reminded her again, “Maiden, come up and take your test paper.”
The Soul of the Moon Goddess, stiff as if rusted, walked up to the podium with her arms and legs moving together.
Even if she didn’t care about “learning,” she couldn’t accept that she, destined to become a goddess, would rank 16th in a class of only 20!
16th place, just one place above Trash Slime!
The path from the seat to the podium seemed like a thorny road, every step piercing through her feet, blood flowing.
This was sheer humiliation!
…
“Indeed, this method of announcing grades is extremely damaging to those with strong self-esteem. Let’s see if you’ll still slack off now?”
Dark squinted, observing the Moon Goddess’s stiff expression, and a little man danced inside his mind.
Golem children were no different from human children in temperament. Not all golem children liked learning.
And as a parent, one must guide them onto the relatively correct path.
Learning was always right.
…
A few minutes later, only three test papers remained on the podium, and the golem children all perked up their ears.
Although they were most concerned about who would be last, they were also very interested in who would be first.
Dark glanced at the last three golem children and couldn’t help but show a satisfied smile.
So far, the scores of the other seventeen golem children had been announced.
Among them, 15th to 11th places were: Phoenix Girl, Wrestler Eagle, Vampire Noble, Piplup,
Mogu.
From tenth to sixth place, they are: Nyanko, Huhu, Ditto, Mana Book, and Big Milk Jar.
Fifth place is Eevee.
Fourth place is Lion Beast.
The remaining three mana spirits, Golems, are: Deoxys, Eevee, and Imp Beast.
This shows that…
Phoenix Girl and Vampire Noble still did not perform up to expectations.
Wrestler Eagle’s grades have also declined since he shifted his focus to physical training and martial arts practice.
However, Mogu has steadily improved her grades after mastering the “study drug” method.
Regarding Piplup’s drop in ranking… actually, the difference between the top ten is not significant, with overall improvement being substantial.
Compared to this, Nyanko’s performance has indeed declined.
This is largely due to it shifting some of its energy to assist with “Armed Conjuring.”
Additionally, Mana Book’s performance was unexpectedly unremarkable, slipping from the first tier to the second tier.
It is evident that once everyone has put in effort to memorize the necessary foundational knowledge, their advantages gradually diminish.
Huhu, Ditto, and Big Milk Jar continue to maintain stable grades.
Moreover, Lion Beast overtook Eevee later on.
This is greatly related to its resilient character.
Eevee, who ranked third in the final exam, now feels very disappointed.
As for the remaining three mana spirits, Deoxys and Imp Beast were first and second in the final exam, respectively, while Imp Beast was sixth at the time.
This suggests that after Imp Beast was overtaken in its only proud achievement, it also earnestly decided to work hard.
However, who will ultimately take first place remains uncertain.
Dark looked expectantly towards the podium.
Mrs. Cook placed the last three test papers neatly, then took out three medals adorned with large red flowers, showing them slightly to the audience below.
These three medals were gold, silver, and bronze, serving as additional rewards for this阶段性 examination.
For such evaluations, a tangible honor medal that can be kept is very important.
Winners want to maintain their victories upon seeing the medal, while losers desire one for themselves.
“Deoxys, Eevee, and Imp Beast, please come to the podium.”
Mrs. Cook smiled slightly, preparing to hold a small award ceremony.
This would make the mana spirits’ memories more profound.
The three mana spirits simultaneously glanced towards where Dark was sitting, then walked towards the podium.
Deoxys remained calm as usual, with arrogance showing in its eyes.
Eevee held its head high but the tips of its ribbon antennae trembled slightly, indicating its nervousness.
Imp Beast flew past, looking smug.
Clearly, for Imp Beast, obtaining the top three was a victory.
But Eevee aimed directly for first place, hence feeling quite nervous.
Nevertheless, it was time to enjoy the fruits of their labor.
The other mana spirits watched enviously, their hearts filled with renewed determination to strive harder.
…
Once the three mana spirits were on the podium, Mrs. Cook thought for a moment, picked up the test papers, had them stand on the lectern, then distributed the papers and trophies to the other two professors, starting the award ceremony.
Ms. Plant glanced at the names on the test papers, revealing a gentle smile.
Then she picked up the bronze medal and walked over.
The mana spirits all watched her nervously.
Given the guaranteed top three positions, no one wanted this bronze medal.
But Ms. Plant continued walking and finally reached Imp Beast.
Although Imp Beast felt a slight disappointment, having a medal was better than none.
Thus, it wrapped its wings around the medal, hung it on the tip of its wing, and raised it high.
“Very good,” Ms. Plant said with a smile. “Congratulations, Imp Beast, for winning third place in this阶段性 examination. I hope you continue to strive.”
“Of course,” Imp Beast said proudly. “See this medal? It’s proof of a strong one. And I, Imp Beast, just a tiny bit of effort, succeeded in obtaining it.”
The scattered applause suddenly stopped.
The mana spirits looked suspiciously at the boastful Imp Beast, remaining silent.
But Imp Beast was unaffected by the surroundings and continued talking: “So, what does this show? It shows that those present here are… I won’t say it. Everyone, focus on my butt and work hard!”
…
“Cough. Now, please welcome Professor Cyrus to award the second place medal!”
Mrs. Cook quickly covered the voice with hers.
Sage Cyrus also stood up with the silver medal and test papers.
He looked curiously at Imp Beast, who shivered and instinctively stopped speaking.
Cyrus smiled slightly and walked over.
The attention of the other mana spirits was successfully diverted.
The second place medal’s recipient meant that the first place would also be revealed, so all mana spirits focused their attention.
Cyrus looked back and forth between Eevee and Deoxys, noticing a hint of tension and anticipation in the depths of their eyes.
“It seems everyone wants first place.”
Cyrus walked to Eevee, paused deliberately, and waited until Eevee’s ribbon antennae trembled violently before stepping forward again.
Then he placed the silver medal around Deoxys’ neck and announced loudly, “Second place, Deoxys!”
“PAPAPA!”
Thunderous applause erupted throughout the room.
Although Deoxys had fallen from first place to second, it still scored significantly higher.
Only Eevee performed better!
“Mew!”
Therefore, when the result was confirmed, Eevee leaped joyfully.
It glanced at the expressionless Deoxys, with its ribbons forming a heart shape in the air.
Then it didn’t wait for Mrs. Cook to award the gold medal, but turned around, pushed Imp Beast aside, and jumped off the lectern, sprinting and pouncing like a tiger, landing in Dark’s arms.
Dark hurriedly hugged it.
Eevee placed its paw on his shoulder, rubbing its soft face against his face excitedly.
Dark helplessly let it do so.
Eevee’s emotions transmitted through the ribbon wrapped around his hand, making him feel equally excited and happy.
Their hard work had finally paid off.
Eevee had narrowly beaten Deoxys, securing first place in this阶段性 examination!
The applause from the mana spirits changed slightly at this moment.
Deoxys turned its head, eyes firmly fixed on Eevee’s face, suddenly narrowing.
“Mew!”
…
When the applause subsided, Mrs. Cook walked to Dark with the test papers and gold medal.
Dark exchanged glances with her for a moment, then took the gold medal from her hand and placed it around Eevee’s neck from behind.
Eevee felt the touch of the strap and finally stopped rubbing, lifting its head slightly.
Dark looked at the tearful Eevee, moist-eyed, and pressed the gold medal firmly onto its chest, saying, “Congratulations, you’ve earned first place.”
“Mew!”
Eevee opened its arms and hugged Dark’s face tightly.
…
Thus, the announcement of the results came to an end.
The three mana spirits who received medals and numerous small red flowers were ordered back to their seats.
And Dark went to the podium to give a final summary of the exam situation: “I know you each have different views on learning. I won’t force you to learn overly complex knowledge, but basic knowledge is essential.
Especially for Vampire Noble and Phoenix Girl, if you want to pass the entrance exam for Saint Maryann Academy, you need to put in effort in the coming days. Otherwise, I’ll have to give up on this idea.”
Vampire Noble and Phoenix Girl’s expressions froze instantly.
Dark glanced at them and didn’t repeat himself further.
He continued, “The entrance exam for Saint Maryann Academy usually takes place two weeks before school starts. You only have one month left. That’s it. Congratulations again to Eevee, Deoxys, and Imp Beast for achieving first, second, and third places, respectively.
Next month, before the entrance exam, there will be another阶段性 examination. I hope more mana spirits can achieve excellent results in the next阶段性 examination. Now, let’s return the classroom to Mrs. Cook.”
After the words fell, Dark stepped aside, waiting for Mrs. Cook to start speaking, then left the classroom.
Through this阶段性 examination, he gained a more detailed understanding of the mana spirits’ progress and psychological states.
And the mana spirits also gained a clearer understanding of their own abilities.
They might find their respective goals through this and gain the motivation to move forward.
Dark hoped to see significant progress in the mana spirits during the next阶段性 examination next month.
Of course, he must set an example and start working hard himself.
…
“After resting for two days, I almost lost my train of thought.”
Dark took out the materials for “Mathematics II” again and began filling in the content according to the already outlined framework.
About fifteen minutes later, he finally regained his composure, and his writing speed gradually increased.
Soon, the day passed, and dusk fell.
With Ollie’s reminder, Dark sighed and temporarily put down his pen.
With a framework in place, filling in the content became relatively simple.
“Mathematics II” only needed to cover junior high school level content, with a bit more difficulty being some Olympiad-related topics.
Originally, he planned to split the junior high school math content into two volumes, incorporating them into “Mathematics II” and “Mathematics III.” Then, the high school math content would be divided into “Mathematics IV” and “Mathematics V,” with some advanced mathematics content added to “Mathematics VI.”
This would fit perfectly with Saint Maryann Academy’s six-year curriculum.
But after being reminded by Claire this morning, he realized that Saint Maryann Academy’s sixth year focuses mainly on practical teaching, which is unsuitable for deep advanced mathematics content.
Therefore, he made adjustments.
He planned to include eighty percent of the junior high school math in “Mathematics II,” twenty percent of the junior high school math and sixty percent of the high school math in “Mathematics III,” and the remaining forty percent of the high school math and some Olympiad content in “Mathematics IV.”
Then, he would divide advanced mathematics into two volumes, incorporating them into “Mathematics IV” and “Mathematics V,” and designate “Mathematics IV” and “Mathematics V” as electives.
This way, students who struggle with their studies can continue learning “Mathematics III” and “Mathematics IV” in the fifth and sixth years.
Students who perform well and wish to delve deeper can opt for “Mathematics IV” and “Mathematics V.”
Taking advanced courses in “Mathematics IV” and “Mathematics V” during the fifth and sixth years respectively.
“Reasonable!”
Dark patted his cheeks, freeing himself from the sea of mathematics, and then tidied up before following Olivia to the dining hall.
By the time he arrived, the mana golems had already taken their seats at their designated tables.
The morning’s results clearly affected some of the mana golems, as even during dinner, some were seen holding notebooks.
The baby blue-eye dragon no longer immediately grabbed its fork and knife like before, instead watching the door with little cubone.
The vampire noble and the phoenix girl seemed to finally understand the importance of learning, flipping through books before dinner.
When they encountered something they couldn’t understand, Deoxys, who could speak, became the best person to ask.
As for the third-place imp beast and the fourth-place lion beast, they were crowded out by other mana golems.
“I hope this isn’t just a fleeting interest.”
Dark nodded in satisfaction and began discussing the “全民决斗” (National Duel) with Claire.
As Pandora and others took their seats, dinner finally commenced.
While Dark was busy writing “Mathematics II,” Aurora took on the role of host, leading Pandora and Hephaestus to play in the back mountains.
During the meal, laughter filled the dining hall.
Midway through, Alvaraite, who had finished her duties, arrived late, adding to the lively atmosphere.
After dinner, Alvaraite pulled Hephaestus and Pandora to the living room, while Aurora returned to her bedroom to continue her studies.
Dark, however, did not continue writing “Mathematics II.” Instead, he brought the unfinished “变形咒” (Transformation Spell) he received as an Easter reward to Claire’s room.
“Sit down.”
Claire gestured for him to sit, and a monkey served them tea.
Claire said, “Show me your “变形咒”.”
“Okay,” Dark responded, taking out the “变形咒” and handing it over.
Claire examined it closely and asked, “Is this one of the prizes you won at the Easter Duel Festival?”
“Yes, a half-finished mana card,” Dark replied with a smile.
“It’s more than just a half-finished piece,” Claire observed, somewhat amazed. “Is this Professor Kazel’s work?”
“Indeed,” Dark confirmed.
“No wonder,” Claire straightened up. “Only Professor Kazel could modify the “变形咒” to be usable with just the transformation spell. In that case, there’s nothing much I can teach you; I’ll pass on how to write the transformation spell.”
Dark nodded.
This was exactly what he wanted.
Claire thought for a moment, took a piece of paper from her desk, wrote several questions about mana language, and pushed it towards him.
“Let’s see how far you’ve progressed in mana language.”
Dark picked up the paper and carefully read through it.
Claire’s questions ranged from simple to complex, totaling five.
Dark managed to solve only two before having to put down his pen.
The remaining three were beyond his current knowledge.
“Only two?” Claire glanced at the paper and examined it closely.
Three minutes later, she looked up and asked, “Your knowledge is between second and third year? Who taught you mana language?”
Dark replied, “Mostly self-taught.”
“Well, then,” Claire put away the paper. “Writing the transformation spell doesn’t require advanced knowledge. Go home today, and come back tomorrow night.”
…
The next evening.
When Dark arrived at Claire’s room again, she had already prepared the necessary knowledge for writing the “变形咒.”
In other words, she didn’t start teaching him immediately but began with further studies in mana language.
From then on, Dark dedicated his evenings to Claire.
Within three nights, he completely mastered the necessary knowledge for writing the “变形咒.”
Then Claire started teaching him the detailed steps to write the spell.
…
A week passed quickly, and it was July 21st, a Saturday.
Unconsciously, Pandora and Hephaestus had spent seven nights at the Duke’s mansion.
Although everyone treated them warmly, they couldn’t stay indefinitely.
As the impact of the “Demon King Execution Ritual” gradually faded, the capital city’s order slowly returned to normal.
However, the Church was busy dealing with the disappearance of the “Demon King’s corpse,” resulting in a significant decrease in efforts to capture escapees.
This was the perfect time to leave the capital.
After careful consideration, Pandora and Hephaestus decided to bid farewell.
Though life at the Duke’s mansion was stable, it wasn’t a long-term solution.
Moreover, the capital was within the Church’s influence, making it dangerous and prone to trouble for the Duke’s family.
With more than a month until school starts, Pandora wanted to visit more places with her mother and see more wonders.
So, they announced their departure during breakfast.
“Can’t we stay a few more days?” Alvaraite pleaded.
She got along well with Hephaestus these past days.
This white dragon lady had matured significantly after her imprisonment, no longer acting impulsively as she once did and showing signs of becoming a mother.
Every night, Alvaraite returned to the Duke’s mansion and chatted with her about child-rearing.
Despite both being inexperienced parents, they conversed knowledgeably and found common ground.
Alvaraite cherished these conversations and thus felt reluctant to see Hephaestus leave.
On the other side…
Aurora was also quite reluctant to see Senior Pandora leave.
Because Diana wasn’t coming to the Duke’s mansion, Aurora had to learn about armed magic on her own, struggling when she didn’t understand things. Fortunately, Pandora filled this gap.
These days, she mostly stayed with Pandora, learning a lot from her.
They undoubtedly formed a friendship.
In contrast, Dark, busy with “Mathematics II” and “变形咒” (Transformation Spell), had little time to spend with her.
He suddenly heard Senior Pandora say she was leaving, realizing how quickly time had passed and that he hadn’t even shown her around the capital properly.
So when Pandora and Hephaestus expressed their intention to leave, he suggested, “Why don’t we have a farewell party tonight and leave tomorrow?”
With Alvaraite and Claire’s agreement, Pandora and Hephaestus couldn’t refuse and agreed to stay one more night.
Dark continued, “It’s Saturday today, so I’ll take you to explore the capital.”
“I won’t join,” Hephaestus shook her head slightly and smiled. “You young people enjoy yourselves.”
Pandora teased, “Done with your tasks?”
Dark averted his gaze, “It’s the same whether we do it tomorrow.”
Pandora agreed.
Dark then said, “Since we’ve made the decision, let’s prepare and set off after dinner.”
“Okay!” Aurora responded.
…
It had been almost a week since the end of the “Demon King Execution Ritual,” and most outsiders had left.
The bustling districts due to the influx of outsiders now had a desolate feel.
After changing into their travel attire, Pandora and Aurora followed Dark out of the Duke’s mansion.
Olivia was already waiting outside.
“Is it your turn today?” Dark walked over and caught a familiar scent.
“Yes, Master,” Olivia happily replied. “Trina has some matters to attend to, so I’ll accompany you today.”
“Aurora,” Olivia greeted Aurora.
Olivia nodded slightly and then turned to Pandora, smiling. “I haven’t formally introduced myself before. I’m Olivia, Master’s personal maid. It’s a pleasure to travel with you, Miss Dracon.”
“Just call me Pandora,” Pandora responded, shaking hands with Olivia, a glint in her eye.
During her stay at the Duke’s mansion, she had noticed Olivia’s status.
Both around the same age, their handshake and mutual gaze held significance despite no hostility.
…
After letting go, Dark had already helped Aurora onto the carriage.
He stuck his head out of the window and warned, “If you don’t hurry, we won’t wait for you.”
“We’re coming,” Pandora replied, turning to Olivia. “Let’s go.”
Then they both climbed into the carriage.
The Duke’s carriage was indeed spacious enough for four people to sit comfortably.
On the small table in the middle, pieces of fruit were still arranged neatly.
This time, the fruit was beautifully arranged and carved into animal shapes.
“Mmm, very sweet,” Dark commented after eating a piece.
This was clearly Olivia’s handiwork. Compliments never hurt.
Olivia indeed smiled sweetly.
Pandora blinked and said, “The carriage could be this comfortable inside too. By the way, where are we going today?”
Dark chuckled, “To wherever you want.”
“Then, let’s go to the places you usually visit,” Pandora said.
Dark paused slightly with his fork in hand and turned to look at Aurora.
Aurora blushed and turned away.
Dark then said, “First, let’s check out the jade shops on Blue Jade Street, then visit the confectionery store to see if they have new products, and finally stroll through the pet street. For lunch, we’ll eat at the Starry Sky Tower. In the afternoon, we’ll go to the Enchantment Hall.”
“Jade shops, confectionery stores, and pet shops? That does sound like somewhere you’d go,” Pandora giggled. “But what are the Starry Sky Tower and the Enchantment Hall?”
Dark explained, “The Starry Sky Tower and the Enchantment Hall are places nobles often frequent. The former is popular among young people, while the latter is more upscale and favored by middle-aged people.
“The last time I visited the Enchantment Hall, there was a mana duel exhibition featuring a duelist named ‘Butterfly Princess.’ Have you heard of her?”
“Butterfly Princess?” Pandora pondered for a moment. “I remember her. She was frequently featured in newspapers and magazines in the past. She’s quite famous.”
“Hmm?” Dark responded.
Pandora asked, “What, are you dissatisfied with her?”
Dark sighed slightly, “She seems flashy but lacking substance.”
Pandora smiled, “Sometimes, grandeur is part of a duel strategy. You can’t judge a duelist solely based on a couple of matches, especially a performance match.”
…
