Chapter 190: Youth is the Battlefield, Dance is the War (4k) [27]
Deep into the night…
Silent…
Dreams shattered…
Dawn arrived…
St. Maryan welcomed the last day of its first semester.
On a Friday with pleasant weather, the sunlight carried a warm touch.
Professor Jones did not delve into complex theoretical knowledge during the Duel Class.
She waited until the students gathered in the Arena 2, then selected one student from each house as a leader, and had the students line up in four columns, following the leaders out of the arena at a brisk pace.
The final lesson.
Professor Jones planned to take them for a run around the castle.
This would allow these first-year students, who usually remained within the castle, to breathe some fresh air outside and understand how vast the castle truly was.
Dark glanced at Emma, Sarah, and another unnamed student on his right.
Emma and Sarah looked rather pale.
They were already struggling to keep up with the running, and now being chosen as leaders seemed like public humiliation.
Dark and the leader from the Fool’s Academy exchanged glances and slowed their pace.
The four columns moved forward at a relatively slower speed.
Professor Jones did not rush them.
The area outside the castle was surprisingly expansive, filled with various small buildings.
Some first-year students enjoyed looking out from inside the castle, but few actually ventured out to explore.
If they had the time, most would have headed straight to Traveler’s Street.
“We’re here.”
After some time, Professor Jones stopped at a certain location.
The students followed her gaze and looked in that direction.
Then, a two-story building in Roman palace style came into view.
“What is that?” someone asked in surprise.
A student who already knew the answer explained, “That’s the entrance to the Dungeon.”
The Dungeon beneath St. Maryan was a multi-layered structure akin to a large maze.
The Dungeon refreshed its monsters every week, opening only to select students between Friday noon and Sunday midnight.
Most of the core materials at St. Maryan originated from there, making it essentially self-sustaining.
Learning…
Adventure…
Dueling…
These were three indispensable elements in the daily lives of senior students.
As first-year students, they could only currently engage in “learning.”
…
“Next semester, your Beast Studies teacher might take you to explore the Dungeon.”
Professor Jones paused for about ten minutes before moving again.
“Let’s go, continue!”
So the students continued running, sighing heavily.
…
The last class of the first semester ended amidst an endless loop of running.
…
Thanks to his morning exercise routine, Dark managed to maintain his composure, even as he watched most of the students bend over, gasping for breath. This further solidified his resolve to continue morning exercises.
Before dismissing the class, Professor Jones mentioned some safety precautions for the upcoming break and declared “dismissal.”
At that moment, despite sore legs, the students instantly erupted in joy!
For students who had no concept of the duration of the winter break, nine days felt incredibly long.
Moreover, this included the “Christmas Ball”!
Although the Christmas Ball lacked the hunting activities of the masquerade, the expectation of receiving individual Christmas stockings still brought excitement.
For those who had experienced hunting activities once, the Christmas Ball held a stronger appeal.
It was December 22nd, leaving just two days until the Christmas Ball on the 24th.
The key was finding a dance partner.
The secondary focus was Christmas gifts.
Thinking about arriving at the ball without a partner or not receiving any gifts besides a stocking made the young magi’s gazes sharpen!
Next, it was war!
…
“Hiss, what’s going on?”
Dark rubbed his cheek, feeling a sharp pain.
Who was carving into his face with a kn*fe-like gaze?
…
Unlike other students,
After the Duel Class, Dark went straight to the dormitory to continue researching the “Fusion” spell.
Since he had achieved a breakthrough last night, subsequent research became slightly smoother.
Around twelve o’clock, he stopped to eat some food delivered by the Imp Beast, then immediately left, finally reaching the Dragon Training Grounds before Professor Claire set off.
The Dragon Training Grounds were near the classrooms and dormitories. Although named as such, it was more like a “landing pad.”
Professors often used flying mounts to enter and exit the academy.
Most professors rode their own Mana Spirits, while a few, like Claire, had tamed real monsters!
Claire’s Wyvern was a half-bl**d dragon species, originally the mount of a minor commander in the Demon King’s army, but later became her spoils of war.
When Dark reached the Dragon Training Grounds, Claire was bidding farewell to several familiar professors.
He did not approach, instead standing at a distance to watch.
Their next meeting might be during summer break.
Dark felt a bit melancholic.
“Hey, Dark!”
Dark snapped back to attention.
He saw Claire waving vigorously.
He quickly smiled and waved back!
“Goodbye, Aunt Claire!”
…
Strong winds rose…
Dragons soared…
Claire put on goggles and rode the Wyvern, taking off into the sky.
Professor Shylph used a key card to draw a circle in the air, creating a circular portal high above.
As Claire turned her head, her light brown hair fluttered in the wind, partially obscuring her face.
…
Dark watched until her figure completely disappeared, then took a step back and turned away.
Since it wasn’t a permanent separation, there was no need to be overly sad.
Alvaraite was alone and needed companionship.
With Claire’s addition, the Duke’s Mansion would gain warmth.
Every time Dark flipped through The Wise One Daily, he no longer worried as much about news that might be detrimental to his mother.
He quickly returned to the dormitory and continued refining the “Fusion” spell.
Two hours later, Dark finally created a somewhat convincing “Fusion” spell.
“Phew—”
He drank a glass of apple juice to refresh himself, then quickly packed his things and headed to the library.
Senior Pandora also had her own tasks to attend to, and today afternoon was the last chance before the Christmas Ball.
When he arrived at the library, Pandora briefly spoke with Lady Bella before stepping out from behind the counter with Bella’s warm gaze, heading to the lab with Dark.
The castle corridors remained quiet.
Dark curiously asked, “Senior, do you still have work?”
Pandora shook her head. “I have vacation too! I’m just here to accompany Lady Bella. Oh, and wait for you.”
Dark scratched his head, wondering if preparing a Christmas gift for Lady Bella would make Pandora even happier.
…
Time was limited.
Once they entered the lab, they got straight to work.
Under Pandora’s guidance, Dark first tested the “Fusion” spell, feeling all indicators met, then began the炼成 experiment.
The first half of the “Fusion” process was similar to the “Spell Cage,” both requiring the creation of a Mana Spirit Card base.
“Fusion” involved using two or more Mana Spirits as core materials to create a new Mana Spirit on the spot!
In other words, it was a form of “on-site creation.”
Therefore, using “Fusion” cards required a massive amount of mana!
Hence, very few people used “Fusion” decks.
Ordinary magi would use “Fusion” as a supplementary method, not a primary one.
The experiment started in the afternoon and lasted until 4:30 PM.
The results were not unexpected, ending in failure.
Given his psychological preparation, Dark did not feel discouraged.
Instead, summarizing the experience and solving problems after the experiment was the main focus of the afternoon.
Working alone, Dark certainly couldn’t handle it well.
But with Pandora’s meticulous guidance, everything proceeded smoothly.
An hour passed swiftly.
Though Dark didn’t fully understand, he had taken notes of all the key points. Next, he would continue studying on his own.
He gradually relaxed and began organizing the remaining experiment materials.
After tidying up, the two left the lab together.
Dark originally wanted to invite Pandora to a restaurant in Traveler’s Street, but she expressed regretfully that she had evening duties.
So the two went to the canteen, ordering a small table of dishes amidst the half-hearted smiles of the halfling chefs.
Then Dark noticed that Pandora, like him, preferred meat and sweet flavors.
“If she likes sweet and sour ribs, braised carp, or fish-flavored shredded pork, she’d probably enjoy those?”
Thoughts like these crossed Dark’s mind.
Actually, he liked those dishes too and could cook them a bit.
However, giving food as a Christmas gift seemed a bit inappropriate.
Besides, Pandora wasn’t a snack-loving girl like Diana.
…
Table manners in this world discouraged eating and talking simultaneously.
But in informal settings, it wasn’t strictly enforced.
The two ate quietly while chatting softly.
Pandora was very interested in Dark’s occasional shyness and probed him about amusing childhood stories.
But Dark had nothing remarkable to share from his childhood in this life.
He lowered his head slightly, seeming reluctant to speak.
Pandora’s interest grew even more intense.
Dark didn’t want to bring up experiences from his past life into this one, so he tried to change the topic: “You can’t keep asking me questions, Senior. What about you?”
Pandora smiled mysteriously. “Have you heard of dancing with wolves?”
Dark naturally had heard of it, so he nodded honestly.
Pandora then shared her childhood experiences.
…
Indeed…
Moonlight overhead, stepping on wolf heads, dancing with wolves.
…
After listening, Dark couldn’t help but open his mouth, looking bewildered.
Pandora covered her mouth and laughed gracefully like a lady.
…
Pandora ate more than Dark.
But all the nutrition went to where it should.
Dark thought she and Diana might have common ground.
Though this dinner lacked the atmosphere of Wednesday’s, it was the best meal as long as both were happy.
Pandora wiped her lips with a napkin and whispered, “Don’t forget our agreement.”
Dark nodded slightly, unable to resist saying, “We’ll see each other at the ball?”
Pandora responded, “Yes. Over the next two days, I’ll prepare for my trip.”
Dark: “Where?”
Pandora smiled mysteriously. “I’ll tell you when I return.”
…
Dark was twelve years old, standing 159 cm tall.
Pandora was fifteen, standing 168 cm tall.
There was a three-year age gap and a nine-centimeter height difference.
Dark had just started developing, thinking catching up wouldn’t be a problem.
Even though Pandora was tall among girls, she was still in her developmental stage.
So who would win remained uncertain.
They walked side by side, discussing everyday topics, then parted ways at the fork.
Both smiling.
…
But not long after,
Dark’s smile faded.
He realized he hadn’t decided on a Christmas gift yet.
Instead, he became curious about what gift Pandora would give.
Shaking his head,
Dark pushed open the door to the Tower of the Noble Academy.
A warm breeze hit him instantly.
He quickly closed the door after entering.
The common room was packed with people.
On the first night of the long holiday, except for a few students choosing to go home, the rest were either in Traveler’s Street or the common room.
The gender divide was clear.
Divided by the fireplace, the area near the door was the boys’ territory, while the opposite side was the girls’.
Both sides guarded their territories vigilantly.
As soon as Dark entered, he saw a senior student trying to sneak a letter into the girls’ territory, only to retreat in embarrassment amid laughter.
Not long after,
A girl mustered the courage to approach the boys’ side and received a warm welcome from the boys.
The stark difference in treatment between genders was tear-jerking.
However, the senior boy who received the invitation politely declined.
The girl clutched the invitation and ran back, covering her eyes.
…
“What’s going on here?”
Dark watched for a while, feeling a mix of amusement and exasperation.
Scanning the room, he noticed Daron and others huddled in a corner, trembling.
Clearly, they were experiencing this for the first time, just like him.
Did St. Maryan have such customs before the Christmas Ball?
Dark’s eyebrows twitched. Suddenly, he noticed Diana and Rose winking at him from the girls’ side, both sticking out their tongues playfully.
It seemed…
They were like protected chicks.
And the senior girls were like protective mothers, scrutinizing any lower-grade girls wanting to issue dance invitations!
This was too… interesting!
