Chapter 266: The Perfect Atmosphere for the Dark Demon (4k)
Zach Wilson.
Fourth-year student at the Noble Academy, member of the Dueling Club.
He was also a member of the History of Nobility Research Society!
The Wilson family ranks in the middle among the kingdom’s nobles. Zach Wilson’s father is a powerless viscount who currently belongs to the faction of the eldest prince.
In fact, most members of the History of Nobility Research Society are hawks.
Even if their parents are not part of the eldest prince’s faction, they mostly lean towards the hawkish stance.
This has little to do with whether they are pro-war or not; these old nobles simply don’t believe that the princess is qualified to inherit the throne.
Between a traditional male heir and a non-traditional female heir, they chose tradition in this binary choice.
As for why they didn’t support the eldest prince, it was because the situation wasn’t clear enough yet.
They were pragmatic and opportunistic.
Nobles who have survived to this day aren’t simpletons.
If the princess’s faction showed strong enough power to suppress the eldest prince’s faction, they would support her despite their aversion and pretense.
The young nobles in the History of Nobility Research Society haven’t developed such deep scheming and haven’t concealed their thoughts.
Therefore, as the son of Valkyrie, the leader of the dove faction, Darc’s position is opposite to most members of the History of Nobility Research Society.
But position is one thing, and inner thoughts are another.
Darc was originally perceived as a typical noble playboy, easily grouped with those young nobles.
Even if he wasn’t, he could be recruited into the society and gradually influenced to change his views, causing trouble for Valkyrie.
The History of Nobility Research Society never had any good intentions from the beginning…
…
After Darc left the office classroom with Diana and Rose, Zach Wilson whispered to his neighbor and then quickly left.
The History of Nobility Research Society had a small gathering in the clubroom today.
Zach Wilson soon arrived at the clubroom of the History of Nobility Research Society, pushed open the door, and was glared at by someone inside. He hurriedly closed the door and lowered his head to walk past the wall.
The interior decoration of the clubroom exuded an extravagant atmosphere. The only thing resembling “History of Nobility Research Society” was the bookshelves against the walls, neatly lined with documents and materials related to the history of nobility, more decorative than practical.
At the round table in the farthest corner of the classroom, third-year student Mike Owen was whispering with the president of the History of Nobility Research Society, full of flattery.
Sunlight slanted through the window, casting a thin layer of golden gauze on the table.
The president of the History of Nobility Research Society, the short man who appeared during the new recruit competition of the Dueling Club, was named Angus Jeffrey.
The Jeffrey family lineage was very ancient, said to have existed since the founding of the kingdom. His father, Count Jeffrey, was one of the thirty-six senators of the kingdom, high-ranking and powerful.
Angus Jeffrey himself always referred to himself as the son of a senator and was very proud of it.
Jeffrey had golden hair, symbolizing nobility, which just reached his shoulders. His bangs were neat, his nose was high, and his lips were slightly full, making him look quite handsome.
However, he had broad shoulders and wasn’t tall, so his entire body seemed somewhat uncoordinated.
Zach Wilson tiptoed around the wall and cautiously approached Jeffrey’s ear to say something.
Jeffrey frowned, then relaxed and chuckled, “Did you sign up for the second week’s competition? Owen, how do we get him to join the society?”
Owen looked up and laughed, “Suppress him. Let him know he’s nothing alone, and naturally he will seek out a group, and we are the best choice.”
Jeffrey nodded, “That makes sense. Did you see what he did in the public rest area last night?”
Owen sneered, “I heard it was arithmetic tutoring. Looks like the new students’ quality isn’t as high as we thought; they even need help with arithmetic class.”
Jeffrey: “Arithmetic tutoring? Giving others academic favors to establish prestige and rule, no wonder he is the son of a duke. He might be more troublesome than we imagined.”
Owen: “Do you think he will form a new society and control all the first-year students?”
Jeffrey: “There’s a possibility.”
Owen: “What should we do?”
Jeffrey smiled and raised his hand, fingers together, and forcefully chopped down, “Just as you said, suppress him!”
Then he looked at Zach Wilson standing beside him and asked, “How about it, can we arrange it?”
Wilson sweated profusely and humbly replied, “It’s easy if we have enough strength.”
Jeffrey nodded, “Then let Else Kevin sign up.”
Else Kevin, a top student from the second year of the Noble Academy, joined the History of Nobility Research Society in the latter half of last year.
With the resources tilted towards him by the History of Nobility Research Society, Kevin’s strength grew rapidly, far beyond what a first-year could defeat.
…
Darc never expected that just signing up would attract attention.
After leaving the Dueling Club, he went to the library with Diana and Rose to finish this week’s homework as soon as possible.
This week’s schedule was tight, besides the morning competition for novices on Saturday, he needed time to buy materials for crafting “Ultimate Skill Cards.”
By five o’clock in the afternoon.
After finishing his homework, Darc read for a while, then told Diana and Rose, packed his bag, and slipped away.
When registering at the counter, he met Pandora’s gaze, but didn’t speak much due to the presence of others.
Then he quickly returned to the dormitory, changed into clothes suitable for going out, and left again.
The tranquil lake reflected the sunset, and the Lotus Pavilion on the lake was bustling with people. Pandora, wearing a fluffy coat, stood quietly by the pavilion, looking far off into the distance.
Students couldn’t help but glance at her, but her chilly aura kept them at bay.
Darc crossed the long corridor bridge and finally saw her silhouette, walking over.
“Senior, what are you looking at?”
“Looking at fish,” Pandora lightly brushed her hair, saying softly.
Darc leaned forward, puzzled, “Can you really see them?”
Pandora giggled, “Just pretend you can, okay?”
Darc blinked, “Then we’ll have a full fish banquet tonight.”
Pandora: “Really, let’s go.”
The two turned towards one of the stone tables, sat on the stone stools, and then suddenly vanished.
Same Lotus Pavilion, same stone stools.
Two people appeared simultaneously.
Darc stood up and poked his hand, “It’s a bit cold, the temperature has dropped recently, feels like it’s going to snow. Has it ever snowed in the castle before?”
Pandora: “It happened twice when I was here. The whole world was white, I didn’t like it much.”
Darc: “Is that so?”
Then he didn’t mention it anymore.
Although he actually liked snow.
…
Darc hadn’t deliberately explored restaurants in Traveler’s Street, but after walking around often, he knew which ones were more upscale and stylish.
Waltz Restaurant was a good choice, but its romantic atmosphere was too intense, especially on Friday night when couples were everywhere.
He could tell that she didn’t like crowded places.
So he walked deeper and found a three-story upscale restaurant called “Le Mi.”
The restaurant was beautifully decorated, high-end, meaning expensive.
Low-grade students struggling with credits generally wouldn’t come here.
But none of this mattered.
What mattered was that there really was a full fish banquet!
Roasted fish, boiled fish, fish rice, fish slices, caviar…
As the exquisite fish dishes were served by the waiters, Darc couldn’t help salivating.
Pandora seemed to be enjoying herself too.
Only the plates holding the fish dishes were palm-sized.
So delicious, but the portions were too small.
…
Darc tried a little of each dish and stopped, watching Pandora continue eating.
After finishing, she clearly wanted more, regretfully saying, “As expected, your food suits me better.”
Darc smiled, “Next time, I’ll make it again.”
Pandora shook her head with a smile, “No more trouble for you. How busy is your studies?”
Darc nodded, “A bit busy, but learning and seeing progress is always good.”
Pandora: “I heard you’re participating in the novice tournament tomorrow?”
Darc: “Yes, the professor required it.”
Pandora: “What time? I’ll come cheer you on.”
Darc: “Not notified yet.”
Pandora: “Okay, then let’s stroll around the night market for a while longer. It’s been a long time since I’ve gone out at night.”
Darc: “Sure.”
…
As the night deepened, the temperature dropped.
But the warmth between people didn’t decrease.
Even though neither was a talkative person, they still chatted a lot on the way, gradually deepening their understanding of each other.
They weren’t as passionate as the couples on the street, nor did they have intimate contact, but the atmosphere between them was just right.
Pandora was a complex person.
At first glance, she seemed very quiet, but upon initial interaction, she seemed very outgoing. However, the longer you knew her, the more you realized she was quite reserved.
Darc even discovered that she lacked security.
This was something that couldn’t be seen from her appearance.
At nine-thirty, the moon was bright.
Darc felt the trembling of the selection card and took it out after a while, confirming it was a duel match notification.
“Has it arrived?”
Pandora leaned over, the night breeze bringing a hint of cold fragrance.
Darc injected a bit of mana into the selection card, opened the notification file, and carefully examined it: “Match ten, estimated time nine-thirty, opponent is a second-year student from the Noble Academy, Else Kevin.”
Pandora frowned slightly, “Else Kevin? I seem to have heard that name before.”
Darc smiled, “If she left an impression on you, she must be a formidable opponent.”
Pandora: “This is your first match, don’t lose.”
Darc: “Dueling, there’s no guarantee of winning. Besides, if one cannot experience failure in life, wouldn’t it be incomplete?”
Pandora laughed lightly at his serious expression, “Who talks themselves out of losing before they even start?”
“Huh?” Darc exclaimed, “These are my sincere words.”
Pandora: “Alright, then I wish you luck tomorrow.”
Darc: “I’m looking forward to it.”
…
Since the notification arrived, they had no reason to continue wandering.
They chose a path and slowly headed back.
By ten o’clock, they finally returned to the castle.
Darc sent Pandora to the tower of the Mana Academy and then returned alone.
Back in the dormitory, he had the company of the mana golems.
Life couldn’t get much better.
…
That night, Darc had a good dream.
In the blink of an eye, it was Saturday.
Because it was his first time dueling in the outdoor arena, he was quite cautious.
He dressed in his school uniform, pinned on the Dueling Club badge, combed his hair, and checked himself in the mirror, feeling satisfied.
Darc took out his mana card, storing the mana golems inside, then put it in his deck, and finally didn’t forget to bring his contestant card. He left the room.
This morning, he agreed with Diana and Rose to have breakfast at the cafeteria, sparing the imp beast the trouble.
Appearing in the corridor, Diana gathered her silver hair into a single side ponytail, secured with a cute panda hair tie, her cheeks flushed, looking excited.
For the seven first-year students, today’s novice tournament was truly their first battle, a significant milestone.
Girls are more thoughtful and sensitive, placing great importance on ceremony.
On the other side, Rose held up a homemade cardboard sign, drawing a clumsy big-headed cub bear and a golden-haired cat, with a red heart above it, reading “Go!” in large letters.
“How does it look? Pretty, right?”
Rose waved the sign in front of Darc, her face full of anticipation.
Though Darc wanted to ask why his symbol was a cat, adhering to noble etiquette, he now should give appropriate praise to this hardworking lady.
So he forced out, “It’s really nice.”
Beside him, Diana smiled slyly.
…
First-year students rarely woke up so early on a Saturday.
The cafeteria was filled with classmates.
Seven duelists, each with their own supporters.
Among them, Sarah Swati from the Mana Academy, Justin Wayne from the Knight Academy, and Teddy Dolong from the Noble Academy, due to their personalities and other factors, had many supporters.
Like Darc and Emma, who often stayed outside the social circle, only had small circles.
But some, who seemed to have few supporters, could rally a crowd when they rose to prominence.
Others genuinely had few supporters.
Around seven-thirty.
The first-year students left the cafeteria, gradually heading toward the outdoor arena.
The atmosphere was perfect.
