Chapter 450: Dark Demon and the Rain of June (5k)
On the last night of May, Dark intended to clear his mind, putting everything off until the next day, but it seemed someone didn’t want him to rest well?
He sat up from bed, lazily glancing at the Mana Elves in the bedroom.
The Eevee, who had been quietly observing, immediately perked up, walking proudly towards the door with its head held high.
As the most attentive little cushion to its owner, it knew exactly what needed to be done.
But after opening the door with its ribbon antennae, it couldn’t help but emit an unpleasant sound.
“Hey!”
Diana greeted it as she appeared at the doorway.
Rose bent down, trying to pick up the adorable Mana Elf, but Eevee immediately jumped back, giving Rose a wary look before running back inside.
Seeing Eevee run away, Rose couldn’t help but show a hint of disappointment.
Diana, however, cheerfully asked, “Dark, can we come in?”
“Come in,” Dark yawned and relaxed.
After Diana and Rose closed the door and entered, the resentful Eevee used its ribbon antennae to retrieve two cups from the cabinet, pouring apple juice and pear juice respectively, then placing them on the table.
“Thank you.”
Rose politely thanked them and, as usual, chose the pear juice for its acne-clearing properties.
Diana, meanwhile, casually took a sip of the apple juice, sighing deeply.
“What’s wrong?” Dark, sitting on the bed, casually asked.
Diana glanced at him secretly and said, “We’re going home in two days.”
Dark chuckled, “Aren’t you always saying you miss home?”
“I do,” Diana pouted, “but once I’m home, no one will play with me.”
Dark was curious, “Isn’t the Bear family quite large?”
Diana’s mouth pouted even more, “They only want to arm wrestle or fence when they see me. I just want to go shopping, eat snacks, and buy dolls.”
Dark thought for a moment; he felt that family might really do such things.
But shopping, eating snacks, and buying dolls?
Hmph, women!
“Then go play with Rose,” Dark suggested, “Vice Count Flot’s mansion is also in the capital, right?”
Diana replied, “But Rose says she’ll be grounded when she gets home.”
Dark looked at Rose, recalling her previous words, and shook his head helplessly, “Count Flot’s gates won’t stop you.”
Diana’s eyes lit up, “Yes! If he doesn’t open the door, I’ll tear it down!”
Rose found this both frustrating and amusing, quickly saying, “Don’t, that would cause trouble for my uncle.”
Diana smirked, “Of course not, I’m just joking.”
But Rose sensed something ominous.
Dark watched their interaction, then said, “If you need anything, you can also come to the Duke’s Mansion. I usually don’t go out. Yes, it’s best to give me a heads-up so I can prepare more sweets.”
“As soon as you mention sweets, I’m wide awake!” Diana’s eyes sparkled, clearly excited.
Dark knew very well why they came tonight.
Not to mention Rose’s family issues, Diana probably wouldn’t be able to freely go out after returning home.
But if their destination was the Duke’s Mansion, no one would stop them.
However, there seemed to be nothing to offer them at home…
“Let’s see how it goes,”
Dark shook his head; that wasn’t his task.
…
They chatted for a while longer.
Diana and Rose occasionally glanced at the Vampire Noble, who was mumbling words to herself.
Even though they had met the Vampire Noble several times earlier, they still seemed very concerned.
Dark assumed it was because the Vampire Noble was too cute, so after half an hour, he pretended to be sleepy.
Diana continued chattering non-stop until Rose dragged her away, and the dorm room finally became quiet again.
“Can we finally sleep in peace now?”
Dark checked the time; it was already past ten.
So he prepared his pajamas and enjoyed a relaxing bath.
But halfway through, there was another knock on the door—this time, who could it be?
Dark quickly finished his bath, put on his pajamas, and walked out to find Eudora sitting timidly at the table, sipping warm milk with both hands.
Dark rubbed his temples and greeted her, “Good evening, Eudora.”
“Good evening!” Eudora’s tone brightened, “I apologize for disturbing you.”
“It’s fine,” Dark said, drying his hair with a towel, “What brings you here so late?”
Eudora whispered, “I saw Diana and the others…”
So you’ve been guarding the room since they came in and ran over as soon as they left?
Dark rubbed his temples and asked, “How was the exam?”
Eudora pursed her lips, her gaze dimming, “Not great.”
Dark instinctively comforted her, “It’s okay. Exams are just a way to check where you stand. Where you’re lacking, you can improve. But don’t waste the three-month break.”
“Okay!” Eudora nodded vigorously, “After the break, I’ll go to Professor Metia’s tower to study, and I won’t embarrass myself next semester.”
“You didn’t embarrass yourself…” Dark sighed, “By the way, will Professor Metia continue teaching next semester?”
Eudora thought for a moment, “She should… She seems to be planning a new course on astrology or divination.”
“That’s good,” Dark said, noticing Lil’Eevee peeking at them, “This way, my Eevee can continue studying astrology.”
Eudora looked at the excited Lil’Eevee and couldn’t help but say, “How cute…”
Dark waved, and Lil’Eevee scampered over happily.
He held Lil’Eevee and sat on the bed, chatting casually with Eudora.
Eudora didn’t linger, leaving after about ten minutes.
They bid each other goodnight, parting ways.
…
Dark returned to his bedroom, dried his hair, and thought he could finally relax and read a book.
But before he lay down, the Vampire Noble stuck close to him.
He couldn’t help but smile, petting her gently before picking up a storybook and reading to her.
“Once upon a time, there was a mountain, and on that mountain stood a temple…”
The night was gentle, caressing his face.
The Mana Elves slowly gathered around the bed, listening to him tell stories from the past.
…
When dawn kissed the earth, it was already June.
Dark Demon woke up from his slumber and searched the morning newspaper for news related to the Saints’ Church.
In these days, the newspaper repeatedly talked about the Saint Scholar Abel Jekes.
It made it seem as if there was controversy within the Church regarding this mad decision, making its implementation less smooth.
Of course, the reality was likely far more complex than what was on the surface.
After putting down the newspaper, Dark opened the curtains and looked outside, feeling somewhat elated.
After all, he was looking forward to the vacation and going home.
But after breathing in some fresh morning air, he sat down again and began today’s lesson.
Just two hours later, he had written a simple test paper, which he handed to the “Mana Book” to display each question one by one.
Immediately, the Mana Elves sat upright in their seats, transcribing each question and beginning to solve them.
Given that some Mana Elves struggled with writing speed, Dark gave them ample time to complete the questions.
He first graded Deoxys’s test, confirming it was a perfect score, then handed the answer key to Deoxys to grade the others.
Next, he ranked the scores and awarded rich rewards of small red flowers to the top three, further igniting the Mana Elves’ enthusiasm for learning.
Thus, the test for the Mana Elves ended.
Unexpectedly, the top three were Deoxys, Eevee, and Lil’Eevee.
Dark had originally thought Imp Beast would rank highly, but Eevee unexpectedly surpassed Imp Beast to come in second.
Lil’Eevee’s consistent efforts paid off, securing third place.
As for Lion Beast, Meow, and the Vampire Noble, they fell behind due to their shorter study time compared to the more intelligent and older Deoxys and Eevee.
Dark posted the final rankings on the wall and left the dormitory.
As soon as he stepped out, the dormitory erupted in noise.
Deoxys, who got first place, sat in his usual spot, reading calmly.
Second-place Eevee strutted around the bedroom, sticking a small red flower to its ear and meowing proudly throughout.
Third-place Lil’Eevee, after watching for a while, sneakily followed Eevee, strutting like a model and feeling secretly pleased.
Watching the two Eevees bask in their success, Imp Beast, who ranked sixth, could only glare and feel frustrated, almost choking on his anger.
But who could blame them?
The rivalry among the Mana Elves did not affect Dark’s progress.
In the remaining two days of staying on campus, he needed to purchase all the basic materials required for the three-month vacation.
Saint Maryann Academy was much more lenient with students, allowing most items to be taken off-campus.
In addition, he needed to buy “Cat Juice” and magical potions for nurturing the Worm Tree, as well as boxes for packing various items.
There were many things to buy.
After purchasing everything, he spent considerable time organizing the items into boxes.
The academy had planned these two days for students to stay on campus, taking into account the need to pack all the luggage.
Because the young magi had to carry a lot of baggage.
Walking on Traveler’s Street, Dark noticed many people buying luggage boxes, and a special type of box was particularly popular.
The “Fluid Box” would slowly fill with magical fluid once closed, securely fixing the contents inside and preventing them from moving. It also had shock-absorbing features, ideal for fragile experimental supplies.
Moreover, there were numerous basic material kits available, making it very convenient for students to directly purchase the corresponding level of materials.
Though summer homework hadn’t been assigned yet, there would surely be plenty of experimental tasks.
Dark returned to the dormitory at eight o’clock in the evening, exhausted from carrying so much.
He then started organizing his belongings, categorizing them into boxes.
The Mana Elves mimicked him, tidying up their own small items.
By ten o’clock, the dormitory was filled with several fully packed large boxes.
Dark took a deep breath, cleaned up, and began drawing a new round of “Capital Sins.”
In May, he had only created a “Baby Blue-Eye Dragon” and two “Bliss III Moons” at the beginning. The “Pride” and “Greed” he had collected afterward were stored.
Now, the “Pride” and “Greed” in the Worm Tree were each at 6.5 points.
The changes in the “Capital Sins” index were relatively limited.
“System, display the indicators.”
He casually called up the list, comparing it with May.
[Pride: 95-92]
[Envy: 39-38]
[Wrath: 82-80]
[Sloth: 69-70]
[Greed: 95-93]
[Gluttony: 73-75]
[Bliss: 80-82]
Originally, after drawing 15 points last month, “Pride” and “Greed” had dropped to 90 points, but they had slightly increased since then, reaching their current levels.
“Pride” is 92 points, “Greed” is 93 points. Only these two meet the conditions, so let’s start with “Pride.”
Dark rubbed his temples, wanting to break through “Capital Sin III” and create “Capital Sin IV.” Thirty points of “Capital Sins” were necessary, and he planned to try during the three-month vacation.
He had studied “Pride” the most thoroughly, so if possible, he would prioritize “Pride IV.”
Ultimately, he spent some time calming himself down before carefully extracting 1.5 points of “Pride” using the “Soul Curse” and “Technique of the Shadow God.”
This brought the total “Pride” reserves to 8 points.
But to continue accumulating “Pride,” he needed to increase it slightly.
“I need to think of a way.”
Dark focused intently, pondering deeply.
…
With only two days left until the summer break, most first-year students spent their time packing.
Most were experiencing their first extended separation from parents, feeling a mix of longing and excitement to return home.
Of course, there were also those eager to showcase their achievements in the academy to their parents.
Emma Maltis was one such student.
Though diligence wasn’t her primary motivation, growing up in a scholarly household with strict education, she felt a strong need to excel.
However, thinking about the upcoming first-year exams, she feared she might not get the top score, which caused her some unease.
…
A sudden heavy rain poured down on a dark night, but the increased humidity did not alleviate the summer heat, adding an uncomfortable dampness.
Wit Gold hadn’t packed anything; he spent all his free time playing Mana Chess with Robert Broheim, as if he intended to finish all the games for the next three months.
Robert had been accompanying him since morning and finally couldn’t hold back, “Wit, you have a problem!”
Wit was taken aback, “What problem could I have?”
Robert said, “You’re hiding something from me! Is it about the summer?”
Wit smiled bitterly and decided not to hide it anymore, “You caught me. I wanted to stay on campus with my mom, but Professor Shylph said I must go home.”
Robert recalled, “I remember you mentioning your home is…”
Wit said, “Angela Orphanage. There’s Natalia Lady and Sister Christina who raised me, and my siblings who aren’t fond of playing with me.”
Robert asked curiously, “Why don’t they play with you?”
Wit thought for a moment, “Maybe because Natalia Lady and Sister Christina treat me too well. Thinking about it, I might seem like the villain who took away their love.”
Robert widened his eyes, “That’s strange! Shouldn’t you understand each other?”
Wit replied, “Life in the orphanage isn’t as rosy as you imagine, Robert. Sometimes we fight over a piece of bread, and I always end up with the biggest slice.”
Robert said, “I think the people at the orphanage knew you were the hero’s child from the start.”
Wit nodded, “That’s true now.”
Robert consoled him, “Going back isn’t bad. They’re like family to you, and it’s also to keep Aunt Brad’s matters in the academy hidden. Though I don’t know exactly what happened that day, she seems to have done something improper.”
Wit shook his head, “I don’t know. Many things, they don’t tell me.”
Robert said, “After all, we’re still young.”
“It’s not about age, Robert,” Wit said, “Like how Professor Shylph always consults Dark, if I could be as knowledgeable as him, I wouldn’t be left out.”
Robert sighed, “Well, that’s Dark.”
Wit agreed, “Yeah, that’s Dark…”
They continued their Mana Chess game.
…
The rain cleared by morning.
Surprisingly early, the first-year results were posted on the bulletin board outside the castle by noon.
—
This translation preserves the original narrative structure and dialogue while converting the text into English.
