Chapter 452: Dark Demon’s Unexpected Joy (8k)
There were quite a few people in the principal’s office.
Principal Altair, Professor Shylph, Professor Metia, and Ophelia Brad were all present.
When Dark entered and pushed the door open, he felt as if a fragrant breeze had greeted him.
Principal Altair was like the brightest moon in St. Maryan, with her silver hair that seemed pure and unblemished, resembling moonlight, and her sky-blue eyes that looked so delicate they might break at the slightest touch, creating a dreamy and ethereal aura.
Professor Shylph had a unique charm characteristic of half-elves, with her golden hair blending seamlessly into the wind, exuding the fresh scent of nature. If she smiled, it was like being surrounded by a gentle spring breeze, warm and inviting.
Professor Metia’s attire maintained its style reminiscent of a deep abyss witch, with her extraordinarily long eyelashes paired with light purple eyeshadow creating a slightly seductive aura.
When the Blood Princess shed her disguise, the contradiction between her blood-red hair and her gentle demeanor enveloped her in a faint mysterious atmosphere, as if a veil covered her, tempting one to uncover the truth.
Entering this place as a young Dark was akin to a small lamb stepping into the territory of giants, destined to be swallowed whole.
Of course, he wasn’t just a lamb.
“Dark, you’re here?”
The four ladies sat on either side of the tea table, and the aroma of black tea slowly wafted from their cups.
Dark closed the door and nodded slightly, “Good evening, everyone.”
“Come sit over here.” Principal Altair shifted her body, making space between herself and Professor Shylph.
Dark sat down somewhat awkwardly, feeling immediately encircled.
The two busy little elves on the table quickly carried a teapot and teacups, pouring him a cup of black tea.
He took the teacup, sipped lightly, and tasted a hint of lemon.
“How is it? Is it good?” Principal Altair asked softly with a smile.
Dark recalled fondly, “It’s lemon tea.”
Principal Altair nodded, “This is the lemon tea I brought back from the Free City. It’s one of their specialties.”
“The principal has been to the Free City?” Dark was surprised.
Principal Altair reminisced about her time there and chuckled, “Yes, I stayed for quite some time. The mayor of Montiel Farley was very welcoming.”
Dark pondered, “The mayor of the Free City was once a Sun Warrior, right?”
“Yes,” Principal Altair replied, “She was a comrade of your mother. Anyway, you’ll probably meet her soon enough.”
Dark: “Hmm?”
Principal Altair placed her slender, fair fingers in front of her lips and blinked, “This is a secret.”
Is she planning a surprise?
Dark’s face darkened, “Principal, why did you call me here tonight?”
“You really are not cute,” Principal Altair turned to look at Ophelia Brad and said, “Mainly, we wanted to thank you for saving Brad.”
Dark said, “No, it was coincidental.”
Principal Altair shook her head, “After the war, everyone was immersed in joy. Even after ten years, the aftermath still lingers. Many of us have moved past wartime conditions and forgotten the details. Brad was a regret, but you helped us mend that.”
Then she took a sip of her tea and continued, “Moreover, you interfered in the process of the Demon King’s suicide reincarnation, which was crucial. Even I hadn’t thought that Brad could create the opportunity for the Demon King to commit suicide in the seal through their connection.”
Ophelia Brad’s face stiffened, and her gaze shifted to the corner.
This was not a compliment.
Principal Altair said, “No one had thought of this for ten years, or perhaps someone did but couldn’t do it. But things may be different after this decade.”
Ten years allowed humans to gradually recover their vitality amidst the ruins, giving the remnants of the demon race a chance to regroup and allowing the evil sects to flourish.
Every seer friend I consulted said this would be a turning point. Chaos will spread again, even more perilously.”
Dark frowned involuntarily.
But Principal Altair continued, “The rapid development of civilization is a double-edged sword. Over the past ten years, mana technology has exploded, but humans haven’t created corresponding restraints, leading to inevitable disasters.”
The sudden seriousness of the topic left Dark stunned. He couldn’t help but ask, “Is there no solution?”
Principal Altair shook her head without speaking.
Humans are creatures that can’t be awakened until disaster strikes, only then will they realize their mistakes.
Perhaps even then, they won’t realize their mistakes because those might not even be considered mistakes.
Standing on different sides, definitions of right and wrong vary.
“Don’t be so serious, let’s talk about something interesting, like the Holy Grail, the Holy Grail, or the Holy Grail?”
Professor Metia’s voice, tinged with a playful tone, suddenly broke the silence.
Dark heard the word “Holy Grail” and suddenly realized the true reason he was called there, a hint of surprise showing on his face.
Principal Altair indeed said, “So, let’s get to the point. Tonight, I called you here to give you your due reward. Just like before, for this matter involving Brad, you’ll receive ten thousand credits and one wish from the Holy Grail. What do you think?”
Dark hadn’t expected any reward, as he acted out of his own volition.
Therefore, whether he received a reward or not didn’t matter much.
He naturally wouldn’t refuse, “An unexpected joy.”
Principal Altair smiled, “Alright, take out your selection card.”
Dark took out the selection card from his card pack.
He had gained fifty thousand credits after writing “Mathematics I,” and now spent them freely. With a long period of spending more than he earned, these ten thousand credits were just enough to balance his accounts.
The Second Year needed to reopen the Magical Animal Club, which would certainly require a large expenditure.
And another chance to make a wish with the Holy Grail would be a delightful surprise!
But after Principal Altair awarded him the ten thousand credits, she continued, “Also, I heard from Lily that you want to restart the Magical Animal Club. She suggested becoming the new club’s advisor professor. What do you think?”
“Lily…” Dark momentarily showed a hint of embarrassment.
Restarting the Magical Animal Club was part of his plan, and it was a necessary step.
But as the club’s advisor professor, he originally wanted to find a reliable professor or one who knew more about magical animals.
Professor Kazel would be a good choice.
Professor Nina was also a good option.
But now, with Principal Altair announcing this in front of everyone, he couldn’t refuse Lily’s face, so he said sarcastically, “Very nice, Professor Lily…”
A corner of Principal Altair’s mouth curled up, and she said, “The process of forming a club is actually quite complex. For a club like the Magical Animal Club, you must demonstrate your ability to manage and tame magical animals, rather than letting them cause chaos in the academy.
But with Lily around, you don’t need to worry about that. When the new semester starts, you can go directly to Professor Shylph; she’ll help you set up permissions and claim a classroom. Additionally, you can also inherit the remaining items from the previous Magical Animal Club.”
This was actually the biggest benefit.
Dark immediately realized this was part of the reward, especially the remaining items from the Magical Animal Club, which should be quite valuable.
“Alright.”
Principal Altair rubbed her sore shoulder and stood up lazily.
“Now, come with me to the secret room. Do you need a wish form?”
Dark stood up as well, “No.”
“Let’s go.” Principal Altair led the way to a small inner door in the office.
Inside the door was not a secret room but a fully equipped rest area.
Once Dark came in, Principal Altair waved her hand to lock the door and then took out a golden key, inserting it into the snow-white wall.
The contact point between the key and the wall instantly rippled like water.
As the ripples rapidly spread, a door leading to the secret room appeared.
Principal Altair turned the key, unlocking the door, and gently pushed it open, revealing a pure white secret room.
Inside the secret room, there was nothing but a Holy Grail and a pedestal for the Holy Grail.
Dark followed Principal Altair inside and gazed closely at the Holy Grail again.
This time, he was prepared and quickly snapped out of it when he felt a slight daze.
At the same moment, he clearly sensed a stirring.
“This Holy Grail is indeed related to ‘Greed’!”
Dark’s gaze flickered as he began to contemplate the power of the Holy Grail.
During his last encounter with the Holy Grail, his research on “Greed” wasn’t as advanced as it is now, and he had already refined a mana golem like Meow.
“Thinking carefully, Meow’s Treasure Accumulation Skill actually has a bit of the Holy Grail’s essence.”
He stroked his chin, contemplating further.
Until
Altair Principal called out to remind him, and he suddenly regained his senses.
“What about it? Have you thought of what wish to make?” Principal Altair asked.
Dark responded quickly, “Of course, I’ve been preparing for this for a while. Unfortunately, the Noble Academy didn’t win the Academy Cup.”
Principal Altair couldn’t help but smile, “First-year students can’t participate in the Academy Cup. Does that make you feel disappointed?”
Dark shook his head, “Not really disappointed, but it’s quite interesting to watch.”
Principal Altair nodded slightly, “Alright, start making your wish as soon as possible. The Holy Grail requires a quiet environment.”
…
Dark calmed his mind and began to pray.
Since he had already given it some thought, his wish was very straightforward. Just like last time, he wanted to improve his technique with the Mana Dropper!
With the same wish, he accidentally learned the basic “Soul Curse” from the Holy Grail last time. This time, he didn’t specify a target; he just hoped for similar results.
By loosening the restrictions and letting the Holy Grail work freely, his wish could be more easily fulfilled.
Dark focused intently, feeling a mysterious power generated from his thoughts, which was then absorbed by the Holy Grail. Afterward, the liquid inside the Holy Grail gently swayed, and a dark aura spread, with starlight flashing frequently.
Suddenly, Dark, who had his eyes closed, “saw” the universe and stars falling into his brain.
A new memory emerged, as if he had always known it.
“This is…”
Dark abruptly opened his eyes, his eyes glowing.
…
“Did you succeed?” Principal Altair asked softly.
Dark slowly spoke, “It seems so.”
Principal Altair congratulated him, “You’ve achieved your wish twice in a row. It seems you have mastered the art of wishing on the Holy Grail.”
Dark modestly replied, “I’ve grasped the basics.”
Principal Altair waved her wand and said, “In any case, let’s leave the secret room first.”
She pointed at the Holy Grail, causing the starry ripples in the room to contract rapidly. The little remaining “wine” in the Holy Grail quietly disappeared.
They left the secret room.
Principal Altair pulled out a Gate Key from the wall, and the door to the secret room vanished.
She looked at Dark and said lightly, “How is it? Is it something you can reveal?”
Dark replied, “The same wish as before, but with different results.”
Principal Altair curiously asked, “What did you gain?”
Dark smiled faintly, “Some insights into using the Mana Dropper.”
Indeed, this time he gained not an advanced version of the “Soul Curse” or “Technique of the Shadow God,” but rather, genuine techniques for using the Mana Dropper!
The techniques for using the Mana Dropper were incredibly complex and profound. Dark had always only dared to use the simplest “touch-and-go method,” being cautious not to delve deeper, lest he be tempted.
But this time, with the aid of the Holy Grail, he managed to touch upon a somewhat deeper technique.
It was a technique for extracting surface memories!
He transformed the memories into droplets and extracted them from the surface of his brain, then used a small trick to make them appear on a smooth surface.
Although this didn’t help increase the amount of “Capital Sins” extracted, it was a very practical technique.
Moreover, extracting only surface memories could reduce the risk of damaging his brain.
Even though he wouldn’t use this on himself, every bit helped. This technique and the accompanying knowledge would greatly assist him in further learning how to use the Mana Dropper.
To be honest, he had just scratched the surface.
As for the previous “touch-and-go method,” it was merely the most basic application.
…
Dark and Principal Altair continued chatting in the lounge before stepping out.
The three ladies outside were discussing women’s topics.
Dark originally thought Professor Shylph wouldn’t be interested in clothes and bags, but he never expected her to be the main voice in the conversation!
However, upon reflection, it made sense. Professor Metia wore robes all day, and even though they were tailored, she only had a few sets.
And Blood Princess had no time to care about fashion before, so her taste was outdated now.
Professor Shylph, however, knew a lot about these things and effortlessly pulled out a stack of “Changing Cards” with various trendy styles.
When Dark came out, they were even trying out the “Changing Cards” in the principal’s office, showcasing their excellent figures in fashionable outfits.
Dark felt slightly awkward and hurriedly bid farewell.
Though the gains tonight were unexpected, they were quite rich.
But the biggest gain would only come after the September term started.
He was very curious about what the Magical Animal Club had left behind.
If he could find out the secret of how Peter Sherwich always managed to bring magical animals, that would be even better.
“Maybe I can ask after I get home.”
Dark felt happy.
If Alvaraite knew he would restart the Magical Animal Club, she would surely be delighted, right?
“Grrr!”
A cute little creature suddenly jumped out from around the corner and made a ghost face at him!
Dark was distracted and genuinely startled, but when he saw its cute appearance, he rolled his eyes.
Little Lily, standing close by, chuckled and put her hands behind her back, saying, “So, did you get anything good?”
“I just made a wish.” Dark blinked and said, “Why didn’t you go in?”
“I had something to talk to you about.” Professor Lily turned her face, looking a bit embarrassed.
For an imp, who usually had thick skin like a city wall, this was quite rare.
Dark laughed, but suddenly realized something wasn’t right—this was something he wouldn’t dare say inside the principal’s office, only daring to confront someone at the door.
Professor Lily clearly noticed his change in expression and quickly said, “That, the textbooks for next year aren’t ready yet, you know? The one you mentioned, ‘Mathematics II’…”
“I knew it.” Dark sighed. It seemed he had another task during the summer break.
But if writing a Mathematics I earned him fifty thousand credits, writing a more advanced Mathematics II should earn even more, right?
Seemingly afraid that Dark might disagree, Professor Lily quickly added, “Don’t worry, this time it’s me and Professor Bacon working together. As long as your textbook is qualified, we’ll each get fifty thousand credits, totaling a hundred thousand! How does that sound?”
A hundred thousand credits equated to six hundred thousand sacred coins!
At Saint Maryann Academy, such coins could buy rare items not available elsewhere, making the currency value overflow.
This deal was clearly a fair price.
Deep down, Dark found it feasible, but he still bargained, “I have many plans for the summer. Let’s do this: I’ll write the main content, but you’ll need to handle the polishing and most of the exercises.”
Professor Lily’s eyes lit up, and she pounded her chest excitedly, “No problem, with Professor Bacon here!”
Dark: “…”
“Hehe, it’s settled!”
Before Dark could continue speaking, Professor Lily took the initiative, flapping her dragonfly-like wings and circling around him joyfully.
“Alright, stop spinning, my head is spinning.”
Dark raised his hand to stop her and walked towards the edge of the castle.
Professor Lily flew beside him, muttering, “We won’t meet again for three months.”
Dark “hmm-ed” and then curiously asked, “Professor Lily, don’t you go home during the break?”
“I do.” Professor Lily spun again and said, “This is my home.”
Dark was taken aback, “I meant, the fairy homeland?”
“It’s boring there.” Professor Lily waved dismissively, “It’s not as fun as here.”
Then she added, “Don’t worry about me getting lonely. Like Kazel, Shylph, and many other professors live in the academy too. We always find time to travel. If you also go out, maybe we’ll meet somewhere.”
After saying this, she looked expectantly at him.
Dark understood and said, “If you pass through the capital, mention my name. It’s fine even if you eat and drink for free.”
“Ah?” Professor Lily’s mouth opened wide, “I have money!”
“Hahaha.” Dark’s laughter echoed through the castle window, spreading across the vast sky.
…
On the last night before leaving school, after returning to his dorm, Dark extracted the slightly improved “Pride” and continued packing the rest of his luggage, including all the cat grass and worm trees, carefully securing everything.
Once everything was done, a pile of boxes large and small filled the entrance.
Three cubic-meter boxes and five smaller ones.
“Shouldn’t anyone have more luggage than me?”
Dark watched all the luggage and felt speechless.
However, for a Magus, no amount of luggage was too heavy to carry.
“It’s the last night.”
Dark picked up Piplup and crawled into bed.
Piplup’s smooth blue skin gave off a refreshing coolness, making it the perfect pillow for the summer.
Since discovering it, Dark had loved it dearly and held it every night while sleeping.
…
On June third, as dawn approached.
Dark DiMont went to the canteen alone for breakfast, then waited until seven o’clock before putting away “Paradise” and recalling all the Mana Golems except for Imp, Meow, Deoxys, Eevee, and Lion Beast.
Lion Beast dragged two large boxes, while Deoxys pulled one.
The remaining five small boxes were carried by Meow and Eevee.
Dark himself only carried a backpack.
As for Imp Beast…
Perhaps its role as a “drone” suited it well.
…
The Common Room wasn’t spacious enough, so Dark didn’t wait inside. Instead, he crossed the bridge and waited in the castle.
After about ten minutes, Diana, Rose, Tudor, and Pistons arrived one by one.
They all lived in the Capital City and were good friends, so they agreed to travel together.
“I heard the Mana Train from Saint Maryann Academy goes straight to the Capital City?” Tudor said excitedly upon arrival.
Diana immediately questioned, “Didn’t you ride it when you came to school?”
Tudor shook his head vigorously, “No, I came on a Goblin Zeppelin.”
“Tsk, misuse of public transportation,” Diana stuck out her tongue.
Goblin Zeppelins were strategic-level transport tools, not yet available for civilian use.
However, the Mana Trains developed by Saint Maryann Academy had already been partially commercialized.
The Mana Train tracks ran directly from the Northern Border of the Kingdom to the Capital City, then to the southern Train Town before returning.
Three Mana Trains departed daily from the town near Saint Maryann Academy, at 9 AM, 1 PM, and 5 PM.
Mana Trains weren’t particularly fast; traveling from the starting station to the central Capital City usually took three days, a round trip taking twelve days!
Even so, they greatly improved the Kingdom’s transportation convenience.
This year, Saint Maryann Academy began planning a second track line.
This second track would be built in collaboration with the Royal Family—specifically with Princess Eliza.
Once this track was completed, the people who benefited would surely recognize Princess Eliza’s contributions.
This was one of the projects Princess Eliza was pushing hard for.
…
“Cough!”
Dark lightly coughed, signaling that it was time to depart.
“Let’s hurry, if we’re lucky, we might still have time to explore the town.”
In fact, he had come to school by dragon, so this was his first time riding a Mana Train.
However, the exterior and riding experience of Mana Trains were similar to old-fashioned trains, so he didn’t feel much novelty.
“Charge!”
Tudor exclaimed with enthusiasm and walked out first.
He was accompanied by a giant lizard with a turtle shell—”Turtle Dragon.”
Although “Turtle Dragon” was only a Two-star, it was large, standing nearly a meter tall when lying down. Its flat and broad back was perfect for carrying luggage.
Tudor had only one large box.
Pistons was accompanied by a fat hippo—”Round Hippo,” surprisingly with less luggage.
Rose and Diana each carried a large and a small box.
Rose had no large Mana Golems, so all her luggage was placed on Diana’s “Bear Spirit.”
That massive bear remained calm even with so much weight.
The five of them, along with their Mana Golems, soon left the castle.
Outside the castle, professors had set up a one-way gate.
Students orderly entered through the gate and reached the “Teleport Square” of the Academy Town.
Saint Maryann’s Academy Town wasn’t large, mostly inhabited by relatives of merchants from Traveler’s Street.
But it was complete despite its size.
It even had a chapel where children of merchants were taught reading and writing.
The three most important places to remember in the Academy Town were the “Teleport Square,” “Mana Train Terminal,” and “Station Front Street.”
“Station Front Street” was, as the name suggests, a small street in front of the station.
The items sold there were different from those in Traveler’s Street. Popular items included convenient-to-eat foods and handmade souvenirs by residents.
Since it was early, the five of them strolled around Station Front Street for a bit, buying some handmade souvenirs.
When Dark saw a set of “Kingdom Double Swords” action figures in a store, he bought a set and gave the “Hero” figure to Tudor, hanging the “Valkyrie” figure on his backpack.
Overall, both he and Tudor were happy, making it a win-win situation!
…
About half an hour later, the人流 on Station Front Street gradually increased.
The five of them ended their shopping and entered the station.
Tudor, seeing the Mana Train for the first time, started exclaiming loudly, only to be glared at by a senior student passing by, calming him down significantly.
The station was spacious, especially the waiting room, which could easily accommodate all students from Saint Maryann without feeling crowded.
Through the windows, one could see the Mana Train quietly resting on the tracks.
The black, bulky locomotive and the swollen, short carriages differed slightly from what Dark had imagined.
Since he would be on the Mana Train for three days, he stored his Thinking Bottle and Mana Dropper in his backpack.
The Cat Grasses were fed special “Hibernation Magic Potions” to put them into a hibernation-like state.
At 8:30, the attendant opened the doors and led the students inside.
No tickets were needed.
Students could freely choose their seats.
After carefully asking, Dark directed the Mana Golems to place the luggage boxes in the cargo hold, leaving only a small box.
Inside the box were toiletries and change of clothes.
The Mana Train had toilets, bathrooms, and a restaurant, all free for students due to it being a private train.
Once everyone had settled their luggage, they found an empty carriage.
The seats in the carriage were arranged in groups of three, six per group, with partitions creating a relatively private space.
The five of them used one compartment.
Shortly after sitting down, Tudor cheerfully brought out a Mana Chessboard and set it up on the table between the rows.
“Dark, want to play a game?”
“Fixed pieces or…?”
“Fixed, fixed!” Tudor quickly replied.
He wasn’t a masochist.
Dark took out a thermos from his backpack and placed it on the corner of the table, then played chess with Tudor.
His chess skills weren’t great, but they were more than sufficient for Tudor.
While they played, the other three watched enthusiastically, occasionally giving advice.
At a critical moment, a knock came from outside the compartment.
Assuming it was an attendant, Dark turned casually, only to find a second-year Mana Academy student at the door.
“I’ll open it.” Rose stood up.
The student asked softly after the door opened, “Hello, do you have any seats left?”
Rose looked back at Dark, who nodded, then said, “Yes, where are you headed, Miss?”
“Synes,” the Mana Academy student couldn’t help smiling, “What about you?”
“We’re all going to the Capital City,” Rose returned to her seat.
The student glanced around with slight hesitation.
Dark understood her concern at a glance and stood up from his seat, sitting between Tudor and Pistons.
“Huh?” Diana showed a puzzled expression.
Dark smiled, “Let the student sit with you.”
Three boys and three girls, one row each, fit perfectly.
“Oh.” Diana responded, moving over to the window seat.
Rose leaned in, leaving the outer seat for the second-year student.
The student sighed with relief and sat down, saying, “Thanks. My name is Catalysta Isaiah, a second-year student at the Mana Academy. I hope to enjoy a pleasant journey with you all.”
Thus, the five of them introduced themselves, quickly becoming familiar with each other.
Dark then curiously asked, “Miss Isaiah, Synes, is it the Knowledge City Synes?”
Catalysta nodded while retrieving a book titled “XXX Anthology” from her backpack, “That’s how outsiders call it, but Synes is just a place with a few more Sages than others.”
