Chapter 868: Dark Demon Only Wants to Say Goodbye 4k
Caleb Norris left.
Before the crowd dispersed, he had already exited the Number One Combat Hall.
Dark Demon did not try to stop him, nor was it possible for him to do so.
For this current Chief Archbishop of the Church of the Saints, he could not yet make a clear judgment.
But this was only natural. If one could see through a Chief Archbishop with just a bit of contact, it would be too disrespectful to the Church.
However, he could somewhat tell that one of the reasons Caleb Norris came to Saint Maryann Academy under the pretense of leading exchange students was—
“I never expected the Church to value me so much.”
“To have the Chief Archbishop personally come to probe me.”
Dark Demon could not help but increase his vigilance.
He had never thought that Caleb Norris would specifically come for him.
“It seems I need to be more restrained in the next month and not show any flaws.”
“I wonder how much Caleb Norris knows about me?”
Dark Demon raised his head and looked at Wit Gold and Evan Pearson as they descended from the Competitors’ Platform.
Wit’s posture carried a hint of dejection, but his expression seemed even more resolute.
Evan Pearson, on the other hand, quickly returned to his initial state after descending from the platform.
The spectators’ attitude towards them changed significantly after this duel.
Students reined in their initial curiosity towards the “Saint Son,” and many began to take him seriously, even developing hostility towards him.
Perhaps due to a sense of solidarity, many people encouraged Wit.
Wit responded well to this encouragement.
At one moment, he suddenly felt pain in his shoulder, then turned around abruptly to see Robert laughing boisterously.
Robert patted his shoulder hard and shouted in a loud voice, “No problem, Wit. You’ve already dueled against their academy’s strongest ‘Saint Son.’ This exchange trip will definitely go smoothly.”
Wit was stunned for a moment before forcing out a smile and saying, “Thank you for your encouragement, Robert. But if it’s just smooth, it’s not my goal. Wait for me!”
Then he clenched his fist and raised it to his chest, bumping fists with Robert.
Just as they were smiling at each other, Justin Wayne approached from the side and agreed, “Well said, Wit. Let’s work together this time.”
Seeing Justin approach, Robert couldn’t help but tighten his face.
But Wit bumped fists with Justin again and said, “Let’s work hard together!”
Justin echoed, “Let’s work hard together!”
…
On one side, the scene depicted youthful friendship and passion, while on the other side, Evan Pearson had already stepped out of the crowd, bringing Tommy Smith back to Dark Demon’s side.
Dark Demon smiled and said, “You fought well.”
This ordinary praise caused Evan Pearson’s expression to change instantly.
A faint green light flashed between his brows, calming him down as he said to Dark Demon, “To be honest, your ‘Hero’ disappointed me a little.”
Dark Demon corrected him, “It’s ‘Hero’s Child.’ Even though Wit’s heroic bloodline is unusually thick, he is currently only one of the ‘Brave Candidates.’ Of course, he has great potential.”
Evan Pearson was somewhat displeased. He didn’t like being pointed out, especially by someone who might be younger than him.
As someone born on January 1st, most of his peers were younger than him.
His judgment wasn’t wrong; after all, Dark Demon was born on June 6th.
Evan Pearson stated, “Potential is merely a placebo for the weak. I won today, and I’ll win tomorrow, and a month later, I’ll still win.”
“Uh-huh.” Dark Demon agreed, “Keep working hard.”
Evan Pearson paused for a long time before saying, “You’re not angry?”
Dark Demon looked puzzled, “Why would I be angry?”
Evan Pearson said seriously, “I just defeated your esteemed ‘Hero’ in the duel. You should be angry.”
Hearing this, Dark Demon couldn’t help but laugh, “Then consider me very angry right now.”
Evan Pearson stared intently at him, suddenly realizing that the person in front of him truly didn’t care about the result of his recent victory!
This made him feel a sense of defeat and bred hostility within him.
But he successfully concealed his hostility.
Afterwards, Dark Demon asked, “Since we’ve met and dueled, what else would you like to visit?”
Evan Pearson pondered for a moment and said, “Is there a place you often go to?”
Dark Demon replied, “If we must pick a place, it would undoubtedly be the library. Shall I take you to the library?”
Evan Pearson shook his head, “Forget the library. I’ll visit it myself later. Is there any other place?”
“Well…” Dark Demon thought for a moment, “Come with me.”
At present, when the Traveler’s Street was not open, the most frequently visited place for Saint Maryann Academy students would naturally be—
Soon, the three of them arrived at the Lover’s Bridge!
“This is the place you come to most often besides the library?” Evan Pearson stood in the center of the bridge, his eyebrows twitching.
Dark Demon said frankly, “This is where young men and women meet. Unfortunately, you’ve arrived at an unlucky time. If you came in February or March, you’d catch the festival when lovers gather.”
Evan Pearson’s expression darkened, “The academy is a place for learning, not for frivolous matters. Could this be the school’s culture? No wonder such a culture would produce such shameless ‘Heroes’!”
Dark Demon glanced at him and suddenly asked, “Don’t you have anyone you like?”
Evan Pearson replied without hesitation, “Of course not.”
“Hmm.” Dark Demon considered for a moment, “To ensure the purity of the ‘Saint Son’ and ‘Saint Maiden,’ right?”
Tommy Smith stepped forward to correct him, “To maintain orthodoxy!”
Dark Demon ignored him and continued to look at Evan Pearson gently.
Evan Pearson said, “We dedicate our lives to the ‘Saint.'”
Dark Demon responded, “Have you ever thought that once the ‘Saint’ truly arrives, many of your current doctrines will no longer be applicable?”
Evan Pearson stared at him fiercely and said sternly, “Nonsense!”
Dark Demon smiled and changed the subject, “So, where else would you like to go?”
Evan Pearson remained silent.
Dark Demon said, “It’s almost time. If you don’t have other plans for lunch, I can take you to the cafeteria.”
…
In the end, Dark Demon took Evan Pearson and Tommy Smith around to the back garden.
After some time, the crowd in the back garden had thinned out, and fewer people were watching.
Dark Demon entered smoothly without drawing attention, reuniting with Aurora.
Aurora immediately approached and whispered something to him.
After hearing her, Dark Demon gained a general understanding of the situation here.
In reality, the situation hadn’t changed much.
Audrey Jeane, the “Saint Maiden,” had been thoroughly engaged in military chess with Emma.
They hadn’t switched to another game and had played four consecutive games of military chess.
Except for the first game, which ended in a draw that Dark Demon saw, the second and third games were also draws!
Emma and Audrey were now in the fourth game, which was nearing its end.
From the surface, it was still a deadlock.
But in reality, Emma’s breathing had become unstable.
It wasn’t due to physical exhaustion but rather a disturbance caused by insufficient mana.
Originally, Emma was experiencing military chess for the first time today.
Therefore, every draw, in Audrey Jeane’s eyes, was a complete defeat.
She kept losing and kept fighting.
She had “lost three consecutive times”!
Finally, it came to this fourth match.
In this fourth match, she finally found a chance to win.
But before the excitement could last, she immediately discovered the reason for this opportunity and frowned.
This was not the kind of victory she wanted.
Thus, when the situation improved and victory seemed imminent, she suddenly stopped moving.
“That’s enough.”
Audrey Jeane finally spoke.
Emma slightly raised her head and stopped making her move.
Direct confrontation was the best way to understand an opponent.
She immediately understood Audrey’s intentions.
So she said, “Our duel class professor once taught us that duels are a test of wisdom, mana, and physical strength. Chess is the same. The quality and quantity of mana, control over mana, and physical condition are all key factors in determining the outcome. I concede this round.”
With that, she withdrew her mana, allowing the “pieces” on the board to dissipate into starlight.
After a few seconds, Audrey Jeane said, “Let’s play again.”
Emma shook her head and said, “That’s enough. Thank you for teaching me chess. Unfortunately, I don’t have time to continue. Military chess is interesting, but I can’t get too immersed. If you want to duel again, let’s meet at the dueling arena next time.”
Audrey Jeane replied, “Dueling arena, it’s settled.”
Emma nodded and stood up, “Then see you next time.”
Audrey Jeane looked up and said, “Agreed.”
Emma glanced at her and said, “Mm-hm.”
She finished gathering her things and was ready to leave.
“Do you want to have lunch together?”
But at this moment, Dark Demon, who had been waiting, invited them.
Emma was surprised and looked up at him involuntarily.
Dark Demon smiled slightly and said, “Since we’re here, why not?”
Emma wanted to refuse, mainly because she instinctively sensed that this matter was not simple and was troublesome. She didn’t want to get involved.
But somehow, she nodded at Dark Demon.
Dark Demon then turned to Audrey Jeane with a smile and introduced himself for the first time, “Hello, I’m Dark Demon, a second-year student from the Noble Academy. I’m temporarily responsible for welcoming the two of you.”
Audrey Jeane took a deep breath, stood up, and said, “Audrey.”
Behind her, her guardian knight immediately added, “This is Jesse Louise, nice to meet you. Since you are with the ‘Saint Son,’ we don’t need to introduce ourselves further. Where would you like to dine?”
Dark Demon smiled, “Since you are exchange students, I’ll take you to the cafeteria this time. I hope our cafeteria meets your tastes.”
Jesse Louise said, “Don’t worry. Neither the ‘Saint Maiden’ nor I have any special food preferences. Ordinary food is fine.”
Dark Demon nodded and extended his hand, “Then, follow me.”
…
Not long after, the seven of them entered the Saint Maryann Academy cafeteria.
It was just past mealtime, and since the Traveler’s Street would open after noon, many people chose to enjoy more food there. Thus, the cafeteria was not very crowded.
Of course, with their arrival, a large group of people followed them into the cafeteria.
After Dark Demon briefly explained the rules of dining in the cafeteria, they joined the queue.
He took the opportunity to introduce the identities of the “Saint Son” and “Saint Maiden” to the kitchen staff and helped them choose their favorite foods before sitting down together at a larger table.
The “Saint Son,” “Saint Maiden,” and the two guardian knights sat on one side.
Dark Demon, Aurora, and Emma sat on the opposite side.
“Are your chefs all half-breeds?”
As soon as they sat down, Dark Demon heard Evan Pearson ask in a calm tone.
Although his tone was calm, Dark Demon had clearly noticed the question during ordering.
Without saying much, he directly answered, “Ever since I enrolled, they have always been. Half-breed chefs have excellent skills and are passionate about cooking. They can spend a whole day in the kitchen without getting bored, making them the perfect fit for the academy.”
“Is that so.” Evan Pearson picked up his utensils but did not start eating, “I wanted to ask earlier. Your academy has many hybrids, doesn’t it?”
Dark Demon slowly replied, “If you mean half-breeds, then yes, I think so.”
“Ah.” Evan Pearson did not say more and placed his utensils back down before closing his eyes to pray.
On the other side, the “Saint Maiden” Audrey Jeane and the two guardian knights had also begun their pre-meal prayers.
The Church of the Saints’ doctrine was relatively lenient regarding dining etiquette, requiring only a prayer before the meal, without various taboos and dogmas.
This allowed them to integrate easily into the crowd without blending in completely.
The prayer soon ended, and the meal began.
Neither Evan Pearson nor Audrey Jeane initiated conversation.
Originally, talking during meals was not in line with formal etiquette, but most people did not strictly adhere to this rule.
Dark Demon enjoyed the peace and remained silent throughout.
Only when they were almost done eating did he pull out a wet wipe and carefully wipe the oil from the corners of his mouth, then opened his mouth and said, “Do you need a nap after lunch?”
Jesse Louise replied, “We haven’t settled on a fixed residence yet.”
Dark Demon said, “That’s easy. The academy will arrange temporary guest rooms. If you don’t want to stay in the teacher’s dormitory, there are empty rooms available in our tower.”
But Audrey Jeane rarely spoke and said, “No, I want to go to the library.”
…
…
[Vote (～﹃～)~zz]
