Chapter 182: The Thousand Troubles of Dark Demon
“Come on, clap your hands!”
Under Dark’s command, Eevee sat on the windowsill, reluctantly clapping with a look of disdain.
The light symbolizing “help” emanated from it, growing stronger but then vanished like a bubble with a pop.
“Doesn’t work?”
Dark felt very disappointed.
It seemed that Eevee’s “help” couldn’t be used on itself.
But that was right; nice creatures should hide behind and watch, not take the stage themselves.
…
After tidying up his experimental tools, Dark took some time to read before dedicating an hour to practicing “Technique of the Shadow God,” and then fell into a deep sleep.
Only two weeks remained until the end of the semester.
During this time, the professors mainly focused on reviewing and consolidating knowledge rather than teaching new things.
All classes except for Duel Class assigned major assignments, due by December 20th.
These assignments would serve as references for students’ grades this term.
Students, who had become increasingly excited and uncontrollable due to the approaching holidays and Christmas, were like wild horses that had been reined in again, showing signs of early weariness at such a young age.
Burdened by heavy homework, they even forgot about finding dance partners and preparing gifts for a long time.
Until the afternoon of December 15th, when the festive atmosphere in Traveler’s Street grew thicker, did the students realize that only one week remained until Christmas!
Thus, topics about Christmas exploded like crazy.
Just like during Halloween, Dark began receiving love letters again.
Compared to the more childish first-year students, he, as a mature and steady peer, was clearly more popular among the little girls.
Moreover, just last week, he had won the championship in an in-class competition, making him the center of attention for a while.
On Friday night, he even received an invitation to the ball from a second-year senior!
A girl from the Noble Academy, sitting in the Common Room, smiled and placed a white envelope with a heart on his desk, saying she was delivering it as a favor for her friend.
Dark opened the “invitation” and felt troubled.
Though called an “invitation,” it was actually a “love letter,” filled with poetry and dreams of a literary girl.
It was a type he wasn’t averse to.
But how could he reject it politely?
…
Claire’s after-school tutoring ended last night.
Despite Dark having many unresolved questions, Claire, being a professor, had her own responsibilities. She would be busy next week.
Furthermore, regarding whether she would stay on or even take over as head of Fool’s Academy…
She had much to consider.
In the ten years since the war, aside from staying for a longer period at the Duke’s Mansion, Claire had always been on the move, fulfilling someone else’s wish to “wander around.”
—If the war ends, I’ll wander alone, see mountains and waters, and check if what’s written in books is truly magical.
Waterfalls flowing backward, trees growing in reverse, mysterious underground worlds, distant floating islands…
She had walked countless paths.
Perhaps, it was time to stop.
Take a break.
Organize what she had learned in the past two years.
Write another book and earn royalties.
She couldn’t always be seen as someone who “eats, drinks, and takes without giving back.”
—”When I get back, I’ll discuss it with her.”
…
Still confined, Wit and Robert, under the supervision of Dean Griselda, had no choice but to focus all their energy on their assignments.
They had no world of Christmas dances or gifts.
Their confinement would last until the evening of December 23rd, when Dean Griselda left the academy.
December 24th would be their final day.
That might be Professor Shylph’s mercy.
Otherwise, they would face social death in their first Christmas at the academy for not reciprocating gifts.
…
The weather at St. Maryan was getting colder.
Occasionally, small magus students would go to the infirmary seeking a special cough medicine due to colds.
Sister Carrian’s workload became very busy.
Not because more people were catching colds, but because “revenge incidents” occurred in the academy, as they did every Christmas.
Not everyone could accept rejection.
As a result, pranks and retaliations, as numerous as stars, sprang up.
For example, making someone’s pimples as big as fingers.
Or making someone’s hair grow continuously.
Or turning someone’s skin into dark purple…
Sister Carrian had to deal with these strange yet non-damaging pranks.
—”Christmas this year, I can only spend it at school.”
…
Dark started thinking about Christmas gifts from Friday night.
In previous Christmases, he was always the type to receive gifts without giving back.
This year, of course, he couldn’t do that anymore.
Not returning gifts was a privilege for children, but students at St. Maryan had already outgrown that age.
He sat in the Common Room, writing down a list of people to give gifts to in his notebook.
—Diana
—Rose
—Senior Pandora
—Professor Kazel
—Professor Claire
—Professor Lily
—Imp Beast
…
—Emma
—Alvaraite
Aside from chocolate gift boxes for each student in the Noble Academy, Emma and Alvaraite were also added to the gift list.
At least, in gratitude for the help Emma provided in mural research, he should give something back.
As for the gift for his mother, he could entrust Professor Claire to deliver it.
Before Christmas, most professors would leave the academy to spend the holiday with their families.
Dark usually spent Christmas with Alvaraite, but this year would be his first time spending it alone.
—”I didn’t know, but now I’m shocked! There are nine people to prepare gifts for!”
—”One by one, slowly.”
—”For Diana, though she might prefer a candy package, I happen to have a core material suitable for her.”
—”Rose… well, maybe I could get a signed copy of ‘Claire’s Travels’? ”
—”For the senior, I need to think more.”
—”Professor Kazel, he never lets himself relax, so I’ll give him a novel. ‘The Old Knight at the Border’ is good.”
—”Professor Lily, hmm, I’ll go to Traveler’s Street tomorrow to find some good wine.”
—”For the Imp Beast, I’ll pick a scarf that can double as a hat.”
—”Emma, I wonder what she’s reading lately? I can give her a box of homemade apple juice.”
—”Lastly, Mother, hey, I wonder if she’d be interested in snapdragons?”
