Chapter 841: Dark Demon’s White Valentine 4k
The duel ended abruptly.
When the life barrier of the blue mana guidance ball shattered completely, many spectators were still fixated on the red side’s remaining HP.
Even when the referee blew the whistle, some people’s minds couldn’t process what had happened: The red side’s HP hadn’t reached zero; why did the duel end?
One could only say that this duel concluded too quickly and unexpectedly.
Matthew Billbrom’s defeat was only realized by most people a few seconds later.
At that moment, the commotion from the audience outside the arena could no longer be contained.
Only Matthew’s supporters held their breath in disbelief, unable to speak for a long time.
As for Matthew himself, he choked on his own laughter and fell into a violent coughing fit.
In a life-or-death duel, a minor misjudgment could cost one’s life.
Especially since Matthew’s misjudgment was not insignificant.
He bent over, coughing violently, covering his eyes with his hands.
A hint of gray escaped through his fingers but instantly retracted.
…
At the same time, Dark Demon suddenly felt something, raising his right hand with a puzzled look.
Just now, he keenly sensed the faint flicker of the Underworld Fire hidden in his palm.
Although this didn’t mean much, combined with his initial strange feeling at the start, it immediately alerted him to the problem.
This allowed him to quickly calm down from the aftermath of the duel victory.
There had always been another unknown holder of the Underworld Fire in the academy.
Dark had known this fact earlier.
But he hadn’t discovered it himself; he learned it from fourth-year student Patricia Boline. Thus, he had never been entirely sure.
Afterwards, neither Patricia nor he had detected any unknown aura related to the Underworld Fire.
This matter had been dragging on until now.
Unexpectedly, in this seemingly unrelated duel, he accidentally sensed the aura of the Underworld Fire.
However, Matthew Billbrom didn’t use the Underworld Fire to initiate the duel ceremony, and there were no signs of its influence on him.
Even the faintest trace disappeared in an instant.
Dark couldn’t definitively conclude that Matthew definitely carried the Underworld Fire.
What he could confirm was that Matthew had some contact with the Underworld Fire.
Dark therefore looked up at the opposite side, but he saw that Matthew Billbrom’s condition wasn’t good.
At least, before Matthew calmed down, it wasn’t suitable to talk to him.
Of course, this wasn’t a big problem for Professor Demon.
They could contact each other later.
…
A duel ultimately has only two outcomes: victory or defeat.
Audiences quickly immerse themselves in the next duel after watching one.
What remains are lingering astonishment and confusion, along with some written records.
Dark quickly descended from the competitors’ platform.
Afterward, he took out the Professor Card from his mana card deck and sent a notification specifically to Patricia Boline.
It was already past 8:30 PM, and for most students, it was not a suitable time for private meetings.
Fortunately, Patricia Boline wasn’t adventuring in the dungeon. She was in the Mana Academy’s common room chatting with friends when she received the notification.
As a fourth-year student of the Mana Academy and a fellow townsman from Synes, Patricia Boline and Vini Scarlet naturally knew each other.
In fact, they traveled back and forth to the academy together every year.
Their relationship wasn’t particularly close, but it was better than average.
At this moment, she was gossiping with Vini, who was reading a book with a disdainful expression.
The senior mana students around them were all smirking.
Clearly, they were having fun at the expense of the descendant of the Winter Sage.
“Beep—”
When Patricia received the reminder from the selection card, she paused. She immediately looked at her companion and noticed that only her selection card had sounded. She hesitated slightly before taking it out.
The girls looked at her but didn’t crowd around to peek.
“Bo-bo, which professor is looking for you so late?” a girl asked casually.
Patricia said, “Let me check.”
She infused magic into the selection card and opened the message.
Vini Scarlet suddenly looked up, glanced swiftly, and then burst out laughing. “What’s going on, Patricia? Is your little boyfriend looking for you so late? Has he gotten lonely?”
The surrounding girls’ eyes lit up, and they all wanted to sneak a peek.
Patricia quickly put away the selection card, giving Vini a playful glare. “Only you have the talent for making things up!”
Then she turned to the others and smiled. “It’s a first-year professor looking for me. I previously entrusted him with something, and now he seems to have made progress. Anyway, if everything goes well, I might still make it back for the midnight ghost story session.”
The girl who had spoken earlier pretended to be shocked. “No way, bo-bo? You’re going to hang out until midnight?”
Their midnight ghost story sessions always started after midnight.
Patricia Boline laughed heartily, unbothered. “I can’t help it; my charm is just too great. It’s different from those singletons.”
She drank the last bit of her black tea, stood up gracefully, waved, and walked out.
The girls exchanged glances.
But after Patricia Boline confidently pushed open the door, everyone suddenly lifted her from under the table, each holding a mana card.
“Don’t rush, I’ll handle it.”
A smile curved across Vini’s lips; she held two mana cards.
…
Since she had nothing to hide, Patricia Boline felt no need for caution. After leaving the Mana Academy tower, she headed toward the office of a first-year professor.
Behind her, two invisible golems followed silently. One trailed her closely, while the other flew off in another direction.
Vini Scarlet seemed angry about her previous actions and was ready for a small revenge.
She didn’t realize that her movements had already been noticed by her friends. At this point, she wondered who was hiding the Underworld Fire and how Dark found out.
After sending the notification, Dark prepared to go straight to the office, clearly a good place for such discussions.
But as soon as he left the tunnel, he was blocked by the fan support club members—this time, they even brought tools to reveal invisibility!
However, the fan support club was still in its early stages. Besides praising him endlessly, the seniors kept stuffing candies into his arms.
If it were Diana, she would already be floating with joy.
But he was Dark Demon, struggling to maintain his composure.
…
After finally escaping the seniors, Dark hurried to the office, only to fall into another group of seniors’ trap.
When he arrived at the office door, he found Patricia Boline waiting, apologizing, “I ran into some trouble on the way, making the seniors wait.”
Patricia Boline tapped behind him curiously, asking, “Where is that person?”
Dark replied, “Not notified yet. Let’s think about how to ask.”
Patricia Boline chuckled. “Do we need to think? Just be straightforward and get him to explain. You are a professor of the academy.”
Dark sighed, “I just dueled him in the dueling arena.”
Patricia Boline’s eyes brightened. “How many rounds?”
Dark said, “A bit more than two rounds.”
Patricia Boline followed him into the office, saying, “Isn’t that just a minute or so? A third-year student?”
Dark replied, “A sixth-year. Eh? Why aren’t you coming in?”
Patricia Boline laughed and stepped through the outer door, closing it behind her.
Only then did Dark turn towards the desk, drawing out the Mana Card for the Spirit Illusionary Worm from his deck as he walked. He muttered under his breath, “Phantom Eye.”
The Spirit Illusionary Worm floating above the office released intense white light.
A small cat-shaped golem appeared instantly.
Patricia Boline quickly grabbed the white chick wings on the kitten’s back and held it up to her eye, glaring fiercely.
“Who?” Dark asked.
“Winnie,” Patricia Boline replied.
The small kitten shattered like a bubble with a pop.
…
In the Magic Academy Tower, at the Common Room.
A large bubble in the center of a round table also burst simultaneously.
Winnie Scarlet said with regret, “We’ve been discovered.”
Others chuckled lightly. One person asked, “Is this the Demon guy? Pandora’s rumored boyfriend? When did Boline start seeing him? Wait, it’s March 14th… Wow! She even dared to steal Pandora’s spotlight!”
Winnie Scarlet flipped through a book and said, “They seem to be planning something, but we can’t see what.”
The girl before smiled mysteriously, setting up a Mana Card and whispering, “It’s fine, I have another safeguard.”
She tossed the Mana Card onto the table, face down, releasing a projection.
…
At the same time.
A small owl, about the size of a fist, hung upside down on the ceiling a hundred meters away from Dark’s office.
Its eyes glowed, its gaze piercing through all the walls within a hundred meters, entering the office.
But just as the projection appeared on the table, it showed Patricia Boline’s smiling face.
Then with a soft thud, the small owl’s vision went dark, and the projection on the table disappeared.
…
Inside the office, Dark was both amused and exasperated. “So this is all your friends’ doing?”
“They’re quite mischievous,” Patricia Boline said. “So we still need some field barriers to prevent peeping.”
Dark waved his hand and said, “It’s not like anything we need to hide. It doesn’t matter if they see. Hold on, I’ll send a message to Matthew Billbrom.”
But as soon as he sent the message, his card deck began to vibrate.
He took out the Mana Card, which was the Identification Card.
Dark infused it with mana and activated it, seeing a message from Pandora Dragon.
…
“Not in a hurry, there’s still plenty of excitement to come,” Winnie Scarlet in the Magic Academy Tower looked confident.
When others asked, she drew another Mana Card and said, “This time, let’s just wait by the door, no peeking, no eavesdropping… Well, how about we all go take a look?”
“Agreed!”
“Seconded!”
“Approved!”
A group of singletons without partners on White情人节 were all excitedly cheering.
…
But inside the office, Dark simply sent a quick reply and put away the Identification Card.
Patricia Boline asked curiously, “Who is it?”
Dark said, “Pandora Senior said that Senior Pandora accused you and me of having an affair. What do you think?”
Patricia Boline widened her eyes, “That’s too much!”
“Yeah, it’s a bit much,” Dark said. “Luckily, our bond is strong. This kind of attempt at separation is nothing. By the way, did you offend Senior Pandora?”
Patricia Boline angrily said, “How could you say I offended her? I only gave her a massage when she was reading.”
Dark: “…”
…
On the other side, Matthew Billbrom received a notification.
Dark had not explained the reason in the letter, only notifying him to come to his office as a professor, along with the office address.
After this period of calm, Matthew Billbrom’s emotions had stabilized.
But upon seeing the notification, his emotions surged again.
However, he quickly restrained himself and became wary.
Saint Maryann Academy always had the aura of Underworld Fire circulating, and very frequently.
This was due to a batch of maids being sent here weekly for experiments.
With a little attention, one could detect that these activities were led by Dark Demon.
Matthew Billbrom never used Underworld Fire for duels, and after that, he hid it even deeper.
His method of using Underworld Fire was unique to him.
To test his concealment ability, he even wandered near Dark’s place, but remained undetected.
His concealment of Underworld Fire was extremely proficient, almost making him lose his vigilance.
But he never expected this duel would expose him.
“A duel” was a very special scenario.
Underworld Fire was especially active in this scenario.
This was the main reason for Matthew Billbrom’s energy leakage.
But now, it was too late to investigate the cause.
He considered whether to go or not.
…
…
Chapter 842
Although Matthew Billbrom was very hesitant in his heart.
In fact, in Saint Maryann Academy, he had no other choice.
Especially since Dark did not extend an invitation, but rather issued a “notification” as a professor.
This left him no room to refuse.
Therefore, all he could do at this moment was prepare for the worst-case scenario!
“Perhaps it has nothing to do with this?”
After trying his best to prepare, Matthew calmed himself through self-consolation.
Then he set off towards the office.
Like a solitary, world-defying brave soul.
…
Not long after, Matthew found the office of the first-year math professor.
Immediately, he noticed a lonely pink rabbit plush toy thrown in the corner.
The left eye of the rabbit plush was sewn with a large black button, its mouth tightly stitched with black thread, and there was a large crack on its plump belly, giving it a rather eerie appearance.
But no matter how eerie it was, it was just a rabbit plush toy.
Matthew thought for a moment and turned to knock on the door.
“Knock!”
But as soon as he knocked, he suddenly became alert, a Mana Card slid into his fingers from his sleeve, lighting up abruptly.
Several streaks of light flashed, and the rabbit plush toy was blown apart!
Matthew stood there, looking around warily.
Just now, he had lost his guard towards the eerie rabbit plush toy, clearly due to some mental manipulation.
“Who placed the toy? Dark Demon? Why would he place this thing at his office door? Could there be others involved?”
Matthew Billbrom generated numerous thoughts in an instant, unable to help feeling nervous.
He had a vague sense that he was surrounded by wolves, watched by countless eyes, sending chills down his spine.
“What’s going on?”
…
The office door suddenly opened from the inside.
Matthew shuddered, almost letting out a cry.
Then he immediately realized that he must have been subjected to a mental attack, weakening his will!
“Trying to weaken my will before asking questions, is that what he wants? But since I’ve seen through it, it won’t work anymore!”
Matthew’s gaze became resolute, reinforcing his will.
“Sixth-year, Fool’s Academy, Matthew Billbrom? What are you standing outside daydreaming for?” Patricia Boline saw Matthew standing motionless outside.
·Billbrom couldn’t help but frown.
Matthew quickly snapped out of his daze and looked up, saying, “Patricia Boline? I know you. How did you end up here too?”
Patricia Boline subtly smiled and replied, “I was called by Professor Demon. Are you here for the same reason?”
Matthew said calmly on the surface, “Yes. I never thought I would be summoned by a second-year professor. Why? What does he want with us?”
He naturally changed from ‘you’ to ‘us.’
Patricia Boline paid no mind to Matthew’s little trick.
She waited until Matthew entered before closing the door.
She glared fiercely at the wall opposite her.
On the other side of the wall, Winnie Scarlet and several other girls were enjoying themselves.
From their perspective, Matthew’s reaction was indeed quite amusing.
…
Dark wasn’t sitting behind his desk.
When Matthew arrived, he had just boiled some hot water and leisurely poured himself a cup of black tea, gesturing for Matthew to sit on the sofa.
Matthew observed his surroundings with caution, his gaze lingering slightly longer on the inner door before he quickly retracted it.
He sat across from Dark and got straight to the point, “Junior Demon…”
“Call me Professor.” Dark smiled.
Matthew’s tone stuttered, then he said calmly, “Alright, Professor Demon. Why did you call me so late? You should know that you’re only a second-year professor; you can’t control sixth-years. I came because I respected you after our duel.”
“I understand, I understand. Have some tea first.” Dark moved the teacup filled with black tea closer.
The aroma of the tea slowly spread.
Matthew stared at the slightly rippling tea, but didn’t drink it: “Let’s get to the point.”
“It’s all trivial matters,” Patricia Boline said casually as she sat down on the side sofa, “We are all holders of Grey Flames, getting to know each other is necessary.”
“Grey Flames? What Grey Flames?” Matthew frowned.
Patricia glanced at him and flicked her fingers, summoning her [Underworld Fire].
Matthew’s pupils contracted, but he still frowned, “What is this? There’s an ominous aura about it.”
“Ahh.” Dark sighed, “Are you so confident that your [Underworld Fire] won’t be detected?”
Matthew frowned deeply, “I don’t understand what you mean.”
Dark said, “Matthew Billbrom, beating around the bush serves no purpose. We have no prejudice against holders of [Underworld Fire], nor do we intend to seize it. Can you share some experience in controlling it? You seem to handle it perfectly.”
As he spoke, he also summoned his own [Underworld Fire].
In the flickering grey flames, he asked, “How did you manage to completely conceal its aura and not be affected by it?”
Then both he and Patricia fixed their gazes on Matthew.
Matthew, under their scrutiny, could no longer pretend.
He suddenly straightened up and said, “Though I don’t know what you’re talking about, isn’t this thing taken care of once it’s fed?”
“Fed?” Dark furrowed his brows and looked at Patricia Boline.
Patricia Boline immediately said, “[Underworld Fire] induces a desire for duels, which is insatiable. How do you feed it?”
Matthew Billbrom said with a calm expression, “Desires differ among people. If I say my desires are shallow and easy to satisfy, would you believe me?”
Dark pondered and said, “Tell me.”
Knowing he couldn’t hide it any longer, Matthew said, “I encountered the Grey Flames last year when I was in the capital city. As you said, it did generate a desire for duels. So, I stayed longer in the capital to observe. By chance, I found other Grey Flame holders who fought and plundered each other without reason. But I’m different… Do you know about paper man battles?”
“Paper man battles?” Dark’s eyes showed confusion.
Patricia Boline said, “A paper man battle is a children’s game where two or more children place their homemade paper men on a table, blowing air behind them. The one who knocks all others off the table wins. It has evolved over time.”
Matthew Billbrom nodded, “Exactly. Now, some people make paper men like constructs and let them fight on a table, similar to gladiatorial combat. I’ve always loved paper man battles, and later, I became obsessed with paper man fights. After being approached by the Grey Flames, the first thing I felt was the urge for a paper man battle. So, I immediately found a place and made two paper men to watch them fight.”
“Hold on!” Dark interrupted him, frowning, “Is it okay to fight yourself?”
Matthew Billbrom said, “Why not? I wanted to see paper men battling, not people. The Grey Flames reflect deep thoughts; watching paper men fight satisfies me.”
After hearing this, Dark fell silent, contemplating.
Matthew Billbrom’s method of handling [Underworld Fire] truly surprised him.
Even Patricia probably hadn’t expected this.
This was indeed exploiting a version bug.
But clearly, this was a bug only Matthew could use, lacking general applicability.
After all, for those who enjoy fighting, they can’t fight themselves.
That wouldn’t satisfy their competitive spirit.
Another issue…
Dark straightforwardly asked, “Even if you fill the void of [Underworld Fire]’s desire through this method, how do you keep it hidden so that other holders don’t detect it?”
Matthew Billbrom said, “You might not have seen it, but once the Grey Flames are fed, they close up and enter a kind of hibernation state. Just like how people get sleepy after eating. It’s the same principle.”
Dark looked at Patricia, who was also speechless.
They exchanged glances and sighed together.
Matthew Billbrom indeed might succeed, but it was likely because his paper man battles satisfied the [Underworld Fire]’s desire without providing new fuel, while others’ [Underworld Fire] grew stronger after each victory.
Clearly, there would never come a day when it’s fully fed.
Dark said, “I can believe you. Can you show me your [Underworld Fire]? Don’t worry, it’s yours. As long as it doesn’t harm others, we won’t interfere.”
Matthew Billbrom sneered inwardly but still obediently summoned his [Underworld Fire].
As he said, his [Underworld Fire] formed a tight ball, like an unopened bud, unlike Dark and Patricia’s, which flickered.
Dark carefully observed and confirmed, “Indeed as you said, put it away.”
Matthew Billbrom retracted his [Underworld Fire].
His heart was now settled, appearing even more composed on the surface.
All he said was true, and he wasn’t afraid of Dark uncovering it.
“It seems things are progressing smoothly. My previous concerns were unnecessary.”
He couldn’t help thinking this.
…
And after frequent contact with the maids holding [Underworld Fire], Dark had already become indifferent to it, no longer as vigilant as when he first saw it.
But this was inevitable.
To him now, [Underworld Fire] was merely food for the [Reaper’s Casket], losing its glamour.
And after becoming a professor, he was somewhat influenced by Professor Kazel, behaving more professionally.
Professor Zeal approached.
He would not intrude on a student’s privacy unless absolutely necessary.
For Matthew Billbrom, how he used the [Underworld Fire] was his own private matter.
Dark did not probe further into this matter.
…
With both sides being relatively restrained, there was no conflict during their meeting.
Dark merely confirmed that Matthew Billbrom was the holder of the [Underworld Fire] and could control the desires it aroused without causing harm to others.
Afterwards, he would report this to Professor Shylph, who would be the one to decide how to handle the situation.
As for Patricia Boline, clearly Matthew’s method of satisfying his [Underworld Fire] duel desire caught her attention, but after discovering it lacked general applicability, she let it go.
Matthew Billbrom naturally had no objections.
Thus, after the matter concluded, he left the office and breathed a sigh of relief, then walked resolutely back the way he came, quickly disappearing from sight.
After he left, Vini Scarlet and several other girls emerged through the wall.
“Thought there would be something interesting, but it’s just this?” one girl complained.
“Why seek out a clown when we have such a fine night?” another girl said sarcastically, pointing to where Matthew had vanished.
Vini Scarlet frowned, pondering why Pandora had not yet arrived.
Meanwhile, Dark and Patricia in the office continued their conversation over tea.
Their initial discussion revolved around the [Underworld Fire], then shifted to [Paper Dolls]. Patricia Boline even made two paper dolls on the spot and played with Dark for a while.
Then they moved on to discuss [Ragnarok], [Divine Rebirth], [The King’s Revival], and various changes within the kingdom.
The aroma of tea filled the air as they chatted, and the atmosphere in the office grew increasingly intense.
Vini Scarlet and the others, seeing Matthew leave, thought Patricia would soon follow. They waited, only to find themselves waiting for over half an hour.
Instead of Patricia, someone else arrived.
“Why are there so many people here?”
Pandora walked over calmly, greeting Vini and the others.
Vini and the others looked at each other, immediately perking up.
“Good evening, Senior Drogan,” Vini said sweetly, contrary to her usual demeanor. “Why are you so late?”
Pandora patted her shoulder, catching the invisible bird sent by Vini, and casually threw it back, smiling slightly. “A little later is better.”
Vini was puzzled.
But Pandora was not there to do what she might have thought.
That night, the moon was bright, and strolling under the moonlight was perfect.
…
…
[Love you, please vote.]
Chapter 843
Dark was unaware that his beloved senior was standing outside the door; he continued chatting with Senior Patricia Boline.
People always have needs, and Dark was no exception. Moreover, Patricia Boline was genuinely engaging.
When Dark first interacted with her, he was deeply impressed by her humor. With more interactions, he found Patricia Boline to be genuinely witty.
Though not a disciple of the Sage, Patricia Boline was born in the City of Knowledge, Synes, and her scholarly demeanor was evident.
Last holiday, due to her involvement with the [Execution of the Demon King] and the [Underworld Fire], she had more in-depth contact with the Sages. Perhaps by the next holiday, she would become a Sage disciple herself.
Life’s encounters can be quite remarkable. When disaster strikes, it often brings unexpected opportunities.
Dark enjoyed his conversation with her and gained new perspectives from a different angle.
Among these, her insights on the kingdom’s changes were particularly helpful.
During her time at the Mana Academy, Patricia Boline still corresponded with several Sages she met during her holidays, learning many insider secrets.
Some of these secrets were even unknown to Dark.
Primarily, the focus was on the changing attitudes of Prince Charles and Princess Eliza.
In fact, the sudden revival of the king had not had as significant an impact on the common folk as expected—perhaps because the influence had not yet permeated down from the top.
However, in the political circles of the capital city, it had already caused a seismic shift.
Initially, the nobles believed the king’s revival was a short-term phenomenon akin to a “last flicker of light.”
But as things progressed, the king’s health improved significantly, and he explicitly showed no intention of abdicating. Previously aligned factions, either supporting Charles or Eliza, were forced to reshuffle. Most returned to the king’s side, while a few remained loyal to Charles or Eliza.
Those few were closely linked to Charles or Eliza, making it impossible to sever ties completely.
The Duke’s Mansion, as the leader of Princess Eliza’s faction, was intricately intertwined with her power base, making it inseparable.
On the other hand, the connection between the Church and Prince Charles was surprisingly not as tight, and they quickly retracted their influence.
However, the Church did not completely cut ties with Prince Charles’s forces, maintaining limited support.
In any case, they no longer provided full support as before.
Without the Church’s overwhelming support, Prince Charles’s forces rapidly disintegrated quietly.
Previously, those who supported him were mostly old nobles from the previous era. At this point, returning to the king’s side was natural.
For some time, Prince Charles almost lost his competitive edge as a potential heir.
However, after the initial reshuffling, he managed to regain some covert support and barely held on.
After all, the king’s age was a factor, and there was no sign of him stepping down now. However, in ten, twenty, or even thirty years, it would be impossible to continue unless… he mastered the secret to eternal life!
Not all information reached the Noble Academy. Many were still ignorant of “Divine Rebirth,” and they did not consider the possibility of divine intervention.
So, many nobles maintained outward loyalty to the king while secretly supporting Prince Charles.
Compared to Prince Charles, Princess Eliza’s forces did not dissolve as quickly, but the parts that did were truly gone.
Unlike Prince Charles, in ten, twenty, or thirty years, Princess Eliza would most likely be married, rendering her ineligible to inherit the throne according to tradition.
By then, Prince Charles would essentially win without a fight.
Unless the next generation rose again.
Therefore, at present, apart from some emerging forces that consistently supported Princess Eliza, most remaining forces were targeting the Duke’s Mansion.
Rather than supporting Princess Eliza, they supported the Duke’s Mansion.
Moreover, some of those supporting the Duke’s Mansion occasionally urged Alvaraite to withdraw from the meaningless inheritance struggle.
Under these circumstances, neither Prince Charles nor Princess Eliza had an easy time.
Naturally, their attitudes changed.
Prince Charles withdrew his ambitions, focusing on gathering strength, but his desire for the throne remained unchanged.
Princess Eliza, however, became unusually aggressive, as if trying to accomplish everything before it was too late.
Yet beneath her aggressive exterior, she harbored thoughts of retreat.
“Eliza intends to step down from the throne competition.”
Dark did not expect to hear this from Patricia Boline.
But he had his own suspicions, so he wasn’t surprised.
However, the news Patricia Boline revealed afterwards truly astonished him.
The old king’s first move after reclaiming power was not to purge his allies, but to urgently prepare for another matter—he intended to host the “Hero Conference”!
The term “Hero Conference,” though somewhat reminiscent of a martial arts style, did not seem out of place in this era.
The old king did not reveal his intentions publicly; instead, he secretly convened several sages to discuss the matter. One of these sages was acquainted with Patricia Boline.
His stated purpose for hosting the Hero Conference was to select heroes from across the nation who possessed talents capable of shouldering the nation’s burdens.
Just like the brave warriors of the past who had sacrificed greatly to end wars, he aimed to choose twelve heroes who could support the country in the future.
At present, this was still within the realm of intention.
However, according to an unnamed sage, the old king’s intentions were very firm. Coupled with his gradually recovering resolute personality, it wouldn’t be long before he would bring this matter to light.
When announced to the world, it would attract many heroes to converge on the capital city within three to five months.
This event was neither small nor insignificant.
If it happened during normal times, it could be seen as a display of national strength. And since it was limited to domestic participants, it lacked international significance.
But in the current special context, it couldn’t be ignored.
All the sages believed that the old king must have hidden motives.
“Surely it’s not a secret matchmaking event for the princesses?” Patricia said with a completely joking tone.
But after she finished speaking, she noticed Dark’s strange gaze: “No way, right? It can’t be, right?”
Dark sighed helplessly: “What are you thinking? I believe selecting a future husband for the princess could indeed be a secondary purpose beneath the surface. Of course, there would be third, fourth layers… Only by wrapping things up so thoroughly could the ultimate goal be hidden deep down. This Hero Conference is no ordinary affair.”
Patricia continued with a smile: “If it really happens, do you have any intention of participating? After all, a secondary purpose is still a purpose.”
Dark smiled: “Then, of course, I would participate…”
“What are you participating in?”
A cold voice suddenly entered his ears, making Dark jump.
Pandora Dragon was being pulled in by Vini Scarlet, directly entering through the door.
Dark protested against this intrusion.
But to no avail.
Pandora’s eyes narrowed into thin slits, her long eyelashes trembling like waves.
Patricia Boline was also well-known among the upperclassmen at the Mana Academy, and they knew each other generally.
Patricia realized the situation was bad and immediately sat up straight, restraining any actions that might cause misunderstandings, silently cursing Vini in her heart.
Vini Scarlet laughed slyly like a little fox.
“Participate in what…”
Dark thought quickly between answering “participating in the Hero Conference,” “participating in the Golden Cup,” and “participating in the Academy Cup,” and decisively chose D.
“Participate in what? That’s just minor stuff. Isn’t the senior Pandora busy studying tonight?”
Pandora Dragon maintained her feigned “anger” for only a short while before walking over to sit beside Dark, her icy expression melting away like snow.
She had long realized that she couldn’t maintain her composure in front of Dark.
It was a subtle change accumulated bit by bit.
Sometimes, she would faintly worry about whether she would become a weak woman at the mercy of her husband in the future, but then she would think that perhaps it wouldn’t be so bad, and she would laugh uncontrollably.
She relaxed her nerves, letting her body sink into the sofa, and looked at Patricia, who was inferior in every aspect, saying, “I just finished my work and came to find you. Why aren’t you welcoming me?”
“Of course, I welcome you.” Dark leaned forward, took out a new teacup, rinsed it with tea water, poured in fresh tea, and moved it in front of Senior Pandora.
After receiving a satisfactory response, Pandora turned to Patricia Boline and said, “Fourth-year Patricia Boline, Vini has already told me. You came here on serious business. Can you tell me what it’s about? I’m curious.”
“Senior Pandora,” Patricia greeted, then looked at Dark, clearly asking for something.
Dark shook his head and said, “It’s not something to be discussed here. I’ll explain it to you in detail when we have time.”
In short, there were too many bystanders.
Besides Vini Scarlet, a group of Mana Academy girls had followed, standing at the door, gossiping and looking like they were watching a show.
But Dark Demon wasn’t someone to be gossiped about. He raised his head slightly, ready to drive them away.
Patricia Boline saw his intention and stood up first, saying, “Alright then. We had a pleasant chat tonight. I hope we’ll have another chance to talk alone like this. I’ll leave now.”
She quickly got up, pulling Vini towards the door.
“Huh? Wait.”
“What are you waiting for? Don’t wait!”
Patricia forcibly pulled her away, opened the door, and left.
The other girls followed suit.
Then, she stepped out the door, threw a flirtatious glance at Dark as she closed the door, and finally said, “Let’s make a date.”
“I’ll make seaweed fish skin.” — This sentence was left unsaid.
Dark inwardly grumbled. When Patricia closed the door, he said to his senior, “Senior, there’s nothing to it.”
“Don’t say anymore.” Pandora suddenly turned around, her slender fingers cupping his cheek, her eyes tightly locked with his, her voice gentle yet tinged with sorrow, “I trust you.”
Dark smelled the close-by scent, feeling a hint of emotion.
Pandora Dragon maintained her original tone and continued, “I know, Patricia Boline isn’t in your ‘pond.'”
Pond???
[Little friend, why do you have so many question marks on your head.jpg]
Pandora held Dark’s face and continued, “Among those who just came in, even if one wanted to raise fish, it would be Vini, right?”
“What?” Dark.
Pandora said plaintively, “If you want, I can help catch her and put her in the pond. What do you think?”
“Senior, this joke isn’t funny…” Although Dark’s face was already flattened, his mouth was still free.
“Ah.” Pandora sighed heavily and said, “Boys always get tired of old things. Like me, an old woman, I will eventually grow wrinkles and become old, swept into the corner of the room, forever dancing with dust. I heard that Winter Sage has a magic spell to keep herself youthful like ice. Vini inherited her legacy and will remain forever fresh.”
“… ” Dark didn’t speak, rolled his eyes, lay flat, and let his senior take charge.
Pandora said, “I heard everything you two were talking about outside. You want to participate in the princess’s matchmaking event, right? She’s older than me, but she’s still a passable fish.”
The office walls are so soundproof, how did you hear?
Dark rolled his eyes wildly, like a suffocated fish.
Pandora continued, “As a royal princess, Elisa must have her own ways to stay young. The age difference between you two doesn’t matter much. If you wish, I can help catch her and put her in the pond. What do you think? If Elisa isn’t enough, there’s Anna and Angie. They’re younger than you and have a good impression of you. I think a little bait is all we need to reel them in. What do you think?”
Her eyes shone brightly, full of sincerity.
Dark’s eyes were also bright, full of sincerity.
Pandora opened her mouth to continue.
Dark suddenly leaned forward, blocking her mouth.
…
Finally, silence fell in the office.
