Late at night.
After getting everything in order, Dark slipped into bed, grabbed the notebook from his bedside, and opened it on top of his covers.
All the Magic Guide Spirits, except for Gatomon and DemiDevimon, gathered around.
Even the Catnip Grasses squeezed next to Dark with curious faces.
Dark started from the beginning, comparing the treasure map in his hand with his memories of the corresponding landmarks.
Because they were only sketches, many of the scenes that needed color to truly shine appeared relatively plain.
But the Magic Guide Spirits were at a stage where they were curious about everything, and they watched with great interest.
Only DemiDevimon and Gatomon, who had been there the whole time, perched on the bird stand and the top of the cabinet, respectively, looking down on the cooing Magic Guide Spirits.
Their eyes were filled with a sense of superiority.
After flipping to the final drawing of the dragon's lair, Dark looked at the Magic Guide Spirits around him and was suddenly in the mood to tell a story.
So he picked up a pen and began to draw and narrate simultaneously.
He told familiar fairy tales, interspersed with a few fables with educational morals.
Gradually, Dark noticed they were listening more and more intently, even more so than when they were looking at the landscape drawings.
An idea quietly surfaced in his mind.
...
The next morning.
Dark didn't know when he had fallen asleep, but when he woke up, he found his quilt bulging, stuffed full of small, adorable Magic Guide Spirits.
Even the usually aloof Gatomon was curled up by his side, looking utterly adorable with its fluffy fur.
Dark climbed out of bed as carefully as possible, and after washing up, he began to prepare for the day's plans.
There were still three days until the end of the holiday.
During these three days, he didn't plan to do any more academic research. [Fusion], [Zoo], and Alvit's refinement circle would all be put aside for now.
He still needed to confirm some things about the refinement circle with the professors, but they were currently busy with the vampire situation, so it wasn't the right time.
In short, everything would resume after the new term began.
These three days were perfect for relaxing.
"So, who's going to town with me today?"
Dark sat down and addressed his Magic Guide Spirits.
Of the ten spirits, besides DemiDevimon who was perched smugly on the bird stand, the others lined up in front of Dark, waiting in anticipation.
Dark had offered one slot for a companion, but they would have to compete for it themselves.
"Mang mang!"
Ditto was the first to speak up.
However, it was holding the Trash Slime high above its head, indicating it wanted to secure the spot for its baby!
But the Trash Slime, like jelly, quietly slipped through its grasp...
Ditto smoothly covered its head, pretending nothing had happened.
Among Dark's Magic Guide Spirits, the Trash Slime was the only one without much self-awareness, so it was naturally excluded from this competition.
Among the remaining eight Magic Guide Spirits.
Ditto expressed no interest.
Popplio preferred to stay in the bathtub.
Shuckle was very confident in its own movement speed and wanted to sunbathe on the balcony.
In the end, only five Magic Guide Spirits were left.
They were: Eevee, Hawlucha, Gatomon, Sylveon, and Miltank!
"Bui bui!"
Just as Eevee was about to raise its paw, it was lifted into the air by one of Sylveon's ribbon-like feelers.
As an evolved form of Eevee, Sylveon undoubtedly held the powerful authority of a big sister in front of Eevee.
And thus, the number of contestants was reduced by one.
"Yoshi!"
Seeing the competition dwindle, Hawlucha immediately puffed out its chest and beat it vigorously, declaring that if it had nothing else, it had brute strength!
As long as it was brought along, it could carry anything!
Perhaps this was the confidence of a Fighting-type spirit...
Unfortunately, before it could showcase its power, two more ribbons descended from the air, wrapped around its wings from left and right, and yanked it upwards.
"Luchaa!"
But Hawlucha wasn't as helpless as Eevee. It immediately flexed its muscles and struggled fiercely, momentarily locked in a stalemate with Sylveon.
Meanwhile.
Gatomon stood off to the side, its expression as cool as ever.
Miltank looked left and right, suddenly realized the competition was gone, and trotted happily to Dark's feet, looking up and mooing softly.
Gatomon watched the shameless cow, its mouth twitching.
Seeing its position being lost, Sylveon gave a mighty heave, flinging Hawlucha away. It then leaped gracefully, claiming the spot by Dark's other knee.
Dark patted the heads of the two Magic Guide Spirits, a helpless smile on his face.
But they would soon discover who the real fool was =.=!
"Alright, we'll add one more spot. DemiDevimon, make a list of what everyone wants to buy."
...
At eight in the morning.
Dark entered Traveler Street with DemiDevimon, Miltank, and Sylveon.
With nine new occupants in his dorm, there were many necessities to purchase. He glanced at the shopping list in his hand and decided to visit a furniture store first.
Traveler Street still held the afterglow of Christmas. Colorful lights and Christmas trees laden with gifts were everywhere. Little creatures resembling balls of soot huddled in the corners of the streets, shivering in the cold wind.
Dark walked over curiously. The mere vibration of his footsteps startled them, and they scurried into the sewers in a panic.
"Are those Dust Sprites?"
Dark had read a description of this magical creature in the 'Secret Records of Birds and Beasts—The Unknown Strange Ecology' that Claire had assigned, though it appeared as food for the 'Ash Cat'.
Dust Sprites, as their name implied, fed on dust and trash.
Whenever a large amount of trash appeared on Traveler Street during the holidays, people would summon these little things to clean the streets.
"(>ω^)Mi~"
Sylveon wrapped a ribbon around Dark's arm, reminding him it was time to go.
...
There weren't many furniture stores on Traveler Street, mainly because the furniture in the student dorms was already luxurious enough, and replacements could be requested if damaged. Students didn't have a high demand for furniture.
As for things like pots and pans, they could be found in general stores.
It took Dark a while to find a furniture store that offered custom services.
He went straight to the owner and handed over his design drafts.
"Four triple-bunk beds and a large cat tree?"
The owner looked at the designs, a bit surprised. "Are you raising cats in your dorm?"
Then his eyes fell on Sylveon and Miltank, and his mouth twitched. "Don't tell me... this is custom-made for Magic Guide Spirits?"
Dark nodded with a smile. "Is that possible?"
Owner: "Triple-bunk beds, each bunk 1.5 meters long, 1 meter wide, and 1.2 meters high. Three levels per bed, four beds total for twelve bunks, covering 7 square meters. The cat tree's footprint is 2x3, so another six square meters. Anything else?"
Dark thought for a moment. "Can you custom-make a wooden training dummy?"
Owner: "A wooden training dummy?"
Dark drew a design for a wooden training dummy on the spot.
Hawlucha had originally wanted a punching bag, but Dark felt that placing a punching bag in the dorm wasn't safe. A wooden training dummy on the balcony would be better.
After getting the design, the owner studied it for a moment and seemed to have an epiphany. "This is a great item! And not too difficult to make."
Dark: "Also, can you custom-make twelve sets of pillows, mattresses, sheets, and quilts to match the bunk sizes?"
The owner immediately smiled. "Of course, that's no problem. If you're not in a hurry, you can pick out the materials and styles for the furniture here. I have a few samples of materials and patterns..."
...
By the time Dark left the furniture store, it was nearly noon.
He consulted with DemiDevimon and the other two Magic Guide Spirits and chose the materials and styles.
He also provided the card art for ten of his Magic Guide Spirits, including DemiDevimon—this was for customizing the pillowcases, bedsheets, and duvet covers.
As for the other two sets of the twelve, they were to be kept as spares.
With that, the main objective for the day was complete.
According to the furniture store owner, he could come to pick everything up tomorrow afternoon.
...
Dark went to a restaurant and ordered a "Bloody Tomato Juice" for DemiDevimon, a "Grass Milk Tea" for Miltank, and, at Sylveon's strong insistence, a couple's-style heart parfait, which they shared with two spoons.
"Eating a parfait in winter feels pretty great."
Dark also shared a fruit salad with his Magic Guide Spirits, and with that, lunch was over.
Next, he started buying necessities for the spirits according to the shopping list.
To carry all the items, he even rented a small trailer, which was pulled by Miltank—standing up, of course!
Finally, Dark arrived at a bookstore.
The store was named "Joyful Bookstore," and it sold supplementary textbooks not provided by the academy.
Under the strange gaze of the young female clerk, Dark selected some early childhood teaching materials, mainly textbooks for reading and writing, and fun readers for beginners.
Yes, that's right.
Dark was preparing to hold classes for his Magic Guide Spirits at home!
...
This was likely an unprecedented feat in history!
The idea had suddenly come to Dark last night while he was telling stories.
Since his Magic Guide Spirits possessed unusually high intelligence, why couldn't they improve themselves through learning?
Sylveon's creative use of its ultimate skill, [Moon Power], to create a high-intensity beam of light in the dragon's nest was an excellent example.
Any other Magic Guide Spirit would, at most, adjust the direction and scope of its ultimate skill; it would be impossible for them to use it as flexibly as Sylveon did.
Building on that, and extending it further...
Since Sylveon could use [Moon Power] so creatively, could it not also use the same energy to achieve other effects?
For example, transforming [Moon Power] into a wall?
Or changing it slightly to become [Moon Blade]?
If that were possible, wouldn't it be equivalent to gaining two new ultimate skills?
Taking it a step further.
Could it learn magic that originates from "Moon Power"?
...
Although learning magic is extremely difficult, and even humans with magical talent struggle to become qualified mages.
But if Sylveon's intelligence level was indeed no less than that of a human, and they themselves could utilize magic power, then didn't that mean learning magic was possible?
Even if it was difficult, any possibility was worth a try.
And to learn magic, one must first master the corresponding level of knowledge.
...
Besides, even setting aside considerations of improving their strength.
And thinking purely from the perspective of "nurturing a bond."
Although Dark had [Paradise], it could only be deployed in a fixed location. Even humans would get cabin fever if they were cooped up in a small space for too long.
Magic Guide Spirits could enter a state of autonomous hibernation inside their Magic Guide Cards, but once summoned, they could only "sleep."
But if the Magic Guide Spirits received a basic education and could read, study, and even play chess, their mental lives would gradually become enriched.
They could find joy even when cooped up at home.
...
Dark had learned many things from Claire's lessons, but on the matter of how to nurture a bond with Magic Guide Spirits, he had received only one word: sincerity!
Why was Diana able to unconsciously form the foundation of a bond with her Magic Guide Spirits?
It was because she loved bears from the bottom of her heart, and her affection for those Magic Guide Spirits was completely pure, without a trace of ulterior motive.
Only by treating Magic Guide Spirits with a sincere heart will they treat you with a sincere heart in return.
It's a natural process.
That's why some Magic Guide Masters who deliberately try to create a "bond" just to become stronger often achieve the opposite effect.
Dark's current situation was actually similar.
The first thing he had to do was adjust his own mentality and reduce some of his utilitarianism.
...
At three in the afternoon.
Dark returned to the dorm with bags big and small.
The Magic Guide Spirits, who had been lazing around bored in the dorm, instantly became active.
Gatomon leaped down from the top of the cabinet, appearing at the entrance hall in an instant.
But in the end, it didn't say the words "welcome home."
With the help of his Magic Guide Spirits, Dark put down all the bags and then, following the shopping list, distributed one item to each spirit.
The punching bag Hawlucha wanted had been replaced with a wooden training dummy, which would arrive tomorrow.
Ditto wanted a small mirror, so Dark bought a whole set.
Popplio wanted a larger water basin, so Dark bought it a small inflatable swimming pool.
Shuckle wanted a teacup, so Dark bought an entire new tea set.
As for Eevee, Gatomon, Sylveon, and Miltank...
They all wanted scarves!
...
The scarves were personally selected by DemiDevimon—although its heart was bleeding at the time, it had to carry out its master's orders.
Fortunately, after completing the task, it received a new hat, which made it happy again.
The winter weather was getting colder and colder, and only a familiar like itself, who could go out frequently, needed such a warm hat.
Nice!
...
The Magic Guide Spirits were naturally very excited to receive the things they wanted.
Dark waited until they had calmed down before distributing a copy of the textbooks and readers to each of them.
The Magic Guide Spirits held the textbooks with baffled expressions, looking at their master as if he were an idiot.
But they would soon discover who the real fool was =.=!
...
For the rest of the holiday, apart from spending some time the next day setting up the beds, cat tree, and wooden training dummy, Dark dedicated most of his time to teaching his Magic Guide Spirits.
Not even DemiDevimon could escape Professor Dark's lessons.
For a time, Room 201 of the Noble House tower was filled with untold suffering!
________________________________________
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