There were quite a few people in the Principal's office.
Principal Cynthia, Professor Silf, Professor Medea, and Ophelia Brad were all present.
The moment Dark pushed the door open, a wave of fragrance washed over him.
Principal Cynthia was St. Marian's brightest moon — silver hair as pure and flawless as moonlight, paired with sky-blue eyes, dreamlike and beautiful as though the slightest touch might shatter her.
Professor Silf carried the distinct grace of a half-elf; her pale gold hair seemed to melt into the wind, exuding nature's fresh scent, and when she smiled it was like being wrapped in a warm spring breeze.
Professor Medea's attire kept its usual abyssal-witch style, her strikingly long lashes paired with pale purple eyeshadow lending her an air of bewitching allure.
When the Blood Princess dropped her disguise, the contrast between her blood-red hair and her gentle, water-soft demeanor lingered with a faint sense of mystery, as though a veil covered her — one that made you want to lift it and see what lay beneath.
Young as he still was, Dark stepping into the room felt like a little lamb wandering into a den of giants, ready to be swallowed whole.
Of course, he was no lamb.
"Demon, you're here?"
The four ladies sat on either side of the tea table, the fragrance of black tea drifting slowly from their cups.
Dark closed the door behind him and gave a slight nod. "Good evening, everyone."
"Come sit here," Principal Cynthia said, shifting over to make room for him between herself and Silf.
Dark sat down a little stiffly, feeling instantly hemmed in on both sides.
Two little sprites bustling about on the table hurried over with a teapot and cup, pouring him a serving of black tea.
He took the cup and sipped lightly, catching a hint of lemon.
"Well? Is it good?" Principal Cynthia asked with a gentle smile.
A trace of nostalgia crossed Dark's face. "It's lemon tea."
Principal Cynthia nodded. "I brought this lemon tea back from the Free City. It's one of their specialties."
"You went to the Free City, Principal?" Dark asked, a little surprised.
Recalling her time there, Principal Cynthia laughed. "Yes, I stayed for quite a while. City Lord Montielfali was extremely hospitable."
Dark thought for a moment. "The Lord of the Free City — wasn't she once a Sun Warrior?"
"That's right," Principal Cynthia said. "She and your mother were comrades-in-arms. Well, you'll probably meet her before long, anyway."
Dark: "Hm?"
Principal Cynthia raised a slender, pale finger to her lips and winked. "That's a secret."
Setting up a surprise, was she?
Dark's face darkened. "Principal, was there something you wanted to see me about tonight?"
"What an unlovable child you are," Principal Cynthia said, turning her eyes to Ophelia Brad across the table. "Mainly, it's to thank you for saving Ophelia Brad."
Dark said, "No, I just happened to be there."
Principal Cynthia shook her head. "After the war ended, everyone was swept up in euphoria. That afterglow hasn't fully faded even ten years later. Most of us are no longer in wartime mode, and we've forgotten to look back at what happened during the war. Ophelia Brad was a regret we carried — but you helped us make up for it."
She took a light sip of her tea and continued, "And more importantly, you had a hand in the Demon King's self-inflicted death and reincarnation — that was crucial. Even I hadn't imagined that Ophelia Brad, through her own connection to the Demon King, could create the opportunity for it to kill itself within the seal."
Ophelia Brad's expression stiffened instantly, and her gaze slid off toward a corner.
That was hardly a flattering compliment.
Principal Cynthia went on, "No one managed it in these past ten years — or if they thought of it, they couldn't pull it off. But the next ten years may not be so forgiving.
Ten years have let humanity, once in ruins, gradually regain its vitality. But it's also given the remnants of the Demon race time to catch their breath, and given evil cults fertile ground to take root.
Every diviner friend I've asked says the same thing: this will be a watershed. Confusion will spread again — and worse than before."
Dark frowned.
But Principal Cynthia kept going. "The rapid advance of civilization is a double-edged sword. In these ten years, Magic Guide technology has grown explosively, but humanity hasn't managed to build the safeguards to match it. The disaster that follows is only a matter of time."
The sudden gravity of the conversation left Dark momentarily dazed. "Is there no way to stop it?" he asked.
Principal Cynthia shook her head and said nothing.
Humanity was a creature that could not be woken by words alone — only when disaster truly struck would it recognize its mistakes.
Or perhaps even then it wouldn't, because by that point it might no longer count as a mistake at all.
Right and wrong meant different things depending on where you stood.
"Let's not be so serious. Talk about something fun instead — like the Holy Grail, the Holy Grail, or maybe the Holy Grail?"
Professor Medea's voice cut through the silence, tinged with amusement.
The moment Dark heard the words "Holy Grail," he suddenly realized the real reason he'd been summoned, and a flash of delight crossed his face.
Sure enough, Principal Cynthia said, "Right, back to business. I called you here tonight to give you the reward you're owed. For the matter with Ophelia Brad, same as before — ten thousand credits and one wish at the Holy Grail. How does that sound?"
Dark hadn't given the matter of reward any thought at all, since he'd acted purely on his own will.
So whatever reward came his way was pure bonus.
He wasn't about to refuse. "What a pleasant surprise."
Principal Cynthia smiled. "Good, then hand over your Sorting Card."
Dark took his Sorting Card out of his card pouch.
Come to think of it, ever since he'd earned fifty thousand credits from writing Mathematics I, he'd been spending more freely, and for a long while it had all been going out with none coming in — this ten thousand would fill the gap nicely.
Reopening the Magical Beast Club in his second year would certainly cost a fortune.
And another wish at the Holy Grail — now that was the best surprise of all!
But after transferring the ten thousand credits to him, Principal Cynthia continued, "Also, Lily tells me you're planning to reopen the Magical Beast Club. She's offered to serve as the new club's supervising professor. What do you think?"
"Lily..." Dark's face showed a flicker of awkwardness.
Reopening the Magical Beast Club was part of his plans, something he intended to do regardless.
But for the club's supervisor, he'd originally hoped to find someone more reliable — a professor with real knowledge of magical beasts.
Professor Kazel would have been a good choice.
Professor Nini wasn't bad either.
But now that Principal Cynthia had brought it up in front of so many people, he couldn't very well refuse and embarrass Little Lily, so he could only glance sideways and say, "Sounds great. Professor Lily, huh..."
The corner of Principal Cynthia's mouth curved upward. "The approval process for founding a club is actually quite complicated. For something like the Magical Beast Club, you'd need to demonstrate the ability to tame and manage magical beasts — not let them run wild and turn the Academy upside down.
But with Lily involved, that wouldn't be a concern. When the new term starts, you can go find Silf directly — she'll help you get the permissions sorted and reserve a classroom. You can also take over whatever's left from the old Magical Beast Club."
That, in fact, was the real prize.
Dark immediately realized this was part of the reward too — especially whatever remained from the old club, which was likely quite valuable.
"All right, then."
Principal Cynthia rubbed her stiff shoulders and rose lazily to her feet.
"Now, come with me to the hidden chamber. Do you need a wish form?"
Dark stood up as well. "No need."
"Then let's go," Principal Cynthia said, leading the way to a small door on the inner side of the office.
Beyond the door wasn't the hidden chamber itself but a fully furnished lounge.
Once Dark had come inside, Principal Cynthia gave a wave and locked the door, then drew out a golden key and pressed it into the pure white wall.
Where the key touched the wall, ripples spread outward like water.
As the ripples rapidly expanded, a door leading to the hidden chamber emerged.
Principal Cynthia turned the key, unlocked the door, and gave it a gentle push, revealing a pure-white chamber beyond.
The chamber held nothing else — only the Holy Grail and the pedestal that held it.
Dark followed Principal Cynthia inside and once again found himself gazing at the Holy Grail up close.
This time, forewarned, he only wavered for a moment before snapping back to clarity.
At the same time, he felt a distinct stirring within.
"So the Holy Grail really is connected to Greed!"
A flicker crossed Dark's eyes as new thoughts about the Grail's wish-granting power took shape.
The last time he'd come into contact with it, his research on Greed had been nowhere near as advanced as it was now — and now he'd already refined a Magic Guide Spirit like Meowth.
"Come to think of it, Meowth's Pay Day is really already a rudimentary form of the Holy Grail."
He rubbed his chin, mulling it over.
Only when Principal Cynthia spoke up did he snap out of it.
"Well? Have you decided on your wish?" Principal Cynthia asked.
Dark answered after only a moment's thought. "Of course — I've actually been preparing for this all along. Too bad Noble House didn't manage to win the Academy Cup."
Principal Cynthia laughed. "First-years can't compete in the Academy Cup — doesn't that feel a little disappointing?"
Dark shook his head. "Not disappointing, exactly. But it was fun to watch."
Principal Cynthia nodded slightly. "All right, let's get the wish underway. The Grail needs quiet."
Dark calmed his mind and began to make his wish.
Since he'd already thought it through beforehand, his wish was direct and to the point — same as last time: improving his skill with the magic-brain dropper!
The same wish, last time, had accidentally led him to learn the entry-level Soul-Sucker Spell through the Grail. This time he hadn't set a specific target either, hoping only for a similarly fortunate outcome.
Leaving the wish open, letting the Grail do as it pleased, made it easier for the wish to come true.
Dark focused his mind and felt a mysterious force rise from his thoughts, drawn into the Grail. The liquid remaining inside it stirred faintly, a streak of black spreading outward, starlight flickering rapidly within.
Suddenly, with his eyes shut tight, Dark "saw" the cosmos — a brilliant star fell from the night sky and plunged straight into his mind.
Strands of memory he'd never possessed sprang into being, yet felt as familiar as if he'd always known them.
"This is..."
Dark's eyes snapped open, glowing.
"Did it work?" Principal Cynthia asked softly.
Dark answered slowly. "Looks like it."
Principal Cynthia offered her congratulations. "Two successes in a row — it seems you've gotten the hang of making wishes at the Grail."
Dark said modestly, "Just about crossed the threshold."
Principal Cynthia waved her wand. "In any case, let's leave the chamber first."
She tapped the Grail once, and the starry ripples that had spread through the whole chamber snapped back in an instant, the sparse liquid inside the Grail quietly sinking lower.
The two of them left the chamber.
Principal Cynthia pulled the Gate Key from the wall, and the chamber's door vanished.
She looked at Dark, her tone light. "So, is it a wish you can share?"
Dark said, "Same wish as before, but a different result."
Principal Cynthia asked, curious. "What did you get?"
Dark smiled faintly. "A bit of insight into using the magic-brain dropper."
Indeed, this time what he'd gained wasn't an advancement of the Soul-Sucker Spell or the [Nether God Art], but something more concrete: genuine technique for using the magic-brain dropper!
The techniques for using the magic-brain dropper were extremely complex and profound. Dark had always limited himself to the shallowest "dragonfly-skimming" method, deliberately avoiding deeper techniques for fear he couldn't resist the temptation they offered.
But this time, through the Holy Grail, he'd gotten a taste of a somewhat deeper technique.
It was a technique for extracting surface memories!
Memories could be turned into droplets, drawn out from the surface of the mind, then, with a small further trick, made to appear on a smooth flat surface.
It wouldn't help increase the amount of Major Sin he could extract, but it was still an extremely practical technique.
And since it only drew from the surface of the brain, it also lowered the risk of damage.
Even so, Dark had no intention of using it on himself.
But great journeys are built from small steps — the knowledge and technique that came with this method would be enormously helpful as he advanced further in mastering the magic-brain dropper.
In truth, only now had he really crossed the threshold.
As for the earlier "dragonfly-skimming" method, that had been nothing more than the crudest possible application.
Dark and Principal Cynthia chatted a bit more in the lounge before heading out.
Outside, the three ladies had somehow gotten onto the subject of women's fashion.
Dark had assumed Professor Silf would have no interest in clothes or handbags, but to his surprise, she was the one driving the conversation!
Though thinking about it, that made sense — Professor Medea wore mage robes every day, and while they were clearly tailored, she just rotated through the same handful of outfits.
And the Blood Princess had never had the leisure to keep up with trends before, so her sense of style was hopelessly behind the times now.
Only Professor Silf spoke of it like an expert, and with a casual reach, she produced an entire stack of "Dress-up Card" covering every popular style.
By the time Dark came out, they'd already started trying the Dress-up Card on right there in the Principal's office, various trendy outfits showing off their splendid figures to full effect.
Dark's expression turned slightly wary, and he made a hasty exit.
Tonight's gains, though unexpected, had turned out to be quite substantial.
Though the biggest prize wouldn't be his to collect until the new term began in September.
He was quite curious about what exactly had been left behind by the old Magical Beast Club.
If he could dig up the secret behind how Peter Shelvitch always managed to acquire magical beasts, that would be even better.
"Maybe I can ask around once I'm home."
Dark's mood was light.
If Alvit found out he was reopening the Magical Beast Club, she'd probably be thrilled.
"Waugh!"
A little cutie suddenly leapt out from around the corner and made a face right at him!
Caught off guard in his own thoughts, Dark genuinely jumped — but the moment he registered who the little cutie was, he couldn't help rolling his eyes.
Little Lily, hovering just inches from his face, giggled, tucked her hands behind her back, and said, "So? Did you get anything good?"
"Just made a wish," Dark said, blinking. "Why aren't you inside?"
"Well, I've got something to ask you," Professor Lily said, turning her face aside, looking a little embarrassed.
For a little fairy with a hide as thick as a castle wall, that was a rare sight indeed.
Dark's smile faded as it occurred to him — something too embarrassing to say inside the Principal's office, only brave enough to bring up cornering him at the door? Could it be...?
Professor Lily clearly caught the shift in his expression and hurried to explain. "That thing — next year's textbook still isn't ready, right? The Mathematics II you mentioned..."
"Knew it," Dark sighed. Looks like his summer had just gained one more task.
Then again, writing Mathematics I alone had earned him fifty thousand credits — surely a more advanced Mathematics II would pay even better?
As if afraid he'd refuse, Professor Lily quickly added, "Don't worry, this time it's a joint commission from me and Professor Bacon. As long as the textbook you write passes muster, it's fifty thousand each — a hundred thousand credits total! What do you say?"
A hundred thousand credits converted to one million six hundred thousand Saint Coins!
And at St. Marian's Academy, you could buy rare goods unavailable anywhere outside — the value of the currency here always ran higher.
This deal was more than generous.
Dark thought it was worth doing, but he still haggled a little. "I have a lot planned for the summer. Here's the deal — I'll write the core content, but you two need to handle most of the polishing and exercises."
Professor Lily's eyes lit up, and she thumped her chest confidently. "No problem — Professor Bacon's got it covered!"
Dark: "..."
"Hehe, deal, then!"
Before Dark could say anything more, Professor Lily struck first, fluttering her dragonfly-like wings and circling happily around him.
"Okay, stop spinning, you're making me dizzy," Dark said, raising a hand to stop her, and headed toward the edge of the Castle.
Professor Lily flitted along beside him, muttering, "Next time we meet will be three months from now."
Dark gave a small hum, then asked curiously, "Professor Lily, don't you go home for the break?"
"I do," Professor Lily said, spinning another circle. "This is my home."
Dark blinked. "I meant... the fairy homeland?"
"No fun there," Professor Lily said, waving a dismissive hand. "Not as fun as here."
She went on, "Don't worry about me getting lonely — Kazel, Silf, and plenty of other professors live at the Academy too. We always find time to travel together. If you go out and about, who knows, you might run into me at some famous landmark."
Having said that, she waited expectantly.
Dark, catching the hint, said, "If I pass through the Royal Capital, just drop my name. Even free meals and drinks won't be a problem."
"Huh?" Professor Lily's mouth fell open. "I have money!"
"Hahaha." Dark's laughter drifted out through the Castle window, carried off into the wide sky.
On the last night before leaving school, Dark returned to his dormitory and extracted the slightly increased Pride he'd accumulated, then went back to finishing his packing — Catnip and Insect Trees included — sealing everything up tight.
By the time he finished, the doorway was piled with boxes large and small.
Three boxes were a full cubic meter each, and five smaller ones besides.
"Surely no one else has more luggage than me," Dark thought, looking at the pile with a wry sort of speechlessness.
Still, for a Magic Guide Master, no amount of luggage was too much to carry.
"Last night here."
Dark scooped up Popplio and burrowed into bed.
Popplio's smooth, moist blue skin radiated a refreshing coolness, making it the perfect summer pillow.
Ever since discovering this, Dark had been unable to put it down, hugging it to sleep every night.
On June third, at first light,
Dark Demon went alone to the Canteen for breakfast, then waited until seven o'clock before putting away [Paradise], recalling his Magic Guide Spirits one by one, leaving out only DemiDevimon, Meowth, Gatomon, Sylveon, and Leomon.
Leomon hauled two large boxes by himself, Gatomon dragged one large box.
The remaining five small boxes were split between Meowth and Sylveon.
Dark himself carried nothing but a backpack.
As for DemiDevimon...
Maybe the role of "drone" suited it just fine.
The common room wasn't spacious enough, so Dark didn't wait there, choosing instead to cross the bridge and wait inside the Castle.
About ten minutes later, Diana, Rose, Doron, and Pistan all arrived one after another.
All of them lived in the Royal Capital and got along well, so they'd agreed to travel together.
"I heard St. Marian's Magic Guide Motorcar runs straight to the Royal Capital?" Doron said excitedly the moment he arrived.
Diana eyed him suspiciously. "You mean you didn't take it to get here?"
Doron shook his head vigorously. "Nope. I came by Goblin airship."
"Tsk, misusing public transit," Diana said, sticking out her tongue.
Goblin airships were strategic-grade transport, not yet available for civilian use.
The Magic Guide Motorcar developed by St. Marian's Academy, on the other hand, had already been partially opened to civilian use.
Its rails ran straight from the kingdom's northern border through the Royal Capital, reaching the train town in the south before turning back.
Three Magic Guide trains departed daily from the Academy Town outside St. Marian's — at nine in the morning, one in the afternoon, and five in the evening.
The train's speed wasn't especially fast; the trip from the starting station to the Royal Capital at the kingdom's center generally took three days — meaning a round trip took a full twelve days!
Even so, it had made an enormous contribution to the kingdom's transportation.
This year, St. Marian's Academy had already begun planning a second rail line.
This second line would be built in partnership with the royal family — or more precisely, with the Eldest Princess.
Once it was successfully completed, the citizens who benefited from it would surely credit the Eldest Princess for her achievement.
It was one of the projects Eldest Princess Eliza had pushed hard to make happen.
"Ahem!"
Dark cleared his throat lightly, signaling to his friends that it was time to head out.
"Let's move — if we hurry, we might even have time to wander around Academy Town."
In truth, he'd arrived at school by flying dragon, so this would be his first time riding the Magic Guide Motorcar.
But since the train's appearance and riding experience weren't all that different from an old-fashioned locomotive, he didn't feel much novelty about it.
"Charge, charge, charge!"
Doron hollered eagerly, first to dash out the door.
Beside him trotted a four-legged giant lizard with a turtle-like shell on its back — a "Turtleshell Dragon."
The Turtleshell Dragon was only two stars, but its size was considerable — nearly a meter tall even crouched on the ground — and its broad, flat shell made it perfect for carrying luggage.
Doron didn't have much luggage, just one large box.
Pistan brought along a hippo so plump it looked like a ball — a "Round Hippo" — and his luggage was, unexpectedly, even lighter.
Rose and Diana each carried just one large box and one small box, respectively.
Rose had no large-bodied Magic Guide Spirits, so all her luggage rode on Diana's [Bear Spirit].
The great bear carried the combined load without the slightest strain.
The five of them, each with their own Magic Guide Spirits, soon made their way out of the Castle.
On the open ground outside the Castle, the professors had already set up a one-way gate.
Students, each accompanied by their own Magic Guide Spirits, filed through the gate in orderly fashion and emerged into Academy Town's "Teleportation Plaza."
St. Marian's Academy Town wasn't large; most of its residents were relatives of the merchant families from Traveler Street.
But small as it was, it had everything it needed.
The town even had a church, which taught reading and writing to the merchants' children.
There were only three places worth remembering in Academy Town: the Teleportation Plaza, the Magic Guide Train Terminal, and Station Street.
Station Street, as the name suggested, was a small street right in front of the station.
The goods sold there were more ordinary than what you'd find on Traveler Street, mostly popular convenience foods and handmade souvenirs crafted by the townsfolk.
Since there was still time to spare, the five of them wandered Station Street a while and bought a few handmade souvenirs.
At one shop, Dark spotted a pair of Kingdom's Twin Swords figurines sold as a set and bought one, giving the "Hero figurine" to Doron and clipping the "Valkyrie figurine" onto his backpack's zipper.
All in all, he was happy, Doron was happy — a win-win!
About half an hour later, the crowd on Station Street began to thicken.
The five wrapped up their shopping and headed into the station.
Seeing the Magic Guide Motorcar for the first time, Doron started shouting excitedly the moment they entered, until a passing upperclasswoman shot him a fierce glare that quieted him right down.
The station itself was spacious, the waiting hall especially so — even if every student at St. Marian's crowded in at once, it wouldn't feel cramped.
Through the windows, they could see the Magic Guide Motorcar resting quietly on the tracks.
Its jet-black, heavy locomotive and its stubby, bulky cars didn't quite match the image Dark had imagined.
Since they'd be spending a full three days aboard the train, Dark packed his Thought Bottle, magic-brain dropper, and other tools into his backpack.
The Catnip, meanwhile, had all been fed a special "hibernation potion," letting them enter a dormant, sleep-like state.
At eight-thirty, the conductor opened the doors and led the students into the station proper.
No tickets were required.
Students could choose any open seat freely.
After asking a few questions, Dark had his Magic Guide Spirits carry the luggage to the freight car, keeping only one small box with him.
It held toiletries and a change of clothes.
The train had bathrooms, showers, and a dining car, all free for students to use since it was a dedicated school train.
Once everyone had stowed their luggage, they picked a relatively open compartment and settled in.
The seats were arranged three to a row, six to a group, each group separated by a partition into a fairly private space.
The five of them fit perfectly into one compartment.
They'd barely sat down when Doron cheerfully pulled out a Magic Guide Chess board and set it up on the little table between the rows.
"Dark, a game?"
"Fixed pieces, or..."
"Fixed, fixed!" Doron said quickly.
He wasn't a masochist.
Dark pulled a thermos from his backpack, set it on the corner of the table, and began playing against Doron.
His skill at the game wasn't especially great, but it was more than enough to handle Doron.
While the two played, the other three gathered around with keen interest, occasionally offering pointers.
Right at a critical moment, a knock sounded from outside the compartment.
Assuming it was the conductor, Dark turned casually, only to find the knock had come from an upperclasswoman wearing a second-year Magic House uniform.
"I'll get it," Rose said, standing up.
Once the door opened, the senior asked gently, "Hi there, is there a seat open?"
Rose glanced back at Dark, and after seeing him nod, said, "There is. Where are you headed, Senior?"
"Sciens," the Magic House senior said, a faint smile crossing her face. "And you?"
"We're all headed to the Royal Capital," Rose said, returning to her seat.
The senior glanced left and right, hesitating slightly.
Dark understood her hesitation with a single glance and immediately got up, moving to sit between Doron and Pistan across the way.
"Huh?" Diana's face showed a flash of confusion.
Dark said with a smile, "Let the senior sit on your side."
Three men, three women, one row each — a perfect fit.
"Oh," Diana said, and shifted over one seat, settling by the window.
Rose slid over too, leaving the outer seat for the second-year senior.
The senior let out a small breath of relief as she sat down. "Thanks. I'm Katrina Aisaia, a Magic House second-year. Hope we can have a pleasant trip together."
Dark and the others introduced themselves in turn, and the group quickly grew familiar with one another.
Dark asked curiously, "Senior Aisaia, Sciens — is that the City of Knowledge, Sciens?"
Katrina pulled a book — Selected Works of XXX — from her backpack while replying with a nod. "That's what outsiders call it. Really, Sciens just has a few more sages than everywhere else."
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