"Come on, clap your hands."
Under Dark's coercive order, Eevee-chan sitting on the window sill clapped with disgust.
The light representing [Helping hand] emerged from it and gradually became stronger, but then disappeared with a "pop" like a bubble.
"Not working?" Dark felt disappointed.
It seemed that Eevee's [Helping Hand] didn't work on itself.
But it was understandable. What kind of a cheerleader would actually compete in the game themselves? The cheerleader should hide behind to boost teammate's morale.
...
After packing up the experimental tools, Dark read books for a while, and then practiced [spiritual concentration art] for another hour and before falling into a deep sleep.
There were only two weeks left until the end of semester.
During this time, the professors basically did not teach new knowledge. They mainly focused on reviewing and consolidating old knowledge.
All classes except the dueling class had large homework assignments that the students had to complete and turn in by December 20.
This large assignment would be used as a reference for students' academic grades this semester.
The students, who were supposed to be getting excited because of the holidays and Christmas, were wearing gloomy faces. They were like wild horses that had been put on reins.
Bound by heavy workload, they even forgot to find dance partners and prepare gifts for a long time.
It was not until the afternoon of December 15th, the fifth day of the new week, that students would suddenly realise that there would only be one week left until Christmas!
Thereupon, the topic of Christmas broke out like crazy.
Dark started getting confession letters again just like it was during Halloween.
Compared with the more childish first year students, his "mature and stable" demeanour was obviously more popular with little girls.
Moreover, he was currently in the limelight for having just won the championship of the intra-class competition last week.
On Friday night, he even received an invitation to the dance from a female senior from the second year!
The female senior of the Noble House smiled and put the white envelope with a red heart on his table in the common room, saying it was an "invitation letter" from her bestie.
Dark opened the "invitation letter" and glanced at it, immediately feeling a little troubled.
In this "Invitation Letter", which was actually a "Confession Letter", a poem and dream of a literary girl was written.
It was the type he didn't dislike.
But how could he refuse a letter without breaking the etiquette?
...
Claire's after-school lessons ended the previous night.
Even though Dark still had a lot more to study, Claire had her own responsibilities as a professor and she would be busy for the next week.
She needed to think about whether to stay, or even take over the position of the Head of Fool House...
She still had a lot to think about.
In the ten years after the war, Claire stayed in the duke's residence for a long time. After leaving the duke's place, she didn't have a fixed place to stay. She simply travelled around, fulfilling the wish to "travel around" on behalf of someone.
→If the war is over, I'll just walk around, look at the mountains and waters and see if the things recorded in the books are really that magical.
Reverse-flowing waterfalls, reverse-growing giant trees, mysterious underground worlds, unreachable islands in the sky...
She had travelled around for a very long time.
Maybe it was time to stop.
Take a break.
Summarize what she had seen in the past two years.
Publish another book and earn some royalties.
After all, she couldn't just use other people's money all the time.
"Maybe I should discuss it with her when I get back."
...
White and Robert, under the supervision of Ms. Instructor Grace, had to devote all their attention to their homework during the detention period.
There was no Christmas ball in their world, no Christmas presents.
The detention period would continue until the evening of December 23, until Ms Instructor Grace left the academy.
December 24th would be the only time that was left to them.
That might be Professor Silver's kindness.
Otherwise, they would die of embarrassment on the first Christmas of their academy life because they "only received gifts but didn't reciprocate any gifts to others".
...
The weather in Saint Marian was getting colder.
Every now and then, a little magister would go to the infirmary for a cough medicine because of a cold.
Sister Kaleid's job also became busy.
It was not because the number of people with a cold was increasing, but there were "revenge incidents" in the academy, just like every time before Christmas.
Not everyone could accept "rejection".
There were as many mischievous revenges as stars in the sky.
For example, turning pimples on a person's face into the size of a finger.
Another example was that someone's hair would keep growing.
Or turning human skin into a rich dark purple shade...
Sister Kaleid had to deal with all the weird and harmless shenanigans.
"It seems like I can only stay in school during Christmas." She couldn't help sighing.
...
Dark had been thinking about Christmas gifts since Friday night.
In the past Christmas, he belonged to the category of ‘one who only received gifts and did not reciprocate gifts’.
This year, of course, it couldn't be that way again.
Not reciprocating gifts at Christmas was the prerogative of children, but students entering Saint Marian were out of that age group.
He sat in the common room and wrote down the gift list in a notebook.
▼
Dianna
Rose
Pandora-senpai
Professor Cazer
Professor Claire
Professor Lily
DemiDevimon
...
Emma
Alvette
▲
In addition to a chocolate gift box for each Noble House classmate, Emma and Alvette were also included in the gift list.
After all, he got some help from Emma in the mural research, so he had to give her a gift as well.
As for his mother's gift, he could only ask Professor Claire to send it back.
Before Christmas, most professors would leave the academy to spend Christmas with their families.
Dark used to spend Christmas with Alvette in the past. This year could be said to be the first time he needed to spend Christmas alone.
"I didn't expect that I would have to prepare gifts for so many people!"
"It seems like I can only prepare them slowly one by one."
"In the case of Dianna, although she would probably prefer to receive a candy gift pack, I just happen to have a core material that suits her."
"As for Rose… Mhm, maybe get a signed copy of Claire's Travel Diary for her?"
"For Pandora senpai, let me think."
"Professor Cazer doesn't like to relax, so maybe I should send him a novel, 'Old Knight On The Frontier'."
"For Professor Lily, mhm, I'll go to Traveller Street tomorrow and see if I can find a good bottle of wine."
"DemiDevimon can have a scarf, it can also be used as a hat."
"As for Emma, I don't know what book she's been reading lately. I can send her a box of homemade apple juice."
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