The villainous young master just wants to live a Buddhist-like life.

　……

　"Is Principal Arte going to be the last one to appear again?"

　Rose leaned close to Dark's ear and whispered.

　"Maybe."

　Dak frowned slightly, unable to explain himself.

　These days, although he was focused on making golems, he was not completely oblivious to what was happening around him.

　It's a little different from what I ordered.

　Although Professor Sylph reported remotely to Principal Art, she did not seem to receive any constructive suggestions.

　This is related to the fact that Principal Arte is not actually in the academy—there are limits to what an avatar can do.

　In this incident, the Duke's Palace and St. Marian Academy have reached a private alliance agreement.

　Ollie and Eve will represent the Duke's Palace and continue to cooperate with the Academy until the end of this period.

　As a result, the Duke's mansion also received some secret information.

　For example, Dark was always very curious about Principal Arte's whereabouts.

　In short, she is indeed not at the academy right now.

　The last time she was in the academy was when the professors discovered the "Heart of God" in the dungeon.

　At that time, she went to the underground city with Professor Kazel and witnessed the existence of the "Heart of God".

　Not long after, she left school again, her destination... the Star Tower!

　The Star Tower is hailed as a "holy land for astrologers" and a "place where one can reach out and touch the stars"...

　Before the Sky City appeared, it was also known as the "highest place".

　Regardless of these titles, the Star Tower is a gathering place for the world's top astrologers.

　The current master of the Star Tower is also one of the authorities on astrology.

　In comparison, Professor Mitis Bartholomew is somewhat inferior.

　In order to see the future clearly, Principal Arte personally went to the Star Tower to visit the Tower Master, and the final result was self-evident.

　St. Marian College then launched the "Project Against God".

　Professor Cazell's small experiment was part of the "Anti-God Project." However, it was an additional step taken into account Professor Cazell's personal wishes.

　The St. Marian Academy's underground city is an integral part of the academy's facilities. In principle, the academy does not want to conduct risky experiments within its walls, much less mix "secret passages" with "gods." Because no one can predict what might happen.

　In short, Principal Arte preferred to leave the risks outside and bring them back only after ensuring their safety.

　Therefore, the real "plan for God" was led and personally executed by her.

　Guided by the master of the Star Tower, she set off northward... where the once-collapsed Mountain of the Gods—Mount Porobos!

　The so-called Mount Polopos in the original game is basically a variation on Mount Olympus.

　It is the extreme of light, the entrance to heaven, and the place where the gods rule over all people.

　Even among the gods, the "celestial gods" are the most noble.

　Considering the imminent resurrection of the gods, among the places Principal Arte originally planned to explore were the "Mountain of the Gods" Porobos and the "Land of Fallen Gods" Silent Plains.

　However, the master of the Star Tower helped her make the choice.

　……

　That concludes the information sharing.

　Although Dark was very eager to know why Principal Art went to Mount Polopos, what she discovered there, and how far the exploration had progressed, these were all top secrets, unknown even to Professor Lily, one of the four Heads of the House!

　In short, Principal Arte will probably not be able to return anytime soon.

　Her exploration of Mount Polopos either yielded groundbreaking progress or encountered unprecedented difficulties.

　Professor Sylph remained silent, and no one else could guess what was going on.

　Therefore, it seems that only Principal Art's alter ego will be able to appear at tonight's Christmas party.

　As for whether her alter ego can be considered "Principal Arte"?

　For the vast majority of students who are unaware of this, it might count.

　……

　"Duang—"

　Shortly after the professors took their seats, the chimes of seven o'clock echoed softly from the direction of the spiral clock tower.

　The first-year students looked curiously in the direction from which the bell rang, while the older students were already prepared.

　The lights in the entire auditorium went out instantly after the bell rang, the light disappeared, and darkness and terror descended... and the panic was naturally limited to the first-year students.

　This scene appears at every Christmas party, and I wonder which professor's perverse sense of humor it originated from.

　Dark squinted slightly, silently counted to three, and saw the silver candlesticks floating in mid-air light up simultaneously. The glow of the candlelight instantly merged into one, illuminating the entire hall, and light and shadow quickly intertwined.

　The unique atmosphere of the banquet, exclusive to St. Mary's College, gradually emerged.

　The desserts and tea laid out on the table disappeared silently, and rows of gold and silver tableware quietly appeared. The candlelight illuminated the gold and silver tableware, reflecting a faint rainbow of colors.

　Cynthia Saint Arte, the most beautiful and noble lady of St. Marian Academy, appeared silently on the stage while the students' attention was drawn to the tableware on the table.

　She raised her staff and waved it gently. Suddenly, the cry of a deer rang out from afar and then quickly drew closer.

　The sky lit up with dazzling starlight.

　The starlight arrived only after the sound came. A snow-white reindeer pulling a sleigh emerged from the starlight, and Santa Claus with a big beard sat on the sleigh, with starlight flowing from the bottom of the gift bag he carried on his back, leaving a long tail.

　It appeared from one side of the stage, circled the spacious hall, and then burst through the door amidst the calls of a deer, disappearing into the night with its long, star-like tail trailing behind it.

　The starlight flowing from the bottom of the gift bag fell onto the plate, transforming into countless delicacies.

　That's Santa Claus's gift, the source of joy tonight.

　Among countless delicacies, almost everyone has a plump, juicy turkey with a rich, savory aroma placed in front of them. The turkey's belly faces upward, and the fragrant seasonings overflow from the cut in the belly, sliding down the turkey's surface fat onto the plate, making one's mouth water.

　The excited students couldn't wait to pick up their knives and forks, eager to enjoy the delicious meal that only comes once a year.

　"Today is Christmas Eve!"

　Principal Arte's voice then rang out.

　"It's a day for family reunions!"

　"But for me, St. Marian is my home."

　“Every student here is like family to me.”

　“Every Christmas Eve, I make a wish that I can spend the next Christmas Eve with my family.”

　"It seems my wish from last year has come true again."

　……

　"It's exactly the same wish I make every Christmas Eve, word for word, just like last year's speech."

　Dak picked up his knife and fork and silently complained.

　There must have been many others in the hall who shared his thoughts, but everyone tacitly remained silent.

　Principal Arte's speech was about to end.

　Why bother exposing her?

　The children of St. Mary's Academy are always so gentle.

　……

　Wishing you all a peaceful and safe Christmas Eve! May peace be with you wherever you are, my dear family!

　Principal Art opened her arms as if to embrace the entire academy, and delivered her final address.

　Then the piano in the corner of the stage started playing automatically, and the Christmas party proceeded as usual.

　The students were finally able to pick up their knives and forks and enjoy their meal.

　While keeping an eye on the "binge eating" increase, Dak enjoyed the delicious turkey and had to refill Diana's glass with juice from time to time to prevent her from choking because she ate too fast.

　Dinner lasted for almost half an hour before the performances finally began on stage.

　Last year's opening act was a magic circus, followed by a surprise appearance by the famous singer, Miss Mermaid Xingluo, and then the ballet, Swan Lake.

　That magnificent performance of "Swan Lake" left a deep impression on me, and I still remember it clearly to this day.

　Dark looked at the stage with a hint of anticipation. He knew that this year's opening program was a dance drama called "The Girl with Blue Eyes," produced by the All-People Duel Club.

　This dance drama, written to sell cards, was also being performed at parties throughout the kingdom at almost the same time.

　The company went to great lengths to make its advertisements reach every corner of the country.

　The main character of the ballet is based on Seto Kaiba, and elements of simulated duels are incorporated. However, the specific rules of the simulated duels are not involved, and the duels in the ballet mainly focus on showcasing powerful Pokémon.

　The first half of the dance drama focuses on the protagonist's obsession and bond with the "Blue-Eyes White Dragon" card, while the second half depicts the Blue-Eyes White Dragon transforming into a human and portraying a poignant love story.

　While the ballet may not be as perfect as the meticulously crafted "Swan Lake," it is still a completely new production that has garnered rave reviews from audiences who are tired of older shows.

　After watching the entire dance drama without blinking, Dak knew that the All-People Duel Club's marketing move was a sure thing!

　After "Blue-Eyed Girl," the stage returned to calm, with songs and dances expressing emotions, gradually transitioning into ball time.

　At nine o'clock sharp.

　The first half of the Christmas ball that everyone has been waiting for has begun!

　"Wow!"

　Diana bit off the bone of the lamb chop and swallowed it whole, glancing furtively at the person next to her.

　Dark shook his head, picked up a wet wipe and cleaned the grease from the corner of her mouth, then whispered, "I'm leaving now, see you in the second half."

　"Ow."

　Diana responded and continued to eat heartily, almost burying her face in the mountain of lamb chops.

　The blood seeped through her cheeks and spread to her ears, like she was on fire.

　Dak then silently got up.

　Rose moved closer to Diana, winked at Dark, and said, "Mine."

　Dark smiled and looked up in the direction of the fifth year of the Magic Academy.

　Pandora Drogon put down the mouthwash, then, under the watchful eyes of many, pushed back the chair and gracefully rose.

　Even surrounded by everyone in formal attire, she was still the most dazzling flower.

　The two no longer concealed their intimacy.

　The fifth-year students at the Magic Academy already knew that the white dragon girl, once known as the "Iron Wall of the Ball," had already been conquered by that little junior.

　It was these two who took to the stage at last year's Christmas ball, setting the stage for the event.

　Some people felt resentful about this, secretly thinking things like "shota fetishist," and looking at Pandora with envy in their eyes.

　I'm the one who desperately wants to be a "shota lover".

　But Dark Dummon was already thirteen years old, which was the age of adulthood during wartime, when fourteen was considered the age of adulthood. He was already old enough to go to the battlefield.

　Although his body is not yet fully grown, he is already over 1.7 meters tall and can be called a "cute boy," perhaps only his still-youthful and handsome face remains.

　Before long, the golden couple had already met offstage.

　Pandora turned to look at the boy whose shoulders were now level with hers, and couldn't help but smile sincerely.

　He wasn't this tall last year.

　I never imagined that in just one or two years, they would catch up with me so quickly.

　However, since she is a hybrid dragon, her development period is longer than that of a normal person, and she still has room for growth in the next few years, so she won't be overly abused.

　Thinking this way, she became even happier.

　Female dragons will not submit to those weaker than themselves; she believes that Dark will one day surpass her, whether in height or anything else.

　By that time...