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

　Dark shook his head: "Not yet."

　Diana: "How about the candy house?"

　Dark: "..."

　……

　After announcing the award for Dak, Principal Arte went on to select the best-performing students from the first semester of second grade for public praise and commendation.

　Then came third, fourth, fifth, and sixth grade...

　After going through all six grades, she concluded by offering some hopes and expectations for the future.

　According to the normal procedure, Principal Arte should have ended the speech at this point. However, there was one more essential part to this year's opening ceremony.

　The students seemed to have already guessed what she was going to say, so they all quieted down and looked at the stage with anticipation.

　Principal Art smiled slightly and said, "I'm sure you've all been waiting for this for a long time. Next, please welcome the new Professor of the History of Magic, the Hero of the Gun—Mr. Ryan Harks!"

　"Wow!"

　As soon as he finished speaking, thunderous applause erupted in the auditorium!

　An elderly man with a prosthetic leg lifted the curtain and slowly walked out from behind the stage.

　Ryan Haxes!

　A hero who was once a gunner on the front lines of the battlefield, but lost a foot, a hand, and an eye in the war!

　Although heroes are often associated with brave warriors, a brave warrior is just one of many heroes.

　Humanity was ultimately able to defeat the demons not because of one hero, but because of the struggles and sacrifices of countless heroes!

　Ryan Hex is one of those countless heroes.

　Ryan Hex emerged from behind the stage, dressed in an ill-fitting suit, sporting a thick beard, his face lined with wrinkles, and his head nearly bald.

　He wore a black single-sided eye patch over his right eye, and his left hand and right foot were prosthetics. He was supported by a cane, and he looked like a gaunt old man. He had no heroic spirit as a "hero of the gun" and instead exuded a strong sense of old age.

　The students, who had applauded simply for hearing the hero's name, couldn't help but cover their mouths.

　While scars are a soldier's badge of honor, Ryan's wounds were so severe that it made one wonder how he even survived the battlefield.

　But if one were to delve deeper into this thought, one would inevitably feel sadness.

　But in times of war, Ryan was just one of countless cogs in the machine that made up the victory.

　After a brief silence.

　Even more enthusiastic applause erupted!

　"Clap clap clap!"

　……

　"Good evening, everyone. It is an honor to be here at St. Marian Academy as the new Professor of the History of Magic."

　Ryan's voice was amplified by the loudspeaker and carried throughout the entire auditorium.

　The students' applause stopped.

　He looked around and said in a self-deprecatingly humorous tone, "You know, before I got this job, I was destitute and almost couldn't even afford to eat."

　But the students couldn't laugh.

　This elderly "hero of guns" looked very disheveled, and it turned out to be true.

　Is this the ultimate fate of heroes who made enormous sacrifices for the victory of humankind in war?

　What about the kingdom's pension?

　What about the post-war aid promised by the church?

　Or is there some other reason for this situation?

　Are the heroes of guns just isolated cases?

　Various ideas surfaced in the students' minds, and the cold wind blew away the false enthusiasm, making room for quiet reflection.

　Ryan continued speaking slowly on stage, his words filled with gratitude for Principal Art, and he repeatedly promised to prepare his lessons carefully to make up for his lack of expertise in teaching.

　Fortunately, professors of the history of magic don't need much specialized knowledge.

　However, it's unlikely that astronomy, which is associated with this subject, will be offered as a course.

　Or will Principal Arte find a new professor of astronomy to fill the position?

　……

　"Then, Happy New Year!"

　After Ryan finished speaking, he raised his hand and waved to the students below the stage, then turned and slowly walked off the stage.

　Headmaster Art returned to the stage and said, "Mr. Ryan Hawkes possesses a wealth of experience and personal insights into history. It was precisely because I believed in his ability to fulfill the responsibilities of a professor of magical history that I accepted his application. I hope Mr. Hawkes will have a pleasant time with everyone in his future career! Finally, Happy New Year!"

　"Happy New Year!"

　……

　Exquisite food appeared on the table, and the opening ceremony finally moved to the stage of having dinner together.

　The students ate their delicious food and chatted excitedly about the outstanding students from each grade who had been named, as well as the new professor of magic history.

　Some of the depressing thoughts gradually disappeared, replaced by a sustained high level of excitement.

　Diana was still trying to persuade Dark to make a wish for the Candy House, while Rose was thinking about the Gun Hero's speech.

　She suddenly asked, "What was Mr. Ryan Hawkes's status during the war?"

　Dark thought for a moment and replied, "An old soldier."

　Not all heroes are widely known.

　Most people only know that a hero like Ryan exists.

　But then, they had plenty of time to get to know the old man.

　Dak held it in high regard.

　……

　To Dark's surprise, before dinner was even over, the griffin-like sprite quietly appeared in front of him.

　He said goodbye to Diana and Rose, and then left the hall with the elves.

　Principal Arte was waiting in his office.

　Although Principal Arte on Christmas Eve was merely a manifestation of an elf, it was still Arte herself who spoke to him.

　In short, after that night, Dak's impression of her changed somewhat, and he became more familiar with her.

　"Dimon, Happy New Year."

　"Happy New Year, Principal."

　At Principal Arte's prompting, Dak sat down on the sofa.

　Two glowing little elves were carrying a teapot, struggling to pour tea.

　He scratched his temples, then simply took the teapot and poured himself some black tea.

　As the aroma of black tea wafted in, the atmosphere in the office became even more relaxed.

　Principal Arte relaxed her shoulders, her expression softening: "These past few days have been really stressful."

　Dak then asked, "Has the principal been busy all holiday?"

　Principal Art nodded helplessly: "It's only been a few years since the war ended, and some people are already making moves. Conflicts between humans and demi-humans are becoming more and more frequent. I originally just wanted to go and talk to Didi again, but I didn't expect to get bogged down like this."

　Dark said thoughtfully, "It must have been really tough for the headmaster to find a suitable professor of history of magic under these circumstances."

　Principal Arte looked up and said, "No, I didn't find it. Claire's resignation is really bothering me."

　Dark was somewhat surprised: "Did Mr. Hawkes come to us himself?"

　Principal Art nodded: "Indeed. However, Mr. Hax is indeed a reliable warrior and very familiar with the history of the war. Hopefully, the position of Professor of Magical History will be helpful to him."

　Dark: "So what Harker said wasn't an exaggeration, he really was so poor that he couldn't afford to eat?"

　Principal Art's tone was somewhat wistful: "Dimon. You must understand that this situation is inevitable, no matter when or where. A hero who loses his hands and feet because of the war is no longer a hero after the war ends. As the glory fades, in the eyes of most people, he is just a disabled person who can't help with work."

　These words shouldn't be said to a first-year student, but it's fine if it's Dimon.

　In this era, one could be in charge of the household at the age of fourteen.

　Dimon needs to mature further.

　And it will not cause you to have a bad feeling about astringency.

　The current kingdom does indeed have various shortcomings, both in terms of legal system and rule of law.

　The church, which should have been filling in the gaps from the sidelines, was also riddled with flaws from top to bottom.

　While people celebrated the victory in the war, various mistakes and oversights that had been concealed by the war were exposed.

　This is an unstable era.

　A superficial peace may not withstand even the slightest push.

　It could collapse suddenly one day!

　……

　Principal Art did not dwell on the topic for long.

　She summoned Dark mainly to discuss the secret passage vampires.

　Dark briefly described the vampire's appearance, saying, "I remember he seemed to call himself Vlad, but Vlad seems to be a very large vampire family in history, whose members always called themselves Vlad."

　Principal Arte joked, “That’s right. I’ve met Vlad I through Vlad XXIII. Can you tell me about all your encounters in the secret passage? I’m also very curious about what treasures Alvitt left behind.”

　Dak nodded slightly and began to recount his exploration journey after entering the secret passage.

　He actually quite enjoys the feeling of telling stories. Especially since the story is one he experienced firsthand, it gives him a sense of being the protagonist.

　However, his treasure hunt is indeed worthy of being compiled into a book, and it might even be a bestseller.

　At least Principal Art listened with great interest.

　"So, not only did Alvette set up two challenges—power and wisdom—before the secret realm, she also set up a dragon at the end of it?"

　Even Arte was astonished when Dark spoke of the dragon.

　Ultimately, who would put a dragon before leaving a treasure for their students?

　Even more surprisingly, that student actually passed!

　She gently brushed a strand of silver hair aside and sighed, "As expected of Alvit. But you don't need to worry too much. The treasure map she left behind is actually a secret escape device."

　……

Chapter 223 The Greedy Have Nothing (4k)

　The Secret Realm Escape Device can be said to be a unique item of Saint Marian.

　It also has another name, "Dungeon Escape Device".

　It is an emergency escape device developed by the academy for the safety of students exploring the underground city.

　However, it can only be used within St. Marian Academy at present.

　As a first-year student, Dark had naturally never come into contact with the secret realm escape device. He looked at Principal Arte with some surprise: "So, even if we fail to slay the dragon, there won't be any danger?"

　Principal Art shook his head and said, "The Secret Realm Escape Device will only be automatically activated when its owner is in mortal danger. Of course, it can also be activated manually."

　In other words, you will still suffer the injuries you are supposed to suffer before you are in mortal danger.

　Injuries sustained within the academy can generally be fully healed if treated promptly.

　Dak understood a little and continued telling the rest of the story.

　When the topic turned to the mirror chamber inside the dragon's nest, Principal Art couldn't help but laugh out loud: "So this is the final test after all?"

　Dak looked puzzled.

　Principal Art recalled, "That was many years ago. Back then, the professor of magic wasn't Kazel yet..."