"The Holy Grail?"
The moment Principal Cynthia's words fell, the chatter among the students and faculty suddenly rose a decibel.
The ten-thousand-point reward was secondary; the opportunity to make a wish at the Holy Grail was quite extraordinary!
The "St. Marian Holy Grail," as one of only three wish-granting divine artifacts in the world, could collect the power of wishes to fulfill the wisher's desires.
The "Christmas Stockings" students received on Christmas Eve were single-use wish-granting devices created using the St. Marian Holy Grail.
Although Dark's Christmas Stocking had only produced an apple, it seemed some of the other students had received some very fine gifts.
If a single Christmas Stocking could do that, to say nothing of the Holy Grail itself.
At the end of each semester, the academy would determine the winner of the Academy Cup based on the total points of the four houses. Every student in the winning house would receive one opportunity to make a wish.
This meant that each student had a maximum of six chances to make a wish.
In reality, however, getting two or three wishing opportunities during their six-year academic career was already extremely lucky!
For Dark to receive an extra wishing opportunity in his first year was truly the envy of others.
...
While most students felt envious, Virt, Robert, Scott, and Betty felt rather gloomy.
Because they were the four students who had been rescued...
Fortunately, considering the negative impact of the vampire incident, the school had chosen to keep it secret, otherwise they would have died of embarrassment.
Especially since they had also been participants in the Moon God incident, it really wasn't a fun situation.
However.
"What's the Holy Grail?"
Robert couldn't help but ask curiously.
Virt's expression immediately turned to one of astonishment. "It's the Holy Grail!"
Robert looked a little sheepish. "I know it's the Holy Grail. So, what exactly is the Holy Grail?"
Virt: "...I don't know either."
He had never used it, so he didn't know.
But if Principal Cynthia wasn't exaggerating, he did indeed qualify for this opportunity.
Virt clasped his fingers together, rested his chin on them, and felt a twinge of envy himself.
He'd heard the Holy Grail could grant a person's wishes. If he wished for the hero to be resurrected...
Never mind, just thinking about it, he knew that would be impossible.
...
At the Noble House's long table, although Dark was surprised, he accepted this information well.
He also didn't know much about the Holy Grail, only vaguely remembering that Professor Sarah seemed to have said there was a line of inscription on it, something like: "The greedy get nothing."
Taken literally, it clearly carried a warning.
Translated, it meant: an overly greedy wish would surely not be granted.
But what level of desire was considered greedy?
What was the upper limit of a wish?
Only by knowing these things could he maximize the use of the Holy Grail.
Dark mulled it over for a while and figured it was best to ask the professors about this device.
Perhaps when the principal took him to use the Holy Grail, he could ask then.
Before that, he could list out a few things he wanted.
"If it's possible, I'd really like to wish for the Demon God's bloodline to be completely removed!"
"Unfortunately, a wish of that magnitude is definitely impossible to grant."
"With that in mind, maybe I could wish to master some difficult knowledge or techniques?"
"For example, the technique for using the Magic Brain Dropper!"
"In any case, that's a very good line of thought."
"Using that as a reference, I could also wish to raise the level of my Nether God Technique, or perhaps my ability to control my emotions, and so on."
...
Once his mind started racing, it was impossible to stop.
Dark rested his cheek on his hand, lost in thought, so much so that Diana called him twice without getting a response.
The third time, Diana's pink lips were almost touching his face before he suddenly snapped out of it. "What?"
Diana blinked and whispered, "Have you decided what to wish for?"
Dark shook his head. "Not yet."
Diana: "How about a candy house?"
Dark: "..."
...
After announcing Dark's reward, Principal Cynthia continued by selecting the most outstanding students from the second year's previous semester for public praise and awards.
Following that were the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth years...
Only after going through all six years did she offer some closing remarks, expressing her hopes and expectations for the future.
According to normal procedure, Principal Cynthia should have concluded her speech there, but this year's opening ceremony had one more mandatory segment.
The students seemed to have already guessed what she was going to say next. They all fell silent, looking at the stage with anticipation.
Principal Cynthia smiled slightly and said, "I'm sure you have all been looking forward to this for a long time. Next, please welcome the new Professor of Magical History, the Hero of the Spear—Mr. Ryan Hawkes!"
"Whoa!"
As her words fell, a thunderous round of applause erupted in the Great Hall!
An old man with a prosthetic limb on one leg pushed aside the curtain and walked out slowly from behind the stage.
Ryan Hawkes!
A hero who was once a spearman active on the front lines of the war, who had lost a leg, a hand, and an eye in the conflict!
Although mentioning heroes brought to mind the Brave One, the Brave One was just one among many heroes.
Humanity's ultimate victory over the demon race was not won by a single hero, but by the struggle and sacrifice of thousands upon thousands of heroes!
Ryan Hawkes was one of those thousands.
Ryan Hawkes, emerging from behind the stage, wore an ill-fitting formal suit and had a thick, bushy beard. His face was a cascade of wrinkles, and not much hair remained on his head.
He wore a black patch over his right eye, and his left hand and right foot were both prosthetics. Leaning on a cane, he looked like a gaunt old man, devoid of the heroic spirit of the "Hero of the Spear," instead exuding a heavy air of twilight.
The students, who had applauded merely upon hearing the hero's title, now couldn't help but cover their mouths.
Though scars were a warrior's medals, the severity of Ryan's injuries made one wonder how he had even survived the battlefield.
And if one thought deeper on it, one couldn't help but feel a sense of sorrow.
But in the era of war, Ryan was just one of the countless cogs that constituted victory.
After a brief silence.
Even more fervent applause rang out!
"Clap clap clap clap clap clap clap!"
...
"Good evening, everyone. It's my honor to come to St. Marian Academy to serve as the new Professor of Magical History."
Ryan's voice, amplified by a sound device, spread throughout the Great Hall.
The students' applause died down.
He looked around and said in what he considered a humorous tone, "You know, before I got this job, I was so poor I could barely make ends meet."
But the students couldn't bring themselves to laugh.
This elderly "Hero of the Spear" looked destitute just from his appearance; they hadn't expected it to be true.
But was this the final fate of a hero who had made immense sacrifices for humanity's victory in the war?
Where was the kingdom's pension?
What about the post-war aid promised by the Church?
Or was this situation caused by some other reason?
Was the Hero of the Spear just an isolated case?
All sorts of thoughts surfaced in the students' minds. A cold wind blew away the false fervor, creating space for quiet contemplation.
Ryan continued to speak slowly on stage, his words filled with gratitude for Principal Cynthia, and he repeatedly promised to prepare his lessons diligently to make up for his shortcomings in teaching.
Fortunately, being a Professor of Magical History didn't require much specialized knowledge.
But it seemed unlikely that the astronomy class, which was tied to it, could be held.
Or would Principal Cynthia find a new astronomy professor to take the position?
...
"Well then, Happy New Year!"
After finishing his speech, Ryan raised his hand and waved to the students below before turning and slowly walking off the stage.
Principal Cynthia returned to the stage and said, "Mr. Ryan Hawkes has a wealth of experience and his own personal insights into history. It is because I believe he can fulfill the duties of a Professor of Magical History that I accepted his application. I hope that in his coming career, Mr. Hawkes will get along well with all of you! Finally, Happy New Year!"
"Happy New Year!"
"Happy New Year!"
...
Exquisite delicacies appeared on the dining tables, and the opening ceremony finally progressed to the dinner stage.
The students ate the delicious food, eagerly discussing the outstanding students from each year who had been mentioned by name, as well as the new Professor of Magical History.
Some of the somber thoughts gradually faded, replaced by a sustained, high-spirited excitement.
Diana was still trying to persuade Dark to wish for a candy house, while Rose was thinking about the Hero of the Spear'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 were widely known.
For heroes like Ryan, most people only knew that such a person existed.
But from now on, they would have plenty of time to get to know this old gentleman.
Dark felt a sense of respect.
...
What Dark hadn't expected was that before dinner was even over, the little griffin-like sprite quietly appeared before him.
He said a word to Diana and Rose, then followed the little sprite out of the Great Hall.
Principal Cynthia was waiting in her office.
Although the Principal Cynthia from Christmas night was just a manifestation of the sprite, he had still been conversing with the principal herself.
In short, Dark's impression of her had changed somewhat, and he felt more familiar with her now.
"Demon, Happy New Year."
"Happy New Year, Principal."
At Principal Cynthia's gesture, Dark sat down on the sofa.
Two glowing sprites were holding a teapot, struggling to pour tea.
He scratched the side of his head, then simply took the teapot and poured the black tea himself.
As the aroma of the black tea slowly wafted up, the atmosphere in the office relaxed further.
Principal Cynthia relaxed her shoulders, her expression softening. "It's really been impossible to relax lately."
Dark took the opportunity to ask, "Have you been busy for the entire holiday, Principal?"
Principal Cynthia nodded helplessly. "It's only been a few years since the war ended, but some people are already getting restless. Conflicts between humans and demi-humans are becoming more frequent. I originally just wanted to go find Didi to talk things over again, but I ended up getting held up."
Dark said thoughtfully, "To be able to find a suitable Professor of Magical History under these circumstances, you must have worked hard, Principal."
But Principal Cynthia looked up. "No, it wasn't me who found him. Claire's resignation really troubled me."
Dark was a little surprised. "Could it be that Mr. Hawkes came to you himself?"
Principal Cynthia nodded. "Indeed. However, Mr. Hawkes is a reliable warrior and is very familiar with the history of the war period. I hope the position of Professor of Magical History can help him."
Dark: "So what Hawkes said wasn't an exaggeration? He was really so poor he could barely make ends meet?"
Principal Cynthia's tone was tinged with melancholy. "Demon. you must understand that no matter when or where, this kind of situation is unavoidable. A hero who lost his limbs in the war is no longer a hero once the war is over. When the glory gradually fades, in the eyes of most people, he is just a disabled person who can't help with work."
These were not words that should be spoken to a first-year student, but if it was Demon, it was fine.
In this era, one could be the head of a household at fourteen.
Demon was more mature.
And he wouldn't develop a resentment towards society because of this.
The current kingdom, both in its legal system and rule of law, indeed had all sorts of shortcomings.
And the Church, which was supposed to fill in the gaps, was also riddled with holes from top to bottom.
While people celebrated the victory of the war, all the flaws that had been covered up by the conflict were exposed.
This was not a stable era.
The superficial peace might not withstand a gentle push.
It could collapse suddenly at any time!
...
Principal Cynthia did not dwell on this topic for long.
She had summoned Dark mainly to talk about the vampire in the secret passage.
Dark briefly described the vampire's appearance and said, "I remember he seemed to call himself Vlad, but Vlad seems to be a very large vampire family in history. Their members always call themselves Vlad."
Principal Cynthia said humorously, "That is correct. I have encountered Vlad I through Vlad XXIII. Can you tell me everything you encountered in the secret passage? I am also very curious about what treasure Alvit left behind."
Dark nodded slightly and proceeded to recount his journey of exploration from the moment he entered the secret passage.
He actually quite enjoyed this feeling of telling a story to someone, especially since this story was something he had personally experienced. It felt like he had become the protagonist.
But this treasure-hunting trip of his was indeed enough to be compiled into a book. It might even sell well?
At least, Principal Cynthia listened with great interest.
"So Alvit not only set up trials of strength and wisdom before the secret realm, but she also placed a dragon at the very end of it?"
When Dark spoke of the demon dragon, even Cynthia was exceptionally surprised.
After all, who would place a dragon in front of a treasure meant for students?
What was even more surprising was that the student had actually passed!
She gently brushed back a strand of silver hair and sighed, "That's Alvit for you. But you don't need to worry too much. The treasure map she left behind is actually a secret realm escape device."
________________________________________
If you want more chapters, please consider supporting my page on Patreon. with 50 advanced chapters available on Patreon
patreon.com/Leanzin