This was already the second time the two had dined together in the cafeteria; the first was when he initially refined the [Fusion] card.
Dark still had a fresh memory of the meaningful smiles from the Halfling chefs.
The food at St. Marian's cafeteria was actually delicious; the craftsmanship of the Halfling chefs was not at all inferior to the restaurant chefs on Traveler Street. If one had to pick a flaw, it was that the daily menu was fixed, and students could only choose their favorite foods from a limited selection.
Dark glanced at today's menu, and a thought suddenly surfaced in his mind.
Having made up his mind, he didn't join the line.
"Senior, follow me."
Pandora followed Dark curiously toward the kitchen entrance.
The Halfling chefs were generally gentle and reasonable. After communicating slightly with one of the chefs, Dark obtained the right to use a corner of the kitchen.
He rolled up his sleeves, ready to cook personally!
Although the status of chefs was not high in the kingdom, this did not prevent nobles from engaging in cooking for various reasons. However, seeing Dark's eager posture, Pandora still felt surprised.
"Do you need help?"
A Halfling chef walked over very amiably.
Dark thought for a moment and did not refuse.
The Halfling chefs had their own duties and needed to be responsible for the kitchen. Ostensibly offering help, they were actually there to supervise. This was to prevent students acting on a whim from burning down the kitchen—such accidents had actually happened in the past!
Dark felt that since he had already borrowed the kitchen, he shouldn't make things difficult for them, so he agreed.
Thus, with the assistance of the Halfling chef, he quickly processed the corresponding ingredients and began putting the pork ribs into the pot.
"Are you planning to make pork rib soup?" the Halfling chef asked curiously.
Dark shook his head and smiled. "No."
After dining together in the cafeteria last time, he had gained some understanding of the Senior's tastes. He knew she liked eating meat and preferred sweet flavors, especially a combination of salty and sweet.
Back then, Dark had thought about showing off his culinary skills but never tried it. Today was the perfect opportunity to simply satisfy her taste buds and try making a dish of Sweet and Sour Pork Ribs.
Among various salty and sweet Chinese dishes, the cooking requirements for Sweet and Sour Pork Ribs were actually relatively simple. The requirements for ingredients were also not high. Just pork ribs, vinegar, rock sugar, and some auxiliary ingredients were enough.
In the Halfling chef's kitchen, almost anything one could think of could be found.
Dark first poured clear water into the pot to boil, then added the ribs to blanch them, casually tossing in some ginger slices and cooking wine to remove the gamey smell. Then he fished out the ribs, rinsed off the floating foam, poured hot oil into the pan to fry them, adding ginger slices and garlic.
After frying the ribs until their surface was golden yellow, he took them out.
Next, he added oil and sugar to the pan, stir-frying the sugar over low heat to caramelize it. When the rock sugar melted and the color deepened into a beautiful caramel hue, he poured in the fried ribs and stir-fried them evenly, coating the ribs in a uniform layer of sugar color.
Finally, he added water to boil, then simmered over low heat. Various seasonings were added in between. Then, he turned up the heat to thicken the sauce.
A serving of Sweet and Sour Pork Ribs, exuding a sweet and sour aroma, was fresh out of the oven!
Dark forked a rib and took a light bite. The silky, soft texture spread throughout his mouth; the perfectly balanced sweetness mixed with the savory and sour flavors made the cells in his bone marrow dance!
"Still got it!"
He nodded with satisfaction.
Dark casually forked another piece of boneless meat and handed it to Senior Pandora. "Taste it?"
The heat from the kitchen flushed Pandora's cheeks with a faint red. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, lowered her head slightly, opened her lustrous lips, and her snow-white teeth bit into the junior's meat.
The sweet and sour scent permeating her nasal cavity was already stimulating her taste buds, and the moment it entered her mouth, the accumulated anticipation exploded instantly!
"Woo!"
Pandora couldn't help but chew faster, the flush on her face becoming deeper and deeper.
It was too much to her taste!
Both the person and the meat.
Bringing out the ribs, along with a few side dishes and bread, the two enjoyed their meal in a corner of the cafeteria.
Eating the long-lost Sweet and Sour Pork Ribs, Dark felt a slight regret. Sweet and Sour Pork Ribs without rice to accompany them always felt like they lacked a soul.
He couldn't help but whisper, "I wonder where there is rice padding..."
Pandora: "Hmm?"
Dark raised his head and saw her cheeks bulging, her lips coated with a layer of oil, revealing a rare expression, and the regret in his heart vanished instantly.
He smiled. "Nothing."
Perhaps the rice of this world was waiting in some corner for him to discover. If one day he could travel the world like Aunt Claire, he might really find it.
...
It wasn't until the large plate of Sweet and Sour Pork Ribs was cleared that Pandora had the leisure to speak. She licked the corner of her lips reluctantly and said with regret, "It's all gone."
Dark: "If it's gone, I'll make it again next time."
Pandora: "Okay!"
Dark asked curiously, "Senior, have you joined any clubs?"
Pandora wiped the grease from the corner of her mouth with a napkin and said casually, "I have, but it's just in name. After all, I still have my work at the library. Why? Are you already considering which club to join?"
Dark: "Just wanted to ask."
Pandora looked up and said, "Let me think, I should have joined the Literary Club."
Dark: "The Literary Club?"
Pandora: "Look, aren't a librarian and the Literary Club a perfect match?"
Dark: "True."
Pandora: "Speaking of which, I haven't participated in club activities at all in the past two years. I don't know if they've removed me from the list."
As she said this, she revealed a smile. It seemed she was very satisfied with the Literary Club for never coming to disturb her.
Her schedule was already very tight. The time for students to conduct club activities overlapped completely with the working hours of a librarian. Choosing the librarian job out of the two, she naturally gave up on club research.
Dark chatted for a few more sentences and roughly understood her meaning, subsequently abandoning the idea of pulling her into his future club. There was no need to forcibly change someone else's life rhythm because of his own wishes.
The reason he suddenly had this idea was only that the school had requirements for the minimum number of members to start a club. No matter what club it was, after approval, it had to recruit at least five members within a month.
The Magical Beast Club back then had maintained a minimum configuration of five members until all five graduated at the same time, and it naturally ceased to exist.
Dark wasn't that anxious. This semester had just begun, and founding a club was a matter for the next academic year. Including himself, there were already three candidates for the club. Being short only the last two, there would be no problem finding them when the time came.
Perhaps when that time truly came, there would be no need to look anymore.
Happy times are always limited. After eating and drinking their fill, the two chatted for another ten minutes or so before bidding each other farewell.
Senior Pandora was actually very busy. Having arrived at school a week late, she had a lot of coursework to deal with. Whether yesterday or today, she had squeezed time out of her busy schedule.
Fortunately, she not only got to 'inhale' the junior but also ate the junior's meat.
Today was immensely satisfying!
...
After escorting her to the library, Dark turned and returned to the Noble House tower. He was equally busy.
By this time, the sky was completely dark, the stars and moon hung high, and the ancient castle was covered in a layer of silvery gray.
A tear suddenly opened in the empty night sky. A witch riding a pumpkin carriage drilled in from the entrance of the barrier, circled once above the castle, and then, guided by magic power, stopped at the Dragon Taming Platform.
Professor Silf, as the vice principal of the school, had been waiting at the Dragon Taming Platform for a long time.
Her pale golden hair was long and transparent, the tips seemingly melting into the wind. But the stern face, inconsistent with her astonishing beauty, made her radiate an aura that kept strangers away.
However, as the pumpkin carriage descended, her expression softened slightly, and the air that had almost congealed into a block rapidly melted.
A tall lady dressed as a witch lifted the curtain from inside the carriage and stepped out, bending down.
"My dear Medea, you've finally come."
Professor Silf paused slightly, then went up to greet her.
Medea Bartholomew lifted her long legs, tightly wrapped in purple stockings, stepping from the carriage's floorboard onto the ground. She wore pitch-black witch robes and a pointed witch hat, but the tight-fitting cut of the robes perfectly accentuated her mature figure.
Her amazingly long eyelashes paired with pale purple eyeshadow created a trace of a bewitching aura. The purple veil masking her face below the nose revealed a hazy beauty. Although she was a witch, she looked more like a graceful and luxurious noble lady.
As Medea's feet touched the ground, a speck of starlight she casually flicked out illuminated the dim Dragon Taming Platform.
"Sarah Silf, it really has been a long time."
Medea revealed a smile. Lifting the hem of her witch robes like a noble lady, she stepped in her high-heeled crystal shoes, walking with elegant grace to stand before Silf.
The two were obviously old acquaintances. But the relationship between them was likely not as warm as it appeared on the surface.
Professor Silf sighed, "I really didn't expect you to agree to the Principal's invitation. I thought that with your personality, you would definitely refuse without hesitation."
Medea smiled faintly. "Occasionally putting a few shackles on oneself has a unique flavor too. I heard there are some incredible figures in this batch of students I'm to teach?"
Silf shook her head. "There are no incredible figures, just a few children."
A reflection of the silver moon surfaced in Medea's eyes, her smile growing radiant. "Great men are born great; destiny is long ordained."
Professor Silf said helplessly, "Put away your fatalism. This is a magic academy."
Medea: "But it used to not be."
Professor Silf did not comment.
Medea: "Show me around the castle."
Professor Silf asked in surprise, "This late?"
Medea's lips curled up as she said lazily, "Is it not common knowledge that witches travel at night?"
The corner of Professor Silf's eye twitched imperceptibly. But she controlled her emotions. "Follow me."
...
"The starry sky tonight is truly beautiful."
Dark glanced at the night sky, then lowered his head to continue squeezing [Pride] from the branch of the Insect Tree.
He had just extracted today's portion of [Pride], exactly gathering a total of 10 points. Next was the time to craft [Pride III].
By today, Dark was already familiar with the production of [Major Sin] cards below number 3. Based on the refinement method of Emotion Cards, the production of [Major Sin] cards belonged to the relatively simpler category. The probability of refinement failure was very low.
What truly troubled him was the subsequent [Major Sin IV] series.
No matter how he looked at it, the refinement method for Emotion Cards could not support the alchemy of [Major Sin IV]. But thinking about these things now wouldn't help. He still needed to accumulate much more knowledge before he could possibly catch that flash of inspiration.
Before starting the refinement, Dark drank a glass of apple juice to refresh himself, then used the [Nether God Art] to focus his mind. He finally succeeded in discarding some rash thoughts, making himself become cautious.
In fact, he did not have the margin to endure failure. 10 points of [Pride] took a full seven days to accumulate. If he really failed, it would make his mood extremely terrible.
The Magic Guide Spirits all quieted down as soon as they saw him start the experiment.
Miltank took the three jumping Catnips to the balcony to watch the stars, so as to avoid them disturbing the master at an inopportune time.
Everything was ready.
Dark calmed his heart and began the refinement of [Pride III].
About an hour later.
The hands of the wall clock turned from seven-thirty to eight-thirty, and a dark gold Magic Guide Card, deeper in color than [Pride II], finally took shape!
A strong aura radiated from this Magic Guide Card, not seeming cold at all in the freezing winter night. Touching it slightly, the chill on his fingers was dispelled by a warm current.
The symbol of [Pride] is the sun, the light that shines upon the earth.
This [Pride III] clearly had more of the sun's aura than [Pride II]!
"Yes, this is my aura!"
DemiDevimon jumped up instantly. It had been staring at the experiment table for a long time. Since it couldn't escape the experiment every time anyway, it at least wanted to figure out what was being experimented on.
[Lust] would affect its flapping speed; only [Pride] was the Major Sin worthy of it!
DemiDevimon felt abnormally exhilarated.
Is it coming?
Is it coming?
Is it coming?
...
But Dark's gaze swept past its body slightly and landed on Little Eevee, who was curled up in the round cushion.
[Lust III · Moon] could make Eevee-chan evolve into Umbreon.
[Lust III] could make Eevee-chan evolve into Sylveon.
Then what about this [Pride III]?
"It should be Espeon, right?"
Dark had some confidence in his prediction. But before experimenting, one could never be certain.
He beckoned to Eevee-chan, and Little Eevee, who had actually been staring this way all along, immediately stood up!
The book says "practice makes perfect." Does this mean that after evolving many times, one can learn to evolve on their own?
Since [Lust III] could make it evolve, the new card in the Master's hand should be able to as well, right?
It couldn't wait!
"Vee!"
Feeling the envious gazes, Eevee-chan skipped as it walked.
________________________________________
If you want more chapters, please consider supporting my page on Patreon. with 50 advanced chapters available on Patreon
patreon.com/Leanzin