Zach Wilson.
He was a fourth-year student in the Noble House and a member of the Dueling Club.
At the same time, he was also a member of the Noble History Research Society!
The Wilson family held a mid-tier position among the kingdom's nobility. Zach Wilson's father was a Viscount with no real power, currently affiliated with the First Prince's faction.
In fact, the members of the Noble History Research Society were mostly from the pro-war faction.
Even if their fathers weren't necessarily part of the First Prince's faction, their subjective will tended towards the hawks—this actually had little to do with whether they wanted war or not; those old-fashioned nobles simply didn't believe the Eldest Princess was qualified to inherit the throne.
Between a traditional male heir and an unconventional female heir, they chose tradition in this multiple-choice question.
As for why they hadn't stepped forward to support the First Prince, that was naturally because the situation wasn't clear enough yet.
Assess the situation; interests come first.
The ancient nobles who had survived until now were no simpletons.
If the Eldest Princess's faction demonstrated the strength to suppress the First Prince's faction, they would support the Eldest Princess without hesitation, even if they had to swallow their disgust and feign compliance.
It was just that the young nobles in the Noble History Research Society were still young; they didn't have such deep shrewdness and hadn't learned to conceal their inner thoughts.
Therefore, as the only son of the Valkyrie, the leader of the Doves, Dark was actually on the opposite side of most members of the Noble History Research Society in terms of stance.
But stance was one thing, and inner thoughts were another.
Dark's original impression was that of a typical noble playboy, easily categorized as 'one of them' by those young nobles.
Even if he wasn't, they could recruit him into the club and then change his mind through subtle influence, thereby causing trouble for the Valkyrie.
The Noble History Research Society had harbored no good intentions from the very beginning.
Once Dark left the office classroom with Diana and Rose, Zach Wilson whispered something to the person at the next table before quickly leaving.
The Noble History Research Society had a small gathering this afternoon, and the location was in their club classroom.
Zach Wilson soon arrived at the club classroom of the Noble History Research Society. He pushed the door open and entered, only to be glared at fiercely by one of the members. He hurriedly closed the door and then lowered his head, walking along the wall.
The interior decoration of this club classroom carried a scent of extravagance. The only part that looked like a "Noble History Research Society" was the two bookshelves against the wall, neatly stacked with literature and materials related to noble history—more for decoration than utility.
At the round table in the deepest part of the classroom, third-year Mike Owen was speaking softly with the president of the Noble History Research Society, his tone full of flattery.
The sunlight slanting in through the window sprinkled onto the tabletop, resembling a layer of thin golden gauze.
The president of the Noble History Research Society was the short student who had appeared during the Dueling Club recruitment tournament; his name was Angus Jeffrey.
The lineage of the Jeffrey family was extremely ancient. It was said to be a meritorious family that had existed since the founding of the kingdom. His father, Earl Jeffrey, was one of the kingdom's thirty-six councilors, holding a high and powerful position.
Angus Jeffrey himself always referred to himself as the son of a councilor and was very proud of it.
Jeffrey had golden hair symbolizing nobility, the tips hanging just to his shoulders. His bangs were neat, his nose bridge high, and his lips slightly full; he was considered quite handsome.
However, his shoulders were very wide and he wasn't tall, making his entire body appear somewhat uncoordinated.
Zach Wilson circled around from the wall with his head lowered, cautiously leaning into Jeffrey's ear to say a sentence.
Jeffrey frowned, then relaxed his brow and chuckled lightly. "Signed up for the competition in the second week? Owen, what do you say we should do to get him to join the club?"
Owen looked up, revealing a cheerful smile. "Let's suppress him a bit. Let him know that he is nothing on his own, and he will naturally look for a group. And we are the best choice."
Jeffrey nodded. "That makes sense. Did you see what he did in the Common Room last night?"
Owen sneered. "I heard it was arithmetic tutoring. It seems the quality of this year's freshmen isn't that high; they actually need someone else to help tutor them in Arithmetic class."
Jeffrey said, "Arithmetic tutoring? Granting favors to others academically to establish prestige and form dominance—truly worthy of a Duke's son. He might be trickier than we imagine."
Owen asked, "Are you saying he might create a new club and bring all the first-year students under his control?"
Jeffrey replied, "There is that possibility."
Owen asked, "Then what should we do?"
Jeffrey smiled, raised his hand with fingers together, and made a forceful chopping motion. "Just as you said, suppress him!"
Then he looked at Zach Wilson, who had been standing by the side, and asked, "How about it? Can it be arranged?"
Sweat seeped from Wilson's forehead as he humbly said, "As long as there is enough strength, it's easy to manipulate."
Jeffrey nodded. "Then let Kevin sign up."
Elsie Kevin, a top student in the second year of the Noble House, had just joined the Noble History Research Society in the second half of last year.
With the resources of the Noble History Research Society tilted in his favor, Kevin's strength had grown extremely fast, far beyond what a first-year could defeat.
Dark had absolutely no idea that he would be targeted just for signing up.
After leaving the Dueling Club, he went to the library with Diana and Rose, planning to finish this week's homework as soon as possible.
The schedule for this week was quite tight. Aside from the Rookie Tournament on Saturday morning, he also needed to spend time buying refining materials for the [Ultimate Move Card].
By five o'clock in the afternoon.
After finishing his homework and reading for a while, Dark told Diana and Rose he was leaving, shouldered his schoolbag, and slipped away.
While registering at the counter, he exchanged a glance with Pandora. Since there were people around, they didn't say much.
Afterward, he quickly returned to the dormitory, changed into casual outing clothes, and went out again.
The quiet lake water reflected the afterglow of the setting sun. People came and went in the Lake Pavilion leading to Traveler Street. Pandora, wearing a plush coat, stood quietly by the pavilion's edge, looking up and gazing into the distance at the lake's boundary.
As students passed by, they couldn't help but peek at her, but that cold and aloof atmosphere made them afraid to approach.
Dark crossed the long corridor bridge and finally saw her back, involuntarily walking over.
"Senior, what are you looking at?"
"Looking at fish."
Pandora gently tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and spoke softly.
Dark poked his head out, puzzled. "You can see them even like this?"
Pandora laughed, "Just pretend you can see them, can't you?"
Dark blinked. "Then let's have a fish feast today."
Pandora said, "Really now. Let's go."
The two of them turned and walked towards one of the stone tables, sitting on the stone stools beside it. Then, with a swirl of their bodies, they suddenly vanished.
In the same Lake Pavilion, on the same stone stools.
The two people appeared simultaneously.
Dark stood up and rubbed his hands. "It's getting a bit cold. The temperature dropped again recently; I feel like it's going to snow. Has it ever snowed in the castle before?"
Pandora replied, "It snowed twice when I was here. The whole world was white. I don't really like it."
Dark asked, "Is that so?"
He didn't mention it again.
Although he actually quite liked the snow.
Dark hadn't specifically toured the restaurants in Traveler Street, but having walked around enough, he knew which restaurants were higher class and which had more style.
The Waltz Music Restaurant was a relatively good choice, but the couple atmosphere there was simply too thick. It was Friday night, so there were even more pairs of men and women.
He could tell that the Senior actually didn't like crowded places very much.
So he went deeper and found a high-end restaurant with three floors.
This restaurant, named "Lemi," had exquisite decoration and was of a higher class—in other words, it was more expensive.
Lower-year students, who were strapped for credits, generally wouldn't come here to spend.
But none of that was the key point.
The key point was that they really had a fish feast here!
Grilled fish, boiled fish, fish rice, fish fillets, caviar...
As plates of exquisite fish cuisine were brought to the table by the waiter, Dark couldn't help but feel his appetite surge.
Senior Pandora also seemed to be in high spirits.
It was just that the plates holding the fish dishes were only the size of a palm.
So, while delicious, the quantity was too small.
Dark ate a little of everything, stopping at just the right amount, and turned his head to watch the Senior continue eating.
When the table was cleared, she was clearly left wanting more, saying regretfully, "Sure enough, your meat suits my appetite better."
Dark smiled. "Then if there's a chance next time, I'll make it again."
Pandora shook her head with a smile. "I can't trouble you again. How is it, are your studies busy?"
Dark nodded. "Busy is a bit busy, but being able to learn things and see my own progress is always good."
Pandora asked, "I heard you are participating in the Rookie Tournament tomorrow?"
Dark replied, "Yes, the professor required it."
Pandora asked, "What time? I'll go cheer for you."
Dark said, "Notified yet."
Pandora said, "Mm, then let's stroll around the night market for a while longer. I haven't been out for a stroll at night in a long time either."
Dark replied, "Okay."
The deeper the night, the lower the temperature.
But the warmth between people would not decrease because of it.
Even though neither of them was the type to talk boastfully, they still chatted a lot while walking on the road, and their understanding of each other gradually deepened.
They weren't as fervent as the couples on the same road, nor did they have intimate contact, but the atmosphere between the two was just right.
Pandora was a multifaceted person.
At first glance, she seemed very quiet, but upon initial interaction, one would feel she was very extroverted. Yet, after interacting for a long time, one would discover she was actually very introverted.
Dark even discovered that she lacked a sense of security.
This was something that couldn't be seen from her appearance no matter what.
At nine-thirty, the sky was clear and the moon was bright.
Dark felt the vibration of his Sorting Card. He waited a moment before taking it out; sure enough, the duel notification had arrived.
"Is it here?"
Pandora leaned over, the night wind carrying a trace of cold fragrance.
Dark injected a trace of magic power into the Sorting Card, opened the notification file, and looked carefully. "Tenth match, estimated time nine-thirty. Opponent is second-year Noble House, Elsie Kevin."
Pandora frowned slightly. "Elsie Kevin? I seem to have heard this name somewhere."
Dark laughed. "To be able to leave an impression on the Senior, it seems he's a decent opponent."
Pandora said, "That is your debut battle, don't lose."
Dark replied, "In a duel, how can anyone be guaranteed to win? Besides, if a person can't even experience failure in this life, wouldn't it be very incomplete?"
Pandora looked at his serious manner and couldn't help but chuckle. "Who looks for excuses for themselves like you before they've even lost?"
"Eh?" Dark said in surprise. "Those were words from my heart."
Pandora said, "Alright then. I wish you a victorious defeat tomorrow."
Dark replied, "Please look forward to it."
Since the notification had arrived, the two no longer had a reason to continue strolling.
They chose a path and walked back leisurely.
By ten o'clock, they finally returned inside the castle.
Dark escorted Pandora to the outside of the Magic House tower, then returned alone.
Back in the dormitory, he had the company of his Magic Guide Spirits again.
With life like this, what was there to be dissatisfied about?
That night, Dark had a good dream.
In the blink of an eye, it was Saturday.
Because it was his first duel in the outdoor Open-air Dueling Arena, he was actually quite cautious.
He put on his school uniform, pinned on the Dueling Club badge, tidied his hairstyle, spun around in front of the mirror, and felt good.
Dark took out his Magic Guide Cards, collected the Magic Guide Spirits into the cards one by one, put them into his card pouch, and finally didn't forget to bring that Player Card before heading out.
This morning, he had agreed with Diana and Rose to eat breakfast in the canteen, so he didn't trouble DemiDevimon.
Diana, appearing in the corridor, had gathered her long silver hair into a side ponytail, tied with a cute panda hair tie. Her face was flushed, and she looked a bit excited.
For the seven first-year students, today's Rookie Tournament was their true debut battle and held great commemorative significance.
Girls had delicate minds and strong sensibilities, so they placed more importance on a sense of ritual.
On the other side, Rose was holding a cardboard sign she had made herself. Drawn on it were a clumsy big-headed cub and a cat with a golden ahoge (cowlick), and in the middle was a red heart. Above the heart was a big "Fight On"!
"How is it? Does it look good?"
Rose raised the sign and waved it in front of Dark, her face full of expectation.
Although Dark really wanted to ask her why his symbol would be a cat, following noble etiquette, he should give appropriate praise to this lady who had put in the effort.
So he squeezed out a sentence: "Really nice."
Beside them, Diana smiled very slyly.
It was rare for first-year students to get up so early on a Saturday.
Classmates could be seen everywhere in the canteen.
Seven duelists, each with their own supporters.
Among them, Sara Swati of the Magic House, Justin Wayne of the Knight House, and Teddy Doron of the Noble House had relatively more supporters due to their personalities and other factors.
People like Dark and Emma, because they always drifted outside social circles, only had their own small circles.
But some people, who appeared to have few supporters on the surface, could command a widespread response when they truly ascended to heights.
And some people really just didn't have many.
At about seven-thirty.
The first-year students set off from the canteen, walking one after another toward the Open-air Dueling Arena.
The atmosphere was just right.
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