"Is that a demon-type?"
Professor Sarah Sylph had appeared beside Darc without him noticing. A faint, forest-fresh elven fragrance drifted over, making his thoughts itch in a very unhelpful way.
Darc inhaled slightly and asked, puzzled, "Professor, hasn't the age of demons already passed? Why can I still summon a demon-type?"
Professor Sylph replied in her usual level tone:
"The familiar inside a Sorting Card is a kind of magical spirit. Strictly speaking, it's an alchemical construct—like a golem. It is not a real lifeform. 'Demon-type' is merely a classification within magical spirits. It does not mean it is an actual demon. As magisters, you must learn to distinguish appearance from truth."
She paused.
"As for why you summoned a demon-type, that relates to your magic, your knowledge, and your personality. Also, magical spirit technology is far from perfect. There are many things we still cannot explain."
The surrounding freshmen nodded with the expression of people who didn't understand but felt enlightened anyway.
Only Darc asked seriously, "Professor, then what is my familiar's name?"
"That," she said sternly, "is your homework. Before the next summoning class, successfully summon your familiar, identify its species, name, and traits, and write me a 300-word report. Dimon, plus five points."
And with that, she moved on.
Darc watched her back suspiciously.
She doesn't know its name either, does she?
Because this thing was clearly Impmon.
Duel! St. Marian Super XX Academy really was the ultimate patchwork monster. It had apparently "borrowed inspiration" from Digimon now too.
He knew the game was a mash-up, but this was a bit too direct.
Darc felt a headache coming on.
If he remembered correctly, Impmon could evolve into something like Beelzemon?
Digimon evolution trees were messy. He couldn't remember clearly.
But familiars from Sorting Cards were low-tier magical spirits. Their primary role was message delivery—basically replacing owls.
By magister classification, familiars had an intelligence level of 2.5. Slightly below common beasts. Harmless.
Darc poked the little demon's head.
Its reaction was slow, probably because it had just been born.
Round body. Bat wings. Three-clawed hands. A white skull mark on its forehead.
The longer he looked, the cuter-uglier it became.
Most importantly—it could fly. Perfect familiar material.
Darc quickly accepted reality.
After all, what kind of familiar would a Demon God have if not a little demon?
…
Then he started looking around.
Officially: observing classmates' progress.
In reality: spacing out.
He had already focused for over an hour. If he didn't mentally slack off a bit, wouldn't that be dangerous?
A thought gradually formed in his mind.
And he suddenly understood.
Studying too intently triggered Greed.
So if he deliberately spaced out between studying…
Wouldn't that create the perfect work–rest balance?
Bingo.
Darc carefully suppressed the smugness before it turned into Pride.
Perhaps because of his example, the other students became more motivated too.
Soon enough, Miss Know-It-All became the second person to complete the summon.
…
The moment Emma succeeded, she didn't look at her familiar first.
She subconsciously turned to glance toward the very back corner of the classroom.
Her eyes clearly said: Look. I did it too!
But Darc's gaze only brushed hers briefly before moving on, as if he didn't care in the slightest.
Emma turned back, slightly annoyed.
But the small creature on her desk quickly restored her mood.
A tiny otter with snow-white fur.
Bean-sized eyes. Short limbs. Timid little squeaks.
It struck directly at her soft spot.
…
"Of course it's an otter," Darc muttered.
Sharp, curious, alert.
And the canonical spirit animal of the original "Hermione" role.
Then he glanced toward the Knights' side.
"Robert's should be a hound. Veit's should be a stag."
But both of them were still scratching their heads, clearly struggling.
In fact, House Nobility students were generally summoning familiars faster than House Knights.
Pre-academy education advantage.
"Wow!"
An excited shout drew Darc's attention.
Diana had also succeeded just before class ended.
Her familiar…
Was a tiny panda.
Round head. Round body. Sitting sleepily on the desk like a plush toy.
Darc covered his face.
"The Bear of the Kingdom… and this is what came out?"
Well.
A panda was technically a bear.
Diana, on the other hand, was thrilled. She lifted the panda over her head and spun it around until Professor Sylph shot her a glare.
Only Rose had failed to summon anything yet, and she was visibly anxious.
…
The second class of the morning was Magic Theory.
If Summoning was how to use magic cards…
Magic Theory was the foundation of how to make them.
And Duel Class was practical combat.
Students were strictly forbidden from summoning familiars in the corridors.
Which, of course, many ignored.
Darc didn't bother with them. He arrived at the Magic Theory classroom early.
The break was thirty minutes.
Lazy people wasted it.
Diligent people previewed.
To avoid being labeled Slothful, Darc opened Fundamentals of Magic Theory I and began flipping through it—not too seriously.
When Emma hurried into the classroom, she saw Darc sitting at the back by the window, already reading.
This did not match her expectations of a House Nobility student at all.
People like this belonged in House Magisters.
She muttered something to herself, sat in the front row, and started previewing as well.
Darc glanced at her briefly.
But his mind was elsewhere.
Is there any magic card that can absorb negative emotions…
Or calm the mind…
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