DKIE CH57: Celebration Day

The ferret was very proud.

The Saint, for the first time, considered sending his aging pet to school, at the very least to first understand the true meaning of “The Stronghold’s Captive Official.”

“Nicknames cannot be the same as others, and can only be changed once,” Luka promptly saved the ferret, changing the subject.

“Once?”

Luka: “Changing it anytime would affect me selling name-change cards to make money later.”

“…”

When the Saint had previously registered his account, he had used the default nickname, which was now a string of numbers. After some thought, he prepared to change it.

“Between ‘Smoky Rain Passerby’ and ‘Quiet Valley,’ which name is better?”

He asked very seriously, as if contemplating an important matter of state.

Luka made a difficult choice. “…’Quiet Valley,’ I guess.”

Might as well be called ‘Healthy and Happy Hundred-Year-Old Man’ or ‘Flowers Blooming for Wealth and Honor.’

After filling in the nickname, the Saint found that he could further refine his profile. He casually took a photo of the fresh flowers on the table as his profile picture.

“A bit interesting. It’s even clearer than the photos published in those newspapers.”

Luka looked at his new nickname and profile picture, remaining silent.

After everything was settled, a glittering golden pass flew in front of Luka.

Before he could see it clearly, the Saint said, “Go and claim it before the Celebration Day, otherwise you’ll have to wait another year.”

With that, he smoothly switched to the chat channel. The Saint began to watch the elves’ lively chat and waved for the ferret to see the guest out.

A friendly meeting came to an end. As he left, Luka rationally decided to retract his wings and use the door.

Never forgetting his original intentions was a theme throughout his life. Upon returning to the Holy City this time, Luka insisted on staying in the same guildhall where Alec was bombed, so as to continue the spirit of remembering past hardships.

As soon as he entered, he found that the Quill Pen was already there. Luka stopped the hand that was preparing to send a message to the other.

The Quill Pen had actually just arrived not long ago. He said, “The concoction of the soul-replenishing liquid requires seven days.”

Luka nodded, took off his snow-dusted outer robe, and sat down to study the pass given by the Saint.

The palm-sized card had a certain weight to it. The front depicted a magnificent and beautiful building. He squinted to identify the small words hidden on the building: “First Magic Academy?”

There was another line of words on the back of the pass: With this pass, you can redeem one portion of Gulu Rock Milk.

What is this? Judging by the product name, am I getting into the dairy business now?

A voice soon cleared up his confusion.

“The Human Ancestor graduated from the First Magic Academy. It was later regarded as a holy place of human learning, and the Celebration Day is also held there. As for the Gulu Rock Milk…”

The Quill Pen recalled for a moment. “In terms of value, it is not inferior to the Life Elixir. It can enhance elemental perception.”

He looked at Luka. “This thing will be of great help to you.”

Even though he cultivated the path of faith, Luka’s perception of magical elements was still slightly lacking compared to true geniuses.

“You really are a jack-of-all-trades,” Luka said in surprise, that he was knowledgeable about everything.

Having just finished absorbing the essence blood, the Quill Pen had been prone to drowsiness recently.

He spoke with his eyes half-closed, as if talking in his sleep.

“About seventy years ago, a lucky person picked up my apprentice’s notebook and successfully got into the First Magic Academy. The admission ratio at that time seemed to be 100,000 to 1.”

Seventy years ago. Luka hurriedly asked, “Is he still alive then?”

The Quill Pen sneered, “He overreached himself and directly practiced a forbidden spell, ending up blown to smithereens.”

Since the demon race’s books had little on the human section, Luka calmed down and prepared to do more research.

For the next half-week, he barely left his room.

In the blink of an eye, there were only two days left until the Celebration Day. Cullen rushed back from the elven lands, brought Luka a new model of the terminal, and then went off to attend to other matters without stopping.

Besides the adjusted appearance, the new terminal also had an extra slot for a magic stone.

Using the terminal near the Tree of Wisdom provided a strong signal, but in other places, a magic stone was needed to power and activate the internal inscriptions.

The magic stone needed to be replaced every half hour of use, which was quite expensive. This could only be improved in the future by optimizing the inscriptions.

On the first day of the new year, even a blizzard could not cover the decorations hanging everywhere in the Holy City. The much-anticipated City-State Celebration Day arrived as scheduled.

Early that morning, Luka asked Lilian to get two sets of school uniforms, preparing to enter as a student.

The First Magic Academy was a fully enclosed school. If they missed today, it was unknown how long they would have to wait for the next open day.

“You have to keep an eye on me after we get there,” Luka adjusted his collar in front of the mirror. “The spotlight for the next period of time has to be all on the terminal. I can’t be in the headlines.”

Otherwise, constant bombshells would wear out people’s passion.

A headline after a period of silence is more powerful!

The Quill Pen gave a cold snort, applauding his self-control.

After getting dressed, Luka put on the disguise mask that Cullen had given him a long time ago and dyed his hair a common linen color.

The Quill Pen had also become quite famous after playing the part of the real and fake young master, so he also disguised himself with a common face.

Then they both fell silent for a moment.

It could only be said that temperament was innate.

Even with a changed face, Luka, wearing a student uniform, still looked full of vitality, while the Quill Pen was closer to a gloomy senior, exuding a “stay away” aura.

“Can you be a little more cheerful?” Luka said.

This doesn’t look like a student at all.

The Quill Pen responded, “The me in the apprentice’s notebook was quite cheerful.”

Warmly helping every greedy soul achieve their wish.

Luka was speechless and finally checked the pass.

Although there was only one, the Saint was always thoughtful. It shouldn’t be a problem for both of them to enter at the same time.

…

The First Magic Academy was located relatively close to the Holy Court’s Fortress of Light.

The academy had a long history and implemented a six-year system. Graduates from here were fought over by major powers, and as long as they didn’t fall midway, their futures were almost boundlessly bright. Many who eventually held high positions had deep feelings for the academy, making it stand out even more in terms of resources and connections.

The Celebration Day was also a rare visiting day for the academy.

Nobles who had registered and passed the screening in advance, dressed impeccably, personally brought their children to observe the ceremony.

Luka was initially stopped at the gate, but when he presented the pass, the gatekeeper immediately saluted and let him through, attracting the attention of many people around.

Normally, he would have held his head high and enjoyed the stares. But now, Luka immediately quickened his pace, lowered his head, and urged the Quill Pen to walk faster.

The publicity matters had other arrangements and would mainly be handled by the Saint. He was only here today to do one thing: get the item, and then leave.

With the Quill Pen around, he even saved the trouble of asking for directions.

“There’s a redemption point near the Astronomical Tower in the west district of the academy. In the past, only outstanding students could redeem the Gulu Rock Milk. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime redemption, and limited to only three drops.”

That fool who self-destructed back then had been overreaching himself precisely because he wanted this small dose.

The Quill Pen said, “The Saint specially gave you a pass. It should be more than one drop.”

Luka nodded and took out his shadow camera, loading it with a string of magic stones.

The magic stone consumption of one camera was almost on par with a terminal. He suddenly felt that a price of nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine was a bargain.

“I’ll go redeem the item. You go help me get a good spot in the auditorium.”

He wanted to take a few photos during the upcoming Celebration Day ceremony to use after the launch.

The Quill Pen looked at him. “Control yourself.”

The First Magic Academy had a strict system. Don’t cause trouble.

Luka nodded confidently.

The layout of the academy hadn’t changed much in a hundred years. After splitting up, Luka walked alone along the long, tree-lined path and smoothly found the reward redemption point near the Astronomical Tower.

This place was usually very lively, but today, most people had gone to the ceremony, so there were only two or three people inside.

The person in charge of redemption was a retired old lady. Seeing the pass, she shouted, ‘Lived long enough to see everything,’ and with trembling hands, handed over a thumb-sized porcelain bottle.

Luka thanked her politely.

To be able to single-handedly guard such a precious item, this old woman’s strength was definitely not to be underestimated.

The academy had specially set up large directional signs for the occasion, making it difficult to get lost even if one wanted to.

“Too smooth.”

And the Quill Pen was still worried I would cause trouble.

How ridiculous.

To be cautious, Luka did not drink the Gulu Rock Milk directly. On the way, he only checked how much was inside.

“This thing shouldn’t be as crappy and poisonous as the Life Elixir, right?”

The shadow left by the Life Elixir was too deep. He was now successfully disenchanted with potion-type products.

As he was shaking his head, Luka suddenly felt a heat.

It was still snowing, so how was it burning?

Small, strange particles floated in the surroundings. Luka frowned and looked up, his eyes pricked by a light source. When he squinted to look again, he saw a tall statue not far away, with a brilliant and dazzling greatsword firmly stuck beneath it. The unseasonal temperature was continuously emanating from the sword’s body, even casting a red glow on the statue.

Innate special effects. The grade of this equipment is inestimable.

“The Sage’s Sword.”

A name almost immediately jumped into Luka’s mind.

He had seen it when he was researching the academy’s materials. This was the personal sword of the Human Ancestor. It was said that whoever could pull it out and gain the sword’s acknowledgment would become its next master.

“What an old-fashioned setting,” Luka shook his head.

Of course, no one had succeeded in all these years. It had now become a historical monument.

“Since I’m already here, I should just leave.”

Normally, Luka would have gone to pull it no matter what. But today, he bravely said no and walked forward without looking back.

As long as I don’t cause trouble, there won’t be any trouble!

Luka’s steps were calm, confident, and elegant. As he passed by the famous sword, he didn’t even spare it an extra glance.

However, just as he was about to pass the sword, a fierce wind suddenly brushed past his ear, blowing his hair up with it.

The headwind of hot air gave Luka an instant premonition of foreboding. He tried to pull away, but the strange heatwave had no intention of letting him go. His legs felt as heavy as lead under the pressure.

Creak. Creak.

The scabbard stuck in the ground began to loosen. The ground immediately cracked over a large area, then extended outwards like a spiderweb.

Luka watched as this legendary greatsword, after rotating and twisting a few times, showed a tendency to pull itself out.

His ominous premonition deepened. His lips moved stiffly.

“No… it can’t be…”

Although he liked to take small advantages, he knew even better that when a seemingly huge opportunity falls from the sky, it is often a disaster rather than a blessing.

His legs were temporarily difficult to move. Luka adapted to the situation, took a step forward, stretched out his arm, and pressed his palm firmly against the hilt, pushing it down.

“Honey,” Luka said to the sword, gritting his teeth, trying to distract himself and get his body moving again. “Wait until I go back and do a background check, then we can talk about the future.”

I’ll first see if your ‘political review’ can pass.

Regardless of whether a sword could understand human speech, Luka continuously tried to reason with it.

The scabbard suddenly produced a huge force during its ascent. In the next second, Luka’s hand slipped, and it flew out completely!

Half of the academy’s sky lit up.

The students who were going to the ceremony in groups looked up in surprise one by one. The academy’s professors and instructors, however, all changed their expressions. “Quick, quick, inform the principal!”

The human high-level officials who had just arrived through the main gate initially thought it was an enemy attack. Just as they were about to enter a state of alert, someone seemed to have thought of something and exclaimed in a low voice, “Could it be…”

Near the Revelation Hall, the faces of the envoys from the Holy Court were very ugly. The expression on the Saintess’s icy face changed significantly, and she was about to rush over immediately.

A gentle voice stopped her.

“The grand ceremony is about to begin. The academy will handle other matters.”

The Saint’s tone was light, but it allowed no room for argument.

The sword’s light shot up to the sky. While chaos reigned outside, near the Astronomical Tower, Luka watched as the Sage’s Sword flew towards him, like a hot potato he couldn’t get rid of.

His bad premonitions were never wrong. The moment he was forced to hold the sword, the will of the Sage’s Sword was faintly transmitted through its body, forming a concise message in his mind: Run!

“Run?”

Why run?

The trouble Luka had anticipated came from his identity being exposed later, and whether the magic academy would easily let him walk away with the sword.

It was very common for treasures to treat their possessor as a treasure themselves.

But from the Sage’s Sword’s meaning, it seemed there was a deeper level of trouble involved.

In the distance, many powerful auras were approaching.

Luka immediately decided to put the sword directly into his storage ring, but it failed.

“Crap.”

He picked up the sword and ran.

“I knew it…” Things that come to your door on their own are definitely problematic!

His super-strong perception made him rush towards an area where he could feel almost no human presence. Luka’s eyes scanned in all directions.

Good luck. No special surveillance in sight.

The First Magic Academy was usually very closed off. Surveillance was generally only set up in specific buildings where important items were stored.

As Luka was sprinting at top speed, the air in front of him suddenly fluctuated. The ripples that were stirred up almost made him brake abruptly. In the next second, a figure leaped out from the torn space.

The moment their eyes met, both of them were stunned for a moment.

The Quill Pen saw the sword in Luka’s arms, and his brow twitched.

Luka sensed that powerful pursuers were also tracking the direction the Quill Pen had come from, and the corner of his mouth twitched.

Both of them continued to run towards the dense forest without discussion.

The Quill Pen: “Don’t use the space scroll directly.”

Luka had long guessed that the academy must have related restrictions. Never mind a scroll, even his wings were useless. Without bothering to ask him why he was also on the run, Luka frowned. “We need to find a way to cover our tracks.”

“Not difficult. First, find a hiding place.”

“Let’s just bury ourselves on the spot.”

The Quill Pen had just taken a drop or two of blood from an animal in the forest, preparing to cast a spell to assimilate their auras. Hearing this, his movements paused.

Luka was serious. “They’ll definitely search the buildings thoroughly. It’s not safe to run around on the roads either. Who would think we’d be in a hole?”

Dig a hole and bury yourself.

The Quill Pen sneered. “Don’t even think about it.”

A quarter of an hour later, the Quill Pen was expressionlessly waiting in the hole.

It was pitch black all around. Luka sat cross-legged and, after taking several deep breaths, asked, “What happened to you?”

The Quill Pen turned his face away. “There was a little accident.”

That apprentice’s notebook from back then had been discovered and confiscated by the school. Who would have thought that the deceased student had soul fragments that had not yet dissipated attached to the diary? Even with only a few fragments left, he was still bound by the contract from his previous life. After the soul sensed his presence, it automatically attached itself to him, preparing to renew the contract.

The result was predictable; it attracted the attention of the guarding teacher.

Luka shook his head with a “tsk tsk,” preparing to recount his own encounter.

The Quill Pen interrupted.

A person holding a sword. The picture tells the whole story.

Now was not the time for clearing his name. Luka took out his terminal, preparing to send a message to the Saint first.

…

Inside the Revelation Hall.

As the place where the academy held important ceremonies and events, it easily accommodated tens of thousands of people today.

As far as the eye could see, it was a dense crowd. They were all dressed in bright and beautiful clothes, and the nobles sat properly in their seats. In the vast space, there was not a single sound at this moment. Even the newspaper employees had fixed positions and could not move around freely.

The officials, nobles, and representatives of all classes who were qualified to enter here had all entered at least half an hour in advance to prevent being late, so they did not know about the sudden situation outside.

The Saint had just finished his speech, and now a high-ranking human official was speaking.

However, most of the audience’s gazes were still uncontrollably, from time to time, stealing glances at the magnificent white-robed figure on the stage.

The guests suppressed their excitement. It wasn’t just them; even the high-level officials who were qualified to stand on the podium would use their peripheral vision to pay attention to the Saint, wanting to judge from the changes in his expression whether he was satisfied with their speech.

Buzz buzz.

A short and muffled vibration suddenly sounded.

The Saint’s brow moved slightly. According to Luka’s marketing plan, he only needed to take out his terminal and glance at it during today’s ceremony, then put it back.

And it couldn’t be deliberate; it had to be very natural.

The original plan was for the ferret to send a message in the middle of the ceremony, but now it was clearly much earlier.

[You have a message from DragonThingYuLuJiaElf!]

When the Saint took out the terminal, the people below unconsciously stretched their necks.

What is that?

It didn’t look big, but it was a piece of magical equipment they had never seen before, and it was emitting a strange energy.

The Saint slightly extended his hand near the fruit platter and cups.

This concealing action further stimulated the curiosity of the guests in the hall.

Is the Saint writing on it? In a moment of distraction, the high-ranking official at the center of the stage accidentally stumbled in his speech.

A moment later, the Saint finally looked up. His divine sense passed through the main hall and glanced at the celestial phenomenon outside that had not yet dissipated, his expression thoughtful.

When he lightly put the terminal away, everyone’s curiosity had completely climbed to its peak.

Now, who had the mind to listen to speeches? Even the Saintess had inadvertently cast her gaze over several times, but unfortunately, the time was too short, and she didn’t get a clear look at what it was.

The City Lord of the Boulder City, who had specially come to attend the Celebration Day, asked in a low voice, “Your Holiness just now…”

“Just replying to an important message,” the Saint casually replied, his voice not loud.

This, in turn, made everyone’s hearts itch even more. They all looked at the familiar people sitting next to them, communicating with their eyes: Have you seen that thing?

No.
Me neither.

As the most glamorous celebrity in the Holy City, the Saint’s every move would be watched with infinite attention. That kind of subtle publicity from a celebrity invisibly seeped into the subconscious.

It happened to be a new and strange gadget that had never been seen before. The sense of novelty made it seem even more high-end and stylish.

This was the carefully designed trap of a soft advertisement!

Luka’s Diary Excerpt:

I don’t know! At that time, it just flew over with a “swoosh.”
First Magic Academy @Sage’s Sword: Why did you take off?
Sage’s Sword: Please listen to the next chapter’s decomposition.
Luka: …
What do you guys think my diary is?
Now that I have a terminal, I’m going to move to my space-nest in the future.
Alec: In my time, we didn’t have such conditions. It was all about the reputation of the diary.
Luka: …

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