Chapter 162: Celebration
"Wait, what?" Arthur instinctively took half a step backward.
Celestia smiled kindly. "Just a few needles."
"A few?"
Sun immediately stepped backward as well. "I suddenly don’t think I need a checkup," he said.
Elaine looked at him. "You do."
"Yes, Vice Principal."
Leon folded his arms. "You’re scared of needles?"
Sun pointed. "Normal people are."
Arthur quietly nodded. "I agree."
Leon looked genuinely surprised. "You too?"
Mithra smiled. "I never imagined the fearless Arthur would lose to a tiny needle."
Arthur immediately shook his head. "I’m not scared." He pointed toward it. "I just don’t trust something that pointy."
Leon laughed. "You fought Beast Chiefs."
Arthur nodded. "I could stop them from hurting me. I can’t stop the needles..."
Sun immediately agreed. "Exactly. Finally someone understands."
Athena raised a brow. "Needles are considerably less dangerous than Beast Chiefs."
Arthur looked at her. "They don’t feel less dangerous."
Mithra couldn’t stop laughing.
The examinations were extremely quick. No injuries. No hidden problems. Only fatigue.
Celestia smiled. "It’s a good thing Elaine brought all of you."
Elaine immediately corrected. "Forced."
Celestia laughed. "Yes. Forced." She looked toward the five. "Many Beast Tamers ignore small injuries after expeditions." She smiled. "I’m happy all of you are healthy."
Everyone unconsciously smiled.
Arthur pumped one fist. "I knew we’d be fine."
Elaine looked at him. "You also attempted to escape."
"Different issue."
Leon laughed.
Before leaving, Arthur waved. "Hopefully we won’t meet again."
Celestia laughed. "I sincerely hope so."
Arthur paused. "That’s actually a nice thing to say."
Sun sighed. "It took him a second again."
Everyone laughed.
Elaine stayed behind to talk with Celestia.
The others left, and by the time the infirmary door closed behind them, the tension of the whole day, the office, the hallway, the needles, had finally started to lift, replaced by something lighter as they made their way toward dinner.
...
The Gold Dining Hall was warm.
Comfortable.
Golden chandeliers hung overhead, and huge windows overlooked Pathfinder. Students relaxed at their tables. Professors chatted nearby. An open kitchen filled the air with the smell of fresh bread and roasted meat, Silver Rank Beast ingredients, and a display of desserts along one wall.
Students inside began noticing them but no one crowded them, just curious glances. It felt like they had quietly become part of Pathfinder.
The five of them walked toward the serving line.
Arthur had expected a normal cafeteria. Instead he stopped. "Why are there so many?"
The serving counter stretched nearly the entire length of the hall.
Rows upon rows of dishes sat beneath warm crystal lights.
Perfectly grilled Silver Rank Beast steaks.
Fresh seafood Arthur had never even seen before.
Golden roasted birds glazed with honey.
Bowls of steaming noodles.
Dozens of soups.
Freshly baked bread with bright fruits that shimmered with mana. Entire shelves dedicated to desserts. Even chefs stood behind open kitchens, preparing meals the moment someone ordered.
Arthur slowly looked from one end to the other. "This isn’t a menu. This is a battlefield."
Sun stared blankly. "How many dishes are there?"
A nearby chef smiled proudly. "Today’s selection is one hundred and twelve."
Silence.
Arthur blinked. "One hundred and twelve?"
The chef nodded. "We rotate them every week."
Arthur looked horrified. "How am I supposed to choose?"
Mithra giggled. "You don’t." She grabbed a plate. "You can come back tomorrow."
Arthur looked relieved. "Oh. That’s much more reasonable."
Sun slowly looked toward him. "That was your solution?"
Arthur nodded. "I was worried I’d have to eat everything today."
Complete silence.
Sun rubbed his forehead. "Arthur."
Arthur looked over. "What?"
"You were actually considering it?"
Arthur looked genuinely confused. "Well, I don’t like leaving food behind."
Leon leaned against the counter laughing. "I believe him."
Athena quietly adjusted her glasses. "From a nutritional standpoint, that would have been catastrophic."
Arthur thought for a moment. "Probably."
One of the chefs couldn’t help laughing. "I like this kid."
Another chef nodded. "He actually looks excited to eat."
Leon casually picked up a tray. "You’ll eventually have favorites."
Arthur looked around. "You memorized all of this?"
Leon nodded. "Of course, I have been rushing here when I constantly used the arena. The desserts, grilled steaks, spicy seafood and soup on Thursdays."
Arthur blinked. "You’ve studied the cafeteria."
Leon shrugged. "You spend enough time here."
Sun stared. "I suddenly understand why rich people look happy."
Athena quietly nodded. "The meal rotation is surprisingly efficient."
Arthur looked at her. "You noticed the rotation?"
"I noticed the ingredient cycle."
Arthur slowly looked between Athena and Leon. "You two are weird."
Sun immediately pointed. "You’re calling other people weird?"
Arthur immediately pointed toward a roasted Silver Rank Beast. "Can I start there?"
The chef grinned. "You’ve got good taste."
The waiter smiled politely. "What would everyone like?"
Arthur looked at the endless display one last time. He took a deep breath. "One of everything?"
Silence.
Sun immediately grabbed Arthur by the shoulder. "NO."
The chefs overheard. One quietly laughed. Another said, "I like him." A third chef smiled. "Make sure he gets seconds."
Once the ordering chaos finally settled and everyone had a plate in front of them, the table quieted down into something calmer, the kind of easy silence that comes right before the first bite.
Everyone reacted differently once the food arrived. Arthur took one bite, his eyes immediately sparkling. "This is amazing."
Behind the counter, one of the chefs smiled. "He likes it."
Arthur tried another dish. "This one’s amazing too."
Another chef quietly laughed. "I told you."
Then dessert arrived.
Arthur blinked. "I didn’t order this."
The chef smiled proudly. "You complimented my cooking."
Arthur immediately bowed. "Thank you."
The chef’s smile somehow became even bigger. He laughed. "I’ve worked here for twelve years. Most students compliment the food." He pointed toward Arthur. "You’re the first one who’s looked like every bite changed his life."
Arthur smiled honestly. "It kind of does."
The chefs burst into laughter. "I definitely like this kid! Give him another slice."
Another chef walked over carrying another plate. "And this one is mine."
Sun slowly stared. "Arthur."
Arthur looked up. "What?"
"They’re feeding you without asking anymore."
Arthur smiled. "They’re really nice."
Sun hadn’t eaten yet. He was calculating. "That steak," he said, "is four months of my allowance."
Arthur kept eating.
Sun sighed. "At least someone is enjoying my financial suffering," he said.
Mithra already knew the menu, constantly sliding desserts toward Arthur. "No. This one," she said.
Arthur tried it. Eyes sparkled. "You’re right."
Mithra smiled proudly. "I know." Arthur nodded. "You’ve got good taste." She folded her arms proudly. "I know."
Arthur took another bite. "Maybe from now on I’ll just order whatever you order."
Mithra’s smile immediately became brighter. "See? I’ve trained him."
Sun sighed. "That’s a dangerous sentence."
Leon ordered seconds. Then thirds. He looked at Arthur. "We’re going to bankrupt Principal Steven," he said.
Arthur looked genuinely worried. "Should I stop?"
Leon burst into laughter. "I’m joking."
Arthur visibly relaxed. "Good."
And then he looked down at his plate before quietly pushed another dessert toward Athena. "You’ve been writing all day."
Athena blinked. "...For me?"
Arthur nodded.
"You worked hard."
Athena smiled. "Thank you."
Sun stared. "Why can’t he be like that always?"
Leon laughed. "But that would be boring."
Professor Rowan arrived.
Immediately said, "Athena." She already had notebooks ready. Twenty-three. She stacked them, one, two, three, all the way to twenty-three.
Rowan stared. "How many?"
"Twenty-three."
Silence.
Rowan slowly sat down. "I’ve accidentally created a monster," he said.
Athena looked genuinely confused. "I thought you’d be happy."
"I am." Rowan looked toward the mountain of notebooks. "I’m also going to lose an entire month reading these."
Athena smiled apologetically. "I organized everything."
Rowan blinked. "You indexed them?"
She nodded.
"By location."
"And by historical significance."
Silence.
Rowan slowly smiled. "Definitely my student."
He didn’t stay long after that, gathering the stack with the resigned look of a man who already knew how his next month would go, and the table returned to its earlier warmth once he’d gone.
Professor Ivan walked over, looked at Dusk, and said, "Is this a new weapon you got on the expedition?"
"Yep!"
"Good, all of you give me your weapons, I will start working on them."
Everyone’s eyes lit up before they quickly placed their golden weapons on the table, and with a wave from Ivan, they vanished into his Mana Realm.
Then Arthur asked, "When will they be ready?"
"Tomorrow," Ivan said.
Arthur grinned. "Tomorrow."
Ivan nodded once, then left.
Leon watched Ivan disappear. "He’s definitely not sleeping tonight."
Arthur smiled. "I wouldn’t either."
Leon laughed. "I’ve wanted upgraded swords since I enrolled."
Sun nodded. "Same."
Arthur blinked. "I just hope Dusk gets sharper."
Leon looked at him. "Only Arthur would ask for ’sharper.’"
Arthur tilted his head. "That’s what spears do."
Sun sighed. "I can’t even argue with that."
Dinner was almost over. The sun was setting. The conversation slowed, and for a while nobody rushed to fill the quiet, all of them simply content to sit there a little longer before the day finally ended.
Sun leaned back. "Best meal of my life," he said.
Leon nodded. "Worth getting yelled at."
Mithra laughed. "I don’t think that’s the lesson," she said.
Arthur smiled. "I’d do it again."
Silence. Nobody laughed.
Leon quietly smiled. "Me too," he said.
Sun sighed. "Yeah," he said.
Athena closed her notebook. "It was an incredible expedition," she said.
The atmosphere became warm.
Ding.
Arthur smiled at the Kingdom Report.
[Builder morale: Excellent. School attendance: 100%.]
[Outer Wall completed. Training grounds completed.]
[Children’s school expanded. Goblin children attempted to convince Goblin Statues to teach them how to use weapons. Result: The Goblin Statues simply wrote down on the ground, catch us and then we will teach you all.]
Arthur laughed.
Sun looked over. "What?"
Arthur smiled. "Nothing."
Vedas quietly appeared beside him. "They’re happy," he said.
Arthur nodded. "Good."
One final line. [Kingdom Status: Stable.]
Arthur quietly closed the screen. He didn’t need to check again for a while. Utopia could stand on its own now.
Everyone walked back through the Academy at sunset. Students still waved now and then, and this time Arthur waved first. A few nervous first-years waved back.
Arthur smiled. "They’re nice," he said.
Sun laughed. "I think they’re terrified."
Arthur tilted his head. "Really?"
Leon laughed. "You have a reputation now," he said.
Arthur blinked. "Since when?"
Sun laughed. "Since the day you crashed into Pathfinder."
Arthur thought about it. "That wasn’t entirely my fault."
Leon immediately smiled. "Only about ninety percent."
Mithra giggled. "I’d say ninety-five."
Arthur looked toward Athena. "Athena?"
She adjusted her glasses. "Technically speaking, it’s most likely because of your misfortune."
Arthur sighed. "I’m surrounded by traitors."
Everyone laughed.
They reached the dorms and paused. Nobody wanted to go inside yet. It had been a long day stacked on top of a much longer two months, and for a moment they all just stood there together, unwilling to be the one who broke it up first.
Mithra smiled. "It feels good to be back," she said.
Athena nodded. "Home."
Sun stretched. "I’m sleeping for two days," he said.
Leon laughed. "See you tomorrow."
Arthur looked toward the forge district and smiled. "Tomorrow," he said.
...
Late that night, Pathfinder Academy was quiet and most lights were out. Only one building remained bright.
Iron Hall.
Clang.
A hammer struck glowing metal.
Clang.
Golden sparks flew.
Ivan wiped sweat from his forehead.
Several weapons rested on the workbench.
Arthur’s spear. Mithra’s sword. Sun’s staff. Athena’s shield and spear.
Golden flames rise.
Ivan quietly whispers. "...Let’s see if you’re worthy..."
Arthur’s spear suddenly glows for the first time without anyone touching it.