High School of Demon Hunting

Chapter 102: Chapter 26 Administration Office_1

The parrot flapped its wings, leading a group of newcomers deeper down the corridor.

It chattered nonstop as it flew.

”Everyone knows that this whole building is the school administration committee’s offices,” it said.

”However, there are many different offices within the building, handling different functions. If you don’t ask the front desk for specific guidance, we won’t be able to lead you to the right place.”

”So, you guys are the front desk?” Zhang Ji Xin couldn’t help but ask.

”What, you’re looking down on birds?!” The parrot landed on Zheng Qing’s shoulder, slightly tilting its head to give Zhang Ji Xin a sideways glance.

”That’s not what he meant, but rather that the front desk should have a few students to assist you,” Zheng Qing hurriedly smoothed things over.

”Hmm, you can talk!” The parrot flapped its wings, patting Zheng Qing’s head while praising him manner of a seasoned veteran, ”The front desk indeed has a girl to help us, she just happens to be out today.”

The group then got it.

The corridor was very quiet, with not a single person in sight.

The newcomers passed a series of closed wooden doors guided by the parrot, with names engraved on a brass plaque hanging above each door.

Offices such as the Health Inspection Office, Comprehensive Archives Office, Campus Newspaper Office, Club Union Office, Student Affairs Office, and so on.

A series of office names passed in front of Zheng Qing, making him all the more dazzled.

”How many offices are there in this building?” Overwhelmed by the bewildering array of door nameplates, Zheng Qing couldn’t help but turn to ask the parrot sitting on his shoulder.

Perhaps finding it much less effort to perch on Zheng Qing’s shoulder than flapping its wings back and forth, the parrot had settled comfortably after landing and showed no indication to move.

”Too many to count, even with both wings!” The parrot raised one wing, and stated with a sigh, ”The first floor is the office area of the Internal Affairs Committee of the Administration Committee; the second floor is for the External Affairs Committee; and the third floor is the office area of the Security Affairs Committee. Each committee is in charge of over a dozen functional offices.”

”Even the headless knights patrolling in the corridor don’t know how many offices there are on each floor - of course, they no longer have heads to think with, so they can’t say it even if they wanted to, caw caw caw caw.”

Thinking it had cracked a very funny joke, the parrot fluttered its wings and let out a couple of caws of laughter.

A short gasp of surprise suddenly came from Lin Guo in the middle of the group.

A gust of cold wind swept past them.

Zheng Qing forced a laugh while looking terrified all around, fearing that the headless knights the parrot spoken about might suddenly appear in front of him.

The parrot, apparently oblivious to the slightly tense atmosphere within the group, continued its cheerful explanation:

”These offices constantly change, there’s no fixed number.”

”For example, just a few days ago, they merged the ’Aquatic Reserve Office of Linzong Lake’ on the first floor with the ’Campus Security Office’ on the third floor - with an increasing number of fishmen over the years, incidents of them crossing borders and harming people are quite common, and the Internal Affairs Committee believed it was the Security Committee’s responsibility.”

”Also, every time after the Under the Moon Council election, the External Affairs Committee on the second floor would add or subtract offices according to the changes in council seats.”

”So, there’s no exact number.”

”We’re here! You need to report here.” The parrot flapped its wings, flying off Zheng Qing’s shoulder and arriving at a wooden door, pecking lightly at the brass nameplate above the door.

The plate appeared battered and worn, with seven black seal characters engraved on it: ’First Administrative Office’.

”Clang! Clang! Clang!”

The parrot pecked at the plaque with its sharp beak.

”We heard you! We heard you!” A muffled voice came from behind the door, full of exasperation, ”You made your point! This is the last plaque we have for the month, the logistics won’t provide us a new one if you break it.”

The dark red wooden door suddenly opened, startling the newcomers standing at the doorstep.

”Follow!” The parrot flapped its wings and flew in first.

The group of newcomers carefully followed suit.

The room was well-lit, a stark contrast to the oppressive darkness in the corridor.

There was no one behind the door, only rows of silver-grey metal filing cabinets came into view. The cabinets were very tall, leaving almost no gap between them and the ceiling.

These cabinets were neatly lined up in rows, each row containing hundreds of them.

On the cabinet facing the door, bright yellow identification labels were displayed, arranged from left to right, numbered from one to nine.

The parrot’s figure had disappeared into the depths of the office, and Zheng Qing could only hear the echoes of its flapping wings.

Those who had entered the office hesitated, stopping in their tracks.

The office door closed heavily behind them.

The newcomers jumped in fright once again.

”Go down the aisle between the first and second filing cabinets,” a voice came from the depths of the office, ”Just keep moving forward.”

Compared to the voice from behind the door, this one was much clearer:

”Be careful when passing by the display cabinets, do not wake up those annoying little fairies.”

Zheng Qing soon understood what that meant.

On the filing cabinets at the end of the aisle, there were some display cabinets. Inside these transparent glass cabinets, many bizarre items were placed.

Some exhibits had discernible forms, such as clown masks made of snake tails, patchy oil paintings, dirty brass pots, rusty daggers, brass rings inlaid with emeralds, greasy long whips, and so on.

Some exhibits were puzzling, such as a completely black irregular stone, a stick riddled with holes from insects, several colorful strips of cloth twisted around each other, and so on.

There were even strange animal skeletons and creepy specimens immersed in an unknown liquid.

These exhibits were sorted and arranged neatly, causing Zheng Qing to shudder at the sight.

”Why are these things in the office?” he quietly asked Xiao Xiao.

”These are probably magic items illegally brought into the campus by students, and they were put here after being confiscated,” Xiao Xiao pointed at a label stuck on the glass of a cabinet.

Zheng Qing moved closer to the label, reading it carefully:

Name: Human Skin Tangka (Number Y-2006-007)

Quantity (Specification): one (75cm*50cm)

Holder: Tashi Doji (Atlas Class of ’06)

Entry Date: September 1, 2006

Reason for Entry: Prohibited Black Magic Tool Name Directory (3-1-201) by School Regulations

Danger Level: Three (Do not touch)

...

The handwriting on the label next to it was a bit blurry. Zheng Qing could only make out the first few characters of the name ’Barbie Doll’.

In the corresponding cabinet, a little girl with bright blue eyes was looking at Zheng Qing with a pitiful expression. She was wearing a crimson princess dress, with a pair of white and small feet peeking out from under the dress.

How could this be dangerous?

Zheng Qing couldn’t help but rub the label with his fingertip, trying to see it more clearly.

”Catch up quickly,” A quiet warning came from Xiao Xiao not too far ahead, ”Remember the prompt after entering.”

Zheng Qing reluctantly glanced again at the girl in the display cabinet and hurried to catch up with his companions.

”I was just curious,” he explained quietly.