High School of Demon Hunting

Chapter 273: Chapter 197 The Beginning is the End_1

The seventh interviewer was a slightly fatigued senior, with grey-brown hair and brown eyes, large eyebags hung underneath his eyes, sitting behind a desk, brow creased as he sorted through documents on his desk.

”Joe,” the interviewer stood up, caught Zheng Qing’s hand, shook it casually, and said in a deep and hoarse voice: ”Joe Nesbitt, your interviewer, pleased to meet you.”

Zheng Qing touched his nose.

He did not detect any hint of pleasure from this senior Nesbitt’s tone.

”Zheng Qing,” Zheng Qing responded nervously: ”Zheng as in serious, Qing as in refreshing... I am very honored to be here for the interview today.”

Joe nodded his head, sat back in his chair, and signaled Zheng Qing to sit down too.

”Tell me about yourself.”

The senior’s words were simple, but they put great pressure on Zheng Qing.

After half a month into the school year, Zheng Qing felt like he was introducing himself every day. Magic, talismans, divination, potions, etcetera, for all courses, in the first class, the professors would always take up half the class to let everyone introduce themselves.

Introducing yourself in a variety of ways over a dozen times was always an intriguing experience. From the initial nervousness and awkwardness to later familiarity and nonchalance, and ultimately, even a hint of boredom.

Zheng Qing was slightly dazed, revealing a faint smile involuntarily.

”My name is Zheng Qing. I am from Jinzhou. I came to First University, hoping to learn more about magic.”

In the beginning, Zheng Qing always thought that self-introduction is simple, so he subconsciously overlooked it. But when he began to introduce himself, he regretfully realized that his on-the-spot response wasn’t as swift as he had imagined.

Of course, after introducing himself dozens of times, he’s finally gotten used to it.

Seemingly interested in the first sentence of the introduction, the senior’s brown eyes moved upward, giving Zheng Qing a glance.

Zheng Qing met his gaze and could not help but panic, quickly lowering his eyes, looking at the table in front of him.

The table was just an ordinary wooden table, covered with a glossy red lacquer, the senior across the table had his chin resting on his hands, looking at Zheng Qing. In front of him was a notebook, a gray quill pen was vigorously scribbling as their conversation continued.

Zheng Qing lowered his head and saw the quill pen scribble out the words ’Lack of Confidence’, quickly he raised his eyes, staring at the senior’s chin, bracing himself to clear his mind and resume his self-introduction:

”I am good at talisman, like making new friends. I have a pet fox and adopted a group of elves.”

”Talismans... elves... these stories have all spread around in First University.” Nesbitt nodded meaningfully, throwing the feather pen into the ink bottle, dipped it in, took it out again: ”Talk about some character traits of yours.”

A drop of heavy ink clustered at the tip of the feather pen, as if it would fall freely onto the white paper under the influence of gravity at any moment.

Zheng Qing nervously glanced at the pen tip.

The feather pen made a loud sound like a snort.

The drop of ink that was about to fall was sucked back into the belly of the pen with this strange sound.

”In terms of personality... I have a slight obsessive-compulsive disorder.” Zheng Qing took a deep breath, quickly said: ”For example, going from the dormitory to the library, I prefer to take the same route, step on the same tiles, see the same scenery, count my steps. For instance, going to the cafeteria, I am used to ordering stir-fried cabbage in vinegar, tomato beef stew, steamed egg, with a vegetable soup and a bun.”

”I am used to familiar scenery, eating familiar food, chatting with familiar partners, living with a familiar rhythm... doing familiar, unchanging things.”

”Some friends say that this is obsession; some friends say that it is conservatism; some friends say this is a lack of ambition.”

The interviewer across the table smiled slightly, as if he found it interesting.

This gave Zheng Qing great courage:

”I’m not stupid, but not very smart either. Average-looking, neither fat nor thin. Since childhood, my academic performance has been average, it’s great if I could get an excellence award. Usually, I am somewhat indecisive and always feel that anything goes.”

”Do you know that these remarks will have a negative impact on your interview results?” Nesbitt interrupted Zheng Qing’s self-analysis, raising his eyebrow and revealing a curious look: ”Few people underline their negatives... or their mediocrity during an interview.”

”It’s inevitable, just like my life, originally it should just pass by in such a rhythm.” Zheng Qing spread his hands, took a deep breath:

”Originally following this trend, I wouldn’t have any great achievements in my life. For people like me, fate is always in the hands of the gods, like duckweed in the water, without direction... The ’randomness’ of every pursuit in life accounts for a significant portion, just like my major in college, astronomy, in the beginning, I thought it was a course that studied the star signs.”

”But since fate has given me the opportunity, accidentally hatched something magical... then why not let this magical experience continue? When you can become a god yourself, the destiny in the hands of the gods is just a joke.”

”A gentleman should keep improving. Although I don’t have such high ambition, I still have the desire to improve myself. So I always hope to see further and know a little more.”

”A very insightful self-analysis.” The senior put down his pen and clapped his hands lightly, ”So, what do you understand about our work?” He asked.

”The Foreign Affairs Department, as the name implies, deals with foreign affairs. I believe working in this department will greatly enhance my ability to interact with people, which is something I currently lack.”

A white-robed witch carrying a law book passed by the two.

She then stopped in her tracks.

Zheng Qing’s gaze swept across her face; her thin lips seemed familiar to him.

The interviewer on the other side of the desk seemed to know the witch well.

He nodded at the witch and continued to pose other interview questions, the presence of the extra person on the side did not disturb his rhythm at all.

Zheng Qing had to suppress his doubts and concentrate on the question at hand.

”So, what are your future plans?”

”I hope to successfully complete my studies at The First University and see a broader world and a more brilliant civilization.”

”An excellent ambition... Speaking of talismans, I heard that you are a student under the Kunlun Sect in talismanship?” The senior across the desk placed his quill back into the ink bottle and closed the notebook in front of him. After removing his glasses and changing his posture, he stroked his glasses while lifting his slightly swollen eyelids. He asked.

Zheng Qing watched as the dirt on the lenses of the glasses became clean as he wiped it, reflected internally, and slowly answered: ”It’s a bit complicated...because I never advertised my mentorship at school.”

”You didn’t admit it, but you didn’t deny it either.” The senior raised his eyebrows, put his glasses back on, and smiled: ”Alright, that’s all.”

Zheng Qing let out a sigh of relief.

”You seemed quite nervous just now.”

”I wasn’t originally, but after hearing so many people talking about it, I got nervous unconsciously.”

”Relax, it’s just a simple interview.”

”...I thought you would ask me if I had any odd habits or something.”

”Do you?”

”No, no, I was just saying.”

”Alright, the interview is over, don’t be nervous. The results of the interview will be officially released by the student council within a week and the recruitment information will also be published in the next issue of ’The First University Student Newspaper’, so stay tuned!”

”Do I need to draw talismans on the spot or do other tests?” Looking at other interviews around the field, Zheng Qing couldn’t help but ask.

He had prepared a lot of materials for this examination.

”Do you need it?” The senior adjusted his glasses and revealed a smile on his face, ”If a public expense student who can recite all the runes needs to be assessed by a ’lower-ranking student’ like me, it would be a disgrace to the First University.”

Zheng Qing gave an awkward smile, thanked him repeatedly, and left.

From beginning to end, the white-robed witch stood by the interview table with her arms crossed, watching Zheng Qing’s interview coldly, not saying a word.

Even when Zheng Qing nodded to her and smiled before leaving, it didn’t lighten up her sullen expression.

”What’s the matter, Minister Codex.” The interviewer turned his head and looked at the witch, ”Vice Chairman Korma seemed to be looking for you just now.”

”Vice Chairman Korma,” The white-robed witch emphasized, then turned her head and watched Zheng Qing’s retreating figure. She flipped through the application form on the table and revealed a strange expression on her face, ”He came for an interview at the Foreign Affairs Department? What’s his name.”

”You don’t know him...he’s arguably a celebrity among this year’s freshmen,” Joe Nesbitt stood up and stretched, ”He is a public expense student of the Jiuyou Academy this year, his name is Zheng Qing, and he’s applied to join the Foreign Affairs Department.”

”I knew it was him...” The witch named Codex frowned and folded the thin application form she held in her hand and threw it into the trash can next to her, ”I heard about this person, he had just started school and had already been disciplined by the school; and the other day he cut in line at Lord Augustus’ meeting at No.18, Gamma Street, really bad impression...We wouldn’t want someone like him, even if he is a public expense student.”

”But,” The wizard frowned with an unhappy look on his face: ”Minister Alvin said...”

”Ha!” The witch widened her eyes and laughed sharply: ”Minister Alvin? Even though he’s the Minister of the Department of Academic Affairs, what does it have to do with our Foreign Affairs Department? Which department is recruiting now!”

”Foreign Affairs Department.” The wizard sighed, cast a glance at the trash can, and did not oppose any further.

Like one victorious, the witch held her head high and proudly left the interview table.