High School of Demon Hunting

Chapter 799: Chapter 147: The Great Office of the Ancestor

”I’ve never understood why the clan values a talking cat so much that they even disturbed the Elderly Ancestor,” Dangdang Ears mumbled to his companion while chewing on what seemed like his umpteenth holly leaf.

The sticky tree sap slowly dripped down his chin, staining his whiskers a greasy green.

Because he had eaten so many leaves, he had stripped the holly tree of all the leaves on the side closest to him. The exposed gray-brown branches were bare, looking particularly unsightly. The bees in charge of hospitality had long given up on adding honeydew to the leaves for him and would only buzz by from time to time, glaring at him with malice.

Of course, such disdain and loathing were no pressure for a certain green-skinned individual; he even contemplated plucking a branch to gnaw on. However, after the bees brandished their stingers, the Green vest mouse wisely abandoned the idea.

”...I mean, buddy, this is ’The Magical World,’ right?” Dangdang Ears said as he stroked his whiskers and wiped away the greenish sap, turning to look at Ding Dong Ear and adding nonchalantly, ”The Magical World, a talking cat isn’t so strange, is it? We’re mice, and we can talk too!”

”Maybe that’s why the Elders are paying attention to it,” Ding Dong Ear replied deliberately while grooming his tail, teasing out each short hair, ”After all, with the first talking cat, there might be a second, and a third. Who knows if there will be a whole group of talking cats next year? They are our natural enemies, so we must always be vigilant!”

”There are no eternal enemies, only eternal interests.” Dangdang Ears naturally couldn’t ignore his companion’s final remark as it touched on his dealings with the Black Cat, promptly countering, ”Perhaps ordinary cats and mice are natural enemies, but we have transcended the realm of ordinary life and represent two civilizations! Civilization, you see, means we no longer use the crude and simple Jungle Rules to deal with relations between two species, nor do we act on instinct and violate the basic morals of society.”

”The clash between different civilizations has never escaped the bloody Jungle Rules,” Ding Dong Ear retorted, shaking his ears dismissively. ”As for your deal, it hasn’t escaped that either... Fifty percent profit tempts capital to take risks; a hundred percent profit tempts capital to trample the law; at three hundred percent—ha, what risks are there for a mouse to act as a bridesmaid to a cat?”

”Wow, wow, wow... Quite the riveting speech. But unfortunately, I must interrupt this profound dissection of capital,” an unexpected voice cut in, interrupting the conversation between the two Green vest mice, as a tall Red Vest Mouse dressed in a red vest approached the two who were waiting to be called in.

Red vests hold a status in mouse society just below the Elders, a ’high-ranking identity.’ The majority of them have surpassed the lifespan constraints of ordinary mice and possess exceptional skills in a particular area—perhaps in digging, camouflage, gathering information, or field combat—in short, they are the elite of the Mouse Clan.

Accordingly, most Red vests are granted the honor of attending to the Elderly Ancestor. Each month, they set aside a certain amount of time, following a duty roster pre-arranged by the Council of Elders, to serve as assistants by the Elderly Ancestor’s side. Like this Red Vest Mouse standing in front of Ding Dong Ear.

”Next, it’s your turn, follow the usual rules, speak up, and don’t make the Elderly Ancestor ask again,” the Red Vest Mouse instructed, holding the notepad and wielding the Feather Pen, scribbling rapidly while briskly reminding them of what to do.

As he was leaving, the Red Vest Mouse seemed to remember something, he turned back and glanced at Dangdang Ears, ”Oh, right... The Beehive at the Servant section received a complaint, and you’ve been blacklisted. If you ever have the chance to meet the Elderly Ancestor again, don’t expect any bees to bring you honeydew while you wait.”

With that, he took a look at the Holly tree that had several bare branches, adding, ”And thanks to you, the Holly tree in the reception room is about to be removed. Next time, you won’t have a chance to eat its leaves, either.”

The whiskers on Dangdang Ears quivered, but he ultimately shut his mouth in despair, without a word.

Passing through a small archway and walking along a short corridor, the corridor was bare on both sides, devoid of any decoration, only a few burning torches were hung. The mice held their breath and stared intently, slowly moving forward along the centerline, worried both about walking too quickly and extinguishing the torches with a draft, and about the burning Sprites singeing their whiskers and tails.

Soon, the trio of mice arrived in a room that was exceptionally tall and spacious for mice—it seemed more fitting to describe it as a ’grand hall’ for them.

However, this ’grand hall’ lacked the ornate and mysterious decorations of the First University’s Number One Hall, and it wasn’t as grand and magnificent as the temples and churches of Atlas Academy. The furnishings in this ’grand hall’ didn’t seem much different from those in an Ordinary Wizard’s study.

There were marble skirtings, cork-wrapped wall protectors, and the edges of the ceiling were carved with exquisite stone patterns; a giant lotus lamp hung from the center of the ceiling, with a dozen bright flames dancing and burning amongst the lotus leaves, illuminating the entire room brightly.

On the left and right, there were huge bookshelves filled densely with Wizards’ books; in the center of the room, there was a long experimental table, covered with all sorts of experimental instruments. At this moment, dozens of Mice wearing Red vests were scurrying back and forth on the table surface, busily and silently engaged in some activity—whether it was the bookshelves, books, or experimental instruments, they all suited the size of Wizards, not Mice.

Besides, there were some blue Sprites, flapping their wings, resembling streaks of flowing light gliding across the air, each carrying baskets of flowers, fruit platters, or cloths. At the end of the room, there was a giant window, outside of which was pitch-black, with not a glimpse of light, making it impossible to tell whether there was a huge stone wall or simply a dark World out there.

In front of the giant window stood a wide and tall black Taishi Chair.

The Elder of the Mouse Clan was seated upon the chair.

To the left and right of the Taishi Chair, Mice wearing Red Vests stood in ranks, like well-trained soldiers or Servants; completely motionless and looking straight ahead, they seemed to have taken no notice of the three Mice who had just entered from the archway, walking on the black carpet.