High School of Demon Hunting

Chapter 1176: Chapter 238 Each Individual’s Task

After the regular meeting, it was already late evening.

Members of the Jiuyou Academy’s Astronomy Class 08-1 small sub-team from the Absolution Hunting Team, as usual, congregated in a corner of the classroom to hold their own regular meeting. Zheng Qing, as the Hunting Team Leader, had always chaired this informal gathering:

”I have other arrangements next Saturday and will need to take another leave of absence, so I will find time this week to complete my patrol duty for Saturday night in advance... and I also need to submit another leave request to Professor Montreya.”

Thinking of Professor Montreya’s stern gaze, Zheng Qing felt a sinking sensation in the pit of his stomach. Three consecutive weeks of leaves, even for a temporary assistant, seemed a bit too much. He felt he could be kicked out of the lab by Professor Montreya at any moment. But the Silence Contract he had signed did not allow for regret.

With that thought, he took a deep breath, mustered some spirit, and continued with the plans: ”...Therefore, this week’s training task for the hunting team will still be arranged and overseen by the Elders, any objections?”

With that, he gave Season Letter a probing look.

Red-faced Male Warlock, with arms crossed and a slight downward turn of his mouth, nodded solemnly, a look of reliability on his face.

”You still can’t tell us what you’ve been up to on recent Saturdays, right?” Xiao Xiao adjusted his glasses and turned to Zheng Qing, asking in a delicate voice.

Zheng Qing hesitated for a few seconds and slowly shook his head: ”Silence Contract.”

His companions showed expressions of not being surprised.

Xiao Xiao, holding a feather pen, paused midair and added, ”Even if you can’t tell others, you should leave a letter explaining your whereabouts... that way, in case anything happens, we at least know where to look for you.”

This sounded as if the next second, Zheng Qing could be stuffed in a hole by kidnappers with his head covered.

The young sponsored student chuckled dryly and nodded without committing to a clear response, instead continuing with the agenda: ”Let’s leave this matter here... onto the next item, D&K’s business report for last week.”

Saying this, he pulled out a list—this was an account statement sent by Hank of the Fox Race, D&K’s accountant, through Flying Crane—not long ago—and clearing his throat, he read: ”Last week’s revenue was two jade, three beans, three triangles, and four Bronze coins; after deducting costs, the net profit was one jade coin, seven Gold beans, five Silver Horns, and thirteen Bronze coins, the detailed list of items...”

Scanning over the dense figures and sales information behind the summary, he immediately felt a headache coming on, waved his hand dismissively, and succinctly said: ”Those interested in the details can apply to view the accounts from the Doctor; the disinterested can wait for the end-of-semester dividend when the mid-year financial report comes out. As for the current profits, they will continue to be allotted by our previous system into the hunting team reserve fund, to cover the various expenses for the next Hunting Competition.”

Everyone readily concurred, nodding their heads.

It was Season Letter who pinched his chin and asked: ”I heard that this year’s Spring Hunting is postponed? Do you know when it will be held? The Standard Talisman I bought before are about to expire.”

Zheng Qing shrugged his shoulders: ”How would I know such a thing; I’m neither part of the School Works Committee nor the student administration.”

”But you are a sponsored student!” Season Letter blinked: ”Sponsored students always have channels to get that kind of sensitive information, right?”

”I don’t know,” Zheng Qing pulled the corner of his mouth and flatly refused: ”For this kind of thing, it’s probably faster to ask Xin Fat Man for help. As for those Talisman that are about to expire, sell them off in the store first, and when you need them, take them from the inventory again. That way, you can minimize some of the expiration loss.”

”Understood.” Xin Fat Man was comparing the History of Magic homework of Zheng Qing and Xiao Xiao, intending to integrate their arguments to refine his own points.

Although he did not get a definite answer, Red-faced Male Warlock was satisfied, nodding his approval.

”Any other business?” Zheng Qing scanned his surroundings, wanting to end this cumbersome segment as soon as possible.

Xiao Xiao cleared his throat and raised his hand.

”Sacred Will has extended an olive branch to us again, hoping we’ll participate in the ’Lin Zhong Lake Safety’ meeting on Wednesday night to discuss the Fishman Tribe threat,” he deliberated, querying, ”Do you want to go and listen to what they have to say?”

”No,” Zheng Qing waved his hand decisively, dismissing the idea: ”That’s not an olive branch; it’s a slide leading to the Abyss. We have already decided the club’s policy on this issue; we absolutely do not take sides between those two clubs... For such matters, merely standing in one of their club’s meeting rooms already indicates our stance.”

Here, he hesitated a moment, then couldn’t help but ask, ”We’ve declined them four or five times already; why do they still invite us?”

”Because after all, you are Jiuyou’s sponsored student, and with so many titles, you have some influence in the academy,” Xiao Xiao analyzed simply: ”Plus, you seriously injured Sepulano the other day... This is a great incentive for many factions within Sacred Will. Anyway, inviting a couple more times won’t cost them a thing, and if the invitation succeeds, wouldn’t they make a huge gain?”

It sounded odd yet made one feel an unusual sense of pride.

”But as members of Jiuyou Academy, we’re bound to have a showdown with Alpha at some point,” Season Letter, seemingly out of nowhere, pulled out his gauntlets, leisurely tugging the leather over them, slotting his fingers in one by one.

”Going into battle for the academy and going into battle for Sacred Will are two different concepts,” Zheng Qing pressed down those strange thoughts rising within him, and held up a finger, wagging it: ”We must clearly discern the subtle difference.”

”Very wise,” Xin Fat Man, who had been buried in his homework, mumbled without lifting his head.

Red-faced Male Warlock, with all ten fingers now in the gauntlets, flexed his hands, nonchalantly said, ”You’re the team leader, what you decide goes.”

”Last item,” Xiao Xiao put away his notebook, his head tilting slightly toward another corner of the classroom: ”What about his matter? The pressure from both inside and outside the academy seems very high... On this matter, we definitely need to take a stand.”

The direction Doctor’s head inclined was where Nicolas’s seat was located.

Without turning, Zheng Qing’s peripheral vision could see Liu Fei Fei sitting in that corner with Nicolas, whispering together. Both of them looked deeply troubled.

He couldn’t help but sigh lightly: ”I don’t know. But I always feel, if Liu Fei Fei continues to protect Nicolas like this, those guys outside will definitely start slinging mud at her. When that happens, no one can escape.”

His description was vague, yet its central meaning was clear.

As a sponsored student and the top freshman of Jiuyou Academy, if Liu Fei Fei became the new target of attack by Alpha or the Beta Town Post, the impact of the Nicolas incident would undoubtedly expand further.

Then, everyone would be dragged into it.