High School of Demon Hunting

Chapter 1285: Chapter 32: The Hunting Team Manager’s Commission

Lin Guo was the manager of the Absolution Hunting Team.

This position involved managing the logistics, public relations, operations, and other aspects of the hunting team’s work—originally, the little warlock was wholeheartedly determined to become an official hunter, but hunting was too dangerous, and no one could bear the risk of him getting injured—the position of manager was largely a consolatory one.

Most of the time, members of the Absolution Hunting Team, more or less, ignored his role. They just treated the little warlock like a younger brother, merely satisfying his curious nature.

The person who truly had full control over the Absolution’s logistics and operations was Doctor Xiao.

So, when Lin Guo, as the hunting team manager, initiated today’s meeting, many people, including Zheng Qing, realized for the first time what the title of ’hunting team manager’ really entailed.

Any member of the team—including the entire Forgiveness Knight Order—had to attend the discussion on the specified time, at the specified place, with the specified topic when summoned by the manager, with no exceptions.

”I have a Fu Lu class this afternoon, and I still haven’t finished my three-thousand-word report on ’the Analysis of the Differences and Similarities between Smooth Qi Talisman and Calm Heart Talisman.’” Xin Fat Man complained incessantly, holding his notebook and sitting on his bed.

Fatty Cat Tuan Tuan lay on his pillow, yawning listlessly. The sprites Zheng Qing raised weren’t so relaxed; they needed to prepare tea and snacks for ten people, and occasionally supply the guests with ice cubes and towels soaked in cold water.

Today was simply too hot.

It was just entering May, and the sun already had the strength of July or August at seventy or eighty percent, the blazing fireball hanging in the sky, inciting fear in anyone who saw it.

Zheng Qing seriously doubted that the Weather Monitors—wizards of the school—were wasting precious resources of the school—of course, he had no evidence.

”If you wrote two fewer articles, you’d definitely be able to squeeze in time to finish that report,” Xiao Xiao said lazily, half-reclining on his bed and leaning against his pilowed duvet.

The best part about holding a meeting in a dormitory is that you didn’t need to sit upright behind a desk all the time; you could choose your favorite way to lie down, or even to sprawl out.

Take Dylan for example, who comfortably squatted in his coffin, holding a small mirror and a little brush in his hand, meticulously grooming his pointy little fangs.

”Or you could cut down on snooping for gossip.” Hearing Xin Fat Man’s complaints, the Blood Werewolf had his own opinion: ”Last night when I was in class, I still saw you sneaking off outside the school... You say you are a diurnal creature, but your lifestyle is almost the same as the Blood Race, so how much energy do you have left to do homework?”

”Last night?” Zheng Qing immediately showed interest: ”What did you go out for last night?”

Yesterday was Sunday, and Zheng Qing came back late. Because he was preoccupied, he didn’t notice that there was one less person in Xin Fat Man’s bed.

”North Beita Town,” Xin Fat Man’s answer made the scholarship student spray out his goat milk in a single gulp.

”North... North District?” Zheng Qing raised his voice and cried out, his tone somewhat distorted: ”What were you doing in the North District?”

”What else could I be doing? Interviewing the newly born Northern District Wizard... not many wizards know about this news yet. I have to seize the opportunity.” Xin Fat Man looked at Zheng Qing with some confusion and a hint of concern in his eyes.

However, how much of his concern was for the goat milk Zheng Qing had just sprayed was worth pondering.

”Bang.”

The dormitory door was pushed open once again, and the previously somewhat noisy room suddenly quieted down. Everyone turned their heads in unison to look at the new guest entering the room.

The convener of this meeting was Lin Guo.

He was dressed in the silver-white robes of the Alpha Academy, which were slightly yellowed with age, and the sleeves were somewhat wide, suggesting they might have been altered from secondhand clothing. On his back, as usual, he carried a small backpack, and in his arms, he hugged a pile of hefty reference books.

However, what was different from before was the brazen mouse on the backpack, which today seemed a bit listless. Seeing a room full of unfamiliar wizards, it didn’t even jump up to provoke them. This left Zheng Qing feeling somewhat puzzled at the bottom of his heart.

But what was even more unsettling was that Lin Guo’s eyes were red and swollen like walnuts, as if he had suffered some great injustice.

This caused the hunters, who had been grumbling about his tardiness, to suddenly change their tune.

”What happened? Who bullied you? Don’t they know you are the manager for Absolution?” Zhang Ji Xin was the most short-tempered and had the loudest voice, causing the small dorm room to buzz with the echo of his words.

Dylan, with his exceptionally keen hearing, frowned slightly, but unlike usual, he didn’t complain. Instead, he put away the mirror and small brush in his hands and began to search for his shortsword and leather armor.

Xiao Xiao sat up, pulled open a drawer from the neighboring desk, reached for a crystal ball, and began to fondle it for calculations.

Xin Fat Man’s face was somewhat pale.

Even Monk Shi Yuan, usually the most composed, widened his eyes as the speed of his bead-twiddling increased a notch.

”Who?” Blue Bird glided noiselessly behind Lin Guo and placed a hand firmly on his shoulder, delivering the single, succinct word that marked his only utterance since entering the dorm.

The treasured sword in his arms was humming, evidently more eager to share its master’s sorrows.

”Big Black...Big Black is gone,” Lin Guo sobbed, stumbling over his words as he recounted what had happened. It turned out that his pet Black Mountain Goat had disappeared in recent days.

Zheng Qing heaved a heavy sigh of relief.

Although seeing Lin Guo with reddened eyes made him angry, his annoyance had given way to concern. The continuing uproar over Sepulano’s hospitalization and the bloodletting of Nicholas hadn’t yet subsided, and if new trouble brewed because of this incident with Absolution at such a critical juncture, it would be disastrous.

Especially since Lin Guo was a student at Alpha, it was very likely one of Alpha’s own who had upset him. With the current tensions between Alpha and Jiuyou, any small spark could ignite a massive disaster.

Especially considering that Zheng Qing was shouldering a school probation, and he was in a very unstable state—the heavens knew if an argument could make him explode on the spot.

This was definitely not a joke.

Therefore, after hearing Lin Guo describe the situation, Zheng Qing might have been the most relieved person in the room.

”I’ve looked everywhere, burp, in every place. The Pet Garden, Hundred Herb Gardens, the Room of Requirement in the castle, and several elder sisters’ places—I’ve searched them all. I’ve also asked those old neighbors in the town.”

Lin Guo, wiping his tears, appeared both worried and sad: ”Nowhere to be found.”

”Have you looked in the North District?” Zheng Qing took a sip of cool goat’s milk to calm his alarm and asked—he had to appear more composed and reliable than the others at times like this as the leader of both the Forgiveness Knight Order and the Absolution Hunting Team.

However, what he didn’t notice was Doctor Xiao, who was manipulating the crystal ball by the desk. In the moment Zheng Qing drank the goat’s milk, Doctor Xiao lifted his head and looked at him with a surprised expression.

His gaze carried a mix of fear and bewilderment.