High School of Demon Hunting

Chapter 1307: Chapter 54 Two Exercises

The last time I visited the North District, the Northern District Wizards had just emerged like a fresh spring suddenly appearing in a pool of stagnant water. While it brought a slightly new atmosphere, most of the water in the pool was still stagnant and foul-smelling, and the passersby hurried through, wary of getting even a speck of dirt on themselves.

A week later, upon reentering the North District, Zheng Qing found many impressive changes here.

The most obvious was color.

Previously, the North District was a grey world—grey linen robes, gloomy faces, dusty streets, and the grey-black mud walls on both sides of the streets.

Now, the North District was rich in colors.

Pedestrians on the streets—whether Northern District Wizards or Tricksters—dared to wear more brightly colored attire to adorn themselves. Even those dirty street corners piled with rubbish had been cleaned up. The cracked glass on the windows along the streets had disappeared, replaced by clean, transparent panes. Even the gargoyles crouching in the alleyways had been cleaned and had red ribbons tied around their necks.

This change slightly exceeded the plans of the two young Wizards, bringing them a little trouble.

Because the feeling of being ’watched’ last time in the North District was so unpleasant, Zheng Qing had planned to wear a grey-robed attire similar to the locals for their next visit.

They indeed did so.

Zheng Qing wore a grey linen robe today, and Jiang Yu, although wearing a plain robe, had also donned a grey cloak, complemented by a wide hat. In theory, they should have been more inconspicuous compared to their last visit.

However, the changes in the streets of the North District made the two young people clad in grey stand out once again.

Walking on the road, more than one person from the North District looked at them reproachfully, as if their grey attire was tarnishing the entire neighborhood. Several seasoned North District merchants even grabbed the sleeves of the young cost students to pitch the newly popular silver satin brocade—

”This robe color matches perfectly with the hair color of the Northern District Wizards! There’s none better!”

”You young folks will eventually get the curse mark.”

”Don’t be disheartened, young people, the Great Sage is very merciful.”

”You first need to adjust your mindset... if you still wear grey robes, how could the Great Sage know you want to become a true wizard?”

It seemed that merely by looking at their hair color, these merchants had already concocted a lengthy, melancholic narrative. The young cost students had to awkwardly hasten their pace, hurrying away amidst Jiang Yu’s snickers and the disappointed looks of clothing store owners.

However, Jiang Yu’s snickering didn’t last long.

As they ventured deeper into the North District, the smile on her face also vanished.

Because the resurgence in that stagnant pool, brought forth by the fresh spring, carried not only streams of clean water but also long-settled sediments from the bottom.

When there was no fresh water, those sediments quietly lay at the bottom, pretending they didn’t exist.

With fresh water, they suddenly gained a new lease on life and the energy to become active again, rising from the bottom with the surge of the current, casting an abhorrent shade over the originally clear pool.

For instance, the Warlocks here were already bold enough to whistle at Jiang Yu.

A month ago, if a boy from the North District dared to act recklessly like this, there was no need for any Wizard to say a word. A large group of their own people from the North District would rush up upon a glance, dragging the imprudent boy away and beating him up.

But now, hearing the frivolous whistling, Jiang Yu could only slightly frown and pull his hood lower. Even Zheng Qing could only glare in anger and was not able to react excessively—after all, back then, they did not need to react at all, for the people of the North District would respond themselves. Being students of the First University, they needn’t get their hands dirty with such foul matters.

Of course, part of the reason those young people from the North District dared to whistle at them was probably the grey robes they were wearing. Had the two been wearing the Jiuyou Academy’s robes in the streets of the North District, the current dissent of the North District people, although private, would certainly not be expressed openly.

Both young men were not the type to squabble over trifles.

A small discomfort in the street would not provoke them to thunderous anger, nor would it affect their planned visit to Gini Cottage on official duties—at least until confirming Nicholas’s return to school, they must consult with the true owner of Gini Cottage.

”I thought it would be as crowded as last week,” Zheng Qing said heavily, relieved as he stood in front of Sakura Pub and looked at the empty courtyard.

The last time he sought Sister Korma, right from the entrance of Gu Diao Street, devoted Tricksters were prostrating and kneeling like layers upon layers of tides, a frenzy and crowd Zheng Qing hoped to never experience again in his lifetime.

”The Great Sage says, ’Respect and piety are not to cry at my feet,’ she doesn’t like the messy exterior,” said a tall and pretty Northern District Witch, with a streak of silver hair falling past her ear, who greeted the two young Wizards.

Zheng Qing remembered her name was Katherine, a veteran figure of Gini Cottage.

”Is Sister Korma here?” The warlock asked hastily without pleasantries, eager to step inside.

Katherine smiled, neither making way nor responding.

Jiang Yu, standing behind Zheng Qing, tugged his robe. The young man turned back in confusion and saw the witch giving him a look.

Zheng Qing blinked, puzzled, and stood behind the woman.

Jiang Yu took off his cloak, handed it over to the young man, straightened his clothes, then straightened up and, with an ancient gesture towards the direction of Gini Cottage, said softly:

”The Great Sage’s reputation is outstanding even in Jiuyou Academy. Our past interactions have been profoundly beneficial. This abrupt visit relates to an academic dilemma of a Jiuyou Academy student, and we hope to gain some insights from the Great Sage.”

Zheng Qing struggled to maintain a straight face, trying to control himself from laughing out loud—because he felt such stilted, by-the-book speech was somewhat comical.

But as Katherine similarly returned the gesture formally and then said she would ’convey’ the visitation information to the Great Sage, Zheng Qing suddenly found it not so funny anymore.

He thought of last Friday night, coming to Gini Cottage with his mentor, seeing the figure that gradually ’enlarged’; he thought of certain meanings contained within ’Order.’

When the scattered North District Tricksters picked up the dignity cast in the dust, the first thing they had to do was create the scepter of Order, driving chaos and disorder out of this shadow-laden world.

Perhaps in Zheng Qing’s eyes, Jiang Yu’s words seemed somewhat humorous. Yet to many others, the witch’s actions were elegant and mature.

Adults should bear these layers of heavy shackles and live within a world of rules.

Zheng Qing faintly felt a seed within the depths of his soul twitch slightly.

This was Order, but not the Order Zheng Qing desired. Compared to an adult world filled with red tape, pleasantries, and insincerity, Zheng Qing wished he could remain naive forever, naive until death.