High School of Demon Hunting

Chapter 1577: Chapter 321 Upper House Members

At the moment that eerie sound rang out.

The round-faced witch’s fingers swiftly brushed over the spine of the law book, releasing a faint gray halo that expanded outward, forming a thin membrane of light adhering to the door, window frames, and ventilation holes, effectively halting the sound from spreading beyond the room.

The elder wizard with graying hair raised his hand, signaling the assistants behind him to leave.

The young wizards, clutching their notebooks, obediently disappeared into the glow gradually brightening outside the door. Once again, the meeting room door slammed shut.

The faint gray membrane grew tighter and more refined.

”Ahem,” the gaunt wizard covered his mouth with a handkerchief and coughed lightly twice: ”It’s ready now.”

Only then did the translucent glass casing beneath the pendulum clock creak open, revealing a puppet—donning a black silk top hat, dressed in a neatly pressed tailcoat, dark striped trousers, pointed leather shoes, and spinning a slender civility cane in its hand. Its face was ghostly pale, with narrow eyes and a sharp, elongated nose.

”You shouldn’t come out,” the round-faced witch glanced at the puppet and said calmly, ”At least not until those youngsters have left. You shouldn’t come out.”

”Oh, please forgive me, Big Wizard, your grace.” The puppet removed its own head, spinning it in front of itself a few times before bowing with a ’head-removal courtesy,’ and said sincerely: ”...After all, I am but a puppet, without a brain.”

”That much is apparent to everyone,” James replied with an ill-tempered attitude.

”Ahem,” the gaunt wizard coughed violently a few times. ”The ancient text says, ’A ruler lacking secrecy loses his vassals; a vassal lacking secrecy loses his life; an endeavor without secrecy ends in ruin. Thus, gentlemen guard secrecy and do not reveal easily.’ ...Ahem... We can tolerate a puppet as a messenger, but we cannot tolerate a messenger without a brain.”

The puppet reattached its head to its shoulders, its pointed leather shoes clicking rhythmically, while the civility cane spun idly in its hand.

”Whether to tolerate or not is your business, but the choice of envoy belongs to the ’Magician,’” it said, skipping along with light steps, snapping its fingers crisply with four fingers, gliding across the broad conference table as if strolling on a stage:

”The master has warned you all—deliberation is merely a waste of time~~ You should be convening a hearing immediately. Only then can you claim your spoils of war.”

”I originally assumed she was a member of the Moon Council and would show some concern for the troubles at Dark Blue Castle.” The round-faced witch sighed slightly.

”A bunch who dwell in the darkness—how could we possibly expect them to watch over and support each other?” The elder wizard snorted heavily.

The puppet clearly disliked the wizard’s phrasing.

It turned its head, emitting sharp creaking sounds at the neck, its lifeless eyeballs bulging unnaturally wide: ”’Creatures of the dark,’ huh? Hey, old man, don’t forget your promises to the ’Magician’... The clans under Moonlight have always been the most crucial pillar for the Alliance!”

”Calm down; there’s no malice in his words,” the round-faced witch quickly intervened: ”...In truth, everyone approached this inquiry with a trial mentality, simply casting the net to catch rabbits. If we catch something—it’s a pleasant surprise, isn’t it? What matters now is the Magician’s perspective. Has he truly decided to convene the Great Wizard Conference before the resolution of the ’Black Prison’ incident?”

The puppet’s neck creaked sharply as it turned back around.

Fixing its gaze on the round-faced witch, it suddenly opened its mouth and spoke in a hoarse, deep voice: ”...A nation cannot last a single day without its ruler. Since the principal has confirmed his decision to leave, a successor must be swiftly appointed... This is a duty owed to the First University and critical for the Alliance’s safety.”

The three Big Wizards seated at the conference table lowered their heads in unison, showing sufficient respect toward that voice.

...

...

As Su Shijun departed Danghag, the dawn had already painted the sky.

But upon her arrival at Black Prison, she was, yet again, plunged into a world cloaked in night—the earth was pitch-black, as were the clouds and the sky overhead. No light could be seen, while streams of molten lava flowed thread-like across the vast, shadowy land, pooling into glowing red puddles and rivulets, providing this world’s rare bursts of illumination.

The witch’s figure was like a streak of cyan light, piercing through the heavy black cloud layers, cutting through the pitch-dark night sky, and landing on the open field in front of Black Prison Castle.

Boom!

The cyan streak of light vanished in a flash as the aura from the Big Wizard’s presence disrupted the surroundings, stirring up a violent gale.

Behind her, four translucent cyan fox tails swayed in the air, dazzling like radiant flames, illuminating the space before the castle as bright as day. Construct knights encased in pitch-black heavy armor stood in orderly silence along the pathway, gripping long lances adorned with shimmering golden-silver intertwined Cloud Script emblems.

”All present... Salute!”

The low roar echoed across the square, met by the sharp crack of lance tips breaking through the night, a rhythmic barrage akin to a symphonic salute.

Far off, behind every open window of the castle, crowds of silhouetted figures were packed densely. They stared at the figure on the field, their eyes filled with curiosity and longing. These spectators were young Hunters who had arrived hastily after hearing word of Su Shijun’s arrival at Black Prison. Their simmering hormones cracked through their typical air of composure, revealing traces of youthful fervor.

Yet all they could make out was a blurry figure and the enormous, translucent fox tails swaying behind her.

Su Shijun’s face was shrouded beneath her hood, revealing only the curve of a fair, delicate chin. As she walked along the pathway of pitch-black stone slabs, the crisp sound of her high heels striking the ground reverberated far in this hollow world.

Her pace seemed leisurely yet urgent, rapid yet unhurried.

The witch’s figure soon disappeared behind the imposing doors of Black Prison Castle, leaving only a chorus of disappointed sighs from the masses watching through the windows.

Unlike ordinary Hunting teams, as a member of the Moon Council’s Upper House and a participant in the Great Wizard Conference, Su Shijun did not need to register at the castle’s gate. Instead, she was directly escorted by Black Prison’s staff to the Moon Council’s resting chamber.

The room was both expansive and luxurious.

Expansive because aside from the central coffee table and the wide couches surrounding it, the resting chamber contained no other furniture; luxurious because the Persian carpet woven with golden wool and mithril threads covering the floor, along with the vintage-style Golden Branch and jade-encrusted chandelier hanging from the ceiling, infused the room with a heavy aristocratic air, despite its otherwise sparse decor.

As Su Shijun entered the resting chamber, four imposing presences had already gathered around the coffee table in the room’s center, waiting silently.

The castle staff bowed and took their leave, shutting the resting chamber’s door behind them.

Click.

Su Shijun exhaled gently, the translucent fox tails behind her condensing slightly, becoming more distinct. She removed her hood, revealing an exquisitely beautiful face.

In front of the other Upper House Members, the witch made no attempt to conceal her stunning appearance.