High School of Demon Hunting

Chapter 1976: Chapter 197: The Price of Returning Late

Su Ya lived off-campus at Greenhill Mansion and was the last one to be sent home.

After politely seeing Zhu Si out the door, the head maid Su Man turned around and grabbed the little fox lady by the ear, dragging her to Su Shi Jun’s study, and lit the magic candle in the room.

”Choose between cleaning the house and copying books.” The head maid said coldly, looking down at the little maid curled up in front of her.

At the release of Su Man’s clutches, Su Ya’s ears immediately flattened against her hair, fearing they’d be grabbed again. Simultaneously, her hands instinctively picked up her large tail, stroking it non-stop while she hummed in protest, unwilling to choose.

This was her usual strategy in the face of punishment, to act adorable and muddle through, a tactic often used successfully. But today, despite her tearful efforts for quite some time, the head maid’s expression remained unchanged.

Trouble.

The little maid sighed inwardly.

”I was following orders from the lady,” she mumbled, threading her tail tip through her fingers while attempting to justify her actions: ”That Zheng Qing asked the lady for a Bo Fu Clan’s essence, I was just a supervisor in delivering it, Hank was there as well...”

”It’s Zheng Qing, the classmate,” the head maid calmly corrected the little fox lady’s wording, her expression unchanged: ”By the way, Hank and his two mouse people henchmen returned two hours ago, while you and Poseidon...”

As she spoke, she glanced at the study door.

In the shadow of the doorway, a small white head peeked inside, thinking it was hidden but oblivious to how clearly the big fox lady could see it.

The head maid secretly amused but decided not to point out Poseidon’s exposed fox tail, and continued with a stern face reprimanding Su Ya: ”...while you and Poseidon remained outside until now, and had to be escorted back by the school’s tutor!”

Upon hearing this, Su Ya suddenly perked up, clutching her bushy tail while defending: ”That was Zhu Si, not a school teacher, you’re familiar with her!”

”Put down your tail!”

The head maid reprimanded: ”Did you forget what the nannies taught in Behavior Class? Don’t play with your tail like a wild fox, it’s unbecoming! Also, tutors are tutors, regardless of personal relations, Greenhill Mansion’s propriety should not be compromised!”

Her fluffy tail recoiled like a startled snake, swiftly disappearing from the little fox lady’s grasp under her plain long robe, forming a faint bulge around her slender waist.

Su Man slightly furrowed her brows, wanting to point out Su Ya’s unsightly tail tuck, but seeing the little fox lady’s timid, pitiful appearance, she softened her heart and chose not to emphasize the flaw.

Meanwhile, Poseidon cowering at the study doorway felt threatened by the head maid’s intensified tone, rapidly retreated, abandoning the noble idea of rescuing the companion.

As they say, save yourself first.

Pop.

Several sparks flew from the magic candle hanging from the ceiling, shattering a few seconds of silence in the study.

”Have you chosen?” The head maid hadn’t forgotten the initial reason for bringing Su Ya into the study, repeating the question from a few minutes ago: ”Cleaning the house or copying books?”

Su Ya gathered courage, attempting one last struggle: ”It’s so late...”

”Or do you want to do both?” Su Man added, as if she hadn’t heard Su Ya’s last four words.

The little fox lady’s gathered courage burst like a soap bubble crashing against rocks, shattering decisively.

”Cleaning the house!” she screamed, hurriedly summoning a small wooden basin and a cloth from thin air, smiling ingratiatingly at the head maid: ”I’ll clean the house spotlessly, not a speck of dust in sight!”

Su Man pulled out her pocket watch and checked the time.

”I’ll definitely finish before bedtime!” Su Ya obediently added, clenching her small fists in front of her chest, promising: ”It won’t affect the schedule!”

The head maid nodded with satisfaction, tilted her toes, and turned to leave the room, her skirt fluttering like a fierce moth in the little fox lady’s eyes.

”And you!”

Outside the study, came the head maid’s reprimanding voice to Poseidon: ”Accompanying Su Ya in foolishness at night, grounded for a day tomorrow, cannot go anywhere before the lady returns...Also, since Su Ya chose cleaning, you shall copy books...no magic allowed!”

Cheep-cheep-cheep!

Listening to Poseidon’s sorrowful cries, Su Ya felt a subtle comfort in her heart—the foxes’ sorrows were not always shared, she didn’t find it noisy at all.

There’s no absolute worst, only relatively worse.

Just like the satirical poem: The world says disparity, he rides a steed, I ride a mule, looking back at the cart pusher, I’m better than some, worse than others.

Upon this thought, the little fox lady felt invigorated, twisting the cloth with renewed enthusiasm.

...

...

After leaving Greenhill Mansion, Zhu Si did not return to the office to prepare lessons as planned, but instead followed her sudden inspiration, leisurely strolling through the winding alleys of Beta Town.

Beta Town at night, cold and vast.

Most shops had already closed, and the few still open were half-shut, the thick glass windows reflecting the distorted shadows of shopkeepers and customers.

Occasional pedestrians hurried by, wearing wide hoods, steps quick, with law books brightly hanging from belts, emitting a dim, cautionary glow, silently warning every stranger attempting to get close.

The witch stepped elegantly across smooth blue stone slabs, quickly navigating the narrow alleys to leave the high gates of Beta Town West District, arriving in a world of low huts.

Here the streets grew more twisted, alleys narrower, and the street stones lost the West District’s brightness and smoothness, riddled with pits and hollows like the face of a leper, ugly and secretive.

This was North Beita Town.

Upon arriving in this district which recently stirred significant waves in the wizard world, the Great Witch’s light-blue floral dress had disappeared, replaced by a more fitting low-key black robe.

Unlike the subdued solemnity of the West District, the North District nights were relatively more restless. Amidst the hastening pedestrians, the frogs occasionally croaked.

Ribbit, ribbit.

Zhu Si listened to the frog calls replacing the insects, a faint smile appeared on her face, as if returning to Dreamland on the familiarly damp shores of Uubos Lake.

Finally, she stopped.

The witch looked up at a plaque on the wall—33 Gu Diao Street, first floor ’Sakura Pub,’ second floor ’Jini’s Magic Parlor.’