Chapter 1
Deep into the winter night .
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There wasn’t a single soul in sight on the streets of the ancient city of water, and the paths made from pebbles were covered in a thin layer of ice formed from the dampness of the air . The thin ice reflected the moonlight, generating a chilling sensation with each step taken .
Click, clack, clack .
A middle-aged man in a long trench coat walked through the streets, his footsteps echoing through the alley following the breaking of ice . The man had a trimmed mustache, wore an expensive tailor-made suit, and had a look of superiority and contempt characteristic of a bigwig in his keen eyes .
Yet, such a person had appeared in a downtown area in the middle of the night . When he stepped into the alley with that get-up, he ought to immediately catch the attention of some criminal, looted by the local ruffian in a span of five minutes . If he was a little fortunate, he would be left injured in the corner of the street, discovered in the morning by the delivery man, then would have to stay in the hospital for a period of time; if he was unlucky, another floating corpse would be added to the canal .
And yet, it was close to 12 AM when he appeared, but neither his flashy outfit nor resounding footsteps attracted any attention .
A beggar huddled up by the roadside could distinctly hear something in his sleep and opened his eyes to take a look; he spotted a silhouette passing through, but subconsciously determined it as something irrelevant, quickly ignored it, and continued drifting back to sleep . Before he fell completely asleep, he could vaguely notice the remaining after image in his line of sight, of a strange bluish-grey light and shadow flashing around the black silhouette— So what about that person? Just sleep .
The middle-aged man advanced steadily, then swiftly halted, his gaze sweeping to the alley by the side . The deep and serene alley was pitch black, but there was a warm light yellow radiance at the end of it, coming from a tiny little shop .
The light yellow lighting would lure in any passerby on a chilly night . It was clearly a trap .
The middle-aged man chuckled with disdain, and stepped decisively and confidently into the alley .
When he walked to the end of the alley, there was an old-fashioned door with a rusty metal sign board hung on it, the words ‘Authentic White Magic Divination, Love Spells, and Herbal Teas’ written on it . It seemed like a fortune teller shop with bad business .
He reached out to pull on the bronze lion’s head knocker, then knocked, twisted the doorknob, and stepped into the house .
The interior wasn’t large, its surroundings filled with junk, and a round table placed in the center with a Middle Eastern tablecloth placed over it . There was a crystal ball on the table and an old woman in a mantle sitting behind it .
“Oh, I didn’t think I would receive a customer so late at night! The Lord is truly gracious to me, looks like I’ll be well off into Christmas!” The old woman spoke with a hoarse voice, glancing happily at the visitor before her, and while sizing up that manner of dressing, greed flashed across her eyes . “Take a seat, take a seat, what can I help you with? A fortune-telling, a dream interpretation… Ah, or would you like a love potion that is guaranteed to work? Haha, I was just cracking a joke, this mister has such elegant and charming looks, there should be no need for that . ”
The middle-aged man did not take a seat, using a cold look of contempt and hostility to glare at the old woman instead, and questioned, “That shoddy disguise of yours has no effect on me . Confess who your master is and your base’s location, and I’ll consider giving you a painless death . ”
The old woman was stunned, then burst out laughing, “Mister, you have quite the temper, did you have too much to drink?” She reached out, propping her head on one hand and placing the other on the crystal ball, “It’s Christmas Eve tonight, let me foresee the presents you will receive . ” She appeared to be an old lady more than seventy years old, but the palm placed over the crystal ball was large and sturdy with slender fingers, her skin smooth and flat, subtly divulging the strong bones underneath .
The middle-aged man reached out a hand, a sharp blade emerging in the center of his palm, thrusting right at the old woman .
With a nimble flip, the hand placed on the roundish crystal ball gave it a flip, then deftly received it on the back of her hand, and with a light arch, flicked it above . The descending blade just happened to pierce through it, creating an ugly crack on the crystal ball’s smooth surface .
The old woman turned her hand, her palms facing up, and stably caught the crystal ball as it fell . She looked at the shattered crystal ball in distress, “Calm down, Robert, doesn’t the Deliso Family teach you any manners?”
The middle-aged man’s body shook slightly . He had yet to mention his family name, yet the other knew of his origins! He guardedly drew the sword concealed beneath his trench coat, preparing to strike at any time .
The old woman ignored this action, and minded her own business instead, looking at the crystal ball, “If you don’t know what you’d like me to foresee, let me divine your luck with work . ” She feigned seriousness as she looked into the crystal ball, nodding, “Oh, I see a lucky omen . You’ll break free of the current difficulties of being under another’s control, rising to a position which will further facilitate your talents . ” The old woman lifted her head, “Your new master will treat you very well, bestowing you the grace that you are due . Most importantly, he will be much closer to you in terms of similarities . ”
Robert sneered, “The Deliso Family occupies a seat among the Association’s Council, that’s not considered a difficulty . ” He turned his sword’s point at her, facing the old woman, “Are you done performing? Any more third-rate tricks up your sleeve? Perhaps you’ll be more cooperative once you lose your pair of hands . ” With that, the sharp blade swung down upon the old woman’s hands, a fiercer attack than the earlier strike .
However, the sword halted abruptly when it was just five centimeters away from the old woman’s body, as if blocked by an invisible barrier .
“Your ending is evident enough, it’s just not worth it, seeing your future . ” The old woman smiled, pointing at the pocket watch on Robert’s chest, “I’m talking to the one hidden in that little box over there . ”
Robert’s face darkened, roaring, “Varg!”
Almost at the same time, the pocket watch shone with a white light, and a gray silhouette broke out of it, five streaks of blue light rushing at the old woman . The surface of the table, brushed by the blue light, instantly shattered to pieces as if struck by a great force .
The old woman dodged, but was hit by two of the streaks of light . The remaining three rays missed her by a hair’s breadth, causing the cupboard and junk behind her to explode into fragments . In an instant, smoke and dust dispersed all over the room .
The old woman slumped into her seat, head hung low, unmoving .
The gray silhouette landed, transforming into a man with a refined and large physique . The man had ash-blue eyes, short gray hair, and an expressionless look on his stalwart face . He knelt attentively on one knee by Robert’s side, not speaking a word as he lowered his head .
“You put too much force in it!” Robert lashed out, turning a blind eye to Varg’s success in protecting his master, “Just when we found a clue much earlier than the Molai Family too! I won’t let go of this chance to humiliate them in front of the Council!”
“My sincerest apologies . ” Varg said flatly . “They’re still alive, still breathing . ”
Robert humphed, walking over to the old woman, saying loftily, “The Summoner disappearances in Munich, Graz and Brno were done by those in the same league as you, am I right? Tell me who the chief instigator is in this!”
“Is that all you can do?” The old woman chuckled with her head lowered, and the originally hoarse voice changed into the voice of a man’s, “Why don’t you worry about what happened to those disappearing Summoners?”
“Weaklings who cannot defend themselves aren’t worth my concern . ” Robert could sense the other’s abnormality, and replied calmly, but shot Varg beside him a look .
Varg stood silently, both of his hands transforming into wolf-like claws, blue light glinting off the sharp claws .
Ding beep beep beep—
An electronic sound rang out followed by a vibration, breaking through the harsh atmosphere .
The old woman, who had been originally slumped over the chair, gave a grumble, “Aiya, I wanted to play a little longer, why are you being so impatient…”
Saying this, the old woman reached into the mantle . Varg, who saw this, thought the other was reaching for a weapon, and immediately brandished his claws, the light waves of demonic power shooting out once again . Ten blue rays of light shot at the old woman .
The old woman gave an easy wave, shaking off the ten rays of light as if swatting away a fly, and the bluish light pillars instantly dimmed, turning into wisps of smoke, vanishing into the air .
Varg and Robert widened their eyes in shock . Before they could react, the old woman drew several formless arrays in the air with a finger and the shards of the crystal ball emitted a beam of light which shot at Varg and Robert, penetrating their hands and feet .
The old woman’s hand reached into the mantle to pull out a phone, and received the call .
“Good evening, or should I say good morning? It should be morning in Seoul . ” The old woman stood up whilst listening to the call .
“I’m almost done . ” With that said, the mantle was removed, revealing a tall and slender figure dressed in black clothes, then stepped past the scene of devastation on the floor, walked over to the walls, and faced the cracked mirror .
“Oh, I just spent some time to exchange greetings, you just don’t get the chance to poke fun at the Association’s high-leveled Summoners every day . ” He reached up to his head to pull off the fluffy red curls, revealing short black hair underneath, then drew out a tiny bottle from his pocket, pouring some of the snow-white liquid into his palm, rubbing it onto his face .
Robert looked at his silhouette, trying to get a clear view of his appearance from the mirror’s reflection, but his vision was obstructed . He warned gruffly, “Don’t you dare try anything! The men from the Deliso Family will arrive soon, they won’t let you off so easily!”
“I know, I know . ” The man facing the mirror spoke, however, the one he was addressing wasn’t Robert, but the person on the other end of the phone .
“No need to worry, I’ll appear before Her Majesty in time . Little~ West . ”
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A cold rebuke could be heard from the other end of the line, who then hung up .
“Apologies, my colleague has quite an impetuous temper, so, let’s finish this quickly . ” The person before the mirror turned, but paused a little, “Oh, I almost forgot . ” He took out a snow-white domino mask, placed it on, then gave a snicker in front of the mirror, before turning .
“The Gentleman Thief?!”
“That’s right, nice to meet you . ” The Gentleman Thief applauded appreciatively, “I didn’t think you would recognize a minor character such as me, what an honor . ”
“The Deliso Family’s bounty hunters accepted your mission in the past…” A certain greenhorn Summoner had been the first to receive this mission, trying to use this opportunity to make a name for himself, but had suffered a setback instead . Because it had been too humiliating, the Deliso Family pretended this had never happened, even going as far as to surreptitiously include the case into the D-rank missions to dampen the world’s attention on it . He had been responsible for dealing with this incident, so he had a deep impression of this man .
“I didn’t think… I understand now, the senseless acts you did was to fool the others, lying low so you could conceal your true intentions!”
“Oh, that’s right . ” The Gentleman Thief admitted it right away, then glanced at Varg, who had been silent all this while . “Alright, back to the main topic . Right now before your eyes is an opportunity of promotion; you may switch to a better working post which has more space to develop your abilities, and even an understanding manager who knows you better . You don’t need to bow and bend your knee for those greedy and incompetent Summoners, nor do you need spend all day guarding this stubborn old fart, waiting for him to boss you around . Isn’t that amazing?”
“What’s this!” Robert rebuked angrily .
“Poaching . ”
Varg was still expressionless . He was silent for a moment, and spoke, “I cannot betray my master . ”
“You cannot, or are you unable to?” The Gentleman Thief asked in turn .
“He has no right to choose!” Robert said, proud of himself, “According to the Contract, as long as he stays in the human world, he cannot serve any Summoner apart from those from the Deliso Family, or else the Contract’s curse will deliver him a death penalty!” He glanced at Varg, crooning, almost like a vow, “He belongs to the Deliso Family, if the Deliso Family cannot have him, no one will…”
A flash of pain flickered through Varg’s stalwart and indifferent face .
“Oh, I understand now . The Association is filled with strongly possessive, paranoid Summoners, this is common knowledge . ” The Gentleman Thief walked over to Varg, “However, their arrogance has contributed to many opportunities for us . ”
Robert stared at the Gentleman Thief, and, taking advantage of his attention placed on Varg to bite into his lip, let his blood drip onto the emblem on his shoulder .
The emblem with an arrow pattern cast on it instantly transformed into a golden arrow, shooting straight at the Gentleman Thief’s head .
The arrow pierced through the air, and paused when it penetrated through the protective net surrounding the Gentleman Thief, but still broke through the shield, carrying onwards to hit the snow-white mask with a piercing blow .
This was Robert’s last attack, his last resort to save himself during a crisis .
The mask struck by the arrow split open to reveal a narrow black slit, then with a crack, broke into halves, falling to the ground along with the arrow .
There wasn’t a single wound on the facial features underneath the mask; it was still perfectly intact .
When Robert saw his face, he revealed an astonished expression . “It’s you—”
The Gentleman Thief did not give him much time to speak, using his toes to lift the metal arrow, gripped it, and violently shoved it into Robert’s throat .
“As expected of the Deliso Family, you know even the classified information of the Association’s core . ” The Gentleman Thief smiled, “Knowing all these, you should be able to die in peace now, won’t you?”
Countless emotions flashed through Robert’s eyes at that instant, puzzlement being the most evident . He tried to speak, but all he spat out was a mouthful of blood . At last, his eyes turned dim, his entire body slumping powerlessly backward .
Varg kept a straight face even as he saw Robert die, not a hint of anger at his partner’s murder, nor the joy at obtaining freedom .
“You killed him . ”
“Do you wish to gain revenge for him?” The Gentleman Thief asked with a smile .
“No . ” Varg sighed lightly, “While I’d like to thank you, your actions have also ruined me . I cannot create a Contract with any Summoner not from the Deliso Family…”
He could not return to the netherworld, nor sign a Contract with another Summoner . Although he could become an Usurper like the other demons, making a livelihood by plundering another human’s life, he would have to spend his entire life hidden, dragging out an ignoble existence .
He might as well die .
“No one is trying to make a Contract with you . ” The Gentleman Thief said smilingly, “The one you will be contracted to is part of the Royal Clan . ”
“Someone from the Royal Clan has come to the human world? Why? Did something happen in the netherworld?”
“His Highness Zhentsi has his own plans, and one of them is to rescue the demons trapped by the Summoners . ” The Gentleman Thief smiled, “Are you touched?”
Varg raised an eyebrow, “That’s quite different from the impression I have of the Royal Clan . Who is Zhentsi?” It had been four hundred years since he arrived in the human world, and thousands of years had probably passed in the netherworld, a completely different state from how it had been when he had left .
“At present, the Third Prince . ”
“A prince? So, he isn’t the Emperor?”
A smile rose upon the Gentleman Thief’s face once more, “How clever of you, Varg, I like you . ” He lowered his voice, lightly saying a word of advice, “However, there are times when keeping your silence is the best policy . What we are currently discussing is, are you willing to make a contract with the Prince Zhentsi and swear fealty to him?”
Varg looked at the Gentleman Thief, and after a moment, smiled self-deprecatingly, “Of course . Anything’s better than a Summoner’s Contract, and besides, I don’t have a choice . ”
“Congrats! You’re welcome under the Third Prince’s command!” The Gentleman Thief applauded, and the crystal embedded into Varg’s hands and feet turned into fine dust .
Varg exercised his freed hands, specks of blood splattered over them . He wiped his hands on his trousers, the wounds on his palm had already begun to recover .
“Then, your newly-appointed first mission is to dispose of your previous master’s corpse . Do not leave a single trace behind, in addition to the blood, remove every single trace and fluctuation of the leftover demonic power . ” The Gentleman Thief spared Robert a glance, “Any questions?”
Varg gave a chuckle, lifting up Robert’s corpse, “He made me do too many dirty jobs in the past, a relatively clean job such as hiding a corpse is something I’ve become quite used to doing . ”
“Let’s thank Robert for helping us train our employees . ” The Gentleman Thief picked up the two broken pieces of the mask from the floor, turning to walk over to the low cabinet by the side, taking out a coat and a cap, putting them on . “Once you’re done, head to Mestre’s watchtower . Someone will be there, waiting for you . ”
“Aren’t you a human?” Just before the Gentleman Thief was about to step out of the cabin, Varg suddenly spoke, “Why are you helping the demons?”
“There are things I want to achieve, and my goal currently reflects the Third Prince’s objectives . Both sides will benefit from working with each other . ”
“Currently… Does that mean a day will come where we part ways?” Varg looked at the Gentleman Thief, “Will we meet on the battlefield one day?”
The Gentleman Thief glanced at Varg, smiling faintly, “You truly are clever . ” He turned, “You’d best keep your mouth shut, or you might not be able to see what happens in the future . ”
The Gentleman Thief pushed the doors open, stepping out of that blood-soaked room .
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Deep into the night, the chilly wind had become much more biting . Each breath taken could transform the air into a cloud of white mist, gathering rapidly before his eyes . He pulled up his scarf, obstructing his face, warding off the cold breeze .
He headed towards the city center . The streets were empty, but there were still intermittent sounds of merriment coming from the bars, the street lights by the road as well as the still-lit display windows of shops making the entire street a little less desolate and empty .
As he passed each of the shops with exquisite displays — apparel stores, boutiques, bakeries — while they were closed, the goods displayed by the windows were still as perfect as ever .
Suddenly, one of the shops caught his eye .
It was an antique shop, with various things placed on display; from the lavish articles that had come from fallen aristocrat families to jewels, cigarette cases, smoking pipes, fountain pens, etc . One of them caught his attention, which were the golden music boxes painted with enamel . There were two music boxes of the same design, one with a blue hue, another purple .
He took measure of them for a few seconds, then took out his phone, pressing down on the speed dial .
A few seconds later, the call connected .
An excited voice transferred over from the other end, “Have you finished working? Did it go well? Will you come back tonight?”
Facing this string of questions, he couldn’t help but smile, “It’s all taken care of, went without a hitch . I’ll be back in two hours . Do you like blue or purple?”
“Hm?” While puzzled by this sudden question, two seconds later, a reply was given, “Blue . What’s the matter?”
The man smiled without answering, “Nothing, you’ll know the day after . ”
“Ah . ” An awed cry rang out from the other end .
“What’s wrong?”
“It’s snowing . ”
He lifted his head, gazing at the sparkling and translucent descent of white snow .
One snowflake, two snowflakes, and in the next moment, a bunch of feather-like snowflakes started to dance in the sky .
“Remember to close your window . ” He knew that he loved snow, and would be particularly excited whenever it snowed, even opening the windows to let the snowflakes fly into his room . The melted snow once had permeated into the bed and electrical appliances, creating serious damage .
“I know, that time was just an exception…”
He smiled, and after hanging up, memorized the telephone number and business hours on the shop sign, then turned to head down his original path .
The snowflakes drifted below .
Feng Ping Lan reached his hand out the window, looking on as the sheer velvety white crystals fell into his palm .
This was a region with a tropical climate, but snow was piling up on the ground .
When the portals connecting the various schools were opened, snow started falling from the skies, and following the snowflakes’ frantic fluttering, a castle constructed from ice and snow had emerged before their eyes . The snowfall would persist for three days till the end of the event, so that the students of Zephaniah would be able to celebrate a white Christmas .
The power of demons was truly incredible…
The snowflake in his palm melted, but the next snowflake drifted downwards following it, an icy sensation blossoming on his hand .
So icy . Feng Ping Lan smiled foolishly, suffering a lapse in concentration .
This ice-cold snow should be able to sooth the scorching sensation in his stomach .
The palm that was face up subconsciously made a grabbing movement, as if it was fishing for more snowflakes .
The snowflakes were so pretty, hahaha, if he sang right now, would a palace appear? His palace of ice and snow . Ah! But if the entire castle was made of ice, would his butt be stuck on the toilet seat if he went to the restroom? It must hurt so much if he pulled up… By the way, a frozen toilet sounded like the Terracotta Army[1], perhaps those soldiers made of clay were not human-like weapons that defended the underground tomb, but the imperial humanoid toilets used by the emperor…
“Hey! What are you doing!” A shout cut across the classroom, pulling Feng Ping Lan back to reality, “Why did you place your hand out the window?! You’d better not be secretly throwing the food away!”
“No one’s screaming bloody murder below, of course he isn’t… Ugh!” Kaido refuted coldly, then swallowed the rising nausea before he could finish his words .
Feng Ping Lan turned his head slowly, gazing into the room .
Currently, he was sitting within the classroom of Shadow 1A . Four hours ago, the four walls of the classroom had been covered in gorgeous veneer, its delicate painted designs a work of Zong Yu’s; a deep blue rug placed over the floors, and the classroom desks and chairs switched out for a wooden Scandinavian dining table .
But at present, the gorgeous European-style decorations were now suffused with the three dark colors of black, red and brown, transformed into the scene of Western purgatory .
This was their vendor stall, their main theme being the brunch light food restaurants that were all the rage these days .
However, the food placed before them was not the seafood panino made from fresh vegetables and fruits and smoked salmon, but a pot of thick dark brown soup arranged on an induction cooker, bits of unidentified food bobbing up and down the surface of the soup .
To say it was a dark brown wasn’t quite right, the color of the soup was constantly changing, becoming more treacherous and terrifying for every turn of color .
“It’s your turn! Eat!” Cao Ji Xian urged .
Feng Ping Lan lifted his head, looking at the people faced before him . There were currently six people sitting at the rectangular table, he, Kaido and Igor sitting on this side, Gerard, Kano Chiharu and Cao Ji Xian sitting on the other . A confrontation of three versus three .
Quite a number of people formed a circle around the long table, spectating with grave faces, most of them wearing surgical masks . The outermost ring was the resting area, many indisposed people resting in the area in twos and threes . There had been many more people laying in that area not too long ago, and those in much graver conditions had been sent to the sick bay .
Dongya stood in wait beside the long table, in a butler’s costume . His expression was slightly remorseful, with a trace of the expectant eagerness of wanting to give something a try .
“Oh, okay . ” Feng Ping Lan lowered his head, looking at the bowl placed in front of him . The container was filled halfway through with the thick brown soup, the side of its spacious rim marked with the slogan of the students’ dining hall . This was tableware they had borrowed from the central dining hall’s ramen stall .
Sigh, they really should have borrowed the sauce plates from the dumpling store…
He picked up his spoon, gave his bowl a stir, a sort of indescribable smell assaulting his nose .
Ah, great! No more bits of food! Only the soup left!
Feng Ping Lan happily lifted his lips into a meager little joyful smile .
Then, he took in a deep breath, lifted the bowl, drank up all the soup in the bowl in one go .
He felt as if there were various fireworks going off before his eyes, but these fireworks were in earthy tones, looking like organic fertilizer caused by being run through by a high-speed wagon . A keyed-up and clamorous noise seemed to ring by his ear, but the ones playing were not the Berlin Philharmoniker, and instead a funeral marching band .
The spectators let out a cry of alarm, shooting this brave hero looks of respect .
Feng Ping Lan swallowed the last few drops of soup inside the bowl, his movements halting in midair, and finally regained his consciousness after about two seconds, then, heavily placed the bowl back onto the table .
“Ich… It’s your turn!” He tried to provoke their opponents with a cool phrase, but the thick soup had over-stimulated his oral cavity, causing him to lisp the moment he opened his mouth .
Chiharu and Gerard’s faces turned dark green, staring at the bowls sitting in front of them, and picked up their spoons with difficulty .
“Good luck! My comrades! My spirit will be with you— Ugh!”
Cao Ji Xian, who sat on the edge, tried to boost the morale, but halfway through his speech, he immediately choked from the sudden surge of gastric acid, and after a few coughs, turned his head to glare viciously at Feng Ping Lan with reddened eyes, “I’m not done with you…”
Kaido angrily slammed a hand onto the table, but due to his currently weak constitution, the palm only made a tiny muffled sound when it landed on the table .
“If you weren’t up to your petty little tricks, we wouldn’t be in this situation! You reap what you sow— Ough!”
Feng Ping Lan handed a paper towel to Kaido, his gaze moving out the window to look at the descending snowflakes .
What beautiful snow…
He thought he could relax a little after the Trials had ended, leisurely enjoying his time during the celebration .
How had they ended up in such a plight?
Ten hours ago .
On the morning of the second day after the Trials had concluded, the passage linking the four other Summoner academies were connected, and the teams of the four schools in charge of setting up vendor stalls arrived at Zephaniah through the dimension, stationed at the enlarged plaza .
While Zephaniah was the main organizer of the celebratory reception, this did not mean the four other schools would slack off as a result . Dmitri Institute, of the country of snow, had summoned snow the moment they appeared, and under the fluttering of snowflakes, constructed a majestic six-storeyed steeple made of ice, snow and steel, the shards of ice attached onto steel occasionally flashing with an aurorlike iridescence .
Japan’s Narumi Garden Academy had then summoned an entire bamboo forest, a Japanese-style longhouse situated deep into the bamboo forest, a small bridge over a flowing stream next to it, with irises blooming by the stream, secluded and elegant, as if they had returned to the Heian Period .
The theme of Californian Arborvitae Academy’s vendor stall was a Wild West pub, with singing and dancing performances inside, as well as virtual reality shooting and horse racing competitions . They offered even an unlimited supply of champagne, which attracted plenty of male students .
Eli Institute, from Guam, had built a southern-styled hut with a palm leaf roof, its outer appearance looking a little duller than the previous two schools, but Eli Institute’s vendor booth received a high amount of attention from girls of various schools . Many had gone up to inquire before its opening hours to request its leaflets .
“What’s Eli Institute selling?” Feng Ping Lan had both hands placed on the hallway, gazing at the vendor’s booth in the distance . There were two or three students standing outside Eli Institute’s vendor booth, handing out books to the students who came up to them . From the look of their sizes and covers, they appeared to be magazines, “Are they selling books? I didn’t think everyone had a much bigger thirst for knowledge than food!”
“Those aren’t books, those are the catalogs for their goods . ” Su Li Wan replied, “Any famous brand – food, clothing, everyday goods, cosmetics, out-of-season, in-season, every famous brand will be available, the prices are 60% below the sales counter . ”
“I see . ” Feng Ping Lan turned his head, about to ask Su Li Wan how she knew about all these, when he realized there was an exact same book placed on her lap where she sat .
Su Li Wan coughed lightly, embarrassed, “I am very fond of the bracelets of one of the brands…” She lowered her head, glancing at the catalog filled with indicator stickers, “Uh, and the water diamond shoes from ROGER VIVIER, the Birkin bags, and Bvlgari’s watches…”
“They even sell watches? Can you let me have a look at it?” Feng Ping Lan said curiously, “My watch has been losing time recently, I was about to change it . ”
Su Li Wan handed the catalog over to Feng Ping Lan, saying excitedly, “The men’s products are in the latter half . While they aren’t premium brands, they have all the fundamental brands in vogue!”
Feng Ping Lan flipped through it, and spotted a Luminox with a dashing design, “This looks really cool!” His gaze swept downwards, and its indicated price shocked him, “Wow! This watch is 25k! It’s almost as expensive as my scholarship!”
“Um,” Su Li Wan reminded him quietly, “It’s in US dollars…”
“Is that so?” Feng Ping Lan blinked, “Right, Summoner families are all incredibly rich, I almost forgot . ”
Su Li Wan looked at Feng Ping Lan, and said doubtfully, “Aren’t you a Summoner too?” While she knew Feng Ping Lan did not know how to use a single spell, she supposed Feng Ping Lan was the only successor of a certain Summoner clan, and had to inherit the family fortune even if he couldn’t use spells, signing a contract with six demons so that his family’s assets and bloodline would be passed on .
“Our family… is in a much straitened circumstance compared to them, haha . ” Feng Ping Lan skated over with a foolish smile, handing the catalog back to Su Li Wan .
In the next moment, the timekeeping clock rang, indicating the next shift .
Those who had been reorganizing the layout inside the classroom put down their work, and the next group entered .
The decorations as a whole were 70% complete, with boards of the Mediterranean Sea drawn on it fixed onto the ceiling and four sides of the classroom . A fourth of the space had been partitioned to be used as the kitchen and storehouse . The fluorescent lights that were originally on the ceiling were concealed behind the boards, replaced by a simplistic chandelier .
Some of the students started to clean the floors, preparing to place a rug on it .
The classroom space was much larger than usual, and there was an extra door on the walls separating the classrooms which was connected to the tents at the public square, so that the guests wouldn’t need to enter the school building, simply going through the tents at the public square to visit the various vendor stalls .
“The tables and chairs we rented have arrived, can anyone help with moving them? At least four of you!” Liu Yi Chen turned her head to wedge her phone on her shoulder, asking clearly into the classroom .
“Me!” Feng Ping Lan raised his hand . He had been cooped up in the classroom all day, he wanted to take a stroll outside .
“Me too!” Conglong raised his hand .
“I don’t want to receive another call about the vendor stalls’ milk vanishing, you’d better watch out . ” Liu Yi Chen warned .
“They were the ones who placed them on the hallways, and there wasn’t a sign indicating it was theirs, why couldn’t I drink them? You can’t blame me . ”
“Then, there’s a pile of shit in the toilets, they’re not marked either, why aren’t you eating them!” Liu Yi Chen humphed, then glanced at Dongya, “Dongya, go along with them . ”
“But I have to wash the floor . ” Dongya was carrying a bucket of water with one hand, the other holding a super effective detergent . “I’m much better at cleaning than transporting things . ” He gazed at the paint on the floors, the image of the blotches dissolved by the detergent then wiped clean by a cloth flashing in his mind .
“I know . However, the guests are here to eat, not to get a cecectomy . We don’t need a sterile room for our vendor stall, that’d be too much of a waste of time . ”
With how Dongya went with his cleaning process, they might still be waxing the fan blades by the time their stall opened .
“Oh, alright then . ” Dongya sighed with a slight pity .
He took off his gloves, placing down the water bucket and cloth to walk over to Feng Ping Lan and Conglong . All the surrounding students secretly let out a sigh of relief .
“We still need another—”
“No . ” Byriel sucked on his lollipop, walking over to the other three, “We have enough members . ”
The group walked out of the school building, passing through the public square .
Zephaniah’s vendor stalls were located in the east side, each one of the red-white canvas tents displaying a different world . One of them was styled as a gorgeous royal court, with three whole floors of guest seats laid out within; there was another that had built a glass bridge in the air, presenting the dazzling night scene from all angles .
The third-years’ vendor stalls were the most excessive and blinding – one of their stalls was actually an entire lake, numerous small boats drifting across it, and a group of seats placed in each boat; there was a Chinese arch bridge over the lake, and lotus flowers in full bloom above the lake waters .
There were even gaming stalls which did not have food and drink as their main theme . These vendor stalls had their flies shut tight, and it was all exceedingly mysterious, not allowing a single chance for the mechanisms within to be exposed for the sake of their trade .
Feng Ping Lan stared, stupefied by the various displays of the vendor stalls, and praised, “How did they manage all these…”
“They’re just illusionary and space spells that’re a little more complex, that’s all . ” Conglong begged to differ, giving a humph .
“That’s really amazing…”
While Zong Yu also had incredible art designing skills, it appeared exceedingly plain and simple in comparison to those brilliant and varied illusions .
“These spells of such a grade require a huge amount of manpower to support its uninterrupted operation . We have the performance to cope with apart from the vendor stall, so our manpower and capabilities were unbalanced from the start . ” Dongya could tell what Feng Ping Lan was thinking, and consoled gently . “There is no need to feel vexed . ”
“Mm! I know!” Feng Ping Lan smiled, “Let’s prevail through our dishes . ” With the two culinary experts, Kaido and Class Rep, they could still attract customers even though their decorations were simple!
Their group passed through the wards linking to the outside world, and arrived at the day school’s dormitories, and the bitingly cold air that was slightly damp made its way into their clothes .
While it was snowing in the school ground of the Shadow Academy, the air temperature as a whole was controlled by spells, maintaining the temperature of a spring’s chill even in the winter . When they left the Shadow Academy, the temperature of the real world was much colder .
Feng Ping Lan sneezed . At present, he was only wearing a shirt, and a thin material could not ward off the cold . He couldn’t help but shiver, but did not say anything more, continuing on .
Dongya, who was walking behind Feng Ping Lan, was about to take off his sweater to give to him, but someone else was much quicker than him .
Byriel took off his jacket, casually throwing it onto Feng Ping Lan’s head .
“What’s wrong?” Feng Ping Lan looked back in puzzlement .
“Take it . ” Byriel spoke smilingly . “Put it on . You look cold . ”
“Thanks!”
Feng Ping Lan took down the jacket and put it on . Byriel’s jacket was slightly bigger, its sleeves a length longer than his arms . He raised both of his hands, placing the sleeves before his face, and exhaled deeply .
“Oh, so this is what Byriel smells like! I can smell the strong hormones coming from it! Byriel is so gentle! It’s no wonder so many ladies like you! Just taking off your jacket makes me feel like I’m pregnant—”
“Stop spouting nonsense!” Conglong rebuked from the front . “I plan on taking a detour to the stalls to buy something, you’d better hurry up!”
“Yes yes yes . ” Feng Ping Lan quickened his pace to follow Conglong . A few seconds later, both of their figures vanished behind the bend around the staircase’s corner .
“Am I gentle, Dongya?” Byriel leisurely headed down the stairs in his original gait, glancing at Dongya by his side with a smile . “I’ve become just like you, hehehe . ”
“There is always a purpose behind your gentleness . ”
“Aren’t you the same?”
Dongya halted, turning . A pair of hands were placed on his shoulders .
Byriel stood on the upper steps, placing his arms onto Dongya’s shoulders from above, leaning into Dongya’s ear to whisper, “I did something you wished to do . ”
“So?”
“I’m cold . ” Byriel smiled, his hands sliding down to dive into Dongya’s jacket .
Dongya was unmoved, and only replied indifferently, “You should find Morris if you’re cold . ”
Byriel gave a disgusted groan, “You really know how to spoil the mood . ”
“Morris is a fire-type demon, I’ll only deal with something on its own merits . ” The corners of his lips lifted in a subtle smile on his mild features .
“That guy’s like marsh gas, he’s flammable, but he has a foul odor . ” Byriel humphed crossly, “The stink of livestock . ”
“Do not speak ill of our comrades behind their backs . ”
“I would speak ill of him even in his presence . ” The hands hidden beneath the sweater moved restlessly, “I am consistently, inside and out, a loathsome guy . What about you?”
Dongya smiled, not giving a comment . The hand hanging by his leg started to draw light circles on it . A whildwind started to blow off the ground, sweeping through Byriel’s feet .
Against this sudden plot, Byriel could not dodge in time and plunged forwards .
Dongya inclined sideways, letting Byriel fall, but the moment he was about to land, he reached out to circle Byriel’s body behind his back .
“Do not say such willful things . ” Dongya’s gentle voice rang out from behind Byriel, “That will only cause trouble for those around you . ”
Byriel shrugged in disregard, regaining his feet once more on the steps, following which the hands on his waist pulled away .
However, in the next moment, snug hands passed through the front to surround his neck, placing on his face .
“Is it warm now?” A genial and mellow voice sounded by his ear .
Byriel’s mouth cracked into a smile, “It’s warm . ”
TL Notes
[1]
‘A frozen toilet sounded like the Terracotta Army’: Frozen toilet (冰马桶) is pronounced bīng mǎ tǒng, while Terracotta Army (兵马俑) is pronounced bīng mǎ yǒng .