After the combat test was over, the time had already reached 8 p.m.
“Fried chicken for sale~ Fresh and crispy fried chicken—”
On the bustling streets around the Magic Academy, a small vendor stall was surrounded by a long line of people eager to buy fried chicken.
Customers kept coming one after another, while the nearby food stalls looked comparatively quiet.
“No need to rush, no need to rush, everyone will get some, don’t push…”
The person running this fried chicken stall was a pink-haired girl who looked about eighteen but had already been managing this business for quite some time.
“Payment received: 12 yuan.”
The payment notification sounded repeatedly from her device, making the other vendors around her quite envious!
She had attracted all the nearby customers with her looks and the delicious fried chicken.
Soon, after skillfully seeing off the last batch of customers, the girl slumped down onto her own folding chair.
“Hah…”
So exhausted.
She scrolled through her payment records on her phone, watching each transaction come in one after another, her mood lightening.
Hehe, no more worries about living expenses.
The girl thought to herself, and soon another group of customers arrived.
“Welcome! How many would you like?”
And so, she started selling again.
Oh right…
I haven’t introduced myself yet:
My name is Xia Xia. As you can see, I’m currently working as a vendor selling fried chicken to make a living, repeating the same routine every day—making fried chicken and…
“The Imperial Capital Guard are coming! Quick, run!”
Someone shouted, and all the street vendors scattered like frightened birds, hurriedly packing up their goods. Of course, I was among them.
“Here’s your order, hold on tight!”
After quickly handing the last customer their food, I immediately packed up my folding chair onto the tricycle and drove into a narrow alley.
Well, I pretty much have this daily game of cat and mouse with the Imperial Capital Guard. I remember when I first arrived, I kept getting caught by them and had to pay fines.
It was only after many lessons that I was able to settle down here.
What’s that?
Why don’t I just open my own shop?
What are you thinking?
I’m barely making enough for living expenses now; opening a shop is out of the question.
Actually, it’s not that I don’t want to make more money.
It’s just that I have to control the amount of supplies I buy each day, so the ingredients I get are always limited.
Like now, even though the Imperial Capital Guard came to drive us away, I’ve already sold all my fried chicken for today, so my mission is accomplished.
That’s why I turned into the alley—it’s just the way home. I live nearby.
After parking and tidying up, I returned to my apartment.
The rent here is cheap, and it’s close to the Magic Academy, so I chose to live here.
As for why I stay near the Magic Academy… that has to do with my other identity.
Actually, selling fried chicken is just my side job. My main responsibility is…
After locking the door and closing the curtains, Xia Xia took off the ring she had been wearing all along. Her appearance immediately changed!
The human girl’s head sprouted a pair of cat ears, and a long tail grew behind her.
That’s right—I’m actually a Demon.
In truth, my real identity is that of a spy. My duty is to monitor the happenings at the Empire’s First Magic Academy and report back to the Demon Security Department.
So every day, I watch the Academy’s every move. This apartment has a direct view of the Academy, which is why I rented it—it makes surveillance easier.
During the day, I scout from the rooftop, and at night, I disguise myself as a fried chicken vendor, selling near the Magic Academy.
If I’m lucky, I can even glean information from the students.
“Ugh… so tired…”
Xia Xia sat on the sofa, resting her feet—still clad in white stockings—on the table, a look of pure contentment on her face.
“Hah… I have to go buy ingredients early tomorrow morning. Better get some sleep.”
Sitting on the sofa, she thought about tonight’s earnings. She made quite a bit again.
The secret Chicken Recipe my Mother left me is so useful—I didn’t expect so many people would love it.
The reason so many people like my fried chicken is entirely thanks to my Mother’s special preparation method and sauce. I even have regular customers from the Magic Academy.
Some of my “competitors” running their own fried chicken stalls nearby have tried my chicken, and their reactions were surprisingly unanimous.
“No matter how much you offer, I will never sell the secret recipe.” That’s my exact words.
Because of that, I’ve made some enemies.
But the upside is that I’ve made a decent amount of living expenses. If the organization gave me more funds, I wouldn’t have to resort to selling fried chicken.
“Sigh…”
Thinking about it, I sighed helplessly.
Why did I join the military in the first place…
I had a fight with my family and, in a fit of anger, signed up for the army. I never expected I would end up as a spy in the Demon Security Department.
Now that I think about it, I regret it. If I had known, I would have listened to my parents and become a merchant instead. I wouldn’t be in this situation.
Honestly, I don’t like this war at all. It gets me nothing. The Queen’s assassination by humans means nothing to me.
“Sigh… I should have listened to my parents and become a merchant.”
But now it’s too late to turn back. If I desert, I’ll be executed. Normal retirement isn’t an option either. I can only take it one step at a time and pray I don’t get caught.
To be honest, hanging out in the human world isn’t so bad. Nothing urgent has come up recently, and with money, I can buy things that don’t exist in the Demon Realm.
You know, this thing called a phone is pretty nice!
By the way, even now, my parents don’t know I’m working as a spy. In my letters, I lie that I’m busy running a business and don’t have time to go home.
Honestly, if they knew I was a spy, they’d probably freak out.
Thinking about this made her a little sad, so she pushed the thoughts aside and thought about something else.
“Speaking of which… those last two girls… they were so beautiful.”
Xia Xia recalled the last two customers she saw—a white-haired girl and a black-haired girl. Judging by the way they addressed each other, they were sisters.
Too bad the Imperial Capital Guard showed up right then; otherwise, I would’ve liked to take another look.
“Especially that white-haired girl… she was just so beautiful…”
Xia Xia couldn’t forget her appearance for a long time. Honestly, if I had the chance, I’d really like to see her again.
“Ugh… never mind, never mind. As a spy, it’s most important to keep a low profile!”
The girl shook her head, dismissing the thought, then got up and went back to her bedroom.
In her bedroom was a small Radio Transceiver, which she used to send and receive orders from the Security Department.
But since there was nothing urgent at the moment, the device was only set to receive mode.
However, the girl wasn’t paying attention to that. Instead, she picked up her pajamas and headed to the bathroom to take a shower.
“Off to shower!”
With that, Xia Xia left the bedroom.
***
Not long after she left, the Radio Transceiver on the table suddenly started ringing…