“Are they messing with us?”
Qingshamu had noticed it too, and was just about to say something to Ten-Step Hall.
“Silence is golden.”
But Feini immediately stopped her, making her shut up and say nothing at all.
Because in times like this, if you complain, you lose—better to hold it in.
So, nobody spoke; everyone returned to their seats and continued class.
Until class ended, they still hadn’t exchanged a single word with Ten-Step Hall, nor asked for any clarification. It was like they were the most familiar strangers.
Although they hadn’t spoken for a long time now, they really were acting like sulking high school girls.
Feini and White Feather Dove left the classroom together.
Naturally, Qingshamu trailed after them, all eager and bouncy.
The three of them arrived at the drink vending machine area.
“Nini, what do you think?” Qingshamu took on the job of host, buying three bottles of sweet fizzy soda.
Don’t ask why there’s soda in another world—if you must ask, it’s made by magic.
Here, we’ve got Magic Power Lamps, Magic Water Heaters, Magic Washing Machines, and everything you can think of.
All these things are sourced by the Faceless Witch from the Human Race; the Demon Domain doesn’t have the craftsmanship to make them.
It might be a bit late to talk about this now, but it’s these basic magical facilities that first let the Magical Beast Apprentices feel the charm of civilization and convenience.
Just thinking about how other monsters are still eating dirt outside, while we get to enjoy Human Race magical facilities here, that’s what happiness is.
“Don’t you dare call me Nini,” White Feather Dove protested.
“Hongmen Banquet.” Feini put on a serious face.
“What’s a Red Gate Banquet? Is that a special term used only by the Demon Race?” Qingshamu pulled out her notebook, openly carrying out her Undercover Hero mission.
“Ignorant.” That really stumped Feini for a second—she didn’t know how to respond, so she just gave a snarky retort.
“Are we going or not? It could be a trap. Last time she sent people to ambush us—she definitely still holds a grudge. We should be careful,” Qingshamu asked.
That’s the meaning of Hongmen Banquet, but Feini didn’t feel like explaining any further.
Ever since they returned from the extracurricular hunt, their trio had completely cut ties with the neighboring group—never speaking again.
Anyway, Feini herself hadn’t exchanged a single word with Ten-Step Hall or Xueyuedai since.
Qingshamu had actually cut ties with them even earlier—they barely spoke in the dorms.
Sometimes, when they crossed paths at a distance, Xueyuedai would turn and run as soon as she spotted Feini, not wanting any contact at all.
Feini felt like she was being loathed by the fox, but since there’d been no further revenge, it all just felt strange.
Maybe she really was the most clueless transmigrator in history—none of the info she had was any use.
Every game character’s personality had changed drastically, even hidden roles like the Undercover Hero had appeared, and now there was this secret side plot—she really had no idea what was coming next.
“Of course we have to go. We can’t chicken out or let them look down on us.” Feini finished her little soda in one big gulp, her eyes resolute as she spoke.
“All right, then. I’ll go through fire and water with you.” Qingshamu nodded, sipping her soda in small sips and putting on an act. “But sometimes, admitting defeat isn’t a bad thing.”
She’d been showing off a little more recently—still a devoted puppy, but now with a bit more push-and-pull.
She no longer blindly obeyed the goddess Feini’s every command, and had begun to express her own opinions.
It seemed that night spent crouching in the little grove had taught her something.
When pursuing a young widow, you can’t just be a pushover—you need to rebel a bit at the right moments, let her realize she can’t do without you, make her feel your importance.
But unfortunately, Feini wasn’t really a high school girl. Her soul was that of a gloomy, inexperienced boy.
Did Fatty Ni not even realize Qingshamu was trying to push and pull with her?
She was already a young widow with two kids, not interested in romance at all, only thinking about raising her children and fulfilling material needs, with not a trace of emotional demand.
Besides, they still had the Faceless Witch as a backer—she could provide for the mother and daughters, too.
Even if her cabin was small and her salary low, the future looked bright—her career was on the rise.
“If I’m not around, you two might not make it through.”
Qingshamu was still sitting on the bench, pulling at herself all alone, but it was all for nothing.
Feini and White Feather Dove finished their sweet sodas and headed back to the classroom, leaving her sitting there playing dumb by herself.
Still, you had to admit that Qingshamu’s looks were top-notch—even passing female students would get entranced by her.
That cool look always drew in a ton of fangirls, and her wandering master’s aura was quite popular in the kendo club.
Even Ten-Step Hall had set her sights on Qingshamu, seeing her as a sworn rival—wasn’t that a kind of twisted love?
Back in the Human Race, her Sword of the Bright Moon had even more fans—countless knights willing to die for her.
It was a shame that this idol hero could win the love of everyone in the world—except for the little widow, Fatty Ni.
Because she’d already outgrown the age for idol worship.
————–
After school in the afternoon, the temporary family of three didn’t go to the low-level magical beast cafeteria as usual, but instead came to the high-end area of God and Demon Academy: [Gourmet Street].
First, let’s get one thing clear: even though it’s called an academy, God and Demon Academy is actually as large as a core city of the Human Race.
To use the usual light novel terms, this is an [Academy City].
Basically, if you can name it, we’ve got it—anything you can imagine is here.
There’s even an entrance fee for Gourmet Street, and ID checks.
A Black Tie apprentice like Feini wouldn’t normally be allowed in, but her companions were two Red Tie honor students.
There was no helping it—in the end, the witch at the gate had to let the three of them through the tall wall into Gourmet Street.
This, too, was part of a certain Demon King’s plot—her real target wasn’t Feini, but White Feather Dove.
If there was only one honor student, the witch guard might not let a burden like Feini in. But with two honor students, face had to be given, so an exception was made.
The witch’s avatars were truly all-purpose, able to handle any post.
By the way, the Faceless Witch didn’t need to run errands for admissions anymore—she’d already been promoted to Training Director, with a massive boost to her Magic Value and salary.
“Smells amazing.”
“Hold on, Da Bai, save your appetite for the feast later.”
Smelling the aroma from the snack stalls on Gourmet Street, the three of them had to resist snacking—there was a big meal ahead.
They wandered around until eight in the evening, then made their way to the most upscale restaurant in the center of Gourmet Street: [Jingui Lou].
“Welcome to Jingui Lou, honored guests.”
It was a gorgeous Chinese-style golden tower, and all the servers were adorable girls in cheongsams.
Well, in a fantasy world, a Chinese restaurant doesn’t seem the least bit out of place—after all, they were wearing suits and school uniforms for dinner.
“We’re here to see Shijietang Simon,” Feini said.
“Understood. This way, honored guests.” The cheongsam girl gave a slight bow and led the way.