High School of Demon Hunting

Chapter 819: Chapter 167: The Resentment of the Little Fox Lady

Winter in the north, the sun is like a miserly ghost, guarding its golden light closely and hardly ever willing to emerge above the horizon, let alone spread its glow across the earth.

But at First University, regardless of dew or snowflakes, moon, or sun, they all must abide by the ”First University Campus Management Regulations.”

Mao is the time for sunrise, so the sun must rise.

It may be early, just after the beginning of Mao, such as appearing at five in the morning; or it may be late, just before the end of Mao, around six fifty, lazily crawling above the horizon. But no matter what, when the time comes, the sun must rise, shimmering timely upon this vast campus—unless it is a day of continuous rain, heavy snow, or pervasive mist.

And this is one of the things Little Witch Su Ya hates most about First University—compared to this, even that cost student who once scared her to tears doesn’t seem so annoying.

Because when the sun rises, it means she has to get out of bed and work.

Back in Qingqiu, the sun wasn’t so diligent. Sometimes at seven-thirty in the morning, it would still be lazing below the horizon, refusing to show its face.

As an apprentice maid, the tasks assigned to Su Ya by Greenhill Mansion were very light, and her daily routine strictly followed the ancient customs: work at sunrise and rest at sunset. Therefore, a sun that would let her and the Little Fox lady stay in bed together was a good sun.

Not like now.

The sun in school is a big pig’s trotter.

Carrying a litany of minor grievances, the Little Fox lady groggily got up from her bed, ears drooping, dragging her tail, she started to water, weed, and catch insects for the several pots of plants and grasses in the living room.

Of course, whether it’s weeding or catching insects was just talk—Plants that could grow in the flowerpots of Greenhill Mansion’s main hall wouldn’t be permitted by Su Man to have any flaws—Little Witch Su Ya could only carry a small brass kettle about a foot tall, slowly moving to each flowerpot, then lifting the kettle to sprinkle a few drops of water, moistening the slightly dry turf in the pots from overnight.

Occasionally, the Little Fox lady would puff her cheeks and blow at some grass leaves that appeared less vibrant, attempting to blow them off the branches. If she managed, it meant that the leaf was unhealthy and needed to be disposed of; if it stayed put, then it was considered lucky.

The only plant that could avoid her puffing was the Seven-color pansy placed right in the center of the windowsill.

The legendary flower with magical powers that could fulfill children’s dreams!

To water the Seven-color pansy earnestly, Su Ya persevered, not looking sideways, finishing all the other flowerpots in the hall before approaching the Seven-color pansy with a face full of excitement and focus.

Outside the window, the morning light had already broken through the rolling mist in the sky, showering down into the garden of Greenhill Mansion. Head Maid Su Man was leading several maids skillfully tidying up the garden, where Flower Sprites and Grass Spirits had hidden all night. They extended their fingers, reaching deep into the bushes, deftly grabbing the tiny Sprites by their ankles before inverting and tossing them into a basket.

When a basket was full, they’d pour them all out over the fence.

After busying herself for a while, Su Man stood up, wiping the sweat from her forehead, lifted her head and just so happened to see Su Ya leaning on the windowsill, holding the small copper kettle, drip watering the Seven-color pansy plant.

”Su Ya!”

The Head Maid, with hands on her hips, shot a glare at the Little Fox lady and called out in a lowered voice, ”If you’ve finished watering the flowerpots in the living room, come out and clean up the garden... The Warlocks you brought yesterday trampled through the garden and made a mess; even the petals of Miss’s favorite Blue Tulip were knocked off quite a bit.”

”I haven’t finished watering the flowers yet!” The Little Fox lady, lingeringly looking at the Seven-color pansy, stubbornly protested for once.

But soon, her defiance declared bankruptcy.

Su Man took three steps as if they were two and arrived at the windowsill from the garden. Over the high window ledge, she directly lifted the little fox lady into the yard. The little fox lady hunched her neck, sqwaking protest:

”Ah, ya ya, the water from the brass pot is leaking onto the windowsill... let me go wipe it off!”

”Haven’t you always disliked doing such cleaning and sweeping tasks?” Su Man glanced at her, her mouth twitching as she said, ”You didn’t wipe it before, and you don’t need to wipe it today... Now, go to the garden and pick up all the pumpkin vines that fell in the flowerbeds yesterday. Later, you will accompany Su Hua to take those vines to the small woods at the head of the street.”

”I don’t want to go out!” The little fox lady protested loudly while wagging her tail.

”Hmm?” Su Man narrowed her eyes and looked at her.

The expression and tone of the little fox lady quickly became much weaker.

”I mean, why send them out,” she said with her head lowered, bringing her hands together in front of her face and weakly argued, looking at her fingertips: ”I remember that little warlock with the watermelon head said yesterday that the twigs and vines collected from the garden could be magically dissolved on the spot and they would even add to the fertility of the soil...”

”Hm?” The head maid looked at the little fox lady with surprise, seemingly amazed that she knew about such things.

Then she remembered the warlocks who had come to the mansion yesterday.

”It must have been that special recruit nicknamed ’Doctor’,” the head maid nodded with rare approval and said, ”What he said is not wrong... However, compared to the negligible fertilizer the garden could use, some little ones outside need those vines more.”

With that, Su Man, holding Su Ya, came to the side of a flower basket.

In the large basket, many grass-colored sprites with thin limbs lay haphazardly.

The head maid pointed to the grass spirits in the basket and explained, ”If you throw out those pumpkin vines and dry grass leaves, these little ones can use them to patch up their ragged, drafty nests... Isn’t doing such a thing more meaningful than you lying on the windowsill looking at the seven-color flowers?”

Morality, righteousness, and rules – with these heavy burdens bearing down, it seemed Su Ya had no room left to resist.

”But,” the little fox lady tried to struggle a bit more: ”But Miss said yesterday that I should go to Pedestrian Street in her place to attend the D&K opening ceremony! It starts at nine o’clock in the morning... If I don’t start getting ready now, it will embarrass Greenhill Mansion...”

”Nah, don’t worry about that.” An abrupt voice interjected into the conversation between the two maids: ”The opening ceremony is just a minor matter, I’ll just swing by later... Little Ya, you better stay home and diligently look after the garden.”

Su Ya and Su Man both turned their heads in unison.

On the windowsill, Su Shijun was lying on her arms, her hair spread out, lazily enjoying the winter sun. A little fox lay in the same languid posture by the witch’s side, nestling its head next to the seven-color pansy. It was apparent, the little fox was interested in the splendid flower and occasionally sniffed at the faint fragrance wafting through the air.

”And I need to take Poseidon to that fellow on the way.”

So said the owner of Greenhill Mansion.