High School of Demon Hunting

Chapter 976: Chapter 38 Gini Cottage

Shaped like a flying eagle with horns, and sounding like an infant but eating humans, such is Gu Diao.

Unlike the other streets that Zheng Qing and his group passed, Gu Diao Street seemed to have a particularly higher number of young people.

Of course, similar to other pedestrians in North Beta Town, the young people’s attire drastically differed from that of Zheng Qing and his companions. Most of them wore gray robes—not the smooth-fabricated mage’s robes with constant magic effects owned by school workers, but rather robes simply sewn from linen or plain silk.

Zheng Qing and his company felt quite conspicuous among them.

This made everyone feel uncomfortable.

”What is Gini Cottage used for?” While searching for Gu Diao Street, number 33, Zheng Qing tried to divert attention by discussing other topics, making himself feel more at ease under the gaze of the passersby.

His two companions seemed to have similar thoughts.

”Gini Cottage is a small Magic Club,” Xiao Xiao almost immediately answered after Zheng Qing’s question, ”Its members are mainly young people from the North District, low in talent, but very determined in their pursuit of learning... From what I understand, almost all the young people in this club have failed the entrance exam of First University, couldn’t get into the university but were unwilling to give up on the wizarding path. So, they gathered here and tried all means to self-study.”

Here, he used ’young people,’ not ’young wizards’ or ’young tricksters,’ a detail that Zheng Qing caught.

”Young people.” Zheng Qing chewed on the word, ”Meaning, not good enough to be above, yet not bad enough to be below.”

”That’s the toughest part,” Xin Fat Man nodded in agreement, ”If they were truly only at the trickster level, they naturally wouldn’t hold any hopes for the future. But if they had indeed reached the school’s admission standards, they wouldn’t need to be so anxious.”

Zheng Qing felt a poignant resonance.

Some of his former classmates from the same class had average academic performances, not good enough for higher degrees yet too good for lower ones. Given this comparison, the choice of the young people in Gini Cottage hardly seemed strange.

”So, it’s like a ’repeat class’ for the wizard college entrance exam,” Zheng Qing summarized.

”Although your term isn’t completely fitting, it is somewhat relevant in this context,” Xiao Xiao nodded.

”Not fitting?” Zheng Qing was curious about Xiao Xiao’s response.

”Because it’s a ’magic club,’ not a ’study club,’” Xin Fat Man responded to Zheng Qing’s confusion on the side, ”If the members of Gini Cottage were to grind on past papers and work on test sheets daily like we do during the final exams, then calling it a repeat class would be quite fitting... but in reality, the club members prefer to pick up various spell fragments found in obscure corners of the streets, then they research together how to perform them with the smallest amount of magic power.”

”So when I just mentioned they have ’low talent,’ that’s what I meant,” Xiao Xiao added, ”Of course, there’s also the influence of Alpha Academy... After being declared insufficiently talented by Alpha, their only choice was to strive to tap into their potential.”

The explanations from the two companions made Zheng Qing’s mind even more chaotic.

”But why?” the young state-sponsored student furrowed his brow into a knot, ”Why don’t they take exams at other academies? If talent is lacking, there are still other options, right? Like Nicolas did.”

In Zheng Qing’s memory, Nicholas initially started at Alpha Academy, and only after transferring to two other academies did he become a student at Jiuyou Academy.

So, in his view, if God closes a door, just go open a window. There’s no need to stubbornly persist behind the closed door.

Xiao Xiao sighed.

”You should have lived longer in Beta Town to enhance your understanding of the Wizard World,” the Doctor said, adjusting his glasses and raising two fingers, ”Two reasons.”

”First, Beta Town is Alpha Fortress’s Beta Town, meaning, whether it’s the East Zone, West Zone, South Zone, or North District, whether convex or Dent Area, all are directly governed by Alpha... you can think of it as a ’school district’ where students living in North District actually have very limited choices.”

”And they actually look down upon wizards coming from other academies, like nineteenth-century impoverished nobles who scorned American tycoons, through a sort of murky disdain hierarchy,” Xin Fat Man added on the side.

Zheng Qing felt it somewhat incredible—no future left, and they still had the mindset to look down on others? Were their brains nibbled on by zombies?

Xiao Xiao did not interrupt Fat Man’s addition, and after he finished speaking, he lowered one finger and continued, ”Second, not everyone can be like Nicholas. Nicholas first became a student at First University and then had the privilege to choose his academy. And those young people we mentioned have not even crossed the threshold of First University.”

”Moreover, it is said... of course, this is only what I’ve heard.” Xin Fat Man carefully looked around and lowered his voice, ”It is said that Nicholas’s sister is highly talented... thus, you know, the school also took some care of him in a way.”

”That’s not fair,” muttered Zheng Qing.

”Fair? Psh, typical Jiuyou way of thinking,” Xiao Xiao dismissed Zheng Qing’s dilemma, ”To Alpha, fairness is actually a pseudo-concept, nothing is truly fair... compared to that, they care more about freedom, about justice.”

”Even if this freedom brings chaos, poverty, and despair?” Zheng Qing felt as if his worldview had been smeared with cow dung.

”They all have freedom, so how could they be desperate?” Xin Fat Man’s retort left Zheng Qing speechless.

”Hmm, this is the place,” Xiao Xiao stopped, interrupting the two’s discussion, and motioned for them to look up at the nameplate. It was only then that Zheng Qing noticed they had walked a long way inside Gu Diao Street.

At this moment, a two-story building with black tiles and white walls appeared in front of them. The quaintly designed wooden structure featured a small flower garden outside. Each corner of the garden bloomed with several cherry blossom trees. On the street side, there was a low brick fence, over a meter high—more for show than for security. The main gate in the center of the fence loomed large, feeling as high as two of himself to Zheng Qing.

The gate was constructed like an archway, with double doors, above which hung a copper bell.

Looking past the fence into the garden, there were no people, just the vibrant cherry blossoms, laying a thin carpet of flowers on the ground.

”This is the place,” Xiao Xiao pointed towards the nameplate on the wall, repeating what he had just said.

Zheng Qing focused his gaze, and on the nameplate, it clearly stated ’33 Gu Diao Street’ in bold lettering. Below, two lines of white smaller letters read.

The first line read ’First floor: Sakura Pub,’ the second line read ’Second floor: Jini’s Magic Cottage.’