High School of Demon Hunting

Chapter 2049: Chapter 270: The Middleman

The assignments Belfinger handed to the black cat weren’t difficult; as long as one diligently reviewed the textbook and reference materials, they could answer them. However, the process and answers were overly intricate, merely exercising the students’ patience without improving their magic abilities in the slightest.

Just like that question on drawing a star map.

These days, a standard star map drawn by a magical feather pen is sold at Green Grocery for five copper coins a large sheet. If it’s a specified star domain, you only need to pay an additional five copper coins, and the shopkeeper will thoughtfully add a soft edge to the star map—note that at the Yota restaurant in Beta Town, a small roast chicken sells for twenty-four copper coins, skin and bones included.

Besides the old scholars of First University, no one was using a brass telescope and feather pen, bending over parchment, and tracing the varied bright stars in the sky anymore.

Many students speculated privately that the reason the school retained such ancient and outdated learning methods was partly due to the inertia of tradition. On the other hand, it was also to drain the energy of young wizards with these detailed and complicated assignments, to prevent them from having too much free time to cause trouble around campus.

But these were not reasons for the black cat to help with the assignments.

Looking at the parchment filled with a dense mass of topics, the black cat almost waved its palm-sized paw to slap at the bird-headed mask in front of it—how could it finish other people’s assignments when it couldn’t even finish its own?

This bird brain is dreaming of peaches!

Only the fist-sized gold, shimmering under the moonlight, barely suppressed the black cat’s anger and prevented it from jumping up impulsively.

”I can’t even finish my own assignments.” The black cat coldly rejected.

Belfinger touched the long bird beak on the mask, looked down at the parchment, calculated quickly with his fingers, and finally tossed down a small piece of gold: ”There’s no more, these assignments are only worth this much gold... I’m very sincere.”

The black cat felt its pride being challenged, angrily raising its tail.

The Sin Bearer in the white mask quickly intervened: ”With the school holding the hunting contest recently, everyone’s time is tight... How about this, both parties compromise a bit, Belfinger gives more time, and our examinee shouldn’t give up all the previous effort over this small difficulty.”

The black cat silently rolled its eyes, wishing to tell this guy it hadn’t actually put in much effort before.

Belfinger, however, hesitated for a moment and then nodded slightly: ”Then extend it another week; the assignments must be submitted by Saturday the following week.”

The black cat twitched its ears, chuckled, and was about to refuse when suddenly a revelation came to mind, flashing through several thoughts.

”How do I know if this isn’t part of the examination?”

It skillfully displayed the cunning of a cat: ”... Facing the test of the ’Lazy One,’ the correct answer should be ’I’m too lazy to help you write’ right?”

Bang!

”Absolutely correct!”

The wizard in the bird-head mask snapped his fingers, gleefully concluded: ”Answer completely correct... Merlin Above, you’re smarter than any cat I’ve seen... Congratulations, you’ve passed my examination!”

The black cat flicked its tail in surprise.

This was not what it had expected.

”However!”

Belfinger slightly increased his tone, squatted in front of the black cat, played with the two pieces of gold on the ground, his voice full of temptation: ”The tasks represented by these pieces of gold are not false... If you wish... these pieces of gold can still be yours.”

”Ahem.”

The wizard with the white mask softly coughed, interrupting: ”Just to confirm, tonight’s examination has indeed concluded... My candidate has passed your examination, correct?”

”No doubt!” Belfinger affirmed unequivocally.

The Sin Bearer shrugged, donned his hood: ”In that case... there’s nothing more for me here... I wish you a pleasant transaction.”

Before the words finished, he had already transformed into a scattering of light fragments, disappearing into the deep night.

The black cat glanced at the still-settling light fragments, then at the pieces of gold shining even more than them, and finally looked at the bird man squatting beside.

”Deal.”

It raised its paw and pressed onto the two pieces of gold, agreeing hoarsely: ”Since you’re so sincere... Coincidentally, due to the school’s hunting contest, there are fewer tasks in the lab... I can take this opportunity to reinforce some of the magic knowledge from when I was in school.”

Bang!

Belfinger raised his hand and high-fived the black cat to seal the deal, nodding with satisfaction: ”It’s a win-win night... By the way, a friendly reminder, when impersonating a researcher next time, be sure not to contradict what you said before.”

With that, he adjusted the sharp beak on his mask—as old-school wizards adjust the brim of their pointed hats—then leapt away, disappearing swiftly among the lush tree shadows.

The black cat blinked and stood stunned for quite a while.

After carefully reflecting on the previous conversation, it finally realized its mistake—that a researcher shouldn’t have unfinished assignments.

Of course, this slight misstep didn’t impact the black cat’s gains tonight.

It felt it had gained far more than those two pieces of gold.

Only a pity, this smug thought was ruthlessly shattered early the next morning by Doctor Xiao.

”This isn’t a single person’s assignment.”

Doctor Xiao carefully examined the parchment and gave his opinion: ”It includes extracurricular problems from four-year Magic Universe Study, first-year Modern History of Magic content, and our second-year Magic Potion class homework... Don’t you recognize the words White Dew? We just learned last month!”

Last month?

Stuffed full of all sorts of chaotic matters every day—especially with the school’s hunting contest this month—Zheng Qing felt last month was already a lifetime ago.

”So, there’s no way to identify the issuer through these assignments?” The young cost students seemed a bit dejected.

”Everyone’s possible.” The doctor replied tactfully, meanwhile curiously shaking the parchment: ”Where did you find this?”

”A very old bulletin board near the Cat Fruit Tree,” Zheng Qing said vaguely, stealing a glance at the short warlock: ”These assignments, the other party is willing to pay twenty gold beans...”

”Truly extravagant.” The Diviner of Absolution commented like this: ”These topics, with a little effort, don’t even require checking materials; a bit of extracurricular time can accomplish them.”

That’s easy for you not needing to check materials, the young cost student grumbled inwardly.

”Probably a ragtag hunting team needs time for training, so they pooled funds to have someone else do the assignments.” Zheng Qing vaguely guessed, then looked expectantly at Xiao Xiao: ”... How about I pass this task to you?”