Chapter 31: Ha!

“Still hasn’t shown up?”

Via was hiding in a tree, observing the situation outside the dormitory building.

It had been nearly a month since she became an adventurer.

During this time, she had continuously taken on various commissions from the Adventurer’s Guild, earning rewards by completing them.

She needed money, a lot of money.

Because she had taken on so many commissions, she had become somewhat famous in the Adventurer’s Guild, known as a super rookie.

But well…

Her name was already widely known, though in a negative sense.

Due to completing a large number of commissions, she had also promoted from the lowest D-class adventurer to C-class adventurer.

In this way, it matched her Bronze-level strength.

“Lately, Anima keeps giving me trouble; it’s just skipping a few classes, is it really necessary?”

Via muttered.

She felt a bit hungry, took out a chocolate energy bar, tore open the packaging, and bit into it.

After all, she was now a student and needed to complete many courses at Avalon Academy.

Since her current focus was on the Adventurer’s Guild, she had fallen behind in some coursework and received warnings from the academy.

“Ugh, really bad.”

Via stuck out her tongue.

The chocolate energy bar didn’t taste good; it was cheap stuff.

This month, she had been cutting back on her daily expenses.

Mainly because there was something she absolutely had to buy, and working so hard at the Adventurer’s Guild was for that.

She no longer went to the expensive school cafeteria, instead ordering—

Hao Pin Rice.

Yes.

Using the cheapest ingredients, adding a lot of seasonings to cover up the terrible taste, even the complimentary drink was a knockoff of a popular brand.

This kind of cheap takeout, even impoverished students wouldn’t order; it was something you could eat, but whether it would cause problems was up to fate.

The Holy Land’s saintess candidate actually buying the cheapest Hao Pin Rice.

If this got out, it would undoubtedly tarnish the Holy Land’s reputation and definitely make Belon furious.

Therefore, even when Via ordered Hao Pin Rice, she wouldn’t have it delivered to her door but left outside the dormitory building.

But starting from last week, something extremely strange had happened.

“Someone is actually stealing my Hao Pin Rice!”

Thinking of this, Via was so angry she nearly crushed the chocolate energy bar.

How could someone be so bad as to steal even Hao Pin Rice?

Today, she was squatting here to see who did it.

“Have you heard? Via has been going to the Adventurer’s Guild lately and become an adventurer.”

“Is there a need? She’s at least a saintess candidate from the Holy Land; why do something like this?”

“Probably preparing a backup plan; if she gets kicked out by the Holy Land later, she can only live by doing odd jobs for others, getting used to it early, how pitiful~ Hahaha~”

The glamorous noble young ladies happily teased Via as they prepared to enter the dormitory building.

Their conversation was all heard by the hidden Via.

She narrowed her eyes, glanced at the chocolate energy bar in her hand, and fell into thought.

“Hahaha——Ah!!”

The noble young lady who had been mocking Via had her laughter suddenly blocked by the chocolate energy bar stuffed into her mouth.

Her companions were stunned.

What’s going on? Where did it fly from?

“Cough cough cough, how dare you let this lady’s mouth touch such inferior food!! Come out!!” The noble young lady was so angry her face turned red.

The people nearby who saw this scene all snickered.

But no matter how the noble young lady raged, Via in the tree didn’t show herself, just happily observing.

Soon after, she continued watching the Hao Pin Rice.

From the time the delivery person left it until now, many students had passed by, and basically no one gave it a second glance.

If left like this any longer, it would get cold.

Avalon Academy students basically wouldn’t be interested in Hao Pin Rice; could it be that the Hao Pin Rice grew legs and ran away?

“Hm?”

Via blinked.

She noticed something unusual; a small black kitten ran up to the Hao Pin Rice and circled it several times.

Suddenly, the little kitten picked up the Hao Pin Rice in its mouth and turned to run.

“Cat!?”

Via was very surprised.

The one stealing her Hao Pin Rice was actually a cat?

This was something she really hadn’t expected.

After knowing who the culprit was, she jumped down from the tree and immediately chased after it.

This bad cat, she had to discipline it.

“Meow…?”

The little yellow cat seemed to notice someone chasing behind it and immediately changed direction, heading toward a more secluded path.

“No good, can’t catch up…”

Via’s stamina was starting to fail.

How could she not even outrun a cat?

Seeing the little yellow cat about to disappear from her sight, she raised her finger and released magic.

On the wall ahead, she set up a transparent ice crystal.

The little yellow cat jumped up, trying to shake Via off by going over the wall, and just happened to crash into the ice crystal.

“Meow!!”

The kitten let out a mournful cry and fell from mid-air.

“Hmph, still running?”

Via grabbed the little yellow cat by the scruff of its neck and lifted the little guy up.

“Meow meow! Meow meow meow!”

The little yellow cat struggled in terror, but with its scruff held, it couldn’t escape from Via’s hand.

“You bad cat, actually stealing my Hao Pin Rice and making me go hungry before?”

Via turned the little yellow cat to face her.

“Let me think about how to deal with you.”

“Ha!”

The little yellow cat’s fur bristled; it entered a stress state, hissing continuously at Via and swinging its paws, trying to attack her.

“Ha! Ha! Ha!”

Via controlled the distance well, not letting the little yellow cat reach her.

“You bad cat, caught in the act and not only showing no remorse but still trying to resist; looks like I have to make you experience what it means to learn your lesson.”

……

……

“Meow~”

The little yellow cat was lying on the ground, showing Via its soft belly to show weakness.

After being disciplined, it no longer dared to hiss, and even its eyes had become much clearer.

“Hm, that’s more like it.”

Via rubbed the little yellow cat’s belly, quite satisfied.

“Be a good cat from now on, okay.”

“Meow meow!” The little yellow cat nodded, seeming to understand Via’s words.

“Little guy, you’re pretty clever; I feel you have the potential to become a magical pet.”

“Meow?”

“…Never mind, how could the Demon King’s magical pet be a stray cat? Too undignified; I don’t want to be laughed at by others.”

Via smiled, placing the Hao Pin Rice in front of the little yellow cat.

“Then go ahead.”

“Meow?” The little yellow cat looked surprised.

“This, I don’t need it anymore,” Via said, “I won’t need to eat Hao Pin Rice from now on.”

“Meow meow?” The little yellow cat seemed to be asking why.

“Because the conditions are all met; today is—”

The corners of Via’s mouth curved into a mysterious arc.

Even though she was facing a little cat, she still announced in a tone full of ambition—

“The first step in my return to the path of the Demon King.”