Chapter 174: Hunger

“Home, huh…”

The White Fox Girl nodded noncommittally, not wanting to extend the topic any further. Instead, she playfully rubbed the head of the Little Loli beside her and asked with a smile,

“What do you think of this place, Eudora?”

Although Edwina’s eyebrows raised slightly, as if she sensed something, the naïve Little Loli naturally couldn’t pick up on adult nuances. She thought for a moment and nodded earnestly.

“It’s amazing! The ground is so clean, the air smells of grass and flowers, making me remember how it feels to be by Sister Tilysha’s side, and there are so many little birds in the trees… Everyone here must be very kind, right?”

The Little Loli took a few steps to the side, pointed to a small pond surrounded by white stone railings, then turned back with a bright smile that revealed her pearly white teeth.

“After all, look, the fish in the water aren’t afraid of me!”

“Fish…?”

Upon hearing this, both Miss White Fox and Edwina exchanged glances, then looked towards the water surface that Eudora pointed at. Indeed, there were at least a dozen shimmering fish gathered near the shore, staring wide-eyed at the three, blowing bubbles.

However, it didn’t take long for Vilyric to figure it out.

It was probably because the students from the Holy Academy often came here to feed the fish, along with the birds and small animals living in the ecological area, hence why they were so friendly, gathering whenever they saw a living creature, eagerly waiting for a free meal.

Though it was a bit naive and presumptuous, in a certain light, Eudora wasn’t entirely wrong in what she said.

The cultural environment of a school and the atmosphere emitted by every blade of grass and tree can indeed reflect something about the place.

Before Vilyric could speak, the Holy Knight, acting as a tour guide, shook her head helplessly.

“This really does remind me… There used to be students gathering in small groups to either feed the stray cats or practice playing music by the pond, casually tossing in some bait while they were at it.”

“I heard that in the past, some students even formed clubs like ‘Furry Lovers’ and ‘Aquarium Fish Research Club,’ and quite a number of people participated in them. I don’t know if they’re still active now.”

“Your students at the Holy Academy really seem to have a leisurely time…”

But, honestly, that was quite nice.

A casual chat that didn’t require wasting any time, after casually tossing some crushed biscuit crumbs to the eagerly waiting big fish, the three continued along the winding paths of the campus.

Until…

“Grumble ~”

A faint, but impossible to ignore sound came from somewhere nearby.

Miss White Fox turned her head and saw the pink-haired Little Loli holding her stomach, awkwardly turning her gaze away, too shy to meet her eyes…

“Hungry?”

After hesitating for a long moment, Eudora finally nodded slightly and admitted in a voice barely above a whisper.

“A little bit…”

Knowing what caused this situation, Vilyric didn’t mind. She turned to the blonde girl who was curiously observing and exchanged a glance.

“Since we’re at the academy, there must be a cafeteria, right? Can we outsiders eat there?”

“Ah? Um, normally it’s not allowed, since the academy needs to ensure the food safety of the students. But Miss Xī… What I mean is, it’s just for a meal, so it’s completely fine!”

As Edwina, who had been observing the starving Eudora with a furrowed brow, seemed to be contemplating something and almost slipped up, she quickly cleared her throat and pointed in a direction down the campus path.

“Please follow me. There are several public cafeterias in the academy, and one of them is quite close. By the way, it’s my favorite one!”

Under the Holy Knight’s familiar guidance, the three quickly exited the tranquil forest path and moved onto the main road of the academy, heading towards the place Edwina mentioned.

Unbeknownst to whether it was from the change in schedule, by the time they reached the main road, the number of people around began to noticeably increase as students finished their classes.

Most of them were young people dressed in uniforms similar to what the Holy Knight wore, clearly students of the Holy Academy.

As Edwina had described, humans made up less than half of this academy, while the rest… From Vilyric’s observation, nearly half of them were mixed-race individuals with various peculiar traits, lacking any apparent pattern. The other half mainly consisted of the primary races from various regions across the continent.

There were beastmen, demons, snow tribes, winged people, tree spirits, and other bizarre creatures that, although Vilyric couldn’t recognize, were likely small races from remote areas. She even spotted a Light Tribe member similar to Captain of the Guards Amy from the Lingyin Merchant Association earlier.

There was no way to miss that hair that shimmered like light; it was just too distinctive.

However, the Light Tribe girl passing by wasn’t dressed like regular students, but looked more like a researcher from the academy, sporting heavy dark circles under her eyes—clearly an all-nighter warrior.

Unfortunately, she didn’t seem interested in Vilyric and her companions, just clutching a sealed bag probably filled with documents, hurriedly disappearing around the corner.

But the other students didn’t have such carefree attitudes. Including the somewhat famous Miss Edwina in her luxurious red and white witch outfit, along with the Little Loli she was holding, the trio quickly became the center of attention for students on their break.

Luckily, most of the students here were quite well-mannered. Though they cast curious and surprised glances, seeing Miss Edwina standing beside the Little Loli with the six-winged Holy Emblem hanging on her chest, nobody actually rushed over to strike up a conversation.

Smoothly, the three arrived near the cafeteria mentioned by the Holy Knight.

It was called a cafeteria, but it was nothing like Vilyric’s preconceived notion of a vast hall with long lines for food. The environment, just from the exterior, exuded an elegant taste.

This was a “Bamboo House” built deep in a bamboo forest.

Thick, green bamboo shoots formed walls and even beams; the entire bamboo house was only one story high, covering an area of several hundred square meters. Calling it a cafeteria made it sound more like a uniquely designed private restaurant.

In fact, ever since Edwina led them into this bamboo grove, the flow of people around them immediately decreased noticeably, and even the sunlight filtering through the sky became faintly visible among the dappled bamboo shadows, possessing a serene beauty.

Before reaching the entrance of the Bamboo House, Vilyric looked up at the sign written in the common language of the Holy Nation.

It read: 【Bamboo House】.

   

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