Chapter 176: The Regulars of Non-Humans

To be honest, Vilyric really didn’t care much.

Rather, as a member of the Divine race, she had no strong cravings for food; eating was just a means to satisfy her occasional desire for taste. She preferred light and refreshing dishes, and it was also true that she wasn’t fond of meat.

Eudora was somewhat similar; having grown up in poverty, she wasn’t picky about food at all. She would eat whatever was available, being quite obedient and understanding.

The reason she wasn’t speaking was merely because the Priestess was curious about the ins and outs of the bamboo house, particularly the unique owner named Alwen, leading her to subconsciously ponder some things.

First, one thing could be confirmed.

This Alwen was definitely not an ordinary human, or rather, she wasn’t human at all.

Because there was no sensation of blood flowing through her body like a normal organism, Vilyric couldn’t hear her heartbeat or breathing. Although she looked just like a human with her limbs and facial features, normal humans surely wouldn’t lack those characteristics.

Since she appeared in the Holy Empire’s Holy Academy, it couldn’t possibly be an undead creature. It was somewhat like a spirit doll, but even magical puppeteers needed liquid organization for lubrication and operation, so that could be ruled out. In that case…

【Bamboo House】… perhaps a certain type of creature related to bamboo? A phantom, or a manifestation of some sort?

Regardless of the truth, Vilyric was certain she was encountering this type of “being” for the first time.

While mulling this over, Vilyric simply comforted a somewhat embarrassed Holy Knight beside her and casually handed the menu to Eudora, letting her choose her preferred dishes before returning it to the now impatient Miss Alwen.

After that, the three girls temporarily left the counter and found a spot to sit, casually chatting while waiting for their food to be prepared.

Uncertain if it was Vilyric’s group’s arrival that added some liveliness to the secluded cabin, or if it was simply a meal rush, a couple of academy students came to the 【Bamboo House】 one after another, making the surroundings much more bustling than before.

From Vilyric’s previous observation, it seemed that Alwen was the only staff member in the entire bamboo house; there wasn’t even a single assistant. This left Miss White Fox feeling a bit curious about how the mysterious owner could manage both cooking the food and attending to the stream of guests.

Soon, she got her answer.

Newly arrived students approached the ordering area, skillfully shook the bamboo bell hanging at the counter, producing a crisp sound. In mere seconds, Alwen reappeared at the counter, engaging with them in her usual indifferent manner.

Hmm? Doesn’t she need to tend to the stove? Is she that confident in her skills? But what if there are more customers…

Wait…

Miss White Fox felt a subtle shift in her mind, having sharply sensed something unusual.

This Alwen… is not the same as the previous Alwen.

They were wearing different clothes.

The Alwen who had just yawned at the counter should have been wearing an apron with a bamboo-like green hairpin holding her hair up.

But the new Alwen was dressed more appropriately in a teal-colored dress resembling a uniform for receiving guests, her teal hair flowing freely without any restraints.

Normal people wouldn’t switch outfits so drastically in a short time. Not to mention, Alwen should be busy cooking the food they ordered earlier.

Does Alwen… have two versions?

As if sensing the bewildered look from the White Fox Girl towards the counter, Miss Edwina sitting across from her quickly spoke up to explain.

“Oh… Miss Xī noticed too, huh? The Alwen who just appeared is indeed different from the previous one. Actually, the answer is quite simple. The Alwen we saw before and the current one are not the real Alwen, but rather… um, it might be easier to understand if I say they are her constructs?”

“To run this Bamboo House by herself, Alwen decided to take this approach.”

As if afraid of being overheard by others, the Holy Knight, dressed in black and white uniform, covered her mouth and added in a whisper.

“Actually, Alwen…”

“Edwina? What are you doing here?”

“…?”

Suddenly interrupted by a male voice, the two girls who were discussing something crucial fell silent.

Seemingly annoyed, Edwina frowned and looked at the newcomer, while Eudora, seated beside Miss White Fox, also glared with her light purple eyes, evidently perturbed.

Casting a sidelong glance, Vilyric assessed the young man standing beside their table, dressed in a Holy Academy student uniform with a four-winged Holy Emblem hanging in front.

An acquaintance of Edwina…

If not, he wouldn’t have so rudely approached them and directly called out someone’s name. On appearance alone, he looked to be about the same age as Edwina.

Indeed, after making eye contact with the blonde young man, the Holy Knight frowned again, and as if nothing had happened, she kept a tone that was neither warm nor cold and calmly said.

“Ah, it’s you, Yulrin Ulysses. What brings you here to greet me?”

“I’m asking you why you’re here?”

The blonde young man’s confrontational tone made even the good-natured Edwina’s forehead twitch with a few lines of annoyance. Eudora instinctively shrank closer to the White Fox Girl’s embrace, while Vilyric gently patted her back to soothe her.

With the other party being so aggressive and right in front of a Priestess, naturally, the Holy Knight wouldn’t back down either, promptly retorting.

“I, Edwina Cecelia, don’t need to report to the Ulysses family where I choose to show up. If you’re just here to pick a fight, you can leave now. It’s been a long time since we’ve seen each other, and I don’t want to stir up trouble in front of our esteemed guests. I advise you to behave.”

Listening to the sarcastic yet slightly threatening retort from the blonde girl, the young man named Yulrin didn’t respond as Vilyric had imagined, raising his voice further. Instead, he appeared momentarily taken aback and nodded as if deep in thought.

“Such pointed words. It’s hard to believe they come from that lonely, old-fashioned girl I once knew. It seems the past two years have helped you grow a lot. No wonder you’ve become the acting leader of the 【Judgment Scale】 and Deputy Commander of the Holy War at only near twenty years old; you’ve certainly lived up to your family name…”

Huh? So “old-fashioned” is a shared nickname? Or does this guy actually have a close relationship with Edwina?

Just as someone was pondering these odd thoughts, Yulrin suddenly shifted the topic.

“But since you still remember your last name of Cecelia, understand you have received the supreme blessings as a child of the goddess, and are now a leader of the Holy War! Why are you here, in this crucial moment before the storm, joking around with that strange-masked woman while eating and having fun, instead of focusing on the Holy War preparations?”

“Don’t you know that the army will march out in just a few days? What will others think of you?!”

“?”

Wait a minute…

No, I was just quietly eating popcorn on the side! Why am I being dragged into this mess?

So what’s so strange about that?!

   

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