"Take it, Luo Wei. This is Arvic's blessing for you. He won't interfere with your life. Keep this gift well; you might need it someday."
Headmaster Morrison seemed to be hinting at something.
Although Luo Wei found it odd, she still followed his advice and carefully stored the gift.
The laurel branch was placed by her dormitory window to dry, intending to preserve it as dried flowers.
Laurel leaves indeed symbolize power and honor, but they also represent love.
According to legend, the Sun God Apollo fell in love with the nymph Daphne, who was wandering in the forest. However, Daphne admired the Moon Goddess and had no intention of marrying Apollo.
Apollo pursued Daphne, but fearing the burning flames within him, she sought help from the river god and was transformed into a laurel tree.
The Sun God Apollo, pained by this unrequited love, vowed to make the laurel tree evergreen and eternal. He adorned his crown with laurel leaves, turning them into a symbol of honor ever since.
Luo Wei understood the meaning of laurel leaves and could grasp the Headmaster's implication. What she couldn't understand was why Arvic would express romantic feelings toward her.
After all, they had only met twice. Could it be that Westerners also had the tradition of marrying a woman just because she showed a bit of shoulder?
Could a Holy Knight really be so simple-minded?
Luo Wei was more inclined to believe that Arvic was testing her. Who knew if that necklace was engraved with some kind of magical rune for eavesdropping?
On the afternoon of the day the Holy Knight left, the death squad regrouped, now with an additional member.
"Miss Luo Wei, hello. I'm Laura."
Laura had already heard from Theodore about the events of the past two days and had a favorable impression of Luo Wei.
"Just call me Luo Wei, Senior Laura," Luo Wei said warmly.
"Why so formal? I just call people by their names," Theodore said, poking Laura's back. "Hey, Laura, where have you been hiding these past few days? You look so refreshed. Been eating well, huh?"
Laura's paw blurred into motion, and with a loud "smack," she slapped Theodore's hand away. Catching a glimpse of the others, she stiffened and shyly tucked her paw behind her.
"I-I've been staying at a farm in the suburbs these past few days," Laura said softly. "There were a lot of chicks on the farm, so I brought my own chicks there too."
As she spoke, she licked her sharp little canine tooth, her eyes sparkling with happiness.
Luo Wei noticed her actions and felt a jolt in her heart.
Why did this look so suspicious?
Loving to eat chicken—could she be a fox demon?
"Aren't cats supposed to catch mice? Why are you always eating chicken?" Theodore quickly revealed Laura's secret, saving Luo Wei from further speculation. "And you didn't even invite me to eat. I'm going to report you to the Headmaster for secretly raising hens in the dormitory to hatch eggs!"
Laura snorted, "Go ahead and report me. The Headmaster already said no raising chickens. I've long since sent them to the farm."
"You gave them to the farm without letting me eat any?" Theodore was indignant. His stomach had been growling for days. "Go get them back. I'll help you raise them."
"I won't," Laura distanced herself from him. "I've already sold them to the farmer. I'm saving up for next semester's tuition."
Theodore clutched his hair. "Then what are you eating now?"
"I can catch little birds to eat."
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Theodore was heartbroken. If only he could catch birds too, but all he knew was how to dig up tree roots!
Luo Wei was still reeling from the revelation that Laura was a cat beast. Her mind was filled with images of a fat orange cat stealing chicks, so she didn't notice Theodore's despair.
Gladys, on the other hand, couldn't understand why Theodore was so poor. Didn't his family prepare some gold coins for him when he came ashore?
Only Hol watched the bickering pair with a smile, occasionally stepping in to mediate. He advised Laura to cherish small animals and not catch birds, while telling Theodore to endure his hunger—it would pass.
Hol had already secured a long-term meal ticket. Now, everything seemed amusing to him—the blue sky, the green water, even Laura and Theodore's arguments.
Hol successfully diverted their conflict, leading Laura and Theodore to gang up on him instead.
Gladys, observing their antics, eventually untied her money pouch from her waist. "I have money. I'll lend it to you. Stop arguing."
Luo Wei also came back to her senses and suggested a solution. "Escore Dessert Shop is hiring part-time workers. Thirty copper coins a day. You two can give it a try."
Laura and Theodore turned to her in unison. "Really?"
Luo Wei nodded. "Really."
She just needed to inform Teresa and get them hired.
Theodore, impulsive and strong-handed—oh no, strong-handed—could work in the kitchen as an egg beater.
Laura, gentle and nimble with her feline paws, could work as a maid serving dishes in the shop.
"Great!" Theodore and Laura cheered, then looked at Gladys. "Gladys, can we borrow a silver coin each? We'll pay you back once we earn money from the job."
"Okay."
Gladys lent each of them a silver coin.
By evening, dark clouds had rolled across the sky, and the world grew dim.
A cold wind howled, and icy snowflakes began to fall from the sky.
The roses in the garden had long withered. Only a few late bloomers swayed in the wind and snow, adding a touch of color to the lonely, desolate winter night.
Luo Wei shut the doors and windows tightly and drew the curtains.
The castle in winter shed its romantic facade, becoming gloomy and cold. Even the oil lamp on her desk seemed about to be extinguished by the chill emanating from the stone walls.
Nicole lay curled up in the little woolen nest Luo Wei had made for her, appearing to have gone into hibernation.
Spiders are cold-blooded creatures and cannot move when the temperature is too low. Although Nicole was an undead spider, she still retained habits from her previous life.
In the past few days, with the Holy Knights around, Luo Wei had been afraid they might sense the undead and hadn't dared to summon Nicole. But today, as soon as she brought her out, it started snowing, leaving the little creature frozen stiff.
Luo Wei added two layers of woolen cloth to Nicole's nest, then blew out the oil lamp and crawled into her cold bed.
In her dream, it was snowing too.
A thick layer of snow blanketed the garden, like a pristine white carpet.
Luo Wei saw a white-haired girl sitting by the flowerbed, her shoulders covered in snowflakes.
"Gladys?"
She called out, but the girl did not respond.
Curious, Luo Wei walked over and tapped her on the shoulder. "Gladys, why are you sitting here?"
"Crack—"
Gladys turned her stiff neck, her bloodshot eyes meeting Luo Wei's. She opened her mouth and spewed a mouthful of black blood.
Startled, Luo Wei stepped back, and the scene before her suddenly changed.
She saw flames engulfing a frail little girl. Heavy rain poured from the sky, and black clouds and water swallowed Siria. Countless undead swarmed into the city, vying for the shattered soul of the little girl.
The little girl devoured these undead, and a wicked demon was born.
The church sent Holy Knights to eradicate the demon. They searched house by house in the city, eventually reaching the Magic Academy.
A sword pierced through Gladys's chest. Black octopus tentacles were severed and scattered, the succubus's wings melted by holy water, and the lich severed its own arm before diving into the swamp...
In an instant, the academy was littered with corpses—some familiar, some not.
Luo Wei took another step back, and the scene shifted again.
In the dead of night, a foul-smelling sludge monster entered the city.
It was Troy. He killed the creature and cut open its belly, revealing several partially digested corpses.
The city lord, woken by the guards in the middle of the night, hurried over and recognized the accessories on one of the corpses. It was determined to be a princess from the North.
In a flash, the original owner of the body was hanged on the gallows.
It was only early autumn, yet the Holy Knights had already arrived.
They investigated the city and entered Siria Magic Academy, where they detected a non-human presence.
Gladys died. Axina escaped with the help of her guards. Theodore and Hol’s fates remained unchanged, except now the Holy Knights had captured a large orange cat alive. They were discussing how to tame this feline beast into a docile mount.