TBR CH195

Roland could think of a hundred reasons to stop himself from doing such a foolish thing.

But half a minute later, the black cat still held a registration form in its mouth, using its tail to curl a quill pen and scribble on it. The name field defaulted to the player’s game ID, the race was “Purebred Animal,” and on the right was an automatically drawn portrait of the participant, a black cat with round, amber-like pupils.

As for the skills section, Roland filled it in carefully.

“Good at dodging, possesses some self-preservation ability—”

This sentence probably wouldn’t be believed and didn’t constitute core competitiveness. The black cat hesitated, its fluffy tail nimbly hooked, and then it wrote: “Can shape its tail into a heart.”

No matter how you looked at it, this resume was ridiculous.

Roland took a deep breath, then moved to the next question, “Reason for applying,” which was an easy one. The Grand Master typed a long string of admiring words for the Demon King Kriesmeier without hesitation, the wording so enthusiastic it practically described the terrifying Demon King as a Prince Charming.

Considering the organizers of this competition, he also carefully added template answers like “can earn a lot of money” and “can improve status in the Demon King’s City.”

It looked like nothing but utter nonsense.

…And was it truly competitive? He had a feeling it would be eliminated in the first round.

Browse through the completed registration form, the black cat mewed, racking its brains, and finally retreated in frustration, imprinting its paw print in the signature field of the registration form. Golden cat paw prints appeared on the gilded paper, and black flames licked away the paper from bottom to top. As the paper vanished, the contract was officially deemed established.

In the real world, the human couldn’t help but cover his face with his hand.

No. Roland thought, he knew this would happen. Given the chance, he absolutely couldn’t draw a clear line with anything related to Kriesmeier. Even though he and the Demon King should maintain distance, any thought of getting closer only added to his troubles.

He controlled the black cat on the screen to take a step back.

Anyway, it would be a long time before all contestants were recruited, and even longer before he saw Kriesmeier… He might as well let nature take its course.

The conspicuous palace of the Lord of Lust was left behind.

Ignoring this small interlude, the black cat embarked on its journey.

Therefore, Roland didn’t notice that the low-level demons still posting posters everywhere simultaneously looked at the black cat’s departing back with a sense of relief.

Hilda felt refreshed.

She had buried someone yesterday and was still in a good mood. She hummed a cursed tune as she surveyed the room. The Chief Mage’s tasks were heavy; half-calculated elemental balance tables and magic circles needing debugging were scattered everywhere.

She should have spent a lot of time on work, but Witch Hilda decided to bear the guilt of skipping work and enjoy the morning walk in the forest with her pet python.

The python seemed to cower a little as they approached the Archmage Tower’s main gate.

Apprentice Witch Anna was squatting by the door, blocking the view.

“What’s wrong?” Hilda asked gracefully and solemnly.

Anna looked up in fright when she heard the sound, her pigtails falling down her neck. She stammered “nothing” while desperately trying to cover up something behind her, seeming to imply something with gestures. The large python looked even more dispirited; it hissed, flicking its tongue, and retracted its head into Hilda’s neck.

But this apparently seemed like a threat to Anna.

She quickly glanced at something behind her, then tried to reach out and pick it up. However, her efforts ultimately failed; the furry fur of that thing quickly brushed past her fingertips, leaving no tangible feeling.

“Oh dear,” Anna looked awkwardly at Hilda. By this time, the thing she had been shielding was revealed in its true form.

A black cat with amber eyes.

It stood gracefully on the ground and “meowed” at Hilda.

Anna earnestly defended it, “Miss Hilda, it’s just a lost kitten, not dangerous at all. It will go back to the forest, so please don’t mind its intrusion, especially your… beloved pet.”

The python heard this and coiled restlessly around Hilda’s neck for a small half-circle.

Anna waited for a long time without receiving Hilda’s answer. She looked up in confusion and saw the Chief Witch standing petrified, staring at the kitten as if it were a secret weapon sent by a hostile evil force. She felt as cold as the python’s scales, stammering for a long time before cautiously saying:

“Mentor, actually I… um, I reflect, I shouldn’t have left the Archmage Tower without finishing my experiment report. My recent practice has also occasionally been negligent, and I haven’t had time to research the second-tier form of space-time magic. I didn’t expect you to come personally…”

Hilda’s attitude was like a preparatory student whose homework was suddenly checked.

The black cat “meowed” again.

“Alright,” Hilda had to admit, “I didn’t expect you to still be alive.”

Anna felt her toes nailed to the ground. She stared blankly at her hands, processing the meaning of this conversation in her mind.

She knew that Archmage Roland had intervened in the event that intertwined with her destiny twenty years ago. But when she arrived at the tea party, the hurried Archmage had already left. Amidst the fireflies dancing in the Elf Forest, she had never once seen the true face of the so-called saint. Hilda’s series of legendary stories about the Archmage only deepened her reverence for this person.

The black cat she just tried to touch with her hands was… the legendary Saint Roland?

Now, the python’s attitude was very clear. The entire large python clung tightly to Hilda, shivering as it tried to look away into the darkness like a camel, attempting to bluff its way through by pretending not to see.

Anna worried the python would harm the black cat, but clearly, the roles of predator and prey had reversed.

Half an hour later, the black cat sat in the main seat of the tea party. Hilda had to comfort and pull the coiled-up python off herself, but the witch’s expression became uncharacteristically uplifted, looking at the black cat with awe.

The black cat sipped a small amount of black tea.

Mixed with a potion that allowed animals to speak, the tea didn’t taste very good.

“I’m sorry, this time the commotion is a bit big,”

Hilda glanced at the tearoom door. Outside, numerous shadows overlapped, and occasionally, sounds of “Where’s the mentor?”, “I should be the one standing here,” and “Please let me see him” could be heard. Attempts to close the door were futile. That the crazy students weren’t pushing their way in was already a result of Hilda maintaining order.

“It’s fine,” the black cat said.

This sentence caused another commotion outside the room. Hilda heard the whooshing sounds of spells.

“Do you mean you plan to stay here for a while?” the witch said. “That’s certainly fine. The outside world won’t know your whereabouts, and we are all looking forward to your return. The apprentices outside have always believed you were still alive.”

“I’m also very interested in their progress over these thirty years,” the black cat said with a smile.

The commotion outside was no longer surprising. But this time, many rapid footsteps were heard; it seemed some students hastily ran back to their rooms, eager to consult their spell books.

“But why did the mentor suddenly decide to return?”

Hilda cautiously probed, “And does His Majesty the Demon King know about your itinerary? I can also prepare the Archmage Tower to host the Demon King—”

“He doesn’t know.”

The response was very calm.

Hilda’s heart sank halfway. She began calculating the level of attack the Archmage Tower could currently withstand. However, the Grand Master added in a timely manner: “Don’t worry, he won’t come looking for me.”

When the topic shifted, the black cat suddenly became listless, even its fur losing its luster. Its amber eyes dimmed. For a black cat, this was a sight that made everyone who saw it unable to remain indifferent. Although Hilda felt something was off, who wouldn’t feel bad for a stray cat that looked as if it had been drenched in rain?

Hilda looked at Roland with sympathy.

“That’s too much,”

She said, “The Demon King clearly promised to kill the mentor himself, and now he can’t even keep his promise. How could he be like this? If you die for some other reason, let him regret it then.”

Her comforting logic was clearly deeply influenced by the Grand Master.

“It’s not like that,”

Roland sighed, and finally explained with difficulty, “I made Kriesmeier forget me. He has no impression of me whatsoever now. He doesn’t even know who I am, so there’s certainly no obsession.”

“Then… did His Majesty the Demon King allow you to do that?”

The black cat sat motionless in place, its amber eyes staring unblinkingly ahead.

The answer was self-evident.

“He won’t suffer,” Roland said, “because he doesn’t care about me anymore.”

Hilda couldn’t find the right words to describe her current feelings. After thinking it over, the most apt three words were “It’s over.”

In the brief silence that filled the room, as if for an emergency, several crisp taps came from the window. Both teacher and apprentice turned their gaze to the transparent glass. Outside, a crow was tapping on the window frame with its beak.

The crow held a parchment in its talons.

This method of delivering messages was particularly unique, but not unfamiliar to Roland. Although the Archmage Tower wasn’t located in the exiled lands of the continent like the Demon King’s City, it was still quite remote. Therefore, the Tower had its own unique information gathering channels. Crows were the messengers for mages and witches, bringing news from all corners of the continent.

However, this was not the usual time for crows to arrive.

Directly tapping on the Chief Witch’s window also indicated that it was an urgent message.

As if to ease the tense atmosphere, Hilda hastily rose and went to the window. She opened a small crack, the crow shoved the parchment into her hand, then perched on a prepared roost. Hilda blinked apologetically at the Grand Master, then began to read the letter.

The black cat wagged its tail, snatching a donut.

But before the game character could gobble down this sugar-overloaded snack, Roland saw Hilda raise her eyes, looking at him as if a great disaster was about to strike.

Then she unfolded the letter; the bolded title was very conspicuous.

“—Demon King Kriesmeier Twice Attacked Kingdom Fountain Square”

The donut almost dropped to the ground.

Fortunately, the Grand Master used magic as naturally as drinking water; a levitation spell saved the pastry at the last moment.

“Mentor,” Hilda said, “I certainly wasn’t questioning the efficacy of your magic…”

The black cat used its tail to fold the letter, then lightly jumped onto the tea party table. In the morning light, its thin ears appeared brightly translucent, and the sunlight rolled a golden edge onto the black cat.

“Very bad,” Roland judged.

Witch Hilda’s face grew even paler. She placed her hands flat on her knees, trying to appear steady and reliable in front of her mentor, awaiting his next judgment of the situation.

The Grand Master’s voice sounded truly dejected; the black cat’s ears drooped:

“For the current Kriesmeier, even gems are more important than me.”

Hilda was about to gravely analyze the current situation with her mentor. After Roland’s return, the Archmage Tower’s leadership would naturally revert to this renowned genius. She was about to agree with Roland’s analysis when her brain suddenly froze, trying to process the meaning of his previous words.

…She began to wonder if it would be more appropriate to invite the Grand Master to their tea party themed “A Maiden’s Love Troubles.”

Hilda dispelled the fantasies in her mind and shivered.

“Men-mentor,” she stammered, “You must be joking.”

Appropriately enough, the black cat smiled at her.

This time, Roland’s voice returned to normal, seemingly defaulting that the previous statement was just a joke, and began to concisely arrange the next steps:

“Since that’s the case, we probably all need to go to the Kingdom. However, I originally came to you for this very reason. You probably haven’t forgotten the Hero you buried underground. Well done, he also happens to be in the Kingdom. I hope you can cooperate with me…”

The black cat’s arrival at the Archmage Tower was this morning’s event.

Last night, it first made a trip to the Kingdom. It had to be said, Hilda had gone all out, finding a good eternal resting place for the Hero, which was a continuous graveyard.

In the dim night, this place appeared particularly eerie, with occasional hoots of owls. The black cat followed the coordinates, lightly stepping onto the target area.

“I think I’m above your head.”

Black Cat 538647’s remark didn’t sound very polite.

But Bai Shi didn’t care about such trivialities. He stared idly at the dark screen in reality, wanting to pass the time by Browse his phone, but his attention always involuntarily drifted to “Abyss Continent.” He truly hated that vicious woman Hilda; he wished he could regain his freedom right now and fiercely retaliate against this arrogant witch.

“Excellent, hurry, hurry!”

Connecting with the only friend in the game world, as if finally seeing hope of rescue, Bai Shi was ecstatic: “Dig me out, don’t let me fall into that woman’s clutches again.”

Roland didn’t respond immediately. Instead, he controlled the black cat to survey the surroundings with satisfaction, once again feeling that he should praise his excellent student.

The soil remaining on the ground was not fresh earth, but grass identical to the surrounding graves, which looked like it had covered the area for several years. The black cat tried to dig at the grass, but using only the strength of a purebred animal, this was an almost impossible, massive undertaking. Only a shallow scratch mark was left on the ground.

“Sorry,” Roland simply burst the Son of Fortune’s bubble, “I’m afraid I can’t…”

“Impossible.”

Bai Shi’s first reaction was denial. He urged almost obsessively, “Try it, how will you know if you don’t try? If you save me, I’ll give you the divine gear I found.”

The black cat walked through the moonlit graveyard, its amber eyes reflecting the quiet surroundings, surprisingly fitting the environment.

It tilted its head. It was indeed difficult for a small cat to physically dig such a deep pit.

…Although if he really wanted to dig, he’d only need one spell.

Roland sighed. He tentatively fixed on a spot, then began to dig the soil with his claws. In the deep grave, the Hero was in a comatose state, but Bai Shi had adjusted his computer’s volume to the maximum and could clearly hear a faint rustling sound. This faint, almost silkworm-eating-mulberry-leaves sound indeed gave him some comfort of being saved.

But the sound finally stopped.

“There’s an iron plate,” Bai Shi then received a message from the black cat, concisely explaining the predicament it encountered. “It’s not buried deep, but I can’t dig you out without dealing with it.”

The black cat waved its paw, its claws scratching the iron plate, emitting a hollow metallic sound.

“…Impossible.”

Bai Shi quickly sent this message, but then couldn’t type out the next sentence for a long time.

“I can only help you to this point,” Roland’s message popped up again, revealing a sense of helplessness to Bai Shi. Bai Shi had originally placed all his hope on the other’s help, and now began to resent the other’s powerlessness.

He completely forgot that he had initially exchanged friends with Black Cat 538647 precisely because the other was weak, driven by a sense of superiority.

“Why don’t you ask others for help?”

Roland asked, “For example, post a help request on the forum, under the guise of a bounty, that way you can attract more people.”

Bai Shi certainly wanted to do so, but the system’s repeated warnings made him hesitate about this idea.

“If you’re unwilling to contact others, I can still help.”

The black cat finally said what he had been waiting for, “However, I need some more realistic compensation, and I also need time to figure out a method. It’s already very late, sorry, I’m almost logging off. You can think about it some more.”

—This was the brief conversation with the Son of Fortune before the black cat arrived at the Archmage Tower.

There was no need to solve the problem, just to plant a seed in the other person’s mind.

Thinking this, the Grand Master expected to harvest his fruit after a short while. Before that, a dark and confined space was indeed very suitable for the other party to stay quietly.

Since Roland had returned to the Archmage Tower after a long absence, he stood in his former room, selecting everything that might be useful, preparing for the upcoming journey.

The black cat prepared a small package for itself.

But the most troublesome thing, of course, was not its luggage, but a group of noisy students.

The moment he asked Hilda for help, the purple-haired witch was about to agree when she heard the overburdened wooden door finally let out a heavy groan, then collapsed with a crash.

Immediately falling in were several students who had been listening to the entire conversation outside, actively attacking each other with their magic staffs. No one knew whose spell hit the wooden door, but the moment they caused trouble, they very tacitly hid their magic staffs behind their backs.

Why were they attacking each other—

The spots were, of course, limited.

Do not underestimate the allure of the title “Greatest Mage of All Time” to practitioners.

They first looked at the black cat on the chair with reverence. What a perfect black cat, with pointed ears, fur as deep as the night, and eyes as bright as amber. Compared to this black cat, whether it was their own toads, vipers, or spiders, they would feel ashamed and eclipsed.

Flawless from every angle; truly worthy of being their mentor.

Then, they almost simultaneously said, “Mentor, can I also follow you to the Kingdom?”