Chapter Forty-Five: Impatient and Unbearable

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At the mere thought of saving money, Melina wished she could immediately curl up under her own sheets, pull the blanket tightly over herself, and plunge deeply into sleep—growing, thriving, and saving fiercely while in dreamland.

She still had a modicum of confidence in her luck.

The Book of Jealousy she had unearthed from a dream, though its literary value was comparable to “Moonlight 2,” was nonetheless a fine piece of magical equipment.

Its spell power was maxed out, damn it.

But at this very moment, she couldn’t just bury her head and sleep; there were still things to be done!

…

Down in the dormitory’s main hall, Meowgnaros the clockwork cat steward was instructing a group of clockwork cats to prepare food and drink on the tables, while also, without prompting, patrolling the herb gathering spots around the estate. He even withdrew a sum of gold lei to commission gatherers to selectively replant and maintain the herb fields.

One had to admit, aside from demanding a heftier wage, the clockwork cat steward was far more considerate than any human butler.

Moreover, among the clockwork cats were explorers; as long as the employer could pay, these cats—loyal to gold—would dare to face dragons and maintain a certain level of combat power and morale until their employer’s demise…

When Louisa entered, she surveyed the room carefully, and once she was convinced it was a ‘proper place,’ she breathed a sigh of relief. Then, nervously, she dashed out again, returned with clothes, and asked if she could borrow the washroom. Naturally, the three agreed, and she hurried upstairs.

Her movements were flustered, as if she wanted to sneak a peek but dared not—a great detective seeking evidence of secret mischief.

…

“She’s so unreasonable!” Sonia sipped her tea and glanced at the commission papers Old Maria brought back, complaining as she worked. “Mel, I’m not saying this to be mean, but isn’t your roommate’s possessiveness a bit much? Why does she act like a fairy treating her sisters as criminals? Would we ever do anything like that to you?”

Even if Mel wanted to, she was fully capable of resisting.

Unarmed, Mel might not be great at slaying dragons, but killing people? Absolutely within her skill set—a typical PvP player.

Sonia crossed out an inquiry commission titled “Suspected Appearance of a Golden Dragon!”—she wasn’t an idiot.

Golden dragons were local legends, with countless annual sightings, but most were cases of red dragons or particularly fast yellow dragons mistaken for golden dragons.

The dragon known among travelers as the “Big Gold” was infamous for a bad temper; reports almost always confirmed it would stop and wreak havoc, hunting other dragons.

Sonia rubbed her temple and said, “Well, Mel, you’re in for a tough time—you’ve got a jealous one on your hands, hehe.”

Mel puffed out her cheeks. “Louisa’s not that bad…”

“One gold lei. She’s sneaking a look right now upstairs at the middle table for any trace of you.”

Sonia wasn’t certain; she was bluffing. But she understood psychology. Mel had just seen her and Old Maria place bets yesterday, knowing she didn’t bet without confidence—and given Mel’s tight finances, she wouldn’t risk such a wager.

Sure enough, Mel just pouted and muttered a couple of words, tacitly conceding.

Then, unable to sit still, she blinked at Sonia with those pale, cool, yet sweet and tender eyes, and asked with curiosity in her soft voice:

“Any luck with those commissions?”

“Yes.” Actually, no.

Sonia didn’t mind fabricating to keep the conversation going, using future information as ‘findings.’

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That counted as findings!

What was wrong with being a little sneaky? Did she have to lose and cry before shouting, “I’m a knight of honor. Even if I’m doomed to lose, I’ll walk the right path!”?

Sonia sifted through countless secret future tidbits in her mind, discarding the gloomy, uninteresting, or those with major consequences Mel shouldn’t know. In the end, she chose a rumor:

“Someone found a statue related to demon worship on the rocks near Crying Peninsula. The statue depicts a gentle banshee.”

“A banshee image…”

Melina asked with interest, “How is that connected to demons? Can I see the statue?”

Not yet—it wouldn’t be made until three months later by a demon worshiper.

Sonia smiled and changed the subject:

“Many believe the banshee is the demon itself. Some even think the banshee race came from the future into the past because there are no ancient records or origin stories about their spread; it’s as if they’ve always existed among humans. The ratfolk’s story comes from Aesinger, dwarves and elves from Saint Huaré, but banshees have no such tales.”

“Some places even have ancient sky god myths, claiming the gods share the same visage and powers as banshees.”

“More bizarrely, the name ‘banshee’ doesn’t derive from ‘female demon,’ but is a contraction of ‘female demon queen’ or ‘female demon leader.’ In the future, a book called the ‘Corrupt and Evil Scroll’ was unearthed. The ancient sage Dreliscari marked banshees as threats and cataloged ancient banshees. Interestingly, a few matched banshees from the future, making the book a sort of prophecy, now part of urban legends…”

Sonia was not a scholar by training.

Yet she was deeply versed in folklore, banshee studies, and urban legends.

Her knowledge of miscellaneous lore was astonishing.

Melina was quickly captivated by her storytelling.

Maria glanced at them and thought Sonia was acting oddly today.

Why was she so hostile to others? Could it be that in her first run, Sonia had been targeted by Little Lu?

Maria thought it was plausible, since according to Sonia, she died at the hands of Ame. Dying by Ame’s hand implied that Ame’s loyal fans and aides were antagonistic toward Little Lu, making conflict understandable.

…

After Louisa entered with her laundry, she hesitated whether to sneak a peek at Melina’s room.

She slapped her cheeks. “Ugh! Stay awake, stay awake! Don’t do something so disgusting, don’t be a pervert!”

After catching her breath, she looked around. The room was very comfortable, powered by high-grade magical factors. She thought to herself how wealthy Senior Sonia truly was.

Louisa had actually investigated Sonia’s background.

Her family had never produced banshees before. Sonia’s academic record at the academy was unimpressive, with rumors that she had bribed her way through graduation exams. She was a typical first-generation banshee whose potential was almost locked unless she later acquired extensive genetic enhancements.

Her family’s main domain was in the desert, dealing in a product called “Salt Crystal Factor,” a fundamental element used in many mysterious rituals. By selling this product worldwide, her family amassed vast wealth. For some reason, this fortune was now being funneled heavily to Senior Sonia.

Was her family planning to make a major move in Hamlet Town?

Or was there something here that Sonia cared deeply about, prompting her to lavishly hire banshees like Melina to accomplish some mission?

Louisa was unsure of their intentions.

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Yet her first impression of Sonia was very positive. The senior was generous, gentle, and could joke around. Most importantly… she maintained a proper distance in her superior-subordinate relationship with adorable Melina!

That was excellent.

Louisa hummed happily as she entered the heated washroom, enjoying the steam and the immaculate cleanliness. The floor was paved with black matte stone tiles, giving an air of refined elegance. Her impression of Sonia improved further; such tasteful and considerate people were indeed delightful!

…

Sonia was gently rubbing Melina’s waist.

Just joking around.

That delicate touch was perhaps the most soothing sensation in the world.

Sonia said to Maria, “Old Maria, when you left this morning, Mel went crazy tickling me—so naughty!”

Melina tried to suppress her laughter but couldn’t help bursting out giggling. She quickly jumped off her senior’s lap, breathing quietly as she hid beside Meowgnaros, who was calculating daily expenses. Incidentally, Louisa’s clockwork ginger cat had settled atop Meowgnaros’s head—a cat ball with a penchant for stacking, it seemed.

Work was rather dull.

So when Sonia proposed a “try-not-to-laugh” contest, Melina was always eager to join, while Maria was reluctantly dragged in.

First came Maria, who resembled a large golden retriever, unfazed by tickling and enjoying it with eyes half-closed.

Then Sonia, due to her sharp tongue and demeanor, was mercilessly tormented two-on-one by Maria and Melina until she nearly laughed herself numb.

Finally, it was Melina’s turn… What a terrifying senior! Surely this game was revenge for the morning’s events! She even endured the double attack, making her formidable!

That’s what Melina thought.

However, the clockwork ginger cat seemed to see it differently, staring at them with wide eyes and flicking its tail as if to say, “So scary! You’ve frightened the cat!” while looking at Senior Sonia.

After the playfulness, they returned to work.

Sonia regretfully announced that today’s only payoff was a single commission.

Near the coast, signs of a dragon species named “Shark Dragon” had been spotted. These dragons often appeared alongside large fish hauls, posing economic risks to local fishermen since they stole fish from boats without catching their own. Thus, Innsmouth Town was preparing to issue a commission at Heaven’s Harbor.

Thanks to Sonia’s purchase of a large number of online supporters for promotion, the commission was also sent to Hamlet Town.

Sonia decided to assign Melina, the jester Licari, and newcomer Louisa to handle the commission.

All three were new and short on money. The more famous the banshee, the harder it was to keep funds. Licari’s main occupation led her to order many comedian merchandise via clockwork cats, which were costly. The “Little Lady” came here 99% because of Melina’s influence but still had 1% hope to find paying work.

Therefore, a relatively easy Hunt Commission like the Shark Dragon—with generous rewards (Innsmouth folks were quite generous)—was naturally prioritized for their own team.

Melina cheerfully asked, “Anything we should watch out for?”

“Yes. Remember not to crush the Shark Dragon’s head. After defeating it, bring the head back as a material. It can be used to build a banshee structure that grants rare ‘extra water element’ bonuses.”