Chapter 101: The Girl from the Alphons House

On the way back, the girl asked in puzzlement, “Gray, why did you buy that?”

“Is it rare? I’ve never even heard of it. And there isn’t the slightest trace of magic coming from it!” The absence of magical resonance meant that the drab little chick in his arms did not even count as a magical beast. Even the fluffy little creature in Akana’s arms could at least be called one; it had magical resonance, after all.

“That doesn’t matter.” Ye Tian stroked the fledgling in his arms with tenderness. He truly did not know whether he had been fortunate or unfortunate to encounter a beast he recognized in this strange world. It was not a magical beast. In a world where even a duck might be a magical beast, Ye Tian’s spirit had long since been battered and bruised.

Besides, he really had taken pity on it. The chick, not yet open-eyed, could not have been born more than half a month ago, and from the look of it, it had clearly not been fed properly. It was so weak it seemed ready to die. Ye Tian estimated that if he did not take it, the little thing would last at most another three days before meeting its end.

No magical resonance, no qualification as a magical beast, and not even pretty to look at, so it had never been sold. Perhaps that was precisely why Ye Tian had been able to find it. “At the very least, it’s a life,” Ye Tian said as he carefully held his coat around it. The little fellow seemed to have suffered greatly; finding such a warm place, it had actually fallen asleep in peace.

“What a strange fellow.” Akana reached out in dissatisfaction and pinched the fluffy little creature in the cage. Soft and plump, it was adorable beyond words, only its rank was far too low. For ordinary people that did not matter, but anyone with even a little status looked down on keeping such a thing.

“Throw the cage away. Better not put it in a cage again in the future,” Ye Tian said. The girl thought that made sense. Carrying a cage around would indeed be troublesome. She casually opened it, plucked out the fluffy creature, then tossed away the rather expensive cage and kneaded the little ball of fur with both hands. “So cute!”

As expected of a gentle creature, no matter how the girl toyed with it, it never grew angry, remaining round and silly as Akana held it in her arms. “Is it pretty?”

“Mm, not bad. It looks much fuller now,” Ye Tian said with utter seriousness.

“Fuller?” The girl did not understand at first. After a moment, she lunged at him in fury, baring her claws and teeth. “Gray, you pervert, shameless fool, go die!”

Ye Tian dashed off in a blur, and a voice drifted back from afar. “I wasn’t wrong! It really is bigger!”

The girl stopped in a huff and secretly glanced at herself. “Well, I do have something to show for it. Though not as much as Rebecca’s...” Suddenly, her face flushed red. She quickly buried her head in the fluff of the little creature. What was she thinking about!

In the end, the girl returned to the academy thoroughly satisfied, with Ye Tian limping behind her. There was nothing to be done; the girl believed in repaying grudges, and Ye Tian could not evade that. He had obediently taken a few kicks.

“Who told you to say my chest was small?”

“I still have things to do. I’m going first.” Ye Tian waved. He still had to care for this little fellow.

“Mm, I want something delicious tonight!”

At once Ye Tian’s head drooped. “Miss, don’t you have special cooks? Why must you make me do it?”

“They’re not as good as yours,” the girl said with perfect reason. “Hurry up. See you later.” With that, she left happily, leaving Ye Tian in deep gloom.

“What sort of nonsense is this?” Ye Tian said helplessly, turning back toward the dormitory. He kicked the door open and found Leila cleaning inside, which startled her. “Y-you’re back.”

“Honestly, how can you help me clean my room!” Ye Tian hurried over and took the tools from her hands, scolding her.

“It’s nothing, I just happened to be here,” the girl said, lowering her head shyly.

“Seriously, no more of that next time.” Ye Tian patted Leila’s head. What a good girl she was. She would surely make an excellent wife one day. He wondered which lucky bastard would end up with her.

“Oh, by the way, did you have fun?” Leila sat on Ye Tian’s bed, watching him bustle about.

“Oh, it was all right. Miss Akana bought a fluffy creature, the kind that’s covered all over in fur and looks like a meatball.”

“I know it,” the girl said with a giggle.

Ye Tian rubbed his head in embarrassment. “And you? Didn’t you buy one?”

“I did, actually, but it wasn’t a magical beast.” Only then did Ye Tian remember that the little chick was still in his arms. He quickly pulled it out.

“What kind of magical beast is this?” Leila was startled when she saw the drab little chick, no bigger than a pigeon. It looked terribly ugly.

“It’s an animal. Where I come from, it’s called an eagle,” Ye Tian explained.

“An eagle?” The girl tilted her head.

“Yes. An eagle is a creature that soars through the heavens. They say it can fly to cliffs tens of thousands of feet high, that is, mountains tens of thousands of meters tall, and build nests there to live.”

It is a stern and steadfast creature.

It still has not opened its eyes. Right now it is very weak. Leila, bring me some raw meat. Remember, raw meat.

“Oh, all right, all right.” Leila got up in a hurry and ran outside, only to trip over the threshold and fall.

“Careful.” Ye Tian moved instantly, catching the girl deftly and drawing her into his arms.

“T-thank you.” Leila’s face turned bright red.

“Honestly, be careful.” Ye Tian patted her head. Leila nodded, then hurriedly pushed him away and ran off.

“Is this all right?” Leila came back holding a full plate of raw meat. It was beef, with a good chew to it.

“Oh, perfect. This is the best.” Ye Tian took it with a grin, placed the little fellow on the bed, tore off a strip with his hand, and gently waved it before the chick.

Whoosh—the strip of meat vanished from Ye Tian’s fingers.

“So fast!” Leila could hardly believe her eyes. Was this still the tottering little bird that looked as though it might die any moment? It looked fiercer than a wild wolf!

“Heh, seems survival won’t be a problem.” Ye Tian tore off another strip, and the little fellow snatched it away again in the blink of an eye. Without even looking, it swallowed it whole.

“How amazing!” Leila clapped her hands in praise.

“Not bad, not bad. I like it.” Ye Tian tore the meat into strips one by one and patiently fed them to the chick. It never cried out even once. The moment it smelled meat near its beak, it seized it with lightning speed and swallowed it, neat and crisp.

“Eat, eat. Have some more.”

Soon, the entire plate of raw beef was gone.

“I’ll go get more.” Leila stood up in a fluster.

“Mm, I’m sorry to trouble you.” Ye Tian smiled. The girl blushed and ran out.

Another full plate of beef was finished. The little chick spread its meager flesh wings and took a wobbly step, then sat down and could not get up again.

“How cute!” Leila watched with delight as the fledgling struggled to stand again and again. Such stubborn strength was something she had never seen before.

“Good, very good. That spirit is worthy of an eagle I know.” Ye Tian said happily, letting the little chick struggle on its own.

Leila could not bear it and wanted to step forward to help, but Ye Tian grabbed her and pulled her back. “Don’t go. Let it do it itself.”

“But...” Leila looked at the chick still struggling and could not bear it.

“Do you know? Eagles are cruel and stubborn creatures. Once the little ones come of age, their parents drive them out so they can survive on their own. And there are even eagle parents who throw their fledglings that have not yet learned to fly off a cliff. If they cannot spread their wings on their own, they fall to their deaths.”

“No way...” Leila covered her mouth, staring in disbelief at the little fellow before her.

“Yes. That is part of what makes eagles so unyielding. Indulgence only leads people to decay. Sometimes cruelty is another form of urging them forward. That is why eagles can fly to cliffs ten thousand meters high. Just watch—it will one day fly into the sky it loves. For now, though, it must learn everything by itself.”

“But Gray, it’s only a pet. It doesn’t need that, does it?” Leila said.

“Foolish girl, when did I ever say I was treating it as a pet? One day it will leave me. If it does not learn everything in advance, how will it survive then?”

“But—”

“No buts. By the way, it’s almost time for dinner. Let’s go to the dining hall. I’ll make you something delicious.”

“What about it?”

“No need to worry about it. Everything depends on itself,” Ye Tian said.

They had just arrived in the dining hall together when a crowd of female students immediately surrounded them.

“Gray, Gray, be my butler.”

“No, be my butler instead!”

“Ladies, may I ask what is going on?” Ye Tian raised his voice slightly, neatly drowning out the girls’ chorus. “What exactly is happening?”

“Stop pretending. I asked the cooks inside already. Were the slimming meals for Miss Akana and Instructor Charles made by you?” said one pushy girl.

“No,” Ye Tian lied without batting an eye.

“Who are you fooling? And what about Leila? I remember she wasn’t this pretty before!” A female student pointed directly at Leila beside him. Leila instantly blushed. Her fair cheeks were like a ripe apple, irresistibly charming.

“Honored ladies, I’m just a male servant. I don’t know how to make slimming meals. Think about it—if I really could, would I still be working in a restaurant?” Ye Tian cajoled them with all sincerity.

“I don’t believe it. Then how did Instructor Charles lose weight?”

“That fat fool...” Ye Tian’s mouth twitched. “Oh, I asked him. He said it was because his magic power dispersed. You all should know about Instructor Charles’ matter, right?”

“You’re lying. We don’t believe you!”

The girls immediately cried out.

“Then how about this? Since you want to eat, I’ll make some food for you to taste. If anyone still wants me to be her butler after that, I’ll do it. How about it?” Ye Tian asked.

“Good, good!” The girls’ eyes lit up at once.

“This won’t be my fault, then,” Ye Tian said with a smile.

“Gray!” Leila looked at the ever-darkening expression on Ye Tian’s face and suddenly pitied these young ladies. She had a feeling this shameless fellow was thinking up some new trick again.

And so the spacious dining hall was soon packed with girls all eager to try the so-called slimming meal.

“Hey, come help me!” Ye Tian glanced at the cooks, who were grinning wickedly nearby.

“It’s none of our business!” they quickly denied in unison.

“You think I’ll believe that?” Ye Tian bared his teeth. “Hurry up. So many people—do you think I can handle this alone? You’d better find a way to serve them properly.”

At once the cooks drooped.

“Maybe if you make something delicious, that young lady will hire you as her personal chef!”

“Oh!”

All at once, the cooks became energized.

“Hahaha...” Leila, helping from the side, could only smile wryly. This fellow always had so many devilish ideas. Still, glancing at the young ladies outside, she silently offered a prayer for them.

Ye Tian simmered the soup at his leisure. Since there were plenty of people doing the labor, all he had to do was take a little part. With so many mouths to feed, soup was the most suitable choice.

The other cooks, however, had no idea what scheme Ye Tian was cooking up. Each one put in his utmost effort, determined to make a fine showing for once.

Just as Ye Tian had said, if one of those young ladies took a liking to him, then he would rise from obscurity like a phoenix. So they all worked with all their might, determined to display their very best skills.

“Gray.” The girl gently tugged at Ye Tian, who was still busy. He turned his head and said, “Sorry. I had planned to make you something too.”

“That isn’t important. It’s just that outside...” Leila looked at the young ladies, whose enthusiasm was soaring. She had no idea what would happen later.

“Is it ready yet?” Ye Tian glanced at the big pot. The black chicken soup had nearly finished simmering. In truth, calling it black chicken soup was a little forced—who knew what kind of chicken it was? Anyway, it was pitch-black and looked like a decent ingredient. As for what Ye Tian made from it, that was another matter entirely.

“Honored ladies, this is my beauty-enhancing black chicken soup. Please enjoy!” Ye Tian said with a smile to the long-waiting ladies, who did not see the shamelessness hidden beneath his genial expression.

“It smells all right. The color is so-so.” For these picky young ladies, the soup before them was really far from what they had imagined. Looking at the exquisite dishes beside them and then at Ye Tian’s soup, many of them instantly lost their appetite.

“Gray...” Leila’s heart rose into her throat.

“It’s fine.” Ye Tian smiled.

One by one, the young ladies lifted their spoons and drank. At once, their brows knitted together. They sighed, then forced themselves to keep drinking.

Leila let out a breath. She had originally thought they would all spit the soup out, but it seemed Ye Tian had not made it too terrible after all. At least these young ladies were still drinking it, even if their expressions were rather vivid.

After finishing the soup, the ladies quickly set down their spoons and picked up the dishes beside them with their forks. Instantly, a sense of indescribable contrast surged up in their hearts, and several of them nearly cried.

“There’s more in the kitchen. We can go eat later,” Ye Tian said softly.

“Gray, are they all right?”

“That’s not necessarily so,” Ye Tian said with a sly grin. “All right, no more questions. By tomorrow, I guarantee no one will come bother me again.”