Chapter 195: The Witch Cat Cafe, Where You Can Pet Cat-Girls
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 195: The Witch Cat Cafe, Where You Can Pet Cat-Girls
After leaving the infirmary, I wasn't in any hurry to hop on my broom and fly off. I realized that even if I wanted to leave, I didn't really have anywhere to go.
Back to class? There were no lectures right now. To the dorms? There was nothing to do there. To the library? My mind had been racing all day; I wouldn't be able to focus on a book even if I tried.
Right now, I just wanted to find a place to unwind while there was still a bit of the day left.
"Xiao Han~ I knew you wouldn't have gone far. Where are you headed?"
A sudden voice called out to me. I turned around to find Senior Sister Ying Shiqian.
"Oh? Senior Sister, why are you out here? Is the Shopkeeper the only one staying with Tan Han?" I asked, a hint of surprise flashing in my eyes.
"Yeah. I figure she's whispering some secrets to Tan Han and wanted me out of the way. She even made up an excuse for me to go back and help that girl Yihan. I finally managed to get out for a bit; there's no way I'm going back so soon," Ying Shiqian said with a grin.
"Anyway, Xiao Han, didn't you already get your flight license? Why are you walking around so aimlessly? Where are you going?"
"I don't know. Just wandering, I guess. I used up a lot of energy in the dreamscape, so I'm just strolling around to clear my head."
"Don't know where to go... well, hey, how about I take you somewhere to relax? The exchange competition starts in about two days, you know. If you don't enjoy yourself now, you won't get another chance."
"Relax where?" I looked at her suspiciously. Her tone felt a bit off. "It's a... respectable place, right?"
"Respectable? How can you relax in a 'respectable' place? Xiao Han, honestly..." Ying Shiqian leaned in and whispered into my ear. "You used to be a boy, Xiao Han. Surely you know how these things work?"
"What things?"
"Eh? Xiao Han, I'm trying to share the good stuff with you. Don't play dumb with me," Ying Shiqian said, straightening up.
"Huh?"
"No, wait... Xiao Han, have you really never experienced it? You being this pure is making me feel really awkward." Ying Shiqian pressed a hand to her forehead, looking genuinely exasperated.
"Pure? That's the first time I've ever heard someone describe me that way." I shrugged. For some reason, even though I should have felt embarrassed by such a description, it actually felt... kind of nice?
Was this a reward of some sort?
"Sigh~ fine. It looks like you're missing out. I never drag people into things against their will; I only 'wallow in the mire' with like-minded besties. Let's think of somewhere else to go." Ying Shiqian patted my shoulder, shaking her head helplessly.
"The Witch Academy is massive. It practically covers the entirety of the Magic City in the real world. You could say the academy has essentially rebuilt a whole city here. A lot of places actually have nothing to do with teaching; they've become pure tourist spots for students to relax, take photos, and hang out."
"Some places even use overlapping spaces to create unique, breathtaking scenery."
"The Witch Academy has places like that?" I asked curiously.
"Of course. Want to go see?"
"Actually, never mind. Going to a tourist spot sounds like it would take too much time and energy. I just want to rest. Somewhere outside, somewhere unfamiliar, where I can just sit down and have a coffee or tea."
"Well, any old cafe could do that. Xiao Han, is that really all you're looking for?"
"Then how about the best cafe in the Witch Academy?" I suggested, raising an eyebrow.
"Cafes are boring. I'll take you somewhere much more fun that still meets your needs," Ying Shiqian proposed again.
"Where?"
"A Witch Cat Cafe! It's a social hub for witches to mingle, or you can go there alone to relax and have afternoon tea. Plus, you can pet the cats~ I heard that opening these kinds of places is actually a witch tradition."
"A Witch Cat Cafe? Is it... a respectable cat cafe?"
"Why are you so obsessed with it being 'respectable'?! A Witch Cat Cafe is just... a Witch Cat Cafe. If you don't believe me, look it up. Anything you can find publicly on the academy network is bound to be respectable, right?"
"Fair point. Let me see." I pulled out my phone and did a quick search for "Witch Cat Cafe." To my surprise, the results showed that there wasn't just one, but several of them within the Witch Academy!
Many posts included photos—mostly of desserts, latte art, and afternoon tea sets. There were also plenty of cat photos. Looking closely, many of the cats seemed to have their own names; it appeared the cafes pampered these cute cats as their star attractions.
Not only were there cute cats, but there were also cute cat-girls... Wait, cat-girls?
Where did cat-girls come from in the Witch Academy?
Even if the Beast Academy members from the Cat-people Academy were here for the exchange, they couldn't have been recruited that quickly, could they?
I closed the academy network. If I wanted to know if this Witch Cat Cafe was respectable, wouldn't it be easier to just ask Sister Bai?
Because of her earlier comments, Senior Sister Ying Shiqian had already been flagged in my mind as "unreliable." I'd better ask the well-traveled Sister Bai. Sister Bai... she was my personal, all-purpose academy encyclopedia!
Yang Yuehan: Sister Bai, are you there?
Bai Yu: I'm here. What's up?
I stared at the instant reply. It was the same every time; whenever I messaged her, she replied immediately. She couldn't possibly be staring at her phone all day, could she?
Han: I wanted to ask, is the "Witch Cat Cafe" a respectable place?
Bai: Why are you going there?
Han: Oh, I've been busy all day and wanted to relax. Senior Sister Ying Shiqian suggested it.
Bai: Who? Ying Shiqian... the one from the bakery?
Han: Yeah, you remember her, Sister Bai?
Bai: Yes. Which Witch Cat Cafe are you going to? I'll come with you.
Han: Eh? Aren't you busy, Sister Bai? You're coming all this way just to accompany me?
Bai: It's fine. School just started; what would I be busy with? Send me the location.
Han: Okay, but I haven't decided which one yet. I'll send it once I do.
Bai: Okay.
I scrolled through the chat logs again. If Sister Bai was willing to come with me, it had to be a respectable place.
"Xiao Han, were you replying to a message?" Ying Shiqian had noticed me busy with my phone. She'd glanced over, saw I was texting, and didn't pry further.
"Yeah. I asked Sister Bai about it, and she suddenly said she wanted to come along."
"Huh? You have to... report your whereabouts to that sister of yours?" Ying Shiqian looked genuinely shocked by this.
"It's not 'reporting.' I was just asking what kind of place the Witch Cat Cafe is, and then Sister Bai said she wanted to come."
I cut her off. "Reporting" made me sound like a child who lacked independence. I couldn't stand that. I was an "old-timer" who had lived two lives. Fine, in this second life I wasn't technically human anymore—I was a witch—but I was still me.
"Alright, I can't keep up with your logic. But... since you have your Sister Bai to keep you company, I guess you don't need me as a third wheel~"
"What third wheel?! Sister Bai and I aren't like that!"
"Aren't you?"
"Are we?"
"Oh, whatever you say~ But I just realized that Tang Yihan is all alone at the bakery. She must be so lonely; I'm afraid she might start crying. I'd better head back~"
"Senior Sister Ying Shiqian, can you at least try to find a better excuse!" I watched as she pulled out her broom. This was probably the first time she'd actually managed to annoy me.
She wouldn't even listen to my explanation!
"Anyway, Xiao Han, so sorry! I'm worried the Shopkeeper might do a surprise inspection and catch me missing. So... you're on your own for the Witch Cat Cafe! Oh, and remember to ask for a Cat Stamp once you get there. It comes with great discounts and perks! As for the rest, you'll have to figure it out yourself. It's a really interesting place!"
"Wait, what?"
I wanted to ask more, but Senior Sister Ying Shiqian had already bolted.
And so, I was left standing there alone. Left with no choice, I searched for the location of the nearest Witch Cat Cafe. It turned out there was one quite close to me.
I sent the location to Sister Bai and flew over on my broom. It didn't take long to reach the landmark building.
"The Witch Cat Cafe... I didn't expect it to be such a huge place."
Stowing my broom, I looked up at the massive "Witch Cat Cafe" sign. The letters were written in a very cute, artistic font, decorated with cat tails and paw elements.
I even saw a real cat napping lazily on top of the sign, its tail twitching contentedly.
Standing outside, I could see that the first floor was laid out like an indoor cafe. The glass curtain wall along the side offered the best view of the street. I noticed there were still some empty seats, so I walked straight in.
"Welcome! Are you a new guest?"
As soon as I entered, I was greeted by several senior sisters at the front desk.
And they actually had cat ears on their heads!
I subconsciously swallowed. I thought I even saw tails behind them. Were these... actual cat-girls?
"May I ask, lovely guest, is this your first time at the Witch Cat Cafe?"
"Um, yes."
I stepped forward and nodded. Since I didn't know the ropes, I had to listen to their explanation. The customer is king, after all. If they didn't explain what I could do here, was I just supposed to hand over my money?
"Would you like to register as a Petting Guest? Once registered, you can visit us anytime to interact with the little kittens here, or order afternoon tea and enjoy a relaxing time~"
"Of course, the 'little kittens' at the Witch Cat Cafe include ones like this~ Meow~" A cat-girl senior sister nearby chimed in, reaching out toward me with a cute "meow." Her meaning was crystal clear!
I looked behind me. There were quite a few people sitting there with ears on their heads.
"Of course, guest, not all the 'little kittens' in the cafe are staff. Many are guests themselves. So, if you want to pet them, please don't force it. The theme of the Witch Cat Cafe is mutual selection; naturally, we don't want any unpleasantness."
"However, the kittens wearing uniforms are staff members. If you'd like to pet them, please remember to leave a tip~ They will be very cooperative with any reasonable requests."
"You can also order some desserts for the kittens as an icebreaker. It might have a magical effect~"
The senior sisters took turns explaining the unique features of the cafe.
I was left dazed by the sheer amount of information. Was this really a respectable cat cafe?
While I was lost in thought, a small, pitch-black kitten darted past my feet. Its soft fur brushed against my calf, creating a strange, ticklish sensation.
"Oh my~ It's Little Dark Cloud~" One of the senior sisters knelt down and called to the black cat that had just rubbed against me. The cat, Little Dark Cloud, immediately leaped into her arms.
"Guest, would you like to get a Cat Card? That will make you an official Petting Guest of the Witch Cat Cafe~"
"Or~ you could choose another path and become a Hostess Cat-girl? You'd get to pet the cats for free—and I mean that literally, like Little Dark Cloud here. However, Hostess Cat-girls can't order desserts for themselves. Instead, you'll receive one free dessert every day as your 'part-time cat food.' Just one a day, though; no freeloading~"
"But Hostess Cat-girls can accept treats from Petting Guests, and you have the right to decide whether or not to keep interacting with that guest! If you're skilled enough, you could even accept treats from multiple guests at once." The senior sister continued her explanation.
I couldn't help but feel like they were trying to goad me into becoming a Hostess Cat-girl.
"Um, excuse me, what is a 'Cat Stamp'?" I asked, remembering what Senior Sister Ying Shiqian had mentioned before she left.
"A Cat Stamp is an alchemy item. By pressing a stamp onto your hand, you gain a cat-girl costume spell effect within the cafe's boundaries. It doesn't give any stat bonuses, but you might find yourself using strange verbal tics. It's usually used by Hostess Cat-girls~"
"Of course, if you have your own cat-girl transformation spell, you can use that too~"
"Are you asking because you want to become a Hostess Cat-girl?"
"Oh, no, no, no! Not for now. Let me ask about that 'Cat Card' instead."
I refused immediately. That Senior Sister Ying Shiqian actually tried to trick me into becoming a Hostess Cat-girl? What kind of wicked scheme was that!
"You want to be a Petting Guest? Right this way. We have different tiers of Cat Cards~ First is the normal Cat Card. Registration is free, but you need to top it up. The minimum is one credit. You can withdraw your balance anytime, and if you cancel the card, your cash will be refunded. The Cat Card is your proof of purchase for everything in the cafe; funds are deducted directly. So, please keep an eye on your balance. You can check it by downloading our Witch Cat Cafe app on your phone~"
"We also have Copper, Silver, and Gold Cat Cards. However, those can't be obtained with regular currency. You need the corresponding Red Copper, Mithril, or Orichalcum coins to get them. Once issued, you must maintain a minimum balance of at least one coin of that type. Not many people get these three, since those coins are very precious, but they do offer various levels of discounts on purchases~"
"Of course~ Petting Guests can also work part-time as Hostess Cat-girls~" A senior sister nearby was still pushing the cat-girl role.
"Sigh... I'll just take a Cat Card." I finally made my decision.
As for which tier... that was a bit tricky. I was just here to relax; I shouldn't be too extravagant. But if I wanted to buy desserts or coffee, I'd need to spend money. I didn't have much regular cash on me, though I had plenty of Mithril and Orichalcum. But those were precious materials; wouldn't using them here be a waste?
Mithril could buy Transcendent Potions. Using it at a cat cafe for petting and desserts felt a bit excessive. Besides, how many desserts could a single Mithril coin buy?
"Give her a Gold Cat Card."
"Huh? Oh! Sister Bai, you got here so fast?" Hearing the familiar voice, I turned around instantly to see Sister Bai.
"Yes. Xiao Han, are you all by yourself?"
"Yeah. I told the senior sister who was with me that you were coming, and she bolted halfway through." I shrugged. "Um, about the Gold Cat Card... isn't that a bit..."
"It's just one Orichalcum. Consider it a gift from me. Save your own resources," Sister Bai said with a smile, patting my head.
"Wait... Xiao Han... Hold on, you're that Xiao Han from the freshmen!" The senior sister at the desk finally realized who I was.
"Wait, is it really the Myriad Methods Witch, Xiao Han?"
"She looks exactly like the photos! Does Xiao Han come to cat cafes too?"
"I don't know, but if it's Yang Yuehan, our Shopkeeper actually sent you a Gold Cat Card already. Xiao Han, don't you check your inbox often?"
"Eh?" I was completely confused. What was going on? The Shopkeeper of the Witch Cat Cafe sent me a Gold Cat Card?
Wait... I think I remembered Teacher Ji Niang saying something about auction invitations and other things being sent to my inbox, but I'd completely forgotten to check. I didn't expect the Witch Cat Cafe to use this method to get on my good side.
It seemed I had still underestimated my current status in the Witch Academy...
"About your Shopkeeper..."
"It's fine. Our Shopkeeper loves making friends. It's normal that you haven't met her; actually, none of us have either. Her identity is very mysterious. I heard she sometimes even disguises herself as a Petting Guest to rest in the cafe~"
"Just take it, Xiao Han. I'll process it for you. This kind of thing is actually quite common; many people have received gifts from the Shopkeeper. Just help promote our cafe when you have the time~"
"Yes, Xiao Han, just accept it. You'll have to get used to this sort of thing, now and in the future," Sister Bai added beside me.
"What a shame. I was really looking forward to seeing Xiao Han's cat-girl form. I've only seen it a few times in the arena..."