Chapter 86: Camilla Entertainment Cup

“If Jiang Cha doesn’t want to take it, I can help you turn it down. But if it’s okay, can I first know the details of the commission?”

Although Annie’s tone implied that she didn’t want Jiang Cha to take the job herself, Jiang Cha had her own considerations.

—Money.

At Annie’s maid café, a client wanting to take a maid out for a day would start at 5,000 coins, and the price could go higher depending on the specifics of the commission. It was quite profitable.

Moreover, Annie’s commission fee was not high, so these “out-of-café appointments” were more like a matchmaking introduction fee. If a client and maid became familiar enough, they could deepen their relationship through such arrangements. The client’s payment was essentially the cost of courting.

If a maid didn’t want to go out with the client, Annie could also help reject the appointment, making it a service that satisfied both clients and maids.

Of course, not all appointments were romantic; some were legitimate commissions, like accompanying someone to a banquet or other temporary events. Generally, these requests didn’t specify which maid at first; the client would decide after meeting the candidates.

Jiang Cha, however, trusted that Mephist (the senior) had no romantic intentions, so she was curious about this commission. But first, she had to calm the little red-haired girl who was puffing her cheeks in jealousy.

“Turning down a commission without reason wouldn’t be good for your reputation either, right, Annie? And since Mephist is my friend, if a request has already been made, refusing it without even checking would be impolite.”

“Alright, alright…”

Annie was pleased that Jiang Cha considered her feelings, even if it was just for show. Born with two special abilities, capable of seeing fragments of the future, Annie knew Jiang Cha’s earlier words were meant to coax her. But she still couldn’t help feeling delighted.

What can you do? Girls in love are like that, right?

“Okay, here’s the deal. Mephist’s commission is for you to accompany her to a competition.”

“What competition?”

Seeing Jiang Cha’s confused look, Annie knew she was clueless about this event and sighed, explaining in detail.

“It’s the Camilla Entertainment Cup. Camilla, a renowned sage, hosts this competition. You already know of her achievements in magical theory, Jiang Cha, but she’s also a master alchemist. This competition is in the form of a witch duel, but the prizes are coveted by many young alchemists, so it attracts plenty of talented participants.”

The age limit for participants is under eighteen. Allegedly, Camilla set this rule to select promising young talent—but Annie whispered that she suspected Camilla was just doing it for fun. Jiang Cha chose to respect the sage. Camilla’s book The Origins of Magic had helped her a lot in developing [Thought Overlap], but she dared not argue with Annie while the little girl was jealous.

“So, Jiang Cha, you’re…?”

Annie, a fellow alchemist, pressed further. The champion team receives a week of personal guidance from Camilla herself and a level-seven spatial material. The monetary prize is almost negligible in comparison.

“I understand, so I’ll just meet Mephist first, ask about her exact plans, and then decide. If winning seems impossible, I might skip the competition entirely. Compared to rare materials or money, I value Mephist’s personal guidance more. And it’s not limited to alchemy—thinking collaboratively is important too, right?”

A cup competition takes at least half a month. If winning is unlikely, Jiang Cha really wasn’t interested—it’s just too time-consuming. She wasn’t lying to Annie; lying in front of a girl who could see future fragments would be as good as suicidal.

“Alright, I agree. You go contact her. Here’s the official commission; just take it over.”

Jiang Cha roughly understood Mephist’s intentions. She was probably worried that inviting Jiang Cha directly might make it hard for her to refuse, straining their relationship. By going through Annie, they could keep things casual—even if Jiang Cha declined, nothing awkward would happen later.

Aristocratic witches always overthink things—meticulous but often seen as pretentious. Jiang Cha’s own mentor, Mortel, had stepped in to deal with this type of behavior before.

“You really trust me, huh? Not afraid I’d just gobble the job up?”

Jiang Cha blinked, taking the commission with a mischievous smile.

“Hmph. If you did that, it would only prove I’m not capable enough. That would actually be good for me.”

The little red-haired witch crossed her arms, puffing her chest with a haughty huff. The only thing left standing firm on her was her mouth.