When Iseni appeared outside D&K, Zheng Qing immediately knew the visitor's identity.
It was not that the young government-sponsored student's divination had improved enough for him to foresee the future. Rather, the small cluster of dorsal fin protruding from the visitor's tattered robe at the back of her neck had exposed her true identity—especially the golden fishhook hanging from the fin. Zheng Qing had seen it only twice, but the impression had been too deep for him to forget.
"Damn it..."
Watching the fishwoman squeeze through the crowd and the customers gradually begin to stir, the young wizard suddenly realized something—not every wizard could view fishfolk objectively, like that far-sighted Fat Wizard from Sephrano.
Most wizards in the Wizarding World still clung to the traditional belief that those not of one's kind must harbor different intentions. They remained highly wary and hostile toward humanoid races such as fishfolk, merfolk, centaurs, giants, and dwarves.
Even Sephrano only dared place fishfolk in a newly established hunting team under the society as a trial, not recruit them directly into the Xiangqi Society's Official Hunting Team.
As the saying went, one's position determined everything. Anyone sitting crookedly offended public sensibilities and was unlikely to end well.
"This is bad... I should have told her to come at night." Seeing the customers leave with frowns, and the commotion outside, the young government-sponsored student was filled with regret.
Because Iseni's appearance during the School Hunt Competition had not provoked much reaction from the hunters, the young wizard had subconsciously assumed most wizards would react the same way. He had completely overlooked the difference between First University's elite and ordinary wizards outside the school, as well as the deeply rooted negative impression fishfolk held in most wizards' minds.
He really was inexperienced. He didn't know the taboos