The Yellow Flower Cat had not originally planned to show itself.
Rather than spend time and effort dealing with all the messy affairs outside, it would have preferred to travel through different Spatial Rifts, hiding in corners unseen by others and quietly observing a certain oblivious fellow.
But the reality was that if it did not act, that certain fellow would be taken away—and for a cat that knew a little of the truth, that was simply the worst possible outcome.
It was like a photography enthusiast watching over an Ugly Duckling that had mingled with a flock of ducks, delighting in watching it grow day by day. Just as winter passed and the little duck had grown up, about to spread its wings and fly, a vulture suddenly descended from the sky and snatched away the not-yet-fully-grown Ugly Duckling in one claw.
Was there anything more infuriating than that?
In fact, no matter how one looked at it, this year's winter hunt differed enormously from the Yellow Flower Cat's imagined "First University extracurricular practical activity."
Of course, the Yellow Flower Cat's real name was not Yellow Flower Cat.
To avoid being traced and detected by Detection Magic, this codename would have to do for now.
According to past custom and the usual old refrain, the so-called winter hunt was when the school designated hunting grounds of varying danger levels along the edge of the Silent Forest, then sent in students of differing abilities to clear out the "pests" within. Sometimes, when there were not enough pests outside the school, the school would even commission other organizations to provide some live prey.
Overall, this was supposed to be a large-scale drill with plans, procedures, and a predetermined conclusion. It was a highly protected and very safe form of final assessment.