In the spacious garden beneath the Old Liberal Arts Building of the School of Magic Engineering, plants bathed in morning mist and sunlight gave off a refreshing fragrance, accompanied by the singing of canaries, the buzzing of bees, and the murmuring of a stream.
On this open lawn carpeted with flowers, two figures stood conversing.
"Why do you suspect you've been scammed?" the young reporter, Luvishir, asked.
"The truth is, I received a fine. Because the amount was so exorbitant and frankly preposterous, I have to verify it in person," Noe sighed.
The more Noe thought about it, the more convinced he became that Lanqi, that unscholarly boy trying to be clever, had botched a scheme and made the fine payable to the wrong party.
Then again, if Lanqi truly possessed that level of forgery skills, he would never have to worry about putting food on the table for the rest of his life.
Either he would end up fabulously wealthy, or the royal penitentiary would see to taking good care of him.
Noe vividly recalled the last time he had seen Lanqi, who was engrossed in studying the law.
Most likely, it was from that very moment that the boy had strayed down the wrong path.
The urgent priority was to check with the School of Magic Engineering before the fine's deadline expired.
If the fine turned out to be fake, Noe would show no mercy this time and drag the boy back onto the straight and narrow.
If by some chance it was real, Noe's feelings would actually be quite mixed.
Because that would mean—the boy had truly succeeded in enrolling in the School of Sages.
"Could you let me see the fine? Perhaps I can help you verify its authenticity," Luvishir said with a smile.
Although she did not study commerce, her major in information studies made her particularly adept at distinguishing authentic official documents from forgeries.
"Thank you for the trouble."
Noe readily took out the fine.
Luvishir accepted the slip and examined it closely.
Soon, a smile returned to her face.
"Let me tell you, large fines issued in the personal name of an Ikerite Academy faculty member are almost always fake. It's a common scam. Legitimate fines are handled strictly on an institution-to-institution basis, not from an individual to an entity. How could an eminent magic engineer like Professor Borao ever stoop to extorting a wealthy merchant...?"
However, halfway through her sentence,
she caught sight of the recipient's name: Noe Wilfort.
"!"
Immediately, the young reporter's expression morphed into one of astonishment. She snapped to attention right in front of Noe, threw out her chest, and gave a solemn salute.
"Miss... what's come over you?"
Having just heard Luvishir's explanation, Noe was already mentally preparing to have Lanqi arrested, only for her demeanor to perform a complete hundred-and-eighty-degree reversal.
"There is one thing I can guarantee you."
Luvishir's tone shifted entirely, taking on the formal cadence of a professional newscaster.
"What is it?"
Noe swallowed, asking nervously.
Could this fine be tied to an even greater crime?
"This fine is undeniably genuine."
Luvishir handed the slip back to Noe with both hands.
"You mean that brat really is enrolled in this school?!"
Noe's eyes widened. Lanqi didn't know a single spell—how in the world had he gotten into the School of Sages?!
No matter how Noe tried to investigate or verify the entrance exam records, nothing could be found.
The more he dug, the faker that acceptance letter had seemed.
Yet it had actually turned out to be real.
He began to question his entire perception of reality.
"Of course! The academy couldn't possibly do without him! Every report on his exploits receives rave reviews!" Luvishir said, brightening up with cheerful enthusiasm.
"Every report?"
"Yes!" Luvishir nodded vigorously.
"...Could you describe what the Lanqi Wilfort you know is like?"
Noe was genuinely worried that he and this young reporter were talking about completely different people.
"He has black hair and green eyes, looks very handsome, appears gentle, refined, and completely harmless, but sometimes his behavior is downright unhinged, making people question his mental stability," Luvishir described colorfully.
"Hiss..."
Hearing that, Noe scratched his head in bewilderment.
That was indeed the idiot of his household.
Utterly useless apart from his good looks, his brain routinely misfired, and he went wild whenever he drank.
Though the reporter's sharp evaluation was brutally blunt, every single word was the truth.
"Has Lanqi caused any trouble in the academy?" Noe asked, voicing his greatest concern.
"Hmm... nope!" Luvishir pondered for a moment before answering.
Everything Lanqi did in the academy was wonderful!
She frequently heard President Monaster praise Lanqi for his solid work ethic and exemplary conduct.
As for outside the academy, he had indeed pulled off a massive feat just yesterday—taking out the Saintess of Destruction from the Resurrection Church. By now, Lanqi was undoubtedly sitting in the very top tier of the Resurrection Church's wanted list.
Luvishir couldn't even begin to guess the bounty figure the evil cult had placed on his head.
"Then, miss, do you know how I can find Lanqi?"
Noe finally breathed a sigh of relief, smiling with unburdened ease.
To think the boy actually managed to surprise him.
As long as he hadn't caused any huge disaster in the academy, everything was fine!
In the end, Lanqi was just as he had expected, incapable of stirring up any major storms in the royal capital. After all, the boy was merely a paper tiger of a foolish playboy, by no means an uncontrollable lord of chaos who would evolve into a monster given the right environment.
Noe felt as though a great weight had been lifted from his chest, and his mood turned exceptionally bright.
He didn't really mind an eight-thousand-pound fine; he could simply treat it as a grand celebration for Lanqi's successful admission to Ikerite Academy.
"Uh, you probably won't be able to find him for now. He's currently on a live broadcast," Luvishir said, glancing at the hands of the distant clock tower.
Lanqi had only entered the Shadow World yesterday morning, and the trial still had four full days before concluding. Until then, there was no way to find him on campus.
"The broadcast should be starting soon. Supposedly, this morning's session will present a special artistic, cultural, and scientific performance. I was just heading over to Jera Memorial Square to gather material for a report. Would you like to watch a bit before heading to the School of Magic Engineering?" Luvishir asked, turning toward Noe.
Lanqi and the others had gone to bed quite late, ending their broadcast at two in the morning, and had announced beforehand that the stream would resume after nine today.
The timing was just right.
Having lived with Lanqi day in and day out, his father surely possessed immense psychological fortitude, so seeing Lanqi's antics in the Shadow World probably wouldn't raise his pulse by much.
"Heh, I'd like to see what nonsense that boy is cooking up," Noe chuckled.
Since the fine was authentic, there was no need to rush to the School of Magic Engineering to cross-check the details.
Could that brat really possess some presentable talent to perform in front of the entire student body and passing residents of the capital?
How amusing.
He couldn't wait to see the show for himself.
Chapter 167