Aside from a large, bright expanse of glass windows on one side, the hospital room was decorated primarily in deep brown wood, imparting a reassuring warmth.
Lanqi walked over to the bed, sat down in the chair beside it, and looked at his father with a smile.
Gazing at Lanqi's smiling face, Noe didn't quite know what to say to him.
"I've been recuperating these past two days and haven't left the room much, but hearing that your grades are good has mostly put my mind at ease. Still..."
Whenever Noe thought of the horrifying state of those three clergymen, he couldn't begin to fathom what sin Lanqi had committed.
At the time, while scanning the newspaper near the outdoor giant screen, his vision had grown dark and blurry; he'd merely glimpsed the prominent images in the column before fainting without really reading the text.
"Never mind. As long as you returned safe and sound," Noe sighed.
Just looking at the photographs captured from that Shadow World made it clear how dangerous it had been.
"I knew you were worried about my studies, Father, but you can rest assured. While I might not necessarily succeed in academia, I will definitely give it my all!" Lanqi promised solemnly to his father.
"Lanqi, right now I only hope you'll walk the straight and narrow path and develop steadily. I don't expect you to be as dazzling as Duke Mikhail."
Hearing Lanqi's words, Noe ought to have felt gratified.
Yet for some reason, an inexplicable sense of panic welled up in his heart.
In the past, he had feared Lanqi wouldn't work hard.
Now, it seemed he was slightly afraid Lanqi would work *too* hard. Thus, he patted Lanqi's shoulder and advised him.
He didn't want Lanqi to lose himself and stray onto a crooked path in pursuit of lofty goals beyond his reach.
Though Noe's original intention in wanting Lanqi to attend Ikerite Academy had included the hope that Lanqi could learn from Duke Mikhail—an illustrious graduate of the academy—in reality, that was merely a parent's extravagant dream.
"Lanqi actually possesses talent no less than Duke Mikhail's," Hyperion said rather modestly.
In the past, she would never have admitted that anyone was more talented than her father. But after spending so much time around Lanqi, she felt Lanqi was truly beyond description.
"Miss Hyperion, don't flatter my boy so much." Noe shook his head, looking over Lanqi with utter disdain. "Other than good looks, how could he possibly compare to Duke Mikhail!"
Did this brat really deserve comparison with Duke Mikhail, the peerless prodigy of the Hutton Kingdom?
Even though Noe could tell from Hyperion's words that she genuinely held Lanqi in high regard, Noe was a longtime admirer of Duke Mikhail—a diehard fan through and through. Whenever he saw news slandering Duke Mikhail, he would get especially furious.
"He really can. Lanqi is amazing," Hyperion repeated with certainty.
Although she always loved hearing others praise Duke Mikhail, she was also someone who believed in facing facts.
"Take entrance scores, for example. Back then, Duke Mikhail entered Ikerite Academy's School of Knights in first place! What place was he in the School of Sages?"
Noe pointed at Lanqi and asked. He felt this young lady was a bit too naive about the ways of the world.
"First place," Hyperion said.
"...?"
Shocked, Noe stared at Lanqi. "Really first?"
Lanqi merely nodded calmly.
Noe's heart pounded wildly. He had initially hoped for nothing more than for this kid to scrape past the passing mark and get into the School of Alchemy.
Now, it felt like a dream.
Even though Noe could deduce that Lanqi's performance couldn't be bad given that he had entered a Shadow World just two months into the semester, was he truly the top rank?
One had to understand that the chief student of any school at Ikerite Academy each year was guaranteed a remarkable future!
After calming his emotions for a moment, Noe finally spoke.
"However, Duke Mikhail applied to the School of Knights, but what truly dazzled everyone was his talent in magic engineering. Not only was he proficient in magic and all kinds of scholarship, but he was also skilled at potion brewing and card crafting. You could say that no matter which of the four schools he had applied to back then, he would have placed first. Having been in the royal capital for this long, you must have heard the tale of Duke Mikhail creating an unprecedented three Pink Sacred cards during his registered card maker examination, right?"
Noe felt proud of Lanqi, yet the more this was so, the more he needed to warn Lanqi against complacency, so he wouldn't get too ahead of himself.
Lanqi simply nodded with a silent smile.
"..."
Hyperion looked at Noe in confusion.
However, she quickly understood.
Lanqi's registered card maker examination had taken place right before they entered the Shadow World, just a few days ago.
Moreover, the fact that Lanqi had been evaluated at Platinum rank was only known to those who had been in the lounge area—herself, Prince Ainuoer, and a few others—along with the higher-ups of the Card Makers Association's Ikerite Branch, the School of Magic Engineering, and Dean Loren. It had not yet been made public.
The rumor circulating in the capital was that Lanqi had crafted an Epic card, but there were currently so many exaggerated tales about "Headmaster Lan" throughout the royal capital that people were actually unsure of its truth.
According to the student council president, Noe had fainted shortly after arriving at Ikerite Academy, so it was completely normal that he was unaware of Lanqi's registered card maker exam results.
"Although Lanqi doesn't know everything, he's the type to throw his heart into whatever he does and hone a particular discipline to its absolute limit... Besides, his evaluation in the registered card maker examination was ranked even higher than Duke Mikhail's."
Hyperion thought about it. She worried Lanqi was preparing to spring a massive surprise on Noe, and besides, Noe praising Mikhail like this was making even her feel a bit embarrassed.
To prevent Lanqi from committing further mischief, Hyperion decided it was best to reveal the truth herself.
Noe froze for a moment, his brain somewhat crashing from the overload of information.
The last time he returned to South Vantina and met with Lanqi in the study, Butler Hans had assured him that Lanqi had a talent for crafting magic cards, and Lanqi had also requested a sum of money from him claiming it was for "material costs and tuition for card crafting."
Initially, Noe thought Lanqi was merely pursuing a hobby, and it would be good enough if he could make a few common cards in the future.
How had this kid managed to take the registered card maker examination in just half a year?
Wait.
"Higher?"
Noe caught the crucial point and counted on his fingers.
Duke Mikhail had been evaluated at Gold rank, that was right.
Higher.
Could it be... Platinum?
Noe looked at Lanqi in disbelief, as if looking at a monster.
Back then, Butler Hans had told him that Young Master Lanqi would definitely make fine magic cards.
He had thought Hans was merely covering for Lanqi—who would have guessed Hans was speaking the absolute truth?
"Miss Hyperion, you aren't teasing me, are you?"
Noe's lips and teeth trembled as he struggled to string words together.
He couldn't quite believe it, feeling that Hyperion was joking.
"It hasn't received official approval yet. The unofficial designation for now is quasi-Platinum rank," Hyperion answered accurately.
Noe's gaze turned dazed. He stared at Lanqi, unable to speak for a long while.
He believed Hyperion was an honest, good girl who wouldn't tell such lies to trick him.
This feeling was even more unreal than a dream.
A Platinum-rank card maker—a genuine big shot.
Noe had never imagined that Lanqi could achieve such heights.
"Wait, don't you think your stances are a bit strange...?"
Lanqi muttered quietly from the side. He hadn't expected that he would one day become the straight man pointing out the absurdity.
Both of them were siding against their own teams.
If Duke Mikhail heard his own daughter talking him down like this, he would surely be heartbroken.
Still, Lanqi sensed that Noe didn't seem to have realized that Hyperion was Duke Mikhail's daughter.
Noe sat dazed like that for a long time.
Finally, he could no longer conceal the joyous smile spreading across his face.
"Hah. Even so, I'm certain there is one area where this kid falls short of Duke Mikhail."
Unable to digest the joy overflowing in his heart for the moment, and caught up in the excitement of the topic, he spoke as though cracking a joke, yet also as though refusing to admit defeat.
"What is it?"
Hyperion didn't know what it would take to get Noe to frankly admit the fact that Lanqi was truly exceptional.
"Duke Mikhail could marry a demon wife. Can Lanqi do that?"
Noe let out a gloating chuckle and asked.
"Of course he c—!"
Hyperion instinctively started to follow Noe's line of thought, but her expression suddenly shifted drastically.
"Excuse me, please forgive me for a moment."
Averting her gaze in acute embarrassment, she pressed her lips together, stood up, and briskly walked out of the room with her head bowed.
"...Haha! Couldn't refute me this time, could she?"
Noe threw his head back and laughed, as if he had just scored a victory.
"Father, she's..."
Lanqi sighed.
He was about to explain, but he was afraid his father might faint all over again.
If it happened a second time, it might genuinely be dangerous. He hesitated, unsure whether he should speak.
"Who is she? Could she possibly be Duke Mikhail's daughter?"
Noe found it even funnier, thinking Lanqi couldn't even speak properly.
"Where on earth would you find a demon as gentle and kind as her? I'm pretty sharp when it comes to reading people. I'd sooner believe you're a demon than believe she has half a drop of demon blood in her."
"..."
Lanqi was completely silenced by Noe's words.
Never mind.
Mind one's own business and respect one's father's fate.
Looking at Lanqi's composed demeanor, Noe couldn't help marveling that this boy had truly become mature and steady.
"Look at you acting all proud. If you've got the ability, go marry a demon wife and bring her home! If she's a pureblood great demon like the Duchess Mikhail, I'll gladly proclaim you the greatest."
Still laughing, Noe clapped Lanqi on the shoulder, teasing him. He was in exceptionally high spirits now.
Demons were never friendly creatures. With Lanqi's personality, he'd probably get beaten to death before he could even start courting one.
And beings of disaster like great demons would crush Lanqi like an ant.
"..."
Lanqi shook his head helplessly.
This was the one thing he could never do.
A pureblood demon wife was truly out of the question. To begin with, demons thought fundamentally differently from humans. If a quarrel broke out after marriage, she would either murder her husband or abruptly vanish into thin air; coming to a good end was practically impossible.
If he were ever to marry a pureblood demon, the only possible scenario would be someone holding a blade to his throat and forcing him into it.
Yet such a situation was obviously impossible.
Chapter 177