Lanqi Was Now a Man with a Price on His Head

A month slipped quietly by. A thin layer of frost coated the Ikerite Academy campus on this winter morning. Bare branches trembled in the biting wind, while the botanical gardens gave off a crisp, chilled fragrance. Heavy dark clouds drifted across the sky, with only scattered glimpses of blue peeking through the gaps. Bundled in thick coats, students hurried past with steaming cups of coffee or tea cupped in their hands, their breath puffing out in small plumes of white vapor against the cold air. "Little Hyo makes her entrance!" Wearing a faint smile, Hyperion walked out of the School of Sages' main building. With the exam for the semester's final course completed, the winter break had officially begun. The moment she stepped outside, she spotted Talia waiting for her on a campus bench in the distance. Talia rubbed her hands together from time to time, then inhaled deeply, savoring the peculiar clarity that only the winter cold could bring. Beside her on the wooden bench rested two takeout boxes of pastries and cakes. It seemed that if she hadn't been waiting for Hyperion, she would have long since devoured both. Watching Talia's restless effort to hold herself back from afar, Hyperion couldn't help but chuckle. She genuinely wished she could pour all of the ducal estate's fortune into feeding Tata, so she could eat her fill, sleep soundly, and live happily every day. Hyperion was living at Talia's home now. Talia hadn't chased her out either, continuing to teach her magic day in and day out. And so, even after the agreed-upon two-week protection period ended, they tacitly continued living together—exchanging morning and evening greetings each day, with nothing having changed. Soon, however, Hyperion would be leaving for the Northern Continent, which meant being parted from Tata for quite a while. The research project Lanqi had planned earlier was finally about to get underway. Once she and Lanqi registered the project with Dean Loren, even if they couldn't make it back in time before the start of next semester, they could still receive an extension. Over the upcoming three-and-a-half-month winter break, Frey's School of Knights didn't offer a graduation project like Visiting Slate Bearers, leaving him unable to secure any leave beyond the standard break. What was more, Dean Sphintos of the School of Knights refused to let Frey wander about, ordering him to stay put and train diligently at the school over the vacation under Sphintos's personal tutelage. As a result, Lanqi and Hyperion had no choice but to bid Frey a temporary farewell. Still, after a parting of several months, Frey, with his monstrous talent, would surely grow significantly stronger. Thinking this over, Hyperion trotted up to Talia's side. "Tata, I'm officially on break!" "Mm." Talia stood, took Hyperion's hand, and began heading toward the Boss Cat Restaurant on the east side of campus. "Why didn't Lanqi have to take any exams?" After taking a couple of steps through the chilly winter campus, Talia seemed puzzled and voiced the question on her mind. "He... spends all day sorting out campus disputes, so he has more than enough credits... and made quite a fortune on top of that..." Hyperion shook her head, her sigh drifting out as a thin wisp of white mist. Lanqi had opted out of every single exam this semester except for General Magic Genealogy. Between the massive credits earned from conquering fourth- and fifth-tier Shadow Worlds, and the bonus credits awarded for his intensive handling of student council affairs, Lanqi had more than enough credits to waive all his required courses with plenty to spare. After the Shadow World Banquet of Sanctuary Villains, both Hyperion and Lanqi had been promoted to registered Silver-rank challengers with the Southern Continent Shadow World Management Association, and had also received a hefty bounty of 4,500 pounds for slaying the Saintess of Destruction. As before, Hyperion refused her share, letting Lanqi and Frey split the bounty evenly. "All of it is mine," Talia said as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Lanqi still owed her a massive sum of money. Until he paid it off in full, his assets were hers in her eyes. "Oh, right. In about half a year, he's supposed to pay you over eight thousand pounds according to the contract." Hyperion had heard that Lanqi owed Tata a fortune, and she also knew that even before she met Tata, Lanqi and Tata shared an intriguing past. It was hard to imagine how two people with such polar-opposite personalities could get along so harmoniously, rather than Lanqi infuriating Tata the moment they met and suffering swift retribution. "Lanqi still has a long way to go," Hyperion remarked wistfully. Some people looked like wealthy tycoons on the surface, but in truth, their net worth was deep in the red. Lanqi, however, was now a man with a clearly established price on his head. While Hyperion didn't know what bounty tier the Resurrection Church had placed on her, she knew the bounties publicly issued by the branches on the Southern Continent— The branch under the Bishop of Destruction had put a 10,000-pound bounty on Lanqi. Meanwhile, the Decay Cardinal offered 16,000 pounds—demanding Lanqi alive. As for the Cardinal of Dimensions, he had announced that if Lanqi could also kill the Son of Destruction to satisfy his obsessive-compulsive disorder, he would donate a 20,000-pound public charity fund to Ikerite Academy. According to the news, just a while ago, the Bishop of Destruction had tracked down the Cardinal of Dimensions for a fierce battle; the Cardinal of Dimensions had been beaten within an inch of his life and was currently fleeing in disgrace. "Now that both of you are on break, the Dean of the School of Sages should finally get some peace and quiet for a while," Talia said. She hadn't originally expected a slate bearer to be living in this city and willing to work at an academy. During the team combat tournament that served as the closing event for the academic exchange visit at Ikerite Academy, she had seen Loren sitting at the referee table from afar. Even from a great distance, she could sense just how terrifying that man was. Yet why, according to Hyperion, was their dean always driven to a mental breakdown by Lanqi? Talia couldn't understand it. If she were in his shoes, she would have long since used forceful measures to set Lanqi straight. "..." Hyperion choked up. That day's match had been Ikerite Academy versus Aloran Royal Academy, ending in a 5–0 sweep. Seeing Loren weeping uncontrollably in his chair, she had resolved right then that if she ever had another chance, she would stop Lanqi no matter what. Knight Captain Juliana was definitely coming. Nearly half of the Aloran Royal Academy exchange delegation hadn't been able to make the trip back. In particular, the five final combatants: not only did their physical injuries require months of treatment in Ikerite, but their psychological and mental trauma would likely take a lifetime to heal. However, likely due to the chain reaction triggered by Phoenix's arrest and the brawl between the Bishop of Destruction and the Cardinal of Dimensions, the Resurrection Church had been exceptionally active in the Aloran Kingdom lately, preventing Knight Captain Juliana from leaving her post there. Even so, she had already sent word: as soon as the Resurrection Church matter in the Aloran Kingdom was resolved, she would personally come to Ikerite to find Loren, and he had better be ready. Upon learning this news, Senior Luvishir from the student council had popped a bottle of champagne in sheer excitement that very day—their newspaper's revenue for the coming year was officially guaranteed.