The compact yet exquisite guest cabin was filled with warm-toned furniture and draperies.
Beneath the chandelier, the young man seated on the bed rose and offered Viscount Francis a deep bow.
"Thank you for saving my life, Lord Viscount."
The youth's gentle, clear voice carried a hint of fatigue.
This was the typical state of someone who had just adapted to translation magic.
Francis nodded with a smile, gesturing for the youth to sit, before taking a chair at the side himself. He was never one to put on aristocratic airs.
"Please, think nothing of it, young man. I imagine this place must be quite unfamiliar to you. Would you mind telling me what happened, where you came from, and where you are headed?" Viscount Francis finally asked.
"I am a scholar from the Hutton Kingdom on the Southern Continent. I came to the Northern Continent this time to complete an academic research project, but we ran into a mana storm. The ship was wrecked... and when I woke up, I had been rescued by your people."
The brown-haired youth seemed to hesitate, but spoke at last.
As Francis listened, ripples stirred in his heart.
The Hutton Kingdom was a renowned power on the Southern Continent; even Francis had heard of it.
It boasted famous figures as well—for instance, the High Priest of the Church of the Goddess of Fate hailed from the Hutton Kingdom.
Francis knew that this youth's ordeal was likely connected to the recent turbulence of mana storms at sea.
Lately, shipwreck rates across the ocean had indeed risen significantly, especially for vessels coming from the Southern Continent.
Although the young man's words may have omitted some crucial details, Viscount Francis could sense his sincerity.
"I am very sorry, but the documents proving my identity were lost along with my luggage," the youth added.
Viscount Francis waved his hand, having no intention of making things difficult for the youth or subjecting him to intense interrogation.
While Francis was having breakfast, his secretary had already confirmed that the youth spoke fluent Southern Continent languages. Even without translation magic, he could easily read books imported from the south. Furthermore, through conversation, the secretary had determined that the youth possessed a deep understanding of the Southern Continent's society and culture.
He was undeniably from the Southern Continent; certain things could not be acquired through mere study or imitation.
Even more importantly, his gentle temperament made it nearly impossible to suspect him of being a villain.
Nor did he possess any threatening power.
The youth's attire was not luxurious, but from his diction and refinement, it was plain at a glance that he was well-educated and from an illustrious family. He had most likely been separated from his guards in the shipwreck.
"I will not pry deeply into your identity. When something cannot be thoroughly investigated, pressing further only turns into baseless suspicion. I only wish to confirm one thing with you first: are you a member of the Church of the Goddess of Fate?" Viscount Francis asked.
"No. I do not believe in any deity," Lanqi replied, puzzled.
"Phew." Viscount Francis let out a sigh of relief.
"May I ask why you inquire?" Lanqi's expression remained unchanged, still filled with bewilderment.
"If you were a priest and I sheltered you, I would face charges such as colluding with an evil cult and espionage under the present Protos Empire. Even so, I would not harm you; I would merely have set you ashore outside the city and given you some food," Viscount Francis explained. "The Church of the Goddess of Fate is currently classified as an evil cult in the Protos Empire and is being purged by the empire."
He knew this sounded absurd to someone from the Southern Continent.
Hearing Viscount Francis's brief overview of current politics in the Protos Empire, Lanqi's expression grew even more bewildered.
This patch was far too bizarre. Was the Resurrection Church about to go public on the stock exchange next?
Yet Lanqi quickly accepted it.
Rather than waiting for the patch to pass, it was better to adapt to it.
After a brief conversation, Lanqi gained a general idea of his current location and laid out his present predicament to Viscount Francis.
"Mr. Francis, I want to find my companion. Could you help me?" Lanqi asked earnestly.
"Mr. Luoqi, I deeply sympathize with your plight, but at this particular juncture, the help I can offer is limited." Viscount Francis sighed upon hearing this.
He could tell that the lost companion was exceedingly important to the young man.
And the youth's calm, poise, and comprehension were nothing like those of someone who had just escaped the jaws of death, which reaffirmed Francis's impression of his caliber.
Yet without legal imperial identification, while he might manage in a small city like theirs, heading north would prove virtually impossible in the present Protos Empire.
Viscount Francis dared not risk using his lordly authority to forge an identity for the young man during such turbulent times.
"If you are willing, I can first settle you in Lilom City and provide you with a job."
That was the extent of what Viscount Francis could do for him.
If Luoqi earned enough money, Francis could bring him along the next time they traveled to an eastern port city, where he could buy a ticket back to the Southern Continent. At least he could send him home.
Moreover, by forging this goodwill, Francis might have an acquaintance to turn to should he ever need to go to the Southern Continent in the future.
"What kind of job would it be?"
Lanqi had been saved by others and felt embarrassed to simply sponge off their generosity. Furthermore, earning some Protos Empire currency would make travel within the empire much more convenient later on.
However, he was obviously unsuited for manual labor, and when it came to key clerical posts, Viscount Francis, kind as he was, would never rashly entrust them to a foreign traveler he had only just met.
"You mentioned that you are a scholar, didn't you? And that you specialize in magic genealogy and magic engineering," Viscount Francis said slowly. "My daughter gives me quite a headache. She refuses to attend school and has driven away many tutors, including experienced instructors I hired for her from other cities... She has actually passed the preparatory exam for the Protos Royal Magic Academy, but given her attitude, I worry she will never manage to study there smoothly."
His daughter possessed extraordinary talent—bordering on the miraculous, in fact. As long as she did not squander her gift, she was destined to become a powerhouse. Once that happened, no one would ever dare look down on her again, and she would have ample strength to protect herself.
Viscount Francis had originally been at his wit's end, but seeing this unique visitor from the Southern Continent, he thought it might be worth a try.
"Teaching? No problem at all."
Upon hearing that, Lanqi's eyes brightened, and he agreed without hesitation.
Bring that up, and he wasn't tired in the slightest!
"I advise you not to get your hopes up too high. She is very difficult to teach," Viscount Francis said, shaking his head with a chuckle.
"Is that so? Then if she accepts me, would the compensation be very generous?"
Lanqi's demeanor grew even more enthusiastic.
He was the headmaster of Purgatory Corridor Academy, after all—there was no student he couldn't teach properly!
"Hah, then name whatever terms you like."
Francis had never seen anyone so confident.
It could even be called borderline arrogant.
Perhaps he was indeed a capable young scholar on the Southern Continent, but pedagogy was far from simple.
Especially when dealing with an extremely difficult, troublesome child.
In any case, it was worth treating a dead horse as if it were alive—trying his luck. If the youth couldn't manage, Francis could just reassign him to another task.
However, if he truly could gain her recognition as a tutor, Francis wouldn't mind using some of his authority to arrange a new identity for him, or even sending him along to the imperial capital as a study companion at the Protos Royal Magic Academy.
After all, if the youth wanted to find someone, the fastest way would undoubtedly be to go to the imperial capital, where information circulated most freely.
"All right, then rest assured and bring me before her," Lanqi gave his guarantee.
Francis smiled and stood up. He walked slowly to the door, then turned back to take another look at the young man.
"Rest well for now. You are still an injured patient. Judging by the weather, there might be another storm tonight, and the ship could sway enough to keep you awake."
With that, Francis pushed open the cabin door and stepped outside.
After closing the door behind him, Viscount Francis smiled with relief.
Regardless, the young man was a likable good person. Even after hearing that his prospective student possessed demonic traits, he hadn't shown the slightest hesitation.
The Southern Continent truly had pure and honest folk.
"My Lord, aren't you worried he might harm the young lady?" the secretary asked as he accompanied Viscount Francis down the cabin corridor.
"It doesn't matter. She can easily subdue this kid," Francis waved his hand dismissively.
The young man might be more than Tier 1, but his mana level was indeed only at Tier 1 intensity, and he clearly hadn't trained in close-quarters combat techniques.
If his mana were a disguise and he could mask it so smoothly and naturally, he would have to be a supreme powerhouse of Tier 7 or even higher—and if someone like that wanted to harm them, it would take no more than a single thought.
Chapter 239