The ship finally docked. The massive iron anchor dropped, hitting the surface of the sea with a boom and sending up white spray as mooring ropes were securely tied to the pier's large iron rings.
Even before Viscount Francis disembarked, servants from the lord's manor were already waiting with a carriage.
Lanqi followed Viscount Francis down the gangway to the pier and boarded the carriage headed directly for the lord's manor.
The horses' hooves tapped lightly against the stone paving, producing a melodious echo that intertwined with the distant sound of breaking waves.
Lanqi gazed quietly out the window. In the distance, the silhouette of a lighthouse contrasted against the fiery sunset. The architecture looked as though it had been built out of emotion and history, every stone and wall bearing the marks of artisan craftsmanship—a town entirely different from Ikerite.
Word had it that the imperial capital of Protos possessed an even more distinctly unique style; its highly developed magic engineering and demon race legacy imbued the metropolis with a fantastical aura where chaotic disorder coexisted with sheer diversity.
If possible, Lanqi still wanted to finish his research topic as early as possible so he could have carefree fun exploring the imperial capital with Hyperion.
After all, Dean Loren had said that they could delay their return by up to two months without being expelled, so they naturally planned to make the absolute most of the vacation that came with their academic project.
He also needed to work hard to establish a solid foothold in the Protos Empire.
"Lord Viscount, may I begin tutoring the young lady tomorrow?"
After a moment of thought, Lanqi asked Viscount Francis, who sat across from him.
"You may, of course, but don't you need to rest for a while first?"
Viscount Francis glanced at the bandages wrapped around Lanqi.
"It's nothing serious. These injuries won't affect my brain," Lanqi replied with a smile.
Once he entered work mode, he didn't want to waste a single day.
Although the Resurrection Church had now obtained legal recognition, the attitude of the residents in Lilom City made it obvious that the identity of a Resurrection Church cultist was still unwelcome among most citizens in the Protos Empire.
If he wanted to use [Proof of Resurrection - Destruction] to obtain imperial identity documents through the Resurrection Church's official procedures, his legal status in the Northern Continent would be inextricably tied to the church.
Moreover, his Proof of Resurrection itself possessed flaws; at least at the bishop level, authorities had the clearance to check its authentic data. Thus, he couldn't simply rely on this [Proof of Resurrection - Destruction] to bluster his way all the way to meeting the Bishop of Extinction in person. Its purpose was merely to allow Lanqi to quickly establish a connection with the Resurrection Church in the Northern Continent.
Given the current circumstances, he would much prefer to secure an ordinary resident identity from some remote province. That would make it easier to launch a legitimate enterprise in the Protos Empire, after which he could transfer to the Extinction Branch and acquire his own [Proof of Resurrection - Extinction]. At that point, his resident identity and cultist identity would be kept separate.
Viscount Francis's earlier promise had actually been exceptionally broad. So long as he proved qualified to tutor the viscount's daughter, he had even told Lanqi to name whatever terms he wished.
The viscount inwardly understood what Lanqi needed most right now. Even so, he had still made that promise, tacitly approving the feasibility of arranging an identity for him.
"Mr. Luoqi, you could actually rest for a couple of days first... and then attempt to start working. Teaching her is no easy task. I'll have the manor staff send you a set of theoretical magic textbooks used in the Protos Empire first," Viscount Francis answered helplessly.
He worried that this young man would suffer double the agony, both physical and mental.
"I can finish skimming the books needed for tomorrow's class tonight. Getting free food and lodging at the lord's manor would make me feel guilty," Lanqi said, smiling with the same confidence.
In truth, he didn't even need to read them.
In Lanqi's eyes, the set of books authored by Professor Borao was equal to textbooks from any country or academy, and he had long since memorized them front to back and mastered every concept.
He merely needed to briefly familiarize himself with the syllabus of the Protos Royal Magic Academy. After all, what the viscount hoped for was that Zestira, who suffered from severe academic imbalances, would smoothly pass the academy's future courses, avoid causing trouble in that strictly hierarchical and heavily examined institution, and adapt to "teaching" as a mode of communication.
"Then... I'll leave it in your hands," Viscount Francis sighed, ultimately nodding in approval.
At the very least, from the young man's attitude, one could see his sincerity and confidence in his own abilities.
"However, if lessons are to start tomorrow morning, there are a few things I must explain to you now."
A look of deep sorrow quickly gathered between Viscount Francis's brows.
Originally, he had intended to let Lanqi stay at the lord's manor for two days before discussing the matter at leisure, but now he could only brief him during the carriage ride.
"My daughter, Zestira, isn't actually bad at heart. It's just that she has faced a great deal of prejudice since childhood due to her demon traits... Although people take her status into consideration when dealing with her, there are things hidden in their eyes that can't fool a child..."
Viscount Francis's voice was laden with guilt.
"I shouldn't have brought her to the provincial capital, let alone the imperial capital. There, the high nobility didn't treat her like a human being at all. Her already sensitive heart must have endured trauma far beyond my imagination."
He understood that he couldn't truly empathize with his daughter, and he knew what she had gone through during the preparatory entrance exam for the Protos Royal Magic Academy.
Ever since returning to Lilom City with her, she had shut herself inside her room, rarely stepping outside.
Lanqi listened attentively to Viscount Francis's account, occasionally patting the viscount on the shoulder like a therapist while offering words of advice and comfort. Without them realizing it, dusk outside the carriage window had deepened into darkness. They crossed an ancient arched bridge flanked by historic buildings and streetlamps; they would soon arrive at the lord's manor.
"Don't worry. I will earnestly try to connect with her heart to heart. The culture in my country is quite different from yours. While there may indeed have been some prejudice against the demon race a few years ago, at least in my academy, no one discriminates against demons anymore. Even pure-blooded demons can live out their days in leisurely peace in the royal capital, eating, sleeping, and spending their time happily without a shred of worry," Lanqi assured Viscount Francis.
Viscount Francis knew this was a gentle young man who liked to depict overly idealized, unrealistically romantic notions as a way of joking with him.
A century ago, the war against the demon race had raged all the way to the Southern Continent. Even if the nations of the Southern Continent did not harbor the same deep hatred toward demons as the Protos Empire did, they would hardly treat demons with such generosity.
The more he talked with Lanqi, the more Viscount Francis felt grounded in reality.
This young man still thought things were far too simple.
His daughter both hated discrimination and feared pity, and she recoiled even more from charity. Constant hurt had caused her to gradually retreat into an aggressive self-isolation, until she completely cut herself off and rejected everyone else.
Viscount Francis understood very well her deep-seated, chronic emotional affliction and how it had evolved into her current state.
And precisely because he understood, Viscount Francis knew all too well that this was a deadlock with virtually no solution.
Perhaps it was out of sheer desperation that he had turned to this young man he had picked up along the way.
Yet no matter what, Viscount Francis could only cling to a sliver of hope and attempt whatever small measure he could.
Chapter 246