Walking along the streets of Herrom's southern district, Lanqi and Zestira looked like travelers passing across the canvas of an intricate city-state.
The sights around them flashed by like flowing water: colorful traffic signals, bustling, popular shops, colossal billboards advertising all sorts of strange goods, and Herrom citizens busy enjoying their weekend.
Despite the hustle and bustle all around, their steps and conversation remained exceptionally leisurely and unhurried.
"Teacher's teacher... could she be that woman you mentioned who can't get married?"
Zestira looked up at Lanqi beside her, asking as if she had suddenly figured something out.
While speaking of her teacher's teacher in such a manner wasn't very polite, those had been Lanqi's exact words, and she was merely repeating them.
Staying shut in at home every day truly was dangerous.
Zestira had no desire to turn into a moldy old woman—that would put her another step further from her idol, Talia.
"That's her. She wears a cold face every day, like everyone owes her money."
Recalling how Talia acted whenever she was around him, Lanqi spread his hands in helpless complaint.
"Is that so?"
Zestira slowly raised both hands, rubbed her cheeks, and tried hard to squeeze out a stiff smile.
She needed to learn how to smile so she wouldn't end up as the demonic cautionary tale Lanqi had described.
A true archdemon captivated others with an unruffled smile.
"...Zestira, are you practicing smiling?"
Lanqi glanced at her, asking with a hint of uncertainty.
"Yes."
Zestira saw no reason to hide her intention.
She was always pragmatic and honest, and she already felt that offering an appropriate smile was a difficult task.
"Take your time. It's not hard to learn,"
Lanqi comforted her.
Zestira was very young; if she wasn't good at smiling, she still had plenty of time to learn and change.
If she found it too difficult, he could always introduce her to a professional acting instructor.
When it came to women's acting skills, Hyperion was undoubtedly the most professional. No matter what kind of script was handed to her, she could slip into character within a second to perform alongside him.
The Poet of Great Love's acting was fairly decent too, but sometimes it was too exaggerated, and she occasionally carried a deliberately mischievous, tomboyish air that gave off an ambiguous, androgynous feel.
Once he reunited with Hyperion on the Northern Continent, he could just have Hyperion teach Zestira.
Perhaps Hyperion might even pick up some tricks from Zestira on how a half-demon awakened their innate magic.
"Can your innate magic sense things from very far away?"
Lanqi resumed asking about her innate magic.
"Not particularly far. At most around a dozen meters or so."
Zestira shook her head.
"..."
Hearing this, Lanqi rested his chin in thought.
In other words, the person watching them earlier had been much closer than he had imagined?
Even so, neither Lanqi nor Boss Cat had sensed anything at all.
Fortunately, it likely wasn't a villain; otherwise, it would be hard for them to harbor no hostility toward either him or Zestira.
He wondered whose interest he or Zestira had piqued.
During Lanqi's brief silence, Zestira spoke up.
"Speaking of goodwill and malice, I met someone at school who harbors no ill will toward me either."
Reminded by the mysterious attention earlier, Zestira thought of something.
"Oh?"
Lanqi raised an eyebrow with interest.
Generally speaking, people who possessed such qualities of great love got along quite well with him.
"Do you remember that book you read, Chronicles of the Holy War?"
Zestira had talked with Lanqi about that book on the train to Herrom the other day.
"I remember."
Lanqi nodded. He knew it was published by the Imperial Royal Magic Academy Press.
"The author of that book, Sido Arendelle, happens to be an associate professor of history at Protos Royal Magic Academy. I took a history course to scrape together course credits, and unexpectedly, he turned out to be the lecturer. His class is only offered this semester, too, since he sometimes leaves the academy to inspect ancient ruins,"
Zestira explained to Lanqi.
"I see."
History was one of the few theoretical subjects Zestira didn't dislike.
Moreover, history was exceedingly important in clearing and analyzing Shadow Worlds. In the Southern Continent, where academic traditions and intelligence-sharing organizations were highly developed, historians enjoyed elevated status and abundant research privileges within Magic Towers and academic societies.
To be able to produce independent achievements on the Northern Continent, Sido had to be a formidable historian.
After reading his work, Lanqi was all the more certain of this.
"Can I go with you to sit in on his history class next week?"
Lanqi asked.
If possible, he wanted to speak with a Northern Continent historian about certain questions regarding the Holy War.
After all, the causes and conclusion of that Holy War held many mysteries, and Lanqi possessed some pieces of information that no historian should know.
"No problem. Associate Professor Sido welcomes students seeking consultation after class,"
Zestira nodded, then paused.
"According to what you said earlier, what would happen if I specialized toward range?"
She asked Lanqi about the potential ultimate, fully developed form of her innate magic.
"It would become a top-tier enemy-detection skill, allowing you to inherently deduce an enemy's location, condition, and motivations for attacking or fleeing."
Lanqi had known for some time that Zestira's innate talent was nowhere near as accurate or specific as Talia's in terms of information analysis, but it was an area-of-effect type that allowed her to actively seek good fortune and steer clear of danger—which was why he felt comfortable letting her stay alone at Protos Royal Magic Academy.
She was Lanqi's highly cherished premier student—or rather, the first demon to declare Lanqi her teacher—so he naturally looked out for her.
"Even though it's an investigative and intelligence-type skill, it would grant you the leverage to maintain an absolute advantage in combat under any scenario,"
Lanqi added.
The ultimate enemy detection paired with Zestira's supreme martial potential could counter a vast array of fancy tricks.
Even illusion-type magic, which dragon demons were notoriously poor at handling, could be seen right through with this talent.
"Sounds pretty good."
Zestira nodded.
Her implicit tone suggested she wasn't particularly satisfied with that.
"What kind do you want?"
Lanqi asked curiously.
Although it suited her well, it would be pointless if she didn't want it.
Zestira hesitated briefly, then spoke:
"Is it possible to specialize toward mental interference, allowing me to amplify or diminish a target's fear or fondness toward me?"
"...?"
Lanqi was stunned upon hearing this.
That ability sounded slightly familiar.
Why was it that she admired Talia, yet the ability she wanted belonged to the Poet of Great Love?
"I feel Talia is like that. Compared to brute force, she's much better at manipulating hearts and minds, so I want to learn the ultimate psychological arts,"
Zestira explained, noticing Lanqi's reaction.
Chapter 268