The One Sigrid Wants Most

Hearing Sigrid's words, Lanqi looked down at Boss Cat. Boss Cat was staring back at him. Man and cat locked eyes for a long moment, silence speaking louder than words. Boss Cat's brain had practically crashed. Wasn't the spread of the doctrines this kid left behind in the Southwestern Province absurdly fast? That was outright an infectious plague, wasn't it?! "All right. Come see me again once you've completed your task." Sigrid tapped her fingertips against the armrest, signaling Lanqi that he was dismissed. Having recruited a thoroughly satisfying direct retainer, she was in a rather good mood today. Even if Lanqi's reaction seemed a bit dazed and sluggish right now, she wouldn't hold it against him. And yet. Lanqi merely stroked Boss Cat, who had frozen stiff like a black statue, and raised his head to look straight at Sigrid. "Why aren't you moving?" Sigrid pursed her thin lips, her eyes narrowing slightly as though a flicker of displeasure had surfaced. "Please contact High Priest Kane of the Southwestern Province." Lanqi showed no sign of intimidation before the Bishop of Domination; his gaze remained as tranquil as the surface of a deep pool. "……" Seated upon the carved stone throne at the far end of the private gallery, Sigrid asked no questions. Her gaze flicked toward the side of the room, and she casually produced a card. The translucent card was edged with delicate silver filigree, bearing a sophisticated magical sigil in its center that emitted a faint purple glow under the dim light. A Tier 6 [Super-Long-Range Communication Magic]. Lanqi had seen one in Adams's possession back when he hosted him at Ikerite Academy to contact Knight Captain Juliana. Sigrid flicked her fair fingers. As if imbued with life, the card traced an arc through the air, crossing the room and landing with pinpoint accuracy upon an antique cabinet against the wall. Unlike the room's other furnishings, the cabinet was a deep bronze color, supporting an ancient-styled piece of magical apparatus. It was a mana terminal designed for ultra-long-distance communication networks. With its assistance, one could establish links and relay signals across stations erected throughout the Protos Empire's provinces, achieving real-time communication far beyond the range of any conventional spell. The moment the card came to rest, the communication terminal atop the cabinet was activated. It began to radiate a soft blue glow, like a star in the night sky, and a bronze handset hung along its flank. Sigrid simply watched Lanqi. Though she despised pointless chatter and preferred efficiency over dillydallying, her patience was not limitless. If he failed to satisfy her, he ought to understand the consequences of wasting her time. Inquiring about the Forerunner with the local High Priest in the Southwestern Province was something the Bishop of Domination had already done. She doubted Lanqi could extract any critical information over a mere call. Still, the lad was clever enough. By borrowing the Bishop's communication terminal, he could let Kane understand his connection to the Bishop of Domination first and hear the assignment he had received as her direct retainer, preventing High Priest Kane from being uncooperative once he arrived in the Southwestern Province. Yet if that were all, she would be disappointed in him. She favored the truly capable, not weaklings who relied on borrowed authority. Cradling the little black cat, Lanqi walked over to the cabinet and picked up the handset. Before long, a deep voice came through from the other end—the response from the church headquarters in the Southwestern Province: "Lord Bishop of Domination, do you require something of me?" The speaker's tone was exceedingly deferential. "It's me," Lanqi said calmly. "That voice…" High Priest Kane of the Southwestern Province paused, murmuring in confusion that instantly gave way to utter shock. He drew a sharp breath, his heart audibly racing. He wanted to speak, yet dared not make wild assumptions! "Lord Forerunner? Are you with the Lord Bishop of Domination?" High Priest Kane asked at last, stunned and thrilled. "I am now a partner of the Bishop of Domination, right beside her." Having said this, Lanqi held the handset in one hand and looked back toward Sigrid. With Sigrid's physical constitution as a Tier 8 physical class, it was impossible for her to have missed those words. By now, Sigrid's brow was furrowed as she processed this wildly abrupt turn of events. Absurd though it was… It was entirely logical. So many disparate pieces clicked together in an instant. The look in her eyes as she viewed Lanqi finally shifted, transforming from bewilderment into sharp focus. Sigrid lifted the hand resting on her throne's armrest, and the handset flew straight into her grasp. "Kane, do not tell anyone for now that the Forerunner is one of my people." Her voice remained chilly and commanding, but devoid of any actual warning, for she had absolute trust in her subordinate's loyalty. "Y-Yes! Understood! I shall steadfastly follow the great leadership guidelines of yourself and the Lord Forerunner, resolutely implementing every one of your directives and every policy for the church's develop—" High Priest Kane hurried to answer. Standing in the distance beside the cabinet, Lanqi continued to smile as he gently stroked Boss Cat, who was finally regaining some semblance of awareness. Listening to High Priest Kane rambling incoherently over the handset, Boss Cat felt as though the man was experiencing the ecstatic dream-come-true of a double fan. Something was about to go terribly wrong! Lanqi's starting position in the Domination branch had already been ridiculously high, and when faced with the Bishop's test, he had shown her the true definition of efficiency! It didn't want to become famous alongside Lanqi in the Northern Continent! Back in the Southern Continent, this guy had gone unnoticed for over a decade, but after just a few days in the Northern Continent, he was making waves wherever he went! Once the communication ended, Sigrid let out a helpless breath. "I misjudged you. You have my apology." She raised a hand with a casual beckoning motion, and the purple [Proof of Resurrection - Domination] belonging to a direct retainer—which Lanqi hadn't even put away yet—flew back into her hand, where she crushed it to dust. Boss Cat nodded with lingering dread at the sight. It seemed the Bishop of Domination would treat the kid as the Forerunner and cooperate with him, sparing him from serving as a mere direct retainer. After all, a direct retainer was the peak of standard promotion. Anything higher belonged to the realm of Holy Son and Saintess. A Cardinal conferring the title of Holy Son or Saintess required an extraordinary ritual. It would grant immense prestige, authority second only to the Cardinal within the branch, and a title matching the Bishop's own designation. Back in the Southwestern Province, Boss Cat had heard Resurrection priests mention that the Bishop of Domination explicitly stated she would not consider taking a Holy Son—only a Saintess. Furthermore, her compatibility with Lanqi was abysmal. Historically, no Bishop chose a successor whose style was the polar opposite of their own, devoid of any room for standard cultivation. And yet. Sigrid stepped down from her throne. Holding her Proof of Bishop of Domination, she stamped out an entirely new Holy Sigil, which blazed with a dazzling, brilliant pink luster. [Proof of Saint - Domination] [Type: Equipment Card] [Rarity: Pink Sacred] [Tier: 0] [Effect: Identification token of the Holy Son of Domination, issued exclusively from the Proof of Bishop of Domination. If the bearer slays a Cardinal, it will upgrade to a Proof of Bishop, unlocking Cardinal privileges and allowing the replication of Proofs of Resurrection of Blue Precious rarity or below for the Domination branch.] [Note: Bearer: Luoqi McCarthy.] "You are the most perfect Holy Son of Domination I could ever hope to see. I've decided—even if it means breaking every single rule I've ever kept, I will make you mine." Sigrid held it out before Lanqi, making no effort to conceal how deeply she valued him.