Poet of Great Love Is Feeling Delighted

Now, Lanqi not only had to continue paying Talia her daily wage of three pounds, but he also owed her a massive debt of tens of thousands of pounds. Because the value of the Epic card Poet of Great Love was simply impossible to measure, Lanqi and Talia had ultimately negotiated a crafting fee of 75,000 pounds in Southern Kingdoms Union Currency: the card belonged to Lanqi first, and he would need to pay off the full amount within ten years along with corresponding interest, formalized in a contract. Had it not been for the fact that the card's core material, Hymn of Compassion, had been provided by Lanqi, and that Lanqi had also participated in the crucial steps of crafting the card, even adding another zero to the price probably wouldn't have been enough for him to secure it. Yet even with the amount set at 75,000 pounds, even the Wilfort Chamber of Commerce would find it difficult to produce that much liquid cash directly. Lanqi couldn't pay it in full for now, so he could only pay Talia back as he earned money over time. Calculated at a compound annual interest rate of 4%, to pay it off in fixed installments over ten years, he would need to pay Talia at least 9,247 pounds each year. If he failed to keep up, late fees combined with principal and interest would snowball higher and higher. Therefore, Poet of Great Love was truly expensive. For her sake, Lanqi even had to take out a mortgage. Of course, Lanqi was not one to get the short end of the stick. In a certain sense, he had firmly bound Talia to his side once again. Originally, Talia had intended to leave once she taught Lanqi to Tier 3. Now, because Talia wanted to reclaim this colossal debt, not only did she have to protect Lanqi, but she also had to help Lanqi—who was free to sell cards in human society—earn enough wealth to repay the debt as quickly as possible! As long as he owed Talia enough money, she would keep him covered. She hadn't even realized that their contracts of guardianship and apprenticeship would naturally carry on as well! The abacus in Lanqi's head clattered away as he smiled to himself. Just then, however, Poet of Great Love showed no intention of voluntarily turning back into a magic card. "An opponent like this is really far too weak." Poet of Great Love strode toward Lanqi, lifting her proud head slightly as a tinkling, bell-like laugh escaped her lips. Although her features resembled Talia's, her temperament was entirely the opposite. Compared to Talia's aloof, dignified demeanor that kept everyone at arm's length, every frown and smile from Poet of Great Love was like warm spring sunshine—save for the unmistakable slyness and arrogance glinting deep in her eyes. Seeing the agony Ferrat had suffered, she seemed delighted, abandoning even the pretense of an act. "Friendship comes first; respect your opponent." Lanqi hurriedly closed his eyes and shook his head, silently chanting, "What a sin, what a sin." It was hardly surprising for an Epic summon to possess an independent consciousness. However, Poet of Great Love's innate combat stats were weaker than those of an ordinary Tier 1 summon. Whenever her special effect couldn't be triggered, she was nothing more than a mascot; there was no expecting her to fight. "All right, turn back into a magic card, Poet of Great Love." Lanqi waved his hand at Poet of Great Love. And yet. Poet of Great Love seemed reluctant to turn back into a card so soon; opportunities to come out and get some fresh air were rare, after all. So she strolled over to Lanqi at an unhurried pace. "Hey, tell me, when are we going to torture enemies again?" Now that she no longer had to play the innocent maiden, Poet of Great Love bore not the slightest trace of her former purity. Her eyes narrowed like a fox's, and she grinned as she asked. "Ahem!" Lanqi's eyebrow twitched at her words, and he quickly cleared his throat twice. "Torturing citizens of our kingdom is an illegal act under the crime of abuse outlined in the Hutton Codex. Don't go spouting nonsense." Lanqi explained with utmost seriousness, "I have no intention of breaking the law. I'm legitimately participating in a national examination through sound tactics." "?" Poet of Great Love knit her brows, stunned for two seconds. She blinked and stared into Lanqi's bright, emerald-green eyes, finding them completely crystal-clear. This guy genuinely seemed to be giving a lecture on the law, not speaking some kind of underworld cant. "Tch." Clicking her tongue under her breath, Poet of Great Love dissolved into points of light that reconvened in Lanqi's hand, returning to a magic card enveloped in faint wisps of orange mist. "Weak little Master, you'd better grow stronger quickly. That's the only way I can stay out in the open and enjoy myself to my heart's content." Faint echoes of Poet of Great Love's crisp voice, laced with sweet laughter, lingered over the empty plains. Lanqi put the magic card away, shaking his head helplessly. Even if he had infinite mana, he would never let this troublemaker roam free to do whatever amused her. She was entirely capable of turning any place dense with negative emotions into Arkham Asylum in the blink of an eye. While it was true that summons with independent consciousness could be supplied with mana to act on their own—and high-tier summons often made great helpers to their owners or even looked after them—Poet of Great Love's personality was utterly dreadful. Unless presented with an opportunity to torture and toy with people, she barely listened to Lanqi at all. *The next time I summon you, it will definitely be to perform good deeds and accumulate virtue,* Lanqi swore silently in his heart. Poet of Great Love was a magic card that brought joy and happiness to all. Forcibly extinguishing an enemy's rage could well be called healing others. Today had once again been a day full of merit and virtue. Having recalled his summon, the little angel Lanqi exited the artificial Shadow World. ... Learning and Education Building, seventh-floor atrium examination hall. The spacious, open area was surrounded on all sides by towering glass curtain walls. Sunlight spilled freely across the marble floor tiles, and a pale-gold circular column of light beneath the dome served as the atrium's focal point, stretching from floor to ceiling through a circular opening that let sunlight and fresh air flow freely. By now, the sun had risen high. Ripples shimmered across the clear surface of the atrium's pool, framed by the surrounding greenery, making Lanqi feel thoroughly comfortable and relaxed the moment he returned to the atrium exam hall from the Shadow World. Yet as Lanqi looked around, he noticed that Teacher Teresa, who had been managing the exam hall, was nowhere to be seen. Normally, Teacher Teresa in charge here should have spent a little time briefing them on post-exam enrollment matters. However, Lanqi soon spotted a stretcher being hastily carried away by medical personnel outside the exam hall, along with Teacher Teresa's back as she flusteredly communicated with them, and he quickly understood. Teacher Teresa seemed busy handling the aftermath concerning Examiner Ferrat, leaving her no choice but to step away from the exam hall for a brief moment. The situation, then, was that the second group of candidates—who were supposed to begin shortly—had also been left waiting inside the exam hall without anyone in charge to direct them. "Ah, if only I'd come out a bit sooner, I could've lent a hand." Warmhearted Lanqi would certainly lend a helping hand whenever an opponent needed to be carried off on a stretcher. "..." Inside the hall, Hyperion, who happened to catch Lanqi's muttering, couldn't help looking over at him. If Ferrat had still possessed even a shred of consciousness just now, and seen Lanqi come over to help him onto the stretcher... he probably would have passed out on the spot from sheer vexation... Hyperion now strongly suspected Lanqi was exceptionally dark-bellied. Yet observing his earnest, innocent expression, it didn't seem that way either. He genuinely had a streak of natural airheadedness.