Pale daylight filtered through gaps in the clouds over the snowfield, crisscrossing amidst the blowing snow like casual brushstrokes across a winter canvas, lending a subtle touch of warmth to this frigid world.
Swaying snowflakes danced freely in the air, drifting down to settle on the snow-covered ground or swirling ceaselessly as gusts lifted them aloft.
Amidst the wind and snow, the two very considerately accompanied Xiaya back across the plain to retrieve his lost luggage.
Xiaya led the way, while the pair followed a short distance behind.
"Whew, it really is cold,"
Lanqi could not help but sigh once they reached the open snowfield.
"Can't handle this little bit of cold?"
Side glanced at him with a hint of mockery.
"Why aren't you cold? You're fourth-tier too, aren't you?"
"Oh my, it's so cold." (In a deadpan voice)
Apart from their occasional chatter, everything around them seemed utterly peaceful. Even with the constant rustle of windblown snow, the continuous white noise felt like the very breathing of the snowfield.
A few minutes later, the three finally located where Xiaya had dropped his suitcase and began helping him gather his things.
There were almost exclusively clothes, a few books, and some small magic apparatus items, as well as an atlas similar to the one Lanqi and Side carried, detailing the topography and environment of the northern Protos Empire.
Beyond the northern control zone lay three provinces due north.
Box Mountain Province served as a key transportation hub.
Not far from Box Mountain Province lay Snowfield Province, primarily composed of several large city-states, of which Chinston City was one.
Much farther to the north was Northern Border Province.
At present, they had just crossed out of Box Mountain Province and stepped onto the territory of Snowfield Province.
"Thank you both. I've caused you so much trouble."
Xiaya bowed to them again, feeling even more ashamed of how he had fled in terror earlier.
"Think nothing of it. Serving the people with all my heart and soul is just what I ought to do."
Lanqi raised a hand slightly and replied.
"..."
Xiaya suddenly felt that his bow should have been even deeper.
At the same time, he could not help but wonder: were upperclassmen from Protos Royal Magic Academy always this friendly?
He had heard that competition at the academy was cutthroat and people were cold and merciless. Had the times changed?
Perplexed, Xiaya pondered for a moment, then lifted his suitcase and exhaled a sigh of white mist.
"Senior brother, senior sister, if this is for an elective project, it's best not to head any further north. Wait in Chinston City until the railway is repaired, then head straight back to Herrom, the Imperial Capital."
He offered his sincere advice as he started walking.
"This may just be my shallow judgment, but not only is there covert strife between these neighboring northern city-states, making public order in the province atrocious, but an investigation team sent from Herrom a few days ago also seems to be looking into some unrest further north."
These two had presumably traveled straight from the Imperial Capital to the north, unlike him, who had lingered in the north for days initially hoping transit would resume.
"What happened further north?"
Lanqi had heard an Imperial Army captain mention something about this back at the Rock Confluence train station in Box Mountain Province, though the captain had clearly lacked specifics as well.
"Only the lords of the city-states in Snowfield Province probably know. But even setting that aside, the north is growing increasingly dangerous."
Xiaya shook his head, walking steadily alongside Lanqi and Side toward Chinston City in the north.
"Beyond the surge in displaced refugees, crime rates are skyrocketing. Many people who can't get relief in the city-states have either willingly or forcibly joined a northern criminal syndicate called the Spectre Party. Those bandits from earlier were likely external members of the Spectre Party."
Lanqi kept his pace steady as he listened, falling into thought.
He remembered that the bandits' corpses bore octopus insignias or rings, likely the tokens of the Spectre Party.
"Why are they so rampant?"
Lanqi asked from behind in the blowing snow.
"The Imperial Army lacks the spare strength to focus on wiping them out, and the lords of Snowfield Province are at odds with one another, unable to agree on dividing up the effort. None of them have shown any intention of improving public order outside the walls."
Xiaya gave a helpless sigh of resignation. Only after coming to the north in person had he truly realized that public security in the southern empire was far superior by comparison.
"I see."
By now, Lanqi understood the situation in Snowfield Province.
It was essentially a hopeless mess. Nobody wanted to deal with it, so suffering together felt like the fairest outcome to them.
The main northern forces of the Extinction Branch were stationed alongside the Imperial Army in the Northwestern Province. Helping the nobles of Snowfield Province clear out bandits might earn Bishop of Extinction Askesan considerable prestige, but it was unquestionably a thankless chore. The nobles would dump all the work onto the Extinction clergy, and even if it succeeded in the short term, it would cost the lives of many high prelates—something none of the prelates were willing to do.
As for Askesan himself, he was reportedly guarding Northern Border Province and confronting the Northern Kingdoms. Due to the sluggish flow of information, his exact whereabouts were impossible to confirm.
"You're from the south, aren't you? Why come north?"
When helping Xiaya gather his luggage earlier, Lanqi and Side had already deduced his origins. Even his outfit gave it away; he looked as though he had layered several southern winter coats on top of one another.
"Though I'm nominally the eldest son of a southern earl's house, I'm actually destitute... I came here to marry into the Chinston family. I have no idea what my fiancée is like, though by all accounts she's remarkably talented. Skipping the preparatory course and directly enrolling in the academy was effortless for her..."
Xiaya lowered his head and stammered, looking thoroughly embarrassed as he explained his true circumstances to them.
Lanqi and Side exchanged a glance, instantly understanding.
His family had a noble title but no money, so marrying into a border noble family with real resources wasn't a bad move.
"Aren't you worried you won't adapt to life in the north? Or that the northern nobles will treat you poorly?"
Side rarely took the initiative to ask.
"When I was young, I actually met a girl in Herrom. She was said to be a northern noble, yet she was exceptionally intelligent, elegant, and well-mannered. She helped guide me back to my father when I got lost."
Xiaya seemed to recall something, his expression softening slightly.
He held no prejudice against northern nobles and even possessed a favorable impression of them. Or rather, there were good and bad people everywhere, and one shouldn't generalize.
Perhaps it was from that point onward that he had gradually transformed into who he was today, unwilling to let his family continue sliding into ruin generation after generation like his father.
"So could she be your fiancée, Miss Lilith Chinston?"
Lanqi chimed in out of nowhere.
"How do you know her name?"
Xiaya blinked, catching the critical detail, and turned back to look at Lanqi.
"I naturally know the names of every student at Protos Royal Magic Academy, including admitted students who haven't enrolled yet."
Lanqi explained with utter seriousness.
"..."
Who in a school memorized the information of every single student?
It felt vaguely terrifying.
Almost as if making any mistake at school would result in getting caught by him.
"I don't know. Ten years have passed, and I can't even remember what that girl looked like. I only recall her striking, bright reddish-orange hair. She must have grown into an intelligent young lady by now."
Xiaya could only shake his head in reply.
Lanqi nodded, offering no comment.
"To be honest, I quite enjoy witnessing those romantic stories between boys and girls,"
Side remarked wistfully as they walked.
"Really? Did you know my greatest specialty is playing matchmaker?"
Lanqi suddenly perked up, his tone growing distinctly energized, looking as though he couldn't wait to show off his skills to Side.
Bring this up, and he wasn't sleepy at all.
"How about this: hire the two of us. Our rates are reasonable—just pay us as fourth-tier bodyguards. When you arrive at the lord's manor, you ought to have a butler or attendants with you, or it would look far too shabby."
Lanqi immediately proposed to Xiaya.
"But I... I don't have enough money right now to pay you."
Xiaya went from delighted to dejected in an instant.
It was an exceedingly generous offer.
The two of them indeed carried an extraordinary air.
Standing beside them, one could hardly tell who was supposed to be the young master or lady.
Yet he had no money.
"You can pay on credit. When the time comes, just wire the funds to our accounts in the Imperial Capital."
Lanqi glanced at Side.
Side gave a slight shrug, clearly having no objection. She was currently at the fourth tier anyway, so taking payment at the fourth-tier rate was entirely reasonable.
She simply felt this man's smooth-talking was far too seamless—it even came across as completely sincere.
The look in his emerald-green eyes seemed to reassure the other person that he trusted them, which in turn made them want to trust him completely.
And just like that, the two naturally secured an identity that allowed them to slip into the lord's manor.
"..."
Listening to Lanqi's plan fall perfectly into place,
Boss Cat in the shadows felt a sudden chill run down its spine.
Its very first encounter with Lanqi had come about because it heard him claim he excelled at bringing people together.
Yet the result...
It recalled Loren weeping uncontrollably in his chair, while Boss Cat, having naively trusted Lanqi back then, had failed to save that noble High Priest—to the point where it dared not casually visit Ikerite Academy afterward, terrified of bumping into the High Priest and being mistaken for Lanqi's accomplice.
Now, Lanqi believed he was a master of romance once again.
*Stop right now, you bastard!!*
*Don't go polluting young people's romantic comedies, meow!*
Chapter 310