Once the commotion subsided, the governor’s office fell into a tranquil silence.
Only the occasional frantic howl broke through from Anello, as though he had an inexhaustible reservoir of fury to vent. His hair hung disheveled over his forehead, and even with several elite guards pinning him firmly to the floor, he struggled relentlessly with every ounce of strength he possessed.
A manic, bloodshot haze burned in Anello’s eyes, threatening to spill over. The flames consumed his reason, making him forget his dire predicament. Veins bulged along his forehead as his body writhed in vain. Though he could barely move, the vicious urge to tear Lanqi to shreds drove him to throw himself against his restraints in reckless abandon.
"Luoqi—!"
Anello’s trembling, venomous shout echoed through the office between gritted teeth.
"You despicable insect! I’m going to kill you—!"
Unfazed by the outburst, Lanqi gently set down the little kitten he had been cradling on the sofa.
He strolled over to the office window and drew back the curtains. Natural sunlight spilled into the room in pure, radiant gold, seeming to wash away all trace of conflict and strife, leaving only crisp serenity in its wake.
Side stretched lazily and scooped up Boss Cat, who had just curled up on the sofa beside her. The little black cat was hers for now.
In the brief hush that enveloped the office, only faint breaths and the chirping of birds outside the window could be heard.
Lanqi gazed out the window, completely ignoring Anello as if granting him time to cool off.
"Luoqi—! Your time is coming too... You vile pair of mongrels, both of you are going to die! Every single one of you will die!"
Being blatantly ignored drove Anello even deeper into madness.
Amidst Anello’s hoarse, shrieking rant, Lanqi rested both hands on the windowsill and finally let out a soft sigh.
"Seeing you weep earlier and beg me for mercy did stir a touch of compassion in me. After all, there was once a student I failed to save, too."
Lanqi turned around, looking down at Anello on the floor, seemingly reminded of a female student he had encountered in the Sanctuary Shadow World.
Concealed within his emerald eyes were the wisdom and insight forged by the passage of time, brimming with hope and concern for a student—much like a weathered old headmaster gazing upon a pupil who had committed an irredeemable blunder.
He stepped closer to Anello, devoid of anger at the captive's hostility, showing only a faint touch of regret.
Sunlight flooded the room, yet Anello lay alone beneath a shroud of cast shadow.
Even so, Anello glared up at Lanqi with utter contempt, a twisted, hideous grin curling at the corner of his lips. "No one can judge me, Luoqi! No one! Flay me, slaughter me, do whatever you want! In the end, Lord Askesan will kill you all!"
He knew very well the horrifying seal placed upon Sigrid.
Unless an eighth-tier grand mage well-versed in sealing magic could be found to break it, she would never regain her eighth-tier combat power for the rest of her life!
And a Cardinal and slate bearer stripped of her power would become prey for the entire Northern Continent!
No one would offer them shelter!
Soon, the Bishop of Extinction would return and slaughter everyone associated with the Domination branch.
Just picturing the gruesome fate awaiting this smug group before him sent Anello into deranged laughter.
"Hahaha, hahahaha!"
Like an erupting volcano, Anello held his head high in sneering defiance despite being in an utterly hopeless situation. Every shout, every glare, and every trace of expression mocked the ignorance of those before him, radiating scorn for everything in sight.
"Admirable courage."
Lanqi observed Anello steadily.
No matter how Anello provoked him, Lanqi remained entirely unruffled. A headmaster was, after all, a headmaster—he would never stoop to truly brawling with a student.
Throughout his educational career, he had seen plenty of delinquent students who had strayed down the wrong path, but a student quite like Anello was a first.
"No matter. Our school boasts a mature educational system."
Lanqi lifted his right hand, gently picked up the communication receiver beside the desk, and held it to his ear, his emerald eyes brimming with benevolence.
"Please connect me to Count Xiaya Candice and ask him to come to my governor’s office."
Lanqi set the receiver back on its cradle.
A few minutes later, the wooden doors of the governor’s office slowly pushed open.
A flaxen-haired young nobleman stepped inside, dressed in northern noble hunting attire embroidered with the Chinston family crest. The metal trim at his cuffs and collar gleamed under the light, highlighting his snow-white complexion. Compared to when Lanqi and Side had first met him, his gaze was now calm and composed.
"Teacher, what do you need me to do?"
Xiaya took several brisk steps forward, came before Lanqi, bowed slightly, and offered a deep, reverent knight's salute, his voice carrying both respect and delight.
Lanqi nodded, showing his approval of Xiaya.
Placing a hand on Xiaya’s shoulder, Lanqi glanced at Anello before turning his gaze back to Xiaya, his tone steady. "Xiaya, take him to the underground prison of Chinston City. Let us see if his willpower is truly as unyielding as he claims."
"Hahahaha! You think changing the location is going to scare me?"
Anello burst into laughter as if amused by Lanqi’s 'terrifying' proposal. His sinister, chilling cackle shook the office, reverberating between the four walls.
"You sycophantic dogs, do you even know who I am? I am Anello! What torture haven't I witnessed? What torture haven't I inflicted?!"
Though his body was restrained, his mind was ablaze with frenzy. Such pathetic intimidation seemed nothing short of ludicrous!
What did a prison matter to him?
He had always stood far above the law!
"Maybe I should just execute him instead."
Sitting on the sofa, Side furrowed her brows, flexing her fingers. She was running out of patience with this Holy Son of Extinction.
"Trust me. Just leave him to me."
Lanqi turned back, meeting Side’s gaze with gentle reassurance.
"..."
Cradling Boss Cat, Side fell back into silence.
To be fair, she truly had never seen Lanqi torture anyone.
Still, breaking a thorough scumbag and lunatic like Anello was hardly a task an ordinary interrogator could manage.
His earlier groveling had merely been an act to gain Loren’s sympathy. To become the Holy Son of Extinction, one had to claw their way through Askesan’s brutal, bloody trials of elimination—only the most ruthless, inhumane monster could claim such a title.
"You’d better make sure I’m satisfied, or I won’t be able to sleep well tonight," Side remarked, conceding full authority to Lanqi.
Once Lanqi and Side finished speaking, Xiaya gave a subtle nod and raised a hand, signaling the elite guards to haul Anello away.
Two of the elite guards seized Anello by the arms. Another heavy warrior shoved a towel into his mouth, quickly and deftly slipped a burlap sack over his head to plunge his vision into total darkness, and carried him out.
Anello’s body jerked violently. Unable to make a sound, he thrashed against their grip, but his efforts were futile, utterly unable to shake their ironclad hold.
And so it went, until the doors of the governor’s office clicked gently shut.
Chapter 352