Lanqi's Faculty Expansion Plan

"So, Holy Son, what do you plan to do next?" Sigrid leaned a little closer to Lanqi, pressing her palm against the sofa cushion as she asked. If he lost Cloris's aid—or worse, couldn't even determine whether she was friend or foe right now—the Holy Son's plans would likely have to change drastically. Yet the more tightly interconnected these sudden upheavals were, the more it proved that their hidden enemies were on the verge of surfacing. Every step the two of them had taken had not been in vain. By now, Sigrid could clearly sense that a mastermind working behind the scenes was plotting something clandestine against the Protos Empire. Had she not met Lanqi, she likely would have become just another pawn. When everything finally erupted, she would almost certainly have ended up a loser—and one who lost without even knowing why. The very thought infuriated her. Not just Askesan, but that black-robed figure as well would from this day forth be the mortal enemy of her, the Bishop of Domination. "What about Associate Professor Sido? Is he all right?" Lanqi lightly rested his chin in his hand as he pondered, turning toward Gloria. It had been Associate Professor Sido, whom he had met in the history department of the Protos Royal Magic Academy at the very start, who had brokered the introduction between him and Lady Cloris. Cloris appeared to trust Sido considerably. Regarding Duke Morotian's disappearance, Sido was likewise one of the few who knew the truth. If there had been any secret crisis within the Bernhardt family, Associate Professor Sido was the most likely person to know about it. However, Gloria shook her head. "Associate Professor Sido vanished even before Lady Cloris was arrested—about a week earlier, in fact," she said, biting her lip. Associate Professor Sido was an enigmatic figure to begin with, frequently taking leave for academic research and disappearing for months at a time. Lanqi nodded. He was not surprised by this outcome. Sido was entangled so deeply with Cloris; if Cloris had suffered misfortune, he was unlikely to have escaped unscathed. After thinking for a moment, looking as though he had already settled on a plan for what lay ahead, Lanqi turned to Sigrid, who had been watching him intently. "Side, don't leave the academy for the time being. It's best if you stay at Gloria's place. I'll also restrict the movement of external visitors so they can't get near the campus residential area," Lanqi told her. "No problem," Sigrid nodded. Currently, the Imperial Capital of Herrom was rife with turmoil. Once outside the ancient protective barrier of the academy's safe zone, there was no telling whether she would be targeted due to the curse seal's power within her. Fortunately, virtually no one would ever suspect that the Bishop of Domination, Sigrid, was disguised as a student hiding right inside the Protos Royal Magic Academy. "By the way, Side, do you think the black-robed person you fought back then was going all out?" Lanqi asked, as if harboring one last lingering doubt. "It was very clear that he wanted to kill me with everything he had, but personally, I felt he relied exclusively on bizarre, formidable abilities like those black chains and the Abyssal Black Worm... In theory, someone with such immense mana should command many other spells as well, yet I never saw him cast any," Sigrid replied after a moment of recollection, her words slow but certain. Even if those black chains possessed endless variations capable of covering every attack mode, she couldn't shake the impression that the black-robed figure was capable of far more. "Do you mean... could Sido be that black-robed figure?" She suddenly looked up and asked Lanqi. There was something peculiar: she had never once run into Associate Professor Sido at school, and it was only from hearing Lanqi and Gloria talk about him that she realized how strong a presence this history department associate professor had. "..." Lanqi shook his head, his expression also somewhat uncertain. Personally, he had gotten along quite well with Sido, to the point that he could even consider Sido his first friend since coming to the Protos Royal Magic Academy. At the very least, Sido harbored no malice even toward Zestira, which had given Lanqi a very positive impression of him. Previously at the academy, Lanqi had spent several days in close contact with Sido. And on the battlefield of Bandera City in the Northern Border Province, he had also seen the black-robed figure in person. The uncanny vibe radiating from the black-robed figure never quite matched Sido in Lanqi's mind. Now, more and more people were lurking in the shadows, their identities and factions shrouded in mystery. As the empire's situation edged toward eruption and neared the tipping point of unraveling the truth, it increasingly felt like an all-out melee. Multiple factions were likely harboring their own ulterior motives, only for his and Sigrid's trip to the north to trigger a chain reaction that threw everyone's plans into disarray. "Our only enemy out in the open right now is Askesan, so taking him down is definitely the right move. As for the rest, we just have to be fully prepared and deal with whatever comes as it happens," Lanqi told Sigrid, overflowing with a sense of duty. In this match, they were the players out in the open. But being in the open had its own advantages, and both he and Sigrid preferred doing things aboveboard. His two months of work travels and social practice since arriving on the Northern Continent had taught him one thing: Justice and righteousness often arrived either in too little measure or far too late, leaving outlaws to run rampant across the land. Unlike useless bums who just drifted through life waiting to die, he had possessed high ideological consciousness back in the Southern Continent. He understood now: in this current patch of the Protos Empire, the whole meta was about ruining people—and the Domination branch excelled at messing people up more than anyone. This did not conflict in the least with his identity as a philosopher, educator, thinker, and man of action; in fact, it was the most efficient way to practice justice in the Protos Empire's current meta! As long as all those scumbags from the Extinction Branch were wiped out, the Protos Empire was bound to enjoy peace, prosperity, and enduring order. This was his grandest ideal and ultimate ambition! Seeing Lanqi still looking so enthusiastic and passionate, Sigrid wasn't sure whether she ought to pour cold water on him right now and lay out reality. "However, I can't beat Askesan right now," she said, her eyes dimming. Askesan had originally been an opponent meant for her to deal with, while the Holy Son took charge of the other preparations. Now, not only was she unable to help the Holy Son, she had even become a burden to him. Even if their Domination branch possessed the influence of the Holy Son in his role as Luoqi McCarthy, they no longer possessed the paramount deterrent power of sheer martial might. When the time came, even if they had a chance of winning the bishop election, it would be utterly meaningless if her true condition were exposed. The empire had no need for a paper tiger as a partner. Martial might was the bedrock of all negotiations. "All we have to do is undo your seal," Lanqi said, looking at her as if reminding her that their supreme powerhouse wasn't allowed to mope. "To break this seal, we can only find a Tier 9 Sealer, or kill the caster..." Sigrid's voice grew uncharacteristically softer by half. She seemed slightly reluctant to meet Lanqi's gaze, as though she had never before shown such vulnerability to anyone. To find a Tier 9 sealing mage stronger than Askesan was completely impossible in this era. The only solution would be to gamble by entering a Shadow World to see if she could encounter a friendly Tier 9 ally skilled in sealing arts who could forcefully undo it for her. Yet in her current condition, entering a Tier 8 Shadow World would mean certain death if she had a bad opening. She wouldn't even have a chance to gamble; it would be practically indistinguishable from suicide. It was a vicious cycle: unless she killed Askesan, she couldn't return to full strength. Yet without returning to full strength, she could never kill Askesan—even with the Holy Son aiding her. "Then we kill Askesan," Lanqi said as he stood up and glanced at the clock. He had always been a man of his word. It was about time to change back into Luoqi McCarthy and set off for the Herrom Broadcasting Corporation. "..." A chill ran through Gloria. This was the first time she had ever heard someone speak of killing the Bishop of Extinction with such nonchalance. Even Sigrid had failed to defeat Askesan on numerous occasions in the past, let alone pin him down and kill him. Yet from the Holy Son's mouth, it sounded like an objective already set in stone. It was as if he were truly, single-mindedly dedicated to some unsung noble cause, intent on wiping out the heresy known as Askesan. "How are you going to kill him? Only a Tier 8 can defeat a Tier 8." Sigrid looked up at the figure who had already shifted back into the appearance of brown hair and green eyes, her gaze trembling with uncertainty. She didn't want the Holy Son acting recklessly. In a week, Askesan would have regained at least most of his strength. As for the Tier 8 experts in the empire—whether loyal to the throne or nursing unpredictable schemes—if there had been any chance of winning them over, the three Cardinals would have attempted it long ago. Besides, Cardinals were by no means opponents ordinary Tier 8 combatants could rival. Those imperial powerhouses were hardly going to wager everything to make an enemy of Askesan, the Bishop of Extinction, who stood at the pinnacle of Tier 8. If anything, they might turn around and covet Sigrid's Original Slate. The moment they discovered Sigrid's true condition and her whereabouts, she would be the one in the greatest danger. "We are a diverse school," Lanqi said, simply straightening the collar of his coat. He looked back with a smile, his entrepreneurial zeal seemingly blazing. He walked toward the door, waving a hand to signal he was leaving. "In fact, I've been considering bringing in three orthodox foreign teachers all along. But given the Protos Empire's current state, I had originally intended to change the status quo before hiring more faculty. Now it seems I'll just have to borrow them ahead of time." "..." What kind of foreign teachers could fight Askesan? Sigrid was thoroughly bewildered. Even if the Holy Son planned to seek help from the Southern Continent, putting aside whether powerhouses over there could even be mobilized, there wouldn't be enough time for him to make the round trip. Within a single week, there were only a handful of powerhouses to be found in the Protos Empire, and there was zero possibility of commanding any of them. "Wait." Sigrid suddenly froze. "The foreign teachers you mentioned... you don't mean the three great demons locked up in the deepest depths of Herrom Prison, do you?" When she looked up and saw Lanqi's face radiating righteousness, she instantly understood what the kid wanted to do. This kid had truly lost his mind! He actually had designs on those three ancient great demons!