More than an hour later.
The clock hand had just ticked past five in the afternoon.
Outside the headmaster's office in the Redmond Building, torrential rain poured down. Every raindrop struck the glass behind Lanqi with a sharp, resonant note, while sporadic flashes of lightning and rumbling thunder cast the sky into fluctuating shifts of brightness and gloom, as if enveloping the entire world in chaos.
Dark wooden furniture lent the room a composed air. A bronze desk lamp stood quietly on the executive desk, casting a warm, soft glow that dispelled the chill of the thunderstorm outside.
Lanqi sat alone in his office, his back straight, hands resting on the paperwork spread before him, beside a cup of coffee that had already gone cold.
His gaze was fixed intently on the documents, occasionally picking up a fountain pen to underline important sections or jot down notes in the margins.
Normally, the academy workday ended at five o'clock.
Today was an exception, however. According to their appointment, Duke Morotian was due to arrive at any moment, which was why Lanqi had not yet left his office or concluded his workday.
The steady ticking of the clockwork mechanism echoed with unvarying precision.
Lanqi paid no heed to the time. Focused and composed, entirely unbothered by the storm and thunder outside, he simply immersed himself in his academic and administrative duties, the surrounding space rendered tranquil and orderly by his presence.
Until a soft knock sounded at the office door, followed by the voice of a Redmond Building administrator from outside:
"Mr. Luoqi, Duke Bernhardt has arrived."
"Please, come in."
Lanqi raised his head and looked toward the door directly ahead, his voice calm and firm.
The door swung slowly open. A school staff member stood respectfully at the threshold, and a tall, upright man stepped inside.
This legendary figure of the Protos Empire—and one of the world's foremost powerhouses, possessing an Original Slate—appeared to be in his thirties.
He wore a well-tailored dark coat with a slightly turned-up collar that gave him a sharp, dashing air. His features were sharply defined, with a firm, defined jawline, carrying traces of a resemblance to Cloris. Yet unlike the more casual, unrestrained Cloris, Duke Morotian's eyes seemed to harbor a subtle, profound depth of contemplation.
"In truth, I have long wanted to pay a visit to Mr. Luoqi McCarthy, but unfortunately we have both been encumbered by official duties, and the Empire has seen far too many upheavals lately," Duke Morotian said, removing his hat as he looked at Lanqi.
He was far more approachable than expected, exuding little in the way of overbearing majesty or the oppressive aura of a supreme powerhouse. Even though torrential rain poured outside, Duke Morotian was not stained by a single drop of water. With steady strides, he walked into Lanqi's office without dampening the carpet of the headmaster's office.
"As have I. It is an honor to finally meet you today, Duke Bernhardt. I understand completely—things have indeed been exhausting lately."
Lanqi set down his pen and gestured toward the lounge area on the left side of the office.
He stood up and walked over as well, inviting Duke Morotian to take a seat on the sofa.
Ordinarily, meeting such an eminent figure—or one of the world's strongest powerhouses—for the first time would induce at least some trepidation.
Having grown accustomed to spending time with Loren, however, Lanqi felt nothing uncomfortable about it.
They exchanged brief pleasantries, the atmosphere formal yet far from stiff. Once an administrator brought in a tray with black tea for them both, the staff member excused themselves and drew the door closed behind them.
"Has Duke Bernhardt come to see me today over some matter of concern?" Lanqi asked with a slight smile, observing the duke's expression.
"Indeed." Duke Morotian picked up his teacup from the sofa, a touch of helplessness in his brow. "It concerns an associate professor at your esteemed academy, in fact. I have been searching high and low for him lately, yet I always seem to miss him by a hair."
His eyes drifted casually toward the bookcase in the office, seemingly noticing a conspicuous volume titled Chronicles of the Holy War. Beside it rested a lush Demon Realm plant, its green leaves vibrant under the lamplight, lending a striking splash of color to the quaint office.
"Do you mean Associate Professor Sido?" Lanqi asked, following the duke's line of sight, now reasonably certain of whom Duke Morotian was referring to.
Recent news reports had been closely following the suspected treason involving Lady Cloris and the disappearance of Associate Professor Sido. Although the matter had yet to be officially concluded, likely owing to the influence of House Bernhardt, the allegations against Lady Cloris were kept deliberately vague in public rumors, with public sentiment being steered predominantly toward Associate Professor Sido.
Lanqi, however, had previously been unsure whether Duke Morotian already knew of Sido's connection to Cloris.
"He bewitched my daughter." Duke Morotian tapped his fingers lightly on the table, his tone turning more circumspect.
"In that case, it is my failing as well," Lanqi murmured, lowering his eyes and looking away with an apologetic expression.
"Not at all. Headmaster Luoqi was surely kept in the dark. My daughter Cloris has always been clever—at times, even I struggle to see through her." Duke Morotian waved his hand casually, as if worried Lanqi had misunderstood and assumed he meant to assign blame. "If Associate Professor Sido managed to deceive her, the only one who had a chance to save her was me. It is a pity that even I, as her father, failed to notice, let alone Headmaster Luoqi."
While the two conversed, over in a nearby administrative office, Pranay stood with his arms crossed, observing the scene in the headmaster's office through his magic eye.
Shielded by the barrier Antanas had prepared in advance, not even Duke Morotian, one of the Protos Empire's strongest powerhouses, could detect that in a room not far from the headmaster's office, three eighth-rank professors were watching him.
"Pranay, why are you so quiet?" Antanas asked, patting him on the shoulder.
Through her innate magic, she could also sense what was happening within the barrier, but she could tell Pranay was deeply analyzing something.
Earlier in the headmaster's office, the New King had briefed them in broad strokes on the state of the Protos Empire over the past three months, the unrest in the north, and what they would soon have to confront.
"The New King is not certain whether Duke Morotian knows he had contact with Cloris and Sido, and Duke Morotian's words seem to carry subtle undertones of probing," Pranay finally explained to Antanas, decoding the subtext between the New King and Duke Morotian.
"No way, aren't they just having an ordinary chat? The New King seems completely sincere to me. That faux-innocent apology earlier even flustered Duke Morotian into feeling guilty."
Antanas scratched her head in bewilderment.
Pranay glanced at Antanas and refrained from arguing further.
To a thousand demons, there were a thousand New Kings. Whether their sovereign's performance just now was pure or manipulative, naive or meticulously scheming, every demon would have a different answer. Or perhaps there was a duality to it—the New King possessed all of those traits at once.
Chapter 461