Lanqi and Sigrid's Date (Part 1)

Lanqi stepped out of the Headmaster's Office with firm strides. Outside, the light in the corridor was soft and clear, casting beautiful patterns of light and shadow across the deep-red lacquered wooden floor. Pranay was standing quietly. Upon seeing Lanqi, a faint smile surfaced on his face. "Pranay, we're calling it a day early. Pack up a bit; the few of us will be leaving tomorrow." As Lanqi walked past Pranay, he gave him a brisk pat on the shoulder. "Understood. I wish you a pleasant date." Pranay bowed respectfully from where he stood. "How do you know everything again?" Lanqi turned back in surprise. "Because you look very happy," Pranay answered, a note of gratification in his voice. "All right, go get some rest. Goodbye, Pranay." Lanqi returned the smile, his tone lighter than usual, and raised a hand in farewell. He walked along the corridor toward the stairs. The stone steps of the staircase were ancient and sturdy, each carved with the dark-gray reliefs unique to the Redmond Building. Lanqi's footsteps echoed in the stairwell, their cadence seemingly half a beat quicker than usual. Emerging from the Redmond Administration Building, Lanqi was greeted by spring sunshine and crisp, fresh air. He followed the path all the way toward the lake on the northern side. The trees were lush and green, birdsong rising and falling in succession. Sunlight filtered through the treetops and dappled across Lanqi, lending an extra lightness and buoyancy to his stride. He strolled along, and soon, the azure lake beside the chapel at the northernmost edge of the Protos Royal Magic Academy came into view. Spring sunlight bathed the lakeshore, coating everything in a soft golden sheen. Lanqi's footsteps left faint impressions in the soft grass. The lake's surface glistened with ripples as a breeze blew past, carrying moist waves of floral dew. Amidst that sun-drenched, open scenery, he spotted a slender figure from behind. She stood by the water in an airy white dress, the hem fluttering gently in the wind like ripples upon the lake. Her loose, silky light-colored hair was lifted by the breeze. She raised a hand to hold it down, the sunlight filtering through her strands to cast a tender halo that lent her figure an ethereal purity. Sigrid stood quietly, seemingly admiring the lake before her and the distant scenery. "..." Sensing a subtle stir, Sigrid turned around slowly, meeting Lanqi's gaze in the distance. A warm smile blossomed on her face, her eyes twinkling with a welcoming gleam. "Sorry to keep you waiting. Disguising myself took a bit of time," Lanqi said as he came up beside her. "It's fine. It looks great—well worth the wait. I knew you'd turn into this black-haired, green-eyed look again." Sigrid's voice was soft and pleasant, like a spring breeze brushing lightly over the lake. "..." Lanqi returned a smile. "Still smiling? You're still smiling! I warned you multiple times not to use this appearance anymore. Are you trying to make girls on the street stare at you more?" She suddenly pointed at Lanqi, her expression shifting instantly into a stern, scolding frown. "But—" Before Lanqi could explain anything, "So don't let me catch you making eye contact with any other girls today! If they look at you, you're not allowed to look back. Understood?" Sigrid spoke teasingly, yet with a hint of genuine warning as if recalling past grievances. "So what you mean is I'm only allowed to look at you today." Lanqi helplessly shook his head and spread his hands. Hearing this, Sigrid glared at Lanqi in disbelief, then spun around on the spot and briskly walked toward the southern end of the campus. "What's wrong?" Lanqi asked naively, falling into step beside her. "Some things don't need to be translated out loud! It's enough to understand it in your head, otherwise you just make it awkward for everyone!" She shot Lanqi a fierce glare and quickened her pace once more. Lanqi smiled and caught up. The two walked and talked about trivial matters—daily campus life and its new look—as well as lighter topics like the blooming spring blossoms they had just passed and the scenery by the lake. It was as though they had returned to their earliest days traveling together across the snowfields, when simply being around each other sparked endless chatter, leaving Boss Cat at a total loss for words. Boss Cat wasn't around today, however; Antanas had whisked it away early in the morning. Walking along the school road, their voices echoed through the open northern residential area. In the residential yards bordering both sides of the campus path, fresh tender leaves gleamed emerald in the sun, garden flowers vied in splendor, and the long-awaited breath of spring suffused every corner. Suddenly, from the end of the road came the rhythmic rumble of wheels rolling over asphalt and faint cat cries. "Meow-aaah!!" Sudden laughter and youthful yelps cut sharply through the spring fragrance, startling a flock of birds into flight. A sightseeing sled cart carrying three people drifted around the bend, swirling fallen leaves failing to hide the beaming smiles on their faces. "Speed around the curve is real speed!" Up front, a large black fox galloped at full tilt, pulling the vehicle along. Golden flames flickered at the tips of its ears, its powerful paws stamping varied patches of golden light and shadow onto the asphalt. Holding the reins, Antanas wore the brightest smile of all. Even seated in the speeding fox cart, Sinora maintained her unflappable, ladylike poise. Between the two great demons sat Zestira, who had been taking care of the large fox lately. Though she wore a deadpan expression, sitting between the two older girls clearly made her very happy. As the first student Lanqi had taken on in that southern town after arriving in the Northern Continent, she no longer had a teacher tutoring her in magic engineering; in return, however, three senior professors frequently dropped by to teach her magic on the side. Over this period, Zestira had grown familiar with the three professors and held them in high admiration, always feeling they exuded the magnificent aura of great demons. Spotting the two figures on the road, Antanas immediately slowed down and pulled the fox cart up beside them. "Huh? Boss, why are you on a date with a student girl I don't even recognize?!" Cradling the little black cat, she asked in theatrical astonishment. Or rather, the moment the large fox spotted Lanqi and Side, it had trotted over on its own initiative, affectionately nuzzling both of them with its head. "Hey, Antanas..." Sinora hurriedly tugged at Antanas's sleeve, knowing full well she was asking questions she already knew the answers to. "Teacher?" Only now did Zestira realize that this black-haired, green-eyed young man was her teacher, Mr. Luoqi. "Mm-hmm?" Sigrid's lips curled up slightly. She gave Lanqi a deliberate, appraising look, waiting for his answer. "So what's the real story? Care to give us an exclusive?" Antanas put on a reporter's demeanor, smiling slyly as she held up an invisible microphone. "You're mistaken," Lanqi declared solemnly and clearly. "I am not your boss. I am Lanqi Wilfort, a first-year student at the Protos Royal Magic Academy." "..." The response deepened Sigrid's smile—what he had denied wasn't the date. Hearing Lanqi's answer, Antanas raised both hands, lifting Boss Cat above her head, and cheered, "Have a wonderful date, you two!" Amid Antanas's cheerful blessings, the fox cart sped off even faster. Lanqi and Sigrid exchanged a helpless look and watched the cart vanish down the road before turning to head toward the school gates. "Speaking of which, the campus has changed again," Sigrid remarked, taking in the differences at the Protos Royal Magic Academy compared to half a month ago. Although Headmaster Luoqi McCarthy was about to retire, the artistic works he left across the academy would undoubtedly become lasting legends in the Protos Empire. If only this guy's attitude and skill toward painting were as upright and dedicated as his architectural design, she might have had a fine piece to add to her collection, Sigrid thought to herself. "This is probably my last piece of work at this school," Lanqi said, reflecting on everything that had happened since arriving in the Northern Continent. While living through it, one hardly noticed, but when the time came to leave, looking back made every moment seem precious. Chatting as they walked, the two exited through the academy gates and stepped onto the streets of Herrom. South Herrom was a bustling district, far livelier than the campus grounds. Skyscraper storefronts and shops were already open for business this morning, and Herrom locals hurried or strolled along, spending their weekend. Crossing through the district, they walked along the city's river, its surface shimmering with an azure gleam. This river south of Herrom was no ordinary waterway; it flowed with liquid mineral springs rich in mana, holding an irresistible appeal for magic artificers. This time, however, Lanqi didn't pay any attention to the river. His eyes remained on Sigrid. Today Sigrid had disguised herself as Side once more, yet instead of her usual sharp, capable attire, she wore a much more girlish dress. "How do I look today?" Sigrid asked, lifting the corners of her skirt and spinning in a circle as she walked, letting Lanqi take in her whole outfit. "..." Lanqi tilted his head in confusion. "Is it not pretty?" Sigrid asked hesitantly. She couldn't shake the feeling that Lanqi's expression seemed to say, *You look quite like a woman today.* She worried that if she pressed any further, her blood pressure would spike through the roof. "I still think you look best in your true form," Lanqi answered earnestly. "..." That caught Sigrid slightly off guard. She quickly gave a small cough to cover up her momentary pause. "...Then once we get somewhere with fewer people, I'll turn back to my original look and let you see," Sigrid murmured, leaning in closer before brushing back her long hair. "Still, you'll have to bear with it today—you're on a date with Side, not Sigrid," she added with feigned regret. "Don't tell me you're still tracking favorability points? If they drop too low, you won't give me the slate?" Lanqi felt that examiner-like look in Sigrid's eyes, as though she were about to grade him again. "What are you talking about? I have no idea," Sigrid said, pressing an index finger to her lips in thought. *Mhm. That's right,* she thought to herself, keeping it unsaid so he'd have to figure it out on his own. "So today, do you count as Sigrid or Side?" Lanqi decided he had to get to the bottom of this. In truth, during the month he had traveled to the northern reaches of the empire with Sigrid, he had never quite deciphered her classification criteria. "Uh..." Sigrid went silent at first, seemingly racking her brain to invent a convincing explanation. Slowly, she realized she really couldn't come up with one. In the end, "My name is Side, second-year student at the Protos Royal Magic Academy, nineteen years old. See? Here's my student monthly pass," Sigrid said, winking her left eye and speaking with perky energy. "..." Lanqi choked on his words. A man who always strictly adhered to rules, this was the single time he had been duped by utterly baffling logic—and duped for this long. "Are you turning yourself in to the headmaster for forging a student identity?" In all his time working in education, he had never encountered a student as brazen as Sigrid. "Just try revoking my student status," she whispered, leaning close to poke Lanqi with an unmistakable hint of warning, even threat. "I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare," Lanqi said, shaking his head. "By the way, after not seeing each other for so long, don't you have anything you want to say to me?" Sigrid asked, as if suddenly remembering. "Congratulations to the Bishop on being one step closer to Tier 9—" Lanqi cupped his hands and turned to congratulate her. "Tier 5," Sigrid's crisp voice cut him off. "—one step closer to Tier 9—" Lanqi paused briefly and tried to resume. "Tier 5!" Sigrid insisted again, glaring at Lanqi to keep him from finishing. She knew exactly what this jerk was trying to say! He might as well not congratulate her at all! "Side is Tier 5, she's always been Tier 5, and if you work hard, maybe you'll surpass her," Sigrid muttered, folding her arms and averting her gaze toward the water. "What does that mean? Could you explain in detail?" "Favorability points deducted." The two stepped onto a bridge over the river. Crossing it brought them into another city quarter. Sunlight slanted down past the skyscrapers. A sky garden supported by transparent magical barriers floated in midair, where singing plants and glowing phantoms swayed in the breeze. They walked beneath the hanging garden without the slightest worry that it might suddenly plummet. "Where are we going next?" Sigrid followed Lanqi's gaze up to the sky garden and asked. "There's a weekend performance at the sky garden today. For lunch, we can head to Fourth Avenue in Herrom; I have a reservation-free pass that works for all the restaurants there, so you can pick whichever one you like. I haven't planned anything for the afternoon—packing the schedule too tight feels stressful, so we can just wander around Herrom however we feel. Tonight, if you're up for it, I have live studio audience tickets for the *Herrom Evening Show*. Want to go together?" Lanqi tapped his fingers lightly as he laid it all out for Sigrid at an unhurried pace. If a date lacked purpose and reservations, the reality was almost inevitably endless queuing, ending in tedious time-killing. Especially since today was a Saturday in Herrom. "How did you get the whole itinerary worked out?" Sigrid was rather surprised. This mature-man-in-his-thirties vibe was really something. She had assumed Lanqi wouldn't have prepared anything, since she had rushed back right after finishing her business without giving him advance notice, heading straight for the Redmond Building. It seemed she could award him a few favorability points today after all. "You caught me," Lanqi said, pulling a small notebook from his pocket. Inside was a meticulously compiled travel guide for Herrom. And the title of the section he flipped open read: *A Guide to Exploring Herrom That Even a Three-Year-Old Won't Get Lost Following*. Seeing that, Sigrid suddenly let out an amused breath—exasperated to the point of laughter.