Native flora of the Kingdom of Hutton swayed in the light summer breeze, their leaves and the grass below blanketed in morning dew, shimmering in the dawn as though in search of an eternal brilliance.
"Our school probably won't liven up again until the second half of the year," Lanqi remarked with a slight touch of loneliness as he gazed around the campus.
"Indeed," Hyperion agreed, thinking to herself: *What kind of school administrator talk is that?*
"In the future... I mean, once everything settles down, if you could really become an administrator of Ikerite Academy, would you take the post?" Hyperion asked in an undertone.
She remembered that Lanqi's goal was to retire at twenty, but she wasn't sure if his ambition might still lead him to accept post-retirement rehiring.
"Only on the condition that Ikerite Academy desperately needs me. If everyone can live happily ever after without me, I won't show up again."
Lanqi shook his head rather nonchalantly.
"Being an ordinary lecturer at Ikerite Academy would be fine, though. Light teaching hours, and I could help the school out a little."
Hyperion nodded silently at his words.
"Still, Lanqi, my father has been missing for over a year now. Even if we rescue him down the line, the one who becomes the duke is very likely going to be me, not that all-powerful, all-around genius Mikhail. Are you sure you still want to cling to the duke's thigh?" Hyperion reminded him.
If someone was missing for a full two years, they would be declared dead, and the succession process for the ducal daughter to inherit the title was already underway. Even if Duke Mikhail returned after that, he would no longer be the duke.
She worried that things wouldn't go as Lanqi planned, leaving him with empty hands.
"Isn't that even better? Just think of how cool that sounds—Duchess Hyperion! My retirement in Ikerite will depend entirely on her, so of course I'll cling to her thigh!" Lanqi praised with a grin.
"...All right then."
Hearing Lanqi say that, Hyperion subconsciously glanced down at her own thighs.
Even though neither of them meant it literally, hearing Lanqi bring it up still led her imagination astray.
Imagining a day when Lanqi might actually hug her leg and cry, "Your Grace, hungry, feed me," struck Hyperion as utterly bizarre.
Of course, something like that could never happen—unless Lanqi drank bootleg liquor.
"Since you put it that way, I suppose I'll have to work hard too," Hyperion murmured to herself.
Even though her path to inheriting House Aransal and becoming the new duchess might be fraught with hardships, and many might feign submission while defying her in secret, she would strive to conduct herself properly, change their opinions of her, and show everyone that she was a trustworthy leader of House Aransal.
Her journey to the Northern Continent had taught her that being a half-demon was merely her starting point, not her final destination. Her teacher, the Ice Snow Witch, was also a half-demon who had become a noble, revered priest.
The two continued chatting as usual, making their way toward the School of Magic Engineering area.
They had taken a different route today.
Instead of crossing the lawn before the School of Magic Engineering toward the old humanities building by the entrance, they stepped into the botanical garden of the School of Alchemy.
Though their view was obscured by petals and foliage of every color, and birds took flight in startlement from time to time, once they made their way through the School of Alchemy's botanical garden, they would be able to see the main building of the School of Magic Engineering—that artistic, tower-style structure with glass curtain walls.
Lanqi and Hyperion's purpose in returning to Ikerite Academy was to submit their project report for "Visiting Slate Bearers" along with the recording magic apparatus, but Loren was still away from campus.
When passing the School of Sages, they had heard from Teacher Teresa that a prominent dignitary from the Church of the Goddess of Fate had arrived, and Loren had to receive them personally.
Furthermore, another important figure was apparently due to arrive in a few days.
For the time being, Loren wouldn't be able to return to Ikerite Magic Academy.
Neither Lanqi nor Hyperion knew why Loren was so busy lately.
However, Loren had often been absent due to official duties last semester as well, so they were already used to it.
Because the two were still formally registered as unreturned from an academic leave—over a month overdue, in fact—their Shadow World challenge licenses had been locked and frozen to prevent anyone from impersonating them to enter the Shadow World. Unable to report to their dean, they had no choice but to head to the School of Magic Engineering to seek Professor Borao's assistance in processing their return-to-school procedures.
In Loren's absence, Dean Borao of the School of Magic Engineering held the highest administrative authority in the academy; after all, he had designed both the course curriculum system of Ikerite Academy and the royal capital's city defense barrier.
"It's just as well not having to return to the School of Sages. It feels great not having to take classes for a whole semester," Lanqi said, stretching lazily and praising the academy.
"...Considering you became a headmaster across the sea, sitting through classes would indeed be an indignity to you."
Hyperion looked back at the school buildings with mixed feelings.
Last semester, aside from taking leave for the Shadow World, she hadn't missed a single lecture, yet this semester she had skipped every single one.
There was no need for them to attend classes this term anyway, since they hadn't enrolled in any in the first place.
As long as they submitted their graduation project report and passed, combined with the surplus Shadow World credits from last semester, their credits would be more than enough.
"I kind of miss Protos Royal Magic Academy. I wonder how my dear students Zestira and Xiaya are doing with their studies now."
A pang of concern born of professional responsibility welled up in Lanqi's chest.
"I miss my sworn sister Michaela too," Hyperion sighed in kind.
The days spent in the Milford Territory of the Northwest Province were unforgettable to her. Even now, she felt like a member of the Milford family, and the luggage she brought back still contained numerous gifts from her sworn sister.
"I wonder if we'll ever have the chance to visit the Northern Continent again. The Protos Empire and the Kingdom of Asethelan are titans on the southern coast, and further north there are the Northern Nations and the Theocracy, the Land of Evernight, and the Calamitous Wasteland," Lanqi mused aloud.
Hyperion looked at him and saw that he was looking back at her, his expectant gaze seeming to ask: *Do you want to visit the Northern Continent again? Together?*
"..."
Hyperion was a little worried that if Lanqi went back, he might end up becoming President Luoqi McCarthy.
In the end, she still nodded.
Supporting a man like him was hard work, because his ambition was far greater than he himself realized.
Still, she couldn't bring herself to crush his spirits.
She merely needed to remind him of moderation at crucial moments, lest he never find his way back to the peaceful life he truly desired.
"Still, what matters most right now is to clear the Blood Moon Ruined World Shadow World, and then take a tour through Creti, that massive empire at the southernmost tip of the Southern Continent. To tell the truth, I've never been to the Creti Empire either, and I've been curious for a long time."
As if he had pinned down a vacation destination, Lanqi clenched his fist, full of drive for the work ahead.
"The only pity is that it'll probably just be the two of us for this Shadow World."
The first thing they had done upon arriving at school was look for Frey, but Frey had disappeared.
Even Vice President Asna had no information regarding Frey's disappearance, and the council president had told her to warn the two of them not to inquire too deeply with the school administration about Frey lately. Because they were so close to Frey, they were likely to be investigated by the United Council of Kingdoms in the coming period.
"Frey..."
Without this powerful, reliable teammate, Hyperion felt their upcoming challenge would be much harder. But she shook her head; she believed Frey would return.
"In any case, the Creti Empire is far larger than the Protos Empire. You must restrain yourself this time. We need to keep a low profile. Whatever you do, please don't bring your experience from the Protos Empire over to the Creti Empire, okay?"
Whenever Hyperion recalled the night she watched Lanqi's interview broadcast in Herrom, her head started throbbing.
Unlike the constitutional monarchy of the Protos Empire, the Creti Empire was an absolute monarchy.
Lanqi's antics with the upper and lower houses in the Protos Empire wouldn't fly there.
"Don't worry, I'm very good at adapting to circumstances and doing as the locals do," Lanqi nodded with complete confidence.
"...You'd better mean that literally," Hyperion said in a deadpan murmur.
Still, looking on the bright side...
Lanqi had only soared like a dragon taking to the storm once he reached the Northern Continent. The Creti Empire was Southern Continent territory, after all; the odds of Lanqi undergoing a secondary mutation in the Creti Empire weren't very high.
Chapter 524