Emerging from the sea of blossoms in the School of Alchemy's botanical garden, the two soon caught sight of the School of Magic Engineering's building.
Only a handful of students were walking out from beneath the main building clutching textbooks, appearing to have just finished consulting their mentors at the end of the term.
Lanqi and Hyperion walked side by side into the main building of the School of Magic Engineering.
"Let's head back to Boss Cat Restaurant for lunch later," he said, turning his head toward Hyperion.
They had agreed to challenge the Shadow World in the next day or two, but having only just returned to the royal capital by carriage today, taking a day of rest to get into proper shape was naturally the priority.
"...Thanks for walking me home," Hyperion said in gratitude.
Ever since the middle of the previous semester, he had never let her walk alone, even if it was only a few streets between Ikerite Academy and Boss Cat Restaurant.
Whenever Tata wasn't there to pick Hyperion up after class, he would see her all the way to Boss Cat Restaurant.
"By the way, will it be all right when you see Tata later?" Hyperion asked after a moment of thought as they stepped onto the stairs together.
"It's fine. Being alone with her over the next couple of days might be a little awkward, but if the three of us are together at Boss Cat Restaurant, there won't be any problem." Lanqi waved his hand.
Looking at it optimistically, the intensely awkward incident between him and Tata this morning completely overshadowed the awkward affair the three of them had shared back in South Vantina.
The business of the three of them tangled up like a cruller could finally be put behind them.
Often, so long as one could find a silver lining in an unexpected mishap, it would seem acceptable, deliberate even, and no longer like an error—whereupon the awkwardness would naturally dissolve.
This was the Lan-style Defense.
"Uh, fair enough," Hyperion replied.
She had to admit that Lanqi had an exceptionally resilient mindset.
He had suffered a catastrophic social death just this morning, yet after a simple stroll through campus with her, he had already moved past it.
Thinking back to that line—*Tata, you're so cute today too... cute enough that I'd love to eat you up instead of breakfast*—spoken in Lanqi's voice, Hyperion still found it hard to keep a straight face.
She was certain that over the coming days, whenever Antanas and the others saw Lanqi and Tata together, they would involuntarily recall those words and do everything in their power to suppress their expressions so Lanqi and Tata wouldn't notice.
Fortunately, Tata couldn't read minds. If she could hear everyone around her secretly replaying that line in their heads, she would probably go mad.
...
Fifth floor of the School of Magic Engineering's main building.
The Dean's Office.
Professor Borao sat at his desk, surrounded by blueprints of magic engineering components and measuring tools.
Not long after arriving at the Dean's Office this morning, he had taken up a mechanical pencil and was drafting with precision on translucent blue paper, occasionally pausing to inspect the uniquely shaped components set at the edge of the desk through his magic engineering spectacles.
His slightly bristling white hair twitched now and then, his gaze wholly immersed in the work before him.
Just then, a cautious, gentle knock came from the door, as though trying its best not to disturb Professor Borao's work.
"Enter."
Borao did not look up. His low voice remained intent, clearly accustomed to being asked for help by all sorts of people in the midst of his tasks.
The door slowly swung open, letting a beam of bright light spill through the crack. Soon, a young man and woman stepped inside. They gently turned to close the door behind them and greeted Borao:
"Good morning, Professor Borao! We're back. How have you been?"
Lanqi's warmly familiar voice echoed through the spacious room surrounded by innovative blueprints and magical apparatus, sounding as though he had missed Professor Borao for a long time.
The first time Lanqi had ever come here, he had been brought along by Dean Loren over the Platinum-rank card maker assessment and the mishap where he broke the artificial Shadow World activation terminal during entrance exams.
Dean Loren had ended up getting a thorough scolding. After a moment of thought, Lanqi offered to have the Wilfort family cover the damages, settling things with Professor Borao over a simple handshake. From then on, they had grown increasingly acquainted.
Later, because the first floor of the School of Magic Engineering's Old Liberal Arts Building housed the Public Magic Engineering Technical Service Center, the second floor housed the New Magic Engineering Creative Workshop headed by Professor Borao himself, and the third floor belonged to the Student Management Committee, Lanqi and Hyperion would occasionally bump into Professor Borao downstairs and exchange greetings.
"Hm? Lanqi? Hyperion?"
Old Professor Borao looked up, took off the silver-rimmed spectacles resting on the bridge of his nose, laid them on the desk, and looked at the two youngsters he hadn't seen in ages.
"It's been quite a while. I was just thinking that if there was still no sign of you after a little longer, I'd have to go question Loren."
He set aside his work and offered a rare smile.
"Did you need me for something?"
Hearing that, Lanqi already had a guess in mind.
Professor Borao nodded, took two pieces of candy from a drawer, slid them across to the far end of the desk, and gestured for Lanqi and Hyperion to take a seat opposite him without ceremony.
"Your Platinum-rank card maker assessment is just about wrapped up. Next semester, you may need to go to the Kingdom of Posen to complete your final review and certification, and then assist them by serving as the chief proctor for an examination," Borao said, looking at Lanqi.
"That smoothly? I thought there would be lots of trouble."
Surprised, Lanqi nodded and sat down; it had been a long time since he had received such good news.
Lanqi had nearly forgotten that he was still a semi-Platinum-rank card maker.
Having stayed in the Northern Continent for so long, he had somewhat lost track of the association system here in the Southern Continent.
"The Southern Continent Card Makers Association has its share of factional interests, but luckily you don't carry much of a reputation in the Southern Continent. Any high-profile figure with a shred of self-respect wouldn't go out of their way to make trouble for a newcomer with an unblemished record."
Professor Borao remembered that Mikhail's Platinum-rank certification back then had been far from easy. By comparison, Lanqi was a good boy who knew very well how to keep a low profile.
In truth, current circumstances also played a part. The Southern Continent Card Makers Association was eager for Lanqi to officially become a Platinum-rank card maker so he could take over Mikhail's former duties.
The Kingdom of Hutton lay at the easternmost edge of the central Southern Continent, while the Aloran Kingdom, which had previously sent an academic delegation to visit their school, was located slightly east of the center.
The Kingdom of Posen was situated between the two, also belonging to the eastern region. Although its territory was small, its cultural development and magic engineering technology were extraordinarily advanced.
The Platinum-rank card maker examinations in the eastern region had long suffered from a shortage of proctors. Lately, the Creti Empire's movements had been enigmatic, leaving everyone reluctant to travel far from their home countries and making it exceedingly difficult to borrow personnel from other regions.
Furthermore, nations in other regions were unlikely to permit their own Platinum-rank card makers to travel so far at a time like this, as the security risks were simply too hard to gauge.
"I see. If I am needed to serve as proctor, then I will naturally fulfill my duty," Lanqi replied, looking every bit the model student.
Hyperion glanced at Lanqi without a word.
*Luoqi McCarthy made a name for himself in the Northern Continent, which indeed has nothing to do with you, Lanqi Wilfort.*
"Hyperion, let's head to the Kingdom of Posen together during the second half of the year," Lanqi asked, turning to her.
"Me too?" Hyperion pointed at herself, bewildered.
"Of course. We have to go together, naturally."
Lanqi had never contemplated running off to a foreign country all on his own.
"Travel and lodging for a proctor and their assistant are fully reimbursed by the association; you won't need to worry about extra expenses," Professor Borao interjected from behind the desk. Looking back and forth between the two young people, his eyes carried a faint sigh and a touch of impatience. "Besides, an assistant doesn't necessarily have to know card making. Sometimes they're just a bodyguard or a close friend who understands them well. As long as the proctor is pleased, that's all that matters."
"Oh, all right then," Hyperion agreed, feeling that the second half of the year was going to be packed once again.
Seeing that the matter was settled, Professor Borao pulled out a registration document from the Card Makers Association and handed it to them with satisfaction. Before Lanqi and Hyperion could even bring up unlocking their Shadow World access permissions, Borao spoke up again.
"By the way, why did Cardinal of Dimensions Toriado wire twenty thousand pounds to our school?"
Professor Borao looked at a bill on his desk with conflicted feelings.
"Huh?"
Lanqi and Hyperion exchanged glances.
Twenty thousand pounds was enough to erect a building on campus.
Granted, the Son of Destruction was dead.
Yet it was hard to say who had actually killed him, so they had assumed the Cardinal of Dimensions wouldn't wire the money.
Even now, none of them could answer the multiple-choice question of who was truly responsible for the Son of Destruction's death.
"Should we send him a commemorative silk banner in return?" Lanqi asked.
Professor Borao was struck silent by Lanqi's question.
"Good idea," Professor Borao eventually nodded in agreement.
The corner of Hyperion's eye twitched faintly. *Are you two really not afraid of driving Bishop of Destruction Ivanos into a blood-rage and sending him to fight Dean Loren to the death?*
Chapter 525