Seventh floor, Snow Bear Palace.
Lanqi and Xigelei's apartment-style suite was spacious and comfortable. The wooden furniture in the living room gave off a fresh, natural fragrance, while the bedrooms featured soft beds piled with thick woolen quilts. Just one glance inside the door was enough to convince Lanqi that this orc city-state was quite nice.
"As expected of the commercial city-state closest to the Polant Empire," Lanqi remarked with admiration as he returned to the shared living room.
Xigelei had left the larger bedroom to him, having already set down his luggage inside, while taking the smaller room for herself.
"She was warning you just now, meow. Her favorability dropped."
Boss Cat crawled out from the shadows and hopped onto Lanqi's shoulder.
Heavy drapes hung over the French windows, keeping the outside chill at bay. Pulling them back revealed the splendid night view of Little Stone City, where scattered lamplights mirrored the brilliance of the starry sky.
Now that Xigelei had gone shopping and Lanqi had no remaining tasks for the day, he stood leisurely before the living room window, gazing out across the city-state.
"It's fine. It probably didn't drop by much," Lanqi said with a smile.
What might otherwise have been a rather dull journey felt considerably more amusing thanks to Xigelei.
"Is that so, meow?"
Boss Cat stared at Lanqi.
Still, even if her favorability had dipped, their rapport seemed to have grown slightly warmer.
The cat had listened to their pointless banter the entire way. Boss Cat knew Lanqi wasn't naturally a chatterbox, but whenever he hit it off with a travel companion, he could talk endlessly.
Though Xigelei still maintained a cold, distant facade, Boss Cat could tell things between her and Lanqi had improved a bit.
At the very least, she was no longer as aloof and dismissive as she had been before they set out.
The young man and the cat stood by the window, chatting idly.
Ten or so minutes passed.
"May I come in?"
A knock came at the front door.
"Please, come in," Lanqi turned and called back.
The door opened, and Xigelei returned from the market. Carrying bags filled with groceries, she stepped into the living room.
"Hm?"
Her gaze caught the little black cat perched on Lanqi's shoulder.
Xigelei remembered that there hadn't been any cat when they departed.
"Allow me to introduce him. This is my familiar, Little Sootball," Lanqi said, gesturing toward Boss Cat.
Holding a cat on the road had been too inconvenient, and the freezing weather meant it had stayed tucked away in the shadows the whole time.
Now that they were on slightly friendlier terms with Xigelei, Lanqi figured he could introduce Boss Cat to her.
More importantly, dinner had to be prepared by Boss Cat himself.
"Meow, meow, meow! Who are you calling Little Sootball?! Don't go giving me ridiculous names, meow!"
Boss Cat berated Lanqi.
Though Lanqi had called it Little Sootball before, the cat hadn't expected the guy to genuinely think of it that way, let alone stick it with such a moniker.
"How about Pure Black Sugar-Free Whole Wheat Bread, then?" Lanqi pondered seriously, tilting his head to ask.
"...Forget it. Call me whatever you want."
Boss Cat surrendered. Leaping down from Lanqi's shoulder, it strolled gracefully toward the grocery bags Xigelei had set on the floor.
Xigelei watched the talking cat. A faint flicker of surprise crossed her eyes, though her facial expression remained unchanged.
It wasn't unusual for a wealthy noble lord to afford a familiar. Besides, the cat didn't seem particularly powerful—probably around the third or fourth tier.
It didn't look exceptionally bright either.
"..."
Boss Cat looked up at Xigelei.
It had a sneaking suspicion that this girl was cut from the same cloth as Lanqi, harboring exceedingly rude thoughts inside her head.
"He'll be our chef for the rest of the journey. You can just hand the ingredients over to him. Go ahead and get some rest; I'll call you once dinner is ready," Lanqi told Xigelei.
Xigelei nodded, walked into her bedroom, and shut the door.
Soon after, the little black cat was happily busy at the marble countertop.
Though small, its movements were extraordinarily swift and deft. Cleverly manipulating various kitchen utensils with telekinesis magic, it produced a harmonious rhythm among the pots and pans.
On the living room sofa, Lanqi flipped through a portable translated copy of the Book of Genesis from the era of the Blood Moon Ruined World.
No matter how eras fell to ruin, this book alone had survived across tens of thousands of years.
In this era, interpretations of the Book of Genesis were far fewer than in the modern mortal realm, and very few people could even read the Divine Script.
Of course, it also contained some fascinating interpretations that did not exist in the present world.
Although Lanqi couldn't learn the divine magic from the Book of Genesis, much of its contents consisted of arias and heroic epics written in Divine Script. Giving the "Chapter of Rock and Protection" a quick look before tomorrow's restoration of the statue in Little Stone City would help familiarize him with this deity.
Personally, he was most familiar with the "Chapter of Storms and Freedom," the text of which was somewhat connected to the ruins within the [Original Slate - Wind].
He also had some understanding of the "Chapter of Sealing and Imprisonment," as the [Original Slate - Seal] was currently in his possession, though being only at the fourth tier, he was not yet able to soul-bind it.
Perusing the book, a cup of cooled tea sat beside Lanqi's hand as time slipped by unnoticed.
Every so often he looked up at the scenery beyond the window before resuming his reading.
Finally, an enticing aroma drifted from the kitchen.
The little black cat had finished meticulously preparing dinner.
"Meow, meow, meow, dinner's ready!"
It patted gently on Xigelei's bedroom door with its paws, then let out a couple of "meows" toward Lanqi to rouse him from his book.
The door to Xigelei's room opened. Even inside the hotel, she still wore her beret. As the fragrance wafted toward her, she looked over at the dining table.
Laid out on the table was a dinner far more lavish than she had anticipated.
The main course was a chicken and white wine stew, its rich sauce blending notes of cream and white wine. The chicken was tender and juicy, accompanied by smooth mashed potatoes gently folded into a silky sauce. The pan-seared beef steak glistened enticingly with a light char on its crust, elevated by red wine sauce, truffles, and pepper sauce that enriched its savory flavor. A fresh vegetable salad served as a crisp contrast, combining crisp lettuce, roast crispy duck, mango, and carrots dressed in a vinaigrette.
Drawing upon the winter ingredients Lanqi had specially requested, Boss Cat had whipped up a few dishes it knew best.
Xigelei sat at the table, watching the spread, motionless and well-mannered.
"Why aren't you eating?"
Lanqi walked over, pulled out a chair, sat across from her, and asked.
"I was waiting for you," Xigelei replied.
"No need to be so formal."
Lanqi smiled, gesturing for her to go ahead.
Nodding, Xigelei dispensed with the formalities. She picked up her utensils, speared a piece of beef, and bit into it. Immediately won over by the tender meat and the rich sauce, she began chewing noticeably faster.
While her table manners could hardly be called refined, no matter how hungry she seemed, she only took a modest portion of the shared dishes. She finished quickly and sat idle in her chair.
"Meow..."
Boss Cat stood up on a chair and peered over the edge of the table. It had prepared enough for two, but to its surprise, Xigelei didn't seem full.
On second thought, she was at a growing age and did heavy physical labor, so eating more was only natural. Furthermore, her daily habits seemed exceptionally frugal, suggesting she rarely had the chance to enjoy food this good.
"I ate quite a lot before we left today, so I won't be able to finish all this. Could I trouble you to help us clear away some more of these dishes?"
Lanqi looked toward Xigelei and asked.
He was eating very slowly, leisurely cutting his steak.
Xigelei glanced at Lanqi and nodded.
She could tell her employer was politely hinting for her to eat more.
And she wasn't the type to awkwardly refuse someone's kindness.
"Thank you," Xigelei said, before resuming her meal.
Within a few minutes, the dinner on the table had been completely cleared away. Xigelei leaned back in her chair with a blank expression and let out a burp.
It was perhaps a bit impolite, but she had already realized that regardless of whether her manners or speech adhered to strict etiquette, so long as it didn't interfere with business, this employer was very gentle and accommodating.
He wasn't at all like the exaggerated description given by the secretary—some haughty, overbearing dignitary in whose presence one couldn't do this or say that.
"My appetite should improve tomorrow as well. We'll have to buy more groceries," Lanqi said as he finished his dinner. He took a notepad from his pocket and adjusted the quantities on the shopping list.
Watching young people eat heartily brought him a sense of satisfaction.
Eating well was good for healthy growth.
No need to worry about weight gain or high blood pressure either; hardworking Xigelei was sure to become an exceptional young woman in the future.
"Tomorrow, if you fail to fix the statue, I'll do my best to keep you from getting beaten up," Xigelei suddenly remarked.
To be honest, she had never heard of an artist or renowned craftsman named Rocky in the Polant Empire, let alone seen any of his work.
More likely than not, this Mr. Rocky McCarthy held such an illustrious title as royal artisan merely because of his noble status and extensive connections, occasionally presenting gifts to the imperial family.
If he were genuinely that skilled, the imperial court would surely have made his works famous throughout the Polant Empire long ago.
From what Xigelei knew of the orcs, only a grandmaster craftsman had the right to touch their sacred-grade ancient relic statue. Furthermore, the results of any restoration could be objectively verified through appraisal magic, as the statue itself was an ancient relic that functioned as a magical artwork; there was no faking it.
If they could barely scrape by tomorrow and get the orcs to sign off, that alone would be a success.
In a worse scenario, if he actually damaged the statue, the Grand Lord of Little Stone City might not personally strike him due to his stature and the need to preserve relations with the Polant Empire, but the people underneath him might not be so restrained. Lanqi could easily end up being mobbed and beaten by the populace.
Just imagining such a disaster gave Xigelei a headache.
Had this employer not treated her rather decently, no amount of money could have convinced her to get involved in this mess.
"Oh? Well, thank you," Lanqi replied, looking up with a smile.
The contract only required Xigelei to safeguard his life during unforeseen accidents.
If a crisis arose purely from the employer's own doing, she wasn't obligated to shield him from the fallout.
"Of course, if you make me step in, it won't be free," Xigelei waved her hand and headed toward her bedroom.
Even though she had great stamina, she treasured any rare chance to rest and seize every second of sleep.
Over the next few days, opportunities to rest would be scarce; most of their time would be spent traveling intensely through terrible weather.
Without even changing her clothes, she lay straight down on the bed.
...
In the modern Northern Continent, the Protos Empire.
As the first ray of morning light touched the horizon of Herrom, the city began to shake off the quiet of night.
Skyscrapers gleamed in the early dawn, while the silhouettes of ancient cathedrals and extra-dimensional floating roadways appeared all the more ethereal amidst the hazy mist.
The sky shifted from deep blue to a gentle amber, and golden sunlight pierced through the clouds, illuminating every corner of the metropolis.
Inside a private penthouse atop a skyscraper in central Herrom, sunlight poured gently through half-drawn blinds, softly rousing the bedroom.
The room was styled in a modern aesthetic, with minimalist art pieces adorning the walls to complement the subdued interior tones. The large bed had neat covers, with black-and-green throw pillows resting casually to one side.
With the morning glow gracing her cheek, Sigrid slowly opened her eyes from slumber.
"Haaah..."
Yawning, she sat up, shifted her body, and let her bare feet dangle before resting them gently onto the carpet.
For some reason, she had been feeling terribly drowsy these past two days; without her direct retainer Gloria to wake her, she would sleep for hours on end.
Granted, she did have a mountain of work lately.
The alliance between the Protos Empire and the neighboring Kingdom of Asethelan was of paramount importance. As long as this treaty was settled, the entire Southern Shoreline defense would become rock-solid regardless of threats from the north, and she would finally be able to take a short vacation.
In the Kingdom of Asethelan, the Church of the Goddess of Fate had commanded immense prestige since antiquity, and they were one of the negotiating parties for this alliance. It was a rare instance in history where the Church of the Goddess of Fate and a single branch of the Resurrection Church could make peace.
"To think I actually dreamed of the Holy Son."
Sigrid smiled faintly and shook her head.
In the dream, she had turned into a little girl, once again venturing across the snowy plains with the Holy Son.
That was a terrifying, chaotic era where the little girl never felt at ease for a single second; merely surviving felt like an uphill struggle. Sigrid didn't know why she would have such a nightmare.
Even now, awake, she felt as if she had broken out in a cold sweat, her heart beating with an irregular rhythm, as though lingering dread still clung to her chest.
Regrettably, she had possessed no memories of the modern world in the dream, treating the Holy Son with icy indifference.
Sitting on the bed, she recalled the dream for a moment.
"Darn it. In the dream I was just a kid; I couldn't outmaneuver him," Sigrid muttered resentfully to herself.
She still remembered the Holy Son's infuriating look as he tricked her into promising not to say anything inappropriate during the restoration ceremony, after which he flashed that infuriatingly sweet, guileless smile.
"Whatever, whatever. Favorability in a dream doesn't count."
Push through a few more days, and she could break away to enjoy a short holiday in the Southern Continent.
Sigrid had heard from the little black cat that the entire Wilfort family, aside from Lanqi, worshiped the Goddess of Fate. Thinking she might bring along some gifts from the Northern Continent's Church of the Goddess of Fate when paying a visit, she had made inquiries with the church. They had gladly presented her with gifts as symbols of peace and friendship.
When she mentioned wanting an extra talisman blessed for marriage and romantic fortune, the Church of the Goddess of Fate had actually granted it.
Looking at the softly glowing charm on her wrist, Sigrid smiled gently.
Perhaps warmed so pleasantly by the sun, Sigrid couldn't help stretching lazily, wiping a speck of moisture from the corner of her eye with a fingertip.
As everyone knew, dreams rarely had sequels. She probably wouldn't have that nightmare again tonight.
Though even if it were a nightmare, he would definitely come save her, wouldn't he?
Chapter 547