Lanqi and Talia Felt Like They Had Already Been on a Date

The next day. "Today is your second day in Palieu, the Flower Capital of the Kingdom of Posen." "Bright and early, you and Tata set off on a date..." Boss Cat's childish voice had only gotten halfway before being abruptly cut short by a synchronized death glare from Lanqi and Talia. The little black cat drew its head back, reverting into a quiet loaf of pure black, sugar-free whole wheat bread. On the streets of early-morning Palieu, a young man and woman strolled through the old-world alleys along the north bank. They moved at a leisurely pace, as if the entire city were playing a gentle, relaxed tune just for them. A rich aroma wafted from roadside cafes, while moth orchids, horned violets, and Rieger begonias displayed in brown-brick florists bloomed vividly in the morning light, morning dew glistening on their petals. Lanqi wore a simple grey overshirt today, looking casual and relaxed. As for why he wore grey, he claimed it was to pay homage to that legendary mentor of his. "Speaking of which, will traveling together like this really improve our synergy?" Talia asked. They idly browsed the morning floral arrangements along the street, showing not the slightest hint of being a couple; both looked as if being out with the other was completely boring. Remarkably beautiful as always without any need for makeup or dressing up, Talia wore a breezy white maxi dress. Its hem swayed gently with each step, and her long grey hair fluttered in the morning breeze of the old quarter, making her look like an elf stepped straight out of a painting—pure and breathtaking. The accommodation Countess Rosalinda had arranged for them, the Parkinson Palace Spirit Hotel, was situated in District 2 of Palieu. It boasted an exceptional location, just a short walk away from Parkinson Palace and the Bridge of Arts. One of the hotel's highlights was that breakfast could be enjoyed in a cavern-like setting. In addition, it provided twenty-four-hour reception services to ensure maximum comfort and convenience for guests. All in all, the Parkinson Palace Spirit Hotel perfectly blended a traditional Posen lifestyle experience with modern amenities, making it an ideal choice for visitors exploring Palieu. "I have no idea," Lanqi replied, holding Boss Cat. Since the hotel was so close to both scenic spots, they were in no hurry to visit them; they could drop by whenever they passed by. After stepping out today, they had unanimously decided to head toward the bustling downtown district on the north bank. As a cultural crossroads, the Flower Capital of Palieu's downtown not only featured the Kingdom of Posen's traditional art and cuisine, but was also deeply influenced by the Posen Demon Realm and cultures from around the world. The city's museums, art galleries, theaters, and concert halls bore witness to this cultural fusion, accompanied by a vibrant literary scene where numerous cafes and bookstores had once been the regular haunts of famous writers and philosophers. "..." Talia felt that back in South Vantina, they used to spend their days like this as well—heading out every morning together, and seeing him home when the sun set. Except back then, they had a clear purpose. It was either escorting Lanqi or teaching him card making. Now, the two of them were practically idling. In other words, she couldn't find any concrete objective for going out today, nor could she see how their goal of "improving synergy" was supposed to happen. It couldn't really be a date, could it? "But that's what Professor Bolao taught us," Lanqi said with a shake of his head, his tone rather listless. Working together to turn Caliera's Shadow-Weaving Record into a mental-type magic card seemed easy enough on the surface, but in practice, it felt as though an impassable barrier stood in their way. They didn't seem to have any other way to improve their card-crafting synergy anyway; rather than wasting effort on pointless practice, they might as well give Professor Bolao's advice a try. Caressed by Palieu's gentle summer breeze, Lanqi couldn't help feeling drowsy and let out a lazy yawn. Last night, by the time they returned to their hotel from Countess Rosalinda's estate, it was already past midnight. He had planned to sleep in until nine or ten before heading out, taking a rare chance to slack off. Yet at seven o'clock, Talia had summoned herself out of her magic card state, waking him up in the process. The reason: she wanted to go downstairs for breakfast. Lanqi had no choice but to indulge her. Ever since Talia fused with the Poet of Great Love, she would revert to her magic card state every night to sleep within Lanqi's soul space, reducing Lanqi's mana consumption and giving him time to regenerate his mana. Consequently, whenever she woke up and regained consciousness, she would practically always wake Lanqi up as well. "I didn't expect you to sleep in," Talia murmured to herself. Back in South Vantina, Lanqi had always gotten up early and headed out right on time every single day; who knew that this fellow actually had trouble getting out of bed? "Have you ever stopped to think about who's causing my massive mana consumption lately? I'm exhausted every day, and I feel way sleepier than before," Lanqi said, looking down at Talia beside him. "..." Talia fell silent for a moment. "Understood. I'll be more frugal with your mana from now on," she said. Draining large amounts of mana indeed caused physical fatigue. She hadn't realized that using Lanqi's mana contributed so heavily to his exhaustion; on the contrary, she had found it surprisingly comfortable to maintain her Demon King form while wandering about freely. "What are we having for lunch?" Talia asked as she walked alongside Lanqi, the architectural scenery shifting around them. If this were a date, asking this first couldn't go wrong. "..." Lanqi paused slightly. It was as if he hadn't expected Talia to ask this question so early in the morning, yet at the same time, it felt all too familiar. "Le Jules Verne, situated on the second floor of Palieu's Rose Iron Tower. It offers a prime location with a panoramic view of downtown Palieu alongside high-end Posen cuisine. It's not just a place for fine dining, but an unbeatable spot to experience the city's iconic scenery." He quickly collected his thoughts and began: "Or L'Astrance Posen Selection, helmed by the renowned chef Pascal Barrieu from the Posen Demon Realm. It's famous for innovative Posen demon culinary creations; its meticulous selection of ingredients and creative magical dishes have earned glowing reviews from countless foreign patrons." "And as an alternative, there's the Le Meurice Dining Bar. This top-rated restaurant inside the luxury hotel of the same name is celebrated throughout the Southern Continent for its classical decor and gourmet cuisine, allowing patrons to experience the courtly elegance of the Kingdom of Posen while savoring delectable food." He listed each option with meticulous detail. "All right, you decide," Talia nodded. It had always been like this: she simply followed Lanqi's lead. This fellow always knew the way and had refined taste when it came to choosing restaurants, so there was never any need to worry about him failing to plan their lunch. More importantly, he genuinely took the time in advance to plan out their lunches and dinners, making one feel that he truly cared. Still... Even though this was their first time going out like this without official business, why did it feel like they had already been on a date before? The two continued strolling along the cobblestone paths in the morning air until they cleared street after street, their field of view gradually opening up. Palieu's architecture, roads, and even passing pedestrians became scenic backdrops embellishing their tale. 'By the way, although we need to investigate the curse of Archmage Palroni's Resentment, Sergeant Nigel might be rather busy these next couple of days, so we might not be able to catch him. In the meantime, we'll have to look elsewhere first,' Lanqi sent through their mental link to Talia beside him. Unlike travelers like them who were here on vacation, Nigel the Executioner had demanding military duties every day, with virtually no personal time outside of official leave. 'Did you contact him this morning?' Talia asked in her mind. 'Yes. He said certain matters must be discussed in person, and told us to look for him in two days,' Lanqi replied. Both of them had come to realize that telepathic communication could be quite convenient at times—covert and efficient. 'Before that, Executioner Nigel did mention a place where a berserk demon incident occurred recently. Not only might there be clues, but it could also be a high-risk area,' Lanqi continued telepathically. The Petras Auction House, which Countess Rosalinda had recommended they visit yesterday, had seen an incident where a cursed demon went berserk a while back. According to the intelligence Rosalinda had shared, internal investigations within the Kingdom of Posen indicated that the curse "Archmage Palroni's Resentment" most easily forcibly corrupted slave contracts, labor contracts, and the like, whereas official public citizen security contracts were considerably harder to taint. Furthermore, Petras occasionally dealt not only in rare items and materials, but also auctioned off certain contracts, allowing the wealthy to purchase agreements for demon retainers and employees there. 'Then should we stop by the Petras Auction House on our way? We can look for materials, investigate the place, and then go have lunch?' Talia asked Lanqi. The weekly auction happened to take place in the morning. The plan for the first half of the day instantly became clear. As expected, having some business to take care of alongside Lanqi felt far more natural to her. Pure sightseeing and leisure left her somewhat at a loss for how to spend the time. 'No problem. Visiting the Petras Auction House in the Flower Capital is a great choice right now. With numerous festivals and events happening in the Kingdom of Posen this month, the auction house is exceptionally lively,' Lanqi replied. Many Shadow World challengers and real-world adventurers were reluctant to sell the rare materials they acquired to the Southern Continent Card Makers Association. The main reason was that certain rare materials commanded steep premiums from specific card makers willing to pay well above market value, but finding such a buyer required time and luck. While the Southern Continent Card Makers Association could purchase items quickly and at fair rates, its valuation of exceptionally rare materials was strictly standardized, never offering any premium. For those not pressed for cash, consigning items to merchant guilds or auction houses could fetch significantly higher prices. Consequently, for materials that Countess Rosalinda couldn't immediately procure through the Southern Continent Card Makers Association, their only option was to look into other venues. "Why did you two stop talking again, meow? Don't use your private channel, okay, meow?" Seeing the two stare at each other for ages without uttering a word, Boss Cat knew they were whispering in private again. "We were discussing where to go this morning. We just decided to check out the Petras Auction House here in the Flower Capital," Lanqi explained, petting Boss Cat. "Don't get addicted to talking like that, meow," Boss Cat warned, eyeing them. It didn't like the feeling of being left out. "How could we?" both of them answered. "Meow." Boss Cat was somewhat reassured. It still preferred listening to their daily banter. Besides, if they got used to telepathic chats and failed to notice it after returning to the Boss Cat Diner, they would look bizarre from an outsider's perspective—like actors in a mime show, making it obvious to everyone that they were indulging in some sort of public intimacy again. "Speaking of which, isn't that auction house members-only? Can you get in today without a reservation, meow?" Boss Cat raised its head and asked. "No problem. Have you heard Hyperion talk about the Petras Chamber of Commerce?" Lanqi asked, gently stroking Boss Cat. "I've heard of it, meow. Isn't that chamber of commerce pretty famous? Though they operate mainly in the western hub regions; in the east, they've only opened a branch in the capital of the Kingdom of Posen," Boss Cat replied after a moment's thought. "Back in the second Shadow World Hyperion, Frey, and I challenged—the Temple Scoundrels' Banquet—we met three friends from the Kingdom of Canbera. The young master who led them ended up on great terms with the three of us. Do you remember what his family's chamber of commerce was called?" Lanqi asked, tracing little circles on Boss Cat's forehead. Back then, aside from the Holy Trio, the Saintess of Destruction, the Destruction Branch direct retainer, and the young princess of the Creti Empire, the remaining three teammates had been that young merchant scion and a pair of guard siblings from the Kingdom of Canbera in the west. "...I think it really was called Petras, meow," Boss Cat realized with a start. "His family holds a sizable stake in the Petras Group. When we parted ways in the Shadow World, he told me he'd register memberships for us so we could visit any branch of the Petras Chamber of Commerce whenever we liked," Lanqi explained. "Not bad," Talia remarked from the side. She noticed that Lanqi always seemed to have connections. Not just back home in South Vantina; wherever he went, he could quickly blend in and build good relationships with the locals. Perhaps in the Northern Continent, he had made quite a few acquaintances too. If she ever revisited the Northern Continent in the future, it might prove quite convenient. Granted, when it came to the Northern Continent, she was certainly more familiar with it than he was. Still, after all these years, people and things might have changed beyond recognition. Many ancient Demon Realm ruins might have already been occupied by humans and turned into restricted zones, making setting foot on her homeland no easy feat. "Thinking of visiting the Northern Continent?" Lanqi read Talia's inner thoughts. "I haven't been home in years. I'm just curious about what it's become," Talia nodded. "Whenever you want to visit the Northern Continent, we can go take a look. I'm already pretty familiar with the Protos Empire on the southern coast," Lanqi said. "I figured as much. After all, since you managed to rescue Antanas and the others from Herrom Prison, you must have some connections," Talia said offhandedly. Yet she had already grown accustomed to—and fond of—her life in Ikelite. The demons and the bygone days of the Demon Realm could vanish like smoke. For a long time to come, she wouldn't harbor any real desire to return to her homeland.