On the horizon, the morning sun rose higher and higher.
Light filtered through the gaps in the wooden balcony railing, falling across Lanqi's face and making his eyelashes tremble faintly.
"Time to get up."
A gentle voice spoke.
"Poet of Great Love... you go to school by yourself. Let me sleep a little longer before heading out..."
Lanqi shielded his eyes with the back of his hand, reluctant to leave his bed.
"Have you slept yourself silly?"
A question devoid of any questioning tone came from the other person.
"Huh?!"
Lanqi jolted upright, only to discover the grey-haired beauty seated on a chair beside the bed.
Her silhouette was turned away from the rising sun, the morning light lending a faint golden sheen to her long tresses.
To some extent, she seemed to have shifted the chair's position intentionally so she could block much of the sunlight from Lanqi's face, sparing him from being woken too early by the harsh dawn.
"Thanks, Tata."
Lanqi threw back the quilt, sat on the edge of the bed, and rubbed his eyes as his consciousness slowly cleared.
Not long ago, his trump card, the Poet of Great Love, had vanished, temporarily replaced by Talia.
Regardless, living together with Talia was still something he hadn't quite grown accustomed to.
"Then tell me, what will it take for you to get used to it?"
Talia watched Lanqi get out of bed. Sitting quietly on her chair, she asked.
"First of all, the Poet of Great Love consumed almost no mana, so I rarely had trouble getting out of bed back then. Second, usually when I was feeding small animals on the windowsill in the morning, she'd run over and give me a kick to make me give up the spot so she could water her flowers."
Lanqi muttered with a hint of nostalgia.
"For the record, I also helped Lanfu take care of the flowers she grew on the balcony," Talia answered.
It was just that during the time she lived in Lanqi's dorm, she had already finished watering them before he even woke up.
Now that both of them had left Ikerite Academy, they had commissioned the Student Service Center to handle regular cleaning and look after the potted plants.
"..."
Lanqi always felt Talia's approach to raising flowers was a bit different from the Poet of Great Love's.
The Poet of Great Love enjoyed the process of nurturing flowers until they were beautiful, full of a young girl's vitality.
"If you wish, I can kick you just like she did. I just can't guarantee I'll control my strength,"
Talia said, closing her eyes as she picked up Lanqi's inner thoughts.
"No, no!"
Lanqi immediately suppressed his thoughts and scurried off like a flash to wash up and change.
Beside the bedroom in the hotel suite sat a comfortable woven cotton sofa, and on the round glass coffee table next to it lay a guidebook map with a patterned bookmark tucked inside.
Talia sat down on the sofa, opened the atlas, and waited for Lanqi.
"Meow, meow."
Boss Cat trotted over and settled down on the carpet.
"Isn't this map quite simple? Why did Lanqi make it sound like someone could get lost with it?"
She flipped through the book and asked the little black cat on the floor.
"Don't get me started. I'm already worried that when she comes looking for Ikerite one day, she'll end up lost somewhere near Boss Cat's Restaurant,"
Boss Cat said, shaking its head.
According to Sigrid's letter, she would probably arrive in Ikerite around October or November, near the turn of autumn and winter.
Fortunately, the area surrounding the restaurant was full of familiar faces; anyone she ran into would be able to guide her the right way.
Talia and Boss Cat didn't have to wait long.
Lanqi was soon fully dressed and ready.
"Tata, let's go—off to the Card Makers Association."
Lanqi stood by the door.
Today they had to head to District 3 on the South Bank first to meet with Countess Rosalinda, head of the Palieu branch of the Card Makers Association.
The Flower Capital of Palieu was divided into the North Bank and South Bank by the Selena River. Traditionally, the North Bank was viewed as the center of academia and art, while the South Bank was more commercial. The Flower Capital's Royal Palace and the Senate were both situated in the south. The district numbering between north and south was fairly symmetrical: the closer a district was to the riverbanks, the smaller the number, while peripheral districts bore higher numbers.
District 3 on the South Bank was likewise a very popular destination for visitors.
The two set off.
After having breakfast at the restaurant beside the ground-floor lobby, they left the Parkinson Palace Esprit Hotel and walked at a leisurely pace along the streets through the morning mist of the old North Bank quarter.
Today wasn't an official workday; they only needed to stop by the Palieu branch of the Card Makers Association, leaving the entire afternoon free to relax.
Since arriving in Palieu, time had flown by.
As an enthusiastic civic-minded citizen, Lanqi had already performed quite a few good deeds over these past several days.
"Tell me, did you spend every day like this when you were in the Northern Continent too?"
Not long after stepping outside the Parkinson Palace Esprit Hotel, Talia sampled Lanqi's thoughts and asked him.
"Not really. When I was in the Northern Continent, most of my days were pretty leisurely."
Lanqi quickly noticed her gaze and turned his head to reply.
"*Doo-doo-doo-doo-doo...*"
Boss Cat let out a series of nonsensical, aggrieved whines.
Whenever it recalled the "Adventures of Lanqi and Cat," it felt coming back alive was already a miracle.
It didn't suffer from the hubris of a Tier 8, yet it was cursed with the fate of one.
Carrying the cat, the two strolled along the streets of Palieu.
They passed Parkinson Palace, which they hadn't visited despite being in Palieu for so many days.
Crossing the Selena River via the harbor bridge connecting the North and South Banks,
they took roughly half an hour to transfer lines across the South Bank.
Finally, the two arrived at the Southern Continent Card Makers Association located near the Palieu Pedestrian Plaza in South Bank District 3.
Unlike the Card Makers Association they had seen in Ikerite, the capital of Hutton,
the branch in the Kingdom of Posen looked more like an art museum.
Over a century ago, before the Holy War had even begun, the building had originally been constructed by the King of Posen as a greenhouse to protect the citrus trees in the royal gardens from the winter cold. It was first meant to store citrus trees for royal use, later transitioned into a venue for displaying art, and was eventually repurposed as the headquarters of the Southern Continent Card Makers Association in the Kingdom of Posen.
The museum was renowned for its collection of Impressionist paintings. The first two floors were public areas popular with tourists, while the third floor and above comprised the restricted Card Makers Association area, requiring registration to enter.
Having undergone multiple renovations, the most recent of which was completed five years ago, the museum had restored its natural lighting and gained underground exhibition halls, temporary exhibition spaces, an auditorium, educational areas, and a library.
Once inside, they followed the clear signposts past painting after painting, heading toward the upper floors.
"What time was the appointment with Countess Rosalinda?"
Talia looked at Lanqi beside her and asked.
"Eight-thirty. We have plenty of time. We can look around first."
Lanqi glanced around, estimating that it was still shy of eight o'clock.
The building's design allowed many artworks to be displayed under natural daylight, providing visitors with an immersive viewing experience.
"All right."
Even before reaching the third floor, they spotted numerous promotional posters for the Platinum-rank card maker exam.
Even in the morning, many people were already visiting this branch of the Southern Continent Card Makers Association. Aside from card-crafting commissions, business collaborations, material procurement, and official inquiries, a few registered card makers whose badges or lapel tags indicated high credentials were conversing on the third floor.
It was said that several Gold-rank card makers of exceptional renown across the eastern nations of the Southern Continent would participate this year, standing out as favorites to attain the eastern region's Platinum-rank card maker title.
As an international spectacle held only once every two or three years, it was naturally taken very seriously by the Kingdom of Posen. On the day of the final test, certain dukes and marquises from the Senate would attend as observers, while the Senate Enforcement Squad and Executioners would maintain order.
Third floor, Palieu branch of the Card Makers Association.
Surrounded by floor-to-ceiling glass windows, the atrium let in expansive, pristine daylight that made the entire level as bright as high noon.
"By the way, how long has it been since you crafted a new magic card?"
As they strolled through the area, Talia noticed that Lanqi barely paid attention to the new materials in the display cases, casting a single glance before looking away. Thus, she asked him.
Watching Lanqi act like this, she felt his interest in card making was dwindling further and further.
Perhaps before long, he wouldn't even ask her to be his teacher anymore.
"If we're talking about new cards, it really does seem like I haven't made anything over the past six months or so."
Lanqi blinked at her question and thought back carefully. Ever since Nuclear Fusion Wolf, all his card crafting had stuck to the same old tricks; he had basically let himself slack off entirely when it came to making cards.
Walking along the dark brown carpet, the two cut straight through the inner atrium. On either side were display cases featuring various categories of merchandise, alongside service counters and consultation areas.
"Do you still plan on learning card making from me in the future?"
Talia looked at the goods behind the glass display cases and asked him.
"If you find it troublesome... then forget it. I can go learn some magitech utilizing magic runes in human tongue from Professor Borao to get by," Lanqi hesitated for a moment before answering.
"Didn't you beg me to teach you card making at the start? Why have you turned out like this now?"
Talia's voice carried no overt emotion, but the look in her eyes as she stared at Lanqi held a hint of displeasure at his lack of perseverance.
"Because I feel like teaching me is quite exhausting for you too, and you've been getting increasingly harsh with me. Back then, you never used to scold me when teaching."
Lanqi averted his gaze and mumbled.
"That's because you messed up that exact step again last night. You've made mistakes in the same place several times now."
Talia frowned at Lanqi's usual hypocritical, meek act.
They had still been practicing card making, after all—or rather, it was part of their daily lessons.
"I thought it wasn't a big deal at the time and could be salvaged, but you completely ignored me,"
Lanqi murmured, keeping his head lowered.
"If I let you throw me off, not only would I have no idea if your side could be salvaged, but you'd drag my side into chaos too."
Talia took a deep breath and patiently explained to him.
She couldn't tell whether her blood pressure was spiking from remembering last night's catastrophic card-making failure, or if her chest felt tight because she heard that this guy no longer wanted to be her disciple. Either way, she felt rather exasperated right now.
"I felt that was within the realm of normal error... Back when I was making cards with Lanfu, she helped salvage it for me..."
Lanqi mumbled.
"What right do you have to talk back to me? Can you not accept a single mistake anymore?"
Hearing that, Talia instantly grew displeased.
"Was I too gentle in the past, or have you entered your rebellious phase?"
She felt a flare of anger ignite inside her.
What did he mean by *Lanfu helped salvage it*? Did he think she was better than her?
"Meow, meow! Stop arguing, you two! We're inside the Card Makers Association! Don't you dare start bickering at the exam venue later!"
Boss Cat leaped in fright. It felt that Lanqi was being uncharacteristically stubborn, which only served to make Tata angrier and angrier.
"We're not arguing!"
Both of them snapped at the little black cat.
Scolded from both sides, Boss Cat shrank into a ball.
Though it was accustomed to Lanqi and Tata bickering, the times they fought most fiercely were without question during card crafting and post-crafting reviews.
It had realized by now: there was a game called *Overcooked Card Studio*—even if these two were genuinely dating, they'd break up over card making sooner or later!
"A couple's quarrel, huh?"
"Completely normal. That's love for you."
Listening to the gossiping onlookers who briefly glanced their way, Boss Cat curled itself into an even tighter ball.
If it kept trying to mediate, it would end up drawing attention to itself as well.
"..."
Lanqi and Talia's voices quickly died down.
They had also realized that arguing in a place like this wasn't appropriate.
More importantly, they clearly weren't a couple, yet they were being mistaken for one.
That made things terribly awkward.
"Tata, how about we head to the restaurant upstairs first for some lime cheesecake? We can sit down and talk things through slowly."
"Fine..."
Feeling profoundly uncomfortable under the occasional glances directed at them, the two reached a consensus to leave the area first.
After all, they were the specially invited proctor and proctor's assistant for this Platinum-rank card maker exam. If Countess Rosalinda were to catch them in this state, it would be utterly humiliating.
Just as Lanqi and Talia prepared to leave the third-floor atrium and head toward the stairs leading to the fourth floor...
"Lanqi?"
A slightly familiar voice called out to him.
Lanqi hesitated for a second, halted his steps, and looked back.
A young woman was looking at him in surprise.
Her light-colored long hair rested gently on her shoulders, and she wore a plain, undecorated white chiffon blouse. Though she had a petite, slender frame, her ramrod-straight posture and pushed-out chest pulled the pure white blouse taut upward.
Likely because Lanqi and Talia were quite striking to begin with, they had happened to catch her eye.
The light-haired, green-eyed girl stared in astonishment at Lanqi and Talia as they headed toward the stairwell.
"I never expected to run into you here."
A smile promptly appeared on her face, and she walked over briskly.
"Senior Karen?"
Lanqi looked at Karen.
Every step she took seemed to carry the rhythm of a dance, lending an air of lightness to the surrounding atmosphere.
He had vaguely considered that he might run into this senior from the Aloran Royal Academy in the Kingdom of Posen.
Yet after days without crossing paths, they had bumped into each other the very moment he came to the association today. It seemed she had been completely absorbed here at the Card Makers Association leading up to the exam.
The last time he had seen Karen was during the observation of Dean Loren's Original Slate - Wind.
Back then, Karen had crafted a Pink Sacred-tier spell card, Phantom of Wind, while he had merely produced a crude White Common piece, leaving him in immense awe of her.
"I joined the academic delegation to Ikerite Academy this month, but I didn't see you at all."
Karen stopped in front of them, looking Lanqi up and down with keen interest.
"My apologies. I was a bit busy recently and couldn't attend to your delegation."
Lanqi sighed.
"Dean Loren simply needed my help too much."
"I heard about it. You actually cleared a Tier 7 Shadow World. As expected of a disciple valued by Great Priest Loren, Hutton's strongest."
Karen nodded, her words flowing with polished grace. Like a lady stepped straight out of a classical painting, she expressed her thoughts with gentle elegance.
"I really did underestimate you back then, Junior Lanqi. You truly are a man who has made me see you in a new light."
She looked at Lanqi with a smile, unbended favor gleaming in her eyes.
In truth, she had only just arrived from the Hutton Kingdom over the past two days. Because she had to take the Platinum-rank card maker exam, she had parted ways with the Aloran academic delegation early.
In a few days, once the delegation finished its work, it would travel west from the Hutton Kingdom back to the Aloran Kingdom, passing through the Kingdom of Posen situated between the two nations, where they would rendezvous with her.
"..."
Talia noted Karen's boundary-free approach. Her expression remained unchanged as she looked between the two.
Listening to the conversation between Lanqi and Karen just now, she had gained a basic understanding of this woman who appeared to be an acquaintance of Lanqi's.
"And this is?"
As if suddenly realizing, Karen turned a curious gaze toward Talia beside Lanqi.
"Miss Tata,"
Lanqi introduced her.
Talia looked at Karen and offered a slight nod of acknowledgment.
"Oh? Did you two come to take the exam together?"
Karen asked again.
"No, she is my teacher,"
Lanqi replied, shaking his head.
"I couldn't tell at all. She looks so young... Hearing you two arguing just now, I thought you had a bad relationship."
Karen pondered for a brief moment. An idea seemed to take shape in her mind, and the corners of her mouth couldn't help curving into a subtle, relieved smirk.
"..."
Over on the counter, Boss Cat, who had just breathed a sigh of relief, suddenly realized things were about to go south!
It had heard of this card maker named Karen.
Her personality was somewhat problematic: whenever she saw a couple, she wanted to break them apart, and she harbored a hunter-like interest in men of potential.
Back then, she might have looked down on Lanqi, but Lanqi was no longer who he used to be. By clearing a Tier 7 Shadow World, he had proven himself the Great Priest's true successor!
Even if nobody currently knew Lanqi was also a Platinum-rank card maker, solely as a Shadow World challenger, he was already an exceptionally formidable powerhouse capable of protecting a card maker.
"Our relationship really isn't that good,"
Talia said, not bothering to refute Karen's claim. She didn't forget to shoot Lanqi a glare either.
On the contrary, if anyone claimed they got along well, that would be when she'd get agitated.
"Oh my, seeing how fiercely you two were fighting just now... my heart really aches for you."
Hearing this, Karen seemed unable to suppress a chuckle, but caught herself and addressed Lanqi softly and solemnly.
The look she cast at Talia was practically beaming with mockery—
*Aren't you just handing this man over to me on a silver platter?*
"What is there to ache for him about? It was his fault to begin with,"
Talia asked, her voice flat and devoid of inflection.
Although she rarely adopted such an attitude toward someone she had just met, she sensed something about this girl named Karen that bore a striking resemblance to Lanqi, which made her dislike her immensely.
"Big Sister Tata, you should show a little more consideration for Lanqi."
Karen maintained her innocent expression, replying in a soft, refined tone.
"Lanqi, if there's anything weighing on your mind, you can come over to the lounge area and talk it out with me. I'll listen to you patiently, and—I definitely won't be harsh with you."
She looked back at Lanqi, reaching out to tug gently at his sleeve.
"..."
Lanqi's heart instantly accelerated.
He felt Talia's gaze burning into him.
Watching Lanqi's hands appear to tremble slightly, Boss Cat felt things were growing even more dire!
Previously at Ikerite Academy, when faced with Karen's schemes, a low-tier straight-laced guy like Prince Ainuoer might have fallen for it.
Any higher-tier guy in this situation would decisively reject Karen, declare his stance, and win back Tata's favor.
But Lanqi—
His tier had a dual nature.
His perfectly timed hesitation gave Tata a sense of crisis instead, balancing her rage right on the brink of detonation!
Moreover, on some level, Lanqi might not have even thought that far ahead.
He might simply enjoy pushing Tata to the brink of exploding just to savor the ultimate thrill!
Yet.
Under an overwhelming sense of mental pressure, Lanqi gradually shifted from smug to well-behaved.
"I'm sorry, Senior Karen. Even though Tata can be quite fierce, I think that's part of her charm."
Lanqi spoke up.
Talia, who had been glaring daggers at Lanqi to warn him to choose his words carefully, finally turned her head away.
Even so, she bit her lip, still somewhat indignant.
This guy had the audacity to call her fierce right to her face.
And she couldn't even refute it.
"Is that so..."
Karen could only offer a helpless smile toward Lanqi opposite her.
In that smile lay seventy percent apology and thirty percent regret.
It seemed as though she genuinely wanted to help Lanqi, yet had been unable to do so.
"Still, I think if Junior Lanqi were looking for a teacher, someone gentle like me might suit you better. I couldn't help overhearing earlier; it sounded like your collaboration on card crafting wasn't going very smoothly? If Lanqi and I worked together, it would probably be seamless."
Karen's voice grew lower and softer as she leaned half a step closer to Lanqi.
Her peach-tender lips and hazy gaze seemed to hint to Lanqi that with a little effort, he might even be able to win her heart.
Immediately after, she glanced toward Talia, her gaze practically declaring, *Unlike you, who only knows how to be harsh with Junior Lanqi.*
"..."
The atmosphere throughout the third-floor atrium seemed to shift quietly at that moment.
Beneath the silence, a wordless chill crept in.
The golden light in Talia's eyes finally turned serious as she looked at Karen.
It was the precursor to gunpowder catching fire, oppressive and fraught with tension.
Boss Cat's eyelids were already twitching wildly.
"Could you stay away from him, you shameless, wicked woman?"
Talia grabbed Lanqi's wrist and yanked him back sharply, preventing Karen from touching his sleeve any further.
Lanqi was utterly stunned.
This was the first time he had seen an infuriated Talia confront another woman head-on.
Yet.
Karen didn't seem in the least offended by Talia's harsh words, maintaining her ladylike demeanor.
"What wicked woman? You only know how to throw tantrums and wait for him to coax you, while a woman who genuinely cares about him will come comfort him when he needs it."
She looked directly at Talia, her expression growing slightly more focused as she spoke.
Within mere seconds, the exchange drew the attention of quite a few people in the third-floor atrium.
A scene of women quarreling—and over a man, no less—was always a beloved, crowd-pleasing spectacle in any era.
"Isn't that young lady Karen from the Aloran Kingdom?"
"Is she interested in that dark-haired, green-eyed nobleman?"
"He looks so timid. Why is he trembling in fear?"
First, rule out the possibility that any lunatic would tremble with excitement in a situation like this.
Then the answer was obvious: this man was quite the scoundrel, trying to have his cake and eat it too.
Finally.
"Lanqi, I've changed my mind. Excuse me from the assistant duties this time. I'm going to take this Platinum-rank card maker exam myself and show her why I have the right to be your teacher."
Talia took a deep breath, looking at Lanqi as she declared.
Naturally, her words were meant for Karen's ears.
She had already been in a foul mood after reviewing yesterday's card crafting session with Lanqi, and now there was a woman she found utterly intolerable.
Lanqi, whose expression had remained fairly calm until now, instantly widened his eyes.
"My great ancestress, I beg of you, don't mess with me!"
He nearly dropped to his knees to hug Talia's thighs.
*Not only are you bailing on assisting me as a proctor, you're going to use my mana to take the exam!*
*And how on earth am I supposed to grade you?!*
*Sister, you're eight hundred years old! Don't lower yourself to bickering with a teenage girl!*
Talia seemed to grow even angrier upon hearing Lanqi's inner thoughts.
She grabbed Lanqi's collar, pulled him a bit closer, and glanced at him sideways.
"It's settled then, understood?"
"No, no, no! Tata, calm down!"
Lanqi felt she was truly enraged this time, and he was genuinely terrified.
"Karen, you too! Both of you have let your tempers flare. When people start going back and forth non-stop, it means it's time to stop talking! If this continues, it'll turn into a full-blown brawl! Harmony is paramount; let's preserve the long-standing friendship between the Hutton Kingdom and the Aloran Kingdom..."
He spoke faster and faster, strongly urging both parties to exercise restraint.
"Oh, interesting."
Before Lanqi could finish, Talia silenced him, while Karen nodded and murmured to herself.
"How about this: if your score is lower than mine, please stay away from Junior Lanqi from now on, or hand him over to me and let me be his teacher."
Karen's expression was brimming with enthusiasm, as though she had found a worthy opponent.
She had long researched the card makers of the Hutton Kingdom; this year, there wasn't even a single candidate capable of exceptionally entering the Gold-rank tier. She didn't believe this woman named Tata had what it took to compete with her.
When it came to card crafting alone, she refused to lose to anyone of her generation.
"And if I win?"
Talia neither agreed nor objected, simply asking a question.
"Then I'll apologize to you,"
Karen said, waving a hand flippantly.
"Not enough. You will change into a swimsuit of my choosing, hold a sign that says 'Lord Tata, I was wrong,' and stand outside the Card Makers Association building for an entire day. Only then will it count as an apology."
Talia let out a cold sneer, crossing her arms over her chest as she waited quietly.
In an instant, Karen's brow twitched visibly.
She clenched her fists tightly, feeling her ears begin to burn.
"Did you think I'd make a wager with you so easily? What, cold feet already?"
Talia's eyes were filled with open provocation.
She wasn't going to fall for a hypocrite's tricks so easily.
*Wanted to act pure and innocent?*
*When the time comes, I'll let everyone see what kind of little vixen you really are.*
"..."
Karen bit her lip, a vein pulsing on her forehead.
This grey-haired, gold-eyed woman was far more overbearing and arrogant than she had imagined.
"Fine. Let's see you try."
Karen narrowed her eyes in a smile as she spoke to Talia.
She could hardly wait to see this woman crying her eyes out like a defeated stray.
"What on earth are you two even thinking...?"
Lanqi muttered in despair, clutching the cat.
He slumped against the wall as if all his strength had been drained.
He didn't dare imagine what those exam days were going to look like.
Even setting that aside, what right did two examinees have to use him, a proctor, as their betting stake?
Furthermore, with Talia taking the exam, he was worried his personal safety as a proctor wouldn't even be guaranteed. To date, there had never been an incident where a proctor was tackled and pinned down by an examinee during a Platinum-rank card maker exam, but he feared that record was about to be broken.
"Let's go. Time for cake."
Talia grabbed Lanqi's collar once more, dragging a drained, pale Lanqi away like a stray puppy.
Karen was left behind, a sly yet irritated smile gradually creeping onto her lips.
"What a foolish woman."
Karen parted her lips slightly, averting her gaze from the direction in which Talia had vanished.
The moment she accepted the bet, that grey-haired fool had already lost.
She hadn't even noticed Lanqi's troubled expression.
Soon he would realize which girl treated him better and in whose presence he felt more comfortable.
In this world, no heroine ever won simply by being good at eating!
Chapter 679