The Curtain Rises on Lanqi's Imperial Legend

Late September. Southern Creti Empire, Botswana Province. Golden leaves drifted in the gentle breeze. Sunlight filtered through thin clouds, falling alongside the autumn foliage onto the roof of the magitech train. The train slowly pulled up to the platform, and passengers surged toward the carriage doors. At the rear of the crowd, an elderly gentleman carried a suitcase in one hand without the slightest hurry. He waited on the platform until the passengers ahead had boarded one by one. He wore gloves and leaned on a cane. Tall and upright, he looked to be around sixty years old, yet his posture remained ramrod straight. His chiseled face, high cheekbones, and deep-set eye sockets gave his eyes a sharp, spirited look. Though crow's-feet creased the corners of his eyes, they did nothing to dim their bright, piercing gaze. His grizzled hair, slightly wavy and neatly trimmed, was meticulously combed back and tied into a small queue at the nape of his neck. The elderly gentleman took a deep breath of the crisp autumn air, standing motionless like a chess piece. [Lovia, native of Glen Waverley on the Creti Empire's northern border, sixty-two-year-old publisher, a border commoner with modest savings who wishes to do business in the imperial capital, Brierda.] —This was his new identity upon arriving in the Creti Empire. To tell the truth, Lanqi had never played an old man before, so he could only do his best to imitate the everyday bearing of Professor Borao, whom he knew best. Lanqi studied his reflection in the carriage window once more to make sure there was no flaw before ambling toward the train. Inside the carriage corridor, the passengers had thinned out considerably compared to when the train first arrived. Carrying his luggage along the aisle, Lanqi found it pleasantly spacious. "Sir, your ticket, please." A polite conductor appeared ahead and blocked Lanqi's path. Unhurriedly, Lanqi produced his ticket from his pocket and handed it over. "Welcome aboard the Brierda Magitech Express. For Room 404, please proceed straight to Carriage Four; it is the fourth compartment. Have a pleasant journey!" The conductor took an extra glance at this handsome old gentleman, validated the ticket with his handheld device, and stepped aside to gesture the way. "Thank you." Lanqi nodded slightly and took back his ticket. The train's interior was antique and elegant. Decorative patterns were carved into the redwood paneling, emitting the faint fragrance of aged timber. "Four-oh-three, four-oh-four..." Muttering the room numbers on the doors under his breath, Lanqi quickly found his compartment. He pushed open the door and stepped inside. Since this was only a short-distance train, there were no sleeper berths. Each compartment was meant for two passengers, but it was correspondingly luxurious and comfortable, outfitted with wide seats and spacious luggage racks. Lanqi stowed his luggage onto the rack and sat upright on the plush cushion, feeling thoroughly relaxed in body and mind. He was currently dressed in a bespoke Creti-style black overcoat embroidered with dark gold patterns along the collar and cuffs, over a dark green dress shirt. He looked passably like a merchant—albeit an obscure publisher. Old Man Lovia, the Posen spy who originally held this identity, was a well-read publisher with distinctive insights who could speak eloquently on literature, history, and philosophy. Fortunately, Lanqi dabbled in all of those and could handle the role well enough. *If only I had a more convenient identity,* Lanqi thought, propping his chin in his hand as he looked out the window. Once inside the capital, Brierda, acquiring and switching to a new identity would become much more troublesome, requiring a massive amount of intelligence and preparation. A single misstep could blow his cover. Suddenly, he missed Frey. Investigation, evidence collection, and intelligence gathering were Detective Frey's forte. Back when they handled cases together in the royal capital of Ikerite, Lanqi had never seen a lock Frey couldn't pick or evidence he couldn't obtain. It had been almost a year since they parted ways before Lanqi left for the Northern Continent. Whenever Lanqi asked acquaintances at Ikerite Academy about Frey, neither President Monaster nor Secretary Luweihir would say a word. Only President Monaster had dropped a subtle hint that Frey might have headed south upon parting. South of the Hutton Kingdom lay either the South Vantina frontier territory or the sprawling expanse of the Creti Empire. Outside the window, verdant mountains stretched endlessly. As far as the eye could see, autumn colors bathed the peaks, painting the woods in vibrant hues—a breathtaking sight. His new face was still reflected in the double-pane composite glass. Lanqi slowly drew back the hand supporting his chin. An elderly gentleman shouldn't make such gestures. He needed to appear more dignified and mature. Besides, touching the mask with a gloved hand felt somewhat unnatural. Yet to fool discerning eyes, all of this was necessary; makeup alone couldn't turn someone into a sixty-something old man. "Playing an old human must be exhausting, isn't it?" Talia's voice echoed in Lanqi's mind. Watching Lanqi apply makeup every day made her feel tired just looking at him. Having become the Demon Lord of Mad Love, she was not as lively as the Poet of Great Love had been, but since arriving in the Creti Empire, she had to stay in magic card form most of the time. Aside from waking up to watch Lanqi's daily life, she gradually found that chatting with him was about the only way she could pass the time. "I should just be grateful it wasn't a woman," Lanqi sighed inwardly. Nigel had warned him from the start that to guarantee absolute safety and reliability, finding a suitable identity would be difficult. Combined with Lanqi's request to expedite things, this identity was the only one that could ensure absolute safety while being barely serviceable. This elderly publisher named Lovia had originally been an operative stationed in the Creti Empire by the Kingdom of Posen. Among all the safe identities Nigel could dig up, this military veteran's build was the closest to Lanqi's, minimizing the difficulty of physical disguise. The outskirts of many core city-states in the Creti Empire were equipped with dispel barriers unique to imperial magitech engineering. To ensure nothing went wrong, aside from his usual disguise magic [Metamorphosis: Human], Lanqi also had to prepare a physical disguise for his new persona. This dual disguise ensured that even if the magic was dispelled when passing through the anti-magic zones, the physical disguise would remain intact. Fortunately, once he crossed the dispel barrier zone and entered Brierda proper, he could continue using his unique [Metamorphosis: Human] most of the time, without worrying that this super-ancient spell would be easily unmasked. Now that the identity had been handed over to Lanqi, the real Old Man Lovia could return to the Kingdom of Posen for retirement. "You're actually pretty good at playing an old geezer," Talia observed Lanqi further, chatting with him in his mind. She felt his acting was getting better and better. "..." Lanqi was momentarily at a loss for words. He had previously explained "old geezer" to Talia as a compliment meaning "an elder with the transcendent aura of an immortal ascending to heaven," and he hadn't expected her to actually take it to heart. "Come to think of it, aging your appearance doesn't feel jarring at all. Even Hyperion always said you act like an old headmaster at school—wearing a young face just makes you look a bit eccentric." Talia critiqued Lanqi without holding back. "..." Lanqi still didn't know how to respond. He just felt that Talia was asking for a beating. The magitech pneumatic engine roared as the train gradually pulled away from the station, picking up speed. The scenery outside flew backward as desolate mountain vistas and golden foliage blended together, forming a magnificent, shifting tapestry. The compartment was quiet, save for the rhythmic clatter of the train wheels. He hadn't expected this day to finally come. He was heading straight into the heartland of the Creti Empire, the mightiest power on the Southern Continent. Not only was it fraught with danger as the birthplace of imperial magitech engineering, but it was also where the empire's supreme powerholders gathered. He might even encounter the Twelve War Gods who had returned to Brierda to rest and reorganize. According to the Allied intelligence Nigel provided, while the ten War Gods participating in the war rotated back and forth, two remained permanently stationed in the capital. They were First War God Hyacinthus of the Diamond Seat, and Sixth War God Violet of the Aquamarine Seat. They wielded [Original Slate: Slash] and [Original Slate: Ice], respectively. Lanqi took an atlas from his pocket and carefully cross-referenced the transfer stations and connecting routes. Botswana Province, the transportation hub encircling the imperial capital of Brierda, lay in the southeastern region of the Creti Empire. Covering 129,654 square kilometers, it was the fifth-largest province in the empire, with a population of approximately 12.4 million and a relatively low population density. Traveling from the edge of Botswana Province to Brierda wouldn't take long. This was Lanqi's final transfer. Once he passed through the capital's magitech dispel barrier zone and inspection checkpoint, he would reach his destination. As his thoughts drifted, the train lurched violently, jerking Lanqi back to reality. With a long blast of the whistle, the train plunged into a tunnel flanked by mountains. Lanqi noticed he was still the only one in the compartment. His luck seemed pretty good; perhaps the ticket for the other seat hadn't been sold. However, his good fortune didn't last. The compartment door creaked open. A well-dressed young man stepped inside. He appeared to be in his early twenties, tall and slender, wearing a tailored navy-blue coat over formal attire. He seemed to have boarded the train at the very last moment before departure and had spent some time wandering the carriage looking for his compartment and seat. *Guess I won't get to eat the Brierda Express special bento...* Talia mumbled in Lanqi's mind, sounding slightly aggrieved. She had thought Lanqi would have the compartment to himself, giving her a chance to slip out and enjoy the boxed lunch. Now, that was out of the question. *...I'll give you control of the body in a bit. You can eat then,* Lanqi told Talia inwardly, feeling a touch of sympathy. After all, lunch was just meant to fill his belly; it made no difference who ate it. *Really?* Talia asked. *Really,* Lanqi confirmed. He could sense her instantly brightening up. After finishing their brief mental exchange, Lanqi reined in his thoughts and sat up straight out of politeness toward his fellow traveler. The dark-haired, blue-eyed youth took his seat and offered Lanqi a friendly smile. Both of their eyes were blue, differing only slightly in shade. Then again, it was the most common eye color in the Creti Empire. "Hello," the youth spoke first. His bright yet steady demeanor made him seem slightly more mature than his features suggested, perhaps somewhere between twenty-five and thirty. "Good morning." Lanqi hadn't intended to say much, but since the other party took the initiative, he gave a slight nod in return. Unlike Lanqi Wilford's usual personality, Old Man Lovia had lived alone for a long time, without a wife or children, and was typically reticent outside of business. The dark-haired, blue-eyed youth opposite him didn't seem to mind Lanqi's aloofness. Smiling again, he neatly arranged his luggage and settled into his seat. At the same time, the train sounded another long whistle, formally departing the border city of Botswana. The train sped through the tunnel. Through the window, the faint shadows of verdant trees raced past. In the distance, snow-capped peaks stood against the horizon, as pure and immaculate as sleeping water lilies. Botswana Province in the Creti Empire was renowned for its many mountains, reminiscent of the Horning Empire in the Shadow World, where that ancient cathedral castle was built atop a thousand-meter-high mountain, enduring perpetual freezing temperatures at its summit. Lanqi was momentarily lost in thought. It took a while before he remembered the half-read copy of the *Creti Central Daily* beside him. [Expeditionary Forces Sweep Forward on Western Front! Fourth War God of Jasper Seat, Eighth War God of Chrysoberyl Seat Unstoppable!] The bold headline was emblazoned across the front page. Compared to the eastern theater of the United Council of Kingdoms Alliance, combat in the western hub remained the fiercest, locking the two sides in an intense stalemate. The newspaper also featured a black-and-white photograph officially announcing the death of yet another Tier 8 allied powerhouse. The soldiers of the Creti Empire all beamed with joy, raising their arms high as if proclaiming their victory to the entire world. Lanqi's breathing slowed slightly. Although he was in enemy territory and had to play the part of an imperial citizen flawlessly without a shred of personal emotion, seeing this inevitably brought Dean Loren to mind, leaving a heavy knot in his chest. He had no right to call the Creti Empire War Gods' three-on-one tactic despicable, since he had used it himself. The difference was that Askesan had consented to Sigrid's three-on-one duel, whereas Loren certainly hadn't agreed to the War Gods ganging up on him. In the end, Lanqi could only summon the calm detachment he had maintained in the Northern Continent, forcing himself to forget that he was a citizen of the Kingdom. "This war truly is a cruel affair." A pleasant voice came from across the compartment, interrupting Lanqi's train of thought. Lanqi slowly lowered the newspaper and saw the dark-haired, blue-eyed youth watching him attentively. It seemed the young man had already read today's paper as well. Faced with the casual opening, Lanqi felt obligated to exchange pleasantries. "Be that as it may, ordinary folk like us have no say in such matters." Lanqi gave a slight shake of his head and sighed. He wanted to steer clear of the subject. Judging by the young man's attitude, he didn't seem like the sort of imperial youth who supported the war, which was why Lanqi was willing to chat a bit. But Lanqi had no desire to engage in armchair politics. In the capital of Brierda today, this was a sensitive topic; any overt anti-war sentiment could easily lead to arrest on charges of undermining military morale or treason. "May the Goddess protect the suffering people," the dark-haired, blue-eyed youth prayed, as if understanding the old gentleman's reluctance. "Pardon me, I forgot to introduce myself. I am Landry Washington." The youth extended a hand. Lanqi noticed his mannerisms were quite refined, clearly the product of a good upbringing. "I am Lovia, a publisher." Lanqi answered truthfully, showing proper deference. In the Creti Empire, lacking a family name indicated commoner birth—simple and straightforward. "Mr. Lovia, please don't feel constrained. Although my family was once prominent, it fell into decline long ago," the dark-haired, blue-eyed youth explained proactively, sensing Lanqi's reserve. Lanqi looked him over. *So he's from the nobility. No wonder his speech is so polished, yet without the usual aristocratic arrogance.* "Is this your first time visiting the capital, Brierda?" the young man asked. "Yes. Things aren't very safe at the border right now, and these old bones of mine hope to see the sights in the capital and live out my retirement," Lanqi replied as an old man, nodding. "What about you? As a noble, have you never been to Brierda?" He threw the question back. The youth appeared just as unfamiliar with the capital as he was. "It's my first time in the royal capital as well. In essence, I grew up as a commoner..." The dark-haired, blue-eyed youth was quite talkative, launching into the story of his noble heritage. Lanqi treated it as a way to pass the time. Since he had no desire to keep reading the newspaper anyway, he folded it up and listened patiently to the youth's tale. His fallen noble house in the frontier had once been renowned in ancient Creti, but a few generations back, squandering patriarchs began appearing. By the time it reached him, aside from a hereditary title, he was essentially no different from a commoner. The only blessing was that he had inherited no debts. "My hometown on the empire's remote western border isn't a very nice place. It's a barren, backwater region far from the capital. Fortunately, I had a bit of talent and managed to graduate on my own merits from the border's best magic research academy. I originally intended to live out a quiet life there without any ambitions of reviving the family. But with the war breaking out, I applied for work here in the capital to avoid being drafted to the front lines. To my surprise, I passed without a hitch," Landry Washington explained candidly. "With talent like yours, you must have landed an excellent post even without relying on status," Lanqi, playing the old gentleman, surmised. Even without Talia's help, Lanqi could sense that the young man possessed potent magic power and was clearly of the research-oriented variety. Remaining on the border would have almost certainly resulted in a forced conscription by the military. "You flatter me," the dark-haired, blue-eyed youth replied with a smile, shaking his head. "It must be an impressive position," Lanqi pressed gently. Prying directly might make the other person feel investigated, but continuing to praise him allowed him to open up naturally. If both of them were heading to Brierda and the youth clearly had exceptional promise, Lanqi had no objection to networking as much as possible. "It's nothing grand," the youth said, scratching his temple with a hint of embarrassment. "Actually, I'm heading there to teach. I'll be serving as a professor at Saint Creti Monastery—or more accurately, the Creti Royal Magic Academy." "That truly is remarkable." Lanqi showed genuine surprise, followed by sincere praise. The school the young man mentioned had originated as Saint Creti Monastery and had now become a magic academy backed by the imperial family, also known as the Creti Royal Magic Academy. Even so, because it fully preserved the original architecture of the ancient monastery and had expanded around it into a small town, many imperial citizens still preferred to call it the Monastery. Surpassing the various academies across the United Council of Kingdoms on the Southern Continent, it was hailed as the premier cradle of talent on the entire continent, gathering countless prodigies. Becoming an instructor at Saint Creti Monastery required passing through rigorous, multi-tiered screenings. "You give me too much credit. When it came to the evaluation, I passed purely by luck. Perhaps it was because many instructors have joined the military due to the war, coupled with budget cuts, and the academy didn't want to expand recruitment too much. Finding suitable candidates in times like these proved difficult, so a border dweller like me slipped through the cracks," the dark-haired, blue-eyed youth said modestly. "Of course, on the other hand, the factional conflict between nobles and commoners within the academy might have led the headmaster to choose me, someone who still counts as a noble, as a compromise..." he muttered quietly to himself. "Passing the evaluation already proves your ability. Regardless of the circumstances, I've heard the evaluating instructors are as strict as they come, tolerating not the slightest flaw," Lanqi consoled him like an elder. If Lanqi were the headmaster, he would also find this young man quite promising; the subtle aura of mystery around him was the very manifestation of overflowing talent and profound depth. "Thank you for your encouragement." The dark-haired youth smiled with relief. As they chatted, the two grew familiar with each other. The journey seemed to pass much faster. Lanqi felt quite comfortable. Back when he first left his home in South Vantina on the magitech rail train to the royal capital, traveling with Talia had been absolute torture; the two had barely exchanged a few words the entire way. "..." Talia seemed to hear him, yet gave no reply. Back then, she really hadn't had much of a favorable impression of Lanqi. He was merely slightly stronger than an ordinary person, basically a meal ticket. Even now, she wouldn't claim to have great affection for him, only that she was willing to cook for him and look after him a bit. Inside the train compartment. "By the way, speaking of the war on the Southern Continent, have you heard the rumor?" The dark-haired, blue-eyed youth lowered his voice slightly and asked Lanqi. "What rumor?" Lanqi asked curiously. "Supposedly, the United Council of Kingdoms Alliance conducted a divination using the super-ancient divine artifact, the [Astrological Compass]. They asked a very broad question, roughly regarding the critical turning point that could influence the outcome of this war," the dark-haired, blue-eyed youth explained. "How could something like that be divined? Don't tell me they actually got a result?" Lanqi chuckled dismissively, feigning ignorance of divination magic and artifacts. During his days in the Creti Empire, as a commoner, he had no channels to hear inside intelligence on either side of the war, and the time hadn't arrived to make contact with Posen's spies. Landry Washington, an incoming professor at Saint Creti Monastery, clearly possessed plenty of information. Just a brief conversation with Landry had already yielded a bountiful harvest, to the point where Lanqi had even felt a trace of suspicion toward him. On second thought, however, his own traces should be nearly impossible to divine. Under the Goddess of Fate's interference, divination magic would be severely misled—a conclusion he and Pranay had deduced by comparing numerous past experiences. Moreover, he possessed Pranay's [Mark of Truth], which further boosted his resistance to divination magic. According to Pranay, it would likely require at least Tier 9 divination magic to yield reasonably accurate intelligence concerning Lanqi. Based on Lanqi's intuition and deductions, Landry harbored no malice toward him, and his identity was clean. "The resulting sand painting was blurred and indistinct, but based on the landmark architecture, it was deduced to be right here in the Creti Empire's capital, Brierda. And in the image, a demonic figure resembling a demon god was wreaking havoc on the city..." The dark-haired, blue-eyed youth's expression gradually turned puzzled as he murmured. "Who is it?" Lanqi asked nonchalantly. "Even the Creti Empire cannot identify the figure in that painting. After numerous comparisons, several possibilities show high similarity. It could be an Exalted of the internal imperial terrorist organization, the [Silver Moon Restoration Society], or a defection by an imperial powerhouse, or an infiltration by an Allied expert. It might even be that their ally, the Cardinal, was never trustworthy to begin with. Of course, the most terrifying theory is that someone who died has returned from the grave." The youth spoke in a solemn voice. "..." Lanqi remained silent. "You don't seem surprised at all?" the dark-haired, blue-eyed youth asked. "I just think it's most likely media speculation concocted to draw eyeballs," Lanqi shrugged with seasoned calm. "After all, as everyone knows, once a rumor passes through a few mouths, it becomes completely unrecognizable from where it started, spawning all kinds of absurd nonsense." Although Lanqi said so, Boss Cat in the shadow was already trembling in fear. That was by no means baseless rumor. Because Lanqi truly could resurrect the dead—and without needing their consent.