As Lanqi followed Secretary Naila along the avenues of Saint Creti Monastery, staff and students dressed in academy uniforms bustled past him in endless streams.
Figures were scattered across the plaza they walked through, with monastery monks on pilgrimage devoutly kneeling in prayer.
Students gathered in groups of two and three, either sparring with swords or conversing animatedly, the glow of youth shining on their faces.
Whenever Lanqi walked past, he caught the sound of soft murmurs trailing in his wake.
They seemed to be guessing at his identity.
A young man personally escorted by Secretary Naila was bound to be someone out of the ordinary.
"It seems you are quite charming, Mr. Landry," Secretary Naila remarked casually.
"Aren't these students just curious about who I am?" Lanqi asked her.
As the headmaster's secretary, Naila was surprisingly outgoing despite her composed appearance. Having talked quite a bit along the way, the two had grown somewhat familiar.
"Perhaps. But among the students casting glances your way, boys account for only forty percent, while girls make up sixty percent. That indicates some of them are paying attention to you purely because you're of the opposite sex," Naila offered her analysis.
"...Let's not jump to conclusions. They just don't know me yet," Lanqi said, shaking his head.
He was hardly a playboy. If Loren possessed a passive trait that naturally attracted women, Lanqi was certain he had a passive trait that naturally repelled them.
"Did you not attract much female attention back home, then?" Secretary Naila asked.
"The vast majority of women kept me at a respectful distance. Even my colleagues maintained a polite distance from me. Once the students here get to know me, they'll surely look at me in a more proper light," Lanqi answered solemnly.
"Has no woman ever been close to you?"
For some reason, hearing the professor explain it like this, Naila felt as though she understood the invisible aura of distance around him, though she couldn't quite put her finger on why it existed.
"Well, there are a few. But aside from one fairly normal one, the other two are the kind who'll never manage to get married," Lanqi said helplessly.
"..."
Inside Lanqi's mind, Talia hesitated, holding back her words.
Why did Lanqi think Hubao would never get married? She refused to accept that.
And besides her and Hyperion, who was the third one?
She always felt as if there were some mysterious woman she had never met.
While Talia was lost in thought, Lanqi and Naila drew close to the sprawling grounds of the Main Sanctuary.
The lush green lawn spread out like a seamless carpet of soft velvet, dotted with brilliant red maple leaves that drifted down like colorful scattered gems.
"These students will all become the pillars of the Creti Empire in the future. I believe that under your attentive guidance, they will grow into even finer individuals."
Secretary Naila glanced back slightly and added, "It seems you really do have good luck with women, Professor. It's just that only women blessed with enough destiny and fate can approach you. People like that are often said to bear an emperor's destiny."
As she spoke, Secretary Naila led Lanqi through an elegant, ancient archway outside the Main Sanctuary garden, and their field of vision suddenly opened up.
She had returned to the previous topic.
The garden was part of the Main Sanctuary's domain and strictly off-limits to non-faculty personnel. At its center stood a fountain where clear water bubbled endlessly with a melodious murmur, its spray scattering rainbow light under the setting sun and occasionally bursting into massive crystalline floral blooms. Surrounding it were dense thickets glowing like fire and sunset clouds.
"Do you know divination, Miss Naila?"
As far as Lanqi knew, individuals with an affinity for the [Divination] attribute were the rarest among all thirty-one attributes. Usually, only those possessing that attribute liked to chatter about metaphysical notions like destiny.
"I have a slight affinity, but not enough to become a diviner. True divination prodigies rarely take up idle clerical work unless they have terribly eccentric personalities," Secretary Naila said with a shake of her head.
She was simply a headmaster's secretary who loved reading. Conveniently, Saint Creti Monastery housed countless ancient tomes, and her duties allowed her to peruse them freely.
"Still, shouldn't someone with an emperor's destiny be much more popular?" Lanqi asked after a moment's thought, genuinely curious.
Like Loren, for instance.
"That would be a blessed emperor's destiny. But there is also a calamitous emperor's destiny. In times of chaos, the former becomes a benevolent sovereign, while the latter becomes a tyrant," Secretary Naila explained.
"So that's how it is. But I have zero desire to be an emperor. I'd much rather sprint toward a peaceful, leisurely life," Lanqi joked in response.
He didn't put much stock in such things.
"Perhaps what the Creti Empire truly needs right now is a benevolent sovereign," Naila murmured almost inaudibly, before lightly shaking her head, deciding it was best not to pursue the topic any further.
She led Lanqi across the garden and into a tranquil corridor paved with brown flagstones.
Through the unbroken colonnade, the garden remained visible until the view finally receded, giving way to the interior of the Main Sanctuary.
After a long walk, Naila stopped before a pair of carved red sandalwood doors.
She knocked gently, the crisp sound echoing down the silent corridor.
"Headmaster Violet, the new professor, Mr. Landry, has arrived."
Before she could even finish her knock—
"Come in."
A voice both commanding and warm drifted out.
Naila pushed open the heavy sandalwood doors and gestured for Lanqi to enter.
"Thank you."
Lanqi thanked her and stepped into the magnificent hall.
A faint, refreshing fragrance greeted his senses. Bright light filtered through a rose window, casting beams and shadows onto the marble floor like a splendid oil painting.
Seated before the rose window behind an executive desk, a woman looked up at Lanqi.
The sunset streamed through the tracery, casting a soft, hazy halo across her fair cheeks.
"Welcome, traveler from afar. Thank you for shouldering the heavy responsibility of educating our youth."
The woman rose slowly, offering a warm smile to the young man who had just entered.
"From this day forth, Saint Creti Monastery is your workplace."
Every one of her movements was graceful and poised, surpassing any trained noble lady, while carrying an innate aura of authority and dominance.
Lanqi noticed that Secretary Naila had not followed him inside; she remained waiting outside, and the doors to the headmaster's office had already swung shut.
Compared to Lanqi, Talia within his consciousness was far more on edge.
She hadn't anticipated meeting one of the Empire's high-ranking figures so soon after arriving in the Creti Empire.
To occupy such a seat meant that beyond noble status, her personal strength stood at the very pinnacle of the Empire. Even among eighth-tier experts, she was an elite, comparable to a general-tier commander in the Demon Realm.
Moreover, the woman, who appeared to be in her early thirties, was strikingly beautiful. She had long, deep navy hair cascading down like a waterfall, shimmering with a profound luster beneath the light. Her figure was tall and curvaceous, clad in a tailored dark formal gown.
"I am Landry Washington. It is an honor to meet you, Your Excellency Violet," Lanqi said, bowing slightly.
"Professor Landry, a fine young talent indeed. I was worried you might run into trouble and that I would need to contact the military on your behalf, but it seems you handled it yourself."
A radiant smile blossomed across Headmaster Violet's face as she returned Lanqi's greeting.
Her features were like a work of art sculpted by the Creator, and though her violet eyes were crystal clear, a storm subtly churned within them, resembling the gaze of a predator.
"It was all thanks to Secretary Naila's help," Lanqi answered modestly, not avoiding Violet's gaze.
"Heh, that fellow Kestrel Nikolai isn't someone Naila alone could handle. But if the Imperial Special Operations Department had refused to give me face, I wouldn't have let those dogs off easily either."
Violet chuckled, appearing fully prepared to pick a fight with the military.
"There's no need to go that far. I wouldn't want to trouble you to stand up for me over something like that."
Lanqi sensed that this headmaster was even more overbearing than he had imagined—beneath her smiling exterior lay an imperious nature.
Violet looked at Lanqi once more, her thoughts seemingly shifting away from the military back onto him, her expression softening into a mild smile.
"From what your sister told me, I expected you to be somewhat more rigid and blunt. I hadn't anticipated you'd be so adept at navigating tricky situations. It's quite a pleasant surprise."
She looked the black-haired, blue-eyed youth up and down.
Hearing this—
"People change, after all."
Lanqi instantly broke into a cold sweat.
Though he maintained his relaxed composure on the surface, question marks were already firing off in his head.
How did Landry have a sister?
And from the sound of it, she was studying right here at Saint Creti Monastery!
Back on the train, Landry had explicitly said both his parents had passed away back home, and that he had no acquaintances in Brierda.
Could Landry's relationship with this sister be terrible? Terrible enough that he refused to even acknowledge her existence?
"She's telling the truth," Talia whispered in Lanqi's mind.
Earlier, Nikolai's words had all been questions rather than declarative propositions, making it impossible for her to gauge their veracity. But Violet's remark was a statement that could be judged true or false, fitting the definition of a proposition.
This put Lanqi somewhat at ease.
He could tell that Violet's remark indeed carried a hint of suspicion toward him.
However, it wasn't particularly heavy, nor was she about to stage a confrontation like Nikolai just to test him.
"Still, you two haven't seen each other in years, so it's understandable if there's some distance between you," Violet added, seeing Lanqi's reaction, her smile taking on a look of understanding.
"It truly has been a long time," Lanqi sighed, breathing a quiet sigh of relief inside.
With Talia's assistance in verifying the truth of Violet's words, he smoothly played along.
Still, this Landry fellow seemed to have hidden quite a lot. Lanqi resolved that once he got back today, he would have to thoroughly investigate the man's past.
Earlier, having disguised himself as Landry in a hurry inside the train compartment, he had only quickly inspected the luggage and verified basic personal details without sufficient time to dig deeper.
"Don't worry. Even if she tests you on Landry's sister's name, I'll do my utmost to read her mind. The answer will definitely be in there," Talia chimed in beside Lanqi's ear.
"..."
For the first time, Lanqi found Talia surprisingly useful.
Talia: "..."
*Never mind, I won't argue with him now. I'll have a proper voice chat with him later.*
Inside Violet's office in the Main Sanctuary, Lanqi continued chatting with her.
Fortunately, Lanqi had yet to reveal any flaws. Violet's suspicion didn't seem directed specifically at him, but rather sprang from the habitual vigilance her duties demanded toward everyone.
"Please take tomorrow off to rest and familiarize yourself with Saint Creti Monastery's grounds. Correspondingly, you will likely need to officially assume your duties the day after tomorrow. Do you have any questions regarding the terms of your employment?"
Violet glanced at the clock and the twilight beyond the window, sensing that the hour was growing late and that she had other official business to attend to. Today's meeting had only been carved out of her tight schedule.
"No questions. I'll do my best not to cause trouble for Your Excellency."
Lanqi sighed softly, completely understanding how busy the headmaster was, especially since she held other vital posts within the Empire.
"Excellent. I look forward to you becoming a permanent member of our faculty. Dealing with you is refreshingly straightforward."
Violet nodded in satisfaction. Compared to people who brought her headaches the moment they saw her, she favored capable individuals who helped relieve her burdens.
"In any case, the first month will be a probationary period. If all goes well and you meet the evaluation metrics, you will transition to a full professor at Saint Creti Monastery."
"I shall do my best," Lanqi replied.
"One thing you must keep in mind is that some students here can be quite difficult to handle. You aren't much older than them, so some won't accept your authority easily. When I am away from the school, certain noble students can be exceptionally arrogant and overbearing. However, you can ask your sister in advance; understanding students from another student's perspective is often much easier," Violet cautioned.
"Please rest assured."
Lanqi nodded.
He possessed extensive teaching experience.
Although school regulations forbade teachers from easily laying hands on students, Lanqi had already developed a pilot scientific program on the Northern Continent: the Youth Campus Prison Tour.
After undergoing reformation in prison, students returned to school with their mental states drastically improved, and their evaluations of him skyrocketed. It was clear they were thoroughly convinced from the bottom of their hearts.
"Additionally, there is another matter you must be watchful of. With the Empire's war against the Allied Army having commenced recently, internal religious factions within the Empire have seized the opportunity to become increasingly active. They are particularly active here in the capital, Brierda, causing immense headaches for the Capital Garrison Command. If you discover any information regarding illicit religious organizations within the school, report it to the headmaster's office immediately."
Standing beside her desk, Violet lightly tapped the wood, her expression growing correspondingly grave, laced with a trace of chill.
Outside the rose window, the sky gradually darkened, and in the dimming room, her violet eyes shone ever brighter.
"Is it the Resurrection Church?"
Lanqi sensed the shift in atmosphere; at some point, the temperature in the dimming office had begun to drop, letting in the cool air of a Brierda night.
When it came to evil cults, the Resurrection Church was the first that came to Lanqi's mind.
Yet his answer seemed to make Violet fall silent for a brief moment.
"...For now, we don't need to concern ourselves with the Resurrection Church. The emerging religious faction I'm referring to is called the Silver Moon Restoration Society. They target the Empire's interior more directly and harbor immense malice toward our realm."
She had merely intended to probe Landry slightly. Since his instinctive thought had been the Resurrection Church, this new professor's suspicion was diminished for the moment.
"Of course, if you happen to uncover any secret, illicit operations regarding the Resurrection Church, you may report that to me as well," she added.
The several bishops of the Resurrection Church on the Southern Continent were merely temporary partners of the Empire. That didn't alter their inherently extreme threat, and no one knew when a branch of the Resurrection Church might suddenly tear up their cooperation agreement.
"The Silver Moon Restoration Society..."
Lanqi had already heard this name today.
It seemed Kestrel Nikolai was investigating them as well.
"They attempt to incite public sentiment, gathering the misdeeds of nobles, wealthy merchants, and politicians through unconventional means, and seeking to alter the way the Creti Empire's society functions through 'assassinations'—a low-cost, high-yield, high-impact approach,"
Violet explained, looking at Professor Landry's expression, which looked entirely typical of a provincial arriving in the capital for the first time.
Thus, while the Empire could turn a blind eye to some extent regarding clashes between the Aristocratic Faction and the Commoner Faction, it could never tolerate the Silver Moon Restoration Society expanding within the Creti Empire under the cover of the Southern Continent's total war.
"Do you mean that believers of the Silver Moon Restoration Society might have disguised themselves as students and infiltrated this school?"
Lanqi met Violet's gaze, trying to deduce whether she had already noticed any clues.
"Quite a few, I'm afraid. Some students have even voluntarily and secretly converted to the Silver Moon Restoration Society. That organization is far too adept at bewitching people's hearts," Violet answered without hiding anything.
"I have extensive anti-cult experience. These cultists who bewitch the masses are truly taking things too far," Lanqi declared, pointing firmly at the floor with unwavering conviction and confidence in his voice.
"Then I shall wait and see," Violet said after half a second's hesitation. "If you find any members of the Silver Moon Restoration Society, you may hand them directly over to me for execution."
For now, this black-haired, blue-eyed youth newly arrived in the capital was not entirely trustworthy, but their conversation so far offered little reason to doubt him.
"Even if they are nobles, that's fine?" Lanqi inquired.
He was already well aware of the extraordinary status nobles held within the Creti Empire.
"I will show no leniency to anyone who attempts to harm the Empire."
A trace of pride and coldness curved the corner of Violet's lips as she stared at the new professor.
"Neither will I," Lanqi chimed in.
"?"
Talia had assumed Lanqi would say something like "Understood," but he blurted this out without hesitation.
*You really don't feel guilty at all, do you, Lanlan?*
*Where on earth do you get the nerve to say that?*
Chapter 714