Lanqi's Imperial Career

Lanqi walked along the inner corridor on the fourth floor of the Elliott Building, situated in the monastery's central complex. The long corridor wrapped around all four sides, forming an imposing, arched loop. He memorized the map as he walked. He noticed that whenever an intersection seemed on the verge of leading to a dead end, a sign would appear on the wall: "Turn Ahead." And after making each turn, the view ahead would invariably open up, bright and clear. Those words, "Turn Ahead," caught his eye again and again, gradually knocking open his heart. So it turned out that there was no such thing as being directionally challenged in this world; there were only people who didn't know how to turn. "You..." Listening to Lanqi's inner thoughts, Talia hesitated. She always felt that Lanqi was carrying out a mission, yet it was not her mission. The more familiar she grew with Lanqi, the more she felt traces left behind by others on this man. "When you went to the Northern Continent, what on earth did you do besides working on your project?" Talia, who had never paid much attention to Lanqi's past escapades, was finally growing a little curious. "I was just focusing on my project the entire time." Lanqi was baffled, unsure why Talia would suddenly ask him that. "..." Talia could tell it was indeed the truth. Yet she faintly sensed that Lanqi was far too accustomed to life in a foreign land. "How did you usually 'focus on your project'?" Talia asked tentatively. "Sharpening my professional competencies, honing my practical skills, and striving to satisfy my superior," Lanqi answered after a moment's thought. "..." "Then make sure you sharpen your skills well and hone them thoroughly, and strive to satisfy me a bit more so I can enjoy myself even further," Talia communicated telepathically with a clear conscience. No matter how Lanqi tossed and turned in the Northern Continent, the ultimate beneficiary was always her. Thinking about it, she felt that this trip to the Creti Empire was rather leisurely and comfortable. It was hardly any different from staying in Ikerite every day. "Of course." Chatting with Talia in his mind, Lanqi passed through the circular corridor and arrived at the fourth-floor suspended atrium of the Elliott Building. Atop stone pillars rested an arched, vaulted dome inlaid with mosaics, its interior walls adorned with murals depicting the creation of the world by the gods. Though the pigments had dulled with the passage of time, the grandeur and magnificence of the composition still convinced viewers that this architecture dated close to the Mythic Era. The arched windows on either side stood dozens of feet high, with sculpted flowerpots sprawling along the sills. Whenever a gentle breeze drifted through, the window frames rattled faintly, and birds flitted across the sky, casting light silhouettes below. The inner corridors branched out in all directions, offering access to the Elliott Building's library, dining hall, chapel, and other facilities. Early that morning, Lanqi had seen an email sent through the faculty system by Miss Naila, the headmistress's secretary. Classroom 4-21, which he had used yesterday, would temporarily no longer be utilized for lectures, and Professor Landry's seminar course had been moved to Classroom 4-43. Consequently, he had to arrive even earlier to factor in the time needed to locate the new classroom. Although tardiness among instructors was a frequent occurrence at the free-spirited Ikerite Academy—and on rare occasions, one might even encounter an instructor skipping class entirely—Lanqi's professional ethics and standards would never allow him to engage in such irresponsible conduct. Every time, he would arrive near the classroom at least fifteen minutes early and enter it five minutes before the bell. As he walked, the light gradually dimmed as he stepped back into the cloistered corridor section. Teachers and students passed by from time to time, their rustling footsteps echoing through the spacious atrium walkways. At the spandrels of the eaves, the image of the Moon Goddess of Saint Creti Monastery was carved into the stone. "..." Lanqi's footsteps slowed as he looked ahead. At the far end of this familiar corridor stood a man wearing a distinctively styled military uniform. The man was standing right beneath the sign for Classroom 4-21. He appeared to have been waiting for quite a while. "Long time no see—though strictly speaking, we only saw each other last week, Professor Landry." Kestrel Nicholas had pulled the brim of his officer's cap down low, resting his hand against it, nearly concealing his forehead. Even so, his eyes beneath the brim remained fixed on Lanqi. "For people like us who are busy serving the empire, every day feels like a month. It is only natural to feel like it has been a long time." Lanqi looked mildly surprised, but nodded in profound agreement. "Section Chief Nicholas, what brings you here in person?" He continued walking forward. According to the map, the quickest route to Classroom 4-43 passed by the original Classroom 4-21. Kestrel Nicholas had evidently taken that into account when choosing to wait here. Naturally, as soon as Lanqi arrived at the Elliott Building, he had sensed a gaze on him, which was undoubtedly Nicholas. Last time, at Brierda First Station, right after arriving in the city aboard the mana rail train and surviving an attack by the Allied assassin Unity, Lanqi had been investigated by this very officer from the Imperial Special Operations Department, code-named Kestrel. The officer possessed a sharply chiseled, handsome face and neatly trimmed, dark reddish-brown hair, carrying the crisp competence expected of a military man. The Imperial Special Operations Department, also known as the Imperial Magic Secret Agent Corps, answered directly to the Emperor and could requisition resources across all fronts without going through the regular military hierarchy. Any inconspicuous civilian brushing past on an imperial street, or a seemingly ordinary shopkeeper, could very well be an operative of the Imperial Special Operations Department. Among the several sections under the department, the Domestic Secret Service Section focused on internal Creti affairs. It was tasked with monitoring domestic dissidents, ferreting out anti-war elements and spies, and safeguarding the stability of the regime. Kestrel Nicholas was precisely the chief of the First Domestic Secret Service Section. "I figured that if you came early, you would likely take this path. It so happens that I have something to discuss with you, Professor. I trust this won't delay your class?" Kestrel Nicholas waited until Lanqi reached the classroom door before asking. "It won't take much of your time, Professor—five minutes should suffice," he added. "Of course, no problem at all." Lanqi gladly agreed. He had set aside ample spare time, so this wouldn't affect his teaching. Kestrel Nicholas gripped the doorknob, twisted it open, and gestured for Lanqi to enter. Nodding, Lanqi followed Nicholas into Classroom 4-21, which he had just used yesterday. Through the Creti-style arched French windows along one side of the room, the slanted golden morning sunlight traced grating patterns across the ancient oak floorboards. As they strolled past the century-old long tables and desks, Kestrel Nicholas's gaze settled on the dense paint-marker handwriting covering the glass panes, plunging him into deep thought almost instantly. The flowing, handwritten demonic incantations and spell formulas seemed to pour straight from the mind of a master. It was a rigorous derivation of magic engineering woven from strings of demon alphabet and human languages. A mere handful of words encompassed a boundless physical world, accompanied by faint, draft-like scratch-outs that seemed to attest to the birth of a newly fermenting theory... "I must admit, when I first laid eyes on this window, I felt as though I had stepped into the cognitive realm of a prodigy. Through those shimmering symbols and formulas, I could almost glimpse the fundamental nature and underlying principles of fire and sealing," Kestrel Nicholas muttered in a low voice. Those intricate formulas and symbols emanated a near-religious sanctity and devotion. It was like a theoretical blockbuster detonating within the classroom across a microscopic world imperceptible to the naked eye. From now on, this century-old lecture hall would stand quietly as fertile ground nurturing intellect, sheltering countless precious legacies of thought, awaiting those destined to peer inside and comprehend them. "I still underestimated you, Professor Landry." Or rather, he found that there was more and more about Landry that demanded close attention. "Are you also specialized in magic engineering, Section Chief Nicholas?" Lanqi asked with interest. Headmistress Violet's secretary, Miss Naila, clearly held no affection for members of the Imperial Special Operations Department, so regarding Nicholas's wish to meet Professor Landry, she had neither arranged it nor informed Lanqi. As a result, Nicholas had to track down Landry on campus in person. Yet Nicholas's authority ensured that as long as he wished to meet someone, he could always find a way to see anyone in the Creti Empire. Except for professors from the School of Magical Engineering and relevant military personnel, ordinary students and campus staff were no longer allowed to enter this classroom at will. It opened only at designated times, required identity registration, and the handwriting on the windows and blackboard had been placed under barrier protection, preventing it from being easily altered, erased, or damaged. Kestrel Nicholas was among those possessing the clearance to enter and inspect the classroom at any time. If these magic engineering principles—of incalculable value to the Creti Empire—were leaked to the Silver Moon Restoration Society or Allied spies, Nicholas would also have to piece together clues to deduce who might be suspected of passing the original contents outside and when. Even though concrete evidence might remain elusive if such a breach truly occurred, as the domestic counterintelligence chief of the empire, any scrap of information could serve as a clue to uncover elements harmful to the realm. "I am not specialized in magic engineering; I built myself up from nothing. Of course, that doesn't prevent me from understanding magic engineering principles. My duties require me to know a bit of everything." Kestrel Nicholas shifted his gaze from the window back to Lanqi and answered. "Are you interested in magic engineering? For instance, if you have any questions, I would be more than happy to discuss them with you," Lanqi offered with open sincerity. "Now is not the time for that. After all, I am taking up your time, Professor Landry, and we need to discuss something far more important." Kestrel Nicholas looked at Lanqi's earnest demeanor and offered a faint, emotionless smile. "Regarding the clue you provided last time aboard the Brierda mana rail train—the sixty-two-year-old publisher, Lovia, from Glen Waverley on the empire's northern frontier—our investigation so far shows that, regrettably, he does not appear to be under any obvious suspicion," he stated. "That's unlikely," Lanqi murmured, resting his chin on his hand in puzzlement. "If I didn't mishear back then, I can guarantee that old gentleman is definitely suspicious." He spoke with absolute certainty, his gaze unwavering. "..." Kestrel Nicholas scrutinized Professor Landry's expression. He saw no trace of panic on the black-haired, blue-eyed professor's face—only deep suspicion. Landry seemed at once stubbornly defiant and even more convinced that Lovia, his fellow passenger, was compromised. "Very well. Rest assured, I will investigate this person further. Until a final conclusion is reached, please remain at ease, Professor Landry. We will not falsely arrest a single loyal subject, nor will we let a single traitor slip through," Kestrel Nicholas said, nodding to give his promise. He considered Landry a very clever man. Now that Landry had made part of his academic achievements public in the empire, and with those findings fermenting rapidly within imperial academia, perhaps all of this was part of his plan. When the time came, even if the information regarding Lovia had been completely fabricated by Landry, figures in the empire would step in to protect him, making it difficult for the Special Operations Department to touch such a magic engineer. However, if Nicholas wanted to apprehend someone, he had plenty of methods. The time simply wasn't ripe yet. "Is there anything else, then?" Lanqi glanced at the clock in the classroom and casually asked Kestrel Nicholas. Not only was Lanqi completely unruffled, but Talia was also far less anxious than last time. The fact that Nicholas hadn't uncovered the sixty-two-year-old Lovia's identity as an Allied spy was merely because Lanqi hadn't leaked that information covertly yet. The boy seemed to be deliberately letting Nicholas suspect him first. Once Nicholas's suspicion peaked, Lanqi would dismantle his doubts step by step until a complete reversal was achieved. He was playing him on purpose. Talia even felt that even if Lanqi dated several girlfriends at once, he would still be able to coax every single one of them into harmony, making them feel guilty of their own accord and reluctant to suspect him. As long as nothing unexpected occurred, he could manipulate human psychology around his finger. He truly was a born scumbag prodigy. Playing both men and women alike. "I would like to invite you, Professor Landry, to serve as an honorary consultant to our Imperial Special Operations Department's Research Institute." Kestrel Nicholas gave a slight bow toward Lanqi and presented a gold-rimmed card engraved with the insignia of the Creti military alongside the exclusive emblem of the Special Operations Department. In the very corner of the card, an authentication coating of the Research Institute was stamped. Lanqi's gaze lingered on the card before lifting again to meet Nicholas's eyes. Even among common folk, rumors circulated that the Imperial Special Operations Department possessed a secret laboratory developing all manner of silent, specialized weaponry—such as poisons, alchemical creatures, and high-performance explosive devices. That research institute was likewise situated in the capital, Brierda. An honorary consultant was not a formal post, but nominally, it made him one of the Imperial Special Operations Department's people. In the future, Nicholas would no longer need to go through such trouble to see him. "Is Section Chief Nicholas inviting me to join the Imperial Special Operations Department?" Lanqi asked with surprise and evident amusement. "Certainly," Nicholas answered decisively. *This job is nothing more than unpaid labor! Only a lunatic would agree to that,* Talia said in Lanqi's mind. There was no official payroll status, nor any real authority—just a hollow title. Meanwhile, he might be summoned at any time by the Imperial Special Operations Department to run errands for them. Should anything go awry, Kestrel Nicholas would suspect Lanqi first, and anything Lanqi did at the department would be subjected to intense surveillance. Furthermore, as long as Lanqi agreed, Nicholas could arrest him inside the Imperial Special Operations Department whenever he pleased, even without solid evidence. It was essentially walking right into a trap. It had every disadvantage and zero benefit. *But Tata, think about it,* Lanqi responded telepathically. *If you were a magic engineer truly loyal to the empire, eager to make an irreplaceable contribution to the realm at this critical juncture, what would you choose?* *...I suppose I really would accept,* Talia concluded, putting herself into the role Lanqi described. *Then there is only one answer,* Lanqi said to Talia in his heart, smiling as he extended his hand toward Nicholas in the classroom. It was unquestionable loyalty, an unshakeable stance, and unhesitating resolve. "It would be my absolute honor, Mr. Nicholas," Lanqi said to Kestrel Nicholas. "Let us serve the empire together."