On the horizon of the frontier city-state, a scattering of stars still flickered with faint light, like fading verses across the night sky.
Not until the dawn crept in and a soft blush touched the edge of the sky was the Wilfort manor draped in a hazy warmth.
In this quiet hour, Lanqi's bedroom felt exceptionally peaceful. Light spilled through the sheer curtains, dancing like pure spirits.
Yet Lanqi was already awake.
He shifted, shoved the blanket aside, and swung his feet down until they gently touched the rug, savoring the softness beneath his soles.
"Why on earth did I dream I was in the underworld, with King Yan on extended leave and me signing the Book of Life and Death in his place...?"
He rubbed his eyes, murmuring as he recalled the dream.
"Right, time to return that borrowed law code."
After a deep, satisfying stretch that sent a wave of relief through his entire body, Lanqi straightened his spine and stood up from the bed.
Once washed up, he did not head straight downstairs for breakfast.
Instead, he drew back the curtains beside his desk, basking in the perfectly mild morning sun.
A gentle breeze brushed past the leaves outside, while nearby birds chirped in the treetops.
A string of crisp, bright notes drifted over the windowsill and into Lanqi's room, suffusing the cozy morning light.
Two weeks had passed since he borrowed the law code resting on his desk from the Frontier Library.
Over the past few days, the books on his desk had piled higher and higher.
Aside from the code, he had asked the butler to buy several introductory texts directly available from the local Card Makers Association.
Learning and using magic in this world was obscure and difficult, much like doctoral-level mathematics; if you couldn't grasp it, you simply couldn't.
Lanqi was reasonably certain that he lacked the talent to become a "traditional mage who could wield magic purely through their own power."
Fortunately for this world, anyone could use magic through "magic cards."
Magic cards capable of binding to a soul had capacity limits, however.
They did not diminish the distinctiveness of combat vocations; they only made the strong stronger.
Meanwhile, ordinary people could use magic cards to cast all manner of convenient minor utility spells.
For precisely this reason, magic artificers capable of crafting magic cards were in immense demand!
Compared to crafting other magical items, making cards demanded not only a thorough understanding of magic engineering principles, but also extraordinary creativity and intellect, alongside highly refined drawing skills.
To Lanqi's relief, reading through the magic engineering literature—covering the crafting of magical items and the mechanics of magical apparatuses—felt surprisingly easy. He could skim through pages and understand them in no time.
"Then again, it might just be that the author of these textbooks was exceptionally skilled,"
Lanqi mused, eyeing the stack of reference books on his desk.
By coincidence, all of them were penned by the same author:
*Fundamentals of Magic Engineering in the Hutton Kingdom, Seventh Edition* — by Borao
*Common Pitfalls in Tier 1 Magic Card Crafting* — by Borao
*Code of Ethics for Card Makers* — by Borao
According to people at the Card Makers Association, this Professor Borao was an instructor in the School of Magic Engineering at Ikerite Academy.
Unfortunately, Professor Borao did not take on students.
Otherwise, Lanqi might have considered putting in a hundred days of hard cramming to test into the School of Magic Engineering.
Still, compared to the heavy, complex workload and dedicated mentors of the School of Magic Engineering, he far preferred the open, relaxed curriculum of the School of Sages and School of Knights. With few compulsory courses and plenty of electives, one only had to complete the required classes and earn enough credits to graduate.
As for the Magic Engineering courses that suited him, he could simply add them to his schedule as electives when the time came.
That was the conclusion Lanqi had reached after carefully reviewing the academy's information.
"Alright, now that the theory is settled, it's time to try my hand at making a magic card."
Lanqi felt that the energy known as "mana," which he had drained days ago while painting Talia's portrait, was mostly replenished by now.
Today, he could rent a workshop at the Card Makers Association to practice.
And then there was Talia.
Since he was leaving the city-state for the royal capital in two and a half months, he needed to make arrangements for her as well.
Though a demon, their needs aligned.
Perhaps the two of them could become good business partners down the line.
Lanqi looked out the window.
Before long, his gaze caught a gray figure outside the family courtyard.
In a corner of the street where the sun had yet to reach stood a girl, poised and motionless like a lifelike sculpted work of art. Her figure resembled exquisite porcelain, delicate and gentle.
The deep gray cloak wrapped around Talia drifted faintly in the breeze, lending her an air of mystery.
In this tranquil moment, she seemed to merge into a single painting with her surroundings, or rather, as if her presence was the only thing that gave the scene meaning.
Lanqi rested his chin in his hand, gazing from afar at this demon princess who had disguised herself so flawlessly as a human.
"Pity she's so old—several hundred years at the very least,"
he remarked to himself.
Though considered young among demons, by human standards, calling her an old crone wouldn't be far off the mark.
Of course,
Lanqi had no idea what would happen if he actually called Talia an old crone to her face.
...
In the distance.
As if sensing Lanqi's gaze, Talia glanced toward the manor's second floor.
"Good morning."
Meeting her eyes, Lanqi offered a gentle wave toward the distant Talia with a smile.
Talia ignored him.
Her gray hair spilled like silk over her shoulders, draping quietly over her cloak, while her indifferent gaze fixed ahead.
She only meant to check for any disturbance that might pose a threat to the manor's residents.
Seeing that it was Lanqi himself rather than someone seeking to harm him, she saw no reason to pay further attention.
Her sole focus was completing her job—protecting her employer.
She cared nothing for the employer himself.
And yet...
For some reason, she felt that the boy's thoughts had been unusually active just now.
Moreover, he seemed to have been thinking something utterly damnable.
Yet Talia could not pinpoint where the intuition came from, nor what could possibly be running through his head.
No matter how one looked at it,
he was merely offering a friendly greeting.
Perhaps it was just her imagination.
After all, ever since the fall of the demon realm... she had harbored a deep hatred for humans.
Even with a gentle, harmless human like Lanqi, she occasionally doubted her senses, suspecting he might be an utterly vile individual wearing a flawless mask.
Yet her lie-detection magic, coupled with her own observations, consistently proved that this human possessed impeccable moral character.
"*Sigh.*"
Talia let out a soft sigh.
She had thought that after wandering the human realm for so many years, she had come to understand these creatures a little.
Now it seemed that if she wished to endure humiliation, blend seamlessly into human society, and seek an opportunity to restore her kingdom,
she still had a long way to go.
Chapter 8