Amid the rowdy cheers of the distant students, Lanqi felt certain that things had escalated far beyond his control. The gossip was bound to start brewing immediately.
Boss Cat, having tumbled to the ground, was utterly stunned as it looked up at the three of them.
It hastily darted back into Lanqi's shadow.
The degree of gossip Lanqi's double embrace would stir up was probably on par with Loren publicly hugging two women at Ikerite Academy.
"..."
Lanqi had never encountered such a situation before.
The worst part was that Sigrid and Talia actually seemed to be enjoying it.
"Section Chief Nikolai, now you see why I try to keep my distance from them at school... And could you get me to the Special Operations Department as soon as possible?"
Lanqi looked around at the students who made his scalp tingle, gritting his teeth as he spoke to Kestrel Nikolai.
He did not want to remain on campus for another second, and he had never found Kestrel Nikolai so troublesome.
"It seems I misunderstood, Professor Landry."
Suppressing a laugh, Kestrel Nikolai raised his hand with an impassive expression, his voice tinged with perfunctory apology. "Men, escort Professor Landry and his two wives to the department."
He gestured for his subordinates to open the car doors for Professor Landry, letting him and his two wives board so the Countermeasures Section could drive him to the headquarters of the Imperial Special Operations Department.
A moment later, the black magic-engineered vehicle parked across the square's road pulled forward, and an imperial agent pulled open the door.
Without a word, Lanqi got into the car with Talia and Sigrid.
If the department was willing to give them a ride, that was naturally for the best.
Nikolai opened the front door with one hand, gestured for his subordinate to step out, took the driver's seat himself, and started the engine.
With a faint hum, the vehicle drove away from Elliott Building at Saint Creti Monastery, heading toward the heart of the imperial capital, Brierda.
"You're driving personally, Nikolai?"
Sitting in the back row, Lanqi asked Kestrel Nikolai up front.
Technically speaking, Nikolai outranked him, as Nikolai was a commissioned military officer while Lanqi was merely an external consultant.
"You're very likely to become the chairman of the Imperial New Energy Agency Committee. If my men drove and something went wrong, the Countermeasures Section couldn't bear the responsibility," Nikolai replied casually, his eyes shifting to the rearview mirror.
"..."
Lanqi fell silent and leaned quietly against the backrest.
Sigrid and Talia remained pressed against Lanqi on either side, dutifully playing the part of affectionate newlyweds.
Lanqi could not fathom where their sense of ease came from.
They were headed for the headquarters of the Imperial Special Operations Department, situated at the Holworth Crossroads in central Brierda—a place known as the "Holworth Crossclaws."
The history of the Creti Special Operations Department dated back over a century. It had originally been organized to counter demonic espionage during the Holy War. Because of its vital contributions back then, it gradually evolved into conducting intelligence operations against neighboring nations and the United Council of Kingdoms.
Its mission included covertly gathering intelligence inside and outside the empire to safeguard national security interests, guarding against terrorism, organized crime, regional conflicts, the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and more. It commanded at least three thousand highly trained operatives, with multiple regional stations and specialized divisions. It operated independently of—yet in cooperation with—the Imperial General Staff and General Headquarters commanded by First War God Hyacinthus.
At this moment, it was hardly convenient for Lanqi to explain the empire's situation to the newly arrived Sigrid.
On second thought, however, both Sigrid and Talia appeared intent on portraying naive women with little worldly experience who merely wished to stay by their husband's side. In truth, their act was quite convincing.
"You seem a bit more tense than usual today, Professor. I thought you never experienced mood swings."
Perhaps finding the journey too quiet, Kestrel Nikolai struck up a conversation after shifting gears.
Even in the driver's seat, he sat as upright as a chess piece.
"Guess why I'm tense."
Lanqi almost suspected Nikolai was messing with him on purpose.
Every time Nikolai glanced in the rearview mirror, Talia and Sigrid would naturally tighten their hold on Lanqi, snuggling into his embrace.
Even though it was the depths of November in the Creti Empire, he did not feel the slightest chill—it was far too warm.
In the back seat, Lanqi waited in silence as they traveled toward the department's headquarters.
The fragrance of flowers, the breeze, and the midday sunlight drifting through the window filled the cabin, adding a touch of languor to Lanqi's face. Sitting in the car around his usual naptime left him somewhat drowsy.
"Go ahead and sleep if you want," Talia's voice sounded by his left ear.
"We'll wake you when we get there. Rest easy," Sigrid murmured right beside his right ear, cooing as if putting him to sleep.
All he felt was a tingling on his scalp, his ears filled only with their breathing and the fervent beating of their hearts.
Before he knew it, a wave of exhaustion overtook him, and he drifted off to sleep.
By the time Lanqi regained consciousness, the magic-engineered vehicle had slowed, entering a sprawling agency courtyard. Half-opening his eyes, he realized they had arrived at the Imperial Special Operations Department.
"Sorry, I fell asleep again."
Lanqi lightly shook his head.
"Though you've visited our department many times, Professor Landry, this is your first time bringing family. Please stick close to me shortly and don't wander off," Kestrel Nikolai offered a rare reminder.
"Don't worry, Section Chief Nikolai. We don't have a bad sense of direction, so we won't go leading anyone astray on our own," Talia replied with a chuckle, leaning against the seatback.
"..."
Sigrid pouted and shot Talia a glance before turning a sullen glare onto Lanqi.
Tata might not have meant anything by it, but Sigrid suspected Lanqi had said something like that before and corrupted her.
"My wives are very well-behaved."
Lanqi echoed Talia's words, holding back a smile as he looked out the window.
A sky-piercing spire cast an elongated diagonal silhouette across the open plaza. The Creti Empire's flag reflected the nation's unshakable, majestic authority. Looking up, one saw the imposing edifice of the Special Operations Department standing proud beneath a clear sky.
The car came to a stop before the long flight of stone steps in front of the building.
The view before Talia and Sigrid also halted.
A couple of seconds later, the car door was pulled open by department guards.
The solemn aura distinctive to secret service agencies washed over them.
This headquarters building was situated in the heart of the capital, Brierda, only a few blocks away from the magnificent imperial palace.
"We've arrived."
Kestrel Nikolai's voice drew the three passengers' gazes out the window.
"Do you intend to see Director Dex today, or take a look at the suspect Captain Maguire apprehended?"
After stepping out, Kestrel Nikolai patted his military greatcoat to smooth it out and adjusted the brim of his cap. In his view, there were only two possible reasons Landry would visit the department today.
Unfortunately, Director Dex was not present.
"I'd like to see the suspect. I'm worried a friend of mine might have been caught by mistake," Lanqi replied, and Kestrel Nikolai turned to lead the way.
Lanqi, Talia, and Sigrid followed Kestrel Nikolai down the departmental pathways.
The entire complex they approached via the stone steps was constructed of beige granite, clad in ivy that had turned golden-yellow. From time to time, tender yellow maple leaves brushed past the massive metal doors several meters high.
Two jet-black stone lion sculptures stood sentinel at the entrance, silently warning all visitors.
Upon entering the lobby, most members of the department offered Nikolai a simple salute.
Operatives cloaked in ink-black trench coats occasionally strode past, their chiseled faces void of emotion. The crisp clatter of their combat boots against the marble floor vanished down the sunlit, shadowed corridors within seconds.
"Has the friction between you and Captain Maguire grown worse while I was away, Section Chief Nikolai?" Lanqi asked casually.
Nikolai was chief of the Countermeasures Section and seemingly did not get along with Captain Maguire of the Action Team, as had long been evident from the attitude of Maguire's subordinates.
"It's fine. I don't really care to fight him, but I do think an idiot like that is hardly suited to be the next director."
Even though Kestrel Nikolai put it that way, the competition between the Countermeasures Section and the Action Team for merits and opportunities to sabotage each other had grown increasingly blatant lately. Neither side bothered to put on an act anymore.
Guided by Kestrel Nikolai, Lanqi entered the department's core sector.
Navigating the deep, winding interior corridors, Nikolai brought Landry's party to a concealed transit elevator.
Kestrel Nikolai retrieved a crystal card from his inner coat pocket, swiped it, and pressed several seemingly random floor buttons in a complex rhythm.
"I've truly never been to the headquarters' underground before," Lanqi remarked with a smile.
"Under normal circumstances, you wouldn't need to visit our subterranean interrogation facilities, Professor," Nikolai answered.
With a barely perceptible hum, the elevator began its descent, moving so rapidly it felt as though they were plunging straight into the core of the earth.
The exterior of the Imperial Special Operations Department was reinforced with hundreds of ancient and modern containment barriers.
Even a Tier 8 combatant would find it exceedingly difficult to breach the department by force, and once inside, breaking out through strength alone was utterly out of the question.
"Relax, Professor. Your nerves are wound too tight today," Nikolai remarked in a teasing tone, perhaps sensing Landry's tension.
He genuinely had not come to cause trouble for Landry today.
"If there were a bit more trust between us, the campus wouldn't have been in such an uproar," Lanqi retorted, shaking his head.
When the elevator doors parted, two slabs of chilling anti-magic steel slid soundlessly aside.
Overhead in the narrow, dim concrete corridor, pale fluorescent lights flickered in rhythm, emitting a faint buzz of magic current.
Kestrel Nikolai stepped out first, and operatives posted on either side greeted him before falling in behind.
The corridor was lined with tightly shut metal doors, each stenciled with a number in white paint. Muffled groans and the rattle of chains occasionally drifted through the cracks.
Down in the department's underground, all external noise was shut out, leaving only footsteps and breath.
Kestrel Nikolai led Landry and his two wives onward, winding through several turns before finally arriving at the secure inner sanctum of the level.
At the end of the hall stood double interlocking anti-magic steel doors.
Walking straight up to them, Kestrel Nikolai produced his access card and waved it before the sensor. With a brief buzz from the lock, the doors swung soundlessly open.
A massive courtyard-like chamber unfolded before them, centered around a metal table and two chairs.
Inside the underground interrogation room of the Imperial Special Operations Department—
Toliado sat on one side of the table in handcuffs, the chain anchored directly into the metal surface.
"Officer, I swear I'm an upstanding citizen! I just wanted to see if my friend Landry was home! Is that against the law?"
His voice trembled as he pleaded his case in utter terror.
Opposite him sat a burly man in his thirties or forties, sporting a beret and a black leather jacket. Exuding an aura that was part lawman and part bandit, he tapped lightly on the tabletop.
Lanqi recognized him at a glance: Colonel Maguire, Captain of the department's Action Team.
Captain Maguire did not wear a dress uniform on duty, opting for civilian clothes so he could lead surprise raids at a moment's notice.
While the Countermeasures Section might conduct field negotiations, and Nikolai of the First Internal Section mainly handled primary crime-scene investigations, Section Chief Nikolai rarely initiated large-scale battles. Frontal assaults and apprehensions were predominantly handled by Captain Maguire's Action Team.
The moment Kestrel Nikolai led his party inside, the Action Team operatives in the interrogation room braced for combat.
"Brother! Brother!"
Seeing Lanqi, Toliado looked as though he had spotted his savior.
"..."
Helplessness washed over Lanqi's eyes, while Talia and Sigrid looked completely speechless.
Were it not for the fact that they knew Toliado's true background, no one would ever believe such a cowardly fellow was actually a cardinal of the Resurrection Church. His willingness to discard all dignity was truly astounding.
"Maguire, is this how your men welcome me?" Kestrel Nikolai asked, sweeping his gaze across the Action Team operatives.
"Heh, my mistake. Didn't realize it was our own people."
Captain Maguire looked back and shook his head, signaling his subordinates to stand down.
"Though, Section Chief Nikolai, what brings you to grace the interrogation room I'm currently using?" Maguire countered.
Kestrel Nikolai did not answer, merely glancing at Professor Landry behind him.
"Captain Maguire, Mr. Shiduo is a friend of mine. There seems to have been a misunderstanding."
Catching Nikolai's cue, Lanqi stepped forward to explain the situation.
"Ah, Professor Landry... Good afternoon."
Captain Maguire's gaze lingered on the two women beside Lanqi for a split second before he politely tore his eyes away and greeted the professor.
In his hesitation, he could not help feeling a pang of jealousy. Landry had managed to marry two exceptionally stunning beauties.
"You've finally come to save me, Landry!" Toliado cried out in excitement.
"..."
Maguire looked back and forth between the two. The man they had hauled in was indeed named Shiduo.
They did appear to be acquaintances.
"Well, this is rather unfortunate," Maguire muttered to himself.
He had originally planned to extract a confession through torture if necessary, pin a crime on the fellow, and claim the merit. He had not anticipated Nikolai arriving so quickly with Landry to ruin his plans.
That bastard Nikolai was truly an insufferable nuisance, just as vile as ever.
"Captain Maguire, thank you for going to such lengths to protect my safety. I apologize for causing you to mobilize your valuable personnel. This was entirely my oversight. I will certainly make it up to you later, so please don't hesitate to let me know if there's ever anything I can help you with," Lanqi said sincerely.
Sigrid found it hard to judge. Lanqi had always been remarkably smooth-tongued, offering colleagues an easy way out, showering them with praise, and promising future favors. He acted as though he had spent decades navigating bureaucratic agencies.
Had she not known the Holy Son was originally from South Vantina in the Hutton Kingdom, she would have suspected he was a native imperial.
Maguire hesitated no further and stood up.
"I cannot refuse Professor Landry's face,"
Maguire agreed readily, knowing there was no reason to antagonize Landry.
Nikolai was probably dying to see him clash with Landry right now.
Moreover, Landry could very well become the crucial weight tipping the scales in the contest between him and Nikolai for the directorship.
"What are you waiting for? Release Mr. Shiduo at once,"
Maguire barked, glaring at his subordinates.
The Action Team operatives immediately unlocked Shiduo's handcuffs, freeing him from his restraints.
Kestrel Nikolai, however, was far less cordial toward Maguire.
"Captain Maguire, I suggest you stop squandering our department's valuable manpower. With that kind of time, you'd be better off bolstering your 'protection' of Mr. Landry,"
Nikolai said with a hint of mockery.
The ideal outcome today would have been Maguire and Landry developing a grudge, but keeping Maguire from scoring another merit was satisfactory enough.
"Come now, is it really necessary to distrust Professor Landry so much? You spend all day expending your energy on infighting—either with me or with Professor Landry. It seriously undermines our department's efficiency."
As Maguire spoke, he cast a glance at Landry.
Those words were meant for Landry's ears.
Maguire was convinced Landry had long grown fed up with Nikolai.
Even a clay idol possessed a temper, and Landry simply had not found the opportunity to bring this detestable falcon crashing down in one fell swoop.
"Don't forget our operating code: suspect everyone, trust no one. Fight me all you like, but do not forget your loyalty to the empire,"
Nikolai retorted, keeping his hands clasped behind his greatcoat, his posture ramrod straight.
"No need to lecture me on my job, Lieutenant Colonel Nikolai,"
Maguire sneered. Unwilling to humor Nikolai any longer, he led his team past him.
He walked over alone to Lanqi, who stood a short distance away.
"Professor Landry, if Nikolai gives you too much trouble, you can reach out to me anytime."
Maguire removed his beret, held it over his chest, bowed to Landry, and delivered a brief parting word.
He was certain Landry had already received his invitation. This was not only an opportunity for an alliance, but also a prime chance to bring Nikolai down.
From his recent observations at the department, Landry had clearly been enduring Nikolai for a long time, engaged in daily verbal sparring and covert maneuvering.
Maguire, on the other hand, had never offended Professor Landry, always gave him face, and had no conflict of interest with him. Down the road, they might even reap substantial benefits together in a deep partnership.
"Thank you, Captain Maguire," Lanqi replied with a smile, nodding in farewell.
Nikolai turned a blind eye to Maguire's conversation with Landry, showing neither retreat nor fear at the prospect of the two forming an alliance. With a wave of his hand, he instructed his Countermeasures subordinates to return upstairs.
Upon reaching the corner, Nikolai did not forget to fix one last stare on Landry before vanishing entirely.
"All right, you're out. Let's head to the opera house for the performance; we might still make it," Lanqi said to Toliado.
He could hardly hold court over Toliado here. After all, Toliado had been trying to help him and had ultimately succeeded.
"Let's go, let's go."
Toliado understood Lanqi's meaning.
Now they had to rescue Iphatia. They needed to reach a place shielded by a spatial barrier first so he could cast Tier 8 teleportation magic without triggering Brierda's detection grid.
With that, Lanqi followed the Countermeasures personnel Nikolai had left behind, riding the elevator all the way to the ground floor.
Passing through layers of security checkpoints, they returned to the bustling main lobby of the Imperial Special Operations Department.
Stepping out the entrance, a magnificent flight of steps came into view, stretching all the way to the edge of the plaza. The group slowly walked down.
A brand-new magic-engineered vehicle was parked before them. An agent held the door open for the professor, and Lanqi offered a polite nod before boarding with his two wives.
Toliado took the front passenger seat.
The doors closed, and the vehicle smoothly started, gradually disappearing into the streets of central Brierda and merging into the heavy traffic.
Up front, the Countermeasures non-commissioned officer at the wheel dared not initiate conversation with the professor in the back.
Every officer in the Countermeasures Section had been warned by Kestrel Nikolai: aside from formal courtesies, under no circumstances were they to speak with Professor Landry.
Lanqi did not mind in the slightest. It was like this every time Nikolai had him driven back. He quietly looked out the window to pass the time.
None of them would discuss anything under the watchful eyes of the department anyway.
Only Toliado observed the trio in the back through the rearview mirror with keen interest.
The micro-expressions on Lanqi, Talia, and Sigrid's faces hinted at a story.
Though Toliado had been snatched halfway through the day, merely observing their dynamic allowed him to guess that things had been rather eventful.
A few minutes later, the magic-engineered vehicle slowed to a halt across the street from a massive structure belonging to Saint Creti Monastery.
The Brierda Opera House was also located in the city center.
Situated in the Manhott district of central Brierda on 33rd Broadway, it neighbored prestigious cultural institutions such as the Voice of Brierda Orchestra and the Brierda Royal Ballet.
Stepping out of the vehicle, they hurried forward as though rushing to catch an opening performance.
After just a few paces, the extensive beige sandstone facade of the Brierda Opera House came into view, its opulent interior lobby visible through a sweeping glass curtain wall.
"To think we departed from here at noon, only to return this afternoon," Sigrid remarked.
Brierda was truly delightful.
In just one afternoon, she had visited several distinctive attractions, enjoyed a hearty meal, and stroked the big grey cat to her heart's content.
"..."
Talia cast a quiet glance at Sigrid.
She seemed to have sensed a rather rude thought.
Together, they pushed past the heavy, intricately carved double doors. In the next instant, Toliado's spatial trick transported them into another pocket of space.
As long as they were inside the opera house, even on the ground floor, Toliado could freely manipulate the connection between doorways. While appearing to enter an auditorium for a show, stepping through the door brought them directly to the interior corridor leading to the second floor.
Here, they could finally speak freely, just like being back home.
"How does that Nikolai have such sharp instincts?" Talia complained gloomily as they walked down the familiar corridor.
Ever since arriving in Brierda, Talia had stayed by Lanqi's side and was acutely aware of how fixated Nikolai was on him.
Kestrel Nikolai seemed utterly convinced that Landry was dirty, needing only a single piece of evidence to nail him. Nothing Lanqi did could dispel his suspicion.
"Should we just eliminate that Kestrel?" Sigrid asked matter-of-factly, turning her head toward Lanqi.
She was accustomed to acting domineeringly.
Besides, she disliked having someone constantly watching her Lanqi.
"No, absolutely not," Lanqi shook his head repeatedly.
"First, using force within the city is ill-advised; at most, we could only act in grey zones outside the city defense central barrier. Second, assassinating a section chief of the Imperial Special Operations Department carries consequences beyond words. The imperial military would turn Brierda upside down to unearth the culprit," Toliado explained as he walked beside them.
As the empire's secret service chief, Kestrel Nikolai was exceptionally clever and vigilant. Putting an end to him was extraordinarily difficult, and a single slip-up would hand him leverage to turn the tables.
Compared to the three of them, Toliado was far more like a local, possessing a clearer understanding of Brierda's defenses.
To unleash full combat power in a mega-city, one would need a massive upheaval akin to the incident in the City of Flowers. It required large-scale rebel forces to withstand the suppression of the central defense barrier, overloading it until it effectively collapsed for a period and converting the entire 'civilian settlement' into an 'active war zone.'
"By the way, did you call him Shiduo? Is he that Associate Professor Shiduo from the History Department of the Protos Royal Magic Academy on the Northern Continent?" Sigrid asked Lanqi as a thought struck her.
Back in the department's underground, she had harbored a mountain of questions for this Cardinal of Dimensions. Now she recalled the most perplexing point.
If Lanqi and Toliado had already known each other, that would explain why they were cooperating and why their relationship seemed so amicable.
"Indeed. Back then, I was beaten half to death and fled to the Northern Continent, idling away my days as an academy instructor," Toliado answered proudly.
"Toliado, let me tell you, we could have won that skirmish on the northern border! If you had been there, we were genuinely just a hair away!" Sigrid pressed the Cardinal of Dimensions, growing somewhat agitated.
Back then, she had never imagined there was a hidden powerhouse right beside them.
Losing had felt so bitter.
"Back then, I was severely injured by Ivanos and fled to the Northern Continent to take refuge and recover! I wasn't even guaranteed to beat a Tier 7 combatant!" Toliado understood what was going through Sigrid's head—her train of thought was identical to Lanqi's!
If only Toliado had been there, perhaps they could have defeated the dormant Askesan and Morotian on the northern border.
Lanqi had already held a post-mortem review with him once before.
"The reality was that in my unhealed state, I was no match for Morotian at all," Toliado said, his scalp tingling as she brought up the review, recounting the circumstances back then.
All he could do had been steer clear of Morotian, playing hide-and-seek with him.
"Wait, what on earth are you two talking about...?"
Walking beside them, Talia felt more and more out of the loop the longer she listened, as if she had missed an entire season.
"You were hurt that badly?"
Sigrid merely patted Talia's shoulder to tell her to wait, looking at Toliado in surprise.
She had not expected Toliado to be another battle-damaged cardinal-level Tier 8.
Sigrid understood that all too well.
"Yeah. Among the ten cardinals, the Bishop of Destruction's combat prowess could easily rank in the top five." Every time Toliado recalled that lunatic woman, he felt she was simply too powerful, practically invincible.
"What in the world are you talking about?! Why do I feel like you're leaving me out?"
Talia finally grew impatient, grabbing Sigrid's shoulders and shaking her.
What she could not comprehend was that she knew all three of them, albeit in different ways, yet they could cast her aside and chat enthusiastically as though they formed an exclusive clique and she was the sole outsider.
"It's a long story. We'll explain when we have the chance. Telling it now would take a few hundred episodes at least," Lanqi said, comforting Talia.
They had indeed thrown an incredibly cool party in the Protos Empire on the Northern Continent, but one person had not been invited.
"I don't care, I don't care! Tell me!" Talia pouted petulantly.
"Tata, I'll tell you slowly before bed tonight. Let's save Little Sister Iphatia first," Sigrid said warmly, letting Talia shake her.
If Tata was already this adorable, her younger sister was bound to be beyond imagination. Since she was under twenty-five, she might even be a teenage girl.
At present, Sigrid had a younger sister who felt like a mother and an older sister who felt like a younger sister, but no younger sister who genuinely felt like one.
Sigrid was filled with anticipation for this new adoptive sister.
Chapter 813