The Moon God Festival was one of the grandest public holidays in the empire, an annual celebration eagerly anticipated by commoners and noble houses alike.
Beyond the temporary stalls set up in Saint Creti Monastery to entice pilgrims and tourists, festivities around the Chief Hall had officially begun at four in the afternoon.
Students and faculty in formal attire gathered in the specially erected outdoor banquet hall and its connected auxiliary pavilions. Glasses clinked in celebration amid melodious music as guests exchanged pleasantries and well-wishes.
The only real difference between the outdoor banquet hall and the indoor venue was that the crowd gathered outside was, if anything, slightly larger.
A constellation of luminaries and socialites filled the grounds; everywhere one looked, prominent nobles in striking finery engaged in animated conversation, their glasses brimming with wine.
Curiously, in the midst of such lively grandeur, a professor clad in a gray overcoat showed not the slightest inclination to join in.
He seemed exceedingly popular, with many attempting to curry favor or simply strike up a passing conversation. Yet today he looked rather worn down, fielding their advances with polite brevity. The only genuine smiles he offered were reserved for students. After exchanging a few words with them, he would continue on his way.
*Now where could Elsa be...?*
Lanqi scanned the vast banquet hall.
Within the inner grounds of the monastery's Chief Hall stood four magnificent sanctuaries, their gold-leafed domes rising in two tiers. Incense smoke drifted thick as an unbroken stream of pious students came before the holy statues to offer their prayers. The deep, rich timbre of pipe organs echoed beneath the vaulted ceilings, blending with the murmurs of the faithful.
Having just made his way back from the outdoor banquet hall to the indoor activity pavilion, Lanqi knew that Landry's sister Elsa could be virtually anywhere. Tracking her down was going to take some time.
Communication magic was notoriously unreliable here, and scanning magic could not be used thoughtlessly. More to the point, Lanqi had never mastered link or detection magic; he usually needed Boss Cat or Tata's assistance, and neither cat was currently with him.
Furthermore, Elsa was only at Tier 2 and could not cast standard long-range communication spells.
*I'll just take my time searching.*
Lanqi shook his head.
He would treat it as a stroll. Whenever he ran into his students, he could offer them his blessings and ask if they had seen Elsa.
If he managed to spot Elsa's close friend Ursula—the marquis's daughter of the griffin family—he would likely find Elsa in short order.
Ever since the attack on Elsa, Ursula had become practically inseparable from her, even moving into her dorm room at night.
*Offer blessings to the students, grab dinner, and then it'll be about time to meet Headmaster Violet. Where does the time go?*
To this moment, Lanqi was not entirely certain why he had felt compelled to put aside his hectic workload and come here.
Perhaps part of it was upholding Landry's obligations—observing proper etiquette and attending the gatherings he was expected to attend. On the other hand, this was his only break of the day, an opportunity to step away from work and clear his mind. And so, he had come.
Inside the activity pavilion, snippets of idle gossip drifted down from the upper floor and across the ground level.
"Have you heard? There's a professor at our school who married an aunt and her niece from the same family."
"Good heavens... Then what does he call his mother-in-law? Wait, no, what does he call his sister-in-law?"
"I bet he has his eye on the sister-in-law too. She looks completely innocent, and I heard she's already married and has a daughter!"
"The version I heard is even wilder. Someone deduced that his ultimate goal is to marry the sister-in-law's husband as well—taking down the whole family without leaving a single one out."
"Holy beans, is that man even human?!"
A jumble of voices rose and faded through the hall. Lanqi could not make out the specific details clearly; no sooner did one voice trail off than another spoke over it.
All he could say was that people had loved passing the time with such topics since antiquity.
Lanqi kept his focus forward, walking ahead.
He had to do his job well.
Coming all the way from the residential quarters several kilometers away, he had been too busy to stop for water or rest, and now he was finally feeling a bit parched.
Saint Creti Monastery covered an immense area. When he first arrived at the school, Miss Naila, the headmaster's secretary, had driven quite a while just to escort him from the Chief Hall back to his residence.
As he was lost in thought, Lanqi stepped out into the spacious atrium on the first floor and immediately felt countless gazes zeroing in on him from every direction.
Unabashed looks of scrutiny turned his way; it seemed the number of people interested in him was only growing.
Most were parents of students, along with a sizable contingent of high-society elites from the Creti Empire. Naturally, they were keenly interested in the empire's latest new-energy research, which promised enormous production boosts for both military and civilian applications. As the core figure behind that research, Professor Landry was undeniably someone worth knowing.
If Professor Landry's standing rose any higher in the future, ingratiating oneself with him would become even harder.
All Lanqi could do was quicken his pace while maintaining a polite demeanor. He aimed to find a student he could talk to before the crowd closed in, or simply locate an exit from this cavernous hall and proceed to the next pavilion.
"Professor Landry."
A light feminine voice caught his ear, drawing his gaze.
Lanqi turned to see a slender figure walking beside him, reaching just up to his shoulder.
Her left leg and right arm were mechanical prosthetics of polished metal, and her left eye was concealed beneath a pitch-black half-eyepatch whose straps extended around the back of her head, blending into her hair.
Her silvery-gray hair and pale blue eyes gave her the delicate beauty of a porcelain doll.
"Ah, Secretary Naila."
Lanqi let out a breath of relief.
Naila maintained the poised grace expected of an executive secretary, hands resting gently over her midriff, yet her tone carried the casual ease of an old acquaintance.
Her arrival at this moment was an undeniable blessing, scattering many of the imperial notables who had been preparing to corner him. Now that he had a companion, it appeared as though he were occupied with official business concerning Headmaster Violet, the Sixth War God of the Aquamarine Seat.
"You're looking for Elsa, aren't you? I saw her earlier. If you head toward the next pavilion ahead, you should run into her."
Evidently discerning his predicament, Naila had approached of her own accord.
"I really appreciate your help. You've saved me a lot of trouble."
Lanqi offered his sincere thanks.
Ever since Naila had received him at Brierda First Station and brought him to Saint Creti Monastery, he had relied heavily on her support, which had allowed him to settle smoothly into his teaching and research.
"When I saw you wandering around all by yourself, Professor, I knew you were bound to get surrounded. But how could a busy man like you afford to waste precious time on those high-and-mighty nobles?"
Naila made the jest with a deadpan delivery as she led the way.
"It wouldn't be good if someone overheard that, you know."
Lanqi lowered his voice slightly.
He noticed that Secretary Naila showed as little deference to nobles as ever. The moment the subject arose, she spoke with blunt candor. She seemed entirely indifferent to the souring expressions of the nobles who had just tried to approach—or perhaps she was deliberately helping him chase them away.
When they had encountered Kestrel Nikolai at the train station, Naila had taken an exceptionally forceful stance, practically wrenching Professor Landry right out of his grasp.
"It doesn't matter. Nobody dares give me trouble anyway; I have Headmaster Violet, the Sixth War God, backing me,"
Naila replied nonchalantly.
"Besides, I have a good relationship with the princess. I don't harbor hostility toward all nobles, but as for the ones who think too highly of themselves, I certainly have no desire to flatter them."
She looked up at Professor Landry.
It was as though she were reminding him that he and his sister Elsa were nobles as well, yet she had never kept them at arm's length for it.
"The princess... You mean Her Highness Third Princess Alexia?"
Lanqi glanced at Naila beside him.
As far as he knew, the only royal who had graduated from Saint Creti Monastery in recent years was Third Princess Alexia.
"Yes. After all, taking care of Her Highness was an extraordinarily important duty, and Headmaster Violet couldn't possibly devote all her attention to a single student, royal or not. So the responsibility fell on my shoulders. Fortunately, the princess is quite easy to get along with, and the years I spent with her remain fond memories."
Naila replied as she walked.
"I understand completely. A headmaster's schedule is terribly demanding. Even if princes or princesses show up, there's hardly any time to attend to them."
Lanqi shook his head and sighed.
"Listen to you. You sound as though you've been a headmaster yourself."
Naila continued to observe him.
"Ever since I first met you, I've felt that you and Headmaster Violet share certain similarities. How should I put it... It's hard to describe."
She mused aloud.
"If I were a headmaster, having a secretary like Miss Naila would certainly take a great load off my mind. A capable secretary is simply too important. I suppose I speak that way because I often catch myself imagining what it would be like if I were running the school."
Lanqi explained with a chuckle.
If Naila had not stepped in just now, that horde of eager opportunists would have swarmed and surrounded him completely.
Gratitude aside, chatting with her was remarkably effortless.
Back at Purgatory Corridors Academy, his secretary Lysandra had also been exceptionally competent, but she had always acted rather formally around him, unlike Naila, who spoke her mind without reservation.
"If you were headmaster, that would actually be quite a headache,"
Naila remarked thoughtfully, drawing upon her professional experience.
"Why do you say that?"
Lanqi asked, bewildered.
"Working with you might feel relaxed enough, but the amount of things one has to worry about would probably multiply considerably."
Naila looked into the young professor's unfathomable eyes.
This professor always made it impossible for her to discern his true thoughts.
Rather than a scholar devoted to pure academia, Landry struck her more as an old noble who had navigated politics for decades.
She did not claim to read hearts, much less fathom the depths of Landry's mind.
Lanqi pondered Naila's cryptic, fortune-teller-like evaluation for a while.
"Looking at me with those eyes... You still think I belong to that noble faction, don't you...?"
Lanqi lowered his head with an exaggerated sigh of disappointment.
"Hardly. A true noble would never show such unpretentious humility, putting aside their pride so effortlessly,"
Naila chuckled softly behind her hand.
"Don't those conceited nobles define themselves precisely by spending every waking hour fawning, putting on airs, and flaunting their pedigree?"
Naila gave Lanqi a meaningful smile.
"I won't comment on that. Matters of faction and loyalty are delicate, so it pays to watch one's words."
Lanqi nodded in provisional agreement.
The two stepped out of the pavilion once more, preparing to cross the open-air garden toward another auxiliary building belonging to the Chief Hall.
Just beside the open-air banquet terrace they were passing, two men holding champagne flutes stood in conversation. One was clearly an official from the Brierda municipal government—Lanqi recognized him. He was earnestly pleading with a nobleman while several other finely dressed individuals nearby pricked up their ears with great interest, eager to catch every word.
At a glance, the exchange appeared to be proceeding quite smoothly.
"That is Deputy Director Dennis from the Municipal Planning Department,"
Secretary Naila noted.
"You know him?"
Lanqi was not surprised that Naila seemed to know everything in Brierda. She gave him the impression of an encyclopedic database, ready to answer any inquiry.
"I simply reviewed the student and family records. A thoroughly dull fellow,"
Naila said flatly.
She possessed an exceptional memory.
Her duties brought her into contact with countless people and matters each day, all of which she retained without omission, unable to forget them even if she wanted to.
"And the one speaking with him—I know his name as well: Count Brown. Do you know what the two of them are discussing?"
Naila turned to Lanqi, testing him.
"Nothing more than pitching some municipal project they can collaborate on to make a profit,"
Lanqi replied nonchalantly.
Even without hearing their words, the deputy director's eager posture and obsequious expression made it plain as day that he was flattering the count to secure the backing of his noble house. There was no question about it.
What the count could offer was either land or redevelopment permits. Settling things in private saved a world of trouble out in the open.
Taken a step further, once they established a deep partnership and mutual trust, shifting assets from one pocket to the other would be child's play.
"Oh?"
Secretary Naila parted her lips slightly, eyeing him with curiosity.
"Everyone is thinking about how to strike it rich. Regardless of whether the empire wins or loses this war, grabbing as many benefits as possible while they hold power is the mindset of most elites. Those who genuinely care about the empire's cause are only a tiny minority."
Lanqi had seen more than enough of such fair-weather opportunists back in the Protos Empire of the Northern Continent; his assessment carried neither affection nor disdain.
"You even knew that?"
Naila raised an eyebrow in genuine surprise.
She had access to far more insider information than Landry, and she was certain this was the first time Landry had ever laid eyes on those two.
Yet the truth was identical to what he had guessed.
"I've seen it too many times. That's just how it is."
Lanqi gazed northward, his eyes looking into the far distance, or perhaps into the depths of his own memories.
Naila gave an understanding nod.
At the end of the day, such trades were merely people taking what they needed from one another.
She witnessed it constantly.
Following the Day of Bloodshed, the imperial situation had seen a modest improvement, only to begin deteriorating again nearly twenty years later. Tragic though the Day of Bloodshed had been, it had brought about a degree of change. Now, in an empire drowning in material greed, the great and powerful once again spoke of ideals with their lips while calculating profit in their hearts.
Just as Landry had said, those who still held steadfast faith for the empire's sake were merely a small fraction.
"Still, watching such absurd theater every now and then is fairly entertaining,"
Naila smiled lightly. Her capabilities were only so great; supporting Headmaster Violet, the Sixth War God, was the greatest contribution she could make to the empire.
"You, on the other hand... You seem entirely jaded by it all. You almost carry the air of a monarch who has seen through the mortal world."
Naila shared her impressions.
"You told me last time that I was born with the fate of a Calamity Sovereign,"
Lanqi mused after a pause, looking a bit blank.
"I didn't think much of it then, but now I've realized that if I don't work a little harder, the women important to me might end up dragged into peril right alongside me."
When he first arrived at Saint Creti Monastery, Naila had remarked that he was quite popular with women, though only those with sufficient fortune and destiny could safely draw near him.
"See? I told you I wasn't wrong. A single misstep, and you might live to regret it,"
Secretary Naila said as she guided him through the gardens of the Chief Hall. The view opened up, and the murmurs of idle chatter thinned out.
"Sigh. If the situation across the Southern Continent weren't like this, I'd want to face my life's milestones properly... Or rather, after coming out of that Shadow World, I realized I owe them an answer. Since I have a choice, I don't want to let any more chances slip by."
Lanqi looked out at the misty colors of the blossoms, feeling a wave of emotion.
The garden was part of the Chief Hall's grounds, strictly off-limits to anyone outside the faculty on normal days. Pure water welled continuously from the central fountain with a melodious murmur, throwing up great crystalline sheets that caught the golden afternoon sun before scattering into the lush shrubbery.
"It seems your experience in that Shadow World left a profound impression."
Naila was well aware that Professor Landry had ventured into a Shadow World not long ago.
Though she had no idea what kind of Shadow World it was, it had evidently wrought a significant shift in his state of mind.
Even she could sense that he carried a richer depth of emotion than before.
"Are you sure you aren't a diviner?"
Lanqi asked with a wry smile.
"My divination affinity isn't high enough to make me a true diviner. But I read a great deal, so I can deduce certain things from experience. Speaking of which, Professor Landry, have you heard the recent rumors circulating about you?"
Recalling something important, Naila shifted the topic.
Holders of the Divination affinity were the rarest among all thirty-one affinities; usually, only they enjoyed dwelling on such metaphysical matters.
As the headmaster's secretary, however, Naila had free access to the countless ancient tomes housed in Saint Creti Monastery, and her duties allowed her to peruse them at will.
"Don't bring that up, please! Those rumors calling me some kind of master casanova are completely ridiculous! Do I look like that sort of person to you?!"
Lanqi turned his head and held up a hand, looking as though he couldn't bear to hear another word.
"..."
*Which ancient version of the rumor did you hear?*
Naila muttered inaudibly, then shook her head slightly and dropped the subject.
She led him across the garden and up a covered boardwalk, arriving at a quiet corridor paved with brown stone bricks.
Through the unbroken colonnade, glimpses of the garden still showed until the view faded entirely, bringing them onto the second floor of another activity pavilion adjoining the Chief Hall.
Her familiarity with the grounds allowed her to choose a route that was both a shortcut and a peaceful path.
"How could anyone in this world truly be without desires...? Honestly, speaking with you always gives me that illusion,"
Naila said, changing the subject.
"I don't think such people exist either. Look at me—don't I have three fiancées? Does that sound like a man without desires?"
Lanqi spread his hands.
"Then what are you pursuing now? Aside from the three of them."
Naila saw that while Landry appeared to be poking fun at himself, his mind was exceptionally clear, enabling him to admit it openly.
"What am I pursuing? I'm searching for that answer myself."
Lanqi's gaze slowly sharpened.
There was something he hadn't wanted before, but wanted now. That, perhaps, was the answer to this long journey.
"It seems you are indeed searching, and you've practically found it,"
Secretary Naila smiled with quiet relief.
A man like Professor Landry was not one to remain lost.
As the two stepped into this new pavilion, their eyes resumed scanning the space. By Naila's reckoning, Elsa was very likely in this building.
Looking down from the open second-floor gallery across the multi-tiered interior made it easy to spot familiar faces, a detail Naila had taken into account.
"By the way, you must know how appealing you are to the other nobles, right?"
Noticing that several people had already cast eager glances toward Landry the moment they arrived, Naila asked him.
"Don't worry. Nikolai will help me handle those fellows now,"
Lanqi replied with easy confidence.
Such was their bond forged in the imperial army.
"Tsk. Kestrel Nikolai... I never imagined you'd genuinely build a good relationship with him,"
Naila clicked her tongue faintly.
"He's actually quite upright,"
Lanqi spoke up on Nikolai's behalf.
He remembered how much Naila disliked Nikolai; when they first met outside the train station, she had practically called him a hound to his face.
"That much is true, I'll admit. He's better than ordinary nobles, but the way he handles things is far too much like a noble's hunting dog. I know you've always had a way of getting along with everyone—I felt that the first time we met—and you handle matters with great tact and generosity. But that isn't why I stepped in to chase away those flies. I don't care whether you're easy to get along with; it's who you are as a person. I never flatter people who rub me the wrong way."
Naila valued his character; that was why she treated him as a friend and shielded him from the entanglements of other nobles.
For people like them, such tacit understanding required no explanation.
"And that is precisely why I enjoy working with you, Miss Naila,"
Lanqi said with total sincerity.
"As long as you understand, that's all that matters. So don't expect me to play nice with Nikolai."
Secretary Naila nodded in satisfaction.
Just as they were speaking...
A familiar silhouette caught their eyes in the distance.
Lanqi and Naila slowed their steps, looking down toward the ground-floor atrium.
There stood Ursula, unmistakable as ever—the daughter of the Roland family, bearers of the ancient griffin bloodline.
She was also the close friend of Landry's sister, Elsa.
Back when they tracked down and rescued Elsa from the Brierda Mafia, it had been thanks to Ursula's assistance.
Clad in a dark formal gown, she stood on the walkway leading outside. Her exquisite, refined makeup could not mask the uneasy tension in her posture, a stark contrast to her usual freewheeling confidence.
And beside Ursula stood the very person Lanqi had been seeking: Elsa.
*What happened to Ursula?*
Lanqi wondered silently, observing the scene from the second floor.
Following his gaze, Naila saw Ursula peering toward a cluster of people in a corner of the banquet hall.
Before long, they spotted Marquis Ryan Roland at the center of the nobles.
Several imperial dignitaries flanked him, conversing with eager servility.
Marquis Ryan Roland held an even more illustrious title: Ryan, the Ninth War God, enthroned upon the Amethyst Seat. That status alone put him on equal footing with Headmaster Violet, the Sixth War God of Saint Creti Monastery.
"What? Are you interested in the Roland family? Or does Ursula fall into the category of students who need special attention?"
Noticing where Lanqi was looking, Naila asked.
"I owe her a favor,"
Lanqi nodded, his gaze never leaving Ursula.
"To have you owe a favor is no small thing. Do you have any idea how many dignitaries here would kill just to earn a shred of your goodwill?"
Naila raised a hand to her mouth in surprise.
"Miss Naila, you exaggerate. You sound like you're boasting about being my friend. I hardly deserve such credit."
Lanqi shook his head, drawing a soft laugh from Naila.
His attention remained on Ursula and Elsa as he began walking in their direction.
Down below, Ursula was gazing at her elder brother from afar, her expression a tangle of conflicted emotions.
On the ground floor of the pavilion...
Ursula was torn, wavering over whether she should avoid her brother.
She couldn't tell whether she truly didn't want to see him today, or whether deep down, she had been hoping for this very encounter.
She hadn't expected her brother Ryan to come to Saint Creti Monastery today at all.
After a long internal struggle, she gritted her teeth and stood her ground, waiting for Marquis Ryan to walk over.
Perhaps there had been a sliver of wishful thinking in her heart—the hope that she might run into him today. It was for that very reason that she had put on her finest gown, dressing herself with delicate grace, abandoning the willful antics that normally brought disgrace upon the Roland name.
Yet when Ursula watched Ryan actually walk up before her, her legs began to tremble uncontrollably.
A surge of fear and anxiety rushed up inside her, nearly suffocating her.
Marquis Ryan wore the formal attire of their house, his short, deep-purple hair faintly curled. His sharply chiseled, handsome features radiated an aura of noble aloofness; the contours of his face and his emerald eyes were identical to Ursula's, though far more imposing than the younger Ursula could ever be.
His gaze was colder than Ursula had feared.
It was not the look of a brother looking upon his sister.
"Brother."
Ursula took a deep breath, fighting to steady her emotions.
She had prepared herself mentally.
"..."
Elsa looked worriedly at Ursula beside her and took hold of her icy hand.
Ursula was always the one who clung to others; only today did Elsa realize how much Ursula needed a friend's comfort.
Countless times, Ursula had longed for her brother to treat her as he once had—to come see her on a day like this. Yet now that she stood before him, all she felt from his frigid stare was endless pain and despair.
The surrounding guests recognized Ursula one by one, and whispers broke out among them, but Ryan didn't even seem inclined to look her directly in the eye.
"Did you come today to..."
Ursula's voice trembled as she spoke, but before she could finish, a voice cut her off.
"Disgraceful creature."
Marquis Ryan's tone was completely devoid of warmth.
"..."
Ursula fell silent, knowing he was reprimanding her.
Ryan of the Amethyst Seat, the Ninth War God battling on distant frontiers, had returned from thousands of li away only to hear that his sister had brought nothing but shame upon their house. It was only natural for him to be furious.
"Follow me. Stop making a fool of yourself here."
Only then did Ryan deign to glance at Ursula for a brief moment, devoid of any familial affection, before turning to walk out.
Ursula shuddered, her brother's words striking like blades, leaving her battered and bleeding within.
To think she had still harbored the foolish hope that he might offer her blessings like the other parents.
Now it seemed she should count herself lucky if he merely looked at her like a normal person.
Her mouth opened, but no sound came out.
Not a trace of color remained on her pale face, and the hands gripping her skirts shook uncontrollably.
She didn't want to throw a tantrum at a brother like this anymore. Yet if she threw another fit, it would only prove to the other imperial nobles why this disgraceful daughter was so thoroughly despised by her brother, bringing further shame upon the Roland family.
"All right."
Teardrops welled in her eyes, but Ursula forced them back, terrified of losing her composure before the watching crowd.
Were it not for Elsa offering her some support, she might have disgraced herself even further.
Just as Ursula hung her head in despair, preparing to leave, a tall figure stepped in front of her, placing himself between her and Ryan.
Marquis Ryan, who had been striding toward the exit without looking back, halted in his tracks and turned around in silence.
"And you are?"
Ryan's brow furrowed in displeasure.
The man in the gray coat stood like a barrier, shielding Ursula behind him, blocking Ryan from even catching sight of her.
Lanqi did not answer Ryan immediately. Instead, he turned around, meeting Ursula's astonished gaze.
"Landry..."
Ursula gasped, quickly clapping a hand over her mouth.
Ever since their return from the Brierda Mafia, she had occasionally addressed Landry by name—improper etiquette, strictly speaking, as she ought to have used an honorific.
"I was just coming to wish you both a smooth and successful new school year. You've worked so hard in your studies all this time; I'm very proud of you."
Lanqi spoke to Ursula and Elsa with a warm smile, methodically checking off his work objective for the day.
Chapter 830