District 4, North Bank of Palieu.
Count Baptiste's manor.
The warm morning sun of winter washed over the flagstone streets. Even in the depths of winter, the City of Flowers was never excessively cold. With the little black cat perched atop his head, Lanqi walked until he stopped a short distance outside the estate.
This was the ancestral residence handed down through generations of the Baptiste family, once the most magnificent and striking presence on this street. The iron gate adorned with morning glory motifs before the entrance had been brushed with a faint patina of rust by the passage of time, and the tall poplars standing like sentries on either side had snapped.
"Sigh, such a fine manor, ruined just like my Wilfort family's old home."
Lanqi sighed from the bottom of his heart as he looked upon the grand count's manor, now nearly half-collapsed.
On the night the Azure Flame Demon Beelzebub attacked, the fractured walls had resembled the jagged fangs of a behemoth. Amidst the torrential rain and darkness, the manor's gates had been torn wide open, rubble and debris strewn across the foyer and the garden, and the defensive barriers of the count's estate dismantled completely.
Now, peeling plaster, shattered glass, and vines crawling all over the walls made it appear precarious, as if ready to crumble at any moment beneath the weight of time.
Lanqi peered into the garden.
It was mid-morning, and a construction crew dressed in overalls was already at work in the courtyard. Holding blueprints in hand, the foreman was discussing repair plans with the available craftsmen.
The workers had erected scaffolding; tilers gingerly climbed onto the roof to replace damaged roof tiles, carpenters skillfully repaired and sanded down broken doors and windows, and masons deftly filled cracks in the walls before applying fresh plaster.
"To be fair, the Wilfort family's manor back in South Vantina was destroyed by that Rot Alchemical Beast only because it was protecting little Hyperion. If Duke Mikhail finds out, he'll definitely inject even more capital into your chamber of commerce and get the old house repaired, meow," Boss Cat said, sprawling atop Lanqi's head.
"Only now do I realize the Wilfort family was actually an enterprise under House Alansal. No wonder the company suffered the Wilfort Tragedy—turns out when Duke Mikhail initially went missing, the biggest backer was gone."
Lanqi had only learned later on that the largest shareholder of the Wilfort Chamber of Commerce was, in fact, Duke Mikhail.
"And after you struggled for two years, the world changed, meow."
Boss Cat reflected on the past two years of Lanqi and the cat's adventures, feeling that surviving to this day was already a miracle of luck.
Setting aside the fact that if Lanqi were willing to return to Krete and take over the emperor's duties for Loren, Loren would probably pack a suitcase and run within seconds, even if Lanqi returned to the Northern Continent, he could easily become President Rocky McCarthy—even the current emperor of Krete treated Rocky like an advisor.
At any rate, with at least one nation on both the Southern and Northern Continents in his corner, he would never have to worry about finding employment.
"At the very beginning, I just wanted to visit the royal capital of Ikerite, until I heard the name of that legendary seal master, and so the story began."
Lanqi kept his hands in his coat pockets, gazing across the street at the manor.
"You still can't forget your original white-moonlight aspiration, can you, meow?"
Boss Cat half-suspected that Lanqi and Sigrid wanted to turn Askesan into a weekly dungeon raid.
"Hasn't this journey always been full of things going against our wishes? Looking back on the past, you'll find that from the moment we crossed the sea, not a single step unfolded the way we planned when we set off."
Lanqi smiled and raised a hand to pat the cat.
Accidents and surprises were constant companions throughout life, and that was just life.
"True enough, meow."
Boss Cat had never imagined it would become a Tier 9 divine beast either.
Back in the Krete Empire, it had thoroughly enjoyed playing the role of guardian divine beast.
Man and cat chatted from a distance outside the manor.
Back when the City of Flowers incident occurred, the Krete Empire immediately ignited the Southern Continent war. The southern Aquitaine domain of the Kingdom of Posen bordered northeastern Krete, separated only by mountain ranges, making it vulnerable to invasion at any moment.
Part of Count Baptiste's family holdings lay in Aquitaine. With their fortunes so uncertain at the time, they hadn't rushed to repair their old manor; instead, they had shelved the restoration project, prepared to settle long-term in another luxury mansion nestled among the maple woods of District 2 on the North Bank.
Only recently, having confirmed that stability had returned to the Southern Continent, did the Baptiste family formally commence repairs on this battered ancestral residence.
"By the way, Lanqi, meow, aren't you going in to take a look?"
Boss Cat knew that even if Lanqi didn't know anyone on the construction crew, his social skills would allow him to quickly ingratiate himself with the workers. Besides, he was already an acquaintance of the Baptiste family, and getting in touch with Count Baptiste would be trivial.
"Let's not interrupt their work."
Lanqi shook his head, planning to head over to the maple woods in District 2 instead.
"Meow, meow, you worked here for quite some time. Why not linger a bit more before heading over? Opportunities like this grow fewer with every passing day—as you once said, life is a once-in-a-lifetime encounter."
Boss Cat had followed Lanqi all this way and watched him try his hand at all sorts of jobs. No matter the position, he had approached every single one like a ruthless mercenary striving for perfection.
Yet Boss Cat knew in truth that Lanqi took every job to heart. He wasn't someone who merely worked hard; he was someone who enjoyed working, which was why he could execute every task so flawlessly that no one could find fault.
Boss Cat's advice was for Lanqi to have a look inside before heading to the Baptiste family's other estate in the maple woods.
Just as Lanqi and Boss Cat were chatting—
"Rocky?"
A voice called out behind them.
"...?"
Clad in his grey overcoat, Lanqi turned around to find a familiar figure standing at the end of the stone-paved path.
Her golden hair was shorter than when he had first met her. On that fateful day, a portion of it had been singed by the mysterious intruding demon, and after being trimmed, it had become medium-short. Now, several months later, the young lady of the Count Baptiste household still hadn't returned to her original long hair.
"I'm sorry, I mistook you for someone else," Christina apologized at once upon getting a clear look at the young man's face.
Seeing the grey overcoat and the dignified silhouette from behind, her first instinct had been that the evil god butler had returned. Yet for some reason, she felt the demeanor of this person was somewhat different from that butler.
He seemed far too much like an ordinary human, no longer so detached and transcendent.
However, when Christina noticed the little black cat atop the young man's head, she hesitated again.
That cat was clearly the spirit cat that Butler Rocky had once boarded with their Baptiste family.
"It's me," Lanqi admitted helplessly.
He hadn't intended to hide his identity in the first place.
"Rocky!"
Christina gasped and covered her mouth in shock before running over to Lanqi's side, staring at the butler she hadn't seen in so long.
She had thought she would never see this mysterious guy again.
"You really do have quite a few faces. Though this black-haired, green-eyed look trying to pass as young is awfully eye-catching," Christina commented with a smile, looking their former butler Rocky up and down in his current disguise.
She had always assumed Rocky must be some ancient monster, perhaps a demon who had lived for countless ages. Seeing him now looking even younger than during his brown-haired, green-eyed butler days felt slightly unnatural to her.
"Why do I get the feeling you're thinking something very impolite, Miss?" Lanqi asked with a slight furrow of his brow, bantering comfortably with Christina.
"No, no, not at all! I'm just thrilled you're back!" Christina said, waving her hand with utter perfunctoriness.
Though to the very end she had never managed to unravel the true identity of their temporary butler, she knew full well that such a mysterious powerhouse must have been occupied with vital affairs during the turmoil in the Southern Continent.
Now that the war was over, he presumably had some free time on his hands.
"How have your studies been lately?" Lanqi asked Christina with concern.
"Don't ask that the moment we meet! I already took a one-year leave of absence from Aloran Royal Academy, so taking some time to relax right now makes total sense, doesn't it?"
Christina cradled the back of her head, entirely unwilling to face the butler's inquiry.
"Come on, let's head to the Baptiste manor first. Not that I missed you at all, but ever since you left, Father and Mother have looked as if they lost their souls. They're practically ready to adopt you as their own son."
Changing the subject, she gestured for Lanqi to follow her toward the maple woods in District 2 on the North Bank where their new estate was located.
"Why are you here today?"
"I come by often. I always want to check in on the old place, and right now I can act as an overseer to report the repair progress to my parents."
"..."
"See? And because I came, didn't I run into you?"
The two strolled and chatted along the street outside the manor.
Under the skillful hands of the construction crew, this long-dormant edifice was gradually stirring to life, bound to reclaim its former glory before long.
Throughout the winter morning, the site roared with machinery, echoed with the pounding of hammers, and buzzed with magic saws.
The artisans moved busily through the dilapidated manor, breathing vibrant life into the desolate building.
"Still, Rocky, you really don't need to worry about my studies. When I go back to school, those practical magic courses that used to give me massive headaches—I might just pass them with flying colors right away."
Christina's hair, cut short during the City of Flowers incident, had grown considerably longer.
Among her golden locks, a few strands subtly shimmered with the hue of autumn maple leaves.
A silver hairpin carved in the shape of a lush rose, its petals edged with tiny rubies, sparkled brightly in the natural light.
"Did the count hire you a private tutor?"
Lanqi glanced at the hair accessory; it was the very hairpin he had personally repaired for Christina.
"Tutors were part of it, but mainly..."
Christina began telling Lanqi what had happened after he left.
The incident that day had left wounds across the skin of her chest and back. Even though she survived, indelible crimson flame scars remained, which none of the high-ranking physicians or priests her family consulted could heal.
Yet, whether for better or worse, ever since then, her elemental aptitude—which had previously been merely balanced and solid by Aloran Royal Academy standards—had suddenly developed an overwhelming affinity for fire. Flames of the same tier could no longer harm her, and the potency of her fire spells had reached a level even she struggled to estimate.
"How about this: I'll introduce you to a physician who should be able to diagnose it. Don't worry, it's not a serious issue."
Lanqi had already guessed that this was likely a lingering side effect of the epic spell 'Netherworld Embers.'
That day, Inoan had known her time in the City of Flowers was drawing to a close, and she had perhaps left something behind for Christina—changes that wouldn't harm her body too severely.
Still, a top physician from the Resurrection Church like Mikhail would certainly be able to diagnose it.
"What physician is so incredible?"
Christina knew Rocky possessed some extraordinary connections.
Anyone more skilled than the physicians Count Baptiste had hired would definitely have to be an exceptional existence of Tier 6 or higher.
"His brother-in-law, meow," Boss Cat replied from atop Lanqi's head.
Lanqi immediately clapped a hand over Boss Cat's mouth.
At first, Christina hadn't realized who had spoken. Following the voice, she discovered it was the little black cat that had talked.
"You can actually speak?"
She looked up and asked the cat as Lanqi slowly released it.
Back in the Posen Demon Realm and the Sacred Silver Vine Arena, she had known the cat was remarkably strong and capable of protecting her, but she had never imagined it could talk.
"Of course, meow."
The little black cat leaped silently from Lanqi's head into Christina's waiting arms.
"Hello, Christina, meow."
It looked up, its bright eyes brimming with smug satisfaction, tail swishing gently.
"Amazing! A talking cat!"
Christina held the little black cat close, beaming with delight. She had never realized this cat was so magical; she had clearly underestimated it.
It might even be Tier 6!
"Wait, going back to what it said—is your brother-in-law really that amazing?"
Coming back to the topic, Christina turned to Lanqi.
"No, how could he be a brother-in-law? He's Lord Duke!"
Lanqi had been caught completely off guard by Boss Cat's sudden quip.
"Uh..."
Christina was baffled.
She just found it bizarre.
Why did Rocky treat his supposed brother-in-law with the reverence one would show an elder?
"In short, he's not my brother-in-law. Even if he calls me brother-in-law to my face, don't believe a word of it. He just loves cracking jokes," Lanqi cautioned Christina in advance.
"Rocky... long time no see. I somehow feel you've changed," Christina remarked, seeing the butler get flustered—a rare sight—and finding it rather amusing rather than pressing him further.
"What kind of change, exactly?" Lanqi asked, puzzled.
"Uh, hard to say."
Christina rested her chin on her hand, pondering without arriving at an answer.
Even though only a few months had passed since they last met, it felt as though Rocky had changed far more than she had.
"Miss, you're just like before, relying entirely on intuition. Back then, you suddenly decided not to trust me, and when asked why, you couldn't give a single reason—just that you had to guard against me," Lanqi said with a wry smile, throwing his hands out in mock resentment.
"Come on, I ended up trusting you completely later on, didn't I? I even asked you to take me to the Posen Demon Realm for fun!" Christina protested.
This butler was always like this: he looked like a good person, but deep down he was definitely no saint, yet at critical moments, he was unfailingly someone you could count on.
"By the way, that grey-haired witch was actually with you, wasn't she?" Christina couldn't help asking in a lowered voice once the Posen Demon Realm was mentioned.
That day, through her hazy consciousness, she had glimpsed the battle between the grey-haired witch and Perlman in the Posen Demon Realm, and only the members of the Baptiste family knew that the companion beside the grey-haired witch was their own Butler Rocky.
Back then, she certainly wouldn't have dared pry into Rocky's secrets.
Only in the end did she realize Rocky was actually a good person, but by then she had no heart to dig any further.
Now, meeting again, recalling those past events filled her with nostalgia.
"Yeah. You saw it that day too—thanks to her, I was able to defeat Perlman," Lanqi readily agreed.
He placed great trust in the Baptiste family. Following the City of Flowers incident, they had concealed every detail regarding the butler from Nigel; Nigel, despite knowing the truth in his heart, had cooperated with the Baptiste family to wrap up the investigation reports.
"Did she return to the City of Flowers too?"
Christina was curious about how Rocky had kept the grey-haired witch hidden in the first place.
Glancing around now, she saw no sign of the grey-haired witch anywhere.
"She came back with me as well," Lanqi nodded.
"Then why are you still lingering here?!"
Christina stopped dead in her tracks.
She felt that right now, Rocky shouldn't be idling around chatting with her.
"?"
Lanqi looked at Christina in confusion as she abruptly halted.
"Go, go, go! Hurry up and find her! Run! How could you leave her behind like that?"
Christina stood on tiptoe to place the cat back onto Lanqi's head, then pushed his back, shooing him forward as though driving him away.
"Wait, Christina, I came today specifically to visit your family."
Although Lanqi possessed far greater strength than Christina, he indulged her, allowing himself to be shoved forward with all her might.
"Our Baptiste family isn't going anywhere; we won't run away! Father even said you're welcome back anytime. Why on earth must you separate from her on a weekend? You could just bring her along openly!"
Christina continued tussling behind Lanqi, dead set on making him take the weekend off.
Otherwise, once this guy set foot in the Baptiste manor, he would undoubtedly end up working the entire day without even realizing it.
Now that the Southern Continent had just settled down, the Baptiste family desperately needed all-around, hyper-efficient manpower like Rocky, but for that very reason, Christina refused to let Rocky return to work for them right now.
"I already paid off your fifty thousand pounds in full, so you aren't allowed to work for our family anymore!" Christina declared.
"But a date with her today would really be quite awkward. Setting aside my own opinion, she'd definitely feel awkward!" Lanqi tried his best to explain.
"How would you know without asking her?!"
Putting all her strength into it, Christina practically pushed Lanqi past the street boundary of the Baptiste estate like roll-starting a stalled car.
Lanqi looked back at Christina in bewilderment.
"Look ahead! The past has passed, the future has yet to arrive, and now—"
Christina waved her hand and shouted at him:
"The only thing that matters is the present! You taught me that!"
"..."
Lanqi started to speak, then exhaled softly, swallowing his words.
For now, his mind was at ease regarding Christina.
The person he had worried about most after the City of Flowers incident was this young countess.
Seeing her now, Christina already possessed a full, fulfilling life, needing not a shred of pity.
In truth, the one hesitating and standing still at this moment was actually himself.
"Give my regards to your brother, the count, the countess, and your younger siblings."
Lanqi waved back to Christina in a temporary farewell.
"Will do! Keep in touch!"
Christina grinned broadly as she stood in place, watching Lanqi and the little black cat depart.
...
A few minutes later.
Lanqi strolled along the streets of Palieu's South Bank. He soon left that district behind, the surroundings turning once more into streets flanked by plane trees.
"Lanqi, meow, are you going to the Asturias Count's Mansion beneath the Montmartre Heights to look for Tata?"
Boss Cat drew a deep breath, letting the fresh air fill its lungs, and murmured.
It felt that in this environment, the hesitation and fatigue in Lanqi's heart were gradually dissolving, replaced by a rare sense of peace and relaxation.
"Yeah. It's not too far on foot."
Lanqi knew the way to the Montmartre Heights very well, and Countess Rosalinda's Asturias Count's Mansion was not far from here.
Pedestrians were sparse around this area. The street was infused with the tranquil, fragrant floral aroma unique to the City of Flowers, making it lovely for a stroll.
More importantly, Tata might only just be sitting down for morning tea; he should let her finish eating before taking her out.
Suddenly, Boss Cat hung upside down and held a pink magic card before Lanqi's eyes.
"Lanqi, meow, incoming communication, meow," it said.
"Huh..."
Lanqi took the sacred communication magic card in mild surprise.
This limited-edition communication card from the Silver Moon Restoration Society had also become a keepsake from his time departing the Krete Empire.
Whenever Talia transformed into the Demon King of Frenzied Love, all of Lanqi's magic cards—aside from the unbindable epics—were swapped out for cards that reduced mana consumption, increased spirit attributes, and accelerated mana regeneration. Utility magic cards were entrusted to Boss Cat.
Looking closely, Lanqi realized the call was from Tata.
"Tata?"
Lanqi answered the communication and spoke to the other end.
He hadn't expected that just as he was preparing to find Tata this morning, before he even reached Countess Rosalinda's residence, Tata would take the initiative to contact him.
"Lanqi, you... uh..." Tata began.
A woman's amused, expectant chuckle drifted through the communication line.
Seemingly urged on by Countess Rosalinda, Tata wanted to say something to Lanqi, yet ended up stumbling over her words with Countess Rosalinda beside her.
"Want to hang out this afternoon?" Lanqi asked.
"Okay."
Talia paused briefly, then agreed decisively.
Chapter 868