The screen in Boss Cat Restaurant remained tuned to the Hutton Times channel.
Lanqi and Sigrid were nearly finished with their breakfast.
They were still waiting for Antanas's program.
It would probably take a while longer, though.
After all, Saturday mornings had a fixed news lineup, punctuated only by occasional teasers and musical segments. Entertainment shows usually didn't air until around ten o'clock.
"On the day of the election, scheming a sneak attack ♫."
"Looking back on that day, catching sight of McCarthy ♫."
"On that day, the Duke wanted to turn the tables, only to pass away into the west ♫."
"On that day, the Duke and I were blown into cripples by animal friends ♫."
"Arrived at the capital with wounds unhealed, carrying the wrong magical artifact ♫."
"Could the fate of a sealing master be doomed to crash ♫?"
"The legend of the legendary sealing master continues even today ♫."
The song, thoroughly rewritten with absurd new lyrics, finally came to an end, closing on Ranf's lingering, poignant sigh.
"Doesn't Ranf have real potential as a comedy diva? Look at her tilting her head back to sigh at the very end."
Toryardo laughed the loudest. He slapped Lanqi's shoulder with such force that he almost knocked the sip of coffee Lanqi had just swallowed right back out.
"Round-headed Ranf is hissing."
Lanqi shook his head repeatedly.
He had certainly never taught Ranf to sing like that.
Toryardo chatted with Lanqi and Sigrid for a few more minutes. Glancing at the wall clock, he finally shook himself out of his slacking-off stupor.
He downed the rest of his club soda in one gulp, the bottom of the glass hitting the wooden counter with a crisp clatter.
"I need to head over to the theater. Abigail asked me to drop by this morning."
He stood up, looking like a man about to run late.
"I'll be back later to catch the show."
Toryardo waved, and his figure soon vanished beyond the doorway. The crisp chime of the wind chimes was the last trace he left behind.
His departure took part of the bustle with him, and the dining room immediately quieted down.
All that remained was the ticking of the clock, the voiceover from the television, and the faint clinks of Pranay occasionally wiping glasses in the distance.
"By the way, why doesn't he just teleport?"
"He only teleports when he's looking for entertainment. The rest of the time, he'd rather walk."
"Fair enough. Space and Divination—those unstable elements on the bottom row of the periodic table—tend to have the worst side effects. Aside from White Common Boss Cat's skills, they're rarely free of penalties."
"So what are we doing today?"
Sigrid gently stirred the remaining milk foam in her black tea with a small spoon, her amethyst eyes gleaming with anticipation beneath the lights.
"Go out and have fun, or stay here to watch the show before heading out?"
Just as Lanqi was about to answer, Sigrid gave him a mysterious wink and slipped a hand into her pocket.
When her hand emerged again, a deep blue mineral lay quietly in her palm.
It looked like a fragment of a meteorite fallen from the night sky, its surface scarred with grooves and sharp angles, as though repeatedly sculpted by time across an endless voyage.
"Remember what this is?" Sigrid asked Lanqi.
"You actually had a Dust-Forgetting Star left?"
Lanqi touched the gem.
Back when they were at Saint Creti Monastery, they had followed the words of Headmaster Violet, the Sixth War God, and dredged several of these gems called Dust-Forgetting Stars from the lake bottom.
It was said that touching it at different times could take one back into an illusion of the past, allowing a person to walk through those cherished memories anew as their current self, or even to see what would happen if different choices had been made.
And if touched together, it could bring them back to a time they had shared.
"This way, we can go somewhere together and have fun, but when we wake up, we'll still be right here in Boss Cat Restaurant without missing the broadcast."
Sigrid offered the ideal plan.
The Dust-Forgetting Star seemed to glow with an even deeper, more captivating hue in her palm.
"Meow?"
Seeming drawn by the treasure's luster, Boss Cat floated over without a sound. Its little head nudged closer in curiosity, its eyes reflecting tiny flecks of blue light.
"Boss Cat, want to come with us?"
Lanqi and Sigrid spoke almost in unison.
"Meow!"
The question struck like a bolt of lightning, and every hair on Boss Cat's black coat stood on end.
It remembered what kind of gem this was. Its little head shook like a high-speed black whirlwind, and the horrific memory buried deep within—of being tricked onto that "shady ride" straight toward the Northern Continent's battlefield—surged back like a tidal wave.
"No thanks, meow! You two go have fun!"
Shouting with all its might, it turned into a little ball of coal and floated back into the kitchen.
Watching Boss Cat flee, Sigrid couldn't help but laugh.
"Then it's just the two of us,"
Sigrid said to Lanqi.
"Alright. Which point in time do you want to go to?"
Lanqi turned his gaze back to Sigrid.
Sigrid didn't answer right away. She cradled the Dust-Forgetting Star in her palm.
"How about..."
She looked up, meeting Lanqi's gaze.
"This time, let's try random and see where it takes us."
With a slight squeeze of Sigrid's fingertips, a crisp snap like fracturing ice rang out. The hard outer shell of the Dust-Forgetting Star cracked open, revealing the true gem within. Its interior was not a single flat color, but a swirling, hallucinatory astral glow where deep blue and radiant violet intertwined. Countless tiny specks of light drifted slowly inside, as if an entire flowing galaxy were cupped in her hands.
"As you wish," Lanqi nodded.
It all depended on their tacit understanding.
"Lanqi, give me your hand."
Sigrid's voice was very soft, like a whisper.
She seemed to already feel the gem's magic awakening beneath the starlight. That familiar resonance was just like falling under the Land of Gentle Slumber, except that the power of this Dust-Forgetting Star was far more restrained. It would not drag one's consciousness by force; unless one willingly lowered all defenses, the gate to the illusion would not open.
Lanqi didn't hesitate in the slightest.
He reached out and placed his hand over Sigrid's palm, his fingers curling gently around hers, enclosing that tiny patch of starlight between their hands.
At first, nothing happened.
Though his eyes were closed, all was gentle darkness.
What his senses perceived were still the comforting, warm sounds of Boss Cat Restaurant—the faint clinks of Sinora tidying tableware in the distance, the low hum of the coffee machine, and the muffled chatter of pedestrians passing by outside the window.
Yet gradually, a wondrous calm spread from their overlapping palms, flowing through his entire body along with the surge of magic.
The sounds of reality were cast into the distant background, growing softer and ever farther away.
A strange weightlessness welled up. The weight of his body slipped away, and the boundaries of his consciousness blurred. The solid world of senses began to fade like a watercolor soaked in rain.
In its place, whispers murmured at his ears, and their memories rushed like a bursting dam, shattered into fragments in an instant—the snow and wind of the north, the flames of Bandera City, the neon lights of Herrom, the chiming bells of the academy... Countless bizarre shards surged, collided, and spun amidst the chaos.
Gradually, the images slowed, turning coherent and clear.
...
In the haze, the sensations of reality had vanished entirely.
The process felt as though a century had passed, yet also like the snap of a finger.
The sunlight of the boundary fell, and pure white radiance enveloped everything.
When Lanqi opened his eyes once more,
He found himself sitting in a comfortable leather office chair, the scent of old pages and solid wood furniture lingering at his nose.
Outside the window, gentle sunlight filtered through the slats of the blinds, casting several bright pools of light across the floor.
The rough texture of paper brushed against his fingertips, and beneath him was the resilient support unique to a high-end leather executive chair.
Then came hearing: the antique clock in the office let out a soft, rhythmic ticking, like a steady lullaby shutting out all exterior clamor. Next, a sweet fragrance mingling linden flower tea with the scent of spring blossoms outside the window drifted gently before him.
Every single sensory detail was intimately familiar.
What met his eyes was sunlight as soft and warm as fine golden threads, filtering through the nearly transparent leaf film on the window and resting quietly on the mahogany floor.
His gaze swept around, taking in the mostly emptied bookshelves that appeared rather vacant, and the cup of floral tea steaming lightly on the desk.
This was the Redmond Administration Building at the northernmost edge of the Protos Royal Magic Academy in the imperial capital, Herrom—the Headmaster's Office where he had spent countless working hours.
And the time must have been a leisurely morning shortly before leaving the Northern Continent, right after the cardinal election that decided the empire's fate had concluded.
The Dust-Forgetting Star had actually brought them back here.
"So it's this day. Looks like I won't get to see Askesan."
A smile of relief unconsciously touched the corner of Lanqi's lips.
He knew where Sigrid would be at this moment.
"You're awake."
A gentle and respectful voice sounded beside him.
Lanqi turned his head and saw Pranay, dressed in the neat instructor's uniform of the Protos Royal Magic Academy, standing quietly by his side with that trademark half-smiling expression.
"Pranay."
Lanqi spoke his name softly, his gaze carrying more warmth and nostalgia than it had in this memory back then.
"I am here."
Pranay bowed slightly. Every gesture and word matched the past perfectly, yet he paused for a brief moment.
"Is there something you want to say? Speak freely."
Noticing Pranay's hesitation, Lanqi asked with a smile.
"Are you perhaps a little different? Right now, you seem like you've come from the future."
Pranay ventured a bold guess.
"..."
Lanqi's lips parted slightly in surprise.
He knew Pranay was formidable, but he hadn't realized Pranay was this remarkable.
A prophet's perception of time and space truly differed from ordinary people. Someone like Pranay might deduce he was a projection even inside a Shadow World.
"Then Pranay, do you want to know about the future?" Lanqi asked.
"Seeing how relaxed your expression is, I know that following you was the best decision I ever made," Pranay said, shaking his head.
"Alright then."
Lanqi nodded, but didn't touch the tea again.
He rose from the office chair, straightened his collar, and strode firmly out of the Headmaster's Office.
Outside, the light in the hallway was soft and clear, casting an intricate interplay of light and shadow across the deep red lacquered wood floor.
Pranay followed Lanqi out, but paused in the hallway without stepping further.
"Pranay, you can get off work early today. Pack up a bit; the few of us are leaving tomorrow," Lanqi said, raising a hand.
"Understood. I wish you a pleasant date."
Standing in place, Pranay gave Lanqi a respectful bow.
"How do you already know everything again...?" Lanqi muttered.
Even with far fewer words exchanged this time, Pranay still foresaw it all.
"Because you look very happy," Pranay replied with genuine warmth.
"Alright, go get some rest."
Lanqi returned the smile. The two of them needed few words between them.
"Goodbye, Pranay."
His tone was a bit more hurried than usual as he bid Pranay farewell.
Lanqi continued down the corridor toward the stairs.
The stone steps were simple and sturdy, each carved with the distinctive dark gray reliefs of the Redmond Building, filling Lanqi with fond nostalgia.
"It's been a year since I was back. I wonder how Zestira and Char are doing."
Lanqi still remembered his two personal disciples.
Zestira had been his very first student, taken in when he arrived on the Northern Continent in the southern coastal city of Lilom. Lanqi was deeply grateful to her father, Viscount Francis, who had once rescued him after his shipwreck.
And Char, whom he had met by chance in the Snowfield Province later on, had also become his prized disciple, handling numerous affairs for him across the Snowfield Province and the Protos Royal Academy.
Lanqi stepped out of the Redmond Administration Building into Herrom's spring sunshine and crisp air.
He followed the path, walking north toward the lakeside.
Soon,
The azure lake beside the chapel at the northernmost edge of the Protos Royal Magic Academy appeared in his view.
This time, Sigrid wasn't standing by the lake.
She sat leisurely on a bench.
It was the very spot where they had sat and talked on the night before the decisive battle with Askesan.
"Sorry to keep you waiting," Lanqi said, walking over to her side.
Sigrid turned her gaze slowly, beholding the same Lanqi as always.
"No problem. You look great, well worth the wait. I knew you'd appear with black hair and green eyes."
Sigrid had been wondering whether Lanqi would show up in his limited-edition Rocky McCarthy skin this time.
"Did you want to see me turn into the President-elect again?" Lanqi asked her.
"No way. That'd be too flashy. It'd make all the girls on the street stare at you."
She pointed at Lanqi, scowling in mock criticism, her expression flipping on a dime.
"But..."
Lanqi felt as though her left and right hemispheres were arguing with each other.
Last time she complained that he took his classic original appearance, and this time she said the McCarthy skin wasn't good either.
"So, you're still not allowed to let me catch you making eye contact with other girls today. If they look at you, you're not allowed to look back. Got it?"
Sigrid's tone was playful, carrying a teasing, mischievous warning.
"So what you really mean is you want to keep me all to yourself."
Lanqi shook his head helplessly, spreading his hands.
Hearing that, Sigrid pouted and glared at him, then spun on her heel and marched south across the campus.
"What's wrong?"
Lanqi caught up and walked alongside her, asking casually.
"Some things don't need to be spelled out. It's enough that you know in your heart, or you'll just make it awkward for everyone."
She gave Lanqi a shy glance, clutching her scarf.
Lanqi chuckled and shook his head, keeping pace.
The two walked and chatted about trivial things, just like they did in Boss Cat Restaurant.
At times, they intentionally repeated lines from their past conversations.
Revisiting this old place after so long, everything in the Protos Royal Magic Academy felt fresh and novel to them.
"Looks like Boss Cat isn't here today?"
"Yeah, Antanas took him away first thing in the morning."
"If nothing goes off script, right around that corner in a moment..."
Walking along the campus paths, their voices echoed through the quiet northern residential district.
In the gardens lining both sides of the road, fresh sprouts shimmered emerald in the natural light, flowers vied for brilliance in the beds, and the breath of Herrom's spring permeated every corner.
Suddenly,
From the end of the road came the rhythmic rumble of wheels pressing against pavement and faint meows.
"Meowww!!"
Abrupt laughter and childish squeals rang out through the blossoms, startling a flock of birds.
Around the corner drifted a sightseeing sleigh carrying three passengers, their faces brimming with laughter that the swirling leaves couldn't conceal.
"Fast on the turns is true speed!"
A large black fox was sprinting at full tilt in front, pulling the sleigh and leaving a trail of golden light on the asphalt.
Antanas held the reins, her smile the brightest of them all.
Even aboard the speeding fox-drawn sleigh, Sinora did her best to maintain the unflappable poise of a lady.
The two great demons were also accompanied by Zestira, who had been looking after the giant fox lately. In the company of the two demon big sisters, she was clearly overjoyed.
Spotting the two figures on the road, Antanas immediately slowed down and brought the fox sleigh to a halt beside them.
"A chance encounter."
"Told you so."
Lanqi and Sigrid whispered to each other.
The scripted event had triggered.
"Huh? Boss, why are you on a date with a student girl we don't even know!?"
Antanas quickly leaned in, clutching the little black cat while feigning utter shock.
"Hey, Antanas..."
Sinora hurriedly tugged at Antanas's sleeve, knowing full well she was asking what she already knew.
"Teacher?"
Only at this moment did Zestira suddenly realize that this black-haired, green-eyed young man was her teacher, Mr. Rocky.
Rocky McCarthy had always appeared before the public with brown hair and green eyes.
The corners of Sigrid's lips curved upward slightly. She looked at Lanqi with appraising eyes, waiting for his answer this time.
The test had arrived.
"So what's the deal here? Care to give us an exclusive?"
Looking every bit like an investigative reporter, Antanas smiled slyly and held up an imaginary microphone.
"We're dating. Can't you even tell?"
Lanqi answered Antanas with complete solemnity.
"?!!"
Antanas and Sinora were instantly struck dumb with shock.
Zestira was equally flabbergasted.
A moment later, clutching Boss Cat, they squirmed like little grubs on the sleigh, wiggling one second, jumping up and down the next, and letting out shrieks of excitement.
"You... you really are..."
Sigrid's face flushed crimson in an instant.
How could he refuse to follow the script?
"Let's go."
Ignoring Antanas and the others enjoying the spectacle, Lanqi took Sigrid's hand and led her forward.
Sigrid, who had always possessed immense strength, now seemed delicate and fragile, docilely letting Lanqi lead her along.
"Have a wonderful date, you two!"
Antanas's screeching well-wishes echoed from behind, and Sinora and Zestira quickly chimed in with the same.
"Thank you!"
Lanqi turned back, raising a hand in response.
"Have fun yourselves!" he called out loudly.
Chapter 888