A Stroll Through Herrom

After that. "Speaking of which, the campus has changed again." "We just didn't take this route last time. In fact, I scheduled quite a few renovation projects before leaving." "If we were in real time, you might see a vastly refreshed Protos Royal Magic Academy in the Northern Continent." Lanqi and Sigrid chatted as they walked, glancing back over their shoulders now and then. Leaving behind the bookstore street of the Protos Royal Magic Academy felt like stepping out of a tranquil dream and back into the bustling mortal world. The urban symphony of Herrom enveloped them at once—the clanging of mana-rail trains in the distance, the melodious music wafting from shops flanking the street, the chatter of pedestrians in a medley of accents. Everything felt intimately familiar, yet touched by a strange unreality, as if from another lifetime. "Taking a different route this time feels... so different." Sigrid walked beside him, tilting her head slightly to gaze at the towering architectural wonders that fused old-world styles with precision mana machinery, and said softly, "Last time I walked through here with you, my head was entirely filled with how to avoid being noticed and how to stay alive. Even the air felt tense." She remembered the days right after she and Lanqi had fled back to Herrom; every day had been thrilling, full of hiding and sneaking about. "In the real timeline today, Herrom must look even more different," Lanqi chimed in, his gaze sweeping over the magical artifacts displayed in shop windows and the billboards glowing between high-rises in midair. "After finishing Rocky McCarthy's final assignment, I haven't returned in over a year." They strolled side by side at an unhurried pace. Morning sunlight pierced the gaps between Herrom's high-rises, casting the drifting shadows of floating sky gardens across the paved streets below. Herrom boasted far more architectural wonders than any other city they had seen, all treasures left behind by the demons a century ago; the only place comparable was the Lesser Demon Realm, the famous attraction in Palieu, the City of Flowers. "Final, huh..." Sigrid murmured under her breath. "Who knows, maybe the Protos Empire is just waiting for Mr. McCarthy to become Grand President." She smiled at Lanqi. "Please, no. Being prime minister is a terrible job. Even Lankeluosi took up smoking constantly when he was prime minister of the Polant Empire." Lanqi shook his head. Since the Protos Empire operated on a parliamentary system, calling the figure elected by parliament the prime minister was technically accurate; it was merely due to linguistic differences and translation conventions between the Northern and Southern Continents that the Protos Empire's ruler was termed the Grand President. "True. With how you steer completely clear of tobacco and alcohol, it's hard to imagine how stressed you'd have to be to touch a cigarette." Sigrid reached out and poked Lanqi's cheek. "Actually, I was an alcoholic for a while," Lanqi confessed, pressing a hand to his forehead. "Huh? Really?" Sigrid asked, dumbfounded. "If Lankeluosi had grown up in an environment completely free of pressure, he might have ended up a useless dandy too. You can only say that chaotic times draw out the monstrous potential in some people." Lanqi had no intention of hiding this dark history. If he hadn't gone on a drunken rampage and broken into the Church of the Goddess of Fate the day before meeting Talia, accidentally knocking the gem off the goddess statue, he might never have awakened those memories of being the lead artist. The lead artist's craft had perhaps been the accumulated artistic mastery of the Black Sun Tyrant's entire lifetime; the Goddess of Fate had not only returned Lankeluosi's knowledge and experience to him in a way that better deceived the laws of causality, but had also endowed him with certain prophetic traits. Otherwise, had a backlash been triggered, the Lanqi of that time would have been far too weak to endure it. Any divination-attribute spell came with a price; in the worst cases, it could even disturb the laws of causality, drawing down a retribution that even the ninth rank would struggle to withstand. That was why Pranay had always suspected Tiberius had been struck down by divine retribution. "Then next time I visit your home, I'm definitely going to ask what you were like back in South Vantina!" Intrigued, Sigrid quickened her pace. "Please don't." Lanqi kept holding his head. Since that incident, he truly hadn't touched a single drop of alcohol. Even with Ranf's life on the line, he hadn't touched the precious snowfield liquor on the sixth basement level of Herrom Prison. "I never knew you had such an adorable side. It almost makes me want to get you drunk just to see what you'd turn into." Sigrid turned back, tapping her lower lip with her index finger as she flashed Lanqi a mischievous grin. "Spare my life, Lady Cardinal." "Big Sister has quite the collection of fine wines, you know. Do you remember the entire wall of wine cabinets at my place?" "I saw it, but I'm not like you. I really can't drink." "It's really fine, just a little sip." "No, absolutely not." "Yes, absolutely yes." The two bantered as their feet unknowingly carried them deeper into the bustling heart of the city. When they rounded a street corner and stepped onto Herrom's famous Fourth Avenue, a grand and peculiar building loomed at the end of their sightline, capturing their attention. Herseiren Restaurant. Its exterior struck an immaculate balance between magnificence and mystery—an ancient, demon-realm-style palace built of dark gray stone walls carved with lifelike griffins and drakes that seemed poised to break free from their stone shackles and take flight. Yet after a century of renovations, one wall had been replaced with a colossal screen of magical craftsmanship; vivid images flowed across its crystal surface, subtly reflecting the blurred silhouettes of passing pedestrians. Sigrid led Lanqi to the restaurant doors and stopped. She tilted her head up at the familiar establishment, a touch of nostalgia surfacing in her eyes. "We had lunch here on our date that day." Sigrid turned and tugged at Lanqi's sleeve. "But by the clock, didn't we just finish breakfast a little while ago?" "I was only half full." "You've spent too much time with Tata; your appetite has grown." "You're not allowed to say a girl has a big appetite! Affection warning!" "Since when do you give warnings? Didn't you used to deduct points directly?" Lanqi couldn't help but look amused. "That's the perk of having higher affection." Sigrid crossed her arms, tilting her chin up in feigned haughtiness. "To this day, the rules of Sigrid's affection game remain a total mystery." Lanqi shook his head. Instead of immediately answering whether they should go in, he pulled a small notebook from his pocket. It contained the itinerary he had prepared for their 'date' back then. His fingers flicked through the pages before coming to a stop on one. "Turns out I really did make reservations for every time slot that day. Let's go." Lanqi closed the notebook and gestured for Sigrid to lead the way. "......" Sigrid blinked in slight surprise, then couldn't help but laugh. She had originally just wanted to be a little willful, knowing full well that arriving this early might mean waiting for lunch. As it turned out, Lanqi had already arranged everything to perfection. Even her sudden whim fell right within his plans. Understanding tacitly, Sigrid slipped her hand into his palm. In perfect rhythm, they stepped up the entrance stairs together. The heavy oak doors, inlaid with brass reliefs, were pushed open noiselessly by a waiter. Inside, an ambiance steeped in high-end incense, the aroma of fine food, and the richness of mellow wine completely shut out the bustling street behind them. "Good day, Mr. McCarthy." A waiter clad in a crisp tailcoat, his deportment impeccable, bowed slightly to Lanqi. "Your reservation is ready. However, given that it is still morning and the main dining hall has not yet opened, we have arranged your seating in the east bistro with the best daylight, as requested. Would that be satisfactory?" "Very good. Lead the way, please." Lanqi nodded with a smile. The waiter led them through the dimly lit yet exceedingly opulent foyer. Circling around a fountain carved from chalkstone, the space opened up before them. Unlike the solemn elegance of the main dining hall, this bistro was bathed in bright spring sunshine. Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows lay the restaurant's vibrant garden along Herrom's Fourth Avenue. The interior decor was minimalist and modern: light wood tables and chairs, sleek metallic lighting fixtures, and a glass vase on the bar holding fresh white roses. They were shown to their reserved seats. "You really do make contingency plans for everything, even booking multiple time slots at the exact same restaurant." Sigrid looked around with curiosity. Even though they had dated here in Herrom last time as well, everything felt novel to her. Before long, dishes they hadn't ordered last time were served one after another by the waiter. Thanks to Lanqi's instructions and the hour of their meal, the items brought out leaned toward specialty pastries and brunch fare. "Why aren't you eating?" Sigrid sliced off a small piece of bacon wrapped around cocktail shrimp, but before putting it into her mouth, she noticed Lanqi merely holding his coffee cup without touching his utensils at all. "You know my appetite has always been about the same as Hyperion's, so I'm not really hungry," Lanqi replied. "Then whose appetite is mine like?" "Someone we both respect and adore deeply." "......" "I really need to keep you under control, Lanqi. Honestly. Back in the Northern Continent I didn't get it, but now I realize you were thinking about her every single day even when you were with me." Sigrid straightened up, leaning her upper body across the table toward Lanqi, her eyes turning sharp and dangerous. "I'm not demanding you never think of her—I'm not a monster. But what is this 'thinking of her a hundred times a day' nonsense?" The prongs of her fork were still skewered through the bacon roll. "I didn't say who it was," Lanqi answered with absolute self-righteousness, having no intention of backing down. "Open your mouth!" Sigrid insisted that Lanqi eat with her; he couldn't just watch her eat, or she'd feel like he was mocking her. Ten minutes later. The 'fork standoff' finally dissolved into nothingness with a helpless little huff from Sigrid. In the end, Sigrid returned dining freedom to Lanqi, venting her annoyance by wolfing down most of the dishes herself. Her cheeks puffed out like a sulking hamster, drawing a quiet chuckle from him. After finishing their brunch, Lanqi and Sigrid returned to Herrom's gentle spring sunshine. The entire morning seemed wonderfully long thanks to their leisure. They wandered about like any ordinary tourists in the city. Sigrid dragged Lanqi into an elegantly appointed shopping mall downtown. She browsed enthusiastically among boutiques lined with dresses, while Lanqi leaned against the side with arms crossed, quietly watching her. When they grew a bit tired from walking, they casually boarded a mana-rail train that was trundling along. On Herrom's central line, small wild animals occasionally popped up inside the carriages, wandering in either from the sky gardens or the Royal Botanical Gardens near the city center. Before they knew it, Sigrid's head tilted sideways. She leaned naturally against Lanqi's shoulder, her breathing turning steady and slow. Lanqi remained motionless, only subtly adjusting his posture so she could rest more comfortably. The train arrived at a station. The brief shudder of the stop woke Sigrid. That short rest seemed to have fully recharged her. The moment she stepped off, she seized Lanqi's hand without a word and pulled him toward the lively street, her eyes sparkling. "Lanqi, hurry!" Her voice sounded exceptionally bright and melodious in the wind. "Who knows how long we can stay in Herrom!" Stumbling along behind her as she pulled him, Lanqi had a face full of caught-off-guard helplessness. "Why do you act like a child sometimes?" "I can turn into Xigelei too, you know. But if I do, going on a date with me might get you arrested!" Sigrid turned back, giggling playfully. "In this Herrom, who would dare arrest me?" Watching her lively figure dashing ahead and her pale hair fluttering in the breeze, Lanqi's helplessness melted into an indulgent smile. Their figures darted through Herrom's streets and alleys, weaving this radiant, leisurely morning into a melody of laughter that belonged to them alone. Once they were far from the hustle and bustle of Fourth Avenue and had crossed several quiet residential alleys, their surroundings grew tranquil. Their footsteps came to a halt in a corner long forgotten by the city—the tunnel mouth of an abandoned station. The tracks had long been dismantled, leaving only an empty corridor strewn with gravel, stretching faintly into bottomless darkness. The arched entrance walls were covered in moss from years gone by, while makeshift barricades had been tossed haphazardly to the sides. Compared to the vibrant Herrom behind them, it was so quiet here that only the sobbing of the wind through the tunnel could be heard. "Do you know where this is?" Sigrid paused, turned around with her back to the deep dark, and looked at Lanqi against the natural daylight. "I'd guess this is very close to Herrom's spatially distorted old quarter," Lanqi replied simply. He could make an educated guess based on Herrom's urban layout. The other end of this tunnel connected to Herrom's strangest place—the Distorted Old District. The space there was extremely unstable; last time, they had stumbled in at night and experienced an unforgettable freefall through the air. Challenging it again in broad daylight, there was still no telling whether spatial fluctuations would be triggered. His sense of direction was even better than before. Perhaps ever since leaving the Northern Continent, he had consciously practiced memorizing paths to eliminate any possibility of getting lost. "Tsk, you've never been here before, so how do you know?" Sigrid complained. Even so, "Are you scared?" A sly yet tender smile graced her face, her amethyst eyes shining with striking brightness at the threshold between light and shadow. This old quarter was practically the most dangerous among Herrom's classic sights; barriers and warning signs were even posted, strictly forbidding ordinary people from entering without protective magical artifacts. "Not scared." Lanqi looked at her and the unknown darkness behind her, shaking his head. As if discerning the true meaning behind her question, he took the initiative to hold her hand. "Hey now, I haven't even said it yet—that line—" Sigrid's smile widened. Stepping closer and cocking her head, she teased in a playfully mature, big-sister tone, "If you're scared, you can hold Big Sister's hand tight, you know~" Sigrid waited no longer, her palm warm and firm. "Still not scared." Lanqi denied it with placid composure. "Then hurry up!" With a sudden yank, Sigrid spun around and dashed straight into the darkness. Her white hem traced a graceful arc in the air, her pale hair streaming behind her. Crisp laughter echoed through the ancient tunnel. Light and shadow whipped across them in rapid succession; one moment it was bright spring in Herrom, and the next they were swallowed by the tunnel's chill and gloom. Emerging through the tunnel's dark and opening their eyes again, an entirely different landscape lay before them. By daylight, the Distorted Old District shed the eerie gloom of night, replaced by a quiet stillness forgotten by time. There was hardly a tourist in sight. The row upon row of vacant antique buildings seemed like an adventure park reserved for just the two of them. They ventured deeper along winding alleys. After walking for a few minutes, they finally came to a stop before a solitary tower at the lane's end. "We didn't come here last time. What an ancient tower," Lanqi said, gazing up at the old tower. "......" Sigrid stared at Lanqi for a moment, offering no commentary on his remark. "If we head up from here, we should be able to see the entire district." She tilted her head to gaze at the soaring spire, the gleam of an explorer dancing in her eyes.