NOVPUBThe shadow of failure clings relentlessly, trailing behind the Black Sun Lord, impossible to shake off.
This was precisely the insight Lanci gained in the eternal dream of the Shadow World.
"That's why I didn't make a moon lamp."
Lanci confessed.
All of his time and energy had to be devoted to preparing for battle, to confronting the Blood Clan, to making preparations for the final fight.
Even when the odds of victory were soaring at 99.99%, he still had to muster everything to eliminate the minuscule chance of defeat.
Naught else could take precedence over this conviction.
Without the Mirror of Tiberius to reveal the truth, odds that seemed like 99% might, in reality, be frightfully low, for humans often see only one side of things, while the hidden truths lurk beneath the surface—a lesson taught by Endlessness's eternal curse.
The two conversed, and then silence descended upon the night.
The festival had ended, the revelry drawing to a close, the throngs in Elliot Square dispersed after the bonfires were extinguished, leaving only dancing lanterns illuminating Saint Kray Monastery.
The end of the rituals also marked the approach of the Moon Goddess Festival's conclusion, the cessation of all noise and celebration.
The two of them had proper matters to attend to.
After meeting Violet, the day would come to an end.
When nightfall enveloped the hallways of the Main Hall, they appeared more dim than they had been in the afternoon.
"Turns out I'm the most useful, right?"
Talia walked beside Lanci, tilting her chin proudly.
She wanted to appear cheerier, to encourage Lanci.
Lanci had once called her a starter-tier character, but with the updates to this "version," she'd eventually become his essential card for human rights.
"But you're too powerful. If I introduce you directly as my fiancée and take you to meet Violet, she might notice your strength."
Lanci had seemingly thought of an issue and said to Talia.
Just earlier, there had been too many people outside, his attention preoccupied by the festival, so he hadn't discussed this with Talia.
Now that the surroundings had quieted down and they were nearly alone in the hallways, they could talk more freely.
"True."
Talia casually unfolded a portable soundproof barrier.
She knew she was weaker than Violet; even if she suppressed her own magic power entirely, staying near her for long could still lead Violet to discern that she had reached the eighth order.
By rights, a fiancée from the border shouldn't possess such strong magic power. 𝓷ℴ𝓿𝓹𝓾𝓫.𝓬ℴ𝓶
"I could turn back into the Mad Love Demon King and hide inside your body."
She suggested to Lanci.
The last time they arrived at Saint Kray Monastery, when Lanci met Principal Violet in the Main Hall, she had remained in the form of the Mad Love Demon King, concealed in Lanci's Soul Space, helping him overhear Violet's words.
"But that would lower my work efficiency considerably for the next two weeks, not to mention raise misunderstandings if Sigrid and Hyperion notice you're disappearing every night to rest in my room."
Lanci questioned her, perplexed.
Maintaining Mad Love's summon state for an extended period would exhaust Lanci further, reducing his work hours and requiring extra sleep to recover his mana.
"That's true..."
Talia admitted hesitantly.
For now, she couldn't become Lanci's bonded summon; the most suitable timing would be right before the decisive battle.
In these two weeks, she and the other members of the Great Demon Clan also had tasks.
They needed to research the blood modification potion formula left behind in the Shadow World by True Night Lord Esmode. With the assistance of the equally adept Magical Engineer Bingxue Witch and the knowledge-rich Pranay, their current research was proceeding smoothly.
"So what should I do?"
Talia finally looked up at Lanci.
By bringing her along, he must have had a better solution than turning her into the Mad Love Demon King.
"Could you bear with it and temporarily transform into a cat? I'll carry you to meet the Principal. Everyone in the school knows I have a feline contract beast. If the beast is slightly stronger than me, it can be explained away—I'm seventh-order, after all. Even if Violet notices something, as long as you suppress your magic power to seventh-order levels, it should be fine..."
Lanci's words weren't finished before Talia, her cheeks flushed, covered his mouth.
"You—You don't have any other solutions, do you?"
Talia asked him in a frantic tone, glaring.
Not to mention how unwilling she was to turn into a cat, even if she did, there was no way she'd let Lanci carry her like a pet!
The [Transformation Magic: Cat] card she picked up from the Shadow World? She'd never intended to use it.
"Then the only option is for you to merge with me as the Mad Love Demon King again. That would be foolproof, but I'll probably be exhausted for the next two weeks because of it."
Lanci conceded with a downward gaze.
There was never any intention to coerce Talia; if she didn't want to, so be it. Transforming into the Mad Love Demon King ahead of time was another solution, and he had already prepared himself to explain to everyone around him the unique state of Talia and the Great Love Poet's fusion.
"..."
Talia stayed silent for a long while.
Looking at Lanci's worn-out demeanor, she couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy.
With everyone reveling in the festival festivities today, he was the only one working overtime, shouldering his burdens. She had seen it all.
Since arriving in the Empire, Lanci hadn't taken a break, and Talia knew this better than anyone.
Balling her fists, she wrestled with her dilemma for quite some time.
"Fine—Fine, I'll do it. Just this once! But you're not allowed to touch me too much."
She relented through gritted teeth.
"Thank you, Master."
Lanci bowed slightly, expressing his gratitude.
For the upcoming stretch, it seemed he wouldn't have to suffer having his mana drained by Talia.
"Follow me."
Talia scanned the area for signs of life and grabbed Lanci by the sleeve, leading him to an empty corridor within the Main Hall.
Taking a deep breath, she pulled out the semi-transparent Natural Magic Card engraved with a pawprint symbol.
