NOVPUBWhen the gentle black-haired young man placed his hand on the handle of Boss Cat Restaurant, a string of bells let out a merry jingle as if welcoming his arrival.
The moment he pushed the door open, he was greeted by a refreshing scent of fruit tea mingled with the cold winter air — a combination that awakened and pleased his senses.
Lanci, carrying a small suitcase, stepped into Boss Cat Restaurant.
Before Lanci had a chance to look around, he saw Hyperion and Talia waiting at a table near the entrance on the first floor.
The lazy afternoon sunlight poured in, dappling the wooden table by the window.
Talia was resting her chin on her hand, looking out the window. After casting a glance at Lanci, she returned her gaze outside — just as she usually would.
Hyperion, on the other hand, walked up to Lanci with a smile, carrying the little black cat in her arms while pulling a suitcase.
Outside the window, the wind chimes hanging under the eaves rang again, whispering a soft "Welcome."
"Lanci, shall we head off?" she asked.
She hadn’t often left the Royal Capital since she was a child, and the thought of this long journey made her slightly nervous.
But on second thought, it seemed no different from the journeys they had taken in the Shadow World.
They were just like long trips to the Shadow World, minus the time spent traveling back and forth…
"Yes, we have plenty of time," Lanci said after checking their train tickets.
After a moment of silence, his gaze fell on the little black cat in Hyperion’s arms.
"So, you’re planning to bring the cat boss along?" Lanci asked, seeing that Hyperion had no intention of letting the little black cat go.
"The cat boss said it wanted to go on a trip, too," Hyperion replied, looking at Boss Cat.
Whether or not they could bring it along, ultimately depended on Lanci.
"Meow! Although I am weak, I am a bona fide seventh-order spirit beast!" Boss Cat replied, its tails perking up confidently.
It also wanted to get a good look at these young people embarking on their journey!
After all, its humans were rather bizarre.
Always watching, watching, watching…
"Um…" Lanci looked troubled after hearing that.
"Lanci, Hyperion… Have I inconvenienced you both… I could cook for you… take care of you…" Boss Cat peeped in its child-like voice.
It was very good at caring for people.
"That’s not it. I’m just trying to figure out what type of ticket to get for you," Lanci replied.
Law-abiding Lanci would never think of fare evasion.
But he was confused whether he should buy a child ticket, an adult ticket, or pay for extra baggage or pet fees for Boss Cat.
It was tricky to categorize a seventh-order spirit cat.
"Why do I feel like you’re thinking about something quite impolite…" Boss Cat mumbled.
Hyperion just shook her head.
That’s what Lanci was like, he could express the most impolite thoughts in the most polite manner.
On the other hand, having a professional chef accompany them on a long journey was indeed delightful.
During their previous jaunt in the Cathedral Shadow World, the siblings who worked as bodyguards for the young master of the Business Association, could also cook. Otherwise, none of them, who were not particularly good at cooking, would have had such a good time these past four days.
Moreover, they didn’t need to worry much about Boss Cat’s safety.
Although it was weak in combat, its innate magic, "Shadow Dive," was an excellent self-defense skill — an amalgamation of dark and space magic. As long as its host didn’t die, it was unlikely to be in any danger.
In this world, it’s rare to find a creature with an affinity for space magic in hundreds of years — there are hardly any records of such magic. Only a few races have a chance to acquire this magic talent after reaching the sixth order.
"But what about your restaurant?" Lanci thought out loud. He remembered Boss Cat’s restaurant always being short-staffed — without its head chef, how would it continue running?
"Asina and Tata will handle it! Asina is now my student. The two of them will certainly do a great job running the restaurant!" Boss Cat jumped onto Lanci’s shoulder and announced proudly.
"Ah, Senior Asina. That sounds reliable," Lanci said.
Ever since Lanci and Hyperion visited Talia with Asina’s desserts.
Talia has given very high praise for them.
Asina continued to make and deliver new pastries to Talia through Hyperion. In time, Hyperion brought Asina to Boss Cat Restaurant so she could communicate with Talia personally. Asina, who was determined to be a top chef, quickly became familiar with Talia, the food critic.
Ichrite Academy is now on vacation, and Asina, as the Vice President of the Student Council, doesn’t have much work. She had planned to focus on studying culinary arts during the holiday.
"Don’t you have another friend named Monasite?" Boss Cat asked again.
"Yes, he is our president," Lanci replied, unsure of how Monasite also came to know Boss Cat.
"Monasite is quite dependable. He’s a top business student at the Alchemy College. He said he appreciates my care for Asina. He will try to help out in my absence these few months, hopefully, improving the restaurant’s business…" Boss Cat said happily.
"I just can’t help but fantasize that when I return, revenue might have grown by 20%!"
"…" Lanci didn’t say much, hearing this.
"Well, let’s look forward to it, then." He hoped it wouldn’t turn into the Boss Cat Bank when he returns.
It seemed that Tata was in good company most of the time when he and Hyperion were not around.
Without realizing it, Tata was living in the Royal Capital like a regular person.
Lanci was a little worried that with Asina being the chef and Tata being the signboard girl, and both of them liking to cook and eat, Tata might end up eating all the ingredients in the store under the guise of a taste test even before the store opens…
"..."
Talia glanced at Lanci, not uttering a word.
And so it went.
After a brief chat with Cat boss at the front desk
"Goodbye, Tata," Lanci and Hyperion bid all together from the doorway, waving at Talia, who sat not far away.
"Goodbye."
Talia remained as impassive as ever.
"..."
But she hesitated after saying so.
With a smile, Lanci gripped the handle of the door lock, not pushing it down for a long time, as if waiting for something.
Finally,
Talia stood up, quickly walked over and hugged Hyperion.
"Tata?" Hyperion’s lips slightly opened in surprise, then slowly laid her hand on Talia’s slender back. She closed her eyes in reassurance and smiled faintly.
"..."
Talia said nothing, but gently stroked Hyperion’s hair.
It’s said that when a human mother bids farewell to her daughter, she can give her a hug.
But she didn’t know what to say at this time.
Without lingering, Talia released Hyperion.
"Lanci, Hyperion, take care on your journey."
Talia looked at them both and added.
"Okay, don’t worry Tata."
"Okay!" Lanci said to Talia, grinning.
This old woman is becoming more and more humane.
He finally opened the door and left the restaurant with Hyperion and Cat boss.
The empty shop instantly quieted down.
"..."
However,
After the figures of Lanci and Hyperion disappeared, Talia stood in place, frowning.
"Old...what..."
Talia murmured with hardly moving her lips.
"Still can’t hear clearly..."
Forget it.
She’s not far from mastering mind-reading ability.
Soon she would be able to hear the boy’s whisper clearly.
...
The clopping of horses resonated on the streets of Ichrite, with the carriage wheels humming. The hustle and bustle of the city center gradually faded away.
Afternoon sun was shining on the leisurely swaying sightseeing carriage. Lanci and Hyperion would arrive at Ichrite Central Station before dusk.
Looking into the distance, they could see the rippling waves on the winding canal, reflecting the sunset.
In fact, they had never visited Capital City Ekrite together.
Now, the city, which is both quaint and full of modern vibes, feels especially wonderful after relaxing.
Once they leave Ichrite, they’ll have to adopt their prepared new identities.
Hyperion’s disguise was the same as her father’s, Duke Migaya, with black hair and dark eyes, whilst Lanci chose the same light brown hair as Dean Loren but didn’t change his eye color.
For their aliases, Hyperion decided to call herself Milian, borrowing the initial syllable of her father’s name.
And Lanci, like her, chose the name Rocky, in honor of Dean Loren.
Although through this, Hyperion could see Lanci’s admiration for Loren, she always thought that Lanci’s overly mimicry of Loren was not a good thing…
"Lanci, I will definitely take care of you."
Hyperion, with the Little Black Cat in her embrace, seemed lost in thoughts. She finally turned her head to look at Lanci and said earnestly.
"You’ve always been taking care of me, so I’m very reassured."
Lanci leaned back in his chair while the sunset scenery raced past his eyes.
Hyperion was slightly startled.
"Of course, I will look after you in combat. I promised you that the first time we teamed up. But outside of combat, I’ll also keep an eye on you. I won’t let you mess around!"
She explained to Lanci the different implications of "looking after."
Support him, but never indulge him, and of course, when it matters, help him wholeheartedly.
"How could I possibly do crazy stuff..."
Lanci said with a smile as he looked at Hyperion.
At that moment, her cheeks and her silhouette against the backdrop, were bathed in a pink-orange sky. The calm surface of her eyes was radiant, needing no light to bring out her brilliance. It was as if in this golden hour exclusive to her, time froze.
"But, if you think I’m messing around, just remind me."
Lanci turned his gaze back to the road ahead and continued.
Though his dreams were grand and steadfast, he wasn’t a stubborn person. Hyperion was his reliable companion, and of course, he would value her advice.
However, all of that was only a distant concern.
What’s to be known now is―
Their brand-new adventure in the Northern Continent is about to begin!
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Please spare some votes for the end and beginning of the month, I bow to you all!
The new Northern Continent storyline will start tomorrow, and many new illustrations should be out in September. You can comment on the scenes you want to see. All comments and this chapter will be seen by me! My wallet is being sacrificially emptied for crazy commissioning work...
