NOVPUBThe pale daylight in the snowy plain spilled through the seams in the sky’s clouds, crisscrossing through the snowfall like a casual brushstroke on a winter’s day, gifting the chilly world with a hint of subtle warmth.
Quivering snowflakes danced freely in the air, gently falling to alight upon the pure white ground, or had their descent interrupted by the gusts of wind, caught in a ceaseless spiral motion.
Within this snowy scene, two individuals kept affable company with Shaar as they returned to the snowy plain to retrieve his lost luggage.
Shaar led the way, with the two following at a respectful distance behind him.
"Gosh, it’s really cold."
Upon setting foot on the snowy wilderness, Lanci couldn’t help but exclaim.
"Is this little bit of cold too much for you?"
Sikder looked at him with a slightly mocking expression.
"Why aren’t you afraid of the cold? You’re also a Fourth Order."
"Gosh, it’s really cold." (Cheerfully)
Apart from their occasional conversation, the surroundings were incredibly serene. The constant hissing sound of snowflakes being whipped up by the wind, however, served as a reminder of the snow plain’s breath.
Several minutes later, they finally found the spot where Shaar had dropped his luggage and began to help him pick up his belongings.
Among the items were clothes, a small number of books, and some small magic devices. Of course, there was also a map similar to the ones Lanci and Sikder had, marking the geographic features of the northern parts of the Protoss Empire.
Upon entering the northern control zone, there were three provinces directly to the north.
Hezishan province was a key transportation hub.
Not far from Hezishan Province was the Xue Yuan Province which consists of several major cities, one of them being Chinston City.
Further north, there was the North Border Province.
They were currently located just at the boundary of Xue Yuan Province, having just left Hezishan Province.
"Thank you both, I’ve brought you trouble."
Shaar once again expressed his gratitude towards the pair, feeling further shame for his previous hasty retreat.
"No problem. Serving the people wholeheartedly is what I should do."
Lanci joked, raising his hand in acknowledgment.
"..."
Shaar felt he should express his gratitude with a deeper bow.
He also couldn’t help but wonder, were all upperclassmen at the Protoss Royal Magic Academy this friendly? He’d heard that the academy was full of fierce competition and cold-hearted individuals. Had times changed?
While feeling puzzled, Shaar lifted his luggage and exhaled a sigh that condensed into a cloud of white mist in the frosty air.
"Seniors, I would advise against journeying further north for your elective project. It would be better to wait in Chinston City for the railway to be repaired and then return directly to Herram, the imperial capital."
He offered this sincere advice, and then took a step forward,
"Perhaps this is just my own shallow judgment, but not only are there open and covert conflicts among the northern cities, the province’s law and order situation is disastrous. It seems that the investigation team from the imperial capital, Herram, was dispatched to investigate some disturbances related to the further northern areas." 𝓃𝓸𝓋𝓅𝓊𝒷.𝓬𝓸𝓂
These two must have traveled straight from the capital to the north, unlike him who had been waiting for transportation to resume in the north for several days.
"What is happening further north?"
Lanci had heard the imperial army captain mention this at the Rock Intersection train station in Hezishan Province, but the captain didn’t seem to be clear about the specifics.
"Probably only the city lords of Xue Yuan Province know. But even without this issue, the north is becoming increasingly dangerous."
Shaar shook his head, walking in the direction of Chinston City with Lanci and Sikder.
"In addition to increasing numbers of refugees, the crime rates have skyrocketed. Many people who can’t get aid in the city-states either choose or are forced to join a criminal organization in the north, the Phantom Gang. The bandits we encountered earlier were probably members of the Phantom Gang."
On hearing this, Lanci kept his strides steady, deep in thought.
He recalled that the bodies of the bandits all had octopus-shaped insignias or rings, which was likely the symbol of the Phantom Gang.
"How did they get so rampant?"
Lanci asked through the snow falling behind them.
"The imperial army doesn’t have the spare resources to specifically eradicate them, and the lords of Xue Yuan Province can’t agree on how to allot the effort, showing no intention of improving the external safety situation."
Shaar wore an unrestrained expression of helpless resignation. Having personally come to the north, he was now certain that, no matter what, the conditions in the south were far more bearable.
"I see."
By this point, Lanci had developed an understanding of the situation in Xue Yuan Province.
It looked like a huge mess right now, with everyone unwilling to intervene. Everybody suffering collectively appeared to be the fairest outcome.
The majority of the Nirvana Branch forces were in Xi Bei Province, allied with the imperial army. If they were to help the nobles of Xue Yuan Province eradicate the bandits, they could potentially gain significant favor for the Bishop of Nirvana, Asksan. However, this would undoubtedly be a thankless task. The nobles would pass the entire task to the priests of Nirvana, and even if it was initially successful, it would severely reduce the number of Grand Priests who would be unwilling to undertake the task.
It was rumoured that Asksan himself was stationed in the North Border Province, standing off against the northern kingdoms. His exact whereabouts were indeterminable due to the slow flow of information.
"You must be from the south, why have you come to the north?"
When they were helping Shaar with his luggage, Lanci and Sikder had managed to ascertain where he was from. His attire, oddly reminiscent of several southern winter garments combined, had also given it away.
"Although I am ostensibly the eldest son of a southern earl’s family, we’re really destitute… I’ve come here to wed into the Chinston Family. I don’t know what my fiancée is like, but apparently, she’s excellent, even skipping the preparatory course and entering the academy with ease…"
Shaar hung his head in embarrassment as he revealed his true circumstances to the pair.
Lanci and Sikder exchanged glances, quickly understanding the situation.
He held a noble title but was broke, so marrying into a slightly influential frontier noble family seemed like a decent idea.
"Aren’t you worried about adjusting to life once you get to the North? Or that the Northern aristocrats might treat you poorly?"
Sikder unexpectedly chipped in.
"When I was a child, I met a girl at Herram in the imperial city. She was said to be a Northern noble, incredibly intelligent, graceful, knowledgeable, and she had helped me, a lost little boy, find my father."
Shaar seemed to recall something and his demeanor softened as he spoke.
He held no prejudice against Northern aristocrats, in fact, he had a good impression of them. Or perhaps it’s fairer to say that there are good people and bad people everywhere, it’s unjust to generalize.
Perhaps it was due to that encounter, that he had subconsciously evolved into his current self, no longer wanting his family to continue degenerating like his father.
"So by any chance, was she your fiancée, Miss Lilith Chinston?"
Lanci added coldly out of the blue.
"How did you know her name?"
Shaar was taken aback, catching the drift of the conversation, he turned and stared at Lanci.
"Of course I know the name of every student at the Protoss Royal Magic Academy, including those who have yet to enroll."
Lanci explained earnestly.
"..."
Was there anyone in the school who managed to remember the information of every student?
It felt somewhat terrifying.
As if someone would catch him anytime he did something wrong at school.
"I don’t know, it’s been ten years, I don’t remember what that girl looks like now, but I remember she had bright orange hair and surely, she must’ve grown up to be an intelligent lady now."
Shaar could only shake his head in response.
Lanci nodded, without saying anything.
"Honestly, I quite enjoy witnessing romantic stories of young boys and girls."
Sikder sighed as she walked.
"Really? Did you know that matchmaking is my specialty?"
Lanci suddenly seemed enthusiastic, his voice brimming with excitement, looking forward to showing off his skills to Sikder.
That seemed to wake him up.
"Here’s a proposition, you hire us, it won’t be expensive, just pay us what a fourth-order bodyguard would earn, surely at the Lord’s Mansion, there must be servants or attendants accompanying you, if not, that’d be quite shabby."
Lanci immediately proposed to Shaar.
"But I... I don’t have enough money to pay you both now."
Shaar’s face initially lit up, but soon drooped down in disappointment.
This was a pretty attractive deal.
Both of them did seem very remarkable.
Standing side by side with him, it was hard to distinguish who the young masters and misses were.
But he had no money.
"You can pay later, just transfer the amount to the accounts we have back in the imperial city."
Lanci glanced at Sikder.
Sikder shrugged casually, apparently having no objections. She was a fourth-order, so she could just be paid according to a fourth-order’s wage.
She just felt that Lanci’s persuasion skills were too impressive, to the point of appearing sincere.
The look in his emerald eyes seemed to tell others that he would believe in them, making them want to trust him in return.
And just like that, they seamlessly acquired a disguise that would allow them to infiltrate the Lord’s Mansion.
"..."
Listening to Lanci’s plan.
The cat boss hidden in the shadows felt an unsettling chill down its spine.
The original reason it got to know Lanci was because he said that he was good at playing matchmaker.
However, the result...
It remembered Loren, weeping brokenheartedly in the chair, and how it, because of its blind trust in Lanci, was unable to rescue the noble Great Priest, causing it to dare not casually go to Ichrite Academy afterward out of fear of running into the Great Priest and being mistaken as Lanci’s accomplice.
Now, Lanci is claiming to be a love maestro again.
Stop it, you bastard!!
Don’t you dare taint the rom-com of young people meeow!
