NOVPUBRock Interchange Station Foundation Layer.
Silently leading the way, Lanci held a cufflink in his hand, the other end of which was tightly locked on a woman’s slender wrist.
They passed through the secluded stairway corridor, the metallic part of the handcuffs occasionally colliding to make a clear sound, rhythmically offset by their steps.
At the end of the corridor was a slope leading to the sunlit platform layer.
Lanci slightly squinted his eyes, while Sikder beside him drooped her head, making it hard to see her current expression.
Shafts of natural light threw down from the glass canopy of the platform, like golden coins scattered on the ground, occasionally stepped on by the two.
At this time, the passengers waiting on the platform were sparse, either sitting on the bench a little uneasy, or standing on the edge of the platform, looking in the direction of the rail track.
Before the two could completely stop, the Magic Power Rail Train with its roaring sound and a series of carriages had already entered the station from afar on the track.
The shiny metallic texture of the train body and the reflection outside the window shone against each other, each carriage quickly passing by was stamped with the emblem of the Protoss Empire.
Lanci and Sikder stood in front of the painted line on the ground, waiting.
Until the train gradually slowed down and steadied to a stop, the door then opened. A faint transparent mist drifted out from inside the carriage, gradually dissipating the residual heat released by the magic energy regulator.
"Get in."
Lanci ordered in a slightly indifferent tone.
Next, even without Lanci leading Sikder by the handcuffs, she naturally followed the steps of Lanci into this carriage.
The silent Sikder was as docile as a puppet, causing passengers in the distance to dare not glance over and wonder what fate this captured young girl is destined for.
The two entered the special carriage at the end of the Magic Power Rail Train.
Unlike the other carriages in front, this one was designed to be more robust and closed, with unique protection and confidentiality. Even the onboard staff need to ask for permission before entering its interior space.
Entering the internal space of the carriage, the door closed behind them, making a heavy metal impact sound, echoing throughout the spacious interior.
"Sigh - end of shift!"
Upon reaching their seats, both of them relaxed, leaning against the chair back as if they had finished an exhausting journey.
Lanci didn’t feel like moving at all. Working for Asksan all morning was really tiring.
"When will this be removed?"
Sikder slightly lifted her right hand resting on the armrest, pulling on the handcuffs, creating a light jingling sound.
"It can be removed when the attendant brings lunch. We have to keep up appearances."
After all, they were still technically officers carrying out official duties in transporting criminals, and they needed to maintain their facade without any flaws, at least until they changed to the next train and reverted to their original appearances.
But now that they were here, they could finally end their investigation trip in the northern part of the empire and return to the familiar imperial capital, Herram, with ease.
"Ah, what a turbulent journey."
Lanci reminisced about the events of the past month, sighing heavily.
Sikder looked at him without passing judgement.
"It was a tough journey for me. You didn’t even get a scratch."
In the end, she could only glare at him in annoyance and look away.
This guy had barely dirtied his clothes along the way.
Including the prior fight in the snow field with the Phantom Gang, she was the one who dealt with them single-handedly while Lanci stood at the back doing nothing.
"You said you would protect me."
Lanci replied with a smile, as if it was a matter of course.
Sikder glared at his face again. Although she found him quite annoying and was ready to mock him, she hesitated and decided against it.
This natural smile seemed to be thanking her - thank you for protecting me so well.
"You’re lucky you’re not a girl. If you were, and I took you as the Saintess, I would really be annoyed by you."
With an expression of resignation, Sikder opened her left hand wide.
She had originally thought that if the one she fancied was a girl, it would be better. But now, she felt fortunate that he wasn’t.
"So, to what extent have you recovered now?"
Lanci pondered and asked.
He noticed that Sikder no longer seemed as fatigued as she was in the snowy plains, and her spirit seemed much better.
"About fifth-order, I guess that’s my limit. The more I recover, the more I can feel the fetters of the seal. It’s like it’s locked my state."
Sigrid’s expression suddenly became somewhat solemn as she answered.
She was barely enough to protect herself in the imperial capital of Herram, but compared to her previous self, she seemed unimaginably weaker.
"But if I can break this seal, I may become stronger than before."
She clenched her fist and murmured to herself.
This was a catastrophe, yet also a trial. Everything that didn’t kill her would only make her stronger.
But seeing Sigrid, who didn’t seem discouraged at all, Lanci’s comment was—
"Forget it."
A trace of pity clouded Lanci’s eyes.
She’s already so formidable that she can’t find a husband. If she becomes even more powerful, it will be even harder for her to get married.
"..." no𝚟𝚙u𝚋.c𝚘m
Sikder bit her lip, her fists trembling in anger.
If it weren’t for the fact that attacking the Saint of Nirvana next to her might make the people on the platform outside the glass window notice, she would already be thinking about doing something.
"Saint."
"Hmm?"
"If you ever encounter a woman who can use mind-reading, you must run. Turn around and run without asking anything."
"Why?"
"In this world, I’m probably the only one who is willing to indulge you so much."
Sikder said with a sarcastic smile and gritted teeth.
Despite having warned him several times, she always felt that this guy had a sense of incredulity. He would either keep playing without ever crashing or once he did crash, it would be an epic-level catastrophe. She didn’t want to go to the crematorium to claim her Saint.
"Don’t worry, even my most ambitious disciple, Zestira, can’t learn a top-level spiritual magic like mind-reading in a few years."
Lanci crossed his fingers and said confidently,
"No one knows more about the innate talent of the Demon Race better than me."
Compared to humans, the Demon Race had a higher chance of acquiring spiritual magic, which was equivalent to epic-level spells, through innate magic. But now, there were very few pure demons with such abilities in this world.
"..."
Sikder looked at the confident Lanci and said nothing more.
She had seen that little girl, Zestira, on the live projection of the monthly assessment day at the Protoss Royal Magic Academy. At that time, Sikder was watching the Saint teaching the students at Gloria’s mansion.
Even if Zestira learns mind-reading in the future, it won’t be dangerous for Lanci, as she respects her teacher a lot.
However, Sikder didn’t dare to think about what would happen if they met an old one someday.
In the quiet moment between the two, a series of clear announcements echoed in all the carriages, rhythmically and formally, signaling the start of the journey.
With the end of the broadcast, there was a slight tremor in the carriage, and then the seats began to push gently.
Lanci looked through the window glass, gaze fixed on the outside.
At first, everything on the platform was moving slowly. The signboards and long benches on the side of the platform were slowly sliding by, and the sunlight left floating bands of light on the glass window.
The scenery outside the window began to recede at a leisurely pace, gradually pulling away from them.
The passengers and station staff on the opposite platform, who were just within sight, were gradually disappearing behind the train.
Until a familiar figure re-entered his line of sight, his gaze met the eyes of the young mistress of Count Milford’s family on the opposite platform waiting for another train through the window glass.
