NOVPUBNorth Continent, early May.
At noon on Sunday, in the heart of the City of Herram, a towering building rises. Its sleek glass surface reflects the brightness of the sky, resembling a gigantic tower that leads to the heavens.
This building, not only in height surpasses the surrounding structures, but also in its opulence and unique design, it has become the most eye-catching part of the city skyline.
At this moment, Lanci has arrived at the top floor of this building.
He stands in front of the only main door on this floor.
His mood seems a bit subtle.
Only after a while does he place the cat boss nestled in his arms on his left arm, freeing his right hand to ring the doorbell.
"Come in."
There was a faint sound of Sigrid’s voice from inside the room.
It’s not that her voice was soft, but evidently, she was quite a distance from the door.
Even if it was cold and distant, it still sounded so familiar.
"Is Sigrid upset, meow?"
The cat boss patted Lanci with its paw and asked in a low voice.
"Who knows."
Lanci pulled out a keychain from his pocket, selected one that has never been used before, it was a spare key that Sigrid had given him a long time ago.
When the key was inserted and turned in the lock, the faint clicking sound seemed exceptionally clear in the quiet hallway.
"Meow."
The cat boss didn’t know how the date went yesterday.
But judging by Sigrid’s attitude, it guessed the date likely ended on a sour note.
At the beginning, when the three of them were on the snowy plains, Sikder had said he wouldn’t let Lanci go, the cat boss had thought that Lanci would definitely fake his death to escape.
Unexpectedly, Lanci was so straightforward, he didn’t deceive Sikder from beginning to end, even when Sikder gave him a week’s chance to escape, he didn’t take it.
The door opened slowly, revealing a spacious and well-lit foyer.
Every object here is exquisite and luxurious, from the carefully selected works of art to custom-made furniture, each one is unique.
Artworks meticulously selected are hanging on the walls, not only embodying the craftsman’s dedication but also symbolizing Sigrid’s taste.
Lanci entered the living room, his footsteps on the soft carpet nearly silent.
The room was lit with warm, soft lighting, and a gentle fragrance permeated the air, it was the scent that Sigrid liked.
Although his visits here have not been frequent, it’s only after getting to know Sigrid that everything here seemed familiar.
After a long walk, Lanci finally arrived at Sigrid’s gallery room.
This was the place where they first met.
Of course, at that time he was forcibly brought here by Sigrid.
In the distance, Sigrid stood quietly in front of a floor-to-ceiling window, overlooking the views of Herram.
Now, she had finally gotten her wish and had become the rightful ruler of the Protoss Empire.
However, the recent source of joy seems both related and unrelated to this matter.
She turned around, her eyes were as clear and deep as ever, they held countless memories and emotions.
There was no need for many words between her and Lanci, their silent exchange of glances was enough to convey their thoughts to each other.
"I’m here to fulfill my promise," Lanci began.
Today, after finishing this painting for Sigrid, he would temporarily return to the South Continent.
Sigrid didn’t respond.
She simply walked slowly to the main seat of the gallery room.
She sat down in self-possession, eyeing Lanci.
"Lanci Welfort, is that your real name?" Sigrid asked.
She had guessed quite early on that Rocky McCarthy was not his real name.
She could have asked him for his real name a long time ago, and she believed he would definitely tell the truth.
But she wanted to wait for him to confess on his own.
"Yeah, I’m from the Nanwantina domain of the Hutton Kingdom, currently living in the Capital City Ekrite."
Lanci, holding the little black cat, nodded in confirmation.
"Aren’t you afraid that I’ll come to the South Continent, find the Hutton Kingdom, and then find you?"
Sigrid asked intriguingly, observing him and the little black cat.
She remembered that when she first brought Lanci to meet him here, Lanci had seemed calm. His shadow had begun to tremble, and then the little black cat, its fur puffed up, had jumped out. It curled up in Lanci’s hands, constantly terrified that the Bishop of Hegemony would uncover information about Lanci.
Now, Lanci had even exposed his identity in the South Continent, and the little black cat seemed indifferent to it.
"You’re welcome at any time."
Lanci showed a sincere smile.
"Capital City Ekrite is a great city, very suitable for a date."
He added.
"What are you trying to say?"
Sigrid stared blankly at Lanci for a moment, then narrowed her eyes.
She hadn’t expected Lanci to say it so suddenly.
"I’m just introducing you to Ichrite."
Lanci looked at Sigrid with an innocent expression.
"I think you just want to hold my hand again for a date; you could be more straightforward."
Sigrid crossed her arms and chuckled coldly.
She looked like she was joking and half-serious at the same time.
"Meow? Meow, meow!"
The Cat boss raised its head, looking back and forth between Lanci and Sigrid.
Did this hard-headed boy hold hands with Sikder yesterday?
And Tata, still eating!
"In Ichrite, we can all be ourselves without worrying about being surrounded by reporters and crowds on the street."
After thinking for a while, Lanci responded.
Sigrid’s mouth twitched up slightly, quickly suppressed, and returned to indifference.
He didn’t reject the idea of dating.
"Now it’s just the two of us and the Little Black Cat. Let me see what you really look like, it’s not fair otherwise."
Sigrid leaned back in her seat and gave Lanci a once-over.
All Lanci did was to smile at her, spin around, and let her examine his black hair and green-eyed figure.
"...."
Sigrid opened her eyes wide, fell silent for a long time, and couldn’t come up with anything to say.
She instantly understood the Saint Heir’s point.
"Okay, it’s somewhat satisfactory."
She commented.
"Yesterday’s date was also satisfactory, so this is for you."
While speaking, Sigrid took a delicate stone-carved floating board out of her pocket. Its unique radiance instantly lit up the entire dark room.
This stone was then thrown to Lanci.
Lanci caught it steadily and stared at the divine object in his hand.
Previously, it was inconvenient for Sigrid to show this stone tablet to him in public. Now that they were alone and shielded by the scrying magic from Sigrid’s house, she could finally give him this war trophy.
[Original Slabstone-Sealing]
[Category: Equipment Card]
[Grade: Orange Epic]
[Rank: 5]
[Passive Effect: The Original Slab cannot be destroyed, only beings in the current world can soul-bind, to a limit of one per person. All sealed-attribute magic, martial arts, equipment, and summons receive comprehensive enhancement. The stone unbinds when the soul-binder dies.]
[Note: While fate is bound tightly, the soul can save all things.]
The complicated ancient curse on the stone tablet sparkled brilliantly and secretly, striking the soul and resonating with Lanci’s magical power.
At this moment, he is not yet rank five, so he couldn’t bind to this stone tablet.
But he wasn’t far from the fifth rank, and he was expected to become the new user of the [Original Stone Tablet- Sealed] soon.
"I suppose I can report back now."
Lanci sighed.
When it’s time to write the report, just hand in the relevant information of [Imitation Stone Tablet-Sealing].
"I have tickets at five, I will bring Antanas back to Lilom City, at the southernmost point of the Empire, and then take a ship back to the South Continent."
He carefully put away the tablet and looked at Sigrid.
"Don’t get me wrong, I never agreed to let you go from the beginning."
Sigrid maintained her icy demeanor from the day, but swiftly changed her tone,
"But these days, I haven’t been sleeping much. I’m very tired today, so if you really want to run, I might not even notice."
Sigrid’s purple eyes gradually blurred, her words became slower and slower, and her voice weaker and weaker.
It seems that if it were not for Lanci, she would have slept long ago.
Of course, because of Lanci, she became even more sleepy.
Once her tension subsided after completing her tasks, the feeling of mental fatigue fell over her like the tide.
"Good afternoon, Sigrid."
Comprehending her hints, Lanci said softly, also bidding goodbye.
After spending considerable time together previously, Sigrid had formed a conditioned reflex - feeling sleepy whenever she was with Lanci.
The Bishop of Hegemony values its reputation and doesn’t go back on its word.
But they might just cut the Saint of Hegemony some slack.
"By the way, there’s an interview scheduled for later today at Herram Broadcasting Company, and they’re planning to visit my collection in the afternoon. So, don’t think you can get away with winging it, otherwise, I’m sure Principal Rocky McCarthy will have a good laugh, haha..."
As she was saying this, Sigrid closed her heavy eyelids. The high-backed chair provided enough support for her to start relaxing her body unknowingly until only her soft breathing could be heard.
