NOVPUBLoren knew the price of growth.
There were too many absurd rumors, he had learned not to care too much about others’ gaze, not to pay too much attention to others’ actions, and not to change others’ thoughts.
If there was something that made Loren a bit of a headache, it was that once the Judgment Chief returned from the Calamity Servitude land in the far north of the Northern Continent to Aestheland Kingdom, the Ice Witch would depart for the Southern Continent.
Last time’s priest examination was embarrassingly awkward.
Loren had prepared to apologize to Almis in person.
He sighed as he thought, his gaze through the window, looking at the beautiful campus and Ichrite in the distance.
Though Ichrite was not like Aestheland’s Capital, Gedalia, and it did not have many different races, it was still a civilized and friendly city made up of humans. The business district around the school was also quite unique. Loren hoped that Almis would enjoy herself and leave a good impression of the city.
The semester was almost over, the prolonged peace and tranquility of the campus made Loren feel particularly at ease.
Lanci and Hyperion should have returned by now.
Even though Loren, as the dean, should worry about the students in the academy and hope for their early return, considering they were with the Ice Witch, he did not have to worry about their safety. He even hoped they could spend more time in the Northern Continent.
Loren’s thoughts returned to the work at hand, he flipped to the last page of the confidential letter and continued to read.
[...The new Cardinal Bishop is continuing south, possibly reaching the border of the Hutton Kingdom. His speed seems to have slowed down, he might be stopping, and his purpose is still unknown...]
At this point, Loren finally pinched the confidential letter, until it disappeared into the air as golden light.
His brow furrowed slightly, his hands resting on the desk, remaining silent for a long time.
The tidy office exuded a calm scent of wood and ink from the pages, aside from the neatly arranged bookshelves on the side of the wall, there are historical paintings and unique world maps hanging. This is where Loren’s gaze is.
"Nanwantina, isn’t it the place Migaya always likes to go to?"
Loren looked at the hand-drawn map gifted by an old friend on the wall, couldn’t help but be reminded of some memories, he murmured to himself.
Without Migaya, a large part of the responsibility for defending Hutton Kingdom fell on him.
Whenever he felt overwhelmed, he would miss Migaya. They had many interactions both on official and personal grounds.
However, recalling the time he spent most frequently with Migaya, Loren felt complex emotions.
Migaya was good at everything, and he could do anything.
But he himself sometimes had some strange whimsical ideas.
For example, Migaya was good at using magic to dress up as a girl, and he was told that it was to make up for the fact that Hyperion did not have a mother to accompany her since childhood. Migaya had considered being both a father and a mother.
As a result, once Loren and Migaya, who was dressed as a woman, were discussing matters together, they were photographed by a reporter, and it became that Loren and a mysterious black-haired noble lady were close.
Moreover, Migaya was very popular. Many noble ladies in Hutton Kingdom showed their liking to Migaya even though they knew Duke Migaya was married. Migaya sometimes had to use his most skilled magic to change his appearance and escape those women. Migaya managed to escape, but Loren was frightened whenever he saw Migaya using transformation magic.
Unlike when Migaya was around, this year, the rumors about him, Loren, spreading in Ichrite City have become more vague. The number of his "fiancées" in the latest version made him laugh when he heard about it.
He was indifferent to these rumors.
But he was afraid that Migaya would join the ranks of his "fiancées" with the trend, and he, Loren, would never have an affair with a married man, even if he were crazy!
Loren looked forward to Migaya’s return, but he was genuinely afraid of Migaya’s handsome and beautiful appearance.
"Ah, Lady Goddess, if anyone can bring Migaya back, I am willing to pay any price,"
After a long time, Loren closed his eyes and prayed in a whisper.
If one day there was a choice, to bring back Migaya by sacrificing himself, he would agree without hesitation.
At this moment, Loren’s thoughts were interrupted by a slight sensation.
There were two gentle knocks on the door of the office.
"Come in."
Dean Loren looked up, casting a gentle gaze towards the door.
The door slowly opened, and a serene-looking female student walked in. She was carrying a folder and, much like an adept office clerk, came to the desk, greeting Dean Loren with a smile.
"Good morning, Dean Loren."
Vice President Asina’s voice was as pleasing as a nightingale’s song, and no matter when, a smile was always present on her face.
Asina was not only an efficient member of the student council, but also a great help to the teachers of the Sage Academy, often taking charge of dealing with some school affairs.
It was for this reason that Dean Loren felt a sense of unwillingness, as Asina was about to graduate soon.
She had no plans to try entering the Seventh-order Realm in the future, but instead, she wanted to focus on becoming a chef.
"Good morning, Asina."
Dean Loren replied with a slight nod and a smile.
He would provide advice on the students’ career intentions, but if the student themselves had a clear idea, he would fully support them.
Without Asina, the Sage Academy’s top position would probably soon belong to Lanci, who was about to move up to the second grade.
For Dean Loren, this was a terrifying thought.
Asina very politely nodded to Dean Loren. She opened the folder, took out some documents, and realizing that Dean Loren was likely to be busy that day, she systematically and succinctly reported on the affairs of the Sage Academy.
It didn’t take long.
"I see."
Hearing all that Asina reported, Dean Loren nodded.
"I’ll be away from Ichrite for a few days, and there are still some duties in the Sage Academy that I will need your help with. You will assist Vice President Ron for a short time. If anything needs the Dean’s approval, ask Professor Bolao, the Dean of the Magic Engineering College. He has the authority of all the Deans."
Dean Loren said, standing up full of remorse.
Every time he had to leave the Sage Academy, he always entrusted a lot of work to Asina.
Asina was already very busy.
"It’s okay. Yesterday, three employees came to my master’s restaurant, so I won’t be as busy."
Asina answered politely.
Seeing that Dean Loren was about to leave, she followed him, walking and talking at the same time.
"Is that so? How are they?"
Dean Loren asked in surprise, his smile wide as he opened the door to his office.
"I get along well with all of them and they’re incredibly elegant. They feel like they’re from prominent families."
Asina considered for a moment, before following him out.
"Haha, that little black cat really is a lucky one. I’ll have to visit it when I get the chance."
Dean Loren exclaimed cheerfully, his eyes full of hopeful light.
He had heard that Asina’s master was a very cute little black cat.
Though there had been many strange occurrences recently, there were also little stories like this that brought smiles to his face.
Nevertheless, in order to protect all of this...
He had to leave with Ichrite’s Priest Investigation Team and hurry down to Nanwantina.
If that mysterious Cardinal Bishop had any insidious plans, he would be ready to intervene at the first sign.
That reminded him, the Lanci family was from Nanwantina. The last time Lanci’s father had come to Ichrite Academy, he had even apologized for the incident in the sports arena. He might as well pay them a visit.
