NOVPUBPlants native to the Hutton Kingdom swayed with the summer breeze, their leaves and the grass covered in morning dew, reflecting a search for an everlasting gleam.
"Our school probably won’t become lively until the second half of the year,"
said Lanci, looking around the campus with a somewhat lonely expression, sighing to Hyperion.
"Indeed."
Hyperion agreed with Lanci.
Thinking to herself, what kind of school leader speaks like this.
"If... I mean, once everything has stabilized and you really could become the administrator of Ichrite Academy, would you take the position?"
Hyperion asked quietly.
She remembered Lanci’s goal to retire at twenty, but she didn’t know whether his ambition would compel him to accept re-employment after retirement.
"The premise is that Ichrite Academy urgently needs me. If without me, everyone can still live happily, then I would not appear again."
Lanci shook his head, quite indifferently,
"Being an ordinary lecturer at Ichrite Academy is doable, though—few teaching hours, and I’d be able to help the school out a bit."
Hyperion nodded silently at his words.
"But Lanci, it’s been over a year since my father disappeared. Even if he’s rescued eventually, the one likely to become the Duke might be me, not that omnipotent all-rounder Migaya. Are you sure you still want to cling to the Duke’s coattails?"
Hyperion reminded him.
If the disappearance lasts two years, it will be presumed as death, and the Duchy has already entered the succession process by Miss Duchess. Even if Duke Migaya returns, he would no longer hold the title.
She was worried that Lanci’s wishes would not come true and that he would end up with nothing.
"Wouldn’t that be even better? Just think about it, it’s so cool—Duchess Hyperion. I’ll be relying on her to provide for me in my old age at Ichrite. Of course, I have to cling to those coattails,"
Lanci praised with a laugh.
"...Well, alright then."
Hearing Lanci’s words, Hyperion subconsciously looked down at her own legs.
Even though they weren’t speaking literally, his mention still led her to think inappropriately.
Imagining a scenario where Lanci one day clung to her legs and cried, "Duchess, I’m hungry, I want to eat," Hyperion couldn’t help finding it very weird.
However, such a thing obviously would not happen unless Lanci drank fake alcohol.
"Since you’ve put it that way, I’ll have to do my very best too,"
Hyperion murmured softly to herself.
Although her process of inheriting the Alansar Family as the new Duchess might be fraught with difficulty, and many might outwardly obey her while inwardly resisting, she would work hard to change everyone’s view of her and show them she could be a trustworthy leader of the Alansar Family.
Her trip to the Northern Continent made her realize that being Half-Demon was just her beginning and not her end, and her teacher, Bingxue Witch, had also become a highly respected and pure Priest despite being Half-Demon.
The two continued to chat leisurely, heading towards the Magic Engineering College area.
They took a different route today.
Instead of crossing the lawn in front of the Magic Engineering College, leading to the Old Literature Building at the entrance, they walked into the Alchemical Institute Botanical Garden.
Even though their vision might be veiled by the diverse shadows of the flowers and startled birds might occasionally sweep past,
when they emerged from the botanical garden of the Alchemy College, they could see the Main Building of the Magic Engineering College—the tower-like glass curtain wall structure filled with artistic flair.
Lanci and Hyperion came back to Ichrite Academy to submit the "Visiting Tablet Holder" project report and record the Magic Devices, but Loren was still not in the school.
As they passed by the Sage Academy, they heard from Teacher Teresa that a V.I.P. from the Church of the Goddess of Destiny had come, and Loren had to go greet them personally.
And it seemed that another V.I.P. would arrive in a few days.
Loren wouldn’t be back at Ichrite Magic Academy for a while.
Lanci and Hyperion didn’t know why Loren was so busy recently.
However, Loren often missed school last semester due to his public duties, so they were no longer surprised by it.
Since they both were still on academic leave and had been overdue for over a month, their Shadow World challenge licenses had been locked and entered a frozen state to prevent identity impersonation and unauthorized entry into the Shadow World. Unable to report back to the dean, the two had to go find Professor Bolao at the Magic Engineering College to help them with the back-to-school procedures.
Loren wasn’t around, so the authority of the President of the Magic Engineering College, Professor Bolao, was the highest in the school; after all, he had designed the entire Ichrite Academy course system and the defensive barrier of the Royal Capital.
"It’s nice not to have to go back to Sage Academy, the feeling of not having classes for an entire semester is really good."
Lanci stretched lazily, praising the school.
"...After all, you’ve become a president across the sea, attending classes would really be beneath you."
Hyperion looked back at the school buildings, feeling conflicted.
Last semester, except for taking leave due to the Shadow World, she hadn’t missed a single class, yet this term she had skipped the entire thing.
They didn’t have to attend this semester’s classes because they hadn’t enrolled in any.
As long as they submitted and passed their graduation project report, along with the extra credits from the Shadow World last semester, they would have enough credits.
"I kind of miss the Protoss Royal Magic Academy, I wonder how my good students Zestira and Shaar are doing with their studies now."
A hint of concern born from a sense of duty rose in Lanci’s mind.
"I also miss my adopted sister Michela."
Hyperion similarly sighed.
The days spent in the Milford Province of the Xi Bei Province were unforgettable, and even now, she felt like part of the Milford family; the gifts her adopted sister had given her were still packed in her luggage.
"I wonder if there will ever be an opportunity to visit the Northern Continent again. The Protoss Empire and Aestheland Kingdom are giants of the South Bank, and further north, there are the northern countries, Jiao Country, Land of Perpetual Night, and Calamity Servitude."
Lanci mused to himself.
Hyperion looked at Lanci, realizing he was also looking at her, his expectant eyes seeming to ask her if she still wanted to go to the Northern Continent, if she wanted to go together.
"..."
Hyperion worried that if Lanci went there again, he might become President Rocky McCarthy.
In the end, she nodded her head.
Supporting such a man was hard work because his ambition was even stronger than he imagined.
But she couldn’t dampen his spirit.
She just needed to remind him to be moderate at critical moments, otherwise, he might never be able to return to the peaceful life he truly wanted.
"However, the most important thing right now is to first tackle the Blood Moon Bad World Shadow World, and then go to the southernmost tip of the South Continent to the immense empire of South Crayney. To be honest, I have never been to the Cerryti Empire either, and I’m quite curious."
Lanci, as if he had clarified his holiday goals, clenched his fists, filled with motivation for the work at hand,
"The only pity is that this time, it seems it will only be the two of us heading to the Shadow World."
The first thing they did upon coming to the school was to look for Frey, but Frey had disappeared.
Even Vice President Asina, Senior Asina, didn’t know anything about Frey’s disappearance, and the president had asked her to remind them both not to inquire too much into Frey’s matters from the school authorities recently, because they were close to Frey and might be subject to an investigation by the Kingdom Joint Council in the coming period.
"Frey..."
Without this powerful ally, Hyperion felt the challenges ahead would be much harder, but she shook her head, believing that Frey would return.
"Anyway, the Cerryti Empire is much larger than the Protoss Empire, so this time you must restrain yourself. We’ll act low-profile, and please don’t bring the experiences from the Protoss Empire to the Cerryti Empire, okay?"
Every time Hyperion reminisced about the night Herram saw Lanci on the talk show, her head hurt.
Unlike the constitutional monarchy of the Protoss Empire, the Cerryti Empire was an absolute monarchy.
The tactics Lanci used in the Protoss Empire’s House of Commons wouldn’t work there.
"Don’t worry, I’m good at thinking on my feet, when in Rome."
Lanci nodded confidently.
"...You better mean that literally."
Hyperion’s voice sounded faint.
But looking on the bright side.
It was in the Northern Continent that Lanci had transformed into a dragon in the face of opportunity; since Cerryti was technically part of the South Continent territory, the chances of Lanci undergoing a second transformation in the Cerryti Empire were slim.
