NOVPUBIn the afternoon sky dotted with sparse clouds, flocks of birds could be seen flying in the distance.
Here, far from the bustling commercial district across the riverbank, the wind gently brushed against cheeks as it blew by, causing Miss Florence to widen her eyes.
The crowd’s clamor, the musicians’ performance, someone’s laughter, songs—all of it could be heard from here.
"Loren..."
Miss Florence had intended to ask Loren to let her go since being pressed so closely against a man’s chest made her quite uncomfortable, but feeling Loren’s self-reproaching mood, she felt as if she couldn’t push this man away.
Time seemed to slow down.
Well-dressed merchants and spirited residents moved back and forth on the roads outside the square, surrounded by majestic buildings adorned with ancient statues of deities from legends.
The Statue of Goddess of Fate watched over them.
Eventually.
Miss Florence slowly lifted her hand and patted Loren on the back.
"Loren, look, I am alive and well,"
she said to him.
Back then, they weren’t as strong as they were now, or rather, it was mainly Loren who wasn’t as strong as he is now; they would often support each other like brothers when injured on the battlefield.
[Loren, be mindful of the time, and don’t continue to hold her.]
The Love Guru reminded him.
Upon hearing this, Loren instinctively released his hold on Miss Florence.
This was the first time he’d heard a slightly anxious note in the instructor’s voice.
Perhaps he had indeed been too excited to see his dear friend and had forgotten the time; they should have exchanged a few words and then said goodbye.
He couldn’t continue to lose himself like this.
But on second thought.
Indeed, it was more relaxing and comfortable to hang out with boys.
"..."
After being released by Loren, Miss Florence took a step back and gazed at him.
Even though Loren didn’t know she was a girl, they were still of different genders.
It had been acceptable while wearing armor, but the contact just now had been too much and probably quite inappropriate in the eyes of the divine.
"Miss Florence, how long do you plan to stay in Ichrite this time?" 𝑛𝘰𝘷𝑝𝘶𝑏.𝑐𝘰𝘮
Loren asked, seeing that Miss Florence hadn’t spoken.
He didn’t even know when Miss Florence had arrived, and she hadn’t informed the Church of her visit.
It wasn’t until yesterday that his dear friend suddenly contacted him, saying she had arrived in Ichrite and wanted to meet him.
Usually, such situations only arose when carrying out higher-level missions for the Southern Continent Kingdom Union Council, so Loren didn’t feel it right to pry.
"I might return to Camberra Kingdom soon, or I might stay here in Hutton for a long time, depending on the specifics of my mission, and I’m sorry I can’t divulge that,"
Miss Florence replied with a hint of apology.
In fact, she had hoped to stay in Ichrite for a while since she had made the arduous journey across the South Continent from Camberra Kingdom in the central western part to Hutton Kingdom in the far east.
Ever since the Priest examination, she had been very worried about Loren’s health.
Recently, Loren had been under a lot of public scrutiny, living in the eye of the storm every day, and she didn’t know how to help him.
If possible, she wished she could be by his side to watch over him occasionally.
"Have you visited Monasite?"
Loren had long known that the student council president, Monasite, was Miss Florence’s younger brother.
Monasite hadn’t been home to Camberra Kingdom for several years; if he didn’t return to take over the family, Miss Florence would have to step in, but Loren always felt that Miss Florence didn’t like the idea of being tied down by family obligations.
"Of course, thank you for always taking care of him,"
Miss Florence nodded in response.
"Not at all, he has been the one helping me with the troublesome matters at school,"
"So, has Monasite decided to return?"
Loren inquired.
"I think he has found his happiness now, so it’s up to me to deal with father’s expectations,"
Miss Florence said with a shake of her head and a smile.
Initially, her brother had just wanted to come to Hutton Kingdom to see if his sister’s dear friend was a reliable man, but as time went on, Monasite had become immersed in the life of Ichrite himself.
"Is that so..."
muttered Loren,
"During the time you’ve been in Ichrite, if I didn’t have affairs to attend to in the Hutton Kingdom and the Southern Continent Joint Council, I was mostly at the Academy and the Temple, and it was quite easy to find me. Monasite usually knows where I am,"
Now that Vice President Asina is no longer at the school, many of the tasks she used to handle have fallen to President Monasite, and Loren is often seen at the Sage Academy.
"Alright, if I need your help, I’ll come to find you."
Florence nodded seriously.
"I’m really sorry, I’ve been so caught up in affairs, and I haven’t been able to take you out for a day since you arrived in Ichrite."
Loren said apologetically as he glanced at the distant clock tower.
"There’s still plenty of time, we can do it together next time you’re not busy,"
Florence said lightly, waving her hand.
"No problem."
Loren nodded.
"So, it’s a date?"
Florence asked with an intrigued smile.
"Mhm."
Loren responded.
[...]
...
At the top of the ancient tower far in the Temple Square, where only a few stone pillars supported the tower’s top and the hollowed walls were protected by glass railings, Lanci was sitting in front of these railings with a sketchbook in hand, and in front of him was a standing telescope. He appeared like an artist sketching the scenery, while also watching Loren and Florence on the distant square.
He suddenly cut off his earpiece and covered his face.
"Meow meow, what’s wrong?"
Cat Boss wriggled into Lanci’s arms, stood up, and also looked through Lanci’s telescope, immediately spotting the two people hugging tightly on the square.
"Meow meow?!"
Cat Boss was also startled.
"No big deal."
Lanci let go of his face and shook his head.
Though he had taken on Loren’s commission, he had also once been commissioned by Miss Florence. To protect her privacy, he couldn’t disclose Florence’s information and secrets; it was a matter of his basic professional ethics.
Lanci had not expected Loren’s feelings for Florence to be so deep.
After all, Lanci had not indulged in gossiping about the Great Priest and the Paladin commander’s past from the President.
"You call this no big deal? Think about it, Loren is ditching his date and without her knowledge, goes to embrace another girl on the other side, meow, what is this behavior?"
Cat Boss questioned.
"Does Loren know that he’s holding a girl?"
Lanci looked down at Little Black Cat and asked.
"He doesn’t, meow."
Cat Boss answered.
"Then, did he subjectively intend to do something ’to apologize to Juliana’?"
Lanci asked again.
"No, meow..."
Cat Boss mumbled.
"So Loren is not a jerk, he’s just a good man,"
Lanci said, picking up Cat Boss.
Cat Boss looked up at a forty-five-degree angle, dazed for a long time, as if its brain had crashed.
It felt that if it ever faced Lanci in court, it would probably be sent away by Lanci after just a few sentences.
"So what do you plan to do, meow?"
Cat Boss asked.
It was worried that Loren might end up in a tragic situation one day.
"Of course, I’ll play Matchmaker right through to the end. As long as I’m here, Loren won’t fall,"
Lanci declared confidently, clenching his fist.
The challenge may have leveled up, but it also ignited his passion.
If Loren and Miss Florence were indeed fated, then he would certainly tie the red thread for both of them!
Nothing is impossible.
