NOVPUBSeveral days later.
The recent weather in Ichrite had been shrouded in persistent rain, often accompanied by the rumble of thunder.
With a cold wave passing by, the few hottest days of summer had gone, giving way to steady temperatures until the onset of autumn.
And today, it was time for Lanci to set off for the Poseen Kingdom.
Since he had a ticket for an evening departure, and there were no classes or extra work during the day, all that was left was to make sure his luggage was in order.
"It feels like I just went on a long trip not long ago, and now I’m setting out again."
Lanci stood in front of the wardrobe in his room, frowning as he mused to himself.
Upon reflection, his last trip was as a diplomat from the Palante Empire in the Shadow World, which explained this perpetual sense of being on the move.
Lanci quickly let it go.
After this trip to the Poseen Kingdom, he would be another big step closer to retirement.
If his life’s struggles were to be written into a memoir, this would probably be the penultimate volume.
While he was organizing his suitcase, the sound of rain on the window glass suddenly intensified, followed by a clear tapping noise.
"Meow meow, Lanci, you have a letter."
The Little Black Cat, clad in a raincoat, opened the window of Lanci’s bedroom and used telekinesis magic to float a letter onto Lanci’s desk.
"Thanks a lot, Cat Boss."
Lanci put down the clothing in his hands and walked over to the window to receive the Little Black Cat.
It appeared to have wrapped the envelope in magic, preventing it from getting wet in the slightest.
"It’s no big deal, meow."
Cat Boss took off the cat-shaped raincoat, folded it neatly, and placed it on the floor.
A letter had arrived at Cat Boss Restaurant which Pranay had kept at the counter. Before departing today, Cat Boss stopped by his restaurant and brought the letter to Lanci as well.
"Perfect timing."
Lanci looked out at the dim light of day through the window, counting the days. If the maritime messengers were on schedule, he would have received a reply about this time.
Fortunately, the letter had arrived before his departure.
He walked over to the corner of the room to turn on the floor lamp and then sat down slowly at his desk.
In this summer rain where one couldn’t distinguish between morning and afternoon, the light from the lamp made the room bright and clear.
Lanci touched the sealed letter with his fingertips. The surface of the envelope felt slightly rough, as if weathered by sea breeze.
He took a small letter opener from the desk drawer, inserted the tip into the envelope’s seal, and gently traced along the edges as an artist outlines on a canvas, carefully opening the envelope.
Inside was the letter paper, like a precious treasure waiting to be discovered.
Lanci smoothly pulled out the letter paper, thin and fragile to the touch, a piece of antique-style paper perfumed with incense and treated with a protective spell to prevent easy damage.
He began to read it with a slight smile.
"——Dear Mr. Wilford,"
"First of all, I’m very happy to have received your letter."
"The talents you recruited for me are quite excellent. With the Hegemony Branch in the Protoss Empire currently short on manpower, you sent me a batch of well-trained Grand Priests, proving yet again that we have a special connection."
"To think I would dream of you during this time."
"Thinking of you day and night may be a foolish persistence."
"But, I want to say that it’s wonderful to meet one’s true self."
"Do you often find yourself reminiscing about the several dozen days we spent together on the vast Protoss snow-capped mountains?"
"No matter how cold, I never felt fear."
"Not even in my dreams."
"Just give me a little time, and you’ll turn winter into spring, full of color and warmth, letting the gentle sunlight embrace me."
"Meow meow, a letter from Sikder."
Cat Boss, nestled to one side, was lying on the desk watching Lanci handle the letter. It knew who the sender was without even seeing the signature.
Out of curiosity, Cat Boss had wondered who would send Lanci a letter.
However, looking back, when in the Nanwantina, Lanci indeed intercepted a group of Grand Priests from the Destruction Branch.
At that time, Lanci treated them as free messengers, having them deliver messages to Sigrid.
Quite extravagant indeed.
"This handwriting is unmistakably hers."
Lanci rubbed the Cat Boss’s head, his gaze not leaving the letter.
’And there’s some official business.’
’Our partner, the head of the Berenhald family, Duchess Cloris, has investigated Duke Morotian’s relics and the northern borders. The results show definite signs of the Demon Race’s presence, and these demons seem to be very different from Pranay and his kin. They have now withdrawn from the Protoss Empire.’
"Demon Race?"
Cat Boss looked up at Lanci.
"At that time… Duchess Cloris had entrusted me, as the Dean of the Protoss Royal Magic Academy, to investigate the north, which began due to panic caused by mysterious demons infiltrating the northern countries. In the end, it all led back to Duke Morotian and Bishop Askesan of Annihilation."
Lanci paused in reflection for a moment.
Unexpectedly, after a period of stability in the northern part of the Protoss Empire, the investigation indeed revealed signs of the Demon Race’s presence.
’Even the Bingxue Witch Almis is certain, she had not heard of such demons a hundred years ago, and they are completely different from the Demon Race culture she is familiar with.’
’What Grand Sage Isis finds unsettling is that among this group of unknown demons, there may be beings more powerful than Duke Morotian, and I might not be guaranteed to win against them.’
’Their origins and purposes remain a mystery.’
’However, one thing is certain: the more remnants of the Demon Race there are in a place, the easier it is for them to hide their tracks. The Protoss Empire and the Aestheland Kingdom are natural grounds for infiltration.’
Lanci turned to the next page.
’When you receive this letter, I may have almost finished dealing with the affairs on the side of the Protoss Empire.’
’In about two or three months, perhaps I’ll arrive in the Hutton Kingdom?’
’After all, the sea route between the North and South Continent is so long, and traveling from the northern shore of the South Continent through various countries to the eastern region to find the Hutton Kingdom is indeed a lengthy journey.’
’If you have finished your work and still have the energy, could you, Saint Heir, please take me for a tour around the Capital City Ichrite?’
’Regardless, I sincerely wish you every success in your endeavors.’
’With kind regards.’
"Meow, that sounds like an order."
The Cat Boss said to Lanci.
Though Sigrid’s words were polite, she clearly did not accept refusal from Lanci.
"Indeed, Mr. Bishop does not like being defied."
Lanci nodded.
"Wait a minute."
Feeling there was more content behind the folded pages of the letter, he flipped through some more.
’Missing you.’
’Remember to work hard and reach the Sixth-order soon!’
The last part was decorated with a cute drawing of Sigrid.
"Really now, that’s the skill of an old hand at controlling emotions."
Lanci shook his head and laughed to himself.
"Old hand, huh? Be careful not to lose affection points, meow."
Little Black Cat reminded him in Sigrid’s tone.
"I really want to finish all my work soon and start a leisurely daily life."
Lanci carefully folded the letter paper, smoothed it out, and placed it back in the envelope before setting it carefully in the first drawer.
"Meow meow meow, you should retire soon!"
Cat Boss called out.
"Don’t worry, it’ll be soon. The second half of my memoir will mostly be filled with mundane daily stories; there won’t be any sort of void mainline in a collection of daily tales."
Lanci patted the cat, stood up laughing, and started packing his luggage next to the wardrobe again.
