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Chapter 150: Lanchi, I'll Hunt Down a Count for You
Chapter 150: Lanchi, I'll Hunt Down a Count for You
In the bedroom, Lanchi Hubertian and the princess sat on either side of a long oak table.
Their gazes fixed on the three sheets of paper laid out before them, as if all the secrets of the Krexi Empire were hidden within those pages.
Deep into the night, the world outside was quiet as if forgotten, only this room seemed isolated from the passage of time.
The fear that had nearly overwhelmed Princess Alexandria faded with the disappearance of the Great Poet, and she breathed deeply as if she had resurfaced from the depths of the sea, finally regaining control of her emotions.
After a long silence, she spoke.
"I believe in the accuracy of your intelligence, but... who exactly are you?"
Princess Alexandria's eyes narrowed, her lips tight, and her voice still carried an undeniable tension.
"I am an ecologist currently working on a thesis about the Blood Clan."
Lanchi's eyes were sharp as knives, and each word he spoke carried a weight of its own.
While his Platinum-level card maker status would eventually grant him a position at the Ikelite Academy, there was still a long way to go before he could aspire to become the principal.
Currently, the position of principal at the Ikelite Academy was vacant. Professor Bolao, the dean of the Magic Engineering Institute, had no interest in power. The dean of the Knight Institute was already retired and rehired. Dean Loren of the Sage Institute, who also served as the high priest of the Fate Goddess Church, had little time to spare. And the dean of the Alchemy Institute was constantly entangled in lawsuits due to copyright disputes involving the institute's newspaper, facing the constant threat of imprisonment.
To be appointed principal of such a prestigious school, one's academic reputation was of utmost importance. Not only was the school affiliated with the Kingdom of Hutton, but it was also the official certification and highest-level direct institution of the Shadow World Management Association and the Joint Parliament of the Southern Continent's Kingdoms. Along with the numerous powers and conveniences it afforded, the expectations were equally high.
One of the most challenging requirements was to have a thesis rated as the highest academic value in the Southern Continent.
Only a handful of professors at the entire Ikelite Academy met this criterion, highlighting the sheer difficulty of the task.
So, the most challenging academic research Lanchi could think of at the moment was 'On Ecological Balance and Blood Clan Governance.'
He wasn't sure if this thesis would gain recognition from the academic community of the Southern Continent.
But that was the essence of academic pursuit—to strive for excellence and reach the pinnacle.
"?"
Alexandria had never heard of an ecologist capable of dealing with the Blood Clan.
As for Hubertian, she sneaked glances at Lanchi, her eyelids twitching. She could sense that this guy was up to something big again!
Even before their planned expedition to the Northern Continent during the winter break to study the stone tablets had begun, he was already plotting his next move—researching the ecological and environmental issues of the Krexi Empire!
If you don't become the principal, no one else deserves the position.
And this time, even if Hubertian didn't want to involve Lanchi in the duke's mystery, he seemed determined to dive headfirst into the very heart of the Krexi Empire's disputes!
After hearing Lanchi's response, Princess Alexandria took it as a joke. She pondered for a moment and asked again, "What is your connection to the Blood Clan?"
Princess Alexandria was visibly on guard, her nerves taut.
This young man knew far too many secrets.
There could only be two possibilities.
Either he was a lackey of the Blood Clan...
Or he was their mortal enemy.
First, Princess Alexandria was certain that Lanchi himself couldn't be a member of the Blood Clan. They were the easiest to identify due to their weakness under the sun. At noon, their strength would be diminished to a mere fraction, unlike Lanchi, who was vibrant and energetic during the daytime.
However, Princess Alexandria couldn't discern if Lanchi was an ally of the Blood Clan! Rather than believing he possessed extraordinarily precognitive abilities, it was more plausible to assume that Lanchi, with his intimate knowledge of the Blood Clan, was one of them!
"Don't worry, you'll find out tomorrow what my relationship is with the Blood Clan," Lanchi said, spreading his hands in a gesture of helplessness, as if he understood the princess's concerns.
Indeed, the source of his intelligence was inexplicable.
But that didn't matter.
The princess's question would be answered tonight, and she would see the proof for herself.
"What's the point of knowing more tomorrow...
Princess Alicia's courage, which had been raised by Lanchi, seemed to dissipate once more into the cruel reality of her situation as Lanchi's brief remark pulled her back.
Had she encountered Lanchi outside the Shadow World, she might have clung to this glimmer of hope until the very end.
But in this Shadow World, where death was a certainty, it was inevitable that everyone would perish at the hands of the seventh-rank vampire count.
No challenger, regardless of their efforts, stood a chance against the count; not even their lives could buy them time until the sixth dawn.
"..."
Lanchi's hand tapped lightly on the table, the sound echoing in the quiet room and piercing the stillness of the night.
He seemed deep in thought.
"A mere vampire count has scared you so much. No wonder the Krexi Empire was so easily taken by others if its royalty is as feeble as you." Lanchi finally spoke, his tone sharp and cutting.
Huberian, standing by, looked at Lanchi in surprise. She had never heard him speak so harshly to a young lady before.
However, upon hearing Lanchi's words, Princess Alicia sprang to life like a wound-up doll, her spirit rekindled.
She glared at him, her eyes reddening as if he had touched a tender spot in her heart.
"You... You can call me a useless princess, but you have no right to insult the Krexi Empire!" she retorted, her eyes glistening with tears, reflecting her last vestige of stubbornness.
Though she had given up, there was something within her that refused to let go, something she couldn't quite explain.
"What's the point of arguing when you think there's no tomorrow?" Lanchi asked, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth as he watched her resurgence with amusement.
"I will remember your insult to the royalty, and I won't let it go..." Princess Alicia continued to wipe away her tears, her warning to Lanchi laced with defiance.
"Then I look forward to your accusation. I'll show you what a true winner from the Southern Continent looks like," Lanchi replied, his smile unwavering.
"Then go ahead and take care of that count! All you do is talk and boast," the princess shot back.
"What if I really hunt down this vampire count? What then?" Lanchi challenged, his eyes sparkling with mischief.
"Then you can do whatever you want. But you won't be able to do it anyway," she said, her voice laced with bitterness.
"..."
Although Huberian, who was observing from the sidelines, felt that Lanchi's bantering tone was constantly mocking Princess Alicia, it was these very words that seemed to ignite a stubborn spark within the depths of the princess' heart, a spark that even she herself was unaware of.
"Deal." Lanchi smiled and stood up, pushing his chair back under the table. The scraping sound of the wooden chair legs against the stone floor echoed in the spacious room.
He then walked towards the bedroom door with Huberian by his side.
Tonight's confrontation with the count did not require the princess' involvement; in fact, it was preferable for the challengers in the real world to perceive that "the princess remained untrusted and uninvolved in their efforts to stop the vampires."
After all, she still had to return to the Krexi Empire and coexist with those vampires for a while. Raising their suspicions would only complicate matters.
Lanchi closed the bedroom door gently for the princess.
"Your Highness, please get a good night's rest. I assure you, the sun will rise again tomorrow," he said, his voice carrying a promise.
As the door slowly closed, his face gradually disappeared from view, hidden by the narrowing gap.
Princess Alicia stared at the locked door and Lanchi's retreating figure, lost in thought.
Although Lanchi's promise before leaving felt like an impossible lie, something about his words ignited a fire in her chest, despite her initial despair.
She gazed out the window, where even the starlight seemed blurred, as if foreshadowing a long night ahead.
If the sun truly rose again tomorrow...
How much less brilliant would the bringer of that dawn be compared to the sun itself?
"Save me... no matter what kind of sun you are..." Princess Alicia whispered, her eyes fixed on the night sky like a caged bird, her plea echoing into the darkness.
(End of Chapter)
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