https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-356-What-Level-of-Card-Maker-is-Lanchi-/12584521/
Chapter 357: Lanchi's Calm Preparations
Chapter 357: Lanchi's Calm Preparations
In the magical workshop of the lord's mansion in Kingston City, antique furnishings adorned the room. Time-worn brown wood carved out intricate counters of varying heights, and boundary runes engraved on their surfaces glowed with a soft, breath-like light.
Seated in a corner chair with a small cat in her arms, Sid watched Lanchi's card crafting process with great interest.
Although this was the first time she had heard of a magus engineer's peculiar need to be supervised during card crafting, she was more than happy to oblige if it could help Lanchi. Or perhaps she had simply wanted to watch her saint crafting cards.
Even to this day, she remembered the first time she encountered Lanchi during the Extinction Branch assessment of the Helrom Extinction Knights. She had admired his work then, and now, whether it was watching him carve, paint, or create magical tools, she never felt bored.
In the depths of the workshop, by the window, lay a thick, silver-colored magic-insulating velvet cloth on the workbench, intended to minimize the interference of magical facilities in the room on the materials and tools. Under the warm yellow light, Lanchi's shadow fell upon his surroundings as he focused on the magical apparatus before him, his eyes reflecting a calm, verdant glow.
Next to Lanchi's right hand was a neat row of small glass vials, each filled with liquids of different colors and levels, carefully refined and measured by him. Setting aside a vial of freshly prepared magic nucleus liquid, he smoothly turned to his right and began working with a miniature balance and a set of precise graduated vials, meticulously mixing a new combination of ingredients.
"Why does he need so many materials?" Sid asked in a soft whisper, tilting her head in confusion as she spoke to the little black cat in her arms.
She had, after all, seen other card crafters at work before.
Usually, they would prepare just enough materials for a single magic card.
But Lanchi, he was like a cafeteria chef, preparing ingredients for ten or twenty cards at once.
"I don't get it, meow. Every time this kid crafts cards, it's like he's preparing for a fifty-card draw," the Cat Boss whispered to Sid. "Though his family does seem to have quite a bit of money to spare..."
The cat had been present during Lanchi's previous card-crafting attempts in his dormitory. Aside from seal-type magic cards, which had a relatively high success rate, and spiritual and light-type cards, which were passable, the success rate of his other card types was abysmal.
Thinking about it, the Cat Boss decided to drop the topic.
No matter how wealthy the Lanchi family was, they were still only affluent commoners. From the snippets of information it had gathered while at the Ikelite Academy, the Cat Boss knew that the Wilfort Chamber of Commerce couldn't withstand too much turmoil, and as for Cardinal Sigrid of the Resurrection Church, she was from another world altogether.
The Cat Boss dared not imagine what would happen if Lanchi's father ever met the suspected daughter-in-law, Sigrid, at their doorstep.
"I see," Sid nodded, turning her gaze back to Lanchi.
He was carefully measuring out a change-attribute magic crystal powder, using a low-ranked but highly pure magic crystal. With a gentle motion, Lanchi poured in the exact amount needed, ensuring that not a speck more or less was added, despite the delicate balance that could be upset even by a gentle breeze.
"His skill is heart-wrenching," Sid whispered in awe.
"...Meow," the Cat Boss responded, offering no words of its own.
Lanchi slowly dripped the concentrated magic nucleus liquid into the magic crystal powder. As the liquid made contact with the powder, a mild reaction occurred, causing the mixture to boil and then quickly settle down, emitting a soft luminescence. He then picked up an engraving pen and carefully filled the pen tube with the prepared magic ink until it was eight-tenths full, before sealing it securely.
After completing these steps, he took out a delicate semi-transparent blank card, a necessary material for crafting magic cards. Sourced from the Shadow World, these cards could bear fixed magic formulas, ensuring the durability and stability of the cards' magic.
At the workbench, Lanchi unfurled several different low-level magic scrolls of commonly used change-type magic. The scrolls, made from pale brown moonflower wood paper, revealed faint blue lines of runes and patterns. With a practiced hand, he used a specially crafted engraving knife and his magic to extract the required portions, carefully placing the metal—a special alloy capable of withstanding and conducting high-intensity magic—onto the predetermined positions on the card. He then began the recompiling process, similar to resetting a scroll.
Engraving magic circuits required a high level of concentration and skill, yet Lanchi's breathing and heart rate remained steady throughout, as if he were performing a mundane task.
Even outsiders like Sigrid and the Cat Boss could tell that engraving the card was no easy feat. The intricate, ant-like Devil Language magic script on the card was barely discernible, and they wouldn't have wanted to scrutinize it even if they could see it clearly.
Lanchi worked with nonchalant ease, showing no signs of doubting his ability to succeed.
He resembled an artist casually painting a familiar masterpiece.
Each stroke was swift and decisive yet incredibly delicate.
This caused Sid, who was watching him intently, to regard him with even more respect.
Lanchi's demeanor exuded the air of a master artist who had reached the pinnacle of his craft, and she couldn't help but anticipate the card he would create!
Several dozen seconds passed.
Then, with a burst of flames and a loud, violent sound...
It exploded.
"That was fast," Sid exclaimed, her eyes widening at the vanishing sparks.
Her saint might appear a bit wasteful and his actions somewhat confusing, but...
But such a situation could only be the result of either an extremely arrogant genius or a foolish dreamer.
She believed that her saint definitely fell into the former category.
"It exploded again..."
The lightweight barrier in the card-making workshop protected Lanchi from harm as he stared dumbly at the magic card in his hand that had just blown up, seemingly taken aback by the sudden turn of events.
"I scared you."
He turned to apologize to Sid, looking a bit embarrassed.
"It's fine, I quite enjoy the fireworks."
Sid smiled softly, her eyes reflecting a hint of encouragement.
Lanchi paused, as if taken aback by her response, or perhaps he had received a completely different feedback than what he expected or anticipated.
After a moment, Lanchi finally came back to his senses, lowering his eyes and sighing with relief.
He decided that he would never again call Sid an unmarried older woman; her excellent qualities truly shone through.
Sid furrowed her brows slightly, but instead of saying anything, she simply squeezed the Cat Boss in her arms a little tighter.
And so, Lanchi turned back to continue crafting cards, while Sid continued to watch him, her chin resting on her hand.
Time passed, and the card-making workshop was intermittently illuminated by sparks of light.
Despite the unexpected sounds, the air in the room seemed especially calm between the two of them.
As night fell, Lanchi still hadn't succeeded in creating the card he had set out to make.
Sid dozed off, her eyes closed as she slept peacefully in the chair.
She seemed to be having a pleasant dream, snoring softly, undisturbed by the occasional card-making failures or the clatter of tools, which to her were like the sounds of a thunderstorm.
"Meow."
Cat Boss went upstairs to the guest room to fetch a thicker blanket, which he then draped over Sid using Telekinesis magic.
Then, with a worried look, he turned his gaze towards Lanchi.
He felt that with Sid here, Lanchi seemed to be blowing up his cards even faster.
In the past, he would at least get a few steps further before failing, but now he seemed unusually carefree, as if he were playing with clay.
Unlike a typical card maker who would feel at least a little ashamed, Lanchi merely smiled to himself.
It was evident that he was genuinely happy and had found the purest joy in card crafting after completely letting go of his pressure.
Cat Boss was unsure how to judge the reverse buff that Sid had given Lanchi—whether it was a good or bad thing.
All he knew was that when Lanchi returned to the Southern Continent and Tata saw him crafting cards like this, his blood pressure would likely skyrocket.
As the last trace of twilight vanished beyond the horizon, only the stars twinkled quietly against the ink-black backdrop, and the world outside the workshop sank into a fathomless night. The curtain gaps outlined the contours of starlight and moonlight.
The tall clock in the corner struck midnight, each tick-tock echoing clearly throughout the workshop.
After an unusually long period without any abrupt sounds, a dazzling light finally emerged from one side of the workbench, illuminating the quiet room.
"Hmm..."
As if sensing the light, Sid slowly opened her eyes and rubbed them.
She saw, not far away, the light growing brighter until it faded, and Lanchi held a purple-hued magic card in his hand.
Sid quickly regained her focus and shifted her gaze to Lanchi.
"Hey, a purple rare magic card. No wonder Little Black Cat said you're pretty good."
Sid clapped her hands in satisfaction.
It had only taken a dozen or so hours to create a targeted purple rare quality magic card, and although it was only second-tier, it was enough to prove his excellent skills.
"Card crafting is my old specialty, after all."
Lanchi replied. When he returned to the Southern Continent, most of his time would likely be occupied with improving his magical engineering skills again. He missed the freedom of the Northern Continent, where each day was fulfilling and joyful.
Ignoring Lanchi's words, Cat Boss jumped down from the armchair and moved closer to inspect the card Lanchi had made.
It turned out to be a second-tier spell, [Transformation Technique: Human], which Lanchi and Talia had thoroughly researched.
However, this particular card seemed to have a special feature—the ability to change one's appearance.
"You went through so much trouble just to create a new disguise?"
Cat Boss asked in surprise.
He knew that Lanchi and Sid lacked new disguises, to the point where Lanchi had lent Sid his card that transformed him into Loki McCassy.
Lanchi smiled but remained silent, lightly touching the [Transformation Technique: Human] card. His figure blurred and twisted, and in the blink of an eye, he took on the appearance of the Saint of Extinction.
"Meow?!"
Cat Boss let out a startled scream and leaped into Sid's arms, his fur standing on end.
However, after a moment's thought, he realized it was Lanchi and cautiously poked his head out to observe.
Lanchi's unique aura remained unchanged, and he didn't seem to be seriously impersonating the Saint of Extinction.
But in terms of appearance, the transformation was flawless!
"...You captured someone, and now you can disguise yourself as them and infiltrate their companions... I don't even know how to describe such an evil creature."
The moment Sid saw Lanchi transform into the Saint of Extinction, she immediately understood what he intended to do next, and she couldn't help but feel conflicted about it.
All she could say was that he was born to be on the side of the Resurrection Church.
(End of Chapter)
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