https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-592-Lanchi-Hopes-That-Loren-Can-Hold-Out/12584915/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-594-Hubertian-and-Sigil-s-First-Encounter/12584917/
Chapter 593: Loren Lost His Voice at Home
Chapter 593: Loren Lost His Voice at Home
In the present world, during a scorching summer, the warm breeze carried a hint of morning freshness as it gently brushed through the sprawling city. On the windowsills of the buildings of the Ikelite Academy, droplets of water remained from the previous night's light rain, glistening in the morning light.
Loren returned to the school alone. His demeanor remained gentle, resembling that of his student, Lanchi, though with a subtle difference. While Lanchi exuded an air of authority, Loren was more approachable, making it difficult to discern his strength at first glance.
He strolled along the path that wound through the trees, with birds occasionally flitting by, their fluttering shadows dancing across his face, casting it in alternating light and darkness.
"... "
The figure with silver eyes and white hair stood at a distance, her presence as pure as falling snow even in the midst of summer. She observed Loren from afar, unable to discern the expression on his face.
Despite the danger, she approached him unnoticed and continued to watch him. Perhaps one day she would slip up. Yet, she knew that some things could only be done by herself.
Rather than secretly monitoring him, it would be better to just casually strike up a conversation as if nothing was amiss.
With a deep breath, the Ice and Snow Witch composed herself. Her movements were swift yet unhurried, and in just a few strides, she appeared not far from Loren's side.
"Loren," her voice rang out, causing Loren to startle as if he had been frightened. He stumbled slightly in his steps before turning to face the Ice and Snow Witch, Almis.
"Miss Almis, it's you. Are you at the school?" Loren said, his voice carrying a hint of relief. Perhaps due to his complete lack of guard against Almis, he hadn't even noticed her approach.
"... " Almis silently gazed at Loren. He looked like he hadn't slept well the previous night. Moreover, he seemed apprehensive in her presence, unsure of how to inform her about Huberian being led into the Seventh Stage Shadow World by Lanchi.
Was he feeling guilty? Almis couldn't help but wonder. She found herself unsure if Loren was incredibly cunning or simply hopelessly honest.
Soon, the Ice and Snow Witch cleared her mind. Regardless of Loren's true nature, the best disguise for a spy like herself was to feign ignorance and just act normal around him.
"I'm not here to pressure you," she said in her usual calm tone. "Seeing you struggle these days, I've realized that you're quite a responsible man."
"Thank you for helping me with the church matters during this time. Otherwise, I really wouldn't have been able to handle it," Loren said, exhaling deeply and expressing his sincere gratitude. If it weren't for the timely arrival of the Ice and Snow Witch from the Northern Continent, who held the same position as him, he might not have had a moment's rest.
"It's nothing. This is my job," Almis replied, her eyes fixed on the path ahead rather than on Loren.
The two continued walking side by side. At the Ikelite Academy in summer, the leaves on either side of the road were freshly washed by the rain, their droplets gleaming like taut bowstrings.
Almis naturally had a low body temperature, and in this summer heat, she seemed to exude an even cooler aura, as if she were the source of a refreshing breeze.
The silence stretched on for a while, punctuated only by the slightly jarring chirping of a few spotted doves perched on the branches above.
"Almis, I assure you, when it comes to Lanchi's abilities, you only need to believe in his upper limit and not worry about his lower limit," Loren said, unable to bear the silent torment any longer. "As long as he's fine, Huberian will definitely be safe."
Being with the Ice and Snow Witch sometimes felt even more challenging than battling the Bishop of Destruction, he thought to himself.
"They're alone, a man and a woman, in this Seventh Stage Shadow World. Who can guarantee that nothing will happen between them?" Almis turned her head to look at Loren, her voice light and indifferent as she asked the question.
She had heard plenty of rumors about Loren. It was said that he had several dozen fiancees and that he maintained an ambiguous relationship with the famous Knight Captain Juliana of the Yuelan Kingdom. They pretended to have conflicts to deceive his other fiancees, but in reality, they secretly met up under the pretext of official business.
Not only was he infatuated with Knight Captain Juliana, but he also had a way with words, captivating the hearts of his dozens of fiancees and entangling them in his web of deception.
Almis believed that Lanchi, as Loren's student, was cut from the same cloth. She couldn't help but worry that Huberian, being of such a young age, might fall prey to Lanchi's charms.
"Rest assured, Lanchi is very reliable in that regard. He's cautious about maintaining distance from women, and with his focus on community service, he hardly has any romantic inclinations," Loren said firmly, understanding Lanchi's character well.
"Just like those rumors about me having several dozen fiancees, right? Isn't that a bit exaggerated?" Loren added, acknowledging the reason behind Almis' concern—the campus gossip.
Indeed, he was all too familiar with the damage those rumors had caused.
"... " Almis fell silent. Perhaps there was some truth to that.
"How do you usually train Lanchi?"
Almis inquired once more.
She recalled Lanchi's impressive performance during the priestly assessment; his skills were indeed dependable.
But how could anyone be passionate about community service? Even a child like Huberian, who constantly prattled on about merit, wouldn't go that far.
"I... I didn't train him. He grew up wild on his own." Loren's voice was hesitant, his emotions mixed.
Lanchi was heaven-sent; he hadn't raised him.
This guy's strength was his formidable skills, but that was also his weakness.
"Is that so?" Almis muttered to herself, deciding not to press Loren further.
She felt slightly relieved.
Upon further reflection, Almis concluded that even if Lanchi was exceptional, having dozens of fiancees was a bit far-fetched, unless he was an emperor selecting his concubines. It simply didn't hold up to scrutiny.
Moreover, based on her observations over the past half month, Loren himself seemed perfectly fine in terms of his interactions with the opposite sex.
At the very least, Loren was a gentleman; he treated her with respect and courtesy, without a hint of the gaze men sometimes directed at women.
After all, a teacher and their student were cut from the same cloth. If Lanchi was upright in his dealings with women, then Loren wouldn't stray in that regard either.
"Okay, I believe you, Loren." Almis stated.
Having convinced herself that Loren was fine in this aspect, she felt a weight lift from her shoulders.
Even if she were to lose to Loren one day, she didn't have to worry about him doing anything too extreme to her, and out of respect for their past as colleagues, he would likely grant her a quick death.
The two made their way through the shaded path, arriving near the Gera Memorial Square.
The clock face, suspended high on the clock tower, leisurely pointed to nine o'clock. The open-air giant screen, surrounded by numerous academic buildings, was broadcasting the ongoing challenge within the Shadow World.
This weekend, the academy was brimming with more vitality than ever before.
For some reason, the enthusiastic clamor resonated like a tidal wave across the spacious stone-stepped square. The seats on the steps were packed with students, and even the surrounding roads were filled with onlookers. Passersby seemed drawn to the energy, pausing in their tracks as their eyes fixated on the massive screen.
From time to time, they shouted and screamed excitedly, raising their hands or clenching their fists as if celebrating a festival.
"What's going on?" Almis asked, turning to Loren.
She felt that the schools in the Southern Continent were too liberal or that the students were overly boisterous, always brimming with excitement.
"You'll get used to it. It's not a big deal. Students were like this when Lanchi entered the Shadow World in the past as well," Loren waved his hand, exasperated.
"Wait a moment."
Loren suddenly realized something with a start.
Could it be that Lanchi had started a live broadcast?
An ominous premonition caused him to quicken his steps toward the open-air giant screen in Gera Memorial Square.
His heart was pounding like a drum.
However, he assured himself that it would probably be fine.
He thought that at most, Lanchi would be torturing a vampire, and whenever Lanchi incited the students to cheer, it was due to his usual abstract actions. Not once had there been any other exceptions.
It shouldn't be a problem.
Two seconds later.
Loren's legs felt as if they had been frozen in place.
On the open-air giant screen, the camera focused on Lanchi's Shadow World—
Under the boundless sky filled with stars, the black-haired youth and the silver-haired girl stood on the balcony of a seaside villa.
Huberian mustered all her strength to lean in and give Lanchi a kiss on the cheek.
Lanchi stared at the sea, his eyes widening abruptly. He stiffly turned his head to the side, looking at Huberian.
What followed was a lengthy, non-static stare.
The only sound was the thunderous roar of cheers from the Gera Memorial Square.
Loren's mouth hung open as he stared at the open-air giant screen, his eyes trembling. For a long moment, he couldn't utter a word.
Occasionally, indistinct shouts could be heard:
"This live broadcast has clearly shown that Loren's two students have no intention of completing the task. They are simply seizing their last chance to fulfill their love during their final journey in life."
"It seems they discovered that this is a trap, a disaster that will explode with their lives as the price, after entering the Shadow World."
"Loren, what else are you hiding?"
"..."
Loren stared at the open-air giant screen, feeling the chill beside him as if it would freeze him solid.
He felt like he had lost his voice; he didn't even dare to turn his head to look at Almis.
Not just Almis, but he also dared not imagine how the entire kingdom would discuss him tomorrow.
Finally,
Loren covered his face and laughed.
When one's mentality truly shatters, it's not with loud noises but with a faint smile.
"..."
Almis stared at the quivering corners of Loren's mouth and his trembling shoulders, feeling both angry and chilled to the bone.
All of this...
Perhaps it was all planned by Loren.
He was probably trembling with excitement right now.
Although others might not believe that the situation could be turned around at this point, Almis did.
She was Loren's final opponent and the only one who could expose his conspiracy! Almis secretly vowed, clenching her white knuckles.
(End of Chapter)
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