Chapter 684: Lanchi Holds the Reins Today (Part 1)

Chapter 684: Lanchi Holds the Reins Today (Part 1)



It was the end of August in the floral city of Pariah, and the fourth Sunday of the month. With autumn approaching, dark clouds loomed overhead.

Heavy clouds hung low over the entire city, as if a downpour was imminent.

As a result, the Saint Silvervine Arena had opted to close its retractable roof instead of opening it for the day.

"So this is what the dome of the Saint Silvervine Arena looks like when there's a chance of rain," Christina Baptiste remarked as she leaned back in her seat, gazing up at the vast interior of the arena.

The arena seemed to stretch endlessly upward, its dome a massive half-circle projecting a distant starry sky. Deep blue in color, it was studded with bright stars that resembled sparkling jewels, slowly drifting across the expanse with the occasional wisp of white cloud floating by, like a thin veil draped over the starry canopy.

"Christina, please sit properly," her older brother, Kelvin, chided gently from the sofa beside her.

While their younger sister had always been free-spirited, her casual posture, reminiscent of a relaxed old man, seemed out of place for a count's daughter in such a setting.

"Okay, okay," Christina replied nonchalantly, adjusting her posture slightly.

She turned her attention to her brother.

Today being Sunday, their butler, Loki, who worked on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, had not accompanied them to the arena.

Christina felt a sense of relief at his absence, as Loki was the one person she was somewhat wary of. Without him, she instinctively relaxed a little.

"Miss, let's head home early today," Ina whispered to Christina.

"Yeah, the weather doesn't look too good. I heard there's going to be a big storm tonight," Christina agreed, before realizing the reason herself.

While it wasn't noticeable indoors, the occasional rumble of thunder echoing through the long corridor at the entrance hinted at the weather outside.

Christina had noticed during their time together that Ina didn't seem to like humid weather; she disliked both getting caught in the rain and having her body wet.

Even though Christina had used the best medicines the Baptiste family could buy to heal Ina's injuries significantly, she still seemed timid and cautious most of the time.

According to the other maids in the household, they could no longer sense any magical power from Ina, and even Christina struggled to gauge her true strength.

She would have to ask Butler again on Monday.

No, wait.

If she won the lottery she had bought today, she could fire Loki on Monday and not have to deal with the 'evil god' in their household anymore.

The thought of having Ina all to herself, without Loki's presence, was like a dream come true for Christina.

"Can we not fire Butler Loki...?" Ina asked hesitantly, as if she had guessed Christina's thoughts.

"You can't depend on him or expect him to protect you forever. He's taught you everything he can, and you might even be stronger than him now," Christina said encouragingly.

She firmly believed that Ina, whom she had hired, might not be any weaker than Loki, whom Kelvin had employed. Ina's apparent weakness was likely due to her prolonged battle-damaged state.

"... " Kelvin glanced at his sister, slightly exasperated by her loud scheming to dismiss the butler he had hired.

While he found her intentions a bit absurd, he wouldn't stand in her way if she truly wanted to go through with it.

As long as Loki agreed, he would stay out of it.

After all, Kelvin had long suspected that Loki was far more than an ordinary butler worth £50,000 for five years of service.

Their family's encounter with Loki was simply a matter of fate.

Setting Loki free could even be considered a good deed.

"That butler is so mysterious. I wonder if he deliberately avoided joining us today," Christina mused, scanning the interior of the Saint Silvervine Arena.

She suspected that Loki was somewhere in the arena, as he had asked her to look after his little black cat for the day.

"Meow, meow," the Cat Boss purred, pretending to be an ordinary cat.

During the first round of evaluations, Lanchi had entrusted him to Rosalind, the female countess.

He had waited for Tata to finish her test before approaching her.

Later, during the second round, Lanchi had brought him to the Celestial Hall while he was working, and he had grown fond of this luxurious branch arena.

And so, today, at the Cat Boss's request, Lanchi had left him in the care of the Baptiste family.

The final round of the Platinum-level Card Maker Examinations, focusing on artistry, was already well underway.

All the candidates were in the shadow world, working on their assigned tasks, and some had already completed and submitted their creations.

The test for this round was straightforward:

Create a piece of artwork, with the base score determined by the artificial shadow world and the remaining points awarded by the chief examiner.

Christina turned her attention to the screen.

The atmosphere during this final examination was quieter than any of the previous rounds.

On the holographic projection screen, the artificial shadow world simulated the Platinum Forest Palace, where each candidate occupied a separate area, free from interference as they worked on their creations.

The camera view shifted and moved periodically within the vast central hall of the palace.

The first thing that caught the eye was the massive stalactite dome, with its extravagant plaster reliefs shimmering under the light. Angelic sculptures seemed poised to take flight from their plaster confines, and at the center of the dome, a colorful glass mosaic formed a dazzling jewel, casting rainbow-hued pillars of light onto the marble floor.

On either side stood two seven-meter-tall statues of sphinx-like creatures engaged in a relentless struggle—the epic sculptures "Lion of Battle" and "Lion of Victory."

Ascending the stone staircase, one could behold the majestic corridors of rationality and prosperity in all their splendor.

In the left wing, Pariah Square boasted a fountain adorned with a statue of the god of will and love, its surface glistening with droplets that resembled countless precious gems.

In every open space, candidates sat quietly, surrounded by flat-headed, round-headed, and flat paintbrushes, as they worked diligently on their paintings.

The instructions for this round were inscribed in ancient text, visible on the walls throughout the art gallery.

【Theme: Self-Portrait】

【Each examinee may freely use mirrors within the artificial shadow world.】

【Once complete, the examinee may submit their work to the chief examiner.】

【The venue and the prism itself are not part of the theme and do not need to be altered.】

【...】

Everything that met the eye was vividly portrayed with strong contours.

Many of the Gold-level Card Makers furrowed their brows.

Outside the artificial shadow world.

"Isn't self-portraiture the simplest exam topic?"

Christina asked Kyle, who was seated in the audience.

Her brother, Kyle, had some understanding of art; after all, he had once been a failed applicant to the Pariah University of Arts, and Butler Loki was even more impressive, likely having been a successful applicant in his time.

"Self-portraits are both pure and challenging because they involve technical hurdles and a deep exploration of the self," Kyle explained earnestly to Christina as he turned his head towards her, his eyes fixed on the giant screen displaying the ever-changing works of the Gold-level Card Makers.

"First, there's the fundamental technical challenge."

On a technical level, self-portraits require artists to accurately capture and reproduce their own facial features, necessitating not only superb painting skills but also a profound understanding of light and shadow, proportions, and composition.

Unlike painting others, artists observing and painting themselves as subjects often change their perspective during the creative process, significantly increasing the difficulty.

"Secondly, there are issues of emotional honesty, self-reflection, choices in self-presentation, and the tension between the public and private selves. Strictly speaking, self-portraits may be more challenging than painting others."

Kyle elucidated to Christina why many seasoned Gold-level Card Makers on the screen seemed lost in deep thought.

Throughout history, numerous painters have created self-portraits, some of which have become iconic representations of their artistic authority, while others were simply the handiwork of artists who couldn't afford models.

Regardless, many of these self-portraits have endured as timeless masterpieces.

It could also be said that these paintings reflected the artists themselves at the very moment of creation.

Soon.

A buzz of discussion emanated from the Celestial Hall.

Apparently, a Gold-level Card Maker had submitted their work to the examiners' room.

On the screen.

In the conference room where the two examiners and the assistant from the Card Makers' Association were located, a young Demon Craftsman with a tall and sturdy build, firm features, and long hair tied in a ponytail entered with a painting in hand.

The newcomer was Esker, the rising star from a small country, clad in a simple black craftsman's outfit with a tool belt around his waist, and a smart prosthetic limb on his right arm. He stood before the long table, awaiting evaluation.

The masked chief examiner, Lanchi, stroked his chin as he sat in the chief examiner's seat, admiring the work.

The deputy examiner, Countess Rosalinda, also quietly observed.

Although she was also painting, she seemed rather relaxed and could stop at any time.

Esker's self-portrait was composed of various brightly colored and contrasting irregular geometric shapes, creating a vivid and striking image.

Within the collage of shapes, one could discern outlines resembling mechanical parts, as if depicting a mechanized figure.

The overall effect gave the reviewers a sense of bursting power and vibrant energy, conveying the Demon Craftsman's passion for technology and innovation.

【Portrait: Shattered Contours】

【Type: Artwork】

【Grade: Sacred (Damaged)】

【Tier: 1】

【There is a chance that any living being who appreciates this painting will lose a small amount of stamina and gain a certain amount of mechanical attribute enhancement within 12 hours.】

"The use of Cubism and Futurism is quite interesting," the mysterious chief examiner commented, recording the scores for various criteria.

In the first round of exams, he had been the deputy examiner, sweating profusely. Now, in the third round, he seemed exceptionally calm and composed as the chief examiner.

This exam evaluated the candidates across six dimensions: technical skill, creativity and originality, expressiveness and theme appropriateness, overall completion of the work, ancient relic attributes, and magical foundation.

The benchmark for scoring was set by the Western Hub Zone Card Makers' Association headquarters' topic group, using a self-portrait by Loggins.

He gave this piece a score of 95, setting it as the reference point for grading the other candidates' works.

Countess Rosalinda glanced at Lanchi's scoring.

The average score he had given so far was around 82.

Her eyelids twitched twice.

Throughout her observations, Rosalinda felt that Lanchi's scores tended to be on the higher side.

In her opinion, she would dare to give a score of 70 at most.

While the passing score for the candidates would ultimately be determined by the score she, the deputy examiner, achieved in her own self-portrait, any score above hers would be considered passing.

However, the fact that all the candidates' scores were relatively high indicated that Lanchi had not shown any favoritism towards Loggins.

Because the higher the reference work by Loggins is rated, the higher the score will be.

Conversely, it also implied that Loggins' painting was not that impressive.

Rosalinda felt that Loggins' work did have the air of a rich second-generation heir who liked to show off his creations and expected others to praise them. Most people wouldn't dare offend Loggins, though.

Seeing Lanchi's impartiality, Rosalinda felt a sense of satisfaction, but she also worried that Loggins might become angry.

"... "

For a long while, Loggins remained silent.

Even through the screen, Rosalinda could sense the displeasure emanating from Loggins' furrowed brows.

In itself, Loggins' painting was not bad and could even be considered excellent among Sacred-grade works.

The painting depicted a blurry study, with a floor-to-ceiling glass window overlooking a vast icy tundra, the world outside blanketed in pristine snow. Loggins' figure seemed both within the room and fused with the boundless snow, his eyes like frozen ice, exuding a sense of aloofness and a hint of disdain as if looking down upon the world.

【Portrait: Icefield】

【Type: Artwork】

【Grade: Sacred】

【Tier: 1】

【There is a chance that any living being who views this painting will feel awe towards the man depicted and consume a small amount of status, gaining artistic insight.】

Unlike the paintings created on the spot within a few hours, Loggins' self-portrait was a work he had prepared and crafted beforehand, specifically for submission to the exam topic group.

In terms of completion, it was likely far superior to what most candidates could achieve within the exam time limit.

It was almost impossible to create a work that exceeded the standard of a current Platinum-level Card Maker within just a few hours on the spot.

Therefore, following past conventions, there would rarely be scores above 95 in the four exam zones.

Of course, passing did not require such a high score.

One only needed to achieve a higher score than the deputy examiner, Countess Rosalinda, on this particular exam topic.

"This examiner is even better than Migai Yaren."

"He's so gentle; even after being tortured by several candidates in the first round, he still gives high scores."

"A large number of candidates were directly promoted in the first round, and even a few got points. This guy is the chief examiner in the third round, and he's started giving such high artistic scores again."

"And he's really not afraid of being rushed by Loggins' fans. If he keeps scoring like this, the area under Loggins' forehead is going to turn black."

From time to time, the audience discussed this year's mysterious examiner.

He had been a bit of a show-off since the first round, and as expected, he was still very independent in the third round.

He stood out for his leniency and unwavering integrity.

"I feel that this mysterious examiner has a good relationship with Countess Rosalinda. Loggins doesn't give Countess Rosalinda any face, and as the vice-president, she has to consider the overall situation and can't say anything. But this guy obviously doesn't care about anything and is directly trying to set Loggins straight."

It could only be said that some newcomers really didn't care about seniority, status, or social niceties.

They just did what they had to do.

"Be quiet, this occasion is not for your idle chatter."

When Loggins' voice sounded, the Saint Silvervine Arena fell silent for a moment.

The commoners of Pariah weren't afraid of him, but some of the aristocrats didn't want to speak anymore, as it might involve their interests.

After all, Loggins was a management-level Platinum-level Card Maker at the Card Makers' Association headquarters.

"Hahaha, this mysterious examiner is so interesting. Brother, do you have a way to invite him to dinner at our house? I want to host a feast for him."

Christina kicked her legs excitedly. She had been quite unhappy after being warned by Loggins in the second round a few days ago.

This guy was a bit eccentric; he wanted to control the audience even through the screen, and now he didn't allow them to talk about him.

"Although my father knows Countess Rosalinda, the Countess won't reveal the examiner's identity information."

Kelvin shook his head.

"Useless brother! Think of a way!"

Christina criticized him bluntly.

"Meow..."

Cat Boss couldn't tell her that this examiner was her family's butler.

And she seemed to dislike him.

After more than ten minutes...

A new candidate entered the conference room on the holographic screen and submitted their work to the judges.

"Oh, Sister Karen has finally finished her painting."

Christina was excited, and Yinoan, who was sitting next to her, looked at their school senior.

"She's the most famous genius Demon Craftsman at the Royal College of Yaloran in recent years. Maybe she can even rival Migai Ya, the Duke, when he was a teenager!"

Christina thought she had a good eye for people.

For example, she had gained a perfect maid and good friend in Yinoan.

"She... Migai Ya..."

Yinoan seemed to have something flash across her vision, and she pressed her hand to her forehead.

"Have you heard of Duke Migai Ya before?"

Seeing Yinoan's state, Christina asked concernedly, holding her shoulder.

Perhaps, if Yinoan had ever even seen Migai Ya, the Duke, it might be a chance to trigger some of her lost memories.

"He was really handsome when he was shining in the Kingdom of Bosen, and the Platinum-level Card Maker exam was as simple as could be for him."

Christina added more information, hoping to help Yinoan in some way.

"Mi Gai... Is he the girl with black hair?"

Yinoan murmured, as if her memory was confused.

"Aye."

Christina could only sigh.

It seemed that Yinoan really couldn't recover her memory for the time being, as she thought Migai Ya was a woman.

Yinoan also shook her head in confusion, no longer entangled in this vague clue.

Christina looked back at the artificial shadow world.

At this moment, Karen's work was revealed.

Her self-portrait stood against a very simple background, with only a pure white wall, and her own image was mainly in light colors, as if a dazzling slit had been torn in that plain picture.

Her long hair fell smoothly to her shoulders, without any elaborate hairstyle, and her dress was unadorned, but the smooth fabric was propped up by her straight back and confident posture, outlining her petite and curvaceous figure.

The most attractive thing was the expression on Karen's face. She was beautiful, and in her emerald green eyes, there was a small sun, warm, blazing, and dazzling.

She also seemed to be looking down at everyone, exuding an innate, restrained pride and vitality.

"This painting has a very modernistic color, using the most plain realistic technique to create a fantastic effect."

Lanchi held a magic conductor notepad in his hand, commenting on the painting with a smile.

【Portrait: Pure and Immaculate】

【Type: Artwork】

【Grade: Sacred】

【Tier: 1】

【There is a chance that any living being who appreciates this painting will recover a small amount of magic power and lower their mental magic resistance, and there is a small probability that they will fall in love with the woman in the painting.】

The audience was quite surprised to see the appraisal result on the screen.

Being able to create a Sacred-grade painting on the spot meant that it had the potential to match the demonstration piece, 【Portrait: Icefield】.

The multi-dimensional scores still needed to be judged by the chief examiner.

Generally speaking, it was already quite impressive to be able to create a flawed Sacred-grade painting within a limited time and under temporary conditions, and an immaculate Sacred-grade painting was unimaginable.

However, it was almost impossible to go any further.

There was a huge gap between the Sacred and Epic grades.

Even the famous master painters throughout history would only leave behind a handful of Epic-grade artworks in their lifetimes.

These works were not something that could be planned or prepared for; they often required a stroke of luck to come into being.

In the end, the chief examiner gave it a score of 88.

"Wow, he's so bold!"

"He really dares to give such high scores."

There were more voices of spectators who were enjoying the show.

According to the craftsmen outside the venue who understood art appreciation, Karen's painting was indeed good, and a score between 75 and 85 would be quite reasonable.

A score above 85 would be a bit disrespectful to Loggins.

And Loggins, who was connected via real-time link, heard this score, and the pen in his hand emitted a slight cracking sound.

"..."

Loggins now felt that this guy called Lanchi was truly clueless and dared to give such a high score to a mere Gold-level Card Maker's exam piece, a score that was close to his carefully prepared painting.

"Examiner, could you share your thoughts on my painting?"

Karen smiled and asked the chief examiner.

Although the examiner had been a bit clumsy and inexperienced in the first round, the score he gave her showed that he truly held no prejudice against her, and it was even higher than she had expected.

"If the essence of avant-garde art lies in breaking free from conventional visual presentation using the simplest shapes and brushstrokes, then this piece is undoubtedly worthy of being enshrined in the hall of contemporary masterpieces."

The chief examiner praised.

But he didn't flatter too much.

So, Karen bowed to him and turned to leave.

A smile played at the corners of her mouth.

Whether it was an exam, a gamble, or a man, she had it all under control.

She was now certain that this examiner was truly inexperienced, and as expected, he didn't understand anything. He had muddled through the first round, and he was still at it in the third round.

However, as long as he gave her a high score, she didn't mind.

...

The Shadow World conference room fell silent once more.

Before long, Lanchi, seated in the main examiner's chair, noticed that Rosalind, the Countess, was gesturing for him to look at her painting.

Countess Rosalind had finally completed the deputy examiner's painting.

"Come and give me a score, Chief Examiner."

Countess Rosalind deliberately mimicked the humble tone of the examinees as she spoke to Lanchi.

"Of course."

Lanchi smiled.

Even Rosalind's attempt to act like a young girl was more natural than that·person.

Today's Eastern Region Platinum-level Card Maker exam would determine the passing score based on the score given to the deputy examiner, making this assessment the most crucial one.

Whether in the conference room or the audience seats outside the Shadow World, many spectators sat up straight and focused on this painting brought by the deputy examiner.

The painting depicted a window sill, with a lone female figure holding a wine glass behind the glass. She was lifting her other hand to gently press against the window, and the rain outside fell on the glass, blurring the distinction between the raindrops and her tears.

Her figure was somewhat blurry in the rainy haze, but one could make out that she seemed to have a mixture of joy and sorrow on her face, both endearing and exuding a sense of vitality.

[Portrait: Rainy Night Reflections]



[Type: Artwork]



[Grade: Sacred]



[Tier: 1]



[There is a chance that any being who appreciates this painting will gain a deeper understanding of "wine" and acquire some improvement in winemaking and wine-tasting skills.]



Lanchi took a look and immediately gave it a score of 97.

Suddenly.

The entire Saint Silvervine Arena's attention shifted from the painting to the chief examiner.

The reference work provided by headquarters was only given a score of 95, so if Countess Rosalind's painting received a score of 97, it meant that the reference work was not that impressive.

More importantly, even if the score was adjusted downward by 10 points using the examiner's adaptive authority, the passing score would still be 87.

It would mean that there would be almost no one who passed this third round of exams in the Eastern Region, except for Karen from the Yoralan Kingdom, who barely made it with a score of 88.

"You're not trying to make it so that no one passes, are you?"

Countess Rosalind was also a little flustered.

She hadn't expected Lanchi to rate her work so highly.

And to some extent, it also implied that he hadn't been partial to the previous candidates; he had simply given them all high scores.

"It's fine, I'll use the examiner's adaptive authority to lower the passing score by 10 points, because you being here as the deputy examiner is already exceptional, and your performance has been especially outstanding."

Lanchi replied.

"I think her score is too high, Examiner. Please elaborate on your thoughts."

This time, Loggins could no longer hold back.

He was about to outright ask, "Are you randomly assigning scores?"

But at this moment, the more he showed his agitation, the more it seemed like he was losing his composure, and he had to forcibly suppress his anger, acting as if nothing had happened and communicating with the chief examiner.

"Well, then, I'll do as you say."

Lanchi didn't argue or resist, agreeing readily.

"By how much?"

Lanchi asked him.

"Change it to 92."

This made Loggins extremely displeased.

Because Lanchi's attitude seemed like he was humoring him, like he was punching cotton.

To some extent, Lanchi's way of speaking was like a superior addressing a subordinate.

"Alright, I'll listen to you. Changing it to 92 means I'll only need to adjust it down by 5 points later."

Lanchi put down the scoring tablet.

Upon hearing this, Loggins felt like Lanchi was treating him like a fool.

Originally, Lanchi had intended to use the examiner's adaptive authority to lower the score from 97 to 87.

With Loggins' adjustment, it would still end up at 87.

It was as if he was merely going through the motions to appease Loggins.

The insulting nature of his actions remained unchanged.

"Examiner, I warn you, from your performance in the first round, it's clear that you have serious deficiencies in your Card Maker abilities. If any examinee challenges your scoring later, I will handle it strictly and will not tolerate any examiner who lacks professional competence, ethics, or ability to remain in this position."

Loggins' words were like sharp icicles cutting through the silence of a winter night.

Countess Rosalind's breath quickened with a hint of panic as she heard this.

If he were dealt with strictly by headquarters, the worst-case scenario could be the revocation of Lanchi's Platinum-level qualification.

"... "

Lanchi could only smile helplessly at her.

Countess Rosalind thought about it and finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Such wealth among the strong was something she had only seen in Migai Ya.

And this Lanchi was even more excessive.

The most insulting part was that the honesty registration system in the artificial Shadow World meant that if an examiner randomly assigned scores, it would be checked, and it could only mean that the chief examiner truly believed that the reference work was ordinary.

However.

After Loggins' implicit warning, none of the examinees challenged the scores.

Because the chief examiner had indeed been quite generous to them.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end