https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-715-Lanchi-Can-t-Bear-to-See-Others-Bewitching-the-Masses/12585149/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-717-Lanchi-Begins-to-Study-the-Identity-of-Landel/12585157/
Chapter 716: Lanchi's Focus is on the Vampire Base
Chapter 716: Lanchi's Focus is on the Vampire Base
The autumn nights in Saint Kresin arrive early. The fleeting red sun soon makes its quiet exit, leaving the sky with a faint ink wash, hanging star sand and a white moon in its wake.
After meeting with Headmistress Violet, Lanchi departed from her office, led by Secretary Nila, toward his residence within the Saint Kresin Abbey.
"How did your meeting with Headmaster Landrey go, Professor?" Nila asked as she drove Lanchi away from the area where the Main Cathedral was located.
"No problems at all," Lanchi replied, his gaze fixed on the abbey's scenery outside the window.
"I thought you might be nervous meeting an Imperial War God. After all, that level of power is akin to divinity. Some professors might prefer dealing with me and avoid going directly to the Headmistress." Nila continued, "Have you encountered any eighth-rank powerhouses before in the North?"
Many would instinctively fear Headmistress Violet. In her understanding, the northwestern border, where Landrey was from, shouldn't have any natives who had transcended to that level.
Not to mention the War Gods, who stood at the pinnacle of the eighth rank. Lanchi's own attainment of the sixth rank was already near the pinnacle of human potential.
To progress further, one would have to journey from the remote border to the Imperial Capital or beyond. In fact, most border residents would never even lay eyes on an eighth-rank existence in their lifetimes.
"Yes, he was a man I'll never forget." Lanchi's eyes took on a nostalgic gleam.
"It seems you've had your fair share of adventures, Professor." Nila's curiosity was piqued, sensing the many stories this professor carried. "What was this man like?"
Given the air of mystery surrounding Professor Landrey, it would be unreasonable to assume a mundane past. His candid admission only served to intrigue Nila further.
"He always wore a gray coat and was an absolute powerhouse. His strength brought him much loneliness, but I eventually taught him about love." Lanchi's voice held a hint of satisfaction as he slightly clenched his fist and looked down at his hand.
"You taught him love? He must hate you now!" Talia couldn't help but blurt out, her silence finally breaking as she had been listening to Lanchi's conversation with Nila. Initially, she had thought Lanchi was referring to Loren, and she was preparing to offer him some comfort. But then she realized he was talking about Losham.
"Being hated to such an extent is practically the same as being loved, isn't it?" Lanchi replied to Talia in his mind.
"... " Talia was at a loss for words. Though she didn't fully understand love herself, she felt that Lanchi's interpretation of it was somewhat twisted.
The vehicle came to a stop in front of a unique mansion. She, too, looked out through Lanchi's eyes, unable to believe what she was seeing.
Talia was astonished to discover that Saint Kresin Abbey had assigned Landrey a two-story villa as his residence. While the accommodations at the Ikelite Academy were hotel-like, they certainly didn't go as far as providing villas.
This displayed the abbey's wealth and the respect they accorded their professors. Upon further reflection, Talia found the arrangement rather pleasing.
Given Lanchi's original identity as publisher Lovia, who wasn't particularly wealthy, moving to the capital would have meant renting a place that matched his financial means. Anything too extravagant would have aroused suspicion, and he might have had to live more frugally.
But now that Lanchi had assumed Landrey's identity and his newfound wealth, there was no issue with living in a luxurious villa. Talia was quite comfortable with the idea of residing there with him.
"Professor Landrey, we've arrived. This will be your residence from now on." Secretary Nila had already exited the vehicle swiftly, opening the car door for Lanchi and handing him the keys.
"Thank you, Miss Nila," Lanchi said as he took the keys and stepped out of the car with his luggage.
Before him stood a two-story classical-style mansion. The creamy white walls glowed softly under the abbey's streetlights, and the deep blue roof tiles and dark brown window frames gave it the appearance of a decades-old structure.
"Is there anything else you require assistance with?" Nila inquired.
"Could the school send over some fresh ingredients? Perhaps enough for a week... or two." Lanchi thought for a moment, estimating that the amount of food he, Talia, and Cat Boss consumed would last them about two weeks.
"You're used to cooking at home, Professor? You can use the abbey's intelligent magic guide system to purchase whatever you need. Just place an order for daily necessities, food, and drinks, and they'll be delivered to you within minutes. But since it's already late, I'll go ahead and have some food sent over for you. It should arrive shortly." Secretary Nila took out a portable magic guide from her pocket, contacting the School Affairs Office as she spoke to Lanchi. "If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to me via the communication magic guide. And remember, Professor Landrey, your official duties will begin the day after tomorrow, so take these two days to rest and familiarize yourself with your new surroundings here at the abbey."
"
After Secretary Nila finished speaking, she bowed and returned to the car.
"It seems the academy has gone to great lengths, so I'd better get to work too."
Lanchi watched as Nila's car disappeared into the night.
Even at their farewell, she remained polite and graceful, the epitome of a lady, and correspondingly, it would be easy to become acquainted with her, and she didn't give off a sense of distance.
"How do you manage to find a bunch of work every time you arrive in a new place?"
Talia asked him, puzzled, through their mental link.
"Maybe everyone needs me."
Lanchi recalled that when he first arrived in the Northern Continent, he had immediately taken on four jobs in Helrom.
"You could retire at the age of twenty, your life has already been rich and colorful enough."
Talia sighed. If she could manifest right now, she would have patted Lanchi on the shoulder.
Perhaps for a talented person like Lanchi, it wasn't that he was looking for work, but rather that work was seeking him out.
Lanchi carried his small suitcase and walked into the courtyard.
The architectural style of Saint Kresin Abbey was unique, with marble towers and flying buttresses everywhere.
The main area of the campus was traversed by a lush tree-lined road, and a clear stream trickled through, the sound of the flowing water audible from the courtyard.
Lanchi didn't feel much of the tension of being a spy.
His start in the Kresin Empire was already much better than when he was in the Northern Continent.
After a long journey, nothing was more important than getting some rest.
From now on, he was Landrey Washington.
Whether it was Landrey's work or his relationships, Lanchi would handle them in his stead.
Lanchi pushed open the heavy door of the mansion and stepped into the villa that would be his home from now on.
"Meow meow meow! What a wonderful start to a new home, meow!"
Cat Boss emerged from the shadows, eager to help Lanchi inspect the mansion, curious to see what their new home looked like.
Unlike Talia, who couldn't easily manifest, it was fine for Cat Boss to appear as a familiar.
It was reasonable for a sixth-rank professor like Landrey to have a contracted familiar that was weaker than him.
On the coffee table next to the beige sofa was a pot of Phalaenopsis orchids, adding a touch of life to the living room, and beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows was a meticulously maintained garden, with warm yellow lamps still lighting the path Lanchi had just walked along.
Lanchi took a quick look at the kitchen, dining room, and laundry room on the first floor, then went upstairs, following Cat Boss to the second floor.
This floor was more livable, with a smaller living room relative to the one downstairs.
The first room the duo came across was the study, with bookshelves on all four walls, a comfortable-looking leather chair in front of the desk, and a window offering an unobstructed view of the outside.
"I feel like you've been living better since you came to Briere," Cat Boss remarked.
The bedroom had a king-sized bed with soft bedding, a bathrobe hanging in the closet, and a bathtub by the window. When Cat Boss curiously turned on the faucet, hot water began to gush out.
"That's necessary, after all, I have to take care of the old..."
Lanchi's words trailed off as he began to speak, unable to continue.
"Old what?"
Talia, who had materialized from orange specks of light, stood by Lanchi's side, questioning him.
"Teacher, dear beloved teacher, teacher of teachers, king, master."
Lanchi replied immediately.
"Well, I've basically inspected this mansion, and there don't seem to be any problems. Setting up some magic artifacts to block scrying and creating a barrier would make it even safer. I'll write you a shopping list, and if you get the items tomorrow, I can modify them for our use."
Talia said, her arms crossed.
These items might not be available for purchase within the abbey.
"Alright."
Lanchi nodded.
Cat Boss's inspection was mostly for fun, and the real security assessment would have to rely on the eighth-rank Queen card.
Or, to be precise, when Talia was willing to manifest, it would mean that she had determined the internal environment of the mansion to be safe.
"So, what's your plan from here?"
She finally had the chance to have a proper conversation with Lanchi, and she wanted to know his next steps.
So much had happened today that Lanchi's infiltration plan had veered significantly off course.
"First, I'll establish myself well within Saint Kresin Abbey, be a good teacher, and be a good citizen of the Kresin Empire. Give me some time, and I'll definitely find Duke Migaya and Miss Ifatia."
Lanchi replied.
Finding people was one of his specialties.
Or rather, his reason for coming to the Kresin Empire, to deal with the vampires, was intimately tied to the civil request to find Migaya and Ifatia.
"By the way, do you know someone named Alexsia from the Kresin Empire?"
Talia recalled what Huberian had told her.
During the second Shadow World Cathedral Villain's Dinner, the three women they had encountered were Adalis, the Holy Maiden of Destruction who had infiltrated Saint Kresin Abbey, Sticella, a direct subordinate of the Destruction Branch, and the Third Princess of the Kresin Empire, Alexsia.
"They were both third-year students at Saint Kresin Abbey back then."
"Indeed, but now is not the time to look for her. She should have graduated by now, and her position in the palace is rather sensitive. Going to find her rashly will definitely arouse suspicion. We can only start by finding someone who knows her and is trustworthy to make contact with her."
Lanchi had promised to come to the Kresin Empire to save Alexsia, and he would not forget that promise.
This important Anti-Blood Alliance member could provide him with a lot of intelligence, but her situation was also very dangerous. Looking for help from Princess Alexsia carelessly might end up harming her instead.
Additionally, Sticella, who had defected to him back then, was probably still in the Kresin Empire's prison.
Now that the Kresin Empire and the Resurrection Church were cooperating, Sticella should be able to be rescued through legal means. They just needed to find an intermediary from the Resurrection Church to help him get Sticella out, in the name of another branch.
Such a well-trained local direct subordinate from the Empire would be a great help to him. After all, she was a talented individual cultivated by Ivanoth himself.
"What's important now is to establish a power base in the Empire. The three of us are too weak on our own right now. We need to expand and strengthen our influence in the Empire so that we have convenience, connections, and confidence in whatever we do."
Lanchi added firmly.
His biggest takeaway from the Northern Continent was the importance of having reliable allies. Otherwise, he would end up like Laolsang, lonely and without support.
Being a lone commander was truly miserable.
The principle of "many helpers for the righteous and few for the evil" rang true.
"...You do your best."
Talia waved her hand. She had never really seen Lanchi's entrepreneurial capabilities.
However, it had to be admitted that having ambition was a plus for a man. Of course, he also had to be family-oriented, and the ideal situation was to balance the two.
Huberrian's extreme desire for a man to only focus on family and have no ambition was something Talia had never understood.
"You just live your life in Briere peacefully and don't worry about anything else. The only time you might need to worry is when I take you to the Shadow World."
Lanchi assured Talia.
Although Talia's eighth-rank strength could provide him with backup, there were fewer places to use her strength in the urban areas of the Kresin heartland. For the majority of the time when he acted as Landrey, it was sufficient to display the normal sixth-rank power.
As for the Shadow World challenge, two months had passed since the last one, and the cooldown period for the Shadow World was almost up. Before departing for the Kresin Empire, Lanchi had already contacted Huberrian via communication from the Bersen Kingdom, and they had set a date in October to enter the Void Gate separately and challenge the final Blood Moon Fallen World Shadow World.
There was also a large Void Gate that could enter the Shadow World within Saint Kresin Abbey, and with Lanchi's identity as Landrey, he had easy access to the Shadow World without needing to carry additional records.
In addition, small Void Gates sometimes appeared outdoors, and illegal challengers often entered the Shadow World through these means.
According to reason, for a bound Shadow World like the Blood Moon Fallen World, even if Huberrian didn't go to the fixed Void Gate in Ikelite, as long as Lanchi entered, a temporary small Void Gate would appear on Huberrian's side. But to be safe, they might as well enter together.
"Then I'll go make dinner with Cat Boss. You can come down and eat after you've rested for a while."
Talia picked up the little black cat from the floor and said to Lanchi.
"No problem."
Lanchi watched as Talia and Cat Boss left, feeling like there was another cat in the house, as everyone knew that cats could cook.
Honestly, if Talia could turn into a little gray cat, she would probably be super cute.
However, as soon as Lanchi thought of this, Talia turned back and glared at him, her golden eyes causing the surrounding air to turn cold. Lanchi quickly stopped his train of thought.
Her deathly glare, a mix of embarrassment and anger, seemed to be telling Lanchi that she would never turn into a cat.
If the incident that had just happened were to be exposed, she would choose to perish together with Lanchi.
Soon, Talia turned away and continued downstairs, leaving Lanchi alone on the second floor.
"I really want to retire, but there's still work to be done."
Lanchi leaned back on the soft, comfortable sofa in the second-floor living room.
He was getting closer and closer to his retirement plan from over a year ago, and Migaya's whereabouts were within reach.
Duke Migaya was probably somewhere in this city of Brielard. However, without any clues, finding him would be like finding a needle in a haystack.
But that was alright!
As a city planning expert, given some time, he would eventually find the coordinates of Blood Moon City, this illegally constructed building, for the blood tribe, and then demolish it with one strike, two strikes, three strikes!
(End of Chapter)
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