https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-738-Lanchi-s-Periodic-Table-of-Attributes/12585229/
Chapter 737: Rumors of Lanchi Spread in the City
Chapter 737: Rumors of Lanchi Spread in the City
"Huh? Can the cat talk?" Elsa asked, surprised, as she looked down at the little black cat in her arms.
"Of course! Can't you tell I'm a Sprite Cat of several tiers?" the cat boss boasted proudly, holding his head high.
"..." Lanchi, leaning against the door frame with one hand, merely looked at it with pity without saying a word.
His gentle gaze seemed to convey— it's better if you don't embarrass yourself.
"Meow! I don't want to talk to you anymore!" the cat boss cried, curling into a black ball of fur, full of resentment.
A good cat, but a bad person!
"Elsa, is there something else you want to say?" Lanchi asked gently, looking at Elsa's face.
Ever since he first saw Elsa, he noticed that she seemed hesitant.
"Brother, I heard that you've been getting quite close to the Empire's Special Operations Department lately. They've made you their honorary consultant, and even Duke Dex has taken a liking to you. Is that true?" Elsa hesitated for a moment, her purple eyes filled with worry, before finally speaking up.
Although she wanted to talk to her brother about the changes in her body, she somehow couldn't bring herself to do it, and she didn't want to trouble her busy brother. Instead, she voiced her long-held concern for him.
"Yes, it's a rare opportunity to contribute to the Empire," Lanchi acknowledged frankly. "What's wrong, Elsa? You don't seem to approve."
He bent down slightly to be at eye level with Elsa, ensuring he didn't intimidate her.
"Brother, I know you've always wanted to serve the Empire, but the Special Operations Department... that place is not as simple as it seems. I'm just worried that you might get involved in some dangerous situations," Elsa sighed softly, expressing her true feelings.
"I know my limits, and I won't put myself in danger," Lanchi replied firmly, his gaze unwavering as he looked at Elsa, as if telling her that he had a duty he must fulfill.
"I trust your judgment, brother," Elsa said, biting her lip. "But please, take care of yourself and promise me that you'll let me know if anything happens, okay?"
"Okay, I promise," Lanchi nodded solemnly.
"Just remember not to go to those gray areas in Blieder that aren't fully covered by the city's defense barriers," Lanchi reminded the person and the cat standing at the door.
In the core towns of large kingdoms or empires, once the streets enter combat mode, safety alerts and suppression are triggered, and most combat magic with power and destructiveness cannot be used. The scope of using life magic is a little wider.
Only in some special areas can high-level magic be used freely, such as the interior of the Holy White Silver Vine Arena in the Bosen Kingdom, and the ungoverned areas of the Bosen Demon Realm.
The capital, Blieder, also has such areas.
They are divided into legal combat zones and gray areas.
For example, the Midnight Parliament, which has been frequently circulating among Blieder citizens recently, the Mist Guardians who have always been an urban legend, the Dawn Sect responsible for maintaining the order of the Temple of the Gods, the Voice of Truth media group that controls Blieder's most authoritative channel, the long-established Blieder Mafia, and so on. They either have permits for legal combat areas or occupy a gray area.
Compared to public information, the mysterious organization group chat where Landy is located provides more immediate intelligence. Among them, the Blieder Mafia has been the most active recently.
It is an organization with a long history and is the largest criminal organization in Blieder. They control most of the city's underground activities.
Their main activities include smuggling, black market trading, assassinations, and other illegal activities. The organization has a strict hierarchy and rules, and its members value loyalty and discipline. The Blieder Mafia is headquartered in a large warehouse district at the Blieder River Port, which serves as both their office and base for various secret activities.
They possess abundant resources and advanced magic-guided equipment to support their criminal endeavors.
They are quite influential, and even the nobles of Blieder turn to them from time to time, valuing their adherence to rules. Now that external wars have broken out, the capital's garrison command has no time to deal with them.
Even Nicola Falcon, the chief of the Empire's Special Operations Department, wouldn't deliberately provoke the Blieder Mafia unless necessary. This is a sort of unspoken rule—as long as neither side crosses the other's bottom line, neither the Special Operations Department nor the Blieder Mafia wants an all-out conflict.
"Don't worry, brother, I'll only operate within the absolute safety of the city center." Elsa assured.
She understood her brother's concerns.
Professor Landy had become a prominent magical engineer in Brierdan due to his academic achievements, attracting the attention of many. Some admired his talent, while others were driven by greed or ill intentions, seeking to eliminate him.
Fortunately, her brother was strong enough to protect himself. Not only had he resolved the danger aboard the Brierdan Magic Train, but he had also successfully assisted the Empire's Special Operations Department in uncovering a major espionage case involving enemy nations. His efforts had recently earned him praise from Duke Dex.
As a Sixth Tier practitioner, he possessed sufficient self-preservation capabilities and enjoyed the dual protection of the St. Crispy Monastery and the Empire's Special Operations Department.
However, Elsa, as a Second Tier practitioner, undoubtedly became their weak link.
"Here, I'll give you a few more magic cards." Lanchi considered for a moment and decided it would be better to provide Elsa with some potent protective magic cards.
He felt reluctant to use his unique magic cards, fearing they might reveal his identity as a citizen of the Kingdom. But since coming to the Empire, he had acquired several high-performance magic cards from various high-end exchanges.
"Don't worry about me, Principal Violet secretly gave me an emergency magic card." Elsa understood Lanchi's concerns and smiled slightly as she showed him her collection of magic cards and jewelry without any hesitation.
"You're a cleric, and you're carrying all emergency magic cards?" Lanchi took the magic cards from her without hesitation and examined them before looking up at Elsa with a questioning gaze.
Among them was a pink, Sacred-grade accessory, the [Moon Goddess Mirror], which must have been the life-saving magic item gifted to Elsa by Principal Violet.
Each of these moon goddess-related magic artifacts and ancient relics was a priceless treasure, impossible to replicate.
Additionally, Elsa also carried invisibility and acceleration magic cards.
"Principal Violet said that my healing abilities would be specialized at night, so I don't have to worry about insufficiency. My physical qualities are also far superior to those of an average magic practitioner. Therefore, stacking magic power will result in overflowing healing, so I might as well focus on improving my defense. This way, the frontliners won't have to worry about me during team battles." Elsa explained.
"Phew." Lanchi returned the cards to her, his smile conveying his relief.
He had taught Shubelian in the same way, eventually transforming her from a fragile magic-piercing character into an evasive tank.
"Brother, why are you smiling?" Elsa asked, noticing his expression and furrowing her brows in confusion.
"You remind me of a runaway beauty." Lanchi relaxed and glanced toward the north, murmuring to himself.
"..." Elsa studied her brother's expression for a moment, deep in thought.
"Is it your fiancee?" She asked curiously, her tone hinting at a probing question.
"Cough, well..." Lanchi was at a loss for words. He retracted his hand from the door frame and shifted his stance several times, unsure how to respond.
Recently, there had been rumors circulating that his fiancee would be joining him in Brierdan, but Elsa's train of thought was too divergent for her to be aware of Talia's existence. Asking this question in front of her could have disastrous consequences.
"Lanchi, tell me," a voice echoed in his mind, and he knew it was Talia's. Her voice sounded light, yet somehow also heavy, as if each word carried weight.
Although she was aware of the potential connection between Lanchi and Shubelian, she struggled to imagine a future where Lanchi and Shubelian were married.
If their relationship progressed healthily, she would undoubtedly support them. However, if they rushed into marriage, Talia felt it was too soon.
Should this process prove unstoppable, she needed to assess Lanchi first to determine if he could be a qualified husband.
"What can I say?" Lanchi asked her silently.
He sensed that Talia's thoughts were in disarray.
"Aren't you also incoherent?" Talia countered.
"In times of national crisis, how can we indulge in personal emotions? Even if I have a girl I like living in my heart, I won't reveal it. I'll face everything head-on once my mission is complete!" Lanchi asserted resolutely.
"..." Talia fell silent.
She didn't know who the girl Lanchi was referring to.
But in the literal sense, she was the only girl living in his heart.
Her thoughts became even more chaotic, and she feigned sleep, her mind abnormally quiet as she ceased communicating with Lanchi.
Lanchi sighed in relief.
In the face of national fate, personal emotions take a back seat, and Tata was evidently sensible and understanding of the situation.
He had indeed let his guard down too much, and since chatting with Elsa held no pressure, he didn't feel the need to be cautious around this child.
Yet, Elsa was completely innocent and naive, and whatever she said could be a dangerous topic. He realized that he shouldn't be too casual in front of her from now on.
"After all, you've always been popular, and now you're shining even brighter in the capital. Everyone says you have more than one fiancee, so don't be shy. No matter how many you marry, I'll support you."
Elsa smiled at the sight of Lanchi's flustered and panicked expression.
"Who's been spreading these rumors?"
Lanchi's eyes widened as a sense of foreboding filled him, even before he could fully relax.
It was common knowledge that rumors tended to distort the truth the more they spread.
Initially, he had only mentioned in an interview that he would bring his fiancee over from the Nickasander region in the northwestern border, thus fulfilling Duke Dex's instructions.
But he never said he had multiple fiancees!
"Well..."
Elsa stammered, seeming unsure of herself.
"Tell me, what version did you hear?"
Lanchi inquired seriously, understanding the gravity of the situation.
"They... they say that your relationship with several females from the Nickasander region in the northwestern border has always been ambiguous. Although you've managed to temporarily postpone your engagement to them by coming to the capital, Brierdan, you've actually maintained contact with each of your fiancees. Taking advantage of the geographical distance, you're juggling multiple relationships, charming each woman with your sweet words and keeping them all satisfied. You're truly a 'Ladies' Man', but such extreme maneuvers often come with risks. The next time you meet, it's either you conquer them or they conquer you."
Elsa hesitated, hugging the cat tightly, before answering.
The students at St. Crispy Monastery had all heard these rumors.
Because Lanchi was always dealing with outsiders and focusing his attention on official duties, he hadn't realized that he had become the center of gossip.
"What the hell! Is there even a shred of truth to these rumors?!"
Lanchi exclaimed, his mental state in tatters.
He felt that this was absolutely ridiculous. If these rumors reached the Bosen Kingdom, Nigel would probably be pushed to his limits as well.
How could a magic engineer who devoted himself to academics end up being the subject of so much tabloid gossip?
Gossip and slander were truly terrifying.
"Meow, you've finally become like him..."
The cat boss unfurl himself from his ball of fur and looked at Lanchi without much enthusiasm.
Lanchi, you're getting a taste of your own medicine.
When you invite so many gods, there's a chance they might backfire on you.
"Hmph."
Lanchi glared at the cat boss and laughed bitterly.
In the end, Principal Loren had been deeply mired in the public opinion storm because there was a grain of truth to the rumors, so he couldn't clear his name.
But Lanchi was different.
Even if he had multiple fiancees, his expression wouldn't change at all.
Seeing her brother and the little black cat exchanging looks, Elsa's worries eased a little. Her brother seemed more energetic than she had imagined, and he had a lively cat to keep him company, so she didn't need to worry about him being lonely.
"Then I'll take my leave. I'll return the little black cat later."
Elsa hugged the cat and bowed slightly in gratitude.
Perhaps such formalities weren't necessary between siblings, but after not seeing each other for a few years, she felt a sense of strangeness and couldn't help but be more cautious.
"Have fun with Ursula."
Lanchi waved his hand.
He watched as Elsa bid farewell and walked away.
The autumn wind blew, lifting the hem of Elsa's dress, and her figure gradually disappeared into the golden tree shadows, leaving Lanchi alone at the door.
"Lanchi, don't forget that you're a citizen of the Kingdom. Although Elsa is a good girl, you're not truly Landy, and strictly speaking, she's a person from our enemy country."
Talia seemed to sense Lanchi's reluctance to tell Elsa the truth about Landy's death, so she offered him a different perspective to comfort him.
This guy could be exceptionally decisive at times, but at other times, he had a soft heart that he shouldn't have. Even Talia knew that it would be better to keep a distance from Elsa and not get too close, rather than trying to be a good brother and caring for her feelings.
"I think I can't save everyone, but even so, I still want to save as many people as possible."
Lanchi leaned against the door frame again and gazed into the sky, speaking to himself.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
