https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-745-Iphyteria-Asks-About-Sybrian/12585237/
Chapter 746: Lanchi and Yifathea May Have to Argue Their Own Cases
Chapter 746: Lanchi and Yifathea May Have to Argue Their Own Cases
"Meow, there's also a little kitten here."
Yifathea noticed the Cat Boss poking its head out from Lanchi's shadow.
But for some reason, the little black cat seemed rather fearful.
"Good day to you, Duchess," the Cat Boss meowed in greeting.
As a humble citizen of Ikelite, this Duchess was usually out of reach, but now, Lanchi had unexpectedly encountered her in the Krexe Empire.
Before Cat Boss could finish its feline etiquette, Yifathea picked it up.
"A fifth-rank Spirit Cat, that's amazing! It's so cute," Yifathea exclaimed as she held the little black cat, turning to Lanchi and Talia with a delighted expression.
This particular species was known for its frailty and lack of survival skills, so it was impressive to see one that had reached the fifth rank.
"..."
Cat Boss fell silent.
"It was my landlord in Ikelite, and Hyberrian also lived in its shop..."
Talia hesitated, pointing at Cat Boss as she explained to Yifathea.
Having been her first friend upon arriving in the royal capital of Ikelite, Talia held a great deal of respect for Cat Boss.
"Oh, so you're also from Ikelite?"
Yifathea asked, holding the little black cat in both hands.
But Cat Boss seemed to turn mute, hanging its head without replying.
"Wait, how did you become an Ikelite, Yifathea?"
Talia interrupted, sensing something amiss with Yifathea's use of the term "old country."
"What about your demon tribe ancestry? Your pride as a demon tribe princess?" Talia pressed.
"It's not like that, sister..."
Lanchi gave Talia an exasperated look, but before he could finish, Talia clamped her hand over his mouth.
"I've already married Migaya, so my registered residence is in Ikelite. Of course, I'm an Ikelite now, and I'm even the Duchess Yifathea Aranthal. This is so much better than when I first arrived in the Kingdom of Heden and had to make do with a blanket under a bridge as a demon tribe princess," Yifathea replied matter-of-factly.
"I..."
Talia's heart twinged with bittersweet memories.
"By the way, sister, how have you been these past hundred years?"
Yifathea asked eagerly, her eyes sparkling with anticipation as she looked forward to hearing her sister's story.
In her imagination, the glamorous demon tribe princess must have maintained her elegance and composure, embarking on a unique journey across the world during those years.
"Well..."
Talia's palms began to sweat, but she kept her hand firmly over Lanchi's mouth, determined to prevent him from saying anything unnecessary.
"Mmm!"
Lanchi struggled, but he couldn't escape Talia's relentless grip.
Yifathea couldn't help but chuckle at the sight, as she had never seen her sister so lively.
"By the way, why is Professor Landel... from Ikelite?"
Yifathea asked, her eyes flicking towards her sister with a puzzled expression.
She knew that Barton had brought along Professor Landel Washington, the recently renowned professor of magical engineering in the Krexe Empire, who was a native of Krexe.
However, from their conversation, it seemed that he was actually from Ikelite and had a close relationship with her sister.
Noticing Yifathea's curiosity about Lanchi, Talia cautiously loosened her grip on his mouth.
She slowly withdrew her hand while shooting Lanchi a warning glance, signaling him to refrain from saying anything inappropriate.
"Keep it brief," Talia reminded him.
She was anxious about Lanchi saying even a single extra word.
"At the time, Professor Landel and I were in the same compartment on the train, and then he was murdered, so I disguised myself as him," Lanchi explained grudgingly, summarizing the situation as Talia had instructed.
Yifathea's expression turned slightly bewildered.
Was that all?
"At least start by explaining that we're spies from the Kingdom of Bosen, trying to infiltrate the Krexe Empire. Otherwise, how is my little sister supposed to understand? Begin from the first episode," Talia said irritably.
She felt that Lanchi was being a bit rebellious, and whenever she asked him to be concise, he would speak in riddles. This was a habit he had even when they were making cards together, and it had taken a lot of effort to train him out of it.
"..."
Lanchi gazed silently at Talia for a moment.
"The window was adorned with leaves so thin they were nearly transparent, allowing the morning sunlight to filter gently and warmly into the room. The entire space was filled with a soothing scent of wood, and the breeze blowing in from the courtyard caressed my body, causing me to shiver slightly. My eyes opened involuntarily..."
Lanchi began to narrate, his voice soft and captivating.
"I didn't ask you to start from the first season!"
Talia felt her blood pressure rising.
As soon as Lanchi opened his mouth, Yifathea knew that he was about to start recounting his tale from the time in South Ventina.
If it weren't for the presence of her sister, she would have pinned Lanchi to the ground right then and there, teaching him the respect due to a master!
"You're the one who told me to start from the beginning," Lanchi retorted, unashamed.
"Lanchi! You scoundrel!" Talia exclaimed, pinching his cheeks in reprimand.
"Are they always like this?" Yifathea turned to the little black cat, curious about the bickering pair.
Talia rarely interacted with men so casually, always maintaining a cool and distant demeanor. To see her behaving like playful friends with a man indicated that he had indeed brought about a change in her sister.
It seemed that whenever this man was around, her sister was filled with happiness.
"Pretty much," the Cat Boss replied. Ever since the incident in the Kingdom of Bosen, Lanchi and Talia had been inseparable, their relationship evolving into a comfortable familiarity.
"That's wonderful." Yifathea hugged the cat tightly, her heart fluttering with anticipation.
No matter what, she would support her sister and this man.
"If I can safely return to Ikelite, will I get to witness this sweet romantic comedy every day...?" she murmured, her voice filled with longing.
Despite the current challenging situation in the Krexe Empire, the moment she saw her sister, she felt energized and ignited with a newfound determination to fight for that beautiful future she dared not imagine—
A future where she could return to the comfortable and peaceful life in the royal capital, surrounded by loved ones.
"Then you're in for a treat," the Cat Boss purred, though it refrained from saying more.
Just the painting of twisted braids in its shop was already a weighty matter.
"Lanchi, tell Yifathea honestly about how we ended up in the Krexe Empire and our encounter with the mafia," Talia instructed, having finished her private conversation with Lanchi. She stood by, ready to ensure he gave a full account to her sister.
Lanchi seemed to have mellowed after Talia's scolding, perhaps also due to the threat of encrypted calls.
After all, if he didn't listen to her, Talia could always resort to acting coquettish.
"Sit, take a seat first," Yifathea gestured to a distant spot, inviting Lanchi and Talia to sit beside her workbench.
They had been standing and chatting for a while, but this underground palace was furnished with tables and chairs, serving as Yifathea's daily living quarters.
Yifathea quickly adjusted the switch components on the wall, and with a low, rumbling sound of mechanical drive, the quiet space was suddenly illuminated by a warm light that cascaded down like a waterfall, transforming the entire palace into a dreamlike realm transcending reality.
Talia and Lanchi's gazes were drawn upward to the sparkling crystal pendants embedded in the ceiling, their golden-blue patterns resembling a starry sky. The warm glow bathed the entire hall, illuminating the light-colored stone carvings on the walls and leaving bright trails on the smooth white stone floor.
After a moment, the bone-chilling coldness of the place gradually eased, replaced by a more comfortable temperature.
"I apologize for not being able to offer you tea or proper hospitality," Yifathea said as they sat at a long table on one side of the underground palace. The immortal crystal lamp shone brilliantly in the firelight, and the oak-carved chairs were neatly arranged on both sides of the table.
"It's quite all right," Lanchi waved his hand in dismissal. Yifathea was the mother of his classmate, and he felt a bit embarrassed by her courteous attitude.
"Actually, it started when Talia and I went to the Kingdom of Bosen to supervise the Platinum-level Card Maker exam and purchase some high-level spiritual materials. We were also working on improving our teamwork, which led to a journey filled with mishaps and misunderstandings..." Lanchi began to recount their story.
"Mhm," Yifathea nodded enthusiastically, completely engrossed in Lanchi's narrative as she held the Cat Boss in her arms. Her eyes were fixed on Lanchi and Talia, hanging on to their every word.
"I often go to the Kingdom of Bosen too, and I know quite a few friends there. Have you met Rosalinda?" she interjected, her curiosity getting the better of her.
"Yes, she has a good relationship with Aetio and Talia," Lanchi affirmed.
"I really want to see her again," Yifathea's thoughts drifted north, to the beautiful floral capital.
"But I don't think Rosalinda would want to see you..." Talia added softly.
While Aetio treated Yifathea like an older sister, Rosalinda would likely need a drink to soothe her heartache upon seeing Yifathea.
"Then, we got involved in an incident concerning the 'Paloni's Grievance Records.' Fortunately, we resolved it in the end and defeated the mastermind behind it all, Perlman, and Beelzebub..."
Lanchi continued to narrate the events of the Flower Capital Incident to Yifathea.
"Perlman is a pretty decent member of the Demon Tribe, isn't he? And who is this Beelzebub?"
Even after hearing Lanchi's account of the Parieth Ending in the Flower Capital, Yifathea still had some questions.
She had met Perlman, the lord of District 10 in the Boschenn Demon World, and had a rather favorable impression of him.
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that he was a significant contributor to the prosperity of the Boschenn Kingdom, and he had even created a possibility for humans and demons to coexist.
"All I can say is that demons can change. For example, your... Ahem! According to our deduction, Beelzebub is an eighth-rank demon from the Lost Continent on the other side of the Catastrophic Land in the North Continent, but that's not the point. He clearly doesn't belong to our system, and the stage over there is probably another story."
Lanchi explained to Yifathea.
"Then the full-scale war in the South Continent broke out, and your good friend from Boschenn, Nigel, gave you new identities to infiltrate the Krexe Empire?"
Yifathea guessed what had happened next.
"Correct. Initially, our identities were that of a 62-year-old publisher named Lovia. Just as we were about to reach Brilerda, we encountered an attack by Allied spies on the train. Unfortunately, Professor Landrey, who was in the same compartment, was sacrificed, so I had to take on Professor Landrey's identity and fulfill his dying wish, carrying on his responsibility to make the Krexe Empire great once more."
Lanchi nodded solemnly, even straightening his posture as he tapped his fingertips on the table.
"...Why did you suddenly shift to the Empire's perspective there?"
Yifathea realized something was amiss.
Initially, she truly believed that Professor Landrey was an iron-blooded citizen of the Empire, but it turned out that he was actually a fellow countryman from Heden, completely fooling her.
Now that she thought about it, it might not have been an issue with the Landrey character, but rather with the person underneath the disguise.
"Do you think I managed to fool everyone?"
Lanchi asked.
"...Brother, please continue."
Yifathea couldn't refute him and could only ask Lanchi to proceed with the story.
"As a result, I successfully assumed Landrey's identity and taught at the Saint Krexe Abbey. I also joined the Empire's Special Operations Department and may be involved in an imperial plan in the future. As Elsa, Landrey's sister, it was my duty to protect her. After she was attacked today, I pursued the assailants and captured a vampire, only to be brought here by the leader of the Brilerda Mafia, Lord Barton, to discuss cooperation with the Brilerda Mafia."
Lanchi provided a brief summary.
Being called 'brother' by Yifathea made him feel rather uncomfortable, but for the moment, he didn't know what to say, so he chose to prioritize the matter at hand.
"The rest, as you know, is that we met and ended up fighting. If I were the real Landrey, I probably would've been finished by now."
He shrugged.
In truth, he strongly condemned those who refused to communicate.
"Oh dear, my apologies. That's our Demon Tribe's diplomatic etiquette."
Yifathea knocked on her head and stuck out her tongue apologetically.
"..."
Lanchi understood this etiquette but couldn't bring himself to agree with it.
Compared to them, Antanas was truly a handsome and gentle demon; he was one of the few demons you could talk to without fear of losing your life.
As for the others, whether it was Siniora or Planar, one wrong move and you'd be in grave danger.
Yifathea across from him seemed to understand the situation.
She stood up and leaned over.
"Please take care of my sister, Lanchi."
Yifathea said with satisfaction as she patted Lanchi's shoulder.
Although Lanchi's narrative omitted many details, such as his interactions with Talia, Yifathea could sense that he had helped her sister a lot.
"I hope I can call you brother-in-law soon."
She whispered with her hand covering her mouth and winked at Lanchi.
"Wait a moment."
Lanchi quickly responded.
How could she call him brother when he saw her as an aunt? Surely they couldn't be of the same generation.
His thoughts were, of course, picked up by Talia.
Talia raised her hand and tapped Lanchi's head in shy anger, leaving him bewildered as he rubbed his head and looked at her.
"Just treat her as a younger sister."
If Yifathea was an aunt, then as Yifathea's older sister, wouldn't she also be an aunt!
"That won't do," Lanchi objected.
He felt that the distinction between elders and juniors must not be mistaken.
"You're the same generation as me, so that's that!"
Talia emphasized.
(End of Chapter)
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