Chapter 178
Chapter 178
Translator: True Detective
Chapter 178: Lan Qi’s Old Man’s Travel Journal – Joy So Great He Nearly Collapsed TwiceAuthor: Poor Xixi – 2024-05-22
The ward, aside from a wide bright glass window on one side, was decorated mainly with deep brown wood, giving it a warm and reassuring feeling.
Lan Qi walked to the bedside, sat down on the chair, and smiled at his father.
Staring at Lan Qi’s smiling face, Noë didn’t know what to say to him.
“I’ve been resting these past two days, didn’t leave the ward much. But I heard your grades are good, so I was basically relieved. However…”
When Noë recalled the terrifying state of those three clergy members, he couldn’t imagine what kind of sin Lan Qi had committed.
At the time, browsing the newspaper near the open-air screen, his vision flickered; he only glanced at the highlighted image in the column before fainting without reading the words.
“Forget it. You came back safe, that’s enough.”
Noë sighed.
Just looking at those photos of the Shadow World made it clear how dangerous it was.
“I knew you’d be worried about my studies, Father. But you can rest assured — when it comes to academics, I may not always succeed, but I’ll always give it my all!”
Lan Qi swore earnestly to his father.
“Lan Qi, right now I only hope you can walk the right path, develop steadily and calmly. I don’t expect you to be as dazzling as Duke Migaya.”
Hearing Lan Qi’s words, Noë should have felt gratified.
But for some reason, a vague uneasiness welled up inside him.
Before, he worried Lan Qi wouldn’t work hard enough.
Now, he almost feared Lan Qi was working too hard. He patted Lan Qi’s shoulder and advised him.
He didn’t want Lan Qi to lose himself chasing unreachable goals, straying down a crooked path.
Although back when he pushed for Lan Qi to attend Ikerite Academy, he did secretly hope Lan Qi could learn from its most brilliant graduate, Duke Migaya… in truth, that had always just been a parent’s extravagant wish.
“Lan Qi actually has talent not inferior to Duke Migaya.”
Huperion said quietly, yet sincerely.
Before, she would never admit anyone surpassed her father. But after being with Lan Qi this long, she found him impossible to measure.
“Huperion, don’t flatter my boy.”
Noë shook his head, shooting a look of disdain at Lan Qi.
“Other than looking handsome, how could he compare to Duke Migaya!”
This brat, worthy of being compared to Hedton Kingdom’s peerless genius?
Though from Huperion’s tone he could tell she truly thought highly of Lan Qi, Noë was an old worshipper of Duke Migaya — a diehard fan.
Every time he saw slander about Migaya in the papers, he fumed.
“He really can, Lan Qi is amazing.”
Huperion firmly repeated.
She loved hearing praise about her father, but she also valued truth.
“Just look at grades — Duke Migaya enrolled into Ikerite’s Knight Academy as the number one. What rank is he in the Sage Academy?”
Noë jabbed a finger at Lan Qi. This little girl didn’t know her limits.
“First.”
Huperion answered.
“…?”
Noë froze. He stared at Lan Qi.
“Really first?”
Lan Qi only gave a calm nod.
Noë’s heart pounded wildly. At the start, his expectation for Lan Qi had been “just scrape into the Alchemy Academy and that’ll be enough.”
Now it felt like a dream.
He’d suspected Lan Qi was doing well, since he qualified for Shadow World expeditions within two months of enrollment. But the top student?
In Ikerite, each year, every division’s top student was guaranteed a remarkable future.
Noë steadied his breathing.
Finally, he said:“Still… Duke Migaya applied to the Knight Academy, but what truly astonished people was his talent in magic engineering. He excelled at magic, scholarship, alchemy, and cardmaking. No matter which of the four academies he had chosen, he’d have ranked first. Surely you’ve heard of the legendary story — in his Cardmaster exam, he created three never-before-seen pink sacred cards?”
Pride welled in him, but so did caution. The more brilliant Lan Qi looked, the more he mustn’t let arrogance blind him.
Lan Qi only smiled and nodded silently.
“…?”
Huperion looked at Noë, puzzled.
Then she realized — Lan Qi’s Cardmaster exam had taken place only days earlier, right before the Shadow World expedition.
She and Prince Ainor, the Cardmaster Association’s Ikerite branch, the Magic Engineering faculty, and Dean Loren knew the truth.
The capital, however, only heard rumors that Lan Qi had crafted an Epic card. Amid all the exaggerated tales about him, no one was sure what was real.
Noë had fainted soon after arriving in Ikerite, so of course he didn’t know.
“Lan Qi isn’t a jack-of-all-trades, but he’s the type to hone whatever he chooses to perfection… and his Cardmaster exam ranked even higher than Duke Migaya’s.”
Huperion hesitated — worried Lan Qi planned to spring this surprise himself. And with Noë praising Migaya so hard, she felt embarrassed.
She decided it was better she reveal it than let Lan Qi make mischief.
Noë’s brain stalled.
He remembered his butler Hans saying Lan Qi had talent for cardmaking, and Lan Qi had even asked for “materials and tuition fees” for magic cards.
He thought it was just a hobby, something casual.
But within half a year, the boy sat the Cardmaster exam?
Wait.
“Higher?”
He did the math.
Duke Migaya was ranked Gold.
Higher… could it be Platinum?
Noë gaped at Lan Qi like at a monster.
Hans had sworn Lan Qi would make fine magic cards. He thought the butler was just covering for him. But Hans… were you serious?!
“Huperion, you’re not joking with me, are you?”
Noë stammered.
“Not yet officially approved. Unofficially, he’s considered quasi-Platinum.”
Huperion answered precisely.
Noë’s gaze went hazy as he looked at Lan Qi, speechless.
He trusted Huperion — she was a good, honest child. She wouldn’t lie about this.
The thought was more unreal than a dream.
Platinum-ranked Cardmaster. A true heavyweight.
Never had he imagined his son could achieve this.
“Wait, isn’t your stance a little strange…”
Lan Qi muttered beside them. He hadn’t expected to become the straight man in this comedy.
Both of them were siding against him.
If Duke Migaya heard his daughter belittling him in favor of someone else, he’d be heartbroken.
And clearly, Noë still hadn’t realized Huperion was Duke Migaya’s daughter.
Noë sat dazed for a long time.
Finally, a wide grin split his face.
“Still, I’m certain there’s one thing this brat can’t match Duke Migaya in.”
Half overjoyed, half still stubborn, he joked.
“What?”
Huperion didn’t know how to make him admit Lan Qi was excellent.
“Duke Migaya married a demoness wife. Can Lan Qi do that?”
Noë chuckled gloatingly.
“Of course he c—…!”
Huperion instinctively followed along, but then her face froze.
“Excuse me… I’ll step out.”
She quickly turned away, lips pressed tight, and hurried out of the ward.
“…Heh. Let’s see you refute me now.”
Noë leaned back and laughed like he’d scored a victory.
“Father, she’s…”
Lan Qi sighed.
He was about to say it, but hesitated, afraid the old man would faint again.
A second collapse might really be dangerous.
“You mean… she could actually be Duke Migaya’s daughter?”
Noë laughed harder, thinking Lan Qi was fumbling.
“As if! Look at her — so gentle, so kind. I trust my eyes. I’d sooner believe you were a demon than believe she has any demon blood.”
“…”
Lan Qi fell silent at that.
Forget it.
He’d respect his father’s fate.
Noë, seeing Lan Qi’s calm demeanor, sighed inwardly at how mature his boy had become.
“Well then, if you’ve got the guts, go marry a demoness. If she’s a pureblood high demon like Duke Migaya’s wife, then I’ll call you the strongest!”
He laughed heartily, clapping Lan Qi on the shoulder, teasing him.
Demons were no joke. With Lan Qi’s personality, he’d be crushed before he even began courting.
And a pureblood high demon — a walking natural disaster — would squash him like an ant.
“…”
Lan Qi only shook his head helplessly.
That was one thing he truly couldn’t do.
Marrying a pureblood demoness? Impossible. Their minds worked differently from humans. Arguments would end in murder or vanishing acts — a happy ending was out of the question.
If he ever did marry one, it’d only be with a blade at his throat forcing him into it.
But that would never happen.