Chapter 241
Chapter 241
Chapter 241
Translator: True Detective
Chapter 241 – Lan Qi is Nothing More Than a Bit Too Ambitious
Inside the ship’s cabin, only Lan Qi was left sitting by the bed.
“Huperion, where are you…”
Feeling the ship’s slight sway, and recalling the drifting days he had just gone through, Lan Qi couldn’t help but lower his head and sigh.
For over a month, he had been traveling happily with her, but who would’ve thought that a sudden, sky-darkening magic storm would rise over the sea and swallow their ship whole.
While Lan Qi was idly lamenting, the shadow beneath his feet suddenly rippled like a disturbed pond. Out from it separated a small black cat, agilely leaping onto his lap. Its eyes, bright as the night sky, stared straight at him.
“Eighty percent chance it’s that the Cardinal of Dimensions and the Cardinal of Destruction fought on the other side of the sea, reacting with the natural magic currents there, and that storm blew into our area, nya.”
The Cat Boss spoke.
It was hard to say if this counted as a natural disaster or a man-made one, since the Cardinals of the Resurrection Church had long been called walking natural disasters.
If your own strength was lacking and you got caught in their aftermath, there was nowhere to complain.
When Cardinals fought, no one dared to stop them. Those without strength who tried would only die; those with enough strength might end up besieged by the two Cardinals together.
The various nations even wished the two Cardinals would fight each other to mutual destruction, so they simply let them clash.
The result was a butterfly effect, spilling into this sea.
“Lan Qi nya, I told you it was right for me to stick with you.”
The Cat Boss swished its tail proudly, as if asking for credit.
It had carried Lan Qi across the sea for a long time with telekinesis magic, until finally finding this passing ship.
“Now I admit—you really are the strongest of the Seventh Rank.”
Lan Qi rubbed the little black cat’s head.
Once mocked by everyone as the shame of the Seventh Rank, Cat Boss had unexpectedly proven itself indispensable on journeys like this. No stronger Seventh Rank mascot could exist.
“Speaking of… Huperion nya, is she okay?”
The Cat Boss nudged Lan Qi’s palm worriedly.
“The distance is too far. I can’t clearly link minds with the Great Poet, but judging from the final emotions the Great Poet tried to send me, their situation should be better than ours.”
Lan Qi closed his eyes, silently sensing for a while, then finally shook his head in contemplation.
When the ship wrecked, both he and Huperion were swept away by tsunami-like currents that turned the world upside down.
Not only had they drifted off the normal route, but their distance from each other was likely growing farther and farther.
Still, during their journey, every night Huperion and the Great Poet had shared a room—and the Great Poet remained on Huperion’s person.
So long as Huperion summoned the Great Poet, Lan Qi could sense her approximate direction.
“Lan Qi, cheer up. We have to work hard to find Huperion nya.”
The Cat Boss raised its paw and patted Lan Qi, trying to encourage him.
Even though Lan Qi said not to worry, Cat Boss felt that without Huperion around, he was inevitably missing something. It hoped he could adjust quickly.
Lan Qi nodded seriously.
“What’s done is done. I’ll just lay some groundwork here in the Protos Empire, then go find Huperion and complete our research task together. Looks like this vacation will be… fulfilling.”
Lan Qi’s optimism was unwavering. Sometimes the road didn’t end—it simply turned. The path was beneath one’s feet, but also within one’s heart. When the heart turns, the road broadens. Learning to turn is wisdom, for setbacks often lead to turning points, and crisis also holds opportunity.
This shipwreck simply meant that before reuniting with Huperion, he’d need to work hard first—to create a better environment and travel capital for her.
“…Nya.”
The Cat Boss froze.
It thought Lan Qi should be acting a little more sentimental, like a normal youth, which would actually be more reassuring.
Huperion seemed most afraid of Lan Qi’s sudden, overpowering ambition.
She had even warned the Cat Boss: since men and women were different, she couldn’t always keep an eye on him, so sometimes it had to stop him from doing anything reckless.
But Cat Boss had only ever heard Huperion and Talia talk about Lan Qi’s terrifying ability to rapidly adapt and evolve in new environments.
It had never seen it firsthand, so it always felt they exaggerated.Who could really be that incredible? If he had that much ability, wouldn’t he already be principal of the Ikerite Academy?
“Well then, Lan Qi, work hard nya. I hope that by following you, I can also live better.”
The Cat Boss nodded seriously.
It really wanted to see just what Lan Qi’s “ambition” looked like—it had been curious for a long time.
“Don’t worry. I won’t let you suffer a bit.”
Lan Qi smiled and stroked the cat reassuringly.
…
The next morning.
The sea stretched endlessly, sparkling.
On deck, Viscount Francis stood at the rail, deep in thought.
Wordlessly, he pulled a cigarette case from his pocket, placed one between his lips. His secretary quickly stepped closer—shielding the wind with one hand and lighting it with the other.
“By tonight, we’ll reach Lilorom City, right?”
After a moment, the viscount asked his secretary.
“Yes, my lord.”
The secretary nodded respectfully.
Francis remained by the railing, letting the sea wind blow.
Back home, there would be work, nobles to appease, endless trouble. Just the thought of it made this cigarette feel like a rare leisure.
Minutes passed.
Francis was just about to return to his cabin when he suddenly saw the navigator leap down from the lookout.
“My lord, there!”
At the sailor’s words, Francis took the spyglass and peered toward the pointed direction.
There, faintly, the silhouette of a merchant ship emerged.
Soon, the crew noticed too—it was a small merchant vessel from Lilorom.
As the two ships inevitably drew close, Francis’s ship altered course decisively to avoid collision.
But that small merchant ship also abruptly changed direction—seemingly headed straight for them.
The gestures of figures on its bow were clearly calling for aid.
After yesterday’s storm, it was normal for a ship to have problems.
But Francis frowned.
“Aren’t they sailing… too fast?”
According to common sense, this speed meant they carried almost no cargo.
Yet precisely because of that, his heavily loaded ship could hardly avoid or outpace them now.
“Tell everyone to stay on guard. We need to probe their intentions clearly.”
Francis ordered immediately.
Normally, in Protos Empire’s near seas, no one dared plot mischief—pirates would be exterminated instantly by provincial imperial troops.
Not long after, the two ships closed in, finally stopping side by side.
Francis’s crew did not lay down boarding planks.
But then—
From that small ship suddenly burst forth a crowd of silver-robed figures, leaping aboard like unstoppable cannonballs!
“They’re Resurrection cultists!”
“Battle stations!”
Chaos erupted across the deck!
(End of Chapter)