Chapter 275
Chapter 275
Chapter 275
Translator: True Detective
Chapter 275 – The Person Sigrid Wants Most
After listening to Sigrid’s words, Lan Qi lowered his head and looked at Cat Boss.
Cat Boss was also staring at him.
Man and cat locked eyes for quite a while — silence speaking louder than words.
Cat Boss seemed to have crashed.
Was the spread of doctrine this brat left behind in the Southwestern Province really this outrageous? This was basically like an epidemic, wasn’t it?!
“Alright, come see me again when the task is completed.”
Sigrid tapped her fingers on the armrest, signaling Lan Qi that he could leave.
Having gained a direct subordinate she was satisfied with, her mood today was not bad.
Even if Lan Qi looked a little dazed and slow in response now, she would not blame him.
However—
Lan Qi merely stroked Cat Boss, who had already turned into a black statue, then lifted his head to gaze at Sigrid.
“Why aren’t you moving?”
Sigrid lightly pressed her thin lips together, her eyes narrowing slightly as if hiding a trace of displeasure.
“Contact Archbishop Kane of the Southwestern Province.”
Lan Qi did not flinch under the oppressive aura of the Ba'tian High Priestess. His calm eyes reflected her like a still, deep lake.
“……”
Seated on her stone-carved throne at the end of the private collection hall, Sigrid didn’t question further. Instead, her gaze shifted sideways as she picked up a card.
This semi-transparent card was inlaid with delicate silver filigree along its edges. At its center lay a finely crafted magical sigil, faintly glowing violet in the dim light.
It was a sixth-tier [Ultra-Long-Distance Communication Magic]. Lan Qi had once seen such a card back at Ikerite Academy, when Adams used it to contact Knight Commander Juliana.
Sigrid’s fair fingers flicked, tossing the card into the air. It traced an arc across the room and landed precisely on an ancient bronze-colored cabinet at the side. Unlike the other furnishings, this one housed an archaic magical device.
This was a mana terminal, a construct capable of building ultra-long-distance communication frameworks. With it, one could use the Protos Empire’s network of province-spanning relay stations to achieve real-time communication far beyond spell range.
As the card fell, the device was instantly activated, glowing faintly blue like starlight. A bronze receiver hung from its side.
Sigrid continued watching Lan Qi.
She wasn’t one for wasted words. If something could be handled efficiently, she would not drag it out.
But her patience was not endless. If he failed to satisfy her, he’d better be ready for the consequences of wasting her time.
Asking the Southwestern Province’s archbishop about the Forerunner — this had already been done by the Ba'tian Church. She doubted Lan Qi could glean any crucial new information from such a call.
Still, the boy was clever — by using her terminal, Kane would be forced to first understand Lan Qi’s relationship with the Ba'tian High Priestess, and his role as a direct subordinate. That way, once Lan Qi arrived in the province, Kane wouldn’t dare obstruct him.
But if it was only that… she would be disappointed.
She preferred strength, not weakness that borrowed prestige.
Lan Qi, cradling the little black cat, walked up to the cabinet and lifted the receiver.
Soon, a deep voice answered from the other end — the headquarters of the Southwestern Province Church.
“Your Grace, Ba'tian High Priestess, do you require me?”
The tone was filled with reverence.
“It’s me.”
Lan Qi spoke calmly.
“…This voice…”
Kane, the archbishop of the Southwestern Province, froze. Murmuring to himself, confusion quickly gave way to shock. His breath quickened, his heartbeat racing.
He wanted to speak, but dared not.
“Forerunner, my lord? Are you with the Ba'tian High Priestess?”
Finally, Archbishop Kane asked, his voice trembling with excitement and disbelief.
“I am now the High Priestess’s partner, standing by her side.”
After saying this, Lan Qi held the receiver in one hand and turned to gaze at Sigrid again.
With her eighth-tier physical prowess, Sigrid could not possibly miss a word of the conversation.
Her brows furrowed, absorbing the sudden development.
Though absurd… it fit.
Many threads of fate seemed to connect here.
Her gaze toward Lan Qi shifted — from confusion to focus.
She raised her hand from the throne’s armrest, and the receiver floated into her grasp.
“Kane, do not tell anyone yet — about the Forerunner being mine.”
Her voice remained cold and commanding, but carried no warning — her trust in her subordinate’s loyalty was absolute.
“Y-Yes! Of course! I will unfailingly follow the great guidance of you and the Forerunner, implementing every directive and advancing the Church exactly as you command!”
Kane babbled his response eagerly.
Still by the cabinet, Lan Qi gently stroked Cat Boss again. The feline finally snapped out of its daze.
Listening to Kane’s nearly incoherent excitement over the line, Cat Boss had a sinking feeling.
Something’s going wrong here!
Lan Qi’s rise within the Ba'tian branch was already ridiculously fast. And now, in the High Priestess’s trial, he had once again shown terrifying efficiency.
It doesn’t want to get famous across the Northern Continent by tagging along with this guy!
On the Southern Continent, Lan Qi had been a nobody for over ten years. Yet now, after just days in the North, he was already making waves everywhere!
When the call ended, Sigrid exhaled softly, almost helplessly.
“I misjudged you. I apologize.”
She reached out, and the purple [Proof of Resurrection – Ba'tian] that marked Lan Qi as her direct subordinate returned to her hand. She crushed it to dust.
Cat Boss shivered, relieved.
So — she would no longer treat Lan Qi as a mere subordinate.
Because beyond that, the only higher role left was Saint Son or Saint Daughter.
For a cardinal to appoint one was no trivial matter — the ritual bestowed great renown, near-supreme power within the branch, and the title of “Son/Daughter of the Church.”
Cat Boss had heard in the Southwestern Province that the Ba'tian High Priestess had no intention of ever appointing a Saint Son. If she did, it would be a Saint Daughter — and besides, she and Lan Qi were utterly incompatible. No High Priestess in history had ever chosen a successor with such a clashing nature, one with no capacity for her tutelage.
And yet—
Sigrid stepped down from her throne.
Holding the Proof of the Ba'tian, she imprinted a new sacred seal. A dazzling pink light burst forth.
[Proof of the Saint – Ba'tian]
Category: Equipment Card
Grade: Pink, Divine
Attribute: Link
Rank: 0
Effect: Credential of the Overlord’s Saint Son. Only one may exist. Bestowed solely by the Overlord High Priestess. If the holder kills a Cardinal, it upgrades into a Proof of the High Priestess, unlocking full privileges, and allowing creation of Proofs of Resurrection up to Blue (Rare) grade for the branch.
Bearer: Rocky McCarthy
“You are the most perfect Saint Son of the Ba'tian I could ever hope to find. I’ve already decided — even if I must overturn all my past rules, I will make you mine.”
Sigrid handed it to Lan Qi, without the slightest attempt to hide her admiration.
(End of Chapter)