Chapter 304
Chapter 304
Chapter 304
Translator: True Detective
Chapter 304: Lan Qi Clearly Has No Ambition
When the sound of conversation subsided, the thoughts that had been flowing between words were sealed away, creating the illusion that time itself had stopped.
In the silent office, only the faint ticking of the clock and the crisp sound of raindrops tapping against the windowpane remained, becoming unusually distinct in the quiet principal’s office.
Even the books stacked on the desk seemed to have sunk into this tranquility. The brass desk lamp beside them trembled ever so slightly, casting warm yellow light across the desk. The glow mingled with the dark wood grain, producing a calm, serene tone.
Chloris sat watching Lan Qi’s desk, lost in thought.
“So, Miss Chloris,” Lan Qi gently raised the still-warm teacup to his lips, taking a small sip. “Is there something troubling you that requires my assistance?”
Chloris lifted her head slightly.
“I want to form an alliance with Mr. Rocky McCarthy to stop this war of the Empire,” she replied bluntly.
“From what I know, Duke Morotian may not be entirely counted among the war faction, but in tendency, your family should lean more toward the pro-war side, correct?”
Lan Qi was willing to believe in Sido—after all, he bore no malice even toward Zestira. More importantly, in both conversation and the words of his works, one could see his hatred of war.
But when it came to this young duchess, Lan Qi was not yet certain of her stance.
“My father has long been missing. The so-called Duke Morotian sitting in that seat right now is, in fact, a drug-controlled puppet I created.”
Chloris sighed as she spoke.
“...”
Faced with her frank confession, even Lan Qi was taken aback, the teacup frozen in midair.
It wasn’t just that her words shocked him—that she would reveal such a matter so directly—but that Chloris dared to take such a step in the first place.
No wonder, when he and Zestira had just arrived at the Imperial Capital Helrom, they heard that Duke Morotian had refused all attempts to search for the Primordial Tablet – Undead. Even with the Royal Academy of Magic’s merit points, they could only seek out the Primordial Tablet – Light belonging to the Great Imperial Sage Isis.
As it turned out, the Tablet – Undead no longer existed.
“You’re calmer than I expected. Don’t you doubt how a duke, holder of a Primordial Tablet, could possibly have gone missing?”
Chloris observed Lan Qi’s reaction, smiled faintly, and asked.
She had no need to jest. Whether it was true or false, she could easily prove it by simply bringing Lan Qi to the ducal mansion.
“For a girl whose father has gone missing, I would choose to believe her rather than question her. After all, she is the one bearing the heaviest burden.”
Lan Qi set down his teacup, his composure restored, speaking with quiet certainty.
“...”
Chloris looked at him in silence for a moment.
This exchange was perhaps the most surprising thing she had encountered in her dialogue with him thus far.
“Do you have any leads on the mystery of your father’s disappearance?” Lan Qi asked.
“No. Other than knowing I lost contact with him in the North, the trail is so clean it’s absurd. That’s also why I’ve been able to conceal his disappearance.”
Chloris shook her head.
Lan Qi nodded.
In theory, Huperion could have done the same when Duke Migaya vanished. But even a single misstep would have meant ruin, and Huperion lacked the resolve to attempt such a thing.
Chloris, however, did not mourn her father’s disappearance for even a moment. She seized control of the family immediately. Compared to Huperion, she was far more ruthless—and possessed a courage few others had.
Thinking carefully, her action might have directly reshaped the balance of the Protos Empire.
If Duke Morotian had gone missing at the wrong time, people would have leaned heavily on the Resurrection Church, and panic would have exploded.
Though Duke Morotian seemed like a pillar of the war faction, in truth, he was also a key stabilizing force for the Empire.
After all, the war in the Protos Empire had been ignited by fear and hatred. Duke Morotian, as one who could suppress fear, was not someone who could simply disappear.
“What do you plan to do next?” Lan Qi asked again.
Her stance was clear—so clear it could not be clearer. She had to oppose the war.
But paper cannot cover fire. Once war truly broke out, the duke’s disappearance would be exposed, and Chloris’s deception would lead to ruin and an irreversible backlash of public opinion.
By deceiving the Empire to seize power, she had gained initiative. But now, she had to gamble that this initiative would give her the chance to overturn the plotters behind it all.
Those in the shadows would never expose her themselves. Doing so would risk revealing their own trail and exposing their hand too soon—something no schemer wanted.
Chloris had calculated all this. It was both a gamble and a game.
Perhaps even the conspirators hadn’t expected her to dare play this way.
“Maybe I can keep dragging things out,” Chloris said casually, “but I believe someone won’t allow me to. I estimate I have at most a little over a month. Once the cooperation between the Resurrection Church and the Empire is complete, even without Duke Morotian as a pillar, the gap will be filled. Then the war will ignite.”
She still looked carefree, as if none of this had anything to do with her—even though she was the one in the greatest danger.
“So, what do you hope I can do for you?”
Lan Qi now felt certain that Chloris would make an excellent partner.
Their positions aligned; they could benefit each other. A deal was possible.
The good news: her power exceeded his expectations—she controlled the entire ducal house.The bad news: to cooperate with her meant betting everything on one throw.
Either they lost and became eternal sinners, or they won and became lights for the ages.
“There aren’t many directions for investigation right now… But since you insist those beings are not demons, I want you to investigate the North. Though the chance is slim, if you can bring back even a shred of evidence, Professor Sido and I can use every channel of the ducal house to expose it. In return, our family will become your backing.”
Chloris spoke slowly.
“The difficulty lies in obtaining a pass to the northern front. The North isn’t only under communication blackout—it requires a permit issued by the Imperial Ministry of Defense.”
She added this, knowing she couldn’t help Lan Qi with it. If he left with ties to the ducal house, his journey north would become even more dangerous.
The capital Helrom was guarded by Sage Isis and multiple eighth-tier powerhouses. Even if the enemy acted, it would only expose them further. But the North was different.
“I already have a pass. It’s no problem. I also have official business to handle there.”
Lan Qi leaned calmly against his chair, speaking with the ease of a true principal.
Even so, Sido, sitting nearby, twitched at the corner of his eye.
At this moment, Lan Qi gave him the distinct impression of being a man who had every kind of credential imaginable. People like that often made one suspect they weren’t doing entirely legitimate work.
“Then I must trouble you, Principal Rocky.”
Chloris rose, smiling as she bowed once more.
She didn’t hold much hope that Lan Qi would uncover anything in the North.
But if he did bring back even a fragment of truth, he might soon appear on the cover of the Imperial Weekly, receive countless interviews, give speeches, and draw attention even from the nations of the far North.
Unfortunately, such fame meant little to him.
He appeared too free of desire, too lacking in ambition.
Perhaps that was his solitude: even should he achieve great deeds, there would be no one with whom to share the joy.
(End of Chapter)