Chapter 31
Chapter 31
Translator: True Detective
Chapter 31: The Poet of Great Love Is Feeling Quite Pleased
Now, not only did Lan Qi have to continue paying Talia a daily wage of 3 pounds, but he also owed her a massive debt of over ten thousand pounds.
Since [The Poet of Great Love] was an Epic-tier card with immeasurable value, Lan Qi and Talia had ultimately negotiated a crafting fee of 75,000 pounds in Southern Kingdoms Union currency. The card would belong to Lan Qi, but he had to repay the full amount within ten years, along with interest, under a legally binding contract.
If not for the fact that the core material, [The Lamenting Verses], was supplied by Lan Qi, and that he himself participated in key parts of the card's creation, the price could have easily doubled—and Lan Qi would never have been able to afford it.
Even 75,000 pounds was a sum that even the Wilfort Merchant Guild would struggle to pay outright in liquid cash.
Since Lan Qi couldn’t pay upfront, he had no choice but to earn the money slowly and repay Talia over time.
At an annual compound interest rate of 4%, to pay it off within 10 years, he needed to repay at least 9,247 pounds per year.
If he missed payments, late fees and interest would snowball the debt into an even larger sum.
So yes—[The Poet of Great Love] was incredibly expensive.
Lan Qi had literally taken out a mortgage for her.
Of course, Lan Qi never made deals that put him at a disadvantage.
In a way, he had successfully tied Talia to his side—even more firmly.
Originally, Talia had only planned to teach Lan Qi until he reached Tier 3, then leave.
But now, because she needed him to repay his massive debt, not only did she have to protect him, but she also had to help him—as a card crafter in human society—make enough money to clear his debt as quickly as possible!
As long as Lan Qi owed Talia enough money, she would have no choice but to keep covering for him.
And she hadn’t even realized yet that this naturally meant their bodyguard contract and teacher-student relationship would continue indefinitely!
Lan Qi mentally clicked his abacus, smiling to himself.
—
However, at that moment, [The Poet of Great Love] wasn’t reverting back into a magic card as she should have.
“Ugh, what a pathetic opponent,” she scoffed, walking toward Lan Qi with a light, bell-like laugh, tilting her head with pride.
Though she resembled Talia in appearance, her aura was completely different.
Unlike Talia’s cold, aloof, and untouchable demeanor, [The Poet of Great Love] was all warmth and charm, her every expression as radiant as spring sunlight—though there was always a trace of mischief and arrogance flickering deep in her eyes.
Seeing Flat’s suffering, she was clearly delighted—not even bothering to pretend otherwise.
“…Friendship first, respect for opponents,” Lan Qi quickly shut his eyes, shaking his head as he murmured, forgive me, forgive me.
It wasn’t surprising that an Epic-tier summon had an independent will.
But in terms of combat ability, [The Poet of Great Love] was even weaker than an ordinary Tier 1 summon.
If she wasn’t activating her effect, she was basically just a mascot—completely useless in battle.
“Alright, time to turn back into a magic card,” Lan Qi waved her over.
However—
[The Poet of Great Love] didn’t seem interested in returning just yet.
It was rare for her to get a breath of fresh air, after all.
Instead, she sauntered over to Lan Qi’s side, taking her time.
“So,” she grinned slyly, her eyes narrowing like a fox, “when’s the next time we get to torment an enemy?”
“Cough!”
Lan Qi’s eyebrow twitched, and he immediately cleared his throat twice.
“Torturing a citizen of our nation is illegal. It violates the Hedon Legal Code’s statute on abuse, so don’t say things like that,” he said seriously.
“I have no intention of breaking the law. I was simply using legitimate strategies to participate in a nationally sanctioned examination.”
“…?”
[The Poet of Great Love] furrowed her brows, staring at him for a few seconds.
She blinked, her crimson eyes locked onto Lan Qi’s bright green gaze, finding them unbearably clear.
…
This guy.
He really was lecturing her on legal knowledge—Not covertly speaking in underworld slang.
“…Tch.”
Clicking her tongue in disappointment, [The Poet of Great Love] finally dissolved into light, reforming into a magic card in Lan Qi’s hand—an Orange Epic-tier card, still shimmering faintly with a warm glow.
“Weak little master, hurry up and get stronger. That way, I can stay outside and enjoy myself freely.”
Her honeyed voice echoed faintly across the vast plains, filled with laughter and amusement.
Lan Qi stored the card away, shaking his head helplessly.
Even if he had unlimited mana, there was no way he’d let this menace run around unchecked, doing whatever she pleased.
She had more than enough ability to turn any place dense with negative emotions into a full-fledged madhouse.
While it was true that independent summons could sustain themselves by drawing mana from their summoner, and many high-level summons even served as loyal companions or caretakers—
[The Poet of Great Love] was the complete opposite.
Unless she had the chance to torment or mess with people, she rarely even listened to Lan Qi’s commands.
“The next time I summon you,” Lan Qi swore silently, “it will definitely be for good deeds and virtuous causes.”
[The Poet of Great Love] was a magic card that brought joy and happiness to the world.
Forcibly calming the rage of enemies was, in its own way, a form of healing.
Today, once again, was a day full of virtue and good karma.
After recalling his summon, the angelic Lan Qi stepped out of the Artificial Shadow Realm.
—
Learning and Education Building, Seventh-Floor Atrium Exam Hall.A vast, open space, surrounded by towering glass walls.
The golden light pillars stretched from the floor to the ceiling’s circular opening, allowing sunlight and fresh air to flow freely.
By now, the sun had risen high in the sky.
The crystal-clear waters of the central fountain shimmered, reflecting the surrounding lush greenery.
Having just returned from the Artificial Shadow Realm, Lan Qi found the scene extremely relaxing.
However—
Looking around, he quickly realized something was off.
Professor Teresa, who was supposed to oversee this exam session, was nowhere to be seen.
Normally, she would be sticking around to explain post-exam procedures for newly admitted students.
But then, Lan Qi noticed something outside the exam hall—
A stretcher being hurriedly carried away by medical staff, with Teresa’s silhouette following closely behind, engaged in frantic discussion.
It didn’t take long for Lan Qi to understand.
She was busy handling the aftermath of Flat’s condition.
Because of that, the next group of examinees—who were supposed to start soon—were now left waiting in the exam hall, with no one to manage them.
“…Ah, if I had come out earlier, I could have helped carry the stretcher,” Lan Qi said lightheartedly.
—
“….”
Hearing his offhand remark, Huperion instinctively turned to look at him.
If Flat had any remaining consciousness left—
And saw Lan Qi trying to help him onto the stretcher—
He might have passed out instantly.
…
Huperion was starting to suspect that Lan Qi was secretly evil.
But watching his genuinely innocent expression…
She wasn’t so sure anymore.
Maybe…
He really was just a little dense.