Chapter 326
Chapter 326
Chapter 326
Translator: True Detective
Chapter 326 – Lan Qi’s Visit to the Snowfield Province Concludes
On the city wall of Kingston City, the pale afternoon light at four o’clock slanted across the snowfield, and the cold was gradually deepening.
Along the way, the edges of the city wall were still covered with a fine layer of snow. This long-unmelted silver-white coat made the texture of the stone bricks appear even clearer under the sunlight.
Lan Qi’s meeting with the lords was finally drawing to an end.
Tomorrow, he would finish the last of the duties that only a governor could perform, and then depart the Snowfield Province, heading for the faraway Northern Frontier Province.
“By the way,” Lan Qi turned back and asked the lords, “I heard from the matter with Professor Meiji that there was a delegation from the Imperial Capital. It was because of the information you revealed to these visitors that you further mistook him for me. I am a bit curious—exactly what did they tell you?”
The lords’ expressions turned slightly embarrassed.
After the final investigation, it was confirmed that Professor Meiji was actually a Ghost Gang cadre. He had once taught at the Royal Magic Academy of the Protos Empire, later resigned, and moved to live in the Box Mountain Province. Seizing the timing, the information gap, and his strong persuasive ability, he nearly infiltrated the upper echelons of the Snowfield Province.
If Professor Meiji had truly colluded with Viscount Blake Bone and gained control of the Snowfield Province, the consequences would have been disastrous. They might not have had the chance to discover the truth before paying an irreparable price.
In this matter, no matter how Governor Lan Qi might choose to punish them, none of the lords would complain—they knew he had saved them.
The lords exchanged brief glances. Finally, it was Viscount Levin Kingston who spoke first.
“Recently there has been a rumor. In Bone City to the far north, they received a vagrant of unknown origin. He claimed that something terrifying had happened up north. But when we sent people to contact the Northern Frontier Province, we found no such thing. We couldn’t even verify the identity the vagrant claimed—it was as though he had been made up from thin air. His mental state was clearly not right, and he was soon sent to a hospital… where he took his own life.”
“Was there an on-site investigation up north?”
Lan Qi stroked his chin and nodded slightly.
From his conversations with Viscount Kingston, Lan Qi already knew that the investigation team had been given orders not to disclose intelligence. Asking directly might lead to evasive answers, and trying to extract every piece of key information would be troublesome.
Judging from the investigation team’s route, Lan Qi had his suspicions—it was likely connected to the Northern Frontier Province, which was precisely where Chloris had commissioned him to go. Even Chloris’s father, Duke Morotian Berenhard, bearer of the [Original Tablet – Undead], had gone missing in the north.
“This matter is too strange. Apparently, not just our Snowfield Province, but other northern cities have also reported receiving similar vagrants. This ultimately drew the attention of the Imperial Capital, which dispatched Major General Fanreku with an elite investigation team.”
One of the lords added this.
“Major General Fanreku…”
Lan Qi murmured.
He had heard of this imperial general back in the capital. Fanreku was born into a noble family of the Protos Empire and had undergone strict military and strategic training from an early age. Even as a boy, he displayed exceptional command talent and combat ability. At only thirty-five years old, he was already a renowned seventh-tier powerhouse and an imperial major general.
If the Empire sent someone like Fanreku, it meant the potential threat was far greater than it appeared.
“Right now, it’s frightening. Residents cannot contact the south, and northern transportation is cut off. The northern communications stations are often unstable. We fear that enemies we cannot repel may pour out of the north at any time. The main garrisons are in the Northern Frontier Province and Northwestern Province, and the capital is unlikely to allocate forces to this snow-covered province with its relatively small settlements.”
“When the railways were still running, our spies verified everything on-site and found no problem.”
Another lord sighed.
There should not be major trouble for now, since the war had not yet begun, and the northern defense line had sufficient strength to hold.
The greater possibility was that enemy spies were attempting to spread fear and sow suspicion in the north.
“What kind of terrifying event could worry you all this much?”
Lan Qi pressed again.
Now that everyone was gathered, linking this matter with the misunderstanding over Professor Meiji, the lords dared not be perfunctory. Seeing that someone had already broken the taboo, they too decided there was no need to hold back.
Lan Qi’s sharp question was like a cold dagger, making everyone present feel the air grow tense.
The nobles looked at each other, their eyes filled with unease and hesitation. Some swallowed nervously, others fidgeted with their sleeves.
In the heavy silence, only the sound of quiet breathing and exchanged glances remained.
At last, Viscount Levin Kingston stepped forward, his gaze resolute. His silver-gray hair and lined face lent him an air of authority.
“That vagrant said…”
He paused, struggling to find the words.
“The Northern Frontier Province has been annihilated—its lands drenched in blood.”
He whispered the words into Lan Qi’s ear.
The message was so absurd that no one would casually believe it. But it was too chilling, and in today’s wartime atmosphere, even the faintest rumor could trigger mass panic.
“…”
Lan Qi fell silent again.
Standing on the city wall, he gazed into the distance. The snowcapped mountains were shrouded, their outlines indistinguishable through the frost and snow.
Even Chloris’s father had gone missing there—clearly it was a place of extreme danger.
If he went there alone, it could well be a death sentence.
He had thought that bringing the Dominiarch of Heaven along would guarantee safety, but now it seemed that what awaited them further north might be perilous even beyond the Dominiarch’s power.
Something was brewing in the far north, quietly approaching a critical point.
“Askson… is it you who seeks to endanger the Empire?”
Lan Qi muttered softly, staring into the frost-bitten north. His green eyes shone like a beacon.
If there was trouble in the north, then Askson, the Bishop of Annihilation stationed there, would bear the primary responsibility.
He, Rocky McCarthy, Governor-General, would uncover everything and expose all evil before the world in the Imperial Capital of Helrom!