Chapter 364
Chapter 364
Translator: True Detective
Chapter 364 – Lan Qi’s Journey in the North Comes to an End
Rock Junction Station – the lower level.
Lan Qi silently led the way, holding a chain in his hand.The other end of the chain was fastened tightly around a young woman’s slender wrist.
They passed through a secluded stairway corridor, the clinking of metal from the cuffs occasionally ringing out, mismatched yet somehow in rhythm with their footsteps.
At the end of the corridor was a ramp that led up to the platform bathed in daylight.
Lan Qi squinted slightly, while Sid kept her head lowered, making it difficult to discern the expression in her eyes.
Through the glass canopy of the platform roof, beams of natural light streamed down like scattered coins, casting speckled patterns on the floor—patterns that were occasionally stepped on by the two as they walked.
The platform was sparsely populated.Some passengers sat on benches looking a little uneasy, while others stood at the edge of the platform, gazing into the distance toward the rails.
Before the two of them had even fully stopped walking, a magitek train thundered down the track, pulling an entire series of carriages behind it as it pulled into the station.
The metal body of the train gleamed brilliantly, its polished surface catching the sunlight and reflecting it.Each carriage, as it sped past, bore the steel insignia of the Protos Empire.
Lan Qi and Sid stood just behind the painted safety line on the ground, waiting.
The train gradually slowed down and came to a steady stop.The doors opened, releasing a faint mist of transparent vapor—the residual warmth of the magitek regulator slowly dissipating into the air.
“Get on.”
Lan Qi’s voice was cold, almost commanding.
Even without Lan Qi tugging on the chain, Sid naturally followed his steps into the carriage.
She remained completely silent, obedient as if she were a doll.This sight kept the distant passengers from daring to glance their way, and none could imagine what sort of fate awaited this prisoner girl.
The two of them walked into a special carriage located at the rear of the train.
Unlike the other carriages ahead, this one was designed to be sturdier and more enclosed, with additional defensive and private features.Even the train attendants needed authorization before entering this section.
As soon as they stepped into the compartment, the heavy door closed behind them with a deep metallic clang that reverberated through the wide space.
“Phew—off duty!”
The two of them sat down in the seats, both sprawling into the backrests as though they had just finished an exhausting journey.
Lan Qi didn’t want to move at all.Helping Askson work all morning had drained him completely.
“When are you going to unlock this?”
Sid lifted her right hand from the armrest, shaking the chain and making it jingle.
“Once the attendants bring our lunch, I’ll unlock it. We have to keep up appearances.”
No matter what, they were technically still officers escorting a prisoner.Until they transferred to the next train and restored their appearances, they had to keep up the charade.
But at least now, their investigation journey through the Empire’s northern territories had come to an end—they could finally return to the familiar Imperial Capital, Helrom.
“Sigh, what a rough trip.”
Lan Qi seemed to recall everything they had experienced in the past month or so and sighed.
Sid looked at him but said nothing.
“It was rough for me! You didn’t even get hurt.”
In the end, she just gave him a sidelong glare and turned away.
This guy hadn’t even gotten his clothes dirty once the entire trip.
Even back when they fought the Ghost Gang in the Snowfield, she was the one throwing punches one by one, while Lan Qi just stood in the back like some kind of overseer, doing nothing.
“You said you’d protect me, didn’t you?”
Lan Qi smiled with complete confidence.
Sid stared at his face again, wanting to make a sarcastic remark.But after hesitating for a moment, she held her tongue.
His innocent smile almost felt like he was thanking her—thank you for protecting me so well.
“You—if you were a girl, they’d make you a saint. You’d annoy me to death.”
Sid let out a resigned sigh and spread her left hand.
At the beginning, she had even thought that if the person she had chosen was a girl, it would have been better.Now, she was just grateful he wasn’t one.
“By the way, what level are you at now?”
Lan Qi asked after a brief pause.
He noticed Sid no longer seemed as worn out as she had been back in the Snowfield.Her spirit seemed much improved.
“About Fifth Rank. This is probably my limit. The more I recover, the more I feel the shackles of the seal—it’s locking my state in place.”
Sigrid’s expression suddenly turned grim as she answered.
She could still protect herself in the capital Helrom, but compared to her former self, this was a pathetic shadow of her strength.
“But if I can break this seal, I might actually become even stronger than before.”
She clenched her fist and muttered to herself.
This was both a calamity and a trial.What doesn’t kill her will only make her stronger.
However, looking at the completely undeterred Sigrid, Lan Qi’s comment was—
“Please don’t.”
Lan Qi’s eyes carried a hint of pity.
She was already so strong she might never get married.If she got even stronger, she definitely wouldn’t.
“…”
Sid bit her lip, her fists trembling with frustration.
If beating up the Son of Annihilation in public wouldn’t have gotten them caught by the people on the platform outside, she might have actually done it.
“Son of Annihilation.”
“Hm?”
“If you ever meet a woman who can read minds, you need to run.Turn around and run. Don’t ask questions. Don’t think about anything.”
“Why?”
“Because I’m probably the only one in this world willing to spoil you like this.”
Sid’s smile was cold and twisted, her teeth gritted.
Even though she had warned him several times already, she still had this nagging feeling that he just didn’t believe in danger.Either he would pull off extreme stunts without ever crashing… or, once he did crash, it would be a disaster of epic proportions.She didn’t want to have to go to the crematorium to collect her Son of Annihilation.
“Relax. Mind-reading is an extremely high-level mental magic.Even my most ambitious disciple, Zestira, won’t be able to master it within the next few years.”
Lan Qi traced a finger through the air with absolute certainty.
“No one understands demonic talent better than I do.”
Compared to humans, demons had a higher chance of awakening innate magic of this caliber—magic on par with epic-tier spells.But now, demons with such extraordinary talent were vanishingly rare.
“…”
Sid looked at Lan Qi’s confident expression but said no more.
Zestira, that little girl, Sigrid had seen her once—on the live projection during the monthly examinations at the Protos Royal Magic Academy—when she was watching Lan Qi teach from Gloria’s residence.
Even if Zestira eventually learned mind-reading, it wouldn’t harm Lan Qi, since she had great respect for her teacher.
But if they ever ran into someone older…Sigrid didn’t even dare to imagine what might happen.
As silence settled between the two of them, a rhythmic announcement sounded throughout the entire train, formally signaling the start of their journey.
When the announcement ended, the carriage vibrated gently, followed by a soft forward push from the seats.
Lan Qi’s gaze drifted past the glass window, staring at the outside world.
At first, everything on the platform moved very slowly.The signs and benches along the platform seemed to slide by in slow motion, sunlight painting shifting bands of light across the window.
Then the scenery outside began to retreat lazily, growing more distant.
On the opposite platform, the passengers and staff who had been within sight moments ago all gradually vanished into the distance behind the train.
Until, suddenly, a familiar figure appeared again in his view—his gaze locked across the window on the young lady of the Milford family, who was waiting for another train on the opposite platform.