Chapter 369
Chapter 369
Translator: True Detective
Chapter 369 – Lan Qi’s Faculty Expansion Plan
“So, Son of Ba’tian, what do you plan to do next?”
Sigrid sat a little closer to Lan Qi, her palm pressing against the sofa cushion as she asked.
If they had lost Chloris as an ally — or worse, if they could no longer even tell whether she was friend or foe — Lan Qi’s plans would surely undergo a major change.
But the more closely tied the sudden incident was, the more it meant the enemies hidden in the shadows were about to surface. Every step they had taken had not been meaningless.
At this point, Sigrid could clearly feel that some mastermind was orchestrating something unknown against the Protos Empire.
Had she never met Lan Qi, she might have become just another pawn in their game — and when the grand explosion finally came, she would most likely have been a loser, without even understanding why. That realization made her furious.
Not only Askson, but that black-robed figure — from this day forth, both would be sworn enemies of the Dominion Branch.
“How about Associate Professor Sido? Is he alright?”
Lan Qi rested his chin in his hand, deep in thought, then turned to Gloria and asked.
It had been Associate Professor Sido, from the Department of History at the Protos Royal Academy of Magic, who first introduced him to Lady Chloris Berenhard.
Chloris seemed to trust Sido a great deal. Regarding the disappearance of Duke Morotian Berenhard, Sido was also one of the very few who knew the truth.
If there had been some hidden upheaval in the Berenhard household, Sido was likely the only one who might know what had really happened.
But Gloria shook her head.
“Associate Professor Sido went missing even before Lady Chloris was arrested — probably about a week earlier.”
She bit her lip as she spoke.
Sido had always been a mysterious man, often taking long research leaves — sometimes disappearing for months at a time.
Lan Qi nodded. He wasn’t surprised by this outcome.
Sido was deeply connected to Chloris. If Chloris had been taken down, he likely wouldn’t have escaped unscathed either.
After thinking for a moment, Lan Qi seemed to have already made up his mind. He turned toward Sigrid, who had been quietly watching him.
“Sigrid, don’t leave the Academy for the next little while. Stay here at Gloria’s house. I’ll also restrict the range of movement for visitors — they won’t be allowed near the dormitory area.”
Lan Qi spoke with quiet determination.
“No problem,” Sigrid nodded.
Right now, chaos reigned in Helrom. Leaving the Academy’s safe zone — protected by the ancient barrier — was a dangerous gamble. Anyone could target her because of the power of the Curse Mark she carried.
Thankfully, almost no one would suspect that Sigrid of the Dominion Branch would be hiding disguised as a mere student inside the Protos Royal Academy of Magic.
“By the way, Sigrid — do you think that black-robed man you fought was using his full strength back then?”
Lan Qi seemed to have one final doubt, so he asked her directly.
“He was definitely trying to kill me with everything he had — but personally, I feel he relied too much on those black chains and the Abyssal Black Worm… someone with such enormous magical power should know a lot more spells. Yet, I never saw him use them.”
Sigrid thought carefully, her tone slow but resolute.
Those black chains could transform endlessly and cover every attack pattern imaginable, but Sigrid still felt that black-robed man had more up his sleeve.
“Wait… are you saying Associate Professor Sido might actually be that black-robed man?”
She suddenly looked up, eyes wide, staring at Lan Qi.
It struck her as strange — she had never once seen this Associate Professor at the Academy herself. Only through conversations with Lan Qi and Gloria did she realize just how prominent a figure he was within the Department of History.
“…”
Lan Qi shook his head, looking unsure.
He had always gotten along well with Sido — in fact, Sido was the first real friend he’d made after arriving at the Academy.
At the very least, Sido had shown no malice toward Zestira — which had left Lan Qi with a favorable impression.
Lan Qi had spent many days with Sido at close range within the Academy. And he had seen the black-robed man in person on the battlefield of Bandera City in the Northern Border Province.
The eerie aura of that black-robed man… it just didn’t feel like Sido to him.
Now, however, there were more and more people hidden in the shadows, with unknown identities and allegiances. The situation in the Empire was nearing its breaking point — it felt like they were at the brink of a grand free-for-all.
Multiple factions, each with their own schemes, were being disrupted because of his and Sigrid’s actions in the north, triggering a chain reaction and throwing everyone’s plans into chaos.
“The only clear enemy we have right now is Askson. So targeting him is definitely the right move. For the rest — we’ll just have to be fully prepared and adapt to whatever comes.”
Lan Qi’s voice was heavy with a sense of responsibility as he spoke to Sigrid.
They were the ones out in the open — but being in the open also had its advantages. Lan Qi and Sigrid were both people who preferred to do things openly and honestly.
These past two months traveling the Northern Continent had taught Lan Qi one thing:
Justice and fairness were often either too scarce or came far too late — leaving the entire land full of criminals running wild.
Unlike those who wasted their lives away, Lan Qi had developed a strong ideological conviction back when he was still in the Southern Continent.
He understood now that the Protos Empire’s “current patch” was designed for stirring things up — and the Dominion Branch specialized in exactly that.
This did not conflict with his identity as a philosopher, educator, thinker, and man of action. In fact, this was the most effective way to practice justice under the current circumstances!
As long as they eradicated all those degenerates of the Annihilation Branch, the Protos Empire could enjoy peace and prosperity for generations.
This was Lan Qi’s grandest vision and ultimate goal!
Seeing Lan Qi so passionate and full of conviction, Sigrid hesitated for a moment. She wasn’t sure whether she should throw a bit of cold water on him now — but she eventually spoke the hard truth.
“But… I still can’t beat Askson.”
Her eyes dimmed as she admitted it.
Askson should have been her opponent to take down. Lan Qi should have focused on everything else — the logistics, the political work. But now, instead of helping Lan Qi, she had become a burden.
Even though the Dominion Branch had Lan Qi and Rocky McCarthy’s growing influence, they no longer had the strongest force that could truly intimidate their enemies.
Even if they won the upcoming vote for Archbishop, if her true condition were revealed, it would all be meaningless.
The Empire had no use for a “paper tiger” partner — power was the foundation of all negotiations.
“Then we just need to unseal you.”
Lan Qi met her gaze and spoke, as if reminding her that the “big boss” could never hang her head in defeat.
“To break the seal, we’d either need a ninth-tier sealing master… or we’d have to kill the caster himself…”
For once, Sigrid’s voice softened, almost as if she was reluctant to meet Lan Qi’s eyes. She had never shown anyone this vulnerable side of herself.
Finding a sealing master stronger than Askson was practically impossible in this era. The only other option was to gamble by entering the Shadow World, hoping to encounter a ninth-tier ally who specialized in sealing magic and could forcibly undo her seal.
But with her current strength, if she entered an eighth-tier Shadow World and got unlucky at the start, it would be certain death — she wouldn’t even get the chance to gamble.
It was a deadlock.
If she didn’t kill Askson, she could never return to her peak.
But if she didn’t return to her peak, she could never kill Askson — even with Lan Qi’s help.
“Then we kill Askson.”
Lan Qi stood up, glanced at the clock. He was a man who always kept his promises.
It was time to become Rocky McCarthy again — time to head for the Helrom Broadcasting Corporation.
“…”
Gloria felt a chill run through her entire body.
This was the first time she had heard someone say they wanted to kill the Bishop of Annihilation so casually.
Even Sigrid had failed to defeat Askson multiple times — killing him had been completely out of the question.
But when Lan Qi said it, it sounded like he had already made up his mind and set it as a goal.
It was as if he were dedicating himself to some great and unknown cause, determined to erase this heretic from existence.
“How exactly do you plan to kill him? Only an eighth-tier can defeat another eighth-tier.”
Sigrid lifted her gaze, looking at the now-brown-haired, green-eyed figure before her. Her expression was conflicted — she didn’t want Lan Qi to do anything reckless.
In one week, Askson would have recovered most of his strength.
The Empire’s eighth-tier powerhouses — whether loyal to the Empire or scheming for their own gain — would have already been courted by the three Cardinals if they were willing to stand against Askson.
And ordinary eighth-tiers couldn’t compete with someone like Askson anyway — a Bishop of Annihilation stood at the very pinnacle of the eighth tier.
Worse yet, if these imperial powerhouses discovered Sigrid’s true state and whereabouts, they might turn on her for her Primordial Tablet instead.
“At heart, we’re a diversified academy. I’ve actually been considering inviting three visiting professors for a while now. Originally, I wanted to fix the current state of affairs first before bringing them in — but it looks like I’ll have to borrow them early.”
Lan Qi straightened the collar of his outer coat, smiled, and waved as he walked toward the door. His ambition seemed to blaze like fire.
“…”
What kind of “visiting professors” could possibly take on Askson?
Sigrid was baffled.
Even if Lan Qi wanted to request aid from the Southern Continent, there was no time for that — and no guarantee any of its great powerhouses would even come.
Within one week, there were only a handful of strong people in the Protos Empire he could hope to contact — and none of them were likely to obey his summons.
“Wait a second…”
Sigrid suddenly froze.
“You’re not talking about those three ancient demon lords locked in the deepest level of Helrom Prison… are you?”
When she looked up and saw the righteous fire burning in Lan Qi’s eyes, she understood immediately.
This boy had lost his mind!
He was seriously planning to go after those three ancient demons!