Chapter 8
Chapter 8
Translator: True Detective
Chapter 8: Talia Finds Humans Difficult to Understand
The night sky above the border city-state was still dotted with a few faintly twinkling stars, like the remnants of a fading poem.
As dawn arrived, a soft red hue gradually spread across the horizon, casting a hazy glow over the Lan Qi family estate.
At this tranquil hour, Lan Qi's bedroom remained particularly peaceful. The morning light filtered through the delicate curtains, as if strands of pure, dancing spirits had entered the room.
Yet, Lan Qi was already awake.
He shifted slightly, pushing aside his blanket and lowering his feet onto the carpet, feeling the soft texture beneath him.
"Why did I dream I was in the underworld… and the King of Hell was on vacation, leaving me in charge of signing names on the Book of Life and Death?"
Rubbing his eyes, he mumbled to himself, trying to recall the strange dream.
"Oh, right. The codex I borrowed needs to be returned."
Stretching lazily, he felt a sense of relaxation wash over him as he straightened his back and got out of bed.
After washing up, he didn't head straight downstairs for breakfast.
Instead, he pulled open the curtains beside his desk, letting the soft morning sunlight bathe him in warmth.
A gentle breeze rustled the leaves outside the window, and not far away, birds chirped atop the branches.
Their crisp, melodic notes drifted through the open window, blending perfectly with the serene morning atmosphere.
It had been two weeks since he borrowed the codex from the border library.
During this time, the stack of books on his desk had grown considerably.
Aside from the codex, he had also asked the butler to buy him several basic books on card craftsmanship from the city's Card Crafters' Association.
The study and use of magic in this world were incredibly complex—almost like advanced mathematics in doctoral studies.
If you couldn't grasp it, you simply couldn't.
And Lan Qi had come to terms with the fact that—
He lacked the talent to become a traditional mage who could wield magic purely through their own ability.
But luckily—
Everyone in this world could use magic through "Magic Cards."
However, magic cards that bound to one's soul had strict carrying limits.
This meant that while they didn't change the fundamental roles of combat professions, they still made the strong even stronger.
At the same time, they allowed ordinary people to perform small, convenient spells for daily life.
This was why card crafters—those who created magic cards—were highly sought-after professionals!
Unlike crafting other magical artifacts, creating magic cards required not just a deep understanding of magical engineering but also immense creativity, intellect, and artistic skill.
To Lan Qi's surprise, he found that understanding magical engineering principles, including magic tool crafting and arcane machinery theory, was unexpectedly easy for him.
Even when speed-reading, he could grasp concepts quickly.
"Or maybe it's just because the author of these textbooks is really good at explaining things."
Lan Qi mused as he glanced at the stack of books on his desk.
Interestingly—
All of these textbooks were written by the same author:
Fundamentals of Hutton Kingdom Magical Engineering (7th Edition) – By PolaoCommon Mistakes in First-Tier Magic Card Crafting – By PolaoEthics and Code of Conduct for Card Crafters – By PolaoAccording to the Card Crafters' Association, Professor Polao was a magical engineering instructor at Ikerite Academy's Arcane Engineering Department.
Unfortunately, Professor Polao didn’t take on students.
Otherwise, Lan Qi might have considered studying under him.
Still—
Compared to the rigid, research-intensive Arcane Engineering Department, he preferred the freedom of the Sages' Academy and Knights' Academy, where there were fewer required courses, more electives, and a flexible graduation system.
"I can just take Arcane Engineering courses as electives later."
After thoroughly researching Ikerite Academy, this was the conclusion he had reached.
"Alright, enough theory. Time to experiment with making magic cards."
Over the past few days, he had exhausted his mana while drawing Talia’s portrait, but now—
His mana had almost fully recovered.
Today—
He could rent a workshop at the Card Crafters' Association and start practicing.
And also—
Since he’d be leaving for the capital in two and a half months, he needed to settle things with Talia.
She might be a demon, but they both had something to gain from each other.
Perhaps, in the future—
They could become great business partners.
Lan Qi shifted his gaze out the window.
It didn't take long for his eyes to find her—
Standing just outside the estate, in a shadowy corner where the morning sun had yet to reach.
A girl, still as a sculpture, her gray cloak billowing slightly in the breeze.
She looked like a perfectly crafted porcelain figure—refined, delicate, and otherworldly.
At this moment—
She seemed to blend seamlessly into the scenery, as if she were a painting brought to life.
Or perhaps—
She was the only real thing in an otherwise painted world.
Resting his chin on his hand, Lan Qi studied the demon princess, perfectly disguised as a human.
"Such a shame she’s so old… She’s at least a few hundred years old."
He sighed.
Even among demons, Talia was considered young—
But by human standards, calling her "an old lady" wouldn’t be wrong.
Of course—
Lan Qi had no idea what would happen if he actually called her that.
Far Away…As if sensing his gaze, Talia’s eyes flicked toward the second-floor window.
Lan Qi smiled and waved.
"Good morning."
Talia ignored him.
Her silky gray hair fell over her shoulders, resting against her cloak as she stared into the distance.
She had only been scanning the area for potential threats to her employer.
Since it was only Lan Qi, and not an enemy, she saw no reason to care further.
To her, protecting her client was her only concern.
His personal existence meant nothing.
And yet—
Something felt off.
She couldn’t shake the feeling that the boy’s thoughts had been unusually active just now—
As if he had been thinking something very, very inappropriate.
But why?
Logically, all he had done was wave at her politely.
Maybe it was just her imagination.
After all—
Ever since her homeland was destroyed, she had hated humans.
Even a harmless human like Lan Qi sometimes gave her the vague suspicion that he was secretly a terrible person pretending to be nice.
But—
Her lie-detecting magic and personal observations told her that this human was undeniably good-hearted.
"Sigh…"
Talia let out a soft breath.
She had spent years wandering the human world, believing she was starting to understand them.
But now—
It seemed she still had a long way to go before she could fully integrate into their society and work toward her revenge.