Xiao Lan: "..."
The silver-haired boy tilted his head, his gaze shifting between the two of them as if trying to determine if there was any deeper meaning to this sentence.
Because judging from Su Cheng's expression, this didn't seem to be something that made her very happy.
Xiao Lan: "Then I won't disturb you two."
A faint flush still lingered on the boy's cheeks. Even though his breathing had calmed and the effects of the alcohol had dissipated, there still seemed to be a lingering afterglow in his chest.
He had returned to his polite and refined demeanor, but the way he looked at Su Cheng remained incredibly gentle, brimming with an unconcealable joy.
After saying that, he turned and left.
After taking a few steps, he couldn't help but look back at her.
Su Cheng smiled and waved at him.
Ian stood to the side, watching her quietly. "I imagine your experiences tonight have been quite eventful."
Su Cheng turned her head. "And I imagine you aren't here to go on a date with me."
Duke Aulu had said that there were people from the Holy Church attending this banquet, and judging from the way he phrased it, there were clearly more than just one or two.
If Archbishop Johnson's relationship with the Duke wasn't very good, or if it was fine on the surface but he secretly despised him, then she might not necessarily come to the estate.
However—
Among the clerics who came to attend the banquet this time, there were bound to be some who could speak to Archbishop Johnson.
In other words, someone who could help arrange a meeting with the Archbishop for her.
That was why the Duke had said what he did.
Su Cheng knew too few high-ranking members of the Church, and they wouldn't necessarily wear their uniforms on such an occasion, so she couldn't tell who belonged to the Church at all.
But given her status, if she went directly to the temple another day to request a meeting, she would most likely get the opportunity.
Then again, Duke Aulu himself had many dealings with the Church and had made various large donations, so it was perfectly normal for some high-ranking clerics to associate with him.
Su Cheng couldn't help but fall deep into thought. He wanted her to probe Archbishop Johnson's attitude—was the true purpose of this really what he claimed it to be?
Since he definitely knew many clerics, why not have them do it?
"You're mistaken," Ian said, glancing at her. "If I hadn't heard you were here, I wouldn't have come either."
Su Cheng: "?"
It had been a while since she arrived at the Duke's estate, from her initial appearance to now.
It made sense if he had rushed over after hearing some news.
Su Cheng: "...So what is your plan? By the way, I don't consider two people attending a banquet at someone else's house together to be a date."
As she spoke, she couldn't help but look him up and down.
The blond young man stood tall and straight. His ivory shirt was faintly translucent, its tailored cut outlining his broad shoulders and long arms. A silver-gray vest embroidered with dark patterns clung tightly to his lean waist.
The leather of his trousers hugged the shape of his legs, tracing the muscular curves of his thighs, and the boots reaching up to his knees highlighted the elegant lines of his calves.
Another waiter passed by carrying a tray.
Ian casually picked up a glass of wine.
He wore two black onyx cufflinks, and his sleeves rippled like water in the light. "Is it good?"
Su Cheng's gaze lingered on him for a moment. "Hmm? I don't know, it should be okay."
"You don't know?" Ian looked at her with a faint smile. "Then who drank all the wine in your glass?"
Su Cheng looked down at the goblet in her hand and suddenly realized he had taken the exact same type of wine.
Su Cheng: "......It's complicated."
Ian raised an eyebrow slightly. "You seem to have a knack for making everything complicated."
The words sounded like sarcasm, yet his tone suggested otherwise, carrying a hint of admiration instead.
Su Cheng gripped her wine glass. "So I advise you to be a little cautious. About the date, I mean."
"Actually," Ian said noncommittally, "I did make some preparations. I only showed up here to invite you to leave with me."
"Ha," Su Cheng handed her glass to a passing waiter. "What makes you think I'd want to leave with you? Maybe I'm enjoying the banquet."
"Oh, which part exactly?"
"...The priceless delicacies, or being flattered and sought after."
"Right," the blond young man curled his lips slightly. "And you chose an inconspicuous corner in the hallway, which is definitely conducive to experiencing all that."
Su Cheng puffed out her cheeks. "I haven't been here the whole time. The person who tipped you off probably knows that I was just invited to dance by the master of this estate, and we even had a delightful private conversation. This looks like the perfect beginning to my thriving in the capital's aristocratic circles—"
Ian looked at her with a subtle expression. "If that's really the case, then our itinerary should change. I happen to know a few powerful figures in the capital. If your dream is to blend in here, then as your date, I have an obligation to help you."
Su Cheng: "......"
She was speaking pure nonsense, and upon hearing his words, she showed a look of resistance.
"I'm joking," Ian said mildly. "I do know them, but I don't want to waste time meeting them unless you really want to."
Su Cheng shook her head. "I don't. I only said those things just now to clap back at you, because you started it."
"Alright," the blond young man mused. "Then... I'm sorry? I hope the kind and merciful God's Favored One will forgive me?"
Su Cheng crossed her arms. "That depends on what you have planned for our date."
They left the noisy and flashy Duke's estate. The night was thick outside, and the upper district of the capital was brightly lit. Gorgeous carriages drove past on the wide, smooth streets from time to time.
Su Cheng fell into a subtle state of ambivalence.
If they were taking turns leading the dates—then if he arranged this round, it would be her turn to figure something out next time.
If he really came up with something novel and exciting, she would have to rack her brain over how to return the favor, making sure her response wasn't too perfunctory.
However, their relationship was still a question mark to this day.
Her understanding of a date was actually still stuck at the stage of eating out, going shopping together, and then heading to a hotel.
"Last time I said that I think any method that helps us understand each other is fine—"
As they strolled down the quiet, long streets of the upper district, Ian suddenly spoke up. "But since you haven't made a decision yet, I'd like to give it a try."
"...Sure."
Su Cheng couldn't exactly say she was too busy, having just assassinated a Prince yesterday, and had no time to think about any date.
They walked unhurriedly through the quiet and tidy tree-lined avenues. Surrounding them were the estates of the empire's powerful and noble figures, the lights hidden behind bushes and walls.
Su Cheng tilted her head to look at a passing carriage nearby. "Is the place we're going to close? Or are we walking to the station?"
The capital was massive in area. There were public carriages within the city with routes extending in all directions, and the prices were relatively inexpensive, affordable for most locals.
However, in the upper district, especially in these areas where the nobles lived, public transportation stops were not established.
There were no buildings here other than private residences. Ordinary people did not easily come here, and those who could come would all have their own rides.
"No," Ian shook his head calmly. "We will be there after a short walk."
Black iron lampposts stood by the roadside, their translucent glass covers emitting a warm yellow light, containing crystal core fragments of mid-to-high-tier fire-element magical beasts.
Not only did they provide illumination, but they also radiated warmth into the cold, damp night.
Su Cheng could not help but look at the person beside her again.
The glow of the lamps fell upon him, illuminating his brilliant blond hair. The edges of his hair were almost rendered transparent, and specks of light danced across his brow bone and the bridge of his nose.
Then, the light flowed into eyes that seemed to harbor the dawn's first light.
The blond young man also turned his head slightly, casting her a questioning look.
His back was straight, and every movement was pleasing to the eye. His posture could be called impeccable, yet it lacked even the slightest hint of affectation.
For some reason, she always had a vague feeling that this was not a courtesy shaped by acquired training.
Rather, it was something innate.
She had read descriptions of elves in some of the travelogues and novels of this world.
Some bards stated that the elegant demeanor peculiar to that race was more akin to animals.
Like a cat in the jungle, a wolf on the snow plains, a fish swimming in the water, or a bird on a branch.
At the time, she had deeply agreed, believing that primates were indeed inferior in this regard.
"So," Ian slightly raised an eyebrow, "what are you looking at?"
Su Cheng did not want to admit that she was captivated by his beauty.
Su Cheng: "...Can I ask you about something? I heard people mention at the banquet that Archbishop Johnson and Duke Aulu seem to have some conflicts. Although they appear friendly on the surface, there seems to be some misunderstanding behind the scenes."
She was actually prepared to be brushed off with a diplomatic answer, or to be asked where she heard it from.
Ian: "That is correct, and it is not a misunderstanding. They both have ample reasons to loathe each other, but their pursuits and perspectives are different—"
Su Cheng: "?"
Ian paused for a moment. "So it is not a matter of right or wrong. If Duke Aulu wants you to help him with something, you can entirely refuse or accept based on your own wishes without any reservations. Moreover, his actual goal and what he claims it to be might not necessarily align."
They walked into a more secluded street surrounded by ancient-looking mansions. Layers of lush vines climbed over the walls, and the sunless dark gray rocks were covered with moss.
The terrain of this neighborhood was more complex. Mansions of various sizes were piled together, and the streets twisted into an irregular grid, no longer the flat, straight roads from before.
The two stood before a bronze door that almost blended into the wall. The blond young man raised his hand and lightly touched the door panel. A glowing rune emerged where his fingertips made contact.
Then, the door silently slid open inward.
Passing through a courtyard lush with flowers and trees, there was a flight of stone steps leading underground into a vast, silent hall.
The hall was towering and empty. Chandeliers hung from the dome, their shades enclosing giant luminous pearls that emitted a soft, warm glow.
The hum of magical energy still seemed to echo in the air.
Over a dozen crystal display cabinets were arranged in the hall. Two mages in long robes were busy beside one of the cabinets, surrounded by various complex tools.
There were layers of magic arrays on the base of the display cabinet, which the two mages seemed to be adjusting.
The runes on the magic arrays continuously flickered on and off, flashing from the outer ring to the inner ring, and then reversing, settling down after a few cycles.
The mages packed up their tools and left.
"They are performing routine maintenance."
Ian explained softly, his voice exceptionally clear in the silent hall.
"Some of the collections here still possess residual power. Some are not very stable, and others are being corrupted—"
He raised his hand and tapped the display cabinet beside him. "Look at this."
Inside the cabinet was a broken sword, thrust diagonally into a pitch-black rock. An ominous dark red light flowed between the cracks in the stone and the broken edge of the blade.
It looked like dried, coagulated blood.
Even through the thick crystal cover and layers of invisible magical barriers, she could feel an oppressive, uncomfortable aura.
Su Cheng's gaze fell below the display cabinet. "...Charles Vane, Supreme Commander of the Holy Church's Knights of the Northern Continent. Decapitated a corrupted ancient dragon at the Battle of the Dark Gate and perished, consumed by dragon breath."
Su Cheng: "?"
This first name and surname were both very common, but she vaguely remembered seeing this surname on the monument at the Iron Cage Town temple.
And calculating the time, they seemed to be from the same era.
Su Cheng: "So he perished together with the ancient dragon? What is this sword stuck into?"
Ian shook his head slightly. "An ancient dragon will not die even if decapitated, but this Mr. Vane is truly dead. The part you see beneath the sword right now is also a piece of that dragon's body. If you were to pull the sword out, this flesh and blood might dissipate, and the power within would return to the main body."
"Wait? Return to the main body?"
"Yes, this is the power of ancient dragons. Their bodies are never truly destroyed because they are born of nature, and in nature, no matter is ever truly annihilated. Like firewood consumed by flames, a part becomes smoke rising to the sky to form clouds, and a part becomes ash sinking into the earth. It is also like streams merging into rivers and seas; it is not death, but becoming part of the tide. For an ancient dragon, the transformation of the body has nothing to do with life and death."
Su Cheng took a soft breath. "I... I heard there are dragon bones in the Marigold Palace auction. Do those bones also contain the power of ancient dragons?"
"If that ancient dragon is slumbering, or sealed, or for some reason does not want to reclaim its power to reshape its body, then perhaps this would not happen. Moreover, there are also some methods to control the remains of ancient dragons."
Ian said casually, "If you want dragon bones, I can give you some too."
Su Cheng did not want to ask him for things, so she did not speak immediately upon hearing this.
"Wait," she suddenly realized, "do you also have ancient dragon bones?"
"Well, I have many... I cannot exactly say I have them, since I did not put them in my house. I just know where they are."
He spread his hands. "I can take you to get them, or I can go get them for you. It is the same thing."
"When you say get," Su Cheng asked cautiously, "does that location include someone else's home, or someone else's tomb?"
Ian: "..."
Ian: "No. But if you have that kind of preference, I can also go with you."
Su Cheng coughed lightly. "No need. Anyway, getting back to the topic, humans—this Mr. Vane was human, right? For a human to achieve this level and chop off an ancient dragon's head is indeed very impressive. But what does corrupted mean?"
"...Contamination by certain creatures from the void."
Ian glanced at her, then walked toward another exhibition hall further inside.
In the very center stood another display cabinet, inside which lay a pitch-black, slender arrow. It was longer than an ordinary longsword, featuring a multi-faceted spiked arrowhead, and its entire surface was perfectly smooth.
It looked entirely unremarkable.
Su Cheng looked down at the text on the display cabinet.
"...In the year 932 of the Azure Moon Calendar, this arrow defeated the Lord of Cloud and Thunder, the Roar of Eternal Silence, the Thunder Dragon King Nebgel—"
She paused. "An Ancient Dragon King? Wait, this is the Holy Church's territory, right? These are all relics of the Church's heroes, so someone from the Church defeated an Ancient Dragon King? Besides, this calendar year is from several millennia ago..."
The blond young man ahead of her smiled faintly. "Yes."
Su Cheng was incredibly curious, but there was far too little text on the display cabinet, and she couldn't spot anything extraordinary about the arrow itself.
Su Cheng asked, "There are no bloodstains and no remains. What exactly happened?"
Ian replied, "...Actually, if they had written it more accurately, it shattered Him. It was shot into His mouth and pierced straight out through His tailbone, splitting His body completely in half."
Su Cheng couldn't help but shoot him a sideways glance. "Was this done by a human? No, it must have been done by a god, right?"
"It indeed wasn't a human. If humanity had such a mighty warrior, they would have long been sung about in every epic poem—"
Ian said casually, "But I suppose that person wouldn't care anyway."
They moved on to discuss the next exhibit.
The very moment Su Cheng turned her back, a faint golden light suddenly flashed across the arrow in the display cabinet, and a name surfaced upon it.
Ian Gromel.
