Chapter 1 The Starry Corridor

Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows of the Lianyuhuilang Academy headmaster's office, starlight from the Demon Realm spilled into the room, overlapping with the light from the stove to create a luminous screen.

They embraced each other, a mix of joy and sorrow, crying and laughing, like a gorgeous pas de deux, yet as comical as a crab scuttling sideways.

"I'm really sorry to have to separate you all so soon."

Lanci walked guiltily to the sofa, sat down, and muttered, waiting for Hyperion and Sigrid to finish their farewell.

Perhaps Sigrid didn't yet realize that they were outsiders from this era, and that they might never see each other again in the future, but farewells were inevitable.

Life is a series of singular encounters.

Every parting could be a permanent one.

But a parting where this fact is clear is even harder to accept.

He was also very reluctant to part with Sigrid.

Sigrid was an impeccably good child and a trustworthy companion whose life was worth entrusting, upright and brave, with qualities that shone like gold.

Fortunately, Hyperion left Sigrid a recording of her voice as a memento of their sisterly affection. Hyperion could also see Sigrid's appearance and hear her voice again in the future based on the recording of the Shadow World recording program when she returned to the real world.

It was the only consolation.

Sigrid and Hyperion, clinging to each other in the headmaster's office, were reluctant to let go of each other for a long time.

"Sister, we'll be good sisters for life."

Sigrid grabbed Hyperion's arms and said.

"Yes, my love for you will never change, wuwu, my Sigrid."

Hyperion answered with tears in her eyes, her voice choked with sobs.

Sigrid gave Hyperion one last hug and released the soft, tall Demon girl's body.

"Caliella."

Sigrid looked at the gray-haired female Phantom Demon by the window.

As soon as she let go of Hyperion, she ran to Caliella.

Talia looked at her in astonishment, not knowing what to say at the parting, she could only instinctively open her arms and let Sigrid throw herself into her arms.

"Caliella, I can't eat your cooking anymore... You must eat well and sleep well every day, be happy, and never worry about the Demon Realm again."

Sigrid buried her head in Caliella's face and told her.

"Sigrid, don't worry, I've given up on the Demon Realm a long time ago."

Talia was also very reluctant and closed her eyes with mixed feelings.

"Wuwu, Caliella..."

Sigrid choked up and gradually became speechless, just like Hyperion's state just now.

"Don't cry, don't cry, or I'll leave you a message too, so you can listen to it when you miss me in a foreign country."

Talia comforted her, stroking Sigrid's hair, and suggested.

Compared to the feelings Sigrid had when she said goodbye to Hyperion, Talia felt that Sigrid was even more reluctant to part with her.

It was a genuine sadness, as if Sigrid's farewell to Hyperion was only a temporary one, while her farewell to her was a long one.

"Okay."

Sigrid quickly thought of something and took out the phonograph pearl.

She hadn't initially thought about leaving a voice for Caliella, just wanted to use it to tease Hyperion in the future. Now she realized that she could also leave a voice for Caliella, to be taken back to the real world as a permanent treasure.

"My darling, I'll always love you."

Talia said to Sigrid gently, sincerely, filled with her blessings.

The relationship between parents and children is only half a lifetime, and she hoped that Caliella and Sigrid's memories of more than ten years could forever become Sigrid's spiritual source when facing wind and rain.

"Wow, Mama!"

Sigrid finally couldn't hold back her tears, hugged the gray-haired Demon woman tightly, and shouted the heartfelt words that had been in her dreams for a long time.

Sigrid was about to melt into a puddle, treating Caliella as her body pillow.

"I'm here."

Talia responded to Sigrid's call.

"Sigh, Goddess of Fate, you're a sinner."

Lanci sat on the sofa watching their farewell, and couldn't help but be moved.

He originally thought that he could let them stay for five more days, but he didn't expect that everyone would have to go their separate ways now.

When they returned to the real world.

Hyperion would probably be sad in Ikaryte for a long time, Talia would miss her in Brilda for a long time, and Sigrid would become the Holy Emperor in this projection world of another time and space.

They would never have the chance to be under one roof like this again.

"Then, goodbye."

Hyutaisha chatted by the window of the headmaster's office for a long time, and they finally completed their farewell.

They understood that Lanci wasn't urging them, but that Lanci was considerate. It didn't mean that the time in the Shadow World wasn't precious. Lanci might have very important things to say to Sigrid.

"Then we'll go to the Demon King's personally-bestowed restaurant first. Don't let Sigrid get lost in the Lianyuhuilang later."

The gray-haired Demon woman came to the door, opened the door of the headmaster's office, and reminded Lanci.

Talia had personally witnessed Lanci entrusting Sigrid with the mission that only Sigrid could accomplish in the headmaster's office in the Tiberius Mirror.

She naturally wouldn't disturb Lanci any further.

"Yes."

Lanci nodded.

The three Demons disappeared before the door of the headmaster's office.

"Goodbye."

Hyperion looked at Lanci and Sigrid reluctantly at the door, and closed the door with determination.

"..."

The night grew deeper, and only Lanci and Sigrid remained in the headmaster's office.

Lanci sat on the sofa, looking at the starry Demon Realm night sky for a long time.

Sigrid stood in front of the wide brown wood long table, lightly stroking the surface of the table with her fingers.

The atmosphere in the room gradually changed from the previous lively and cheerful to quiet and serene.

"Would you like something to drink? I guess you need something to perk you up."

Sigrid walked to the cabinet on one side of the headmaster's office, skillfully picked up a glass, and spoke to break the silence.

"Tea... No, coffee."

Lanci answered, then changed his mind.

He remembered that there was a wine called Nicaea Island Iced Tea in the Demon Realm, which originated from Nicalis in the Demon King's city.

It looked exactly like black tea, but it was actually wine. According to its original recipe, the alcohol content of Nicaea Island Iced Tea could be very high.

So Lanci always kept in mind that it was best not to touch black tea when he came to the Demon Realm in the Scarlet Moon Bad World.

Without letting Lanci wait too long, Sigrid came over with a tray and a porcelain cup, poured a cup of coffee for Lanci, placed it on the coffee table in front of him, and then sat next to him.

The hot coffee in the glass cup in the winter night of the Demon Realm exuded a rich fragrance, filling the headmaster's office. Lanci felt peaceful just smelling it.

Of course, it might also be because of Sigrid's silent companionship.

Before he knew it, twelve years had passed, and that little girl had become a reliable wolf clan powerhouse who could stand on her own.

"Sigrid, I have something to ask of you."

Lanci said to Sigrid, with a hint of guilt in his voice.

Seeing Sigrid's sad appearance at the end of the Tiberius Mirror, Lanci felt very sorry.

But in this era, Sigrid was the only one who could help him end the Scarlet Moon Bad World. She was an indispensable part.

"No problem."

Sigrid answered naively.

"I haven't said what I'm going to ask you to do yet."

Lanci was stunned and looked at her.

This reaction was also very different from when he explained to Sigrid in the headmaster's office in the Tiberius Mirror.

In the illusion of Tiberius, he called Sigrid to the headmaster's office, and Sigrid saw at a glance that he was going to explain something not so good, but Sigrid still forcibly endured the heartache and agreed to him.

"Probably because you're going to do something big, and then you're going to hand over your affairs to me."

Sigrid spread her hands indifferently, and could also read his thoughts at a glance.

Anyway, she unconditionally trusted the Holy Son.

"Since you know, then aren't you sad?"

Lanci suspected that this Sigrid had mutated, and was frank with her.

"There's nothing to be sad about. I won't stop you from doing what you think is right."

Sigrid moved a little closer to Lanci and answered, staring into his eyes.

Sigrid looked like she was very open about it.

She knew that this was the Shadow World, and the Holy Son would definitely not die. It wasn't like the countdown in the Shadow World, where his life was coming to an end.

"..."

Lanci's brain processor short-circuited a bit.

He started drinking water to cover up the fact that he didn't understand the situation, and at the same time shifted his gaze.

Was the Tiberius Mirror broken?

It couldn't be this different.

His relationship with Sigrid should also be good, but Sigrid didn't seem to take his life and death as seriously as the Sigrid simulated by the Tiberius Mirror.

If even the basic information in Tiberius was untrustworthy, then he needed to consider the deviations in the future it simulated.

"However, if you die, I will definitely keep the widowhood for you for the rest of my life, so you must cherish your life too."

Sigrid lowered her voice a bit and added.

"Pfft!"

Lanci almost choked on a mouthful of coffee.

Sure enough, the Sigrid in the Shadow World and the Sigrid in the Tiberius Mirror were still remarkably similar in some respects.

But the way this one spoke was a bit too straightforward.

"No, Sigrid."

Lanci put down the glass and didn't know what to say to Sigrid.

This little girl hadn't been seen for twelve years, and it turned out that her feelings hadn't faded, but had deteriorated.

He was now a little worried that Sigrid's closeness to both men and women earlier was deliberately feigning ignorance.

"Then you go back to the Holy Plantagenet Empire first. I'll give you all the tokens. You take my letter and go find High Judge Elm and Empress Kezia first, then follow the method I taught you to get evidence that I'm affected by mental trauma, and persuade the Holy Knight Commander and the Inquisitor separately. Directly occupy the Papal Hall and create the illusion that I've been defeated and fled."

Lanci returned to the headmaster's desk and sat down, like he was running away. He began to write letters in his own hand.

"I'm going to the Demon King's city, Nicalis, first, then I'll go straight to the Huning Empire. This time, I won't go back to Herusalem. Time is short. I'll directly take the Great Demons to wreak havoc in the central and southern parts of the Huning Empire. At that time, you'll suppress me in the external public opinion of the Holy Plantagenet Empire, and at the same time, you'll use my crazy deeds to prove your correctness and orthodoxy within the Empire."

He said the matter.

With the experience of three Tiberius Mirrors, Lanci could make slight adjustments to the actual repetition.

The main problem was that the actual operation time was reduced, and he didn't have Rancros' ninth-order strength to perform a real fight in the Herusalem Papal Hall, so he simply rearranged the power seizure scene.

"..."

Sigrid looked at Lanci's attitude with great interest.

Sure enough, teasing the Holy Son was very fun.

Whether it was accompanying the Holy Son, seducing the Holy Son, or speaking frankly to the Holy Son, he would certainly not respond to Sigrid's feelings.

"Sigrid, to tell you the truth, I think you've probably guessed it. It's probably difficult for us to meet again after this, in various senses. To me, you've always been a treasured partner..."

Lanci sealed the letters on the table and organized the tokens, and said to Sigrid in a deep voice.

He thought for a long time before deciding how to say goodbye to Sigrid.

If Sigrid really had those thoughts about him like in the Tiberius Mirror, then he couldn't say goodbye as gently as he did to Hyperion and Caliella. It would only make Sigrid even sadder in the future.

In order to make her less painful in the future, it was better to explain the aftermath as clearly as possible now.

"No problem, then I'll accept your Papal throne with a smile."

Sigrid walked to Lanci's headmaster's desk, took the letter and the keys to the many tokens he gave her, and said unceremoniously.

"Sigrid, I'm talking about something very serious."

Lanci looked up at Sigrid's overly relaxed attitude across the table, and stared at her with a complicated expression.

"I know, we're saying goodbye. Goodbyes can also be happy, for the next long-awaited reunion to be more relaxed."

Sigrid looked at him seriously and nodded.

"But since we may never see each other again in the future, can you fulfill one of my wishes? I'm helping you with so many things, so you have to give me more rewards."

She hugged her arms full of distress and bargained.

"What?"

Lanci asked with a slightly ominous premonition.

From what he knew, Sigrid was the type of person who would take advantage of a fire.

"Hey, come here."

Sigrid turned her cheek and silently pointed to her fair face with her index finger, meaning for Lanci to kiss her.

"That won't work, change to something that can be achieved."

Lanci shook his head.

Now he wouldn't be fooled by Sigrid's childish attitude anymore.

"Are you misunderstanding something? This isn't a request, this is an instruction to you. Now I'm the Pope, not your Holy Maiden. Our positions have been exchanged."

Sigrid sat sideways on Lanci's desk, holding the Papal token and letter in her hand, and instructed Lanci.

"If you want your boss to do things, of course you have to make your boss happy."

She wasn't acting anymore. She had become the domineering temperament of a superior, completely different from the lively Sigrid of before.

Although there was still a joking meaning.

But this way of speaking made Lanci feel that it wasn't Sigrid at all.

Lanci increasingly suspected that the Tiberius Mirror was broken.

"I'll count to three. If you don't kiss me, I'll come kiss you."

Sigrid couldn't help but laugh, pretending to be a big bad wolf, and continued to tease Lanci.

She was almost unable to act anymore.

She certainly wouldn't really kiss him, but Lanci's reaction every minute and every second was very interesting.

"Sigrid, this is the headmaster's office. Don't mess around."

Lanci's eyes were calm and he warned her.

Seeing Sigrid like this, it was really possible that she would force herself on him.

He actually had no ability to resist Sigrid, who could defeat the Profane Duke.

He could only use the Pope's ninth-order majesty to scare her.

"..."

"You really are as good at bluffing as ever. I was almost fooled by you."

Sigrid seemed to have completely seen through Lanci's appearance of pretending to be a master, just like when he protected her on the snowfield, which made her pout,

"By the way, you're going to advance to the seventh order as soon as this Shadow World ends, right?"

Sigrid leaned over the desk, got close to Lanci, and asked quietly, looking at Lanci.

"What are you talking abou..."

Lanci stopped in the middle of his sentence.

He looked up at Sigrid in puzzlement.

How could Sigrid know that this was the Shadow World?

Even if he took a step back, everyone here should rightfully think that he, the Holy Plantagenet Pope, was a ninth-order expert hiding his strength, pretending to be a sixth-order playing around. How could they be sure at a glance that he was really a sixth-order.

However, he only saw Sigrid smiling, but her voice had become very similar to someone he was all too familiar with.

"You're stronger than me now, dear."

Sigrid's eyes narrowed like crescents, and she hooked the corners of her mouth meaningfully, exhaling a bit of sweet wine breath at him, and blew him a kiss.

Lanci's pupils trembled, raised his hand, and pointed at the figure in front of the desk.

This.

Who was this Sigrid?

It was completely the Overlord Archbishop!

Then her sticking with Hyperion, wouldn't that be an epic explosive scene?

"I'll be damned, Sigrid!!!"

Lanci shouted.