Late September.
Botswana Province, in the southern part of the Kreutzer Empire.
Golden leaves fluttered in the breeze. Sunlight filtered through the thin clouds, falling with the autumn leaves on the roof of the magical train. The train slowly pulled into the platform, and passengers surged toward the doors.
At the end of the line of passengers, an old gentleman carried a suitcase in one hand, unhurried. He waited on the platform until the passengers in front had gradually boarded.
He wore gloves, carried a cane, and was tall. He looked about sixty years old, but still stood upright.
The sharp angles of his face, high cheekbones, and deep eye sockets made his eyes appear spirited. Although wrinkles had crept into the corners of his eyes, they could not conceal his bright gaze.
His salt-and-pepper hair was slightly curly, well-trimmed, and meticulously combed, tied into a small braid at the back of his head.
The old gentleman took a deep breath of the cool autumn air, standing motionless like a chess piece.
Lovia, a sixty-two-year-old publisher from Gran Wilfley, on the northern border of the Kreutzer Empire, a border commoner with a little savings, wanted to do some business in the imperial capital, Blierda.
That was his new identity after coming to the Kreutzer Empire.
To be honest, Lan Qi had never played an old man before, and could only try to imitate Professor Bolaao's usual posture, which was the most familiar to him.
Lan Qi carefully examined his attire in the reflection of the carriage window again, making sure there were no flaws, before heading towards the train at a leisurely pace.
The aisle in the carriage had fewer passengers than when they had just arrived at the station.
Lan Qi carried his luggage through it, feeling quite spacious.
"Sir, please show your ticket."
The polite conductor who appeared in front blocked Lan Qi's path.
He unhurriedly took out the ticket from his pocket and handed it over.
"Welcome aboard the Blierda Magical Train. Room 404 is straight ahead to carriage four, the fourth room. Have a pleasant journey!"
The conductor took another look at this handsome old man, verified his ticket with the device in his hand, and immediately stepped aside to point Lan Qi in the direction.
"Thank you."
Lan Qi nodded in acknowledgment, and took back the ticket.
The interior of the train was decorated in a simple and elegant style, with patterns carved on the mahogany box, exuding the fragrance of aged wood.
"Four-oh-three, four-oh-four..."
Lan Qi walked along the aisle, silently reciting the numbers on the doors, and soon found his compartment.
He opened the door and walked in.
Since it was only a short-distance train, there were no berths. Each compartment should have two passengers, but it was correspondingly luxurious and comfortable, with large seats and spacious storage racks.
Lan Qi placed his luggage on the storage rack and sat upright on the soft seat cushion, feeling relaxed in body and mind.
At this moment, he was wearing a sophisticated Kreutzer-style black coat, with dark gold patterns embroidered on the collar and cuffs, and a dark green shirt inside. He looked like a businessman, albeit a publisher of indeterminate meaning.
The old Mr. Lovia, the Bosen spy who originally maintained this identity, was knowledgeable and insightful as a publisher, and could talk eloquently about literature, history, or philosophy. Fortunately, Lan Qi also knew a little about everything, and could be competent in the role.
If only there was a more convenient identity.
Lan Qi couldn't help but rest his chin on his hand, looking out the window, thinking.
Once he entered the capital, Blierda, it would be more troublesome to get a new identity and change it, requiring a lot of intelligence and preparation. A single mistake could lead to being exposed.
Suddenly, he missed Frey very much. Investigation, evidence collection, and intelligence gathering were Frey the detective's specialties. When he and Frey worked together on cases in the royal capital, Iklit, he had never seen a lock that Frey couldn't open or evidence that he couldn't obtain.
It had been almost a year since he had last seen Frey, when he said goodbye before going to the northern continent.
Whenever he went to acquaintances at the Iklit Academy to ask about Frey, neither Chairman Monaster nor Secretary Lu Weixier would mention it. Only the chairman hinted to Lan Qi that Frey might have gone south when he said goodbye.
The south of the Hatton Kingdom was either the southern Wantina border territory or the vast territory of the Kreutzer Empire to the south.
Outside the train window, verdant mountains stretched endlessly. As far as the eye could see, the mountains were full of autumn colors, and the forests were dyed in layers, creating a beautiful scene.
His new face was also reflected on the double-layered composite glass.
Lan Qi slowly retracted his hand that was supporting his chin. An old gentleman shouldn't make such movements.
He should be more mature and dignified.
And it always felt a little strange to touch the mask with gloved hands.
But in order to avoid suspicion, these were all necessary. Makeup alone couldn't turn him into an old man in his sixties.
"Playing an elderly human is making you uncomfortable, isn't it?"
Talia's thought transmission came from Lan Qi's mind.
She felt that Lan Qi's daily makeup was troublesome.
Although Talia, who had become the Devil King of Mania, wasn't as lively as the Poet of Great Love, she had to maintain the magic card state most of the time after coming to the Kreutzer Empire. Besides waking up, she watched Lan Qi's life, and gradually realized that she seemed to only be able to chat with him to pass the time.
"It's fortunate that it's not a woman."
Lan Qi sighed in his heart.
Because Nigel had said from the beginning that in order to ensure absolute safety and reliability, there might not be a suitable identity. In addition, Lan Qi had also asked Nigel to speed things up, so in the end, only this identity could ensure absolute safety and was barely enough.
This elderly publisher named Lovia was originally a Bosen Kingdom spy stationed in the Kreutzer Empire. Among the safe identities that Nigel could find for Lan Qi, only this soldier's body shape was closest to Lan Qi's, which could simplify the difficulty of disguise.
The periphery of many core cities in the Kreutzer Empire had unique Dispersal Magic Barrier Zones of Imperial Magical Engineering. To ensure nothing went wrong, in addition to the usual constant disguise magic transformation technique: Human}, Lan Qi also had to prepare a physical disguise to pretend to be a new identity, using a double disguise to ensure that even if the magic was dispelled when passing through the Dispersal Barrier Zone, he could still maintain the physical disguise.
But fortunately, once he passed through the Dispersal Barrier Zone and entered the interior of the capital, Blierda, he could still continue to use his unique transformation magic transformation technique: Human} most of the time, without worrying about this ultra-ancient magic being easily recognized.
Now that this identity was handed over to Lan Qi, the original Mr. Lovia could also return to the Bosen Kingdom to retire.
"You're pretty good at playing an old geezer."
Talia observed Lan Qi again, chatting with him in Lan Qi's heart. She felt that Lan Qi was getting better and better at it.
"..."
Lan Qi was speechless for a moment.
Old geezer meant praising "an old man with an immortal demeanor, ascending to immortality," which was what he had explained to Talia last time. He didn't expect Talia to really remember it.
"Come to think of it, if your appearance becomes old, there's really no sense of disharmony at all. Even Hibertian always says that you're like an old principal in school, just with the face of a young man, which makes you look a bit demonic instead."
Talia commented on Lan Qi with unbridled words.
"..."
Lan Qi still didn't know what to say.
He just felt that Talia was a little bit deserving of death.
The magic energy pressure machine roared, and the train gradually left the station, the speed getting faster and faster. The scenery outside the window receded rapidly, the vast mountain colors and golden leaves reflecting each other, forming a gorgeous moving scroll.
The carriage was very quiet, with only the regular sound of the wheels audible.
He never thought that this day would finally come. He was going to the hinterland of the most powerful Kreutzer Empire on the Southern Continent, which was not only dangerous and the birthplace of Imperial Magical Engineering, but also the gathering place of the Kreutzer Empire's powerful people.
Perhaps, he might even encounter the returning and recuperating Twelve War Gods in Blierda.
According to the Allied intelligence given by Nigel, in addition to the ten War Gods who participated in the war returning on rotation, two War Gods would be stationed here permanently.
They were the First War God, Hyacinthos, who was bestowed the Diamond Seat, and the Sixth War God, Violet, who was bestowed the Aquamarine Seat.
They held the primordial stone tablet Slash} and the primordial stone tablet Ice}.
Lan Qi took out a map book from his pocket and carefully checked the transfer stations and connecting lines.
This Botswana Province, which surrounded the Kreutzer Empire's capital, Blierda, was located in the southeastern part of the Kreutzer Empire.
It had an area of 129,654 square kilometers, making it the fifth-largest province in the Kreutzer Empire, with a population of approximately 12.4 million and a relatively low population density.
It wouldn't take too long to travel from the edge of Botswana Province to the capital, Blierda.
This was also Lan Qi's last transfer. As long as he passed through the capital's Magical Dispersal Barrier Zone and inspection checkpoint one more time, he would reach his destination.
While his thoughts were wandering, the train suddenly shook violently, pulling Lan Qi back to reality.
With a long whistle, the train began to enter a tunnel surrounded by mountains.
Lan Qi discovered that he was the only one in the compartment. It seemed that he was lucky, and the ticket for the other seat might not have been sold.
However, the good times didn't last long. The compartment door creaked open.
A well-dressed young man stepped in.
He looked to be in his early twenties, tall and slender, wearing a tailored dark blue long coat and formal attire.
It seemed that he had caught this train at the last moment before departure, and had been looking for the compartment and seat in the carriage for a while.
"Looks like there's no chance to eat the Blierda special bento..."
Talia muttered softly in Lan Qi's heart, feeling slightly aggrieved.
She thought that Lan Qi could enjoy the compartment alone, and she might be able to take the opportunity to come out and eat the bento. Now it seemed like wishful thinking.
"...I'll give you the body later, and you can eat it."
Lan Qi seemed a little bit reluctant, and said to Talia in his heart.
Anyway, this lunch was just to fill his stomach. It didn't matter who ate it.
"Really?"
Talia asked.
"Yes."
Lan Qi confirmed it to her again. He felt that Talia was happy.
After briefly communicating with Talia through thoughts, Lan Qi withdrew his thoughts, straightened his posture, and showed courtesy to the fellow passenger.
The black-haired, blue-eyed youth smiled friendly at Lan Qi after taking his seat.
Their eyes were both blue, but with slight differences in shade.
Or rather, this was the most common eye color in the Kreutzer Empire.
"Hello."
The young man spoke first.
The cheerful and steady temperament made him look a little more mature than his appearance, perhaps between twenty-five and thirty years old.
"Good morning."
Lan Qi didn't want to say much, but since the other party took the initiative to talk, he had to nod slightly in response.
Unlike Lan Qi Willford's own personality, the old Mr. Lovia he was currently playing had been alone for a long time, without a wife or children, and would be more silent except for business matters.
The black-haired, blue-eyed youth sitting opposite didn't seem to mind Lan Qi's coldness, and only smiled again, tidying up his luggage on his own and settling down in the opposite seat.
At the same time, the train sounded its long whistle again, officially leaving the border city of Botswana.
The train traveled through the tunnel, and through the window, one could vaguely see the verdant shadows of trees speeding past.
In the distance, snow-covered peaks stood on the horizon, as pure as water lilies.
The Kreutzer Empire's Botswana Province had many famous mountains, just like the Honing Empire in the Shadow World. That Sacred Church Castle was built on a thousand-meter-high mountain, and the climate at the top of the mountain was very cold all year round.
Lan Qi watched with some fascination, and after a while, he remembered that he had half-read the "Kreutzer Central Daily" at hand. "Expeditionary Force's Western Battle Situation is Advancing Triumphantly. Jade Seat Fourth War God, Goldstone Seat Eighth War God is Unstoppable!"
Such a headline was prominently printed on the front page.
Compared to the Eastern Region of the Kingdom United Alliance, the battle situation in the Western Hub Region was still the most intense, and the scene was once inextricably linked.
The newspaper also included a black and white photo, which was another death announcement of an eighth-level expert from the Allied Forces.
The soldiers of the Kreutzer Empire all wore happy expressions, raising their arms as if to announce to the world that this victory belonged to them.
Lan Qi's breathing slowed down by half.
Although he was in the enemy camp, he had to perfectly play a Kreutzer Empire person and couldn't have any personal emotions. But whenever he saw these, he would think of Dean Laurent, making his heart feel blocked.
He wasn't qualified to say that the Kreutzer Empire War Gods' three-on-one tactic was despicable, because he had used it too. But the problem was that Sigrid's three-on-one against Ascasan was agreed to by Ascasan, but Lorent definitely wouldn't agree to the War Gods' three-on-one encirclement.
In the end, Lan Qi could only find the calmness he had when he was in the Northern Continent, and make himself forget the fact that he was actually a Kingdom person.
"This war is really a cruel thing."
A pleasant voice came from across, interrupting Lan Qi's thoughts.
Lan Qi slowly put down the newspaper. He saw that the black-haired, blue-eyed youth across from him was focused on looking at him. It seemed that this youth had also read the contents of this newspaper today.
Faced with the other party's initiative to chat, Lan Qi felt that he still had to exchange a few pleasantries.
"That's true, but we common people can't control this kind of thing."
Lan Qi shook his head slightly and sighed.
He wanted to avoid this topic.
Judging from the other party's attitude, he didn't seem to be an Imperial youth who supported the war. Because of this, Lan Qi was willing to chat with him for a few words. But Lan Qi didn't want to get involved in politics. This topic was very sensitive in the current capital, Blierda. If there was a clear anti-war intention, it could involve crimes such as shaking military morale and treason, leading to arrest.
"May the Goddess protect the suffering people."
The black-haired, blue-eyed youth seemed to understand the old gentleman's meaning and prayed.
"Sorry, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Landry Washington."
The young man extended his hand.
Lan Qi noticed that the other party's behavior was quite elegant, obviously having received a good education.
"I'm Lovia, a publisher."
Lan Qi answered truthfully, showing respect to the other party.
In the Kreutzer Empire, not having a surname meant being of commoner origin, which was simple and easy to understand.
"Mr. Lovia, you don't have to feel restrained. Although my family was prominent in the past, it has long since declined."
The black-haired, blue-eyed youth seemed to see Lan Qi's concerns and took the initiative to explain.
Lan Qi sized up the other party.
So he was from a noble family. No wonder he spoke with distinction, but didn't have the arrogance of a noble.
"Is this your first time in the capital, Blierda?"
The young man asked.
"Yes, the border is indeed not very safe now. This old bone of mine hopes to come to the capital to see the scenery and retire."
Old man Lan Qi nodded and said,
"What about you? As a noble, haven't you been to Blierda?"
He asked the other party again, looking like this youth was as unfamiliar with the capital as he was.
"This is also my first time in the royal capital. I grew up as a commoner in essence..."
The black-haired, blue-eyed youth was very talkative, and then chatted with Lan Qi about his noble past.
Lan Qi also treated it as a way to pass the time. He didn't want to read the newspaper anymore, so he folded it up and patiently listened to the youth talk about his affairs.
His family, a declining noble family on the remote western border of the Empire, could be considered a famous and prestigious family in ancient times. However, since the previous generations, prodigal family heads had appeared. By his generation, except for a hereditary title, he was no different from a commoner. The only thing worth celebrating was that he hadn't accumulated any debt.
"My hometown, the remote western border of the Empire, is not a good place. It's a poor mountain area, far away from the capital. Fortunately, I have some talent myself. I relied on my own strength to graduate from the best magical research school on the border. I originally planned to live a peaceful life on the border, and didn't consider reviving the family or anything. But now that the war has broken out, in order to avoid being conscripted to the front line, I can only try to apply for a job here in the capital. I didn't expect to pass it very smoothly."
Landry Washington said frankly.
"With your talent, even without talking about your identity, you would definitely be able to get a good job there, right?"
Lan Qi, in the guise of an old gentleman, guessed.
Even without Talia's help, Lan Qi could roughly sense that the magic power on the youth opposite him was very strong, and he was also a research-oriented person.
If he stayed on the border, he was likely to be forcibly conscripted by the military.
"You flatter me."
The black-haired, blue-eyed youth smiled in return and shook his head.
"It must be a very impressive job."
Lan Qi asked.
At this time, if he asked directly, the other party might feel that he was investigating them. Instead, continuing to praise them could allow them to say it naturally.
If their destinations were both the capital, Blierda, and the other party was full of youthful talent, then Lan Qi didn't mind making as many connections as possible.
"It's not a big deal."
The black-haired, blue-eyed youth scratched his temple a little embarrassedly,
"Actually, I'm going there to teach, as a professor at Saint Kreutzer Monastery, or rather, the Kreutzer Royal Magic Academy would be more accurate."
"That's really impressive."
Lan Qi was slightly surprised, and then sincerely praised.
The school that the other party was talking about, formerly known as Saint Kreutzer Monastery, had now become a magic school supported by the Kreutzer Royal Family, also known as the Kreutzer Royal Magic Academy.
Even so, because it completely preserved the original appearance of the ancient Saint Kreutzer Monastery and was expanded into a town-sized complex centered around it, many Kreutzer Empire people were still willing to call it a monastery.
It was the cradle of the most outstanding talents on the entire Southern Continent, surpassing the many universities of the Kingdom United Alliance countries in the Southern Continent, and gathering countless gifted students.
To become a teacher at Saint Kreutzer Monastery, one must go through layers of screening.
"You praise me too much. During the assessment, I also passed by luck. It may be because many teachers at the school have joined the military because of the war, and the funding has also been cut. The school is unwilling to expand the teaching staff, and it's even more difficult to find many suitable people during this period. So I, a border person, got lucky."
The black-haired, blue-eyed youth said modestly,
"Of course, on the other hand, it may also be due to the opposition between the noble faction and the civilian faction in the academy, which led to the principal's choice of me, who is still considered a noble, after weighing the pros and cons..."
He muttered to himself in a low voice.
"Being able to pass already proves your strength. Even if there are many situational reasons, I heard that the review teachers are all top-notch and strict, and they can't tolerate even the slightest flaw."
Lan Qi comforted him like an elder.
If he were the principal, he would probably think that this youth was quite good. The subtle sense of mystery on his body was the embodiment of talent and inscrutability.
"Thank you for your encouragement."
The black-haired youth smiled in relief.
The two chatted and became acquainted.
The time on the train also felt much faster.
Lan Qi felt that it was good.
Before, the first time he took the magic rail train from his old home in Southern Wantina to the royal capital, traveling with Talia was like being in prison. The two of them didn't chat much along the way.
"..."
Talia seemed to hear it, but didn't seem to hear it, and didn't say anything to him.
At that time, she didn't have much affection for Lan Qi. He was just a little stronger than ordinary people, a sugar daddy.
Now, it's not that she has any affection for Lan Qi, at most she's just willing to help him cook and take care of him.
In the train compartment.
"By the way, speaking of the war on the Southern Continent, have you heard a rumor?"
The black-haired, blue-eyed youth lowered his voice a bit and asked Lan Qi.
"What rumor?"
Lan Qi asked curiously.
"It is said that the Kingdom United Council Alliance used the super-ancient artifact, the Astrological Compass}, to perform a divination. They sought a very general question, roughly about the special nodes that might affect this war."
The black-haired, blue-eyed youth explained.
"How can this be divined? Could it be that the result was really divined?"
Lan Qi smiled dismissively, pretending not to understand much about divination and divination tools.
During his days in the Kreutzer Empire, as a commoner, he actually didn't have access to much internal information about the warring parties, and it wasn't time to contact the spies of the Bosen Kingdom. Landry Washington, the professor-to-be at Saint Kreutzer Monastery, obviously knew a lot of information.
A simple conversation with Landry had already yielded a lot of gains for Lan Qi. He even had some doubts about Landry's thoughts.
But on second thought, his trail should be difficult to divine. With the interference of the Goddess of Fate, divination magic would be seriously misled. This was what he and Prana had deduced together through multiple experiences of comparison.
In addition, he had Prana's Mark of Truth}, which could also increase his resistance to divination magic.
According to Prana, probably at least ninth-level divination magic could obtain relatively accurate information about him, Lan Qi.
Based on Lan Qi's feelings and deductions, Landry had no ill intentions towards him, and his identity was not a problem.
"The sand painting divined in the end was blurry, but after deducing from landmark buildings, it was in Blierda, the capital of the Kreutzer Empire. And the figure like a demon god was endangering this city..."
The black-haired, blue-eyed youth's expression gradually became puzzled, and he murmured.
"Who is it?"
Lan Qi responded casually.
"Even the Kreutzer Empire side can't tell who the person in that painting is. After many comparisons, the characteristics with higher similarity have several possibilities. It is very likely to be the Venerable of the Silver Moon Renaissance Society}, a terrorist organization within the Kreutzer Empire, or it may be that a strong person from the Empire defected, or a strong person from the Allied Forces infiltrated. There is also the possibility that the Cardinal, a cooperative partner, is not trustworthy. Of course, the most terrifying one is that the dead have returned."
The young man said in a deep voice.
"..."
Lan Qi didn't speak.
"You don't seem surprised at all?"
The black-haired, blue-eyed youth asked.
"I just think that this is mostly a media deduction compiled to attract attention."
Lan Qi shrugged like an old man,
"After all, you know, the thing about rumors is that after going through a few mouths, it will become completely different from the beginning, with all sorts of outrageous content."
Although Lan Qi said so, the cat boss in the shadows had already become frightened.
That was definitely not groundless.
Because Lan Qi could indeed resurrect people, and he didn't need their consent.