The faint sunlight of the snowfield's daylight spilled from the cloud seams in the sky, crisscrossing in the wind and snow, like casual brushstrokes in winter, giving the icy world a subtle touch of warmth.

The swaying snowflakes danced freely in the air. They fluttered down, landing on the snow-covered ground, or were blown up by the wind, spinning continuously.

In this wind and snow, the two companions thoughtfully accompanied Xia Ya back to the previous snowfield to retrieve his lost luggage.

Xia Ya led the way in front, while the two followed him at a distance.

"Ugh, it's so cold."

Lanchi couldn't help but exclaim after walking into the wilderness of the snowfield.

"Can't you handle it with just this temperature?"

Xi De glanced at him with a hint of mockery.

"Why aren't you cold? You're clearly also a Rank Four."

"Ugh, it's so cold." (Monotone)

Apart from the occasional voices of the two, everything around was incredibly peaceful. Even with the constant "rustling" sound of the snowflakes stirred up by the wind, this continuous noise was the sound of the snowfield breathing.

Several minutes later, the three finally found the place where Xia Ya had dropped his suitcase and began to help him collect his belongings.

There were mostly some clothes, a small number of books, and small magical devices. Of course, there was also a map similar to the ones in Lanchi and Xi De's hands, recording the terrain and environment north of the Protos Empire.

After entering the northern controlled area, there were three provinces directly to the north.

Box Hill Province was a transportation hub.

Not far from Box Hill Province was Snowfield Province, dominated by several large city-states, one of which was Kingston City.

Further north, a long distance away, was the Northern Border Province.

They were currently located in the Snowfield Province, having just left Box Hill Province.

"Thank you both for your trouble."

Xia Ya once again thanked the two, feeling even more ashamed of his previous hasty escape.

"It's nothing. Serving the people wholeheartedly is what I should do."

Lanchi raised his hand slightly and said.

"..."

Xia Ya felt that he should bow even deeper.

Moreover, he couldn't help but wonder, were all the seniors at the Protos Royal Magic Academy so friendly?

He had originally heard that the academy was incredibly competitive and the people were cold and ruthless. Could it be that times had changed?

Confused, Xia Ya thought for a moment, then raised his head, holding the suitcase, and exhaled a white mist with a sigh.

"Senior Brothers and Sisters, if you're doing an elective project, it's best not to go any further north. Wait in Kingston City for the railway to be repaired and then return directly to the imperial capital, Herolom."

He sincerely advised, and then started walking.

"Maybe it's just my superficial judgment, but not only are the several nearby city-states in the north fighting each other overtly and covertly, the province's public security is extremely poor. A survey team from the imperial capital, Herolom, seemed to have come a few days ago to investigate some kind of turmoil related to the far north."

These two must have come straight from the imperial capital to the north, unlike him, who initially hoped that transportation would resume and stayed in the north for several days.

"What's happening further north?"

Lanchi had also heard the imperial army captain tell him about this at the Rock Junction train station in Box Hill Province, but the captain was clearly not very clear about the specific situation.

"Perhaps only the lords of a few city-states in Snowfield Province know, but even if you don't care about this matter, the north is becoming increasingly dangerous."

Xia Ya shook his head and walked steadily with Lanchi and Xi De towards Kingston City in the north.

"In addition to the increase in refugees, the crime rate is also rising sharply. Many people who cannot get relief in the city-states have voluntarily or been forced to join the northern criminal organization, the Ghost Party. Those bandits just now should be external members of the Ghost Party."

Lanchi heard this and walked steadily, but pondered.

He remembered that the corpses of those bandits all had octopus-shaped crests or rings, probably the symbols of the Ghost Party.

"How can they be so rampant?"

Lanchi asked in the wind and snow behind him.

"The Imperial Army doesn't have the spare capacity to specifically wipe them out, and the several lords of Snowfield Province don't get along. They can't agree on how to allocate their efforts, and they have been slow to improve external public security."

Xia Ya also felt a sense of helplessness. After personally coming to the north, he was finally convinced that the public security in the south of the empire was much better.

"I see."

At this point, Lanchi also understood the situation in Snowfield Province.

It was now equivalent to a mess that no one wanted to deal with. Suffering together was the fairest thing to do.

The northern main force of the Nihility Branch was all in the Northwest Province with the Imperial Army. If they were to help the nobles of Snowfield Province suppress bandits, it might be possible to gain a lot of prestige for Nihility Bishop Ascesan, but this was undoubtedly a thankless task. The nobles would delegate all the work to the Nihility priests. Even if they were successful in the short term, they would lose many high priests, and the high priests were unwilling to do this.

As for Ascesan, it was said that he was guarding the Northern Border Province, confronting the northern countries. His specific whereabouts could not be determined due to the slow flow of information.

"You must be from the south. Why did you come to the north?"

Earlier, when helping Xia Ya pick up his luggage, Lanchi and Xi De were able to determine where he was from. Moreover, even looking at his attire, one could tell that it felt like he was wearing many pieces of southern winter clothing stacked together.

"Although I am nominally the eldest son of a southern earl's family, I am actually poor and destitute... I am here to be adopted into the Kingston family. I don't know what kind of person my fiancée is, but it is said that she is quite excellent, and it would be easy for her to skip the preparatory course and enter directly..."

Xia Ya lowered his head and mumbled, looking very embarrassed, telling the two his true situation.

Lanchi and Xi De looked at each other and immediately understood.

The family had a title, but no money, so marrying into a border noble family with some strength was not bad.

"Are you not worried that you will not be accustomed to life after coming to the north? Or that the northern nobles will treat you very badly?"

Xi De rarely spoke to ask.

"When I was a child, I actually met a girl in the imperial capital, Herolom. She was said to be a noble from the north, but she was incredibly intelligent, elegant, and well-mannered, and led the lost me to my father."

Xia Ya seemed to recall something, and his expression became somewhat relaxed as he spoke.

He had no prejudice against the northern nobles, and even had a relatively good impression of them. Or rather, there were good people everywhere and bad people everywhere. One should not generalize.

Perhaps it was after that that he was subtly transformed into what he is today, unwilling to let the family continue to decline like his father generation after generation.

"So, will she be your fiancée, Miss Lilis Kingston?"

Lanchi abruptly added.

"How do you know her name?"

Xia Ya was stunned, discovered the key point, and looked back at Lanchi.

"Of course, I know the name of every student in the Protos Royal Magic Academy, including qualified students who have not yet enrolled."

Lanchi explained seriously.

"..."

Who in the school would remember the information of all the students?

There was always a somewhat terrifying feeling.

It was as if any mistake made in school would be caught by him.

"I don't know. Ten years have passed, and now I don't remember what that girl looks like. I only remember that she had bright orange-red hair, and she must have become an intelligent lady now."

Xia Ya could only shake his head and answer.

Lanchi nodded and said nothing.

"To be honest, I quite like witnessing the love stories of young men and women."

Xi De sighed as he walked.

"Really? Do you know that I am best at helping people tie the knot?"

Lanchi suddenly became energetic, and even his voice was much more excited, as if he couldn't wait to show Xi De a few tricks.

You talk about this, and he won't be sleepy.

"How about this, you hire the two of us. The price is not expensive, just follow the price of Rank Four bodyguards. When you arrive at the lord's mansion, there should always be a butler or servant following along, otherwise it would be too shabby."

Lanchi immediately suggested to Xia Ya.

"But I don't have enough money to pay you now."

Xia Ya was first surprised, then his expression became dejected again.

This was a very generous deal.

Indeed, the two of them looked very extraordinary.

Standing with him, it was hard to tell who was the young master or young lady.

But he had no money.

"You can buy it on credit. Then send the money to our accounts in the imperial capital by remittance."

Lanchi glanced at Xi De.

Xi De shrugged lightly, apparently having no objections. She was now a Rank Four, so the hiring fee could be based on Rank Four.

She just felt that this person's persuasion was too smooth, and even seemed sincere.

The look in his emerald green eyes seemed to be telling the other party that he would believe in you, making you want to believe in him as well.

So, the two of them naturally and casually obtained a status that allowed them to infiltrate the lord's mansion.

"..."

Listening to Lanchi's carefully laid plans.

The cat boss in the shadows only felt a chill.

The opportunity to meet Lanchi in the first place was when he heard him say that he was good at helping others find love.

However, the result...

It recalled Lolin, who was sobbing uncontrollably in the chair, but it was unable to save that noble high priest because it had trusted Lanchi, so that later it did not dare to go to the Iterite Academy randomly, for fear of encountering the high priest and being mistaken for Lanchi's accomplice.

Now, Lanchi felt that he was a love master again.

Please stop, you bastard!!

Don't pollute the young people's romantic comedy, meow!

(End of this chapter)