Chapter 159 What Do You Want Me to Do?

"What... what do you want me to do?"

Phoenix stared at Lan Qi, his voice trembling as he asked.

Since there was still a chance, even for his sister Phyllis, he would do his best to fight for it.

"I need to be upfront with you. You colluded with the Resurrection Church, attempted murder, and tried to cause a major incident. A life sentence is inevitable. However, if you actively confess and show good behavior, you can atone for your crimes and strive for a reduced sentence... When the time comes, tell them you’re looking for me in prison, and I'll personally help you with the lawsuit."

Lan Qi clearly explained Phoenix's minimum sentence, one thing at a time. Committing a crime meant going to jail, and this was unrelated to "whether or not he was willing to join Lan Qi."

"As for your sister, if she's truly innocent, after a strict examination by the Church of the Goddess of Fate, she can rely on High Priest Loren. I'll have her transferred to Y克力忒 Academy. You don't have to worry about her. Of course, at that time, your sister will also receive extra attention and protection from Dean Loren."

"..."

Phoenix listened to Lan Qi's words, clenching his fists tightly, his lips pressed into a thin line.

Lan Qi's proposal was undoubtedly the best option for them, brother and sister, at the moment.

Compared to the scenarios described by the Great Poet earlier, Phoenix couldn't imagine how Lan Qi could be more merciful.

Everyone knew who was more trustworthy between High Priest Loren and Bishop Ivanos of Destruction.

But Phoenix was worried.

After he was arrested as a serious criminal and imprisoned...

His sister would face criticism and live an unhappy life at Y克力忒 Academy.

Thinking of this, he could only blame himself deeply.

"The above content is all official business. As long as you are honest with Dean Loren, sincerely admit your mistakes and repent, these things will happen."

Lan Qi hadn't finished speaking and was still talking to Phoenix.

Ivanos's thoughts were actually quite perverse.

Lan Qi knew that if this attack plan had really succeeded, Phoenix's sister would likely be protected by the kind-hearted Loren after a series of investigations in Hutton.

However, having an older brother who was a cultist, murderer, and terrorist, and who had also killed students of the Sage Academy and innocent civilians, would brand Phyllis for life, making her forever unable to hold her head high at Y克力忒 Academy, living a life cut off from happiness, only suffering from people's malice and accusations.

Perhaps this was one of the small endings Ivanos hoped for.

Lan Qi didn't agree with it. He hoped for a happy ending for everyone.

So, he wouldn't allow Ivanos to get his way in the slightest.

"Phoenix, please rest assured. No matter what sins you have committed, I assure you that your sister will not be treated unfairly at Y克力忒 Academy. Our school *absolutely* *will* *not* *allow* *any* *bullying* *of* *students* *to* *occur*."

Lan Qi said solemnly.

"……!!"

Phoenix raised his head in surprise upon hearing Lan Qi's words. There seemed to be a glimmer of light in his eyes.

Originally, even if Loren made such a guarantee, which sounded like empty leadership rhetoric, Phoenix would still be unable to let go of his worries about his sister.

After all, no one could guarantee that other students wouldn't bully his sister in private. Some discrimination, born from malice and from the bottom of the heart, couldn't be erased.

But if he received a promise from the person in front of him...

Then it was indeed incredibly trustworthy.

Because no irrational student would do anything that Lan Qi deemed "incorrect," "unfriendly," or "in need of correction."

Although his love was chaotic and twisted, it encompassed everything.

Even the heterodox, rejected and erased by the human collective, he could shelter.

Treating them all equally.

At this moment, in Phoenix's eyes, the warm light illuminated Lan Qi's figure brightly. He was like standing on the sacred other shore, extending an olive branch to him.

Phoenix couldn't describe what kind of re-creation this kindness was.

He had dreamed of it, how much he hoped that their brother and sister's life could be severed from the Resurrection Church.

To let his sister live a life without danger.

But he didn't dare to think, didn't even dare to dream like that, hoping for such a day to come, gradually becoming numb, and even almost severing this thought.

The things he thought he would never get again, now the opportunity was truly in front of him.

Phoenix finally knew what the heat burning in his chest was all about.

It was like a smoldering fire that suddenly turned scarlet.

To give an example, it was as if faith had been ignited, being able to give everything out, without worrying about anything, just falling asleep with peace of mind. There was no unease or fear in this, no need to shiver and cry in the darkness, and not being startled awake by nightmares of losing everything.

Even if he truly entrusted his life to this protector, he would be willing.

"Mr. Lan Qi, I..."

Phoenix's voice trembled as he spoke.

In a burst of joy that almost tore his chest apart, he shouted his heartfelt words:

"I pledge my loyalty to you!"

"Very good."

Lan Qi nodded with satisfaction.

He had recruited another excellent trainee.

As a principal, he had the responsibility and obligation to save more young men and women who had gone astray.

On this trip to the northern continent to deal with the Resurrection Church, he was determined to recruit more first-year students.

He could not allow this evil church to ruin more young people!

Justice was on his side!

"Then, let's not tell anyone about the content of our conversation, including Loren, understand?"

"Of course, I've only met you once, and was only caught by you."

Phoenix nodded.

"..."

Hyperion, beside Lan Qi, secretly glanced at Lan Qi.

She suspected that Lan Qi's goal for this trip to the northern continent had increased...

...

Several hours later, the rain had almost stopped, the sky was still gray, and there was no sunset to be seen.

Talia's wooden attic looked particularly beautiful on a rainy day.

The sound of raindrops and the tranquility of the wooden attic complemented each other. Every drop of rain brought a leisurely rhythm to this space. You could feel the rhythm of the rain and the breath of nature. The glass skylight on the ceiling, made of wooden planks and sloping beams, was moistened by the rain, becoming a huge transparent drawing board. Small raindrops gently tapped the glass, converging, flowing, and dispersing, reflecting the night sky, forming an ever-changing watercolor painting.

The delicate wood grain on the walls looked deeper under such light. The warm-toned decorations and furniture, accompanied by the sound of rain, seemed to wrap people's hearts in a warm blanket.

At this moment, the wooden attic seemed to be a small world isolated from the outside, only the sound of raindrops hitting the skylight, allowing people to immerse themselves in this moment of tranquility and harmony.

Talia had been called downstairs again to help as a signboard girl.

And Lan Qi and Hyperion were both staying in her house.

Now, in addition to her recliner, there were two more chairs in Talia's house.

One for Lan Qi, and one for Hyperion.

Since Hyperion had come, Talia seemed to have silently allowed Lan Qi to stay in her house.

"Another encrypted version of [Resurrection Proof - Destruction] obtained, and I also got the [Grand Puppet Theater] and [Spark of Destruction] spells from the Bishop of Destruction. Truly, good people are rewarded."

Lan Qi looked at the magic cards in his hand. He didn't expect to have such unexpected gains.

These were all obtained from Phoenix.

Phoenix was still locked in the warehouse, waiting for Dean Loren to return to school tomorrow morning, so he could be directly handed over to Dean Loren, to avoid any unexpected problems.

Instead of letting his cards be confiscated by the Kingdom of Hutton, Phoenix gave them all to Lan Qi.

And these two pink sacred cards took a lot of expensive materials and time to unbind.

Furthermore, unbinding the soul not only put Phoenix in a weakened state, but also caused some of his card slots to be unusable for a long time.

This was the price of unbinding pink sacred magic cards.

Although Bishop Ivanos of Destruction was the holder of the [Primordial Stone Tablet - Fire] and a symbol of disaster and incineration, it just so happened that Lan Qi was also a card maker with some research on fire.

"These two cards are too dangerous, I have to keep them safe."

Besides giving the [Resurrection Proof - Destruction] to Hyperion, he kept the other two pink sacred cards, [Grand Puppet Theater] and [Spark of Destruction], himself, because manipulating civilians and self-detonation were not suitable for Hyperion.

"..."

Hyperion always felt that putting these two cards in Lan Qi's hands wasn't a good thing either.

——

Three updates today, there's another chapter coming!

(End of this chapter)