The hospital room, besides a bright, large glass window on one side, was decorated mainly with dark brown logs, giving it a sense of security and warmth.

Lan Qi walked to the bedside, sat on the chair next to the bed, and looked at his father with a smile.

Gazing at Lan Qi's smiling face, Noah didn't know what to say to him.

"I've been recuperating these past two days and haven't left the ward much, but I heard you're doing well in your studies, so I'm basically relieved, but..."

Noah couldn't imagine what kind of evil Lan Qi had committed when he thought of the horrified looks on the three clergymen's faces.

At that time, he was browsing newspapers near the open-air giant screen, and his vision was flickering. He only skimmed the key images in the columns on the newspaper and passed out without reading much of the text.

"Forget it, it's good that you came back safe."

Noah sighed.

Just looking at the photos taken of that Shadow World, he knew it was dangerous.

"I knew you were worried about my studies, Father, but you can rest assured that even if I'm not necessarily successful in academics, I'll do my best!"

Lan Qi assured his father solemnly.

"Lan Qi, now I only hope that you can walk the right path and develop steadily. I don't expect you to be as amazing as Duke Micah."

Noah should have been pleased to hear Lan Qi's words.

But for some reason, he felt a sense of panic that he couldn't explain.

In the past, he was afraid that Lan Qi wouldn't work hard.

Now, he seemed a little afraid that Lan Qi was working too hard, so he patted Lan Qi on the shoulder and advised him.

He didn't want Lan Qi to lose himself and go astray for goals that he couldn't achieve.

Although Noah wanted Lan Qi to enter the Y克力忒 (Y克力忒 Academy) in the first place, he hoped that Lan Qi could learn from Duke Micah, an outstanding graduate of the Y克力忒 (Y克力忒 Academy), but in reality, it was just a parent's extravagant hope.

"Lan Qi actually has talent no less than Duke Micah's."

休柏莉安 (Xiuboli'an) said quite modestly.

She had never admitted that anyone was more talented than her father before, but after spending so long with Lan Qi, she felt that Lan Qi was even more difficult to evaluate.

"Student 休柏莉安 (Xiuboli'an), don't praise my boy too much."

Noah shook his head and looked at Lan Qi with disdain.

"Besides being good-looking, how can he compare to Duke Micah!"

This kid is worthy of being compared with Micah, the unparalleled genius of the Hutton Kingdom?

Although Noah could tell from 休柏莉安 (Xiuboli'an)'s words that she really thought highly of Lan Qi.

But Noah was an old admirer of Duke Micah and an iron Micah fan.

Every time he saw news defaming Duke Micah, he was especially angry.

"He really can, Lan Qi is very powerful."

休柏莉安 (Xiuboli'an) repeated with certainty.

Although she always liked to hear people praise Duke Micah, she was also a person who paid attention to being realistic.

"Just take the grades as an example. Duke Micah was admitted to the Knight Academy of the Y克力忒 (Y克力忒 Academy) as the first place. What was his ranking in the Sage Academy?"

Noah pointed to Lan Qi and asked.

He felt that this little girl was a bit ignorant.

"First place."

休柏莉安 (Xiuboli'an) said.

"...?"

Noah was shocked and stared at Lan Qi.

"Really first?"

Lan Qi just nodded calmly.

Noah's heart was beating wildly. You must know that his initial expectation for Lan Qi was that it would be great if this kid could pass the Alchemy Academy with a passing grade.

Now it feels like a dream.

Although Noah could infer that Lan Qi's grades were not bad from the fact that Lan Qi could participate in the Shadow World two months after school started, was he really the first place?

You must know that the chief of any branch of the Y克力忒 (Y克力忒 Academy) every year will have a guaranteed future achievement!

Noah calmed down for a while.

He finally spoke,

"However, Duke Micah applied for the Knight Academy, but what really amazed everyone was his magic engineering talent. He was not only proficient in magic and various knowledge, but also good at alchemy and card making. It can be said that he would have been the first place in any of the four branches back then. You must have heard about Duke Micah's unprecedented three pink sacred cards during the registered card maker exam after coming to the royal capital for so long, right?"

Noah was proud of Lan Qi, but the more this was the case, the more he should be vigilant and not let Lan Qi become arrogant.

Lan Qi just nodded with a smile.

"..."

休柏莉安 (Xiuboli'an) looked at Noah in confusion.

But she soon understood.

Lan Qi's registered card maker exam was just a few days before entering the Shadow World.

And the fact that Lan Qi was ranked as platinum was only known to her, Prince Ainoll and others in the rest area at the time, the Y克力忒 (Y克力忒) branch of the Card Maker Association, the high-level officials of the Magic Engineering Institute, and Dean Loren, and has not been publicly announced yet.

The news circulating in the royal capital is that Lan Qi made an epic, but there are too many exaggerated stories about Principal Lan in the royal capital, so everyone is not sure of its authenticity.

According to the president, Noah fainted shortly after arriving at the Y克力忒 (Y克力忒 Academy), so it is normal that he does not know Lan Qi's registration card maker exam situation.

"Although Lan Qi is not good at everything, he belongs to the type who loves whatever he does and will refine a certain function to the extreme... and his registration card maker exam was rated higher than Duke Micah's."

休柏莉安 (Xiuboli'an) thought for a while, worried that Lan Qi was going to give Noah a big surprise, and also that Noah was praising Micah so much that she was a little embarrassed.

In order not to let Lan Qi cause any more trouble, 休柏莉安 (Xiuboli'an) decided to reveal it herself.

Noah was stunned for a while, and his brain became a little frozen due to the excessive amount of information.

The last time he returned to the South Van Tine Territory and met Lan Qi in the study, he heard the housekeeper Hans guarantee that Lan Qi had the talent to make magic cards, and Lan Qi also asked him for a sum of money that he claimed was "material and tuition fees for making magic cards."

At first, Noah thought that Lan Qi was just doing it out of interest, and it would be good if he could make some blue sky and white clouds in the future.

As a result, how could this kid be able to participate in the registered card maker exam in half a year?

Wait.

"Higher?"

Noah discovered the key point and calculated it with his fingers.

Duke Micah should have been rated as gold, right?

Higher.

Could it be platinum?

Noah looked at Lan Qi in disbelief, as if he was looking at a monster.

The housekeeper Hans told him that Young Master Lan Qi would definitely be able to make good magic cards.

He originally thought Hans was just protecting Lan Qi, but he didn't expect Hans to be serious?

"Student 休柏莉安 (Xiuboli'an), you're not lying to me, are you?"

Noah stammered incoherently.

He didn't quite believe it and thought 休柏莉安 (Xiuboli'an) was joking.

"It hasn't been approved yet. The unofficial term now is quasi-platinum."

休柏莉安 (Xiuboli'an) answered accurately.

Noah's eyes were a little dazed. He looked at Lan Qi and couldn't say a word for a long time.

He believed that 休柏莉安 (Xiuboli'an) was an honest and good child and would not lie to him like this.

This feeling was more illusory than a dream.

Platinum-level card maker, a real big shot.

Noah never thought that Lan Qi could achieve such an achievement.

"No, I'm wondering if your positions are a bit strange..."

Lan Qi said softly from the side. He never thought that he would become a吐槽役 (tucao yi - someone who makes sarcastic comments).

Both of them were siding with outsiders.

If Duke Micah heard his daughter putting him down like this, he would be very sad.

But Lan Qi felt that Noah hadn't realized that 休柏莉安 (Xiuboli'an) was Duke Micah's daughter.

Noah was stunned for a long time.

Finally, he could no longer hide the joyful smile on his face.

"Heh, even so, I'm still sure that there's one thing this kid is inferior to Duke Micah."

He didn't know how to digest the joy in his heart for a while. When the topic reached its climax, he seemed to want to joke, but also seemed to want to continue to be stubborn, and said.

"What?"

休柏莉安 (Xiuboli'an) didn't know how to make Noah honestly admit the fact that Lan Qi was really excellent.

"Duke Micah can marry a demon wife, can Lan Qi?"

Noah laughed gloatingly and asked.

"Of course ca...!"

休柏莉安 (Xiuboli'an) subconsciously followed Noah's words, but her face changed drastically soon.

"Sorry, excuse me."

She immediately looked away awkwardly, pursed her lips, stood up, and walked quickly out of the ward with her head down.

"...Ha, this time I can't refute it, right."

Noah raised his head and laughed as if he had won a round.

"Father, she is..."

Lan Qi sighed.

He was about to say it, but he was afraid that his old man would faint again.

If it happened a second time, it might be really dangerous. He hesitated whether to say it or not.

"Who is she? Could she be Duke Micah's daughter?"

Noah was even happier and felt that Lan Qi couldn't even speak smoothly.

"How can there be such a gentle and kind demon race? I'm very accurate at least in judging people. I'd rather believe you're a demon race than believe she has any demon blood in her."

"..."

Lan Qi was silenced by Noah's words.

Forget it.

Keep your duty and respect your father's fate.

Looking at Lan Qi's calm and composed appearance, Noah couldn't help but sigh that this kid had really become mature and stable.

"I'll give you the ability, you have the ability to marry a demon wife back. If she is still a pure-blooded great demon like Duke Micah's wife, then I will call you the strongest."

Noah was still laughing and patted Lan Qi on the shoulder to tease him. He was in a particularly good mood now.

Demons are not easy to deal with. With Lan Qi's personality, he would probably be beaten to death as soon as he met them, before he even started pursuing them.

A great demon, a disaster-like existence, would crush Lan Qi like an ant.

"..."

Lan Qi shook his head helplessly.

This was the only thing he couldn't do.

He really couldn't marry a pure-blooded demon wife. First of all, the demon race's way of thinking is different from that of humans. If they quarrel after marriage, it's either patricide or sudden disappearance. A good ending is basically impossible.

If he were to marry a pure-blooded demon, the only possibility would be being forced into marriage with a knife to his throat.

But obviously this is impossible.

(End of this chapter)