Chapter 834: Talia's pride does not allow her to do this
Chapter 834: Talia's pride does not allow her to do this
Late at night, the excitement of the Moon Festival had faded at the Abbey of Saint Clement, and the light of the moon lamp gradually dimmed and disappeared, blending into the vast night of Brillda.
"You are indeed much heavier than Boss Cat."
Lanqi held the big gray cat and walked along the corridor towards the high priest's hall at the deepest part of the main hall.
"Meow meow meow!"
Talia the cat struggled again in Lanqi's arms.
She was very angry, but she had promised Lanqi that she would not say anything when she got here, and could only warn Lanqi like this.
Important figures from the Holy Monastery may appear here at any time.
According to the tacit understanding between her and Lanqi, if Principal Violet kept telling the truth, she would not make any move. If she discovered a lie, she would immediately alert Lanqi.
"It seems like you are acting like a spoiled child, my lovely little gray cat."
Lanqi smiled and hugged the gray cat that was like a liquid blanket half tight, then lowered his head and said.
"Meow!"
Talia became even angrier, but when she heard Lanqi call her a little gray cat, she didn't know why she seemed to have less strength to resist.
If he called her in person at such a close distance, she would definitely think that Lanqi was crazy and said all kinds of weird things.
But now, with one person and one cat, they unexpectedly seemed to be able to say things naturally that would be impossible to say under normal circumstances.
Only at this time could she hear Lanqi calling her like that.
Lanqi really seemed to treat her like a cat.
He was always able to fit in perfectly and accept facts faster than an average person could, an adaptability that even now Talia considered exaggerated.
She could only accompany him to adapt.
"We should arrive neither too early nor too late."
Lanqi estimated the approximate time and spoke to the cat.
The Sixth Military Goddess, Water Jade Violet, returned to the main hall before the end of the ceremony, and Lanqi took Talia to watch outside the main hall for a long time, and then walked around in a circle. Now it should be the time that Secretary Nara had arranged for him.
Just as he finished thinking, Lanqi saw the familiar slender figure standing at the end of the corridor.
"Professor Landry, you're here."
Secretary Naira has been around the main hall all day today. She is also working overtime today and needs to stay with Principal Violet.
She was waiting for Lanqi not far from Principal Violet's office.
"Ms. Naira, thank you for your hard get off work. If I hadn't troubled you, you would have been off work long ago."
Lanqi quickened his pace, walked up to her and preached to her.
"It doesn't matter. I have to work almost every year during the Moon Goddess Festival. Chatting with you and helping you find your way is the easiest part of my job. It's not even considered work."
Naira replied.
As a trustee entrusted with many rights by Principal Violet, she is also responsible for many coordinating tasks within the monastery.
After slacking off for quite a while this afternoon, she actually didn't feel bad.
Especially when she saw that Landry also worked overtime today, her mood instantly became much better.
"..."
Lanqi looked at the sly smile on Naira's lips, and wanted to say something but didn't know how to say it.
Why is it so hard to beat workers?
He finally understood how happy Toliado was when he ran out holding the cat today.
From the beginning, Naira's attention was attracted by the big gray cat in Lanqi's hand.
"Professor Landry, you actually have a cat. I thought you only had Little Brown Bread."
Naira said with a tentative hand, this cat is too cute.
But when she saw that the cat seemed ferocious, she became alert when she moved her hand a little closer to it, so she withdrew her hand.
Compared to Little Black Bread, this big gray cat seems to only be willing to be close to the professor.
"Meow meow!"
The big gray cat raised its paws and cried out in resistance.
Allowing Lanci to touch her was already her biggest concession; no one else could touch her in cat form.
The most terrifying one is Sigrid. Even in human form, she has to be hugged and smelled by Sigrid every day. If she turns into a cat, Talia doesn’t dare to think about what will happen next.
"I'm sorry, Miss Naira, it's quite shy and probably won't let anyone other than me touch it."
Lanqi apologizes.
If it were any other cat, he might have tried to let Naira pet him.
But this cat is his master, an 800-year-old old man, and he really can’t touch it casually.
"Meow!"
Talia the cat looked up alertly, tilting her head back to look at Lanqi.
Although it felt good to be protected by Lanqi like an ancestor, she was sure that Lanqi's mind was not that simple.
"It's okay. I'm very grateful that you let me touch the little black bread last time."
Naira replied in a casual manner.
Professor Landry almost always brings the fifth-level black cat with him when he is on campus, whether he is teaching or doing administrative work. Only today did he bring the big gray cat out. Probably because he lent the black cat to Elsa and Ursula again today.
It was not known who of the secretary and the professor took the first step, but the two of them walked towards the principal's office.
As Lanci followed Naira along the corridors of St. Cremorne's Abbey, staff members and priests in the uniforms of the academy occasionally passed by them.
In the corridors the two walked through, there were always figures doing the final inventory work of the Moon Goddess Festival.
The gray cat became much quieter in Lanqi's arms.
Although she felt a little uncomfortable being held by Lanqi, as long as she could spend less than an hour quietly, her short mission as a cat would be over.
While Talia was thinking about this, Lanci and Nara were about to reach the vast hollow area in the center of the main hall.
The emerald green lawn is like a soft velvet carpet, and the falling golden red leaves turn into colorful gems, dotted in the open-air garden-like palace.
Naira led Lanqi through the garden and came to the quiet corridor paved with brown stone bricks.
The plants could still be seen through the continuous colonnades, until the shadows of the flowers disappeared and they gradually walked into the area controlled by the high priest.
"arrive."
Naira extended her hand to signal Lanqi that he could go directly to the door at the end. She had already made arrangements with Principal Violet in advance.
She believed that Professor Landry was no stranger to this place, as they had been here together a month ago.
"OK, thanks."
Just as Lanqi was about to speed up and walk towards the room alone, a sudden sound scared them both and they stopped.
far away.
"Violet! This is all your fault!"
An excited and angry male voice came from the door of Violet's priest hall.
Ranchi and Naira also heard the sound of slamming the table.
They looked at each other.
Apparently, Naira also didn't know that someone else would be visiting Violet's territory before Professor Landry's appointment.
It seemed that the other party broke into Violet's office and found Violet, without even having time to open the barrier that blocked the sound of conversation.
"As the high priest, I cannot always make reckless choices like you do. Don't blame everything on others."
Violet's voice inside the door was rarely angry, but more of it was helplessness.
She was also confused by the scolding.
"Okay, you're right. Talking to you is a waste of my time."
After saying this, footsteps were heard, and then he slammed the door and walked out.
"The empire is in this state because of you indecisive guys who always worry about trivial things!"
He turned around and cursed angrily.
The young man who walked into the corridor of the main hall had a head of slightly messy dark red short hair, and his fair skin and angular facial features were clearly visible under his hair.
His eyebrows were slightly furrowed, and his black eyes were a little fierce, as if he was angry at any time. Although he was dressed casually, he could not hide his aristocratic temperament. His angry and impatient expression, yet his upright posture and calm demeanor, all revealed his good upbringing since childhood.
Lanqi looked at the dark red-haired young man in astonishment.
Because he noticed that after the young man came out of Violet's office, he glared at him and Naira.
The young man's furrowed brows and pursed lips showed a hint of restraint, as if reminding himself to control his emotions at all times.
He held back his temper, glanced at the unfamiliar but harmless professor, and walked away.
Today, it seemed that if he saw a dog on the side of the road, he would want to kick it.
After a long time, Secretary Naira watched the figure leave and completely disappear at the end of the corridor, and then she breathed a sigh of relief.
"I'm sorry, Professor Landry. I didn't expect the Tenth God of War Julius to come here today. This reckless guy must have forced his way into the main hall. I'm very sorry if this has affected your mood."
Naira bowed slightly to Ranchi.
Her tone when she mentioned the Tenth God of War Julius was quite impolite. Nella was obviously resentful of Julius's previous rude attitude towards Violet.
Even though Julius is also a military god, Nella only favors Violet and unconditionally supports Principal Violet, whom she regards as her best friend and elder.
"It's okay. You can't control this kind of thing. It's normal for big men like the God of War to have disagreements and quarrels. Don't take it too seriously."
Lanqi hugged the big gray cat and comforted Naira.
He just recognized the dark red-haired young man in casual clothes. He was none other than the most radical and competitive Tenth Military God, Red Tourmaline Seat, who was rumored to have many strange stories on the battlefield.
It seems that he was recalled to the Empire for a hearing some time ago and went to a military court.
The tenth military god, Julius of the Red Tourmaline, is the empire's top heavy-machinery division. He can easily form fire suppression on the battlefield and is basically pure output. Apart from output, he has no fancy abilities and even has little control ability attached to heavy firearms.
It fits this person's personality very well.
"Well, let's go find Principal Violet."
Naira preached to Ranchi and brought him to a big sandalwood carved door.
Professor Landry was always easy to talk to, and at times like this he would consider the feelings of the people around him. Naira felt that Professor Landry was a very easy person to work with. Naira knocked on the door lightly, and the crisp sound echoed in the silent corridor.
"Principal Violet, I've brought Professor Landry here."
She had just finished knocking—
"Please come in."
The majestic yet gentle voice came from afar.
Naira helped Ranchi push open the heavy rosewood door.
"Thank you."
Ranchi thanked Naira and walked into the magnificent hall carrying the cat.
As soon as you step over the threshold, the rich and fragrant floral aroma hits your nose. The air is filled with the fragrance of roses, jasmine and violets, like a garden temple. The moonlight refracts through the rose windows, casting translucent silver-white waves on the marble floor, like a beautiful oil painting.
Sitting under the rose window, the woman behind the desk looked at Lanqi.
The moonlight cast a hazy halo on her fair cheeks.
"Professor Landry, I should have talked to you again a long time ago, but as you know, I was so busy some time ago that I couldn't even go back to Blildar."
Violet slowly stood up, looked at Lanqi who came in with a smile, and motioned him to sit on the sofa.
She seemed to adjust her mood in an instant and regarded the quarrel just now as a passing cloud.
After the ceremony, Violet returned to the principal's office. She had changed out of her light dance outfit and put on a slim, dark-colored dress. Her long, dark-blue hair cascading down like a waterfall looked very similar to Landry's sister, Elsa.
"I am sorry for wasting your time."
Lanci nodded to Violet.
Secretary Naira did not come in, but waited outside the door and helped them close the door of the principal's office.
Compared to Lanqi, the cat Talia in Lanqi's arms was more nervous at this moment.
It was also her first time to be a cat, and she didn't know if she acted well enough. She could only try not to speak or move around in Lanqi's arms.
Even so, Talia could clearly feel that in addition to her noble status, the Sixth Military Goddess Violet of Water Jade's own strength was also at the pinnacle of the empire. She was considered a general in their demon world, and even Yabo admitted that he could not defeat Violet.
"Julius scared you and Nara just now, didn't he?"
Seeing that the professor was so calm, Violet told him the truth.
There is no need to pretend nothing happened in front of a smart person like Professor Landry.
She was a little worried that Julius would get angry with Nala, because Nala had a very stubborn temper. When she heard that Julius was arguing with her, Nala would definitely not give Julius a good face.
"Fortunately, Mr. Julius passed by quickly."
Lanqi replied, holding the cat and sitting on the sofa.
"That's good. Alas, Julius is just like that. Actually, we have a good relationship, so he talks to me like that."
Violet exhaled softly and opened the soundproof barrier ornament on her desk.
She seemed to have recovered from the situation.
Even so, Violet still looked a little sad when she heard her colleague Julius's harsh words.
"Don't take it personally, it's common for friends to quarrel."
Lanqi sat on the sofa, looking at Violet and giving optimistic advice.
Violet picked up a box of snacks specially made by the Luna Festival Saint Cremona Monastery, walked to the opposite side of the sofa, stroked the back of the velvet sofa with her slender fingertips, and sat down opposite Professor Landry.
The sofa feels soft and delicate, as if you are sitting on a fluffy cloud. The fabric beneath you is fine silk, exuding a faint scent of gardenia, which makes me feel a little better.
"Anyway, I'll go talk to Julius after he calms down a bit."
Violet opened the snack box, placed it on the coffee table, and looked at the big gray cat in the professor's arms.
"What a cute cat. I heard that Professor Landry also has a fifth-level black cat that protected Elsa. I didn't expect that he also has a big gray cat. It seems that you like it more. You even brought it out to the Moon Goddess Festival."
She said as she observed the big gray cat.
The big gray cat in the professor's arms was plump, with long, fluffy, soft fur. The professor's fingers were sunk into it, as if he was touching a long, soft marshmallow.
At this moment, it seemed a little reserved and nervous, curled up slightly in Lanqi's arms, with a hint of resistance to strangers in its golden eyes.
"I'm sorry, Headmaster. It's different from the little black bread. Don't let anyone touch it. If it was the little black bread, I would have handed it to you directly."
Lanqi obviously saw Violet's love for the gray cat, and even brought some snacks that both humans and cats could eat.
"It's okay. I can see that it's very attached to you, just like it treats you as a lover."
Violet joked, leaning back on the sofa in relief.
The gray cat in Lanqi's arms struggled, as if Violet's words made her subconsciously stop staying close to Lanqi and wanted to stay away from Lanqi a little. However, if she behaved like a woman in this situation, it would further confirm Violet's words. She could only try her best to adapt to Lanqi's arms.
"Can you feed it?"
Lanqi's eyes moved to the snack box that Violet had opened on the coffee table. The lid of the box had been opened by Violet, and inside was a few fresh pastries. The cheese and egg yolk pastry was in a perfect crescent shape, and the surface was sprinkled with fine white sesame seeds, shining with a warm luster under the candlelight.
"Of course, you can bring two more boxes back later. I have so many that I don't even have time to eat them all."
Violet agreed, pointing in the direction of the desk.
There were also some iron gift boxes piled on the table.
"It seems that you, the principal, have been very busy today, and you ended up getting scolded by your colleagues. Anyway, don't take it too seriously. The empire is now in a critical period of change. The more people care about the empire, the more impatient they will be."
Lanci said to Violet empathetically.
"I'm used to it. Not everyone is as temperless as Hecintus, or perhaps most of the military gods have weird personalities."
Violet shook her head as she leaned back against the sofa, looking at the professor with interest.
Professor Landry is also an easy-going person, generous, gentle and considerate of others.
If Professor Landry successfully becomes the head of the Empire's New Energy Organization Committee in the next few days as the current rumors say, then it will be a good thing for St. Chrysanthemum Monastery, because Professor Landry is a member of their St. Chrysanthemum Monastery no matter what.
“So, Mr. Julius, whom you consider a friend, has some shining points despite his bad temper?”
Lanci asked Violet.
He took a piece of dessert from the box, broke it a little bit, twisted it between his thumb and index finger, and put it to the mouth of the gray cat in his arms.
A light aroma of cheese and the sweet scent of roasted beef fills the air, mixing with the rich floral scent in the room, weaving an invisible web of temptation.
The gray cat's nose twitched. She knew that it was a rare opportunity for Lanqi to talk about the Imperial God of War at this time to get intelligence about the God of War. Besides, Violet's mood right now after the quarrel was not suitable for talking about urgent matters. It would be better to talk about trivial matters first.
But Lanqi didn't look like he had any intention of finding out anything. He was just chatting naturally and sincerely.
"You seem to see the more unusual side of things... But what you said is indeed true. Julius has many shortcomings, but he is very loyal and talented. He just looks like a fool. Back in the Imperial Mechanical College, he even got better grades in many subjects than his senior, the Fourth Military God Jade Seat Jasper. He is actually quite smart, you know."
Violet chuckled twice when she heard Lanqi's words.
Jasper, the Fourth God of War, who graduated a few years earlier than Julius, was a mechanical genius rarely seen in the empire for many years. It was thought that many of the records she left behind would not be broken in a short time. However, a few years later, Julius became a rising star in another field and later became the God of War of this generation.
The big gray cat in Lanqi's arms was a little resistant and felt overwhelmed by this sudden feeding.
It tilted its head slightly, whimpering softly in its throat, and was very hesitant about whether to accept this kindness.
"It's really amazing that you can understand the Imperial machinery."
Lanqi was surprised.
He studied with Professor Bolaio and realized how difficult it was to learn the [Mechanical] attribute. He couldn't master it anyway.
"Aren't you very good at it? You are an expert in magic engineering."
"Everyone has their own specialization. Mechanics is my weak point. I mainly study energy. I can't accomplish anything by myself. I need everyone's help."
While Lanqi was chatting with Violet, he did not get discouraged, but waited patiently for the pastry in his hand to be accepted by the gray cat.
The free hand stroked the cat's back again and again, and the palm of the hand conveyed a warmth that made it feel reassured.
"No wonder Duke Dax thinks highly of you. Is this how you view your achievements?"
“Achievement itself is meaningless. What matters is what it can bring to future generations.”
Under Lanqi's touch, the gray cat's tense body slowly relaxed, its breathing gradually became steady, its golden eyes narrowed, and the lingering scent of snacks lingered at the tip of its nose.
It felt that Violet seemed to be looking at it from time to time, curious about why the cat didn't eat.
It would not be a good idea to continue attracting Violet's attention like this.
Finally, it carefully stretched out its pink tongue and tentatively licked the snack at Lanqi's fingertips. The sauced grilled meat and cheese bloomed in its mouth. The big gray cat found the long-lost comfort and greedily bit the whole piece of pastry into its mouth, making a chewing sound.
Since you are already pretending to be a cat, just tell yourself that you are a cat and don’t think about anything else!
Talia told herself.
"After what you said, I seem to be able to see more of Julius's good side and don't want to be angry with him anymore. But when I think about it carefully, I always feel that the recent rumors on campus may be a little more true. Professor Landry, you are indeed very good at handling interpersonal and public relations."
Violet commented.
She was wondering if the cat didn't like this kind of snack, but it seems that it actually likes it.
"Don't torture me, Principal Violet."
Lan Qi shook his head.
The rumors he heard today were outrageous, and the speed of version iteration was beyond his imagination, but it should have come to an end.
He fed the cat in his hands as usual, while gently stroking its fluffy fur, his fingertips slowly combing over its neck, back and belly, making the cat purr.
"After all, it's because you have a good temper, Your Excellency the Principal. It seems that this kind of noise is not the first time."
Lanci said to Violet.
Listening to Violet talk about the Tenth God of War, Julius, felt like a mother coaxing her son.
"Professor Landry, are you thinking of something impolite?"
Violet stared at Landry, as if she could see what he was thinking, and asked.
But she didn't really mind. She just felt that this person was not a completely kind and honest person. Sometimes he would think of things that made people angry and funny.
"No, I was just thinking that the wolf tribe is really good-natured. Thank you for taking care of my sister Elsa. She is also a kind child."
Lanqi thought so from the bottom of his heart, so he said so.
"Is that so? You praise me without even realizing it, but I do feel that your friendliness is very special and it's hard for people to dislike you. Especially small animals, they will approach you without any precautions. Perhaps it's because you believe that all things have spirits and you won't hurt them from the bottom of your heart. They rely more on instinct than humans, so they are willing to let down their guard against you and treat you as a friend."
Violet looked at the beautiful gray cat in the professor's arms and said to herself.
The big gray cat completely let go of its reserve, completely immersed in this long-lost care, and made comfortable and cozy sounds.
Under the young man's unconscious touch, the gray cat felt unprecedented relaxation and satisfaction.
The cat also adjusted its posture with its eyes closed and its mind emptied. It lay lazily on his lap and actively responded to his palm, allowing his palm to easily reach a position that made it more comfortable.
It looks completely different from when I first walked in.
(End of this chapter)