Chapter 179: Noels Pleasant Trip to the Campus Continues

Chapter 179: Noel's Pleasant Trip to the Campus Continues

Aside from the large, glass window filled with sunlight on one side, the hospital room was decorated primarily in natural dark wood, creating a sense of comforting warmth. Lance walked over to the bedside, sat down on the chair, and smiled at his father.

Noel didn't quite know what to say to him. He finally said, "I've been recuperating these past two days and haven't really left the room, but hearing that your grades are good puts my mind at ease. However..."

Whenever Noel recalled the horrific expressions of those three clergy members, he couldn't fathom what kind of trouble Lance had gotten himself into. He remembered browsing a newspaper near the giant outdoor screen at the time. The light had flickered, and he had only glanced at the key images in the column before fainting, without even reading the text.

Noel sighed. "Never mind. The important thing is that you came back safe and sound."

Just looking at the photographs captured from that Shadow Realm dungeon made it clear how dangerous it had been.

Lance made a solemn promise to his father, "I know you are worried about my studies, Father, but you can rest easy. I might not necessarily succeed in academia, but I will certainly give it my all!"

Noel patted Lance on the shoulder and offered some advice, "Lance, right now, I only hope you walk the right path and develop steadily. I don't expect you to be as dazzling as Duke Michael."

Noel should have felt gratified upon hearing his son's vow, yet, for some reason, an inexplicable sense of unease welled up inside him. In the past, he had feared Lance wouldn't work hard enough. Now, he was almost afraid that Lance might work too hard.

He didn't want his son to lose himself or go astray by chasing goals that were simply out of reach. Although Noel had originally wanted Lance to enroll at Ikerite University partly in the hope that he might emulate its distinguished graduate, Duke Michael, that had really just been a parent's fanciful wish.

Hyperion interjected with a touch of modesty, "Lance actually possesses talent that rivals Duke Michael's."

In the past, she would never have admitted that anyone possessed more talent than her father. However, after spending so much time with Lance, she felt that Lance was, in a way, beyond comparison.

"Miss Hyperion, please don't flatter this brat of mine." Noel shook his head and cast a look of disdain at Lance. "Aside from his good looks, how could he possibly compare to Duke Michael?"

Did this kid really deserve to be mentioned in the same breath as Duke Michael, that peerless genius of the Kingdom of Hutton? Although Noel could tell from Hyperion's words that she genuinely thought highly of Lance, Noel was a longtime admirer of Duke Michael—a die-hard fan, in fact.

He would get furious whenever he saw news reports disparaging the duke.

Hyperion repeated with conviction, "He really is capable. Lance is truly amazing."

While she always enjoyed hearing others praise her father, she was also someone who valued the facts.

Noel pointed at Lance as he asked, "Take academic performance, for instance. Duke Michael entered Ikerite University's Knights' College at the top of his class. What rank did this brat achieve in the Sages' College?"

He believed the young lady was being a bit naive and was overestimating the boy.

"First place," Hyperion replied.

Noel was stunned. He stared at Lance. "First place, really?"

Lance simply nodded calmly.

Noel's heart raced. After all, his initial expectation for Lance had been modest. He would have been satisfied if the lad simply scraped into the College of Alchemy with a passing grade.

This felt like a surreal dream.

Although Noel had inferred that Lance's academic performance was solid since he was eligible to enter the Shadow Realm just two months into the term, he hadn't expected him to actually take first place. Of note, the top student of any college at Ikerite University was virtually guaranteed a brilliant future.

Noel took a moment to compose himself. Finally, he said, "However, Duke Michael applied to the Knights' College, yet what truly dazzled everyone was his talent in magical engineering. He was not only proficient in magic and various academic disciplines, but also skilled in alchemy and card making."

Noel paused and then waxed on, "Arguably, he would have taken first place regardless of which of the four colleges he had chosen. You've been in the capital for quite some time now, surely you've heard the story of how Duke Michael created three unprecedented Pink Divine grade cards during his registered card maker examination?"

Noel felt proud of Lance, yet he knew that precisely at a moment like this, he needed to warn the young man against complacency. He couldn't let Lance get carried away.

Lance simply smiled and nodded without saying a word.

Hyperion looked at Noel in confusion, but then she quickly understood the situation. Lance had taken the registered card maker exam just before entering their latest Shadow Realm challenge. Only a few days had passed since then.

The fact that Lance had been certified Platinum was known only to a select few. This included Hyperion herself, Prince Ainor and his entourage, the Ikerite branch of the Card Maker's Association, the senior leadership of the College of Magical Engineering, and Dean Lawrence. The news had not yet been made public.

The rumor circulating in the capital was that Lance had created an Epic grade card. However, there were so many exaggerated tales about "Headmaster Lance" going around that people had actually begun to doubt their authenticity.

According to the student council president, Noel had collapsed shortly after arriving at Ikerite University, so it was perfectly natural for him to be unaware of the details regarding Lance's card maker examination results.

She interjected, "While Lance doesn't know how to do everything, he's the type who fully commits to whatever task he takes on, honing a specific skill to absolute perfection... Plus, he achieved a higher certification in the registered card maker exam than the duke himself."

Hyperion paused to think. She was worried Lance had been planning a massive surprise for Noel. Besides, the way Noel was singing her father's praises made her feel a bit embarrassed. To prevent Lance from causing any more chaos, Hyperion decided she'd better just spill the beans herself.

Noel froze for a moment. His brain had essentially crashed from the information overload. The last time he'd met Lance in the study back at the South Vantina estate, his butler, Hans, had assured him that the boy possessed a talent for crafting enchanted cards. Furthermore, Lance had even secured a sum of money from him, claiming it was for "materials and tuition" for card making.

At first, Noel had assumed it was just a hobby. He would have been satisfied if Lance managed to produce even the most basic "Blue Sky, White Clouds" grade of cards.[1] So how on earth had the kid managed to qualify for the registered card maker exam in just six months?

Wait a minute.

"Higher?" Noel latched onto a key detail and did a quick mental calculation. Duke Michael had been certified as Gold. That much was certain.

Higher.... Could it be... Platinum?

Noel stared at Lance in disbelief, as if he was looking at a monster.

Hans had told him back then that Young Master Lance would surely create impressive enchanted cards. He'd thought the butler was just covering for the brat, but it turned out Hans had been telling the truth all along.

Noel's lips trembled as he struggled to ask, "Miss Hyperion, you aren't pulling my leg, are you?"

He found it hard to believe. He thought Hyperion might be joking.

Hyperion answered precisely, "The official approval hasn't come through yet, but unofficially, he's considered quasi-Platinum Certified."

Noel's gaze grew distant as he stared at Lance, unable to speak for a long while. He trusted Hyperion to be an honest, good-hearted girl. She wouldn't tell a lie like that just to mess with him.

However, his current feelings were more surreal than a dream. A Platinum Certified card maker was a true heavyweight. Noel had never imagined that Lance could achieve such success.

"Wait, I can't help but feel your stance on this is a bit odd..." Lance muttered from the sidelines. He hadn't expected to find himself playing the straight man in a comedy duo one day.

Both of them were siding with an outsider against their own kin. If the duke heard his own daughter belittling him like this, he would surely be heartbroken. However, Lance got the impression that Noel hadn't yet realized that Hyperion was Duke Michael's daughter.

Noel sat there in a daze for a long while. Finally, a smile of irrepressible joy spread across his face. He didn't quite know how to process his delight. Caught up in the moment, he continued with a mix of jest and stubborn refusal to yield, "Heh, even so, I'm certain there's one thing that kid can't match Duke Michael on."

"What is it?" Hyperion wondered what it would take to get Noel to honestly admit just how outstanding Lance was.

Noel asked with a gloating chuckle, "Duke Michael managed to marry a demon, can Lance do the same?"

"Of course he co—" Hyperion had instinctively started to agree with Noel, but her expression shifted abruptly. "I'm sorry, please excuse me."

She quickly looked away in embarrassment, pursed her lips, stood up, and hurried out of the hospital room with her head down.

"...Heh, you can't argue with that now, can you?" Noel threw his head back and laughed, feeling like he'd scored a victory.

Lance sighed. "Father, she is..."

He was about to say it, but he was afraid his old man might faint again. If he passed out a second time, it could be genuinely dangerous. He hesitated, unsure whether he should speak up.

"Who is she? Don't tell me you're going to say she's Duke Michael's daughter?" Noel found it even more amusing when he saw Lance struggling to get his words out. "There's no such thing as a demon as gentle and kind as her. I'm a good judge of character, at least. I'd sooner believe you were a demon than believe she has even a drop of demon blood in her."

His father's assertion left Lance speechless. Oh, whatever. I'll keep the peace and see it as respecting the old man, filial piety and all that.

Seeing Lance had returned to his previous composed and unruffled demeanor, Noel couldn't help but marvel at how truly mature and steady the lad had become.

"Aren't you full of yourself? If you've got the guts, go marry a demon and if she happens to be a pure-blooded Great Demon like the duchess, then I'll hail you as the greatest of them all." Noel chuckled as he patted Lance on the shoulder, teasing him. He was in high spirits.

Demons were hardly the sort of beings to be trifled with. Given Lance's personality, he'd likely be beaten to death the moment he encountered one, long before he could even begin to woo one. A Great Demon, a calamity-level existence, would simply crush Lance like an ant.

Lance shook his head helplessly. That was the one thing he simply couldn't do. Marrying a pure-blooded demon was out of the question. For starters, their mindset was completely different from humans. If a marital spat broke out, the outcome would likely be either the murder of the human or a sudden disappearance on the demon’s part. A happy ending was virtually impossible.

The only scenario in which he might marry a pure-blooded demon would be if she held a blade to his throat and forced him into it. But clearly, that wasn't going to happen.

1. Referring to the Blue Uncommon and White Common cards. ☜