Chapter Summaries

Florence asked Hughberlian for advice about her first date with Loren, while explaining why she had kept her identity as a woman from him. Hughberlian agreed to help her learn how to act around a male close friend on their date.

• Lanchi advised Florence on keeping her clothes and transformation secret from Loren, and promised to help with her request.
• Lanchi and Monast left the Student Union Room, leaving Florence and Hughberlian alone.
• Florence explained that she had been raised as her family's heir and had met Loren as a fellow soldier; after surviving dangers together, she had trusted him with her life.
• Florence told Hughberlian that she had promised Loren a date but did not know how to behave on one, and asked for advice.
• Hughberlian agreed to coach Florence during the date, and they exchanged Communication Magic contact information.

Lanchi and Hughberlian left the Magic Engineering Institute and returned to Cat Boss Restaurant, discussing the people and dangers around Ikelite along the way. They found Sinora working, learned Tata had returned from visiting the Wilford Family, and Hughberlian stayed to help while Lanchi went to call Tata for lunch.

• Lanchi and Hughberlian said goodbye to Florence and left the Old Liberal Arts Building after Lanchi confirmed he had obtained Lanfu’s Magic Card.
• Hughberlian told Lanchi she hoped to see her teacher, Almirs, again, while Lanchi said Ikelite was secure for the next six months.
• Lanchi and Hughberlian arrived at Cat Boss Restaurant and learned from Sinora that Tata had visited the Wilford Family and returned.
• Sinora told Lanchi that Francine had invited Tata and the restaurant’s staff to Lanchi’s birthday celebration, and reassured him that Noe had welcomed them as Lanchi’s friends.
• Hughberlian stayed downstairs to help Sinora while Lanchi went to call Tata to eat with them.

Lanchi and Talia struggled to make cards together, and after their repeated failures, they sought Professor Bora Ao’s advice. He suggested that the pair go on more dates, leaving Talia silent as Lanchi cut off the communication.

• Lanchi and Talia spent the afternoon failing to get past the second step of card making, and their cards repeatedly exploded.
• Cat Boss suggested they take a break, while Lanchi and Talia blamed each other for their lack of progress.
• Talia explained that her mental affinity and Ifatia’s curse affinity made them poorly matched, and Lanchi discussed the importance of distinguishing innate attributes from acquired ones.
• Lanchi contacted Professor Bora Ao and described two people whose card-making rhythms were out of sync and whose attempts kept exploding.
• Professor Bora Ao advised the pair to go on more dates, so Lanchi quickly ended the call and found Talia sitting in a tense silence.

Lanchi and Talia tested the Epic earring by having Talia fuse with the Poet of Great Love, creating a powerful new form. The fusion made Talia Lanchi’s Lifebound Card, linked their thoughts, and left them unable to separate her from the Poet of Great Love.

• Lanchi and Talia agreed to visit the Magic Engineering Institute the next morning and prepare for their trip to the Bosen Kingdom.
• Lanchi suggested that Talia try fusing with the Poet of Great Love, and the Poet appeared and accepted the idea.
• Talia gave the Poet of Great Love Hughberlian’s Epic earrings, triggering a complete fusion that changed Talia’s eyes to gold and blue.
• Talia discovered she had acquired the Poet of Great Love’s Demonic Voice, so Lanchi gave her Professor Bora Ao’s thought-activated voice ring.
• Talia realized she had become Lanchi’s Innate Summon and Lifebound Card, and their souls and thoughts were connected.
• Lanchi asked Talia to undo the fusion, but she said the separation cooldown and their perfect fusion rate made it impossible for now.

After Talia became Lanchi’s Innate Summon, the two discovered they could hear each other’s thoughts and that keeping her summoned drained his Mana. They agreed she would need to conserve energy and stay close to him, but Talia’s frustration ended with her pinning Lanchi down and reminding him who was in charge.

• Talia sensed that something had changed, and Lanchi suggested becoming his Innate Summon might have made her immortal as long as he survived.
• Lanchi and Talia realized they could hear each other’s thoughts, and Lanchi warned that his Mana would be depleted within two hours if things continued.
• Lanchi advised Talia to sit still and spend most of her time in Magic Cards form while he used equipment cards to increase his Mana capacity and regeneration.
• Talia reluctantly accepted Lanchi’s plan, while Lanchi’s thoughts about their dates and travels further irritated her.
• Talia entered a combat state, pinned Lanchi to the floor, and made him admit he was wrong.

After fusing with the Poet of Great Love, Talia discovered that she had become a Nine-Mark Great Demon Race and could use Lanchi’s summons and Magic Cards. She agreed to pose as Lanfu while she stayed with Lanchi, but he realized she would also need to attend school with him.

• Talia noticed that her strength had increased, and Lanchi explained that the Hopeless Mark slightly strengthened all of his summons.
• Talia found six additional Great Demon Race Marks in her Soul Space, and Lanchi explained how he had obtained them.
• Talia realized that fusing with the Poet of Great Love had given her a Demon King constitution and access to Lanchi’s summons and Magic Cards.
• Talia agreed to turn into a Magic Card after leaving Hughberlian a note saying she would be away, and she planned to pose as Lanfu.
• Lanchi remembered that Lanfu needed to attend the laboratory every day and worried that he would have to tell Talia to wear a uniform and go to school with him.

Lanchi and Talia prepared for Talia to impersonate Poet of Great Love at Iketerite Academy while they handled travel arrangements for the Bosen Kingdom. Talia returned to her Magic Card form, and Lanchi left Cat Boss Restaurant with Cat Boss and her suitcase.

• Lanchi persuaded Talia to visit the Magic Engineering Institute with him and meet Professor Bora Ao while pretending to be Poet of Great Love.
• Talia agreed to dress and act like Poet of Great Love, then replaced Hughberlian's quilt and organized her travel luggage.
• Talia teased Lanchi about doing his housework, but he hurriedly insisted that he would do it himself.
• Lanchi explained to Cat Boss that Talia would be acting as Poet of Great Love, alarming the cat about the risks of their telepathic link.
• Talia lamented leaving her little fox, then transformed into her Magic Card form, and Lanchi left with Cat Boss and her suitcase.

Lanchi brought Talia to his dormitory, where she discovered she could act freely inside his Soul Space and tried on a human transformation and a school outfit. After Talia emerged in a very short skirt, Lanchi laughed, and she chased him around the living room.

• Talia spoke to Lanchi from inside his Soul Space and asserted that he could not seal her away because she was stronger than him.
• Lanchi gave Talia two transformation Magic Cards, and she used the human transformation card to change her appearance and outfit.
• Talia asked Lanchi to make more transformation cards, and he gave her a freshly ironed school outfit to try on.
• Talia emerged wearing a short skirt and demanded to know why it was so short, while Lanchi blamed Lanfu for altering it.
• Talia became angry when Lanchi laughed and called her cute, then chased him around the coffee table as Cat Boss watched.

Lanchi and Talia walked to the Magic Engineering Institute, bickering about Talia’s uniform and reminiscing about their first visit to Iketerite Academy. They arrived at Professor Bora Ao’s workshop to explain Talia’s situation, but he realized she was not Lanfu.

• Lanchi and Talia walked across campus while recalling how they had first arrived at Iketerite Academy.
• Talia asked Lanchi to lengthen her skirt, but decided to keep the uniform unchanged until they returned to the Hutton Kingdom.
• Lanchi and Talia reached the Magic Engineering Institute Old Liberal Arts Building and entered Professor Bora Ao’s experimental workshop with an identification card.
• Professor Bora Ao greeted Lanchi and the person he thought was Lanfu, then realized that Talia was not Lanfu.

Lanchi and Talia visited Professor Bora Ao to register Talia as an assistant for the Platinum Tier Card Maker Exam in the Bosen Kingdom. Bora Ao advised them on the kingdom’s customs and warned them about contracts and possible tensions between humans and demons before they set out.

• Professor Bora Ao noticed that Lanchi and Talia acted differently around each other, and Lanchi explained that Talia was Lanfu’s original form, merged with Lanfu after an equipment accident.
• Talia registered as an examiner’s assistant, while Professor Bora Ao encouraged her and Lanchi to explore the Bosen Kingdom together and improve their cooperation.
• Professor Bora Ao warned Lanchi that the Bosen Kingdom’s powerful nobles, contract-based dealings, and human-demon integration could create risks for travelers.
• Talia privately cautioned Lanchi that demons in the Bosen Kingdom might have combat power beyond their official standing, and Lanchi teased her about making no progress in a century.

Professor Bora Ao prepared Lanchi and Talia for a trip to the Bosen Kingdom, advising Lanchi to study its history and respect the tensions between humans and demons. He trusted Lanchi to handle the journey but warned him that powerful people could cause serious consequences through careless actions.

• Professor Bora Ao clarified that Lanchi and Talia were not going to the Bosen Kingdom; he had meant his friend and his card-making partner.
• Professor Bora Ao gave Lanchi and Talia books and periodicals about the Bosen Kingdom to read during the journey.
• Professor Bora Ao explained that people in the Bosen Kingdom judged others by their race and circumstances, and urged Lanchi to respect local differences.
• Lanchi studied the map and considered the Bosen Kingdom's strategic importance amid rising tensions in the Southern Continent.
• Professor Bora Ao said he trusted Lanchi's ability and would not restrict him, but warned him to learn when to observe because his actions could have serious consequences.

Professor Bora Ao warned Lanchi to consider the consequences of interfering in events, then told him and Talia about a forbidden Magic Device rumored to control demons as they prepared to work in his laboratory. Talia worried it could affect their soul contract, but Bora Ao said rewriting a Demon King's contract would be extremely difficult.

• Professor Bora Ao advised Lanchi to think carefully before intervening and assigned him and Talia several days of laboratory work.
• Professor Bora Ao showed Lanchi and Talia a confidential royal commission about a rumored Dominator's Book from the Bosen Kingdom.
• Professor Bora Ao explained that Great Wizard Palroni had allegedly created the demon-controlling Magic Device, which might be connected to recent demons losing control in Bosen.
• Talia asked whether the book could rewrite a Demon King's contract, and Professor Bora Ao said such a contract would be exceptionally difficult to alter.
• Lanchi struggled not to laugh at Bora Ao's claim that no Demon King would form a contract with a human, and Talia pinched his waist.

Lanchi advised Loren on how to handle Juliana and Almirs while serving as his love instructor. He encouraged Loren to discreetly tolerate Almirs searching his belongings, leaving their relationship poised to grow through his quiet understanding.

• After finishing work, Lanchi and Talia left the Magic Engineering Institute, and Talia stepped away to talk with a friend.
• Loren called Lanchi for advice before another dinner with Juliana and revealed he also planned to watch a horror movie with Florence that night.
• Lanchi moved to a lounge to continue the call privately and asked Loren whether Almirs or Florence had behaved unusually.
• Loren said Almirs had searched his belongings and described her as his White Moonlight for supporting him through a difficult time.
• Lanchi told Loren to pretend he did not notice Almirs searching his things and to help cover for her if caught, assuring him that his tolerance would turn her guilt into affection.

Lanchi advised Loren on how to date Juliana, Almirs, and Florence without disappointing anyone, proposing an increasingly absurd plan to divide his time among them. Afterward, Lanchi and Talia prepared to travel to the distant Bosen Kingdom, where they hoped their social lives would be less complicated.

• Loren told Lanchi that Florence had moved in with him and recalled how he had looked after Florence during their time on the battlefield.
• Loren asked how to handle Juliana, Almirs, and Florence all wanting to spend his next free day with him.
• Lanchi advised Loren to delay the dates, then proposed rapidly shuttling between three theaters so each woman would think Loren was spending the whole time with her.
• Loren accepted Lanchi's guidance, while Cat Boss grew wary of the brothers' romantic schemes.
• Lanchi met Talia after their calls, and the two decided to buy food before heading home and setting off for the Bosen Kingdom.

As Lanchi prepared to depart for the Bosen Kingdom, Cat Boss delivered a letter from Sigrid, who reported unknown demons in the Protos Empire and asked Lanchi to show her around Ikelite. Lanchi put the letter away and continued packing, hoping his work would soon let him retire.

• Lanchi packed for his evening departure to the Bosen Kingdom as rain fell over Ikelite.
• Cat Boss delivered a letter from Sigrid that had arrived at the Cat Boss Restaurant.
• Lanchi read Sigrid's report that Duchess Chloris had found signs of unfamiliar demons in the Protos Empire, which had since withdrawn, and that their origins and purpose remained unknown.
• Sigrid warned that the unknown demons might include beings stronger than Duke Morodian and asked Lanchi to show her around Royal Capital Ikelite when she reached the Hutton Kingdom.
• Lanchi returned Sigrid's letter to its envelope, put it away, and resumed packing while talking about retiring soon.

Lanchi and Talia prepared to travel to Bosen, where Lanchi would secretly serve as a Platinum Tier examiner. They left for the station as their new journey began, while Hughberlian stayed in Ikelite with Sinora and Almirs.

• Talia read that the Destruction Bishop had survived a battle after being ambushed and surrounded, then intercepted by the Dimensional Bishop.
• Lanchi told Talia that his Platinum Tier identity would remain confidential during the examination and that he would travel as a masked examiner.
• Talia worried about leaving Hughberlian, but Lanchi reassured her that Sinora and Almirs were looking after her.
• Lanchi and Talia set out for the station to begin their journey to Bosen.

Lanchi traveled through the Greater Pariel region with Talia and chatted with Li Sang Qian about magic cooking and the upcoming Platinum Tier Card Maker Exam. Their conversation turned to Duke Migaiya’s disappearance and the rumors surrounding him, leaving Li Sang Qian speechless at Lanchi’s suggestion for an even wilder rumor.

• Talia used Mental Magic to reprimand Lanchi, and he resumed talking with Li Sang Qian during their journey into Flower Capital Pariel.
• Lanchi and Li Sang Qian discussed her Tier 4 Azure Mage abilities, her interest in becoming a magic chef, and the value of stat-boosting meals.
• Lanchi and Li Sang Qian introduced themselves and discovered that both were interested in the Platinum Tier Card Maker Exam.
• Li Sang Qian recalled seeing Mi Gaiya as a child and lamented that he would not attend this year's exam because he had gone missing.
• Li Sang Qian condemned media rumors claiming Mi Gaiya was the Bishop of the Night, and Lanchi proposed spreading a rumor that the Bishop was the High Priest's fiancée, leaving her speechless.

Lanchi and Li Sang Qian discussed Mi Gaiya’s remarkable rise to Magic Crystal Tier and the structure of the Platinum Tier Card Maker Exam. They explained how exam subjects and examiners shaped candidates’ chances, then looked ahead to the newcomers competing this year.

• Li Sang Qian praised Mi Gaiya for passing the Platinum Tier exam soon after his Gold Tier exam and recalled how he stunned skeptics by wielding thunder and lightning on the competition stage.
• Lanchi asked about the exam subjects Mi Gaiya had faced, and Li Sang Qian listed Magic Engineering Principles, Attribute Specialization, and Deck Testing.
• Li Sang Qian explained that each exam selected three subjects from six, and that versatile or specialized Card Makers could gain an advantage depending on the selection.
• Lanchi and Li Sang Qian hoped to see impressive newcomers at this year’s exam, while noting that experienced Card Makers were more likely to pass.
• Li Sang Qian described how examiners could affect the exam’s difficulty and assured Lanchi that the Association Headquarters supervised the process and investigated examiner misconduct.

Lanchi and Li Sang Qian traveled aboard the Floating Castle, where she befriended Cat Boss and discussed her magical pastries. When Lanchi asked about demons harming people in Bosen, Li Sang Qian grew uneasy as her curse mark flared.

• Lanchi and Li Sang Qian chatted about the Platinum Tier Card Maker exam as the Floating Castle flew over Flower Capital Pariel.
• Cat Boss protested being treated as a pet, and Li Sang Qian learned it could talk before asking to pet it.
• Cat Boss asked Li Sang Qian about magical pastries, and she described how one of her sour Strawberry Daifuku had knocked out a classmate.
• Lanchi asked Li Sang Qian about reports of demons injuring people, and she said registered demons were bound by civic contracts and faced death for harming humans.
• Li Sang Qian connected the rumors to Great Wizard Palroni's curse, and her curse mark turned crimson as she struggled to breathe.

As the Floating Castle neared Pariel, Lanchi tried to comfort Li Sang Qian, whose growing distress was worsened by the Senate's Execution Force inspecting the airship for demons. Li Sang Qian succumbed to a curse and went berserk, but her outstretched hand seemed to plead with Lanchi to save her.

• Lanchi noticed Li Sang Qian was unwell and offered to keep her company as the Floating Castle approached Pariel.
• Duke Tiffany's Execution Force boarded the airship and used a magical gemstone to reveal the demons among the passengers.
• The executioner identified Li Sang Qian as a demon and ordered her to submit to an inspection while Lanchi stayed beside her.
• Li Sang Qian's fear and mental pressure escalated until the curse of Great Wizard Palroni transformed her into a berserk creature.
• As panic spread through the hall, Li Sang Qian lost consciousness, though her outstretched hand appeared to ask Lanchi for help.