Alpaca (Crossed Out) Reynold Dog Food Taste Test Report 1

So I said, "There's nothing to discuss, you don't need to bother, the two of us can go."

Lusien's eyes widened. "You mean, you two go? How can that be?"

"Why not?" Mel explained to him, "Look, the two of us have the capability to rescue Reynold, while you both hold important positions. Being away from your posts for an extended period would have repercussions for the Federation. Your special status also involves the issue of not being able to leave the country casually, and more importantly..." He paused and looked at me.

Of course I understand what Mel means, but it took me a long time to mentally prepare myself before I said it:

"The spokesperson announced that 'Evil Shadow Manipulator' and 'Flame of Fury' will represent the Federation to rescue Speaker Reynold. Although there are only two of us, no one will say that the Federation doesn't value the Speaker, or accuse the Federation of being cowardly!"

Keep in mind that a single "Evil Shadow Manipulator" can be a match for an entire vanguard of orcs!

But after I finished speaking, Mel and I rubbed our arms together; those two titles were enough to make our hair stand on end.

The three people opposite clearly agreed with the suggestion. If it were the captain of the Shield of the New Star or the commander of Magitech Corps running around the world, as military officials of neighboring countries, all countries would feel dissatisfied. But the two of us are not Federation officials, and besides... to be honest, I don't think any country would be so foolish as to cause us trouble if two dark mages wanted to run around the world.

If someone comes, we can have a friendly chat with them about why monks have been called "Dharma Masters" since ancient times.

"We're still here!"

Suddenly the door was kicked open, and Anna and Moli rushed in, shouting together, "We can go too!"

"Yes!" Anna said, "Don't underestimate us, we are the only two apprentices of the Dark Mage!"

Moli raised her hands to Lusien and announced, "I've decided! I'll call myself 'Flames of Death'!"

Anna chimed in from the side, "Then I'll be known as 'The Blade of the Evil Shadow'!"

After saying this, they surprisingly revealed proud and righteous expressions, and said in unison, "We will become the Federation's Archangels, spreading justice and striking fear into the hearts of our enemies!"

I:"..."

Mel: "..."

... Can we replace the apprentice now?

I immediately said, "No! How could you two have such terrifying names... No, I mean, you're both young and have no combat experience. You can't go on such a risk!"

"No! Teacher! I will be called 'Flames of Death'! My resolve is unwavering! I will burn all enemies like an evil fire! Please let me follow you into battle!"

"What an amazing title, 'Blade of the Evil Shadow'! I want to become a sharp blade in your hands, Master. Every qualified dark mage must have their own supporters. Please let me follow in your footsteps and fight alongside you!"

I reflected on it... Was that a spell to forbid swearing and make speech more proper, not a spell to make them more childish? Or is it that without the use of vulgar language, these two kids are just childish?

A mysterious silence enveloped us once again, and I saw the same goosebumps on the other four people as I did.

After a moment Lusien said dryly, "Oh, I'll leave the matter of rescuing the Speaker to you two archmages. I'll go report to my superiors right away."

Then they quickly ended the video call.

Ruiduo followed behind the two older girls, wobbling and skipping over. Looking at us, she suddenly clapped her hands, smiled, and opened her little mouth, saying, "... So amazing!"

Immediately afterward, before Mel and I could even react to the apprentices' appalling choice of words and vile titles, a surprising news report suddenly broke on television—

"... A spokesperson for the Holy Dragon Empire Foreign Affairs Office confirmed that His Majesty the Dragon Emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire spoke three days ago about the TV series 'Crossing Over to Become a...'"

Heartthrob

The filming location of "The Beautiful Princess" has been embroiled in controversy. Earlier today, the Dragon Court Parliament of the Holy Dragon Empire received a letter from a fanatical radical organization calling itself the "Dawn Alliance," which announced that they had kidnapped His Majesty the Dragon Emperor and sent a video—"

Then the scene went black, and the next person to appear was a woman sitting in a cage. Perhaps because she was an emperor, she wasn't tied up in a pitiful state like Reynold. She wasn't even dirty or disheveled; she was still wearing a snow-white evening gown, revealing her fair and beautiful shoulders. She had a hot figure, a beautiful face, and her hair was also exquisitely styled. However, judging from her attire, she was probably wearing a costume from a TV series shoot and had been kidnapped directly from the set.

These kidnappers are just too high-profile!

Kidnapping a Federal Parliament speaker wasn't enough; now they've even kidnapped the Dragon Emperor! Even if she's currently neglecting her duties and indulging in acting, she's still the emperor of a nation. This isn't as simple as kidnapping a popular actress; she is, after all, the nominal leader of the Dragon Knight Kingdom. These kidnappers seem to have quite the ambition, daring to offend even the Holy Dragon Empire.

It seems I should start taking these unknown bandits seriously.

Chapter 69 Alpaca (crossed out) Reynold Dog Food Tasting Report 1

It's harder for Ciprins to meet with someone than to meet with the Prime Minister...

He had a very strict, almost demanding, schedule: experiments, note-taking, reading, oh, and teaching assistants... Even Moli, who loved black smoky makeup, was ahead of me. I admired this strong-willed mage, but also felt a little bittersweet.

But I never imagined that after my repeated hints of grievance went unanswered, something even more unimaginable would happen—

Ciprins, did you dump me?

Dumped???

They'd just make a phone call, without even meeting in person, and then they'd just dump you.

I feel like a stale, chewy pancake, just taken out of the fryer and sizzling on the plate.

He said he dumped me, and that's it?

Judging from his expression, it was as if the pronunciation of "Reynold, let's break up" was no different from the sentence "Fire elemental can be combined twice to cast Flame Explosion Spell".

When I hung up the phone, my feelings were indescribably complicated.

I... got dumped?

So much so that I didn't even notice when my secretary called me several times while I was sitting at my desk.

He was nervously watching my expression as he asked, "Then... then Mr. Field is going to be fired, and... are you going to stop it this time?"

I stared at the blacked-out phone screen and said calmly, "Stop it."

The assistant then walked away, trembling with fear.

I admit, ultimately it was my fault. I was just surprised that Ciprins actually... really ruthlessly dumped me. I felt like a speck of dust on a desk that vanished without a trace in his Cleaning Spell.

The time I spent with Ciprins was very uneventful, but also very comfortable. We never even argued because I found that Ciprins had a very good temper. I was under a lot of pressure at work and sometimes it was hard for me to control myself, but Ciprins never held it against me. He always looked at me so gently and tirelessly made new calming potions for me.

When I treat him well, he tries his best to treat me even better, which actually makes me feel a little sorry for him. He doesn't even realize it himself. Sometimes I feel like he's a cute little animal that's been hurt. Once you break through his psychological defenses, all you need to do is touch him, and he'll be more willing to get close to you. I think this has a lot to do with his orphan background.

Moreover, his temper was sometimes too good. After our relationship was made public, Doug and his gang always found excuses to put him down, but Ciprins never complained to me or relied on me to solve his problems—even though he knew I was capable of helping him.

... This gentle Ciprins was resolute when he broke up with me, without the slightest hesitation or wavering.

Lies always come out eventually. A year after I got together with Ciprins, there was an anonymous online post saying that I was using a low-level mage from a research institute as a substitute lover. I know that paparazzi are incredibly capable and there's almost nothing they can't dig up. However, I'm sure that Ciprins didn't break up with me because of this gossip—he almost never used a mobile phone to go online.