Attending the Exhibition and Embracing New Tasks

Three days passed in a flash. Tilis, sporting heavy dark circles under her eyes and yawning incessantly, knocked on Luo Wei's door.

After notifying Headmaster Danton and completing the necessary procedures, Tilis used magic to slightly alter her appearance. The two of them then joined the exhibition as participants, settling into the Crystal Palace Expo.

The crowd was still sparse in the morning. Luo Wei sat behind the display counter while the witch, who had stayed up for three days and nights, dozed off against him.

Listening to the soft snores beside him, Luo Wei glanced at Tilis. Her new body had reverted to its usual exhausted state in just a few days. It almost seemed like dark circles and eye bags were her true essence...

His gaze swept across the exhibition hall, where dazzling new mechanical inventions were on display. By 10 a.m., the venue had grown livelier. Factory owners crowded around various exhibits, murmuring among themselves, occasionally haggling over prices. Who knew how many major deals this expo would facilitate?

Of course, with war looming, the focus of this exhibition was military hardware. Luo Wei’s display had already caught the attention of a few.

He hadn’t brought out the exaggerated "Steam Gundam"—the upper half of the prototype was still unfinished in his backyard. What stood before them now was merely a scaled-down version, upgraded with a weapon system. The real behemoth was reserved for later.

Even so, it had drawn the interest of a high-ranking military official.

However, the moment the official heard that this contraption burned through ten Magic Crystal Stones per minute, he immediately turned and walked away, shaking his head and muttering, "The budget’s tight… can’t afford this, can’t afford this..."

"Hmph, no appreciation for real craftsmanship," Tilis grumbled, suddenly awake. She blinked her bleary eyes at the man’s retreating figure. "You’ll see how useful it is when the fighting starts!"

Apart from a few military personnel, Luo Wei’s booth remained largely ignored. Tilis pouted in frustration, closed her eyes again, and resumed using Luo Wei as her pillow.

"My, aren’t you two cozy?"

A cool, slightly mocking voice rang out. Luo Wei looked up to see Ophelia dressed in casual attire.

"Oh? You’re here too." Luo Wei scooted over to make space. "Have a seat!"

"I’d rather not." Ophelia shot a glance at Tilis, who was clinging to Luo Wei, and poked her. "You think this is your home? Sleeping at an expo?"

"Mmm… stop bothering me… I’m exhausted..."

Tilis was well aware it was Ophelia, but she couldn’t care less. She only snuggled deeper into her oversized "pillow," Luo Wei, shifting into an even more comfortable position.

Ophelia was at a loss against Tilis’ shamelessness, her expression growing colder and darker.

Luo Wei suddenly felt the truth of the saying "one thing conquers another." He chuckled awkwardly. "The witch hasn’t slept for three days preparing for this. Cut her some slack..."

Ophelia huffed and sat down beside Luo Wei, arms crossed. "I’ve spent the last three days inspecting the expo for safety hazards. I’m exhausted too, you know!"

Luo Wei gave her shoulders a gentle squeeze and massaged them for a while. Seeing her icy expression soften slightly, he smiled and asked, "Is your father still insisting on attending? Security at the Crystal Palace should be tight, right?"

"He’s absolutely coming. Who dares defy him?" Ophelia’s gaze swept the surroundings. "All exhibits comply with regulations, and hazardous explosives are strictly controlled. Every Magic Crystal Stone can be traced to a legitimate source. So far, no security loopholes have been found."

"What about the security personnel?" Luo Wei pressed.

Ophelia continued, "He values his life too much. On the day he attends, he’ll be surrounded by extraordinary protectors—Sir Fred from the Special Affairs Department, the current Pope Adrian of the Holy Edict Church, Chief Royal Mage Hawkins, along with their subordinates and the most elite royal guards."

Luo Wei pondered the three names. They were indeed heavyweight figures, covering everything from magic to divine arts. With these three powerhouses guarding him, it was hard to imagine how the old emperor could possibly come to harm...

And that wasn’t even counting himself, Ophelia, and Tilis—especially Tilis, the formidable mage.

After sharing these thoughts, Ophelia flashed a cold smile. "Honestly, I’m curious how Eleya plans to make her move under these circumstances..."

As they talked, Luo Wei’s eyes occasionally scanned the Crystal Palace exhibition hall. Despite Ophelia’s description of it as "impregnable," he couldn’t shake a nagging unease, sensing something subtly amiss.

Just then, a stern-faced Captain Raymond hurried toward them.

"Luo Wei! Luo Wei!"

"Captain? What’s wrong?" Luo Wei turned to him, realizing it had been a while since they last met.

"It’s ‘Chief Inspector’ now," Ophelia corrected with a light chuckle. "He’s been promoted to Senior Inspector. No more ‘Captain.’"

"Oh?" Luo Wei glanced at Raymond’s badge and confirmed the double promotion—he was now a mid-level officer at the Central Police Bureau.

Luo Wei looked at Ophelia. Raymond’s rapid rise was undoubtedly part of her scheming. Still, the captain himself must have been pleased—given his experience and merits, he’d long deserved the promotion.

"Your Highness, please don’t tease me..." Raymond sighed helplessly before addressing Luo Wei. "Just call me ‘Captain.’ I’m used to it—no need for formalities."

"Any new leads?" Ophelia cut straight to the point.

Raymond had been assisting in tracking down the escaped members of the church delegation. He nodded immediately. "One of my informants has gone missing. His last message before vanishing mentioned spotting that church envoy. Luo Wei, I’ll need your help with the next phase—this involves non-humans, your specialty..."

"Understood." Luo Wei’s expression turned grave—not just because of the missing persons case Raymond mentioned, but also due to the sudden system notification that popped up.

[New Chapter Updated]

[Chapter 5: When the Holy Light Descends]

[Checkpoint Updated...]