Dragon Raja: Lu Mingfei Returns from Japan

For some reason, he suddenly felt that he might also have the potential to be a scumbag.

"Hmph, it's good that it's true." Liu Miaomiao replied with a touch of arrogance, then her tone softened: "Actually, I dreamed about you last night too."

"Really? What did you dream about me about?"

"Why ask so many questions? As long as you know I dreamed about you, that's enough!"

Recalling the scene in her dream, Liu Miaomiao blushed involuntarily. How could she possibly tell him about something she dreamed about? She quickly changed the subject: "Okay, that's enough, I'm going to eat!"

Hearing Liu Miaomiao say she was going to eat, Lu Mingfei was taken aback: "So you haven't eaten yet?"

"No," Liu Miaomiao said. "I just got to the cafeteria and you called me."

"Why don't you go get your food first? I'll get it for you later."

"No need," Liu Miaomiao said. "Wenwen has already prepared my meal. I've been eating with Wenwen these past few days."

There are probably several girls named Wenwen at Shilan Middle School, but Lu Mingfei knows that the Wenwen Liu Miaomiao is referring to can only be Chen Wenwen. Unexpectedly, during his absence, the relationship between Liu Miaomiao and Chen Wenwen seems to have progressed even further.

Over the next period of time, Liu Miaomiao shared some recent events at Shilan Middle School with Lu Mingfei. Liu Miaomiao spoke one sentence at a time, and Lu Mingfei listened attentively to every word.

Although it's just simple, mundane daily life, it's wrapped up with a thread of longing.

Of course, whenever Liu Miaomiao got carried away with her conversation, Lu Mingfei would promptly remind her to eat.

They chatted for what seemed like forever, until almost the end of lunch break, before Liu Miaomiao reluctantly said, "Mingfei, I have to go to class now, I have to hang up..."

"Ah."

"Mingfei, wait a moment...!"

Lu Mingfei heard Liu Miaomiao suddenly call his name. Before he could realize what the little girl was up to, he heard hurried footsteps coming from the other end of the phone, as if Liu Miaomiao had rushed somewhere. Then he heard a soft voice coming from the receiver:

"mua~"

Lu Mingfei's heart skipped a beat. Suddenly, it felt as if hundreds of strong and powerful Akhal-Teke horses were galloping wildly in his chest. He thought to himself, "Damn, having a girlfriend makes all the difference!"

Suddenly, I remembered a line from Su Dongpo's "Ode to the Red Cliff":

"My heart is filled with longing, I gaze upon my beloved on the other side of the sky."

Of course, Su Shi's original line was "渺渺", but Lu Mingfei changed it to "淼淼" in his mind.

“Mua~” Lu Mingfei replied into the microphone.

……

For creative reasons,

Chapter 218 Mission Report

While Lu Mingfei and Liu Miaomiao were pouring their hearts out to each other over the phone, several other people were still awake in the early hours of the morning at the Valentine Manor.

In the guest room at the far left on the third floor of the villa, Professor Mans leaned back in his chair, silently gazing at the scenery outside the window. Dawn had not yet broken; a veil of darkness descended from the night sky, shrouding the rows of buildings. Beyond the glass window, as far as his eyes could see, the sky was just beginning to lighten with the first hint of dawn.

It was 5:30 a.m., and the city wouldn't wake up for another hour, but the birds in the manor had already begun chirping impatiently in the morning.

He sat in a swivel chair with a huge desk behind him. On the computer screen on the desk, the video chat window was completely black, with only a progress bar of a half-decayed World Tree loading from bottom to top.

This is the internal network of Kassel College, which Norma grants access to only those with high privileges. He is currently using this network to initiate a video call to someone.

With a "beep", the computer screen suddenly lit up.

Upon hearing the sound, Mans immediately turned around, and a serene old man's face appeared on the screen. His silver-white hair was neatly combed, and the years had left deep marks on his face. Although his skin had aged like a cracked ancient tree or a weathered rock, the lines were still strong.

“Principal Angers.” Mans nodded slightly to the screen in respect.

"What's wrong, Mans? Aren't you asleep yet, it's so late?" Angers smiled on the screen. "It's rare for you to contact me first. Did you encounter some difficulties during the mission?"

“It’s just a routine update on the mission progress,” Mans shrugged. “Besides, for an executive officer, this is just part of the daily routine, isn’t it?”

"Where are Ye Sheng and the others?"

"They were on a mission all day yesterday. They're just kids, so let them rest a bit more."

Angers nodded. Mans took out a lighter, lit the cigar in his mouth, and began to report on the mission's progress. It was mostly a chronological report, such as when they arrived in Portugal, where they were currently staying, where they had carried out missions, and what information they had obtained.

Mans didn't focus on the task report itself, and Angers just listened quietly.

After finishing his mission report, Mans hesitated for a moment and said, "By the way, something else happened during my student, Shudeya, on his mission, and I think I need to report that to you as well."

"what's up?"

Mans truthfully told Angers about the unexpected accident he encountered during his mission in Aki and how he was subsequently rescued by a stranger.

After saying that, Mans leaned closer to the office: "Do you have any clues about this matter?"

“Since you’ve asked me this, Mans, I think you must already have your own thoughts, right?” Angers smiled.

Mans nodded. "Judging from the current situation, besides us, there are other forces also watching the 'antimony' incident. I've also subtly inquired about this matter with Louis Valentine, and based on his behavior and my investigation, the Valentine family should be unrelated to this incident. They neither got involved in the 'antimony' incident nor extended a helping hand to Aki."

"So you did suspect that the Valentine family orchestrated the 'antimony' incident?" The headmaster chuckled. "The Valentine family has always been the academy's strongest ally, and isn't Louis one of your best friends?"

“On a mission? It’s never a problem to think things through.” Mans paused and said, “The incident happened in Portugal, the metal ‘antimony’ is related to alchemy, and the Valentine family is one of the oldest alchemical families. With so many coincidences, I can’t help but suspect the Valentine family.”

“Yes, you did the right thing. Although the Valentine family is a member of the board of directors of Kassel College, we cannot let our guard down against them because of that.” Angers nodded and said slowly, “However, now that you have eliminated them from the list of suspects, have you decided where to take the next step in the investigation?”

“I already have some ideas.”

"Tell me."

"On the hunter portal, all the hunters we're going to hire next have gone missing. I had Norma track their IP addresses and found that their commonly used IP addresses have been out of service for several days. These hunters are all from Portugal or neighboring countries. Their sudden disappearance means they must have tracked down some clues, been discovered, and been eliminated. The hires were posted using Ye Sheng's account, and I plan to have Ye Sheng continue to follow this lead."

"What about Aki and the others?"

"The fake gallery that Aki is investigating is one of the most suspicious targets. The fact that more than one force is probably monitoring this place is enough to tell us something. However, what's strange is that Aki sent all the encrypted files she copied to Norma, but according to the information Norma sent us after decrypting them, although there are some suspicious points about this gallery, they are all minor ones."

"For example?"

"For example, he recently produced a large batch of fake paintings and sold them to antiquities dealers in Santa Réun. Would that be considered suspicious?"

"Perhaps," the principal said with a smile. "You are one of the most experienced specialists in the Execution Department, and also my most outstanding student. Since I have entrusted you with this 'SS' level mission, I naturally trust all your judgments and will take full responsibility for the outcome."

"Don't worry, although the gallery seems clean according to the information, I've already asked Aki to follow up on that line. After all, the mysterious person who suddenly appeared and saved Aki is far too suspicious. To be honest, I even suspect that the person might be a member of the Solomon Temple. After all, this incident happened in Europe, and as the largest mixed-race organization in Europe, the Solomon Temple shouldn't stand idly by. This is the third line I plan to follow."

After Mans finished speaking, he looked at Angers' silver-grey eyes on the computer screen. His eyes were as calm and still as a bottomless well. He paused, staring at Angers, and said:

"Ye Sheng will be in charge of the Hunter website, Aki will be in charge of the gallery, and I will be in charge of contacting the people of the Solomon Temple. This is my next direction for investigation. Selma is only a freshman and lacks experience in carrying out missions, so I plan to let her be in charge of logistics and scheduling for now, and provide support wherever manpower is needed."

“The task allocation is very reasonable.” Angzhe nodded. “The academy will help you contact the Solomon Temple. If there is a shortage of manpower, you can contact me at any time, and I can arrange other specialists for you.”

"I hope that doesn't happen. Just taking the three little ones out is tiring enough for me." Mans smiled.

Don't you like children?

"I wouldn't say I dislike them, but I just don't know how to get along with these little guys."

Mans scratched the back of his head and said, “You know, I’ve always been a fundamentalist when it comes to education. I’m skeptical of the academy’s educational policies and believe that the academy should be a place to train excellent soldiers. But I don’t know why, maybe it’s because I’m a father now, but going out with these young guys feels like taking my own children on a trip. I just can’t bring myself to be mean to them.”

“Having a father’s mentality means you’re getting old, Mans,” Angers sighed slowly and said with a smile.

……

Chapter 219 Receiving a Mission from an Important NPC

No matter how much Mans criticizes the current education system of Kassel College, the college is still quite efficient in handling major events.

After the video call ended, Mans, who had stayed up all night, wanted to lean back in his chair and take a nap, but before he could fall asleep, he received a phone call and an address in his email.

The email was, of course, sent by Norma, and the address was the local contact address of the Solomon Temple in Santarém province.

"The Church of Santa Maria de Mavila?"

Mans looked at the address and immediately logged onto Google to search for it. Google showed that the church was located on Avenue Tagus in Santarém, founded in the 13th century by the Knights Templar, and was an ancient church with a history of several hundred years.

The name Solomon's Temple may sound like it has a close connection with churches or religions, and in fact, this organization was indeed historically affiliated with the church.

The predecessor of the Solomon Temple was the renowned Knights Templar, founded by the French nobleman Hugo de Payen. This organization was established in 1119, was subordinate to the Roman Catholic Church, and was directly responsible to the Pope.

At its peak, the Knights Templar were incredibly wealthy. By the late 12th century, they owned 9000 manors or territories throughout the Christian world. The Temple Church in London and the Temple Palace in Berlin were once part of the Knights Templar's domain. For a time, they even owned the entire island of Cyprus.

The Knights Templar are ostensibly the private army of the Roman Catholic Church, but in reality, they are a hybrid force. The Church maintains the Knights Templar to fight against the pure-blooded dragons of Europe, and at the same time, it uses this superhuman army to counterbalance and threaten countries that intend to oppose the Church.

This mixed-race army existed for nearly two hundred years in history, and was finally disbanded by Pope Clement V in 1312 under pressure from Philip IV.

The reasons for the disbandment of the Knights Templar are widely debated in the world of hybrids. However, the organization did not completely disappear after its disbandment. The remaining members formed a new hybrid organization, no longer affiliated with the Church or the Empire, but independent of all other powers. This organization is the Solomon Temple Order.

In an era when the knightly class had long since disappeared, the Solomon Temple had no connection with the Knights Templar. It was only preserved because the word "temple" held historical significance.

In reality, the later Solomon's Temple and the Camarilla were not fundamentally different; both were organizations composed of hybrids fighting against dragons. Members typically had their own roles, professions, and lives, but they would gather together when needed.

The only slight difference is that the Camarilla recruits mixed-race elites from all over the world, while the Solomon Temple is the largest mixed-race organization based in Europe.

However, given that members of the Solomon Temple Society come from all walks of life, it is not surprising that there are clergy among them.

Mans glanced at the time in the lower right corner of the computer screen; it was 6:03. The sky outside the window was already beginning to lighten.

"Let the children sleep a little longer."

Mans leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes, and suddenly remembered Angers saying something like he was old.

……

The morning sun shone on the cobblestone streets of Tagus Street. The next stretch was a tourist area, and while taxis could still travel, the constant stopping and starting among the throngs of tourists made walking much more convenient.

Lu Mingfei took out a fifty-euro note from a wad of euros in his wallet, paid the fare, and got off the bus first. Su Xiaoqiang, on the other hand, looked reluctant and slowly got off the bus.

"So why did you come with me?!" Su Xiaoqiang said angrily to Lu Mingfei.

Today, Su Xiaoqiang wore a Monot chiffon blouse with the top button undone, highlighting her slender neck. She paired it with a beige David Koma skirt, its hem light and flowing. On her feet were a pair of white stilettos in a similar cool tone. The heels weren't particularly high, but they perfectly accentuated her proportions, giving her an air of haughty, sophisticated confidence.

"Do you think I wanted to come?" Lu Mingfei replied, withdrawing his gaze from the little fairy.

Well, to be honest, he really wanted to come. But that didn't mean he wanted to stroll and date with the fairy in the classically beautiful streets of Portugal, exchanging loving glances... The reason he wanted to come was simply to prevent the fairy from encountering any accidents.

"If you didn't want to come, why did you come?" Little Fairy snorted.

"Isn't that because your uncle made me come with you?" Lu Mingfei hummed along.

Su Xiaoqiang lowered her head and pursed her lips, not understanding why her uncle would have Lu Mingfei accompany her on such a private matter.

It wasn't that she didn't want to travel alongside Lu Mingfei... it's just that Lu Mingfei was an outsider to the Valentine family, both in terms of bloodline and status. The thought of him accompanying her to that next place felt strange to Su Xiaoqiang.

This section of the street is lined with retro Baroque-style villas, and various signs hang in front of the old-fashioned buildings. The most numerous of these are, of course, souvenir shops and cafes.