The ruler of the most powerful interstellar empire, Holy Cas, of the proud Crown Clan—would never take such people seriously.
But the hand that had dared to touch their kind’s cub—need not exist anymore.
When Amos stepped out of the shop,
A heart-wrenching scream rang out behind him.
“Ahhhhhh—!”
The hand Amos had severed earlier, before it even hit the ground, disintegrated just like that stone—turning little by little into bloody dust. Not even the most skilled doctor could ever reattach it.
Among the onlookers who had gathered to watch, blood bloomed from their chests as they collapsed miserably—including that first thief who had tried to flee when things turned bad.
And the man who caused it all walked away unhurriedly, leaving behind only his retreating figure.
There were too many people around, and with this little one in his arms, killing them all would only bring unnecessary trouble. He was in a hurry, and for now, decided that this small lesson would suffice.
Amos thought coldly.
After buying enough food for the little one, he needed to take him back as soon as possible.
“Awwooo?”
Little Chu Zao, with his eyes covered, couldn’t see what was happening outside. He only whimpered softly, a tender and confused sound, calling for Baba.
What was happening outside?
That bad man! And those people who falsely accused Zao Zao of stealing and breaking things!
Amos lowered his gaze, looking at the small bundle in his arms.
No matter how this little one had appeared, he was still a cub of the Crown Clan.
Though he was still young and had much to learn, they would guide him slowly. But no one else would ever be allowed to bully him.
Of course, a few hours ago, Amos hadn’t thought this way.
But after he’d come out with the supplies, seeing the little one cornered atop the chandelier—fluffy and frightened, baring his teeth to defend himself—even though Amos had left mental wards ensuring no one could harm him within that hour, irritation had still surged in him.
Only after leaving the black district and heading toward the docked starship did Amos finally lower his hand.
The white fluffball still held his fruit tightly. During the scuffle, it had gotten a bit bruised, no longer looking as perfect as before. The little one looked at it for a while and softly whimpered, “Awwooo.”
It got bumped.
Amos glanced down at the fruit in the cub’s paws, about to take it and replace it with a new one.
But then he saw the little one lower his head, nibbling away the bruised parts himself, and then lifting the uneven fruit again—clearly just realizing that… his Baba hadn’t eaten yet.
“Awwooo!”
That soft, fluffy bundle held up the fruit, eyes shining bright.
Baba, Baba eat.
Amos lowered his eyes, staring at the little one. The light in those watery eyes stunned him enough that he turned his head slightly, instinctively reaching out to pat the small head.
He didn’t even notice how close he was to melting completely.
He was one breath away from saying yes—until he noticed the fruit, now wet and glistening from the cub’s bite marks.
Amos: …
He paused, realizing his tolerance for this little one hadn’t quite reached that level yet.
No need to be that filial.
He gently pushed the fuzzy paw back, declining.
“I’m not hungry. You eat it yourself.”
Little Chu Zao blinked his big eyes.
“Awwooo?”
Not hungry?
Then okay.
The little cub lowered his head again, hugging the fruit and nibbling away.
He was clearly very thrifty. Even when he was full, he still tried to finish it—until the last half made him so bloated he had to stretch his legs straight out.
But Amos had never raised a child before. To him, three fruits were barely a snack. He was sure he hadn’t eaten so little as a child. And given that the cub was frail and clearly malnourished, Amos casually reached into the bag and placed another red fruit in the little one’s arms.
Suddenly finding another fruit in his embrace, Little Chu Zao widened his amber eyes, staring down at it in disbelief. He was already so full he couldn’t roll over, yet another fruit had appeared.
The tiny cub kicked his legs, looking at the sweet-smelling fruit he couldn’t eat.
After being kicked a few times, Amos looked down.
“What now?”
“Awwooo.” — I’m full.
The little cub whimpered weakly.
Amos froze for a moment.
“You’re full after just three fruits?”
The fluffy ball looked at him in despair, his little tail flicking lightly against Amos’s side.
Soft. Gentle.
Amos stopped walking.
“Then what should we do?”
He quickly ran through possible solutions in his mind.
There was no medical pod available now.
The dismantled, temporarily scrapped medical pod: Oh? Thinking of me now, are you?
Amos, holding the cub with one arm, looked down at the small bundle nestled between his chest and arm.
“I’ll… rub it for you?”
He spoke cautiously.
Little Chu Zao blinked in surprise, letting out a tentative “Awwooo.”
—Also… okay?
The two of them—one who had never been anyone’s cub, and one who had never been anyone’s father—seemed to be studying an enormous mystery together.
Amos looked down at the small ball in his arms. Even now, while holding this little creature, he was still consciously controlling his strength. His posture was stiff, and when it came to rubbing the cub’s belly, he had no idea what amount of pressure to use.
So he could only be as gentle as possible.
His slender hand rested on the soft fur of the little one’s belly, slowly rubbing in light circles.
“Is this alright?”
“Awwooo~”
That seemed okay?
“How about this?”
“Awwooo~!”
Lighter! Lighter!
Chu Zao had never had anyone rub his tummy before—mainly because he had never eaten until he was full.
Nor had he ever been held like this.
And if he had told the Archangel what had just happened—the Archangel would definitely say that Zao Zao was too meddlesome, that a single slap doesn’t make noise alone, meaning Zao Zao must have been partly at fault and should reflect on himself.
But—Baba didn’t say that.
Following his instincts, the frightened little cub who had been scared by the falling rock curled up in Amos’s arms, his soft little body relaxing, his tiny tail wagging happily.
The gentle warmth, and that faint flicker of mental light above his head, gradually soothed the violence that had risen in Amos’s heart.
Feeling too comfortable, the little one loosened his claws, and the red fruit rolled away.
The cub flipped over and fluttered his wings to chase after it—just in time to hear a faint sound of someone swallowing.
This was one of the more stable wandering planets. There were quite a few inhabitants—most of them refugees who had lost their homes after cosmic pollution, living here hungry and cold.
Not far away sat a girl who looked only fifteen or sixteen. Her face was sallow and thin, her eyes dull, as if deeply traumatized. She sat there blankly, staring straight at the fruit that had fallen to the ground.
Little Chu Zao hugged the fruit back to his chest, blinking uncertainly.
Just then, someone came running up behind them in a hurry.
“Customer! Customer!”
It was the shopkeeper from earlier.
The shopkeeper had never expected that while he’d been helping Amos pick other foods and happily earning a fortune, someone would cause trouble in his store—and almost kidnap Amos’s little companion.
Right after Amos paid and left, the shopkeeper returned to find blood all over the floor. Only then did he realize what had happened.
He reported it immediately, and orders came down from above.
Regardless of other details, the man had spent lavishly—and they couldn’t afford to offend him. They also couldn’t let Amos think they’d been involved in the matter.
Not to mention, the Tiger Squad was notoriously vengeful—and now, blood had already been spilled.
The shopkeeper, having overheard fragments of the chaos, was terrified. He sprinted after Amos and Little Chu Zao.
He ran the whole way, his mental strength weak and his stamina mediocre. He had only become a manager thanks to his quick and adaptable thinking.
Amos bent down slightly to hold the cub securely and lifted his gaze toward the shopkeeper, raising an eyebrow in mild curiosity.
“You—you should leave here as soon as possible,” the man panted, gasping for breath. “I came after you mainly to tell you—don’t, don’t take the K372 route.” He took another breath. “Those people are from the Tiger Squad. They’re one of the fiercest mercenary groups in this sector. They used to be star pirates, but since the Holy Cas Empire cracked down on piracy, they’ve gone semi-legit. I just overheard—they’ve set up an ambush on the K372 route, planning to lure a beast swarm to attack your starship.”
K372 was the main route on Wandering Planet No. 499—almost every ship leaving or entering the planet had to take it.
Luring beasts wouldn’t just endanger Amos—it would also put every passing starship at risk.
Amos had originally decided not to bother with those people anymore. But now, he gave a faint, quiet sound.
He looked calm, almost unresponsive—
But that was how it truly was.
Ever since the fall of their homeland, the Crown Clan had been tormented by mental power corruption. Their crowns shattered, their civilization destroyed. Through it all, their emotions had been worn away—dulled and numbed. Their empathy faded, leaving only cold detachment. Over the centuries, they had grown ever more ruthless.
“What does ‘ah’ mean??”
The shopkeeper nearly jumped.
Of course, he had his own motives too.
He hadn’t just come because Amos was too powerful to offend—but also because the Tiger Squad’s madness threatened them all.
If he warned Amos, maybe something could change. Maybe the beasts could be stopped. Maybe—just maybe—people like him, already struggling to survive, might still have a chance.
“Are they really that crazy?”
Amos said slowly, rubbing the cub’s head.
At his words, the little one stirred—almost leaping out of his arms, flapping his wings and letting out tiny determined growls.
—Those bad guys! Let Zao Zao fight them!!
Amos caught him with one hand, frowning. For someone whose emotions rarely fluctuated, he was honestly puzzled—why was this cub so spirited?
“Yes, yes!”
The shopkeeper nodded frantically.
“This has nothing to do with our store, really! We usually keep great order—it’s just today, damn it, pure bad luck! If I’d known this would happen, I’d never have let you leave that little one in there!”
So please—please contact your people to handle this! I’m begging you!!
Hi. I’m enjoying so far, so please continue 💕💕💕