The air seemed to freeze.
Because Amos arrived earlier than he had scheduled.
So only his blood brother, Frey, came to greet him.
Frey, an introverted iceberg since childhood who neither liked to talk nor think too much, seemed all right for the moment. It was the two others beside him whose eyes almost popped out of their sockets, staring fixedly at the spot where that little halo had just flashed by.
That little halo came quivering out, shivered from the cold, and was instantly pulled back—a streak of golden lightning.
Like a dazzling golden illusion.
“So weird—so weird—I just joked about wanting to see a little halo, and then one actually appeared, haha, haha, I must be having brain problems from too many late-night shifts lately. Where’s the medical pod—I need to lie down in one.”
One Crown Clan member dazedly turned, slapped his face hard, his expression growing ever more stupefied.
“I even saw a white fluffy little paw. I’m really damn weird today—”
He walked a couple steps, was yanked back by the person next to him and forcibly dragged back.
Then was pinched hard.
Still stunned, he yelped.
His companion, equally flabbergasted, drew back his hand and muttered, “Hurts, right? That means it’s real?”
“No,” the pinched member stared wide-eyed, “Can’t you pinch yourself instead?!”
All the same, every gaze was glued to the little bundle in Amos’s arms.
The bundle was cocooned in Amos’s spare military overcoat, completely hiding what was inside.
“This really—is—?”
Frey quickly recovered, frowning just as he had when Amos himself first met Little Chu Zao.
The Crown Clan were thought incapable of producing offspring.
And now, with chaos in the galaxy, and countless organizations targeting the Crown Clan and Holy Cas, plotting and schemes were endless, with assassination attempts now routine.
Holy Cas’s territory was vast, impossible to oversee every detail, and the larger the realm, the more cracks appeared. Couple that with the Crown Clan’s overwhelming psychic power, and aside from self-destruction and internecine wars, other races simply couldn’t kill them.
Amos only held his little bundle.
“Let’s head to the medical center first.”
The royal court had its own small starship base, and the medical center was not far away.
Holy Cas winters were bitterly cold, especially after snow. Snow still blew in the wind, carpeting the ground in five centimeters of white. Even the normally silent Crown Clan’s steps creaked on the packed surface.
Little Chu Zao, who had never seen snow, shivered violently but was fiercely curious—if only the wind weren’t so cold.
Thus, the next stretch of the trip went like this for Chu Zao—
Just a little peek, pulling open the coat, only to get chased back by the wind.
Not looking anymore!
But that strange sound—was there really no wind outside? Maybe just one more peek!
Gently lifting the coat, immediately ducking back from the bite of cold.
Wail—Zao Zao’s done looking.
But why does it sound like that? I have to look one more time!
The little cub worked up the courage, sticking out his head, little ears instantly numbed by cold.
He let out a couple awoo awos and whipped his head right back in.
Nope, can’t look at all!
By the time they reached the medical center, the Crown Clan members following Amos were all numb.
The whole way they kept thinking—was this really a child of their own kind?
Quick, quick, quick, the little thing’s going to poke its head out!
Oh… he tucked it back.
Now he’s coming out again!!!
Oh… went back again.
There—no, never mind. It was more nerve-wracking than leading troops in battle.
Finally at the medical center, the warmth of central heating swept through the room.
Only then did Amos set his little bundle down on a soft bed.
The place was already in chaos.
They’d long felt frustrated that, as the most advanced facility in Holy Cas, they were helpless when it came to the psychic state of the royal family and the emperor’s children.
Until a message came a few days ago, asking them to prepare all equipment needed for a Crown Clan cub.
Who knew the gear was centuries old!
It had been hundreds of years since the last Crown Clan cub; who could say if those antiques still worked or how to use them? Serious problems indeed!!
They’d thought they had a few more days till arrival, but Amos showed up early.
The medical researchers were running around coordinating repairs and prep.
The regular medical pods could be used, but for the Crown Clan, with their special psychic and physical makeup, it wasn’t optimal.
If they really did have a little highness…
Hehe, hehe, a little highness!
The reporting researchers didn’t even turn their heads, staring at the bundled lump as it left.
In the end, Little Chu Zao poked his head out after being pretty thoroughly frozen, holding his head in his tiny paws, warming his own ears. His little halo quivered, and trembled out from Amos’s coat and settled upright.
Except for Amos, the other Crown Clans were still muttering about how impossible this was, declaring it all a conspiracy—definitely not right.
But then they saw, bright and clear, that miniature halo: golden, luxurious, intricate, small as a trinket—like the world’s finest handiwork, glowing warm and gentle.
The coat rustled, and a tiny fuzzy head poked out, the flattened ears instantly perking up. Through the light, the ear centers showed a hint of soft pink. Newly emerged, adapting to the light, he squinted a little, blinking, then opened his eyes.
Those were clear, lovely, syrup-sweet amber eyes.
With one glance from them, every Crown Clan present felt their hearts pounding faster and faster.
None present had ever seen a cub before; they themselves had been the last generation, and their own childhood was centuries back.
This sensation was utterly foreign, so much so that they nearly called up their psychic defenses to resist its uncanny power.
“Awoo!”
Baba, why is it so cold?
Little Chu Zao glanced curiously at the strangers behind, but clearly didn’t care much for them—he was used to being ignored, never the center of attention, to him, strangers were just that—he quickly found Amos, gave a shiver, and crawled wholly out of the coat.
Those neatly groomed, adorable snowy wings unfurled in a flutter behind him, shaking gently.
His tail curled and wagged.
He pattered over to the edge of the bed, halo shining, raising a soft paw in a baby voice: “Awoo awoo!”
Baba, let me into Baba’s arms!
“See everything now?”
Amos asked, reaching out naturally with a hand for the little one to use as a step.
Little Chu Zao hooked a paw onto Amos’s sleeve, scrambled up, and burrowed swiftly into his arms. Headfirst at first—after getting in, he adjusted, poking his little head out, and the halo above bounced out too.
“Awoo?”
What’s the problem?
See clearly now.
Two palmfuls, a soft, tiny cub—an infant!
That little crown above his head—there was no mistake, absolutely none!!
“Your Majesty!!! Where did you find him??!!”
“Picked him up at the sanctuary.”
Frey had been silent from the start. Once he saw the little halo, he’d already known the cub’s identity—he just had a few things to check. Where exactly had this cub come from, was he a stray lineage, or somehow related to the clan? Naturally born, or a product of some lab accident…
A flood of thoughts faded at the sight of the cub’s clear, pure eyes.
“Awoo?”
Are you talking about Zao Zao??
Little Chu Zao tentatively poked his head out, big amber eyes blinking, tail swishing, looking around.
Amos smoothly fished a fruit out of his pocket—
Yes, their Holy Cas emperor casually pulled a fruit from his pocket…a fruit!!
Do you mean you now routinely carry snacks??
The fruit was nutritious, if not very tasty.
They watched the little cub’s expression instantly sour as he held the fruit.
In the past few days, Chu Zao had tried all the fruits Amos had prepared on the starship; he knew which tasted good, and which didn’t.
Little Chu Zao didn’t like wasting food. He looked at Amos, then at the fruit. Finally, he opened his mouth, the tiny sharp teeth gliding along the peel.
He left the fruit nearly untouched.
The group stared at the little one, not blinking.
Haha, he’s pretending to eat!!
He’s a picky eater!!
Crown Clan cubs were never picky eaters!
He must have a problem!!
Frey observed the little one, inching closer. His face was icy, but his eyes burned.
Little Chu Zao was a bit bewildered by all the attention; he’d never been so stared at before. Hesitant, he offered the unpleasant fruit to Frey.
Frey: …?
“Awoo.”
Are you hungry too? Here, you can have it.
After all, Zao Zao doesn’t really like this fruit.
The cub, pleased to offload the tasteless fruit, wagged his tail in Amos’s arms.
Frey, caught off guard by the offered fruit, froze, his brain nearly shorting out.
——What did this mean?
“For me?”
“Awoo!”
The soft white fluff nodded.
Yes, awoo!
Frey fell silent, then stiffly retreated a step.
He should organize a more thorough exam and analysis to explain why this child…was a picky eater.
Ahem.
He’s actually a picky eater.
Still growing, and picky!
But—
He’s so cute.
Picky eating is allowed.
Frey’s brain was scrambled already.
“Awoo!”
Eat, eat, it’s fine, Zao Zao’s already full!
The cub’s fluffy paw patted Amos’s arm, tail waving, eyes showing concern.
It’s tough being hungry, Zao Zao knows that.
Then, little Chu Zao heard someone mutter nearby.
“Wow, he can actually understand human speech—amazing.”
The wagging tail went stiff.
Thinking he’d done great, Chu Zao whipped around, his round face showing clear shock: …
A sudden silence fell.
The speaker realized too: hiss—this is our own race’s cub; if he didn’t understand, wouldn’t that be insulting all of us?