Rushing up to the little white bundle, Anya, who was just about to point out how strange this little creature was, was hit the hardest by the shock.
First, because of his impatient nature, Anya had suspected a trick when he heard Amos had brought back a cub. On his way from not far off to the medical center, knowing Amos had returned early, the more he thought about it, the more off it seemed. On top of that, he’d been hammered by the spirit force of departed Crown Clan members — it felt even stranger.
He didn’t even get a good look at the little one before trying to make his clansmen see reason.
If this were a conspiracy, it would be terrifying! Even the departed spirits of their fellow clansmen were fiercely protecting the sudden appearance of this little one!
It was only his first day off the starship!!!
Until he saw this little white ball, saw it nervously snatch its halo off its head and slam it at him—
Little Chu Zao didn’t have much strength, but the act of removing a halo to hit someone was already shocking enough.
Especially when that halo struck the back of his hand, Anya’s head buzzed.
He didn’t just feel his hand hurt; he felt his brain hurt, too.
Was he hallucinating?
Everything happened too fast. In just a few seconds, as Anya doubted his very existence, the hand that had grabbed his collar — Amos’s — yanked backward.
Anya immediately toppled back, hitting the floor hard, his shoulder pinned by someone’s gentle but firm foot to keep him from moving.
He hadn’t regained his senses yet, eyes blank, staring straight at the ceiling.
Amos’s face appeared in his field of vision.
This dark tyrant, who maintained calm, elegance, and a lazy gentlemanly style off the battlefield, now looked down, raised a hand, and slowly pulled at the half-glove on his left hand, looking over in a light, casual manner.
But from head to toe, he seemed to emit a ghostly black aura, a big bold DANGER written all around him.
Amos asked, “Calmed down?”
Anya snapped out of it, nodding quickly. From his vantage, he saw the Crown Clan standing behind Amos; they too were shocked. Even Frey wore a strange expression, all staring at the little cub holding the halo, their faces twisted as if they heard nails screeching on glass and were powerless to stop it.
The little cub felt none of their shock.
After ‘driving off’ Anya, the white ball’s tail stood tall, little paws holding up his halo—
“Awoo!”
Little Chu Zao shook his halo, checking that no marks were left on the golden ring, then, in front of all the Crown Clan, put his halo back on and climbed on top of the medical pod.
From Anya’s angle, he saw the little furry ears poke up, then a round head — those amber eyes glaring warily at him, the little halo popping out with a “biu” and sparkling brightly.
—How can it be so small? Is this really a Crown Clan cub?
All the other Crown Clan who were staring at that little halo:……
Wait, is this even possible????
Could they do it too…?
Take your ‘brain’ off and hit someone with it?
Sss——
Anya was shaken by that little head. He stood up, looking a little calmer, but couldn’t help speaking.
“Don’t you think this is even weirder?”
“Awoo!”
You’re the weird one!
“Isn’t the kinship test result out yet?”
“Awoo!”
You’re a weird bad guy!
Anya whipped his head around, furious, looking at the little cub perched on the edge of the medical pod, glaring at him and awu-ing back at every word. That soft, adorable furball made his face flush deep red, and he finally lowered his voice, scratching irritably at his already-messy hair.
“I won’t stoop to arguing with a cub.”
“Awoo!”
That’s because you’re in the wrong!
Behind Little Chu Zao, his little wings stood up, flapped twice, aimed toward Amos’s arms, his little butt waggling in readiness to jump.
“Awoo.”
Baba, hold me!
This little guy even called Amos daddy???
Anya’s eyes widened. He felt like the only sober one in a room full of drunks. What age was it, how long had it been since the Crown Clan had cubs? Those records of their intense protectiveness over cubs were all ancient anecdotes, weren’t they?
Couldn’t they sober up and be sensible, like him!
At this moment, the beeping machine finished its screening.
The green indicator light flashed, signifying that it had checked all registered Crown Clan kinship mental profiles and found a family match for the little cub.
The cub had already leapt into Amos’s arms. After Anya’s ordeal, the little one felt it was unsafe outside, burrowing insistently deeper, adjusting for comfort.
“It’s out, let’s see. I want to know just who—”
Anya stood up, looked at the screen.
The screen clearly, decisively displayed—
Family: Dwight
Direct relative: Amos Dwight
Relationship: Father and son
[Warning: Cub’s physical condition is extremely poor, development is below standard, ruled as improper upbringing. Please select a responsible new guardian accordingly.]
Due to the Crown Clan’s old instinct to protect cubs, this warning was bolded, enlarged, given special emphasis, as if across time and space, one could see the Crown Clan’s fury at a cub’s poor health.
The room fell silent.
Amos froze for a moment, but quickly came to. Truthfully, he had already harbored some guesses. Though the Crown Clan’s true forms didn’t all look alike, when he’d first picked up this cub, he’d noticed the little guy’s true form was practically a mini-version of himself, right down to the similar crown halo.
It’s just that Amos had the strongest mental power, couldn’t control it when it rampaged, and was never known to return to his original white-ball form. Very few could ever connect the cub’s form to his own true form right away.
Little Chu Zao, burrowed in his arms, had just finished getting comfy and poked his fuzzy head out.
“Awoo?”
Baba, what’s wrong now?
Let Zao Zao have a look.
Anya was dumbstruck. He opened and closed his mouth, carefully reading the words on the screen.
Then Amos’s voice sounded softly behind his ear: “As the ‘weakling’ in your words, I’m really sorry about that.”
Anya:……
Anya:…………
—No, bro, let me explain.
The quiet that followed was pure disbelief.
“But, but, how is this possible?”
“None of us could possibly have a cub.”
When the habitat was destroyed, they were all too young, not capable of having cubs of their own — it was impossible for only Amos to have one.
And a five-year-old cub, at that.
“Perhaps…”
The medical researcher, who was transferring the cub’s data to His Majesty and princes’ communicators, including the health stats, spoke up hesitantly.
“Because His Majesty spent so much time in the habitat releasing mental power, and Crown Clan cubs are originally born from mental power… maybe something special occurred?”
Everyone looked at each other.
“Maybe?”
“Is that possible?”
“But isn’t that a stretch?”
“I think so too, so could I try releasing mental power in the habitat next time?”
“…Dream on.”
“Clearly there’s still something wrong, right? So let me go first!”
Frey, his head only now clear after being dazed by the cub, watched and ate the last bit of his sour fruit, pulling Anya to his feet.
It was still a bit unreal to him—Amos hadn’t just found a cub, but a Dwight cub, his own child.
That “Baba” had been aimed right.
“No more problems now, right?”
Amos said.
But in fact, there were still many problems.
Yet all the Crown Clan looked at Amos.
Every Crown Clan believed their alpha, their majesty, could solve everything.
From outside came another urgent report—“Your Majesty! Highnesses! His Highness Meilun’s mental power is out of control again!!”
Meilun, the last generation Crown Clan.
Most of that generation had their mind-crest halos shattered, utterly destroyed, with only a few left, sealed up in various royal chambers due to mental power issues.
It was Meilun who, not long ago, was expected to have his halo shattered and meet final ruin.
And now, only Amos could do anything to control a totally berserk Crown Clan.
This breaking out again now was not good news.
Amos looked up, and with a hint of laziness, said nothing. Instead, waves of energy slowly surged, and behind Amos—immaculate wings instantly spread, darkness flickering around him as if space itself would twist; he stepped onto the window ledge—
The rest of the Crown Clan followed him out the window one by one, taking off before they even hit the ground. With their mental power boosting them, they zipped through the wind and snow with ease.
Little Chu Zao didn’t even see what happened. Awwoooing, he curled up in Amos’s arms, protected—
The cub didn’t even see the situation before the air rushed, and then everything stopped.
Rumbling noises spelled doom; behind a blocked door, it sounded like a beast had lost control.
A personal guard, hands braced against the door, looked over in panic: “Your Majesty!”
No time; it was too dangerous inside. Amos could only hand the little one to Frey, who was right behind him.
Meeting the confused, slightly frightened little white bundle, he patted Little Chu Zao’s head. “Wait for me.”
“Awoo.”
Okay, Baba.
Amos stepped through the door.
The roaring from inside got even worse.
Little Chu Zao, a little anxious, tried to climb up for a better look, but being in a relative stranger’s arms, he didn’t dare move too much.
Frey, suddenly left holding the little one, tensed all over. Just like when Amos first picked up Little Chu Zao, he noticed the cub was also stiff.
After a moment’s thought, he felt he should explain a bit.
He pulled up the data file to show the cub.
“Don’t worry, we are related, see?”
You’re our family’s baby, don’t be scared.
“Awoo?”
Zao Zao look?
The little white bundle looked over blankly.
He stared hard for a while, then tucked his head back in.
“Awoo!”
Didn’t understand a thing!
The little white cub blinked those big, confused eyes.
After serious study, he concluded—he was a hopeless little illiterate.
Frey:……
Inside, the noise gradually died down. The people outside didn’t look very worried, but rather resigned and numb.
They’d seen this too many times. Generation after generation of Crown Clan fell; only they were left. As said before—the Crown Clan had become the strongest, coldest, most numb race in the galaxy, as if they’d slowly come to terms with their fate of destruction,
And now, at their strongest, coldest, most numb, they were deeply engaged with a very important matter—
Frey was too cold, not talkative. He really didn’t know how to deal with the little one, so he looked back, seeking inspiration from the people behind him.
He saw, after confirming that Uncle Meilun was fine, the others’ crowns appear above their heads one by one.
With straight faces, deadly serious, they stretched out their hands, trying to copy the little one and pull their own crowns off.
Frey:……
Frey:…………
What are you all doing?!
You guys need to get a grip!!!
Don’t all try to take your own brains off at once!!
[Author’s note]
Frey: You’re dumb, not insane!! Get a grip, all of you!!!
Amos will never tell them that he also tried to take his crown off hehe XD