The snowfall gradually lessened.
Outside, the palace guards, clearing the roads, were swiftly withdrawing.
It wasn’t until the new shift replaced them and they left the royal court that they relaxed.
“Strange, what’s going on today? Butler Mori rarely tells us to clear the road so early.”
“Probably because His Majesty is back?”
“Come to think of it, it’s rare. Except for the Third and Fourth Princes, who aren’t on the capital planet, the First and Fifth Princes both came back early yesterday.”
“These last couple of days, something’s off with the Crown Clan princes. Is it okay to say that?”
“You’ve said it now. But what could be off? Don’t tell me—a new little prince has appeared in the Crown Clan?”
“If there really was a little prince, that’d be great… I heard my great-grandfather say Crown Clan cubs are especially cute when young, but none of us in recent generations have seen one.”
Not far from these off-duty palace guards outside the royal grounds, a few boys around ten years old were walking across the street, vaguely catching the conversation.
They too wore military uniforms—though still young and childish, there was a sharp, spirited air unusual for boys their age. Weapons were strapped to their backs.
Crunching through the snow.
“Geez, I’m so jealous. If only I could join the royal court’s direct troops one day.”
Someone adjusted his cap, shrugging his shoulders.
“Heard that once you get into the palace’s direct army, you fight alongside the Crown Clan princes—everyone’s an elite, covered in medals. That’d be so glorious! Take down all those who want to challenge Holy Cas Empire! That would really show them.”
The others laughed along.
“Don’t worry, you can keep dreaming. We’re only a few screening rounds away, right? Medals all over? Dream on… Hey, big brute, you could have gone easier during training today—look at how you beat me up, my mom’s going to feel bad when I get home.”
He bumped the boy next to him with his shoulder.
The bumped one staggered a bit; he’d just been spacing out, expression unchanged, but the touch seemed to flip a switch.
He looked up and smiled too. This kid looked sunny and bright, his black uniform unable to hide his cheerful grin. A mock gun was slung over his back; with that military belt, he looked tall and slim—the tallest among the ten-year-olds.
His light beige eyes seemed gentle, and his smile was handsome, but when he spoke, there was always a teasing undercurrent.
“The teacher said, respect your opponent, right? Can’t disrespect you, now can I?”
“Yeah, right, Chao Huangmu, I think you just remember we used to call you the pretty boy, now you use every chance to clobber us.”
The Holy Cas Royal Court was close to the First Imperial Military Academy.
With constant unrest, pollution, and mutant beasts, plus countless terror groups and dangerous people, the whole population stayed on alert. Kids this age were in normal classes, but some were specially chosen to enter the military academy’s elite program, studying war and developing spirit force.
Don’t be fooled by their ten-year-old looks—if sent to fight real battles, they’d be stronger than many planets’ regular armies.
“But things have been odd lately—”
“Heard there was a big spatial fluctuation near the capital. The Crown Clan princes have all been handling it, even His Majesty came back early. Sounds tricky. No idea what monster group this fluctuation will bring.”
Since the arrival of the pollution, aside from scattered beasts, many powerful ones had formed military-like groups in the corners of the universe. Pollution made them fierce and violent, their tough bodies let them move through dangerous spatial turbulence. What should have been an ordinary disaster became a beast disaster, toppling countless star kingdoms.
“Dunno if we’ll get called up this time—hey brute, you’re top of our special class, didn’t the teacher give you a hint?”
Chao Huangmu just glanced at the royal court, his beige eyes untroubled, but the brightness of his smile was dazzling. “No idea…”
*
Inside the royal court.
“Awoo!” Ah! So cold!
Dressed in several layers of fluffy clothes, Little Chu Zao could finally go out to see the snow. He reached out a little paw, gingerly touching the snow on the leaves.
He touched it, then jerked his paw back from the cold, pupils widening. Touched again, pulled back again from the cold, pupils widening even more.
Finally, Little Chu Zao looked down at his paw pads—pink paw pads gone red from the chill.
He quietly tucked his paws inside his fuzzy coat.
Now Little Chu Zao looked like an even bigger ball of fluff.
His clothes had been improvised, made out of the warmest fabric in the palace—a light brown, not a perfect fit, a bit big. Rushed as they were, there had been no time to shape it for his wings, so they were bundled up inside, with only a fuzzy little head showing. His halo had shrunk away from the cold.
Chu Zao twitched his damp little nose, sniffing at the snowflakes—smelled a bit cool, a bit like Baba.
The coffee-colored little ball stepped back two steps, then pounced, shaking all the snow from the leaves. Several flakes landed on his head, and he tried hard to paw them off, but to others it looked like he was patting his head with a short little paw.
“Awoo!”
It’s cold, but Zao Zao likes snow!
Frey and Anya watched from a distance; Meilun was closer. He, once a dejected member of the Crown Clan, now had joy sparkling in his eyes.
His mind was full of—he’d seen a cub, he’d seen a cub, after a hundred years, finally a live one! So cute! Heart melting! The current generation of Crown Clan didn’t understand a thing!
Pah, a bunch of uncultured brats!
Anya kept staring at that little light brown ball, feeling something he couldn’t quite describe.
This little guy’s mindset was obviously very good—after getting used to a new place, he could even cheer himself up, didn’t really need them hovering.
But no one moved.
Only Amos hadn’t come out; he was on the third floor dealing with paperwork, which had piled up into a mountain after days of neglect, giving him a headache.
In the gaps between work, he could see the cub in the light brown coat, much easier to spot outside the window.
Amos confirmed the cub’s position, sipped his tea, then dove back into processing files.
Meilun stuck close behind Little Chu Zao, eager to please. He was still a bit traumatized by this morning’s halo incident but followed the cub, smiling, ready to catch him if he stumbled as he bounced around.
“Aiya, Zao Zao, slow down, don’t fall.”
It was slippery here, and the cub couldn’t use his wings now. So lively, it was delightful to watch, if a little worrying.
“Awoo~”
Zao Zao is good at climbing trees!
Little Chu Zao had claws and his tail wrapped around him, swaying behind. He gripped a tree trunk, climbing without using wings.
This wasn’t natural, but gained through experience. He had once lived in a tree. When very young, his wings had been injured during bullying, so he couldn’t use them for a long time. He practiced climbing up and down by himself; after falling a few times, he grew skilled, and rarely slipped.
It was a tall persimmon tree. By winter, there were no more leaves, just festive orange fruit, orange draped with white snow—lively, yet desolate.
The little one was clearly targeting an orange persimmon up top.
His nose was sharp; he smelled the sweet scent.
Looking like a brown fuzzball with only a white head showing, he steadfastly clung to the trunk, huffing and puffing up—quite quick.
Crown Clan policy for cubs was to watch within their ability. With wings, if he climbed too high, they’d just let him, no one stopping him. Only Meilun tentatively stretched out his hands, smiling all the while.
“Aiya, Zao Zao, you’re amazing! Want a persimmon? Grandpa Meilun will pick it for you! Just be careful not to fall!”
“Big brother, is Uncle Meilun being a little too fawning?”
Anya stared at Meilun. Looking at him now, he thought the older Crown Clan members had all been enslaved by cubs. Their generation was different. Still, something about the little one made him uneasy, whispering,
“What is this? I have this weird sense of déjà vu.”
Frey glanced over; he didn’t get what déjà vu was, but hesitated: “I suggest you don’t say anything.”
They watched as the cub bit a persimmon stem, carrying a bright orange fruit down. Anya and Frey weren’t far away; when he reached the last branch, he deliberately kicked with his hindleg, shaking down snow—right onto Anya.
Anya: ??????
Frey, narrowly missed: …
He quietly stepped aside.
Little Chu Zao had jumped down. After some play, the cub had never known what it was to have anyone behind him warning “Zao Zao be careful.” That was for lucky little angels—not Zao Zao.
“Awoo!”
Grandpa Meilun!
The little one was already quite familiar with Meilun, and, clutching the icy persimmon, called out happily.
Meilun crouched down, smiling, “What is it, Zao Zao? Want Grandpa Meilun to peel it for you?”
He reached out.
The cub obediently placed the persimmon in his palm.
But not as Meilun imagined.
The little one, soft, milky voice:
“Awoo.”
Grandpa Meilun, this is for you. Zao Zao eats something sweet when it hurts, it won’t hurt so much that way.
Meilun froze.
His eyes, usually crinkled in a smile, slowly widened. He gazed at the cub’s clear eyes, the way they looked at him, then up at his head—such softness. In a moment, it was as if something struck him right in the heart.
Over there, Anya shook off the snow, and suddenly clenched a fist loudly in his palm.
“I know what this déjà vu is!”
Frey: ?
“Fast, climbs up and down, not afraid of people, pounces on faces, brown—yes, that’s it, I felt this on that planet before—it’s like…a cockroach?” He kept his voice low, but Crown Clan senses were sharp.
Frey grew irritable: ??? Why the hell would you say that out loud? And it’s not even similar!
Meilun, startled, whipped his head around: ???
The cub in brown fuzz, who also knew what a cockroach was: ????!!!
“Awo, awoo?”
C-cockroach?
About to cry.jpg
Anya suddenly realized what he’d said, snapped his head up, the just-confident Crown Clan member instantly flustered, even though he’d previously taken a loss to the cub and just wanted petty revenge.
【Author’s Note】
Frey: Why would you say that?
Meilun: Why would you say that?
Anya: Something’s wrong with me, why would I say that?
Zao Zao: Bristling! 【Aims little bow and arrow】
*
Someone’s about to chase a cub straight to the crematorium [Let me see]
The gong is a sweet-smiling vinegar king, Big Zao Zao is just over five, still underage, not falling in love for now, just showing his face~
Calling him a little cockroach.. thats so bad it’s funny 🤣😂
Zao Zao is mischievous! so cute