He even howled more intently, cursed more vigorously, and choked for a moment.
Back inside the warm house, Little Chu Zao’s fuzzy clothes were taken off, and that brown garment was shaken by the little one and pushed far away.
Clearly, the little one didn’t want to recall the moment he was just called a “cockroach.”
Chances are, for quite a long time, Little Chu Zao would not want to wear this kind of brown clothing.
The little white furball choked, coughing, cough, cough, cough.
A furball the size of Chu Zao choking actually looked rather frightening; his little body trembled with each cough, the whole cub seemed about to fly off, his wings trembling along, too.
A few Crown Clan members who’d never taken care of children sat on the sofa, eyes wide, just watching—no one dared to reach out, not even Meilun, even though he’d seen cubs, back then he was young too, and the elders in his family would never have let him help raise children… Or rather, there weren’t many Crown Clan members then, but still not so few that such a good job would have fallen on him.
Amos’s hand reached out slowly, a little at a loss as to where to start.
Mori stood behind the sofa, unable to hold back a soft reminder, “Your Majesty, please hold the little prince and gently pat his back. Don’t use too much force.”
Only then did Amos come to himself, hold the little white ball properly, and begin to gently pat his back in slow, measured motions.
Like this?
Amos didn’t speak, but there was a hint of doubt in his eyes.
Mori truly was a veteran here for decades, very familiar with Amos and the Crown Clan princes.
He smiled and nodded.
“Yes, see, the little prince is gradually calming down.”
The little white furball’s coughing gradually ceased. He blinked his moist amber eyes and looked up at Amos.
“Awoo!”
Baba, Zao Zao feels much better.
The little halo above his head wobbled and swayed, seeming even brighter than before.
It emanated a kind of gentle, warm softness.
Amos had never experienced such a feeling in any Crown Clan halo.
The halos of the Crown Clan were all pitch black, even when psychically linked to their homeworld before its destruction—they had always been black, a very clear reflection of the Crown Clan’s inner nature—cruelty and violence.
No matter how gentlemanly, no matter how courteous, they could never hide the ferocity in their bones.
But Little Chu Zao’s regal halo was not like this; it was as if he wore a bit of the sun’s brilliance on his head, and you could even feel a touch of warmth wherever the light reached.
Of course, it could also be Amos’s illusion.
Amos stroked Little Chu Zao’s soft fur a couple of times.
The little cub didn’t even have time to cry out again.
The blaring alarm suddenly pierced throughout the skies of the Holy Cas Empire.
Little Chu Zao startled.
His clear eyes instinctively turned to look outside.
Inside, the variously postured Crown Clan all sprang up, except for Amos, still quietly sitting on the sofa, holding Little Chu Zao.
Their scarlet eyes, the result of shattered coronets, all looked off into the distant sky.
“Invasion?”
Anya tilted his head; his voice sounded a little uncertain.
Though the Crown Clan often left the Imperial Star—for crusades on other planets or to handle nearby herds of alien beasts—an alarm sounding right above the Imperial Star was truly a first.
“There’s been a spatial fluctuation near the Imperial Star lately, but it’s been under constant monitoring; there shouldn’t have been any major issues.”
Frey gripped his communicator.
Outside, snow was still falling.
Perhaps for this reason, none of them had noticed when the blue sky had turned so gray and overcast.
“Report! Massive numbers of alien beasts have breached the defense line, flooding into the first quarantine zone. The numbers are enormous—the origin appears to be an unknown alien beast army, severely contaminated, suspected to have emerged via space jump from an interstellar high-contamination forbidden zone. All alien beasts are extremely violent; the first defense line is about to be lost!”
“Report! Spatial fluctuation has abruptly increased thirtyfold, exceeding maximum safety thresholds. Should we initiate nationwide alert?”
“Report! Only the 9th and 10th Army Groups are stationed on the Imperial Star. Commander Yemeng of the 9th and Commander Changle of the 10th request to speak with His Majesty!”
Successive reports came through the communicator.
Little Chu Zao also vaguely sensed the subtle change in atmosphere. The small furball’s eyes widened, nervously curling up into a tight ball.
The alarms were extremely urgent, making the little cub anxious; he instinctively clung to Amos’s clothes.
In a state of war, all Crown Clan looked to their alpha—their Emperor.
All the Crown Clan, like blades about to be unsheathed, ready to show their edge any moment.
Amos, still sitting on the sofa, finally opened his eyes.
He listened to all the reports; from where he sat, the very air seemed to freeze.
He opened his eyes, and his psychic power instantly connected to everything around, the entire Holy Cas Imperial Star, directly taken over by him.
All screens and instruments suddenly halted, countless voices ceased—only the alarm blared through the snow-filled skies.
And the panicked residents of the Imperial Star, at the moment those screens went dark, instantly calmed down.
Because all the screens started to flicker, the head wolf of the Crown Clan, the Dwight family’s coronet crest as the background, gently swaying. Upon the coronet mark, only two exceptionally simple words, the most straightforward command—“Counterattack.”
Amos placed the little furball from his arms to one side.
He stood up.
“Anya, you’re in charge of the southern battlefield. Frey, take the west. Send both Army Groups to hold the third defense line. I’ll handle the east and north.”
Over the communicator, he heard the crisp voices of both army group commanders responding with military salutes.
Amos extended his hand, psychic power as black as night slowly condensing in his palm. Above his head, that imposing coronet slowly appeared, its edges fragmented, embers seemingly swirling. He gripped his psychic weapon—it could be called a sword, or another extension of Amos’s psychic power.
Under the Crown Clan’s formidable psychic forces, though their weapons suited them perfectly, most of the time, they were simple and direct.
Amos grasped the sword, swept it down gently, and even the falling snow in the sky seemed to pause.
“Awoo…”
Baba…? What’s happening?
Little Chu Zao curled up tightly; he was too young, always on his own before. Whenever faced with trouble, as long as it wasn’t absolutely necessary, he would dodge if he could.
Now, the tender little voice sounded a bit panicked—Little Chu Zao didn’t yet know the responsibilities the Crown Clan bore.
A hint of softness escaped from Amos’s aura; he turned to glance at the brightly haloed little cub.
“Meilun, I’ll leave Zao Zao to you for now.”
This was a situation no one expected. The Crown Clan was rarely provoked like this, and it was hard to judge whether the royal court was still secure enough.
Moreover, among the royal court were Crown Clan of Meilun’s generation, whose psychic power was already at its end—each one like a ticking time bomb.
But bringing Little Chu Zao with him, Amos still couldn’t feel reassured.
Meilun, whose psychic power seemed a bit steadier the past couple of days, saluted. He looked up at Amos’s coronet—magnificent as if burning with life—lowered his eyes, and with respect and deference to the head wolf, replied with a firm, unwavering voice, as if night had never fallen.
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
*
Beyond the Holy Cas Imperial Star, in space.
A starship concealed itself, ringed with seven seats—some occupied, some empty.
At their center, four screens broadcast scenes from different angles of the Imperial Star under attack.
“Hee-hee, it’s starting!”
The Holy Cas first defense line was ripped open before anyone could react.
Those crazed alien beasts organized themselves, instinctively charging at the planet ahead.
“What a rare sight. I wonder if we’ll witness the downfall of the Crown Clan today. Ah, how exciting.”
“Downfall—even if it’s not total, there’ll only be a few of them left. They haven’t had cubs for hundreds of years. They have no future—pity their lives drag on for so long, even once their psychic power collapses, it still takes time… Now, though, our years of effort—finding both the right alien beast force to threaten the Holy Cas Imperial Star, and just the right spatial fluctuation, and exhausting the universe’s rarest materials—have led to this scene. Let’s hope the pieces we put in play tonight don’t disappoint.”
“This is truly entertaining. I love it. They say a Crown Clan psychic rampage is like dozens of high-yield nukes detonating at once. Now the Holy Cas royal court is filled with these dangerous weapons—hey, should we move the starship even further out? Just in case things spill over.”
“If we’re too far, we won’t get a clear signal. The pieces are already inside the Holy Cas Imperial Star, aren’t they? I just want to watch the Crown Clan, driven mad by contamination, destroy the empire they founded with their own hands.”
*
There weren’t many in the royal court, just the Holy Cas elite troops.
The most striking buildings were the council palace, residence of the Crown Clan royalty, and the Dwight family’s mansion—all highly tempting for Holy Cas’s enemies, those invaders.
Meilun, cradling the little white ball, hurried away.
Inside the palace behind them, Mori and others remained on guard, multiple defenses set to confuse the enemy’s focus.
Meilun carried Little Chu Zao straight to his old room.
The room was in utter chaos, a complete ruin.
Little Chu Zao landed, a bit restless, spinning in place twice. His little draconic tail dragged along the ground as he looked up at Meilun.
“Awoo!”
Grandpa Meilun, Baba, where did Baba go?
“His Majesty has important matters to attend to. Zao Zao, stay here with Grandpa, all right?”
Little Chu Zao whimpered weakly, barely answering, but still clutched his little tail, visibly anxious.
Quite some time had passed. Outside, the sky flashed with the glare of exploding weapons and the oppressive brightness when psychic power swept through.
The royal court seemed relatively secure; though he didn’t fully understand what was happening, it should be safe here.
Meilun relaxed his vigilance a little, watching the tiny one clutch his tail, little ears twitching.
He crouched down, thinking for a moment, wishing to tell Little Chu Zao about the Crown Clan’s duty and mission.
He organized his words: “Zao Zao, if you encounter something you can’t overcome, what would you do?”
Would he struggle against fate? Persist to the end? Go down in a blaze of glory?
That was what most of the Crown Clan would do.
It was their nature.
The little furball blinked his round eyes, clutched his tail, seemed to think for a moment, then tucked his head in, his little wings folding around him, even his halo “biu” disappeared into the wings—he flattened himself on the floor, curling up into a ball.
Meilun couldn’t help but curve his brows and eyes—so cute.
“Awoo.”
Zao Zao will curl into a ball.
That’s right, Zao Zao will curl into a ball… curl into a ball?
Meilun: …
[Author’s Note]
Grandpa Meilun: He’s so good at this! [Shook]
Oh I know Zao Zao will make sure they do not lose control… well hopefully 0_0