Morlo, just woken up: …?
“Wh-what?”
His memories of the other Crown Clan still stuck years back, Morlo stared at Feeney for a moment, straining to recognize him, only to hear such an explosive remark.
Hel had told him only a few years had passed, but had the outside world really grown this wild?
Hel stepped forward, shielding Morlo, and bit out the words, “Don’t listen, it’s psychic contamination.”
Feeney, restrained by Anya, could distinctly hear the crack of Hel’s knuckles flexing.
Feeney: …
Here’s how it was: Feeney, though now the second strongest among the Crown Clan, was up against Hel—not to mention the teacher-student relationship, simply Hel’s current state meant Feeney couldn’t possibly fight back.
To strike back would risk injuring his teacher and a subsequent group beatdown.
Everyone present was shocked.
Narrowly escaping, Joshua’s eyes widened, his once-lifeless face brimming with gratitude: “Really can’t imagine Feeney ever saying something like that to us—”
Shut up, it’s almost unbroadcastable!
No one had expected this outcome.
By sheer coincidence, Feeney had been affected by the cub’s Cupid’s Bow, and saw Hel and Morlo.
The little one had clearly kept his power in check this time, so Feeney snapped out of it quickly.
But it was still a tad late.
Anya let go fast, retreating a few steps, leaving the ‘battlefield’ to Hel and the wide-eyed, at-a-loss Feeney.
The cub, still holding his bow, froze too. He automatically put it away, then made a quiet, remorseful whimper and bowed to Hel: “Sorry, teacher, Zao Zao didn’t see you either.”
The Crown Clan’s upbringing was excellent, and as a member of the empire’s most strictly self-disciplined family, it was clear that during Hel’s tutelage, the cub had become down-to-earth while also gradually learning etiquette.
Hel instinctively bent slightly to the cub as well.
“This isn’t your fault, Zao Zao.”
It was clear whose it was—a certain someone, arrogant and foolish, refusing to listen and insisting on testing things out. Although Feeney hadn’t spoken out of intent, Hel couldn’t help but look for someone to vent on.
Feeney stood rooted, dazed, glancing between the cub behind him and Hel.
Hel was already striding forward.
He moved first, bowing: “Sorry, teacher!”
Hel halted, returning the gesture, “There’s no use saying that—”
Feeney began edging toward the door, bowing again: “Sorry, teacher—”
Hel instinctively froze again: “I said it’s useless, don’t apologize again…”
Apologies wouldn’t douse the flames of his anger…huh?
Really not?
Chu Zao, dazed, looked from Hel to Amos.
Goodness—another of Hel’s ‘weaknesses’ discovered by the cub.
Feeney was nearly at the door: “Sorry, teacher—”
He was trying to slip away.
Morlo muttered softly, “He says it’s useless, but every time you apologize, he freezes up. Should have said he falls for it every time—?”
So, “Sorry, teacher,” is your permanent “Pause” button?
Hel: …
Hel: …………
Hel’s bowing face twisted.
His mind was at war—between giving Feeney a thrashing and upholding etiquette as the model teacher and the cub’s role model.
In the end, he stormed out in rage.
“Sorry, teach—ao!!! That’s not what you just said!!”
Feeney: The second you’re out of Zao Zao’s line of sight, rules are off, eh? Hey, you old coot!
*
After a round of chaos, it was rare for the Crown Clan to all gather like this, and they took some time to rest.
They planned for the upcoming national day celebrations and for further explorations around them, searching for that angelic realm that had sent all the Crown Clan into a rage.
With Chu Zao now among them, the entire clan’s atmosphere seemed more vibrant.
There was new motivation in everything.
After a thorough check, even though the cub had gnawed plenty on Amos’s mental weapon and even sampled others’ as well, the branch that had gone missing hadn’t yet grown back; there was merely the faintest sign where the ‘brain’ used to be.
Maybe it was because he’d used up what he’d ‘stored’ there; aside from looking alarming when first asleep, the cub actually recovered well overall.
But overall, the little one needed another boost—his immunity was low and he was extra sensitive for now.
One careless moment and he could catch cold or get sick.
Chairman Cheng Xuan had wanted to visit Chu Zao several times but was refused each time by Amos, who kept the cub constantly by his side, bundled up to ensure no wind touched him when his immunity was lowest.
But now, snow melted in Holy Cas, the winds had warmed.
Though it was still winter, the convalescing cub was slowly regaining his mobility.
Amos had just come downstairs after dealing with paperwork, having handed more duties to his returned siblings.
Morlo was still recovering his wings in rehab, Hel had just finished giving lessons and was checking the time, not having left yet.
The cub sat beside a coffee table, upturned white fluffy face watching as the smiling butler Mori peeled fruit and recited something for him.
Today, the cub wore a snowy white bunny onesie.
His black curly hair was mostly hidden by the soft hood, two long floppy ears falling pinkly, behind him lay his schoolbooks and his ghost bear quietly nestled on the couch.
His lashes were thick and curled, eyes blinking at Mori, side profile gentle in the early light, just showing the soft white fuzz on his cheeks.
“Grandpa Mori, read one more, one more for Zao Zao!”
Chu Zao’s soft baby voice pleaded, looking expectantly at Mori.
“Alright, alright.”
Mori handed the peeled fruit to the little highness, a gentle smile on his face as he looked at the screen.
“Young highness is simply too cute, I declare I like you, and not just cute but handsome—worthy of the Crown Clan, so reliable!”
As if reading the comment section from that livestream.
The cub, still learning to read, couldn’t manage all the words—he just begged Mori to read aloud, eyes shining brighter at the praise.
Especially when Mori got to the part where everyone said they liked the young highness.
After his snack, the cub licked his lips.
He even got a bit bashful, pulling his ghost bear close and burying in its fur.
Sure enough, Zao Zao hadn’t seen much of the world.
The cub twisted shyly with his bear, halo swaying from side to side, wings perking up in delight.
Zao Zao had never heard so much praise!
Everything was very heartwarming.
Amos glanced down, unable to hide his smile curling at the corners of his mouth.
He came downstairs.
“Teacher, why aren’t you at the rehab center?”
After so many years apart, they should be inseparable.
Hel looked up, giving a rare joke for the bespectacled and scholarly Crown: “I was always in the way together, now he finds me a bother, right?”
Amos was unconvinced.
Then Hel sighed, “Alright, truthfully, if I’m there, he just pretends nothing’s wrong—he suffers, and I feel worse. Better to wait till it’s over.”
“Baba!”
Chu Zao heard Amos arrive, his bunny ears wiggling as he scampered over, big eyes bright, arms out for a hug.
Once scooped up, he hugged Amos’s neck.
“Baba, so many people said Zao Zao was awesome!”
“Maybe they weren’t just praising you.”
Amos fixed his hair, nodded at Mori, and said this offhandedly.
The cub blinked, confused.
What?
“It’s just a fact.”
Amos clarified.
“Zao Zao really is awesome.”
The cub got it then, eyes shining all the more, clinging to his ghost bear and waving his other hand.
“When Zao Zao grows up, I’ll protect Baba!”
Who says His Majesty Amos can’t coax kids?
No one does it better!
Hel watched from beside them.
Amos said, “Zao Zao, we’re going out soon. Some ministers want to see you, and the team we picked out for you has been training at the court—we’ll meet them after lunch.”
Hel raised a brow.
Truly a rare occurrence.
Amos had always kept Chu Zao close, as if the slightest accident would put him in danger.
The team had been chosen long ago, but Amos had been reluctant to let them meet, unwilling to allow his growing cub to become independent just yet.
But clearly, now he realized—protecting like this couldn’t go on.
Zao Zao’s world couldn’t just be the Crown Clan.
The cub thought for a moment, then nodded obediently.
Amos turned to Hel: “Teacher, want to come too? It shouldn’t take long. I’ll take Zao Zao to change.”
Hel nodded, “I’ll wait here.”
Upstairs.
The fuzzy bunny pajamas came off—Amos eyed the suit, sure it was Feiman’s “reliable” idea (even if it was cute).
A miniversion military uniform replaced it.
This one was more formal, with no fancy design, collar buttoned to the top, golden buttons shining, decorations swaying, matching his halo overhead, little wings folding back naturally.
His curled black hair, amber eyes glowing, and a smile came naturally.
“Zao Zao learned lots of new words today, Baba—”
The upright little cub at Amos’s side chattered away.
“Mhm, Zao Zao’s always been great.”
Amos finished adjusting the clothes.
The cub peered at him, then reached up and hugged him.
“Baba,” the little one asked, unsure, “why does it feel a bit different since we came back?”
He couldn’t name it, but since bringing Grandpa Morlo home, the adults seemed even more cautious around him—he’d noticed.
Amos paused, then gently stroked his head.
“It’s just that we know a few more things now. We’re searching for the angelic realm.”
The adults’ anger burned, but had nowhere to go.
No Crown Clan had ever experienced such ‘stifling’ rage.
Amos gently embraced the cub.
“But all you need to do is grow up healthy—don’t listen to those lunatics, what they say is not right. They tried to make a brave, strong, positive Crown cub lose heart.”
Fortunately, they failed.
The cub blinked, then threw his arms around Amos in response.
“Zao Zao, Zao Zao has always said—Zao Zao is strong Zao Zao!”
“Baba knows. You don’t have to be so strong—whenever you need anything, just come to Baba.”
Amos thought—he’d show others what it meant to mess with his cub…
Hm…maybe not exactly right, he wasn’t even that old among the Crown Clan.
The cub nodded hard. Small as he was, Amos could crouch and hug him completely.
“Mm!”
*
The council palace.
Speaker Cheng Xuan had received the summons for audience and was waiting inside.
Besides his staff, a young man of fifteen or sixteen stood at his side.
The youth wore the First Military Academy uniform, still scented faintly of blood, with smooth black hair and a frosty expression.
“Which day is this since His Majesty and the princes returned?”
Cheng Xuan glanced aside to ask.
“Seventh day.”
“Seventh…”
He nodded, giving a small, helpless smile.
“Isn’t His Majesty Amos, and the princes, perhaps a bit overprotective? I’m honestly worried—has this generation of Crown Clan, never having raised a cub, brought up a child that’s too soft?”
The cub seemed very powerful and brave on video, but the level of protection and what he’d heard made Cheng Xuan worry for Chu Zao’s character.
He recalled—over a century ago, the Crown Clan’s destruction was certain, so Emperor Clansis, Amos’s father, planned for the future—set up institutions to replace the Crown Clan, cultivate talents who dared to compete, even if a thousandth as strong, so Holy Cas would not collapse suddenly after the Crown Clan extinct.
So Cheng Xuan’s faction, still loyal to the Crown Clan, split into two camps—his wasn’t the popular one.
His Majesty Amos knew all this, tacitly allowed it, but showed little interest, until recently, when he reacted to them like an enraged beast protecting his cub, sounding ready to tear everything down, even if they posed no threat.
It was a natural parental reaction.
Cheng Xuan hadn’t understood at first; now he did.
The door opened.
Cheng Xuan dropped to a knee unhesitatingly.
So did those behind.
“Your Majesty, young highness!”
Amos looked at Cheng Xuan and replied casually.
Cheng Xuan rose, meeting Chu Zao’s curious gaze.
He, too, had never met a Crown Clan cub before. Staring into those blinking big eyes, he froze momentarily, then smiled kindly, tempering all edge—just a grandfather.
“Your Majesty hid young highness very well. I’m thrilled to see him. Regarding his education and so on, I have some proposals—please consider, and maybe hear his own opinion as well.”
He could have said this earlier, but waited for Chu Zao’s arrival, partly to see his reaction.
He knew that as Crown Clan cubs grew, they hungered for strength and independence; he’d heard that His Majesty Amos, at five or six, already showed prodigious talent and became heir.
But the result now made Cheng Xuan unsure what to do.
After the meeting, Cheng Xuan and his people withdrew.
He was more loyal to the old Emperor Clansis than the current Amos.
With Amos now closing in, Cheng Xuan had to consider—should those old plans go on?
Things were hazy.
As they left—
Three ten-year-old boys, just back from training, watched the young man following Cheng Xuan.
“That’s Ling Ye from the First Military’s advanced department, right? Just finished the academy competitions?”
Peng Liang hooked an arm around Chao Huangmu on the parallel bars, eyes wide.
Chao Huangmu let the hand slide off, smiling but pulling away: “Brother Peng, don’t pull me. Gross.”
Peng Liang: …
“Hey, you… fine, I’ll stay away. But if our team got to compete, I’m sure we’d match him.”
“In your dreams.”
The third boy, Yun Songquan, never took his eyes from his book, voice cool, attitude indifferent.
“…Both of you—”
Peng Liang waved them away. Chao Huangmu joked with everyone, could get along with anyone, but was impossible to draw into topics he didn’t care about. Yun Songquan, on the other hand, was pure coldness, not interested at all.
“By the way, we meet young highness properly this afternoon. I’m kind of excited—I’ll shower, head to toe. You guys going like this?”
Was he the only excited one?
“I washed already.”
Yun Songquan replied coolly, then looked up, his still-young face serious.
“I picked a set of books as a gift for young highness. Just previewing this one to see if it’s good enough.”
Peng Liang: ?
Hadn’t Yun Songquan pulled an all-nighter last night? He thought the guy just loved studying…
“Of course I’m prepared, Brother Peng.”
Chao Huangmu grinned, looking every bit the sunny puppy; he rolled up his shirt, uncharacteristically earnest, chin propped on fist, like he’d found a secret weapon.
“I found lots of guides online! Even saw a fortune-teller! Says to praise young highness’s coronet—and, my lucky item’s a ruby waist-chain. No clue why, but I wore it! It’ll bring me luck!”
That cute little Crown Clan cub—
Chao Huangmu thought.
The shirt rolled up, post-workout abs barely visible, the ruby chain hooked around his waist, several more chains dangling—all totally mismatched.
Are you sure you’re not about to lose your “lucky” chain???
Peng Liang: …
Great, superstition and unreliable to the end—there’s hope for us yet 🙂
*
Chu Zao had lunch at the council palace.
He was very sensitive these days.
In the study, there were two flower vases, rare fresh winter blooms, brought up for decoration. Yet the cub sneezed repeatedly, and Amos realized maybe he was allergic.
They removed the flowers, but Zao Zao still sniffled, feeling like one last sneeze was just waiting.
After lunch, Chu Zao sat on the little sofa, gathering his strength and the sneeze, halo wavering, big eyes blinking, clutching a white handkerchief.
Members of the Dwight Crown Clan were arriving.
These days, the cub’s life was full.
Morning: lessons with Hel; afternoon: Hel was with Morlo, so Amos, nose pinched, got Feeney—who used the same weapon—to teach Zao Zao archery.
At this moment, Yuan was tattling.
So when Feeney entered, he heard—
“Your Majesty! Lord Feeney tried to take young highness for a dive off the highest training platform, said it’d be thrilling. And—”
To Feeney, this was just ordinary games from childhood, but with the cub still recovering, third uncle’s rush to impress ended up looking even more irresponsible to Amos.
Hearing this, Amos looked up, just as Feeney’s foot hovered at the threshold.
Feeney: …
He watched as the AI blinked at him and went—wait, this AI is tattling on Crown Clan? That can’t be right?!
Crap, we’ve got a ‘traitor’ among us! Zao Zao, help!
“Zao Zao.”
Though Amos had been with him constantly, during lessons he would leave for urgent matters.
His tone was questioning, fingers tapping twice on the table.
The cub, rubbing his nose, looked up—unaware anything was amiss, just nodded happily, halo swaying, and told Baba his ‘learning’ progress.
“Mhm, Baba, third uncle said—young Crown Clan should play like that—”
Amos: “Very good.”
Feeney: …
Yuan’s light pulsed: Learn from failure—learn many lessons!
It’s a learning AI!