“Is there a problem?”
Major General Taylor asked, his voice cold and detached, devoid of any emotion.
His eyes were fixed on the group of people in front of him, a cold gleam in his gaze that sent chills down their spines.
The light-colored cloak draped over his left arm hung down, tightly wrapping around the youth in his embrace.
Even a fool could see his intense protective stance toward the teenager in his arms.
In this war-torn interstellar world, strength was everything.
Therefore, no one dared to disrespect the elderly professors backed by powerful forces. As a newly risen star, Miao Te naturally did not have any such backing—if he had been a treasure of a powerful family, there was no way they would have exposed him so openly.
This was also why these powerful forces had no qualms about trying to strike first; they believed that no matter what, the first step was to seize this treasure.
Even though this was just a virtual projection of their spirits, any promises made by the teenager here would be legally binding under the witness of the A.I.
Once there was a legal contract, even if the teenager later refused to come, they could forcibly take him without anyone being able to say a word.
But all of this was predicated on Miao Te not having a strong enough backing.
Now, with Major General Taylor’s sudden appearance, all the forces attempting to snatch this treasure hesitated immediately.
Had they known that this young professor had Major General Taylor’s support, they would never have acted so recklessly.
Indeed, Major General Taylor was just an emerging power with no substantial background. His family had fallen, and some nobles even looked down on him, dismissing him as a nouveau riche who had suddenly risen to their level.
But no matter how much they belittled Taylor, they couldn’t ignore him.
Because this young Major General was incredibly formidable; since his appearance, he had never lost a battle, as if the goddess of victory favored his beauty and lingered by his side.
So far, the forces that had gone against this Major General had rarely met a good end.
If they couldn’t beat him head-on, they resorted to underhanded tactics, like spreading slander in front of the Emperor—a common strategy of these nobles. Even if the royal family had waned, they were still the nominal rulers, and a decree could still bring pressure.
However, the Emperor’s only daughter, the future queen, was infatuated with Taylor. Her open admiration and behavior made the entire universe aware of her feelings for the Major General. Because of this, the Emperor showered Major General Taylor with favor, and anyone who spoke ill of him would anger the Emperor and displease the princess.
As a result, after a series of confrontations, everyone was stunned to realize that although Taylor had no background or family support, he had firmly established himself, and no one could do anything about it.
Although his rank was still only Major General, his forces had expanded rapidly, and even the great noble families that stood alongside the royal family couldn’t afford to ignore this rising power.
Most people would rather offend established powers than face Major General Taylor—this newly appointed Major General was too sharp and vengeful.
He was never one for patience or diplomacy, like a drawn sword; anyone who dared to touch him had to be prepared to bleed.
Under the Major General’s gaze, which felt like a tangible blade, the group of people across from him had varied reactions—some stood still, while others took a step back.
But they all had one thing in common—they were nervously whispering among themselves, seemingly reporting the current unexpected situation to their respective masters.
Soon enough, they received new orders.
Without anyone saying a word, some of them began to bow slightly toward Major General Taylor and then turned to leave.
In no time, the people around Taylor disappeared completely, leaving only a girl with fluffy brown curls who let out a huge sigh of relief and smiled brightly.
“Miao…”
She beamed, wanting to speak to Miao Te.
However, before she could utter another word, the Major General glanced at her indifferently, causing her heart to tighten, and all the words stuck in her throat.
Maya stiffly bowed to the Major General and hurried away, heading toward her grandfather.
She was breathing heavily from nervousness.
Although she often ogled the Major General’s images with the other female soldiers on the starship, now, seeing him up close, she realized that while he was indeed breathtakingly handsome, his oppressive aura was so terrifying that she could barely breathe. It felt like being trapped in a frozen wasteland where even the air seemed to turn to ice.
So now, having once daydreamed about a love story where a domineering Major General falls for her, Maya fled from the Major General’s side without daring to linger for even a second.
When she finally reached her grandfather’s side, she felt relieved.
It was much better to be around Miao Te.
She thought.
Being with Miao Te was far more comfortable. The Major General was indeed dashing, but his overwhelming presence was suffocating.
She was still lost in her thoughts when her grandfather let out a low grunt.
“Thankfully…”
“Grandpa?”
“Thankfully, I reported to the Major General in time.”
“Huh? So that’s why the Major General showed up suddenly…” Maya was taken aback, then quickly pieced it together and burst into laughter. “So it was you, Grandpa? You are so clever.”
“Hmph.”
Although Professor Terry was pleased with his granddaughter’s praise, he still kept a stern face.
Initially, when he saw Miao Te obtain the badge, he was stunned, but his years of experience quickly brought him back to his senses. He realized that Miao Te’s value was immense and would likely attract unwanted attention, so he decisively contacted Lieutenant Colonel Via as the head of the Department of History.
However, he hadn’t expected Major General Taylor to personally step in.
It seemed Major General Taylor valued this teenager highly.
Professor Terry mused.
***
When Miao Te poked his head out from under the light-colored cloak, he saw the men who had been aggressive toward him one by one bow to Major General Taylor before leaving.
The Major General remained standing tall, his expression cold and calm, not even batting an eye—it was an air of superiority that would normally come off as arrogant and unpleasant, yet on him, it felt perfectly natural.
Like a lone snow-laden pine tree standing proudly atop a snowy peak, majestic and captivating.
Miao Te couldn’t help but imagine what it would look like if he stood like that, chin raised and staring down at others…
…Nah, forget it. That’s just asking for trouble.
His thoughts wandered off in an odd direction. When he looked up, his gaze met Major General Taylor’s.
The Major General’s sapphire-blue eyes glowed eerily in the dark, his cold stare piercing Miao Te’s heart like a sword, making his chest tighten.
Oh no.
Miao Te thought, slightly panicked.
It seemed the Major General was angry.
Why? Was it because he had drawn too much attention? Or because he had caused trouble for him?
…But judging by how calm and unfazed he appeared, he didn’t seem to think it was much trouble, right?
Miao Te’s mind was running wild. When he looked up again, intending to speak, the next moment, everything went dark.
In full view, the two figures in the center of the hall turned into a stream of light, vanishing from the virtual venue.
With Major General Taylor’s overwhelming presence gone, the atmosphere eased, and the previously silent hall erupted into chatter.
Those who remained whispered amongst themselves, discussing the dramatic turn of events. Meanwhile, Professor Terry and his team, seeing their superior leave, quickly followed suit.
***
Inside a quiet lounge, dozens of mechanical chairs lit up as the glass covers that encased people’s upper bodies slowly lifted, and the metal wires entwined around them retracted like living things.
The reclined chairs gradually straightened, bringing the people back into a sitting position.
As if on cue, all eyes turned toward the rightmost mechanical chair. Their expressions ranged from disbelief to bewilderment, excitement, and discomfort.
Among them, Professor Terry’s look was the most complex. Earlier today, he had scolded the teenager multiple times, telling him not to cause trouble…now he couldn’t help but feel embarrassed whenever he recalled those words.
He, a professor who barely scraped by, had chastised an ‘SS-ranked’ professor for knowing nothing and told him to stay quiet.
Thinking about this, his face alternated between blue and white…Professor Terry wished he could take back every word he had said.
But regardless of how embarrassing it was, he had to face reality.
Professor Terry, despite his temper, was a man who owned up to his mistakes.
So when he saw Miao Te wake up, he took a deep breath, and while everyone else was still uncertain about how to deal with the teenager who had been their junior but was now a professor far above them, he took the lead, walking over and standing before him.
Miao Te looked up at him, the old professor pursed his lips, clearly uncomfortable, but still decisively bowed slightly.
“I was wrong before, Miao Te…” he paused, struggling with the last two words, “Your Excellency.”
Seeing the usually stern Professor Terry bow to him, Miao Te was taken aback. He quickly stood up and reached out to help.
“There’s no need for this, Professor Terry.”
Although Miao Te knew his status was now far above Terry’s, seeing an elderly man bowing before him made him uncomfortable due to his upbringing of respecting elders.
“It’s fine. You didn’t do anything wrong; after all, I am quite young, so it’s normal for you not to believe me.”
“Th-thank you for your graciousness, Miao Te…Your Excellency.”
Addressing a teenager as ‘Your Excellency’ was incredibly difficult for the old man.
Miao Te smiled slightly.
“No need, you’re older; just call me Miao Te.”
He looked at the others, who were all senior citizens. If they were to bow to him every day, he would feel truly uncomfortable.
“You can all do the same.”
“No!” Miao Te didn’t mind, but the stubborn old professor was displeased. He looked at Miao Te with a serious expression. “That would be disrespectful given your status—we can’t be so rude, Your Excellency.”
He turned around and glared at his subordinates.
“Did you hear that?”
“…Fine, whatever you say.”
Seeing how insistent Professor Terry was, Miao Te realized arguing with this stubborn old man was pointless, so he shrugged and decided to drop the matter of titles.
Seeing that Miao Te had no intention of holding them accountable, the others breathed a sigh of relief and stepped forward, respectfully greeting him as ‘Your Excellency.’
The teenager scratched his head, feeling a little awkward being surrounded by a group of elderly men. Nearby, Maya cheerfully brought him a cup of hot tea.
“You’ve had a hard time, Miao Te~ Your Excellency~”
Though the girl addressed him formally, her tone was lighthearted, easing the tense atmosphere created by the older professors.
Miao Te smiled at Maya, accepting the tea and gulping down half of it.
“Your Excellency Miao Te, if you don’t mind, could you guide us a little?”
While he was drinking, one of the older men, after hesitating for a long time, nervously approached and asked.
“Sure, no problem.”
After swallowing another gulp of tea, Miao Te nodded and smiled.
Since he had already revealed his knowledge of Earth’s culture, he had no intention of keeping it to himself. By sharing what he knew, more people could help him find a way back to Earth.
So, he agreed without hesitation.
“What would you like to know?”
The person who had been nervous was visibly relieved and excitedly tapped a few keys. The large glass column in the center of the room rotated slightly, and numerous glowing dots swirled around one of them.
A massive light screen appeared in the center of the room, projecting an old, tattered book.
“Your Excellency Miao Te, we have been studying this ancient book for a long time with no progress. Could you please guide us?”
The person pointed to the screen.
The room fell silent as everyone watched eagerly, waiting for guidance from the legendary ‘SS-ranked’ professor they had only ever heard about.
Under their expectant gazes, Miao Te, having finished his tea, looked up.
The ancient book was projected clearly on the screen, its worn cover showing the title ‘N25.’
Miao Te: “…”
A long silence followed.
After a while, Miao Te finally spoke up.
“Ahem, well… um, the Major General said that as soon as I wake up, I should go see him.”
Using Major General Taylor as an excuse, the teenager quickly fled the lab, leaving the expectant elderly scholars behind.
Yeah, of course, he was going to run.
Otherwise, was he supposed to teach a group of old men and a young lady about an adult-themed book?
As for the Major General summoning him, that was fake.
Recalling the Major General’s last look at him before leaving the virtual venue, Miao Te couldn’t help but shiver. He felt a tingling pain in his lower back and rear.
Hmm… I need to think of a way to deal with the Major General.
The teenager put his mind to work.
He didn’t want to end up humiliated and beaten like last time!
***
The flagship of the Ishtar fleet was still cruising slowly through the sea of stars, and night had already fallen on the ship.
All personnel not on duty had returned to their quarters and fallen asleep.
The sound of running water in the bathroom came to a halt, and soon after, the door opened, releasing a burst of steam.
A slender young man stepped out, still enveloped in a faint mist, his wet black hair clinging to his skin, as white as the first snow.
How should I punish that kid this time?
As he stepped out of the bathroom, Major General Taylor pondered this question.
He had only taken his eyes off him for a moment, and already there was such a commotion outside.
Just today alone, according to Via’s report, at least seven or eight different forces had been subtly or openly probing for information about the teenager. Miao Te had piqued a lot of interest.
Although these forces were wary of him and didn’t dare act openly, there was no guarantee they wouldn’t try to harm Miao Te in secret.
The thought of so many people coveting that youth filled the Major General with a vague, inexplicable sense of irritation.
His displeasure was palpable to everyone in the command center that afternoon.
The entire afternoon, all the soldiers sat upright, focused solely on their work, not daring to utter a word.
The entire hall was dead silent.
Should I spank him again?
Major General Taylor thought expressionlessly as he stepped into his bedroom.
As soon as he entered, he saw the teenager kneeling on the bed, his legs sunk into the soft mattress, his eyes darting around as if deep in thought.
When Miao Te turned and saw him enter, his eyes instantly brightened.
Miao Te looked up at Major General Taylor, his hands resting between his knees on the bed. As he tilted his head, his delicate neck was accentuated, highlighting its graceful lines.
The black-haired youth looked as obedient as could be, sitting on the bed, gazing up with clear, bright eyes. He blinked and smiled at him.
“Major General, are we doing a mental harmonization tonight?”
The teenager tilted his head, smiling brightly.
“…Mm.”
Taylor remained silent for a long time before finally letting out a low hum.
Hearing that response, Miao Te, who had been nervously keeping up a cheerful facade, felt relieved.
Phew, I passed the test.
The teenager thought, relaxing a bit. As his mood lightened, he straightened on the bed and proactively reached out to hug Taylor’s shoulders.
The Major General bent slightly, catching the teenager and pulling him into his embrace. His face remained expressionless, but the coldness in his deep blue eyes softened slightly.
The foul mood that had lingered all afternoon suddenly lifted.
It felt like a reluctant kitten that had always been forcibly cuddled but had never willingly come over was now nuzzling his hand, meowing softly, instantly melting his heart.
Major General Taylor gently ran his fingers through the teenager’s soft black hair, his spirits lifting as he thought.
Ah, I knew it—this guy is obsessed with Earth.
Realizing he had successfully dodged trouble, the teenager thought happily.
Alright, now I know how to handle the Major General. I’ll just take him to watch Earth movies whenever he’s mad.
Yep, I really am too clever.
Satisfied with his cleverness, the teenager gave himself a mental pat on the back.
***
Translated by NightOwll
***