Book Seven: The Way Home

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: GaeaTiamat

 

Luo ShaoTian nodded, and put the mask back on. He instantly became the soldier with a rigid face again, just with a faint smile in his eyes.

Luo XiaoLou was stunned, surprised and delighted. He walked back, looked at the familiar eyes and unfamiliar face. It felt quite strange. He asked, “You came with me? I didn’t know anything about it. So, why are you dressed like this?”

Luo ShaoTian pursed the corners of his mouth, and put his finger up in a shushing motion.

Luo XiaoLou blinked and said, “Can’t let anyone know? It’s not convenient to say? Oh, then I won’t ask. Anyway, I’m surprised and happy that you’re here.” It was always nice to meet someone you knew on a dreary day like this. After Luo XiaoLou’s excitement, he pulled his mind back to what he was considering before, “By the way, I’ll be cooking later, so if you have time, you can come over for lunch together.”

Luo ShaoTian’s eyes clearly lit up, but he said cautiously, “We’ll see, then.”

“Okay. I’ll go over and find Yuan Xi first,” Luo XiaoLou said goodbye to Luo ShaoTian, then turned around and continued towards the conference room.

Luo ShaoTian watched Luo XiaoLou’s back as he left, without a blink. His dark and deep eyes seemed to be unfocused, but in just a few seconds, he came back to his senses, looked at his fingers, and said aloud to Luo XiaoLou’s disappearing back, “I may not have time, but if it’s convenient, you can have a robot deliver one to me.”

Luo XiaoLou turned his head, smiled, and carefully agreed. “Sure.”

“I’m looking forward to it.”

Luo XiaoLou didn’t turn back again, but over his shoulder 125 looked back in concern at Luo ShaoTian, who was standing there quietly.

Luo XiaoLou entered Yuan Xi’s office. Xia Zuo, who was reporting on his work, immediately stopped, while Rod had the eyes to retreat to the next room. Xia Zuo gathered up the materials on the desk, greeted Luo XiaoLou, and also went into the lounge.

“Uh, I just came to ask what you want for lunch…” Luo XiaoLou glanced at the dense military layout map on the screen in front of Yuan Xi, and asked again, “Did I bother you?”

“No.” Yuan Xi quickly pulled out a menu, then checked it again before he handed it to Luo XiaoLou. “That’s all for now. If I think of anything else, we can continue at night.”

Luo XiaoLou took it and looked at it. The main meal and dessert were ready. He frowned at the trio of cakes, then finally didn’t raise any objections. “Honey, come to the restaurant for lunch in an hour.”

Yuan Xi gave Luo XiaoLou a kiss of satisfaction. “I’ll be there with you, on time.”

Xia Zuo and Rod waited for Luo XiaoLou to leave before they walked out from inside. They saw that His Royal Highness was still looking out into the distance. Rod sighed in his heart. Although on the surface it was all about His Royal Highness being in charge, he himself hadn’t even realized how easily Luo XiaoLou could guide his thoughts and decisions. The future Queen, and His Highness the Queen, Feng JiaLing’s tactics were different, but also very much worth waiting for.

“Your Highness, is it okay for His Highness the Prince Consort to see the deployment map?” Xia Zuo asked.

Yuan Xi shook his head, with a strong murderous aura in his eyes. “I don’t want to hide from him. I won’t let that person have a chance to get close to him.”

Xia Zuo and Rod looked at each other, then the two started to report to Yuan Xi again on the intelligence of the past few days, including the detailed information they had compiled.

Xia Zuo silently took out a stack of data. “This is what you asked me to check before. There were nine people who went out that day, and five of the nine people continued to go out later. I had people sent to keep an eye on all of them.”

Yuan Xi frowned at the list. When he saw one name, his face suddenly became weird, then he showed a pensive expression.

“Your Highness, is there something wrong?” Xia Zuo asked.

“Cross out this person’s name.” Yuan Xi said coldly.

“You…find him credible?” Rod asked carefully under Xia Zuo’s gesture. Every time His Highness became angry, Xia Zuo, that guy, looked at him. This must be that guy’s plot. What was even more tragic, was that as soon as Xia Zuo looked at him, he would say what Xia Zuo wanted him to say, almost without even thinking about it.

After a moment, Yuan Xi said, “He is at least more credible than the others.” Even if others followed him, Yuan Xi was afraid they would soon be spotted by Luo ShaoTian. Maybe the people Xia Zuo sent out in the past few days had already been discovered by him.

“Good. This is the information you asked for about the Rhys family. Most of it required His Highness the Prince Consort’s home robot to assist in the investigation. There is indeed something suspicious there. The Rhys family is one of the two great families of Telles. However, after the end of the last war, the relationship between the Rhys family and the Royal Family became increasingly weak, and was even once suppressed by other forces. The family’s power declined sharply, and their patriarch was almost removed from the House of Elders. It was not until three hundred years ago, when Duke Moga came of age and became patriarch, that the Rhys family re-entered the center of power in Telles.” Xia Zuo said.

Yuan Xi tapped his fingers on the table and said lightly, “He is very ambitious, but Telles has one whose ambition is even greater than his.” 

“You mean that emperor of Telles?” Rod asked.

“If my guess is right, the next Emperor will not be the son of Attis, but the Green King. At the banquet, the Green King was obviously in contact with more powerful people than that emperor. It included all levels of civilizations, and he was closer to them. In addition, the Green King and Attis have different philosophies.” Yuan Xi’s mouth showed a sarcastic curve, then, in the midst of Rod’s ten thousand admiring glances, he asked, “What time is it?”

Rod had to put away his esteem for His Royal Highness, and glanced at the time. “There are still twenty minutes before you go to the restaurant to accompany His Highness the Prince Consort.”

Yuan Xi hummed, then gestured to Xia Zuo. “Go on. How did the Rhys family get into the center of power in Telles?”

Xia Zuo looked up. “That’s what’s so strange. We can’t find out what helped this old family that was about to fall, to re-emerge, and the newborn forces to retreat. But the Prince Consort’s house robot hacked into the periphery of the Rhys family’s database and got a message.”

“A message from the periphery?”

Xia Zuo’s forehead was creased with black lines. “Yes. It said that if it was given enough time, it could invade the core data area.” Although His Highness the Prince Consort was from the civilian class, it had to be said that his house robot was very…unique.

Rod, who knew Luo XiaoLou’s identity, gulped and wanted to say something. An exotic beast’s AI was definitely not comparable to a human’s AI.

Yuan Xi didn’t want to talk about 125 any more, just asked, “What message?”

“Three hundred years ago, when the year Duke Moga came of age, the Rhys family’s ship made a long-distance voyage. At the end of the voyage was a small planet on the edge of what was then Federation.” Xia Zuo said.

Yuan Xi was stunned. “Three hundred years ago? So, at that time, Duke Moga knew of the existence of the Federation and the Empire. Yet he waited for so many years before bringing them to the attention of Telles?”

“Your Highness, we did not get the other details. But I think that since it happened in our territory, it’s not impossible to get the information about that year.” Xia Zuo said confidently as he glanced at Rod. “Although Rod isn’t strong in anything else, his investigative ability has always made me admire him very much.”

Yuan Xi gave Rod a look, then threw some information in his hand in front of Rod. “Go and find out what is going on here.”

Rod dumbly snapped back from the surprise and embarrassment of being praised, and muttered, “Why am I the one going to–“

Yuan Xi had already gotten up and headed out. Xia Zuo was coolly gathering up the data and said, “For someone who can do more, this is a rare moment to show your ability.”

Rod looked at Xia Zuo incredulously. This was something difficult for him to handle, His Highness was sending this bastard out instead of him. “I want to hear the truth!”

Xia Zuo said as he walked out, “If I had to find a reason, it would probably be that after I go back, my vacation starts.”

“…”

 

Yuan Xi ordered a lot of dishes, and Luo XiaoLou made them all, but he saved one to deliver to Luo ShaoTian. Yuan Xi came over just as the cake came out of the oven. Although it wasn’t as delicate as the Miki cake, an appealing aroma came out.

While Yuan Xi was seriously dining, Luo XiaoLou hesitated then asked, “Yuan Xi, why is Luo ShaoTian on board?”

Yuan Xi’s hand movement stopped for a moment, then resumed shelling the shrimp. He said, “I asked him to come. Both to more carefully protect you, and to secretly help me investigate.”

“So that’s how it is. No wonder he wouldn’t give me an explanation.” Luo XiaoLou nodded.

“You like Luo ShaoTian a lot?” asked Yuan Xi. He looked up, puzzled.

Luo XiaoLou stammered a little, “Not bad. Not bad. I just take him as my brother. The same as Yuan Nuo.” It was the first time he admitted to others that he didn’t hate all the Luo family members.

Yuan Xi gave him a look and changed the subject. “Since you got the Super Quenching Gold Liquid, when will you be able to make the Tier 10 mecha?”

“I’ll start processing the Grade 10 materials as soon as possible.”

 

125 said movingly, “Oh, I can finally see my master again. God knows how long I’ve been looking forward to this day, and I think my master and big brother will be very much looking forward to seeing me as well.”