Paranoid Alpha Chapter 28: Abandoned

Chapter 28: Abandoned

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: CaiCai

The next morning, an artificial sun slowly rose from the east, casting an unprecedented daylight across the entire planet.

Separated by the prime meridian, the rehearsal forces of the Empire and the Federation stood on opposite sides, their respective fleets confronting each other across the meridian as if in a stare-down that spanned three centuries.

A solemn air filled the vast expanse of land, the cold wind carrying a pallid sunlight that reflected off the starships, casting a cold metallic sheen.

A minister from the Empire’s command group stepped onto the suspended platform at the center of the meridian, standing atop the starship array, gazing out at the sprawling starscape beneath.

“When will your Chief arrive?” inquired an Empire minister.

Triss’ Supreme Commander and Marshal, Rain, replied, “The Chief is already en route. I ask for your patience.”

Though Triss and Mannstadt shared common origins, three centuries of hostility and estrangement wouldn’t dissipate without a trace. Both sides’ attitudes were notably rigid.

Rain’s tone wasn’t particularly courteous, causing the Empire’s representatives to instantly grow colder. Just as they were about to say something else, the starship formation on one side of the meridian suddenly split, creating a path through the center, clearing an orderly route in the sky.

“A grand entrance by your Chief,” murmured one of the ministers with a slight frown.

“Windsor,” reminded Imperial General Rode with a furrowed brow.

The minister was taken aback and quickly lowered his head, refraining from further speech.

A biomimetic mecha soared out from the path. The Empire’s personnel, while lacking this technology, were all from the military. Naturally, they understood what the mecha’s stable arrival signified.

One of the drivers beside Lyss possessed such skill. Crown Prince Chris thought quietly to himself, “Indeed, this omega Chief can’t stay much longer.’

The hatch opened, and Triss’ officials and commanders immediately stepped forward to greet.

In the sunlight, Lyss wore a silver-white military uniform with a metallic pendant symbolizing the Chief’s position on his chest. A silver-gray cloak draped over him, and his silver military boots made crisp sounds against the suspended platform.

The wind caught his cloak, and ample light delineated his divinely beautiful features. Chris, about to step forward to greet him, suddenly froze, his gaze fixed dumbfoundedly on Lyss’ immaculate ears. He seemed lost in thought for a moment before hastily regaining his composure and saying, “Good day, Chief. I am Crown Prince Chris Manson of the Mannstadt Federation. How was your rest last night?”

As the mecha was set to an automatic landing mode, Lu Xingye, the final person from the mecha, descended.

Upon arriving, Lu Xingye witnessed the scene. His older brother, looking dumbfoundedly mesmerized by Lyss, was speaking with him incoherently. Lu Xingye’s anger surged; he swiftly approached Lyss, “Chief, the mecha has landed automatically.”

Lyss withdrew his gaze, glancing at Lu Xingye. “Thank you. Return to the team.”

“Yes.” Lu Xingye gave Chris a cold look before stepping back into the escort team.

As a prince confined to a life in a dark room due to his maternal lineage, Lu Xingye had lived in obscurity. Through various clandestine communication devices provided by his mother, he had witnessed the outside world.

He remembered every member of the Empire’s royal family, including Chris, who had been appointed Crown Prince since birth.

Chris expected a “white wolf” to pilot the mecha, but to his surprise, it was a young “original breed” with outstanding capabilities. He was about to retract his gaze when he met Lu Xingye’s icy stare.

A sense of dread akin to being hunted surged within Chris, but before he could react, the composed alpha had returned to Lyss’ side.

“There are few soldiers capable of operating a biomimetic mecha,” Chris forced a smile, “your Chief’s team is truly talented.”

“An exaggeration,” said Lyss, standing at the center of the platform. He glanced at the time. “Fifteen minutes until the scheduled time. Is your delegation complete?”

“Only Mr. Gré is missing,” replied an Empire minister. “He seemed indisposed after an early rise, but he assured us that he’d arrive promptly.”

As the conversation paused, the sound of an elevator emerged from below the platform. Lu Xingye glanced over with boredom as the newcomer gradually ascended.

As his face became visible, Lu Xingye widened his eyes in disbelief.

“Apologies for my tardiness,” Gré chuckled lightly, “I kept you waiting.”

“This is the Federation’s Chief, Mr. Lyss Silverfang,” an Empire minister introduced.

“I’ve heard of Mr. Lyss,” Gré stepped forward, “I’m Gré, the one previously involved in negotiations with you… of course, you may still address me as—”

“Sekaninaite.”

At this point, Sekaninaite glanced casually at Lu Xingye, who was now fraught with confusion. Why was Sekaninaite here? And Lyss seemed familiar with him. What had happened?

With an Imperial army beneath his feet and an old acquaintance in front, Lu Xingye almost acted on impulse. Years of experience told him to strike first, but at the crucial moment, he restrained himself.

At least Sekaninaite only knew of his existence but had never met him. Lyss must have had different intentions. He chose to trust and not cause chaos at this critical moment.

There was no sound behind him, only the gentle rustle of the wind.

Lyss knew he had gambled correctly once again. Unlike before, this time, he gambled on Lu Xingye’s feelings for him.

For a fleeting moment, he wanted to turn and embrace his little dog. He did nothing and, when Sekaninaite extended his hand, offered his own.

“Nice to meet you,” Lyss was concise, retracting his hand after a brief handshake.

In the palm of Sekaninaite’s hand lay a tiny chip, the promised reward exchanged for his little dog’s code.

A strong gust of wind blew. Lyss pretended the wind had irritated his eyes. He reached for the pocket where he kept a handkerchief and placed the chip inside, but before he could retrieve the handkerchief, he felt a gentle touch on the corner of his eye.

Startled, Lyss gently opened his eyes to see Lu Xingye retracting his hand after wiping his eye.

Upon catching Lyss’ gaze, Lu Xingye pursed his lips, for the first time averting his eyes first, and returned to the escort team, a trained and official guard.

Lyss paused for three seconds, then turned and walked toward the podium, with Chris following closely, standing beside Lyss.

Three hundred years later, the leaders of the white wolf Triss and the black wolf Mannstadt stood side by side, gazing at the starship formations on either side.

Despite the varied thoughts of those present, the sight invoked a sense of destiny from the currents of history—except for Lu Xingye.

Watching the two figures standing afar, Lu Xingye couldn’t express the complex emotions surging within him.

The black ears and wolf tail, the Mannstadt Crown Prince standing proudly beside Lyss, seemed to complement each other perfectly. Much more fitting than himself, a low-status, powerless “little dog.”

Chris began his speech, impassioned. Both Lyss and the other leader paid no attention.

Lyss stood calmly, seemingly lost in thought until Chris finished speaking, eagerly awaiting his response. Finally, Lyss stepped forward to address the troops and officers arrayed before him.

“Firstly, on behalf of the Federation, I extend sincere greetings to all participating in the exercise…”

Lyss’s tone was very calm, forming a sharp contrast to Chris’s previous remarks, causing the fervor that many people had just ignited to gradually cool down. After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Lyss suddenly shifted the conversation, “The existence of the military is not only to prepare for war but also to prevent it. Neither function can exist solely on paper. Today’s military exercises have no supreme commander; it’s solely based on the decisions of each unit leader. If someday in the future, your enemy truly becomes the fleet across the meridian, and you cannot trust your supreme commander, how will you handle it? I hope this exercise brings each of you a tempering experience, forging steel-like willpower and a mind that can see through the fog.”

Lyss’s words didn’t seem out of place, but they immediately soured in the ears of some people. Amidst the chaotic thoughts of Lu Xingye, he discerned the implied meaning in Lyss’s words, especially those who had truly committed wrongdoing.

After both sides’ leaders finished speaking, the parade proceeded as planned. Vast fleets of ships streaked across the sky like meteors, immortalized under the lenses of numerous media, a scene destined to be etched into history.

By the end of the parade, it was already noon, yet for each military, the first day’s tasks had only just begun. In the afternoon, both sides surveyed the environment and space conditions, high-ranking commanders deliberated on tactics, awaiting the arrival of the formal exercises at midnight.

Though for the senior leaders of both sides, the first day’s tasks had concluded, none of them left. In the cold wind, Lyss stood with folded arms on the suspended platform, while Chris attempted to approach several times to say something, only to be casually dismissed by him.

Lu Xingye noticed that Lyss seemed distracted, but being a mere guard, he had already overstepped earlier by wiping Lyss’s eyes without permission. Though he truly wanted to confront Lyss about his intentions, it was evidently impractical.

As the sun gradually set, casting only a fleeting moment of light, eternal darkness once again shrouded the land. Six hours remained before the formal military exercises commenced. Triss’s officials, fatigued from standing, proposed returning to rest, clearly harboring alternative motives. the Imperial representatives, having different intentions, used fatigue as an excuse to leave. Only Sekaninaite showed a hint of struggle on his face, yet in the presence of the Crown Prince, he lacked the authority to speak.

“I’d like to stay here for a while,” Lyss calmly gazed at the forming mecha groups. “The rest of you may go back.”

After bidding farewell to the Imperial representatives, Sekaninaite glanced meaningfully at Lyss, who paid no heed, maintaining his previous posture.

Sekaninaite instantly realized he had been deceived by Lyss, nearly grinding his teeth in anger. He immediately resolved to clarify matters with the Crown Prince tonight. Even if he faced repercussions for dereliction of duty, he couldn’t allow Lu Xingye to escape; otherwise, it would shake the foundation of the Empire.

As Sekaninaite followed Chris away, a cold glint passed through his eyes: regardless of Lyss’s cooperation, action must be taken tomorrow.

One by one, Triss’s officials, unable to stand any longer, left until only Marshal Dale remained, his face cold, as he confronted Lyss, “Sir Chief, what did you mean by your earlier words?”

Lyss turned to him, “Which words are you referring to?”

“What do you mean by ‘if someday the supreme commander cannot be trusted’? It seems you implied something,” Dale furrowed his brow.

“It’s merely a reasonable hypothesis based on reality,” Lyss raised a hand to adjust his cloak.

Dale stared at him coldly for a while, then stepped aside, saying, “But this hypothesis of yours might be a bit late… Do you think you’ll be able to leave this planet intact after the exercises are over?”

Lu Xingye’s expression changed slightly at Dale’s words, immediately stepping forward to confront him, but was halted by a gesture from Lyss. “Why are you still so impulsive?” Lyss interjected. He then turned to Dale, “Early or late, one can only judge after the outcome is decided. Speaking of these matters now is a bit premature. It’s late, Marshal, you should return to rest. I shall take my leave.”

With that, Lyss departed from the suspended platform with his guards. Five hours remained before the official start of the military exercises.

Back in the rest area, after finishing dinner, Lyss suddenly mentioned, “I seem to have dropped my badge outside. Could I trouble you to find it for me?”

The badge he wore today symbolized his position as the Chief, holding significant meaning. His guards didn’t doubt his request and immediately responded, “We’d be happy to assist you!”

“I remember I was wearing it when I went out; it should be around the vicinity of the suspended platform,” Lyss calmly instructed, “The area is quite extensive; take a few more people. The exercises start at twelve; don’t disrupt them. if it can’t be found, I’ll take full responsibility.”

“Your badge is crucial to the Federation’s honor,” the captain of the guards replied, “Rest assured, we’ll find it for you!”

Saying this, he left two guards behind and planned to search for the badge with the rest of the team.

Upon hearing this, Lyss added, “Lu Xingye can stay behind alone; there’s no need for too many.”

The captain hesitated to speak further, but Lu Xingye had a lot he wanted to discuss privately with Lyss. Upon hearing Lyss’s words, he immediately replied, “Understood!”

Seeing the situation, the captain didn’t say anything else, saluted, and then left.

Lyss returned to the bedroom with Lu Xingye. As soon as they entered, someone hugged Lyss tightly around the waist, a pitiful head burying itself against his neck.

For a moment, no one spoke in the room. Eventually, Lu Xingye couldn’t hold back his grievance and said, “You contacted Sekaninaite a long time ago. Why didn’t you tell me?”

Even now, Lu Xingye couldn’t bring himself to point fingers at Lyss and demand an explanation.

Lyss closed his eyes for a moment, then pulled out a button-like object and placed it in Lu Xingye’s hand.

After a brief pause, Lu Xingye looked down at the object. “Is this… a spatial transmitter?”

Lyss gently freed himself from the embrace, sat down on the bed, and without answering any of Lu Xingye’s questions, just sat there quietly — just as he had been when they first met, aloof and distant, seemingly looking down upon the world.

Amidst Lu Xingye’s frantic thoughts, he suddenly understood the reason behind Lyss’s actions — Sekaninaite had agreed to trade something with Lyss, and what he wanted was, of course, Lu Xingye’s life.

Lyss had agreed openly.

On the first day of the exercises, Sekaninaite demanded that Lyss bring Lu Xingye over. Although unsure how Sekaninaite knew what Lu Xingye looked like, he eventually recognized him and handed over what Lyss had asked for.

But Sekaninaite had been too hasty. He hadn’t anticipated Lyss’s sudden change of heart, or perhaps, it had all been a deception from the start.

Initially planning to act in the afternoon, Lyss stood with Lu Xingye on the suspended platform the entire day, under the watchful eyes of everyone. Sekaninaite had no opportunity to strike, so he reluctantly returned to the rest area.

Sekaninaite surely wouldn’t give up easily, which was why Lyss had prepared the spatial transmitter from the beginning.

He had never intended to use Lu Xingye to exchange for that piece of code. Realizing this suddenly, Lu Xingye felt no joy, because—

“Are you asking me to leave with the spatial transmitter?” Lu Xingye looked unusually distressed, immediately understanding Lyss’s intention but still holding onto a glimmer of hope. “When should I come back for you, after the exercises end?”

Lyss gently shook his head. “The Empire already knows of your existence. You staying in Triss no longer benefits either of us. As per our agreement, you’ve helped me through estrus; Sekaninaite is your enemy, and I’ll take care of him.”

At this point, Lyss paused. He suddenly seemed unwilling to look into Lu Xingye’s wounded eyes and subtly shifted his gaze away as he continued, “We’ve known each other for so long, and I’ve never given you any gifts. Consider that adaptive mecha my first gift to you. I’ve transferred some funds to your star card; it should be enough for you to live anywhere. Once you arrive at a new place, don’t be so impulsive and trust others so easily…”

Lu Xingye couldn’t bear to listen any longer. In disbelief and sorrow, he interrupted, “You don’t want me anymore… You’re pushing me away, aren’t you?”

A profound silence enveloped the room. Eventually, Lyss nodded ever so slightly.