Refusal... was it even an option?
Could an ordinary corporate manager, with no power, no influence, and no background, rashly refuse the demand of a foreign prince? Was that possible?
It was not. Both 'Warren' and Ivanheiler were well aware of this: it was impossible.
This was the crown prince of a neighboring empire, and his nation was formidable. The Federation's decision-makers, long accustomed to sacrificing the interests of the lower classes, would never protect 'Enan Warren' in such a matter. It didn't matter if the other party only wanted him to resign and be a "playmate"; even if the prince explicitly demanded he become a mere toy, if he truly were just 'Manager Warren,' he would have to grit his teeth and accept it.
It was truly... irritating.
Ivanheiler thought to himself.
Ten years ago, when the previous Queen of these alien octopuses died at his hands, they hadn't worn such arrogant expressions... Clearly, he hadn't hit them hard enough when they provoked him back then.
At that time, to maintain overall stability, he had left a few members of their royal family alive after killing the ones who deserved it. Now, they had raised a creature like this, only for it to come and disgust him in person.
...Could this be the former King of Abryssac’s roundabout way of seeking revenge? Letting her idiot brother take the throne just to raise a thing like this?
A thing like this—whether it was an act or not—if he ever took the throne of Abryssac, the surrounding nations would likely have to swallow a bitter pill served by the light cannons of an entire starfleet...
Warren pressed his thin lips together, his expression cold. Yet, he could not simply look down on the prince before him with the contempt one might show for trash. After all, while he could disregard his own safety, he could not disregard the safety of the shop staff behind him.
—He would agree for now. If things truly went south, he had plenty of ways to ensure this brat would never dare lift his head in his presence again.
"..." The black-haired, blue-eyed man took a deep breath. Under Crown Prince Alin’s triumphant gaze, he said in a low voice, "I—"
"He can certainly refuse." A deep, cold teenage voice rang out from behind the nearby corner.
Hearing this voice, Warren froze slightly, while Alin suddenly broke into a delighted smile.
"A 'Double S'... I've seen you in combat." He turned with great interest toward Lei Ting, who was walking their way, and the iconic, shimmering silver cube floating and rotating beside him.
"..." Lei Ting’s expression was indifferent. He stepped forward, pulled Warren behind him, and stood tall, looking down unmistakably at Alin. "You came here looking for me."
Behind him, Warren glanced at Alin over Lei Ting's shoulder. He realized it now: this guy *had* come for Lei Ting. Whether he intended to cause trouble or do something else, Warren himself had merely been a prop used to draw out the 'Double S.'
If he had been taken away, the prince's next move would surely have been to indirectly notify Lei Ting of the fact, luring him elsewhere. At that point, regardless of whether the Academy authorities found out, the black-haired youth's situation would have been very dangerous.
As Warren thought this, Lei Ting realized it as well. Moreover—if the other party intended to provoke him, they likely wouldn't have treated Warren with any kindness...
This possibility made his icy expression turn even colder. For a moment, a subtle sense of oppression filled the space. Most people standing in front of nearby shops stopped talking, and Alin’s security personnel quickly stepped forward, attempting to separate the two—
"Ah..." Alin stared infatuatedly into those abyss-like eyes. As if receiving some physical stimulation, his body trembled slightly as he murmured, "Truly, such fascinating, powerful aggression... He really is important to you. No wonder you picked him up first when you were saving people—could you hold me like that too?"
"...?" Lei Ting fell silent.
"...?" Warren also fell silent.
"............" The security personnel stopped in their tracks.
Then, they pulled back as if nothing had happened and stood to the side, maintaining their silence.
"Is it okay? You Alphas should like this look of mine, shouldn't you?"
Alin took a step forward, his exquisite face shimmering under the lights. His gaze was subtly non-human, yet it remained fixed on Lei Ting’s handsome face and cold eyes. "Hold me... just like you held him. And, if you're willing, you can get so much—so much—from me. Do you want to try? If you want, we can return to the Empire right now, and you can be my spouse. When I ascend the throne, you will be the Prince Consort..."
"..."
...What is wrong with this person?!
Lei Ting’s pupils shook. He couldn't help but take half a step back, nearly bumping into Warren’s chest. Beneath his messy black hair, the red glow of his uniform’s standing collar and Alpha neck ring drew close. Warren looked down at it, yet he didn't move away.
After all, directly behind him was that poor little shop assistant, who was still shivering in silence...
"Is that a no?" A look of obvious disappointment appeared on Alin’s face. "Do you not like males? I can also take a female mimic form..."
"...No need, thank you." Lei Ting’s lip twitched. His understanding of this person's level of self-absorption had now surpassed anything he'd seen in the news. "I just don't like you."
"..." Alin froze.
A moment later, he asked in a small voice, "...Then, do you already have a lover?"
"No, I don't, and I'm not looking for a relationship. Please stop harassing me and anyone around me," Lei Ting said coldly. "If you truly are the Crown Prince of Abryssac, I don't believe your true nature is what you're displaying now. Please have some self-respect. Furthermore, do you have official authorization to enter a Federation military zone? If not, please leave this area on your own. Otherwise, as a Federation cadet officer, I have the right to issue a formal warning using force."
Alin looked dazed, seemingly not expecting such a response. The level of surprise was almost equal to the fact that he had actually been rejected. At the same time, a commotion broke out in the distance. People began clearing the area, and a brown-haired middle-aged man of modest height and refined, scholarly temperament hurried through the crowd.
Gerrahel Wyndall, the Vice Speaker of the Federation, currently over a hundred and forty years old.
Barring accidents, every Vice Speaker served a fixed twenty-year term, with a maximum of one re-election. He had already been re-elected, serving a total of thirty-seven years so far. He had three years left in his term—exactly the same amount of time Lei Ting had until graduation.
"Your Highness!!" Wyndall, accompanied by a group of superpower security personnel in standard armor, strode toward them with a frown. Upon reaching them, he waved his hand for Lei Ting and Warren to leave first.
Lei Ting grabbed Warren’s arm, and the two of them, along with the little shop assistant who had been terrified senseless by the clash of titans, retreated into the 'Far-Light Fine Materials' shop.
From a distance, Lei Ting could still hear Wyndall’s low, cold voice: "You have violated our agreement! Such behavior diminishes your country's credibility! Furthermore, unless there is a valid reason, I will impose behavioral restrictions on you for trespassing into a Federation military restricted zone and immediately apply to the Syndicate General Assembly to execute deportation procedures! Also, whether you persuaded our security team or smuggled yourself in, the communication method you used is suspected to be a mental-type superpower, which is a serious violation of the Interstellar Security Convention. After you return, please provide the Federation with an honest account of your purpose for this trip!"
As he spoke, the pink-haired teenage prince and his security detail were already being restrained by Wyndall’s soldiers. This made the prince look extremely indignant. "I only came to find my Prince Consort!" he shouted loudly. "You have no right to interfere with my mating behavior! The Abryssac royalty holds absolute priority in this matter!"
Prince Consort?
Hearing this, a blue-violet light flared in Wyndall’s eyes as he swept a glance over the spot where Alin, Lei Ting, and Warren had just been standing.
Then, he turned back, his gaze—carrying a vast, shimmering radiance—falling upon Alin.
"This is the Federation," Wyndall said coldly. "It is not a place where you can sexually harass others at will. Don't make excuses; I can see it. —Take them away!"
Shortly after, the group left the area in a grand procession. Lei Ting, who had been standing at the entrance of the shop, narrowed his eyes as he watched Wyndall’s departing back, lost in thought.
According to the rumors that had circulated on the Star Net for over a century, Vice Speaker Wyndall—that man who was over a hundred years old and had become as shrewd as a fox—possessed a superpower manifested in that light in his eyes.
Moreover, it was a superpower with absolutely no offensive, defensive, or healing capabilities.
But it was precisely this power that had made him who he was today...
—Localized Past Replay.
As long as there was 'activity,' there were traces to follow. As long as there were traces, he could trace the facts back to their source.
The specific range of this ability was unknown. Whether it had side effects—and if so, what they were—was also unknown. Its usage restrictions were similarly unknown. Currently, it was only certain that it placed extremely high demands and consumption on mental capacity. In terms of reconnaissance, investigation, exploration, reviewing battles, and checking for omissions in experimental processes, it was truly second in the world.
The first in the world was a 'Star-Cluster level'—that is, a 'Double S-rank'—superpowered powerhouse known as 'The Beholder,' who had been briefly active in the stars nearly a thousand years ago. As long as it was within the ability's range, they could directly peer into the past without any side effects. That was His power.
In short, while Wyndall wasn't as terrifying as 'The Beholder,' what had just happened clearly couldn't be hidden from him. Under the calculations of his brain, which was implanted with an internal optical computer terminal and a sub-brain computer, deducing the changes of an entire battlefield was easy, let alone a simple conversation that hadn't lasted very long.
Lei Ting withdrew his gaze and looked at Warren beside him.
The tall, handsome man in his elegant manager's uniform seemed to have been watching him this whole time, but his gaze was calm, and he maintained a relatively safe, polite distance.
"..." Looking into those beautiful blue eyes, Lei Ting suddenly felt a flash of awkwardness.
A feeling of 'not knowing what to do' surged in the black-haired youth's heart. This made him, who always had a solution when facing crises and problems, feel a sense of strangeness and helplessness.
Warren also watched him silently.
Most of the shop assistants were hiding deep inside the store; no one dared to interrupt the pair's eye contact, and no one dared to speak.
Fortunately, someone soon arrived to break the tension.
"Manager Warren, and... uh, Student Lei, are you two alright?" The newcomer clearly recognized Lei Ting as well. No, rather, he had come specifically for Lei Ting. "What's going on here..."
"It's nothing." Lei Ting turned his head calmly, seeing it was a nearby merchant. "Thank you for your concern."
After the two exchanged a few pleasantries, the other man seemed to detect a hint of irritability hidden beneath Lei Ting’s gentle patience. Thus, he got straight to the point and asked cautiously, "Speaking of which, we still don't know what the relationship between you two is..."
Relationship? What relationship could there be?
Warren’s lips moved, a decent, polite, and composed smile forming as he prepared to answer "just ordinary friends," only to be interrupted by Lei Ting.
"Oh..." The handsome black-haired youth drew out the sound, putting on an expression of sudden realization. "I suppose I should call him 'Uncle'."
