"Hmm?"
Lei Ting, who had been frowning, was momentarily stunned.
*It’s not about me? There’s actually such a stroke of good luck?*
"It’s like this," Sandro said, knowing Lei Ting disliked wasting time. He skipped the unnecessary details and went straight to the summary. "You probably realized it back then—that guy just likes people who are powerful and assertive. And Vice Speaker Undale was exactly that kind of person in his youth. No one knows what happened after he took the Prince away that day...
"...But the Imperial motorcade is here to propose to Vice Speaker Undale."
"..." Lei Ting: "...................???"
*Well, I’ll be. I’ll be damned.*
Lei Ting’s mind went blank for a moment as he recalled the cold, blue-violet light in the eyes of that seemingly refined and elegant man. Everyone knew Undale was an Alpha, but as a fellow Alpha, Lei Ting only needed one look to know that he was a powerful, dominant one—just like himself.
There were hierarchies even within the Alpha rank; there could only ever be one 'pinnacle' within the same power structure. And Gerhal Undale was the absolute peak of the system he inhabited, holding a position of power even higher than that of Upton Onye.
"Impressive," Lei Ting remarked.
"Right? Vice Speaker Undale really is something else..."
"No, I mean," Lei Ting smiled, "that Crown Prince is truly impressive for daring to have designs on Vice Speaker Undale."
The group froze for a second before bursting into laughter, nodding in agreement.
After all, it was the honest truth.
After a few more words with the group, the conversation gradually shifted toward the topic of the second-semester internships.
"According to the upperclassmen, we’ll start having actual contact with the military environment in the second semester," Sandro said. "Where exactly we go for the internship depends mostly on which Legion is willing to take us."
"The best choices are the First and Seventh Legions. After that, it’s the Fourth, the Thirty-Third, and the Sixty-Second." Everyone began discussing potential destinations. "Lei, where are you planning to go?"
"I don't know," Lei Ting answered succinctly. "I’ll follow the assignments."
"Tch..." The crowd collectively expressed their feelings with that simple sound.
"If we have to go to the battlefield, I’m actually pretty nervous," Sandro said, rubbing his hands together. "When I was patrolling with the Police Department before, I was a bit... sigh..."
"On his first day, he ran into a nest of fugitives. Even though they didn't put him on the front lines, he was scared to death. His sympathetic nervous system went into overdrive; he couldn't eat and was constipated for three days," Susanna chimed in, exposing her childhood friend's secrets without even looking up.
"Nonsense! It was only two days!" Sandro raised his voice. "By the third day, my parasympathetic nervous system kicked in..."
"And then, because overeating is ill-advised, you spent an extra day drinking nothing but nutrient solution," Susanna added helpfully.
Sandro shut his mouth, looking aggrieved.
After a period of joking around, a student named Taco from the Mechanical-Shipborne System Management Department smiled and said, "My family pulled some strings; I might be going to the Seventh Legion. If any of us end up there, we should look out for each other."
"Exactly, exactly." The others nodded repeatedly. "If we run into acquaintances, we’ll definitely give each other a hand!"
...
Amidst the wind whipped up by the district's independent air circulation system, Valen leaned against the railing at the edge of the commercial district. Through the repulsion barrier, he stared blankly at the countless silver-white tiered walkways connected by the botanical gardens below.
The direction he faced was the former maintenance area for the planetary battleship, which was still a long-term operational zone. At this moment, not a single person was in sight.
"Don't jump. I don't have the money to buy insurance for you," someone beside him said.
Valen turned around and glanced at the speaker—it was the 'Principal.' The black-haired, female version.
"He’s about to start his second internship." The Principal looked into his eyes and smiled gently. "You don't seem to be in a very good mood?"
"I'm fine," Valen said.
In his daily state under this identity, he didn't speak with much 'philosophy'; his answers were quite direct.
"You’ve become friends with him, using your current identity. It’s quite interesting." The Principal steered her hovering chair, floating silently to Valen’s side. "Didn't you originally want him to 'discover' your identity? Why aren't you considering that anymore?"
"One shouldn't force things." Valen tilted his head back and sighed as he looked at the nearby green wall. "He places too much importance on rules."
"To respect his thoughts like this... you really do treat him as a friend," the Principal remarked. "What about your last friend? Where is he now?"
Valen gave a snort of laughter and gestured with his head toward the sun. "He’s on the third planet, currently trying to figure out how to find me and kill me."
"Speaking of which, what exactly happened back then that made you two turn against each other?"
"Don't you know?"
"I don't. I don't personally follow the development of every event; that would be too exhausting." The Principal spoke lightheartedly. "In comparison, I prefer watching my comrades amidst wheat fields and sunlight... Did you know? We’re preparing to fight that war. Perhaps it will evolve into a new total war..."
As she spoke of this, a hint of naive worry inevitably appeared in her expression. "I’m going to serve on 'The Solar.' With the Empire collapsing, the situation in the entire galaxy is bound to become chaotic. I hope humanity can find its footing in these waves."
"Yes, war. A war where we constantly repeat the process of 'being provoked—being humiliated—being attacked—protesting—counterattacking—succeeding—being feared by the interstellar community,'" Valen said softly. "Also, Principal..."
He met the woman's gaze and whispered, "This isn't the Origin Star System, nor is it the territory of 'Earthlings,' Principal. This is the 'Orion Human Federation.' Your memories are starting to regress again. It’s been happening for nearly two years. How long have you been having this dream?"
The Principal froze. After a moment, she murmured, "...'Orion Human Federation'..."
Her expression gradually became pained.
"Orion Human Federation... yes, I promised..." She repeated the name hoarsely, her body beginning to flicker faintly, as if a 3D projection were suffering from electromagnetic interference. "Orion Human Federation, Orion Human Federation, Orion Human Federation... I will protect every hope for its future..."
With a *beep*, she 'extinguished.'
At the same time, far away in deep space, 'The Solar' suddenly jolted, scaring the students on board into diving for cover. At the very bottom of the Academy headquarters' botanical garden, in a hidden, deserted dark space, a life-support pod filled with glowing crimson liquid sat. Inside, a rugged phantom connected to countless wires suddenly gasped, opening a pair of eyes—one red, one blue—that emitted a sharp, brilliant light.
"...I remember. Once again," a voice that sounded both male and female hummed as it whispered. Simultaneously, every 'Nameless Staff' member on 'The Solar,' including the Logistics Chief and the Medical Chief, murmured that phrase in unison, their eyes glowing with red and blue light: "'Orion Human Federation'... the new home we built."
The voice spanned the starry sky, perfectly synchronized.
Yet even the students standing right next to those people had no reaction, as if they hadn't heard a thing.
...
A short while later, Valen returned to his shop and went straight into the VIP reception room. As expected, Lei Ting was already there. The black-haired young man, who had grown quite a bit taller over the past year, was lying on the sofa with his hands behind his head, wearing a form-fitting, breathable training tank top. Hearing the footsteps, he asked with his eyes closed, "You're back?"
As he spoke, stars of metal floated beneath the room's ceiling. His chest vibrated with his voice; his body, rarely released like this, had a healthy honey-and-wheat tone, constrained by the black tank top to reveal firm, powerful curves under the light.
Aside from his face, which had now fully matured into 'handsome,' his physique was universally acknowledged as good—very good, exceptionally good. Broad shoulders, a narrow waist, long legs, and firm, vital muscles. With his arms bent and hands cradling the back of his head, his pectorals, abdominals, and arms looked particularly...
...Sexy.
Valen averted his gaze after instantly scanning the young body from head to toe several times. He took off his own uniform jacket, but instead of hanging it on a rack, he took two steps forward and casually tossed it onto Lei Ting.
Lei Ting: "?"
Lei Ting opened his eyes, picked up the garment covering his chest with one hand, and looked at Valen with some confusion.
"When you go out for your internship, remember not to show off your body like this." Valen poured himself a glass of juice, walking over while raising a cold eyebrow. "Your chest is too big; it’s easy to get targeted."
"..." Lei Ting sat up, his face darkening. He threw the clean, scentless clothes onto the sofa and complained, "Two years ago, I never would have imagined you’d talk so..."
"What?" Valen asked with interest. "Didn't you say you received training regarding sexual attraction and got straight A's?"
*So he’s admitting he’s releasing sexual attraction?* Lei Ting looked at the handsome man, took a sharp breath, and once again found himself at a loss for words.
"Why are you panicking as if I’m going to eat you?" Valen scoffed. "Don't you know how many people outside are discussing who will be lucky enough to get you into bed?"
Lei Ting: "..."
The topic was so blunt that Lei Ting slowly recoiled. "............I know. But this is different."
*Different? How could it be different?*
*—It’s just that the person is different.*
Then, amidst Valen’s amused smile, Lei Ting opened his mouth to change the subject. "...When I received that training, I confirmed that the 'Immovable' trait of my superpower—the one that prevents external interference—is also effective in this regard. As long as I wish it, my personal will won't be affected by any Omega pheromones."
"So you can selectively choose to be 'impotent,'" Valen summarized.
...No, that’s not how you summarize for brevity, old man!!
Lei Ting rubbed his forehead, caught between laughter and tears. "It’s not... forget it, let’s not talk about this... Enan, do you know anything about the First and Seventh Legions?"
"...What?" Enan Valen froze for a moment.
"I’m about to start my second internship in the military. According to tradition, there are two possibilities for this mission: 'Security' or 'Collaborative Resource Harvesting.'" As Lei Ting spoke, he operated his external light-brain to project information. "While I was waiting for you, I received early invitations from these two Legions. It’s said that the First Legion’s task this year is the former, while the Seventh Legion is..."
"Don't go to the Seventh Legion," Valen said hoarsely.
"...Hmm?" Lei Ting stopped mid-sentence.
"I said," Valen looked into his eyes and said solemnly, "do not go to the Seventh Legion. Whatever you do, don't."
***
**Glossary**
Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation
---|---|---
永戴尔 (格拉赫尔·永戴尔) | Undale (Gerhal Undale) | Vice Speaker of the Federation; a powerful Alpha.
太阳号 | The Solar | A significant ship or station associated with the Academy and the Principal.
猎户人类联邦 | Orion Human Federation | The current interstellar nation of humanity.
始源星系 | Origin Star System | A term used by the Principal, likely referring to the solar system containing Earth.
埃南·瓦伦 | Enan Valen | Valen's full name.
不动 | Immovable | A specific trait of Lei Ting's superpower that resists external influence.
第一军团 | First Legion | One of the elite military divisions.
第七军团 | Seventh Legion | One of the elite military divisions; Valen warns against it.
