ICAWZ Chapter 26

The descendants of Gohedra conquered the main city, and henceforth, a new sovereign ruled over the land now called Salaranfa.

Perhaps, millennia ago, they were once humble subjects under the throne, bowing to another monarch who had long since become a figure of history. However, ambition and a thirst for power drove them to overthrow the rule of that monarch, claiming to do so for the salvation of the realm and taking their place.

Since that time, this surname has become a symbol of authority.

As Yusto, guided by the welcoming attendants, walked towards the bedchamber of the Zerg Emperor, he could faintly smell the lingering scent of blood in the air. It seemed as though this scent had persisted in his nostrils since his childhood memories.

On either side of the white marble path, bright red artificial roses were planted, maintaining an appearance of full bloom regardless of the weather. The fragrance was sickly sweet, turning bitter, much like the scent of petals gradually decaying after falling.

Yusto furrowed his brow slightly, briskly passing through this garden. Eager to meet the Zerg Emperor as soon as possible, he had just reached the entrance of the main hall when a male zerg, dressed in a purple aristocratic attire, emerged from inside – none other than Duke Monck.

Duke Monck evidently noticed Yusto and, seeing him, took a slight pause before cryptically speaking, “Seventh Prince, what a coincidence. Are you here to meet His Majesty as well?”

Ever since Lu Yuan had slapped Wengel unconscious at the military enrollment office, he harbored resentment and had been covertly observing his every move at the academy. Yusto’s ambiguous relationship with Lu Yuan certainly didn’t escape his notice.

Yusto, not inclined to engage in conversation with him, retorted, “What’s this? Duke, you can meet the Zerg Emperor, but I can’t?”

Duke Monck, seething with silent frustration at Yusto’s sarcasm, forced a smile and said, “I have no such intention. I just don’t want Your Highness to waste your efforts. If you’re thinking of pleading for a certain male zerg, I suggest you reconsider. Eggs can’t compete with a stone.”

Yusto, already ascending the steps adorned with a red carpet, turned back at his words. The dangerous crimson hue in his eyes narrowed as he looked down on Monck, counter-questioning, “Eggs against a stone? Do you believe that the Gohedra surname is now insufficient to control your family and territories?”

Duke Monck hadn’t expected Yusto to deliberately misinterpret his words. His expression changed for a moment, instinctively glancing towards the main hall, concerned that the Zerg Emperor might overhear this somewhat rebellious discourse. He then gritted his teeth and retorted, “You don’t need to intentionally distort my meaning. That commoner male zerg who injured Wengel will pay a painful price, mark my words!”

Yusto seemed to emit a light chuckle, feigning concern as he said, “Is that so? I still think His Excellency Wengel will experience something even more ‘painful’. Instead of running to the palace every day, it might be more beneficial to his recovery if you spend more time at the hospital caring for him.”

With those words, Yusto bid a curt “farewell”. Ignoring Duke Monck’s infuriated expression, he turned on his heel and walked straight into the main hall.

On the other side, Lu Yuan had already completed the course change at the administrative office. Unaware of the option to change courses at the academy, the teachers did not make things difficult for him. Successfully, they managed to switch his mishmash of elective courses to shooting training and free combat.

The teacher at the administrative office, noticing that Lu Yuan had chosen risky activities typically attended by female zergs, couldn’t help but speak up in caution, “Your Excellency, each zerg has only one chance to change courses. Once confirmed, it cannot be altered. Are you sure you don’t want to switch to a different theoretical course?”

Most of the elective courses chosen by male zergs were theoretical in nature, with few opting for activities that involved physical combat or weaponry.

Lu Yuan declined, saying, “Thank you, but I’ll stick with shooting and combat.”

Upon hearing Lu Yuan’s decision, the administrative office teacher proceeded to assist him with the course change. “Your Excellency, I have successfully processed your course change. You can check your new schedule by logging into the academy website using a terminal later.”

“Thank you.”

Lu Yuan, having completed the course change, left the office and headed straight to the military building. There, he located the classroom where Yusto was supposed to be. However, as he searched through the classroom window, he found no trace of him.

Lu Yuan’s previous visit to their class had caused quite a stir. When the students learned he was a male zerg, they engaged in hushed conversations for quite some time. Surprisingly, he was here again today, and the students couldn’t help but turn their heads to look outside the classroom, whispering and exchanging glances.

Yulejia was initially engrossed in playing StarNet, but the unusual atmosphere in the classroom caught his attention. Subconsciously looking up, he spotted Lu Yuan standing outside. Recalling Yusto’s advice, he quickly retrieved a box from the desk beside him and stood up, leaving the classroom.

Upon seeing Lu Yuan, Yulejia inquired, “Your Excellency, are you here to see Yusto?”

Lu Yuan nodded as Yulejia continued, “He had some matters to attend to at the palace and might not be at school this afternoon.”

Lu Yuan paused, a bit bewildered, “Palace? What palace?”

Yulejia subconsciously covered his mouth, realizing he had let slip more than he intended. He flashed an embarrassed smile and quickly changed the subject, saying, “Oh, nothing. He just had some personal matters to attend to at home. By the way, this box is something he asked me to deliver to you.”

Yusto was generally low-key at the academy, preferring not to reveal his identity. Yulejia thought it would be better not to say anything random to Lu Yuan.

Lu Yuan, still skeptical, didn’t dwell on it. He reached out and took the box, thanking Yulejia, “Thank you for your trouble.”

Yulejia quickly waved his hands, feeling a sense of amazement at how not only was Yusto’s tongue sharp, but even his eyes were too. How could such a courteous male zerg be snatched away by him? “No trouble at all, we’re classmates, helping each other is only natural.”

With class about to start, Lu Yuan didn’t linger. After bidding farewell to Yulejia, he left the classroom. While walking, he couldn’t resist opening the box for a quick look. Inside, he found not only a new type of terminal but also a stack of transcription paper, a total of ten sheets.

Yusto’s handwriting was elegant, with sharp and graceful strokes. Each sheet was meticulously transcribed fifty times, showing a remarkable level of dedication and effort.

“Tsk.”

Lu Yuan couldn’t help but sigh inwardly at the sight. Yusto’s handwriting was much better than his own chicken scratch. It seemed that next time he encountered a similar task, he might need to ask the other person to take over the pen. It would be hard to justify not treating them to at least two meals in return.

Lu Yuan placed the transcriptions back into the box and then turned his attention to the new terminal. After booting it up and familiarizing himself with the operation, he inadvertently entered the contacts. To his surprise, there was already a terminal brain number stored in there, and the name field was neatly filled with characters:

Yusto.

Lu Yuan: “…”

Lu Yuan raised an eyebrow to himself but didn’t say anything. He stared at the name for a few moments before exiting the contacts. He then logged into the academy website to check his class schedule and found that he had a session of “Interstellar Warfare History” in the afternoon.

“Interstellar Warfare History” was a mandatory course for freshmen. Usually, the class representative needed to organize the students and maintain order in advance, but given Lu Yuan’s lack of conscientiousness for such responsibilities, it wasn’t surprising that he wasn’t the class representative. When he finished lunch and, with half-open eyes, made his way from the dorm to the classroom entrance, the class bell had already rung three times.

In other words, he was late.

But that was okay; he wasn’t the only male zerg running behind schedule. There were also Brian and the others, who had just been “massacred” by Lu Yuan.

Lu Yuan had just arrived at the door of Class Three when he saw five or six male zergs blocking the entrance. They neither entered nor left but stood there, exuding an arrogant and domineering aura, challenging the teacher inside with their defiant presence.

The instructor responsible for teaching “Interstellar Warfare History” was a middle-aged female zerg. He wore a pair of black-framed glasses, giving him a scholarly appearance, but his expression carried a hint of severity. “All students who are late, go to the back of the classroom and stand as a punishment. Stand for fifteen minutes before returning to your seats. Bardall is a military academy, and discipline is crucial. I will not tolerate tardiness in my class!”

Most male zergs were proud and arrogant, making it unthinkable for Brian and the others to endure the embarrassment of standing in punishment. Seeing the new instructor was older and potentially more lenient, they stubbornly blocked the entrance, refusing to enter.

Brian’s bruises were still visible on his face, lending him a somewhat comical appearance. Whether it was a rebellious response to losing credits due to disciplinary measures, he and his group, with a nonchalant attitude, stood at the door, disregarding the instructor. “Professor, we just love standing at the door. You go ahead and teach; you don’t need to worry about us.”

The instructor’s face turned livid, and he slammed the desk forcefully. “Didn’t I tell you to stand at the back and listen?!”

The students seated below all fell silent, glancing instinctively towards the door. Brian and his friends intentionally pretended to clean their ears, saying, “Sorry, we can’t hear you. We only heard you asking us to stand for 15 minutes, so we’ll just stay here.”

A military female zerg couldn’t help but frown and spoke up, “Your Excellency Brian, you were the ones who arrived late. Please don’t hinder the progress of the class and disrupt our learning.”

Brian turned his gaze towards the speaking military female, his expression a smirk as he replied, “We’re just standing here. We didn’t cover the professor’s mouth. If he wants to speak, he can. If you want to listen, you can. What do you mean by hindering the progress of the class?”

A poor and insignificant professor. What could they possibly be afraid of?

The professor, witnessing their blatant defiance, tightened the grip on the teaching whip in hand. Pointing angrily at Brian, he shouted, “I’ll say it one last time. All of you, go stand at the back of the classroom! Did you hear me?!”

Brian pretended to listen, smirking, “Sorry, I can’t hear you.”

“Bang!”

Lu Yuan, standing outside the classroom, delivered a powerful kick, forcefully propelling Brian inside. He spoke coldly, “If you can’t hear, then stand inside and listen. Can you hear me now?”

With a muffled thud accompanying the impact, Brian was sent sprawling. As he struggled to get up, nursing his aching backside, preparing to angrily question who dared to kick him, he suddenly noticed Lu Yuan standing by the classroom door. Behind him, his cronies wore terrified expressions, desperately signaling him with their eyes.

The students and the teacher inside the classroom were equally startled by this unexpected scene, frozen in confusion.

Brian now trembled at the sight of Lu Yuan, unable to articulate his words clearly. Angered and puzzled, he stammered, “L-Lu Yuan, why… why did you… kick me?!”

Lu Yuan chuckled, a smirk playing on his face. “Nothing much, just helping you with your ears. The professor speaks so loudly, and you still can’t hear. I thought your ears might be on your backside, so I wanted to help.”

His remark elicited a chorus of laughter from the classroom, which was quickly suppressed by the students.

Brian’s face turned red with embarrassment. He stood there, clutching his backside, teeth clenched in frustration. He was furious but dared not speak up.

Lu Yuan fixed his gaze on Brian, casually tapping his shoe on the ground. He questioned, “Do you want to go stand at the back obediently, or do you want me to help you with your ears? It’s your choice.”

Startled by Lu Yuan’s words, Brian hastily stepped back, afraid that Lu Yuan might kick him again. He quickly retreated to the back of the classroom and said nervously, “I… I’ll stand at the back.”

Satisfied with Brian’s compliance, Lu Yuan turned his attention to the remaining male zergs behind him and asked, “And what about the rest of you?”

Faced with the imposing gaze from Lu Yuan, the remaining male zergs lost all their momentum. They were intimidated and, like scared monkeys when the tree falls, scampered to the back of the classroom. Lining up against the wall, they stood there straight and meek. Stammering, one of them said, “W-W-We… We’ll stand as punishment!”

 

 

 

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