Ye Muo stretched before rolling over so the back of his head was resting on Norton’s knee. He yawned.
He knew he should go clean himself up now, but he remained still.
Surely staying here a while longer wouldn’t hurt.
Ye Muo always felt utterly relaxed after psychic soothing sessions, like a lion cub that had been grabbed by the scruff and placed in a sunny spot by an older lion.
Theodore approached from the side and got down on one knee, wrapping his arms around Ye Muo’s waist. Ye Muo’s equipment began to unfasten on their own as his psychic power-tinged fingers brushed past them. First the belt, then the armour and equipment on his arms and legs.
Ye Muo willingly submitted after taking a second to realize what Theodore was doing. He cooperatively raised his arms and legs.
Theodore tidied the belt and other items, including Ye Muo’s sword, before handing them off to Felix. “Apologies. Please take these to the equipment area. The robots there will handle sorting and maintenance.”
The robots there did not have access to this area. Norton disliked having too many robots in his domain. He was quite domineering in that respect.
Ye Muo looked up at them, his gaze settling on Theodore. He usually avoided troubling those he didn’t know well, nor was he accustomed to showing this somewhat lazy side of him to others.
Yet the fact that Theodore was doing this for him didn’t bother him in the slightest. Somehow, he just knew that he could be even more unrestrained in Theodore’s presence.
Felix made a sound of acknowledgment. He froze when he glanced up. It was only for a second, but Theodore seemed to have been smiling just now.
If not for Theodore’s psychic power and his ability to pilot mecha, Felix might have mistaken him for an exorbitantly priced, hyper-realistic android. In hindsight, maybe he just wasn’t the most expressive of people, Felix thought as he hurried out of the room.
Theodore gently wiped down Ye Muo’s hands with a plush towel. His expression betrayed none of the strange yet wonderful elation bubbling up inside him. Countless times in the past, he could only watch Ye Muo stumble along, covered in bruises and wounds.
Theodore’s touch was light but focused.
Ye Muo was at a loss. Should he thank Theodore? The answer soon came to mind: he didn’t have to.
Theodore had once taught him everything, step by step. Every piece of equipment he wore had once harboured Theodore’s data and psychic power.
Ye Muo blinked. Taught him…everything?
Norton’s hand, which had been resting at his side, pressed down on Ye Muo’s head. His immense psychic power stirred once more.
Ye Muo’s own psychic power underwent a subtle shift. Quietly, they became more active.
……
Lakely was in constant search of ways to repay the officer for the care he had shown him throughout the trip. Now that there was finally an outlet for his enthusiasm, he gave it his all. He actually made quite a good salesman.
He photographed the details of the king insect specimen with even greater care than before. “You can see how beautifully its wings refract the sunlight, likely thanks to its intact core crystal. This king insect looks utterly lifelike! As expected of our flagship product. More to come.”
The officer, who had remained silent until now, spoke up, “Shall we visit the warehouse to see the other items?”
Lakely was pleasantly surprised. “Is that possible? I’d love to visit a Grantz warehouse!”
The officer adjusted his cap slightly in discomfort. “En. The warehouses storing these aren’t classified. Even someone with my clearance can grant you access.”
Lakely cheerfully trailed the officer, still thanking him profusely, “You’re such a good person. I hope this isn’t causing you any trouble.”
The officer ordered a hovercar using his holomind as they headed out of the dormitory area.
“Not at all. We’re keen to secure this deal too.”
Otherwise those specimens would just be taking up space. Selling them off, especially at such a lucrative price, would fund at least a complete refurbishment of the military district.
The officer opened the car door for lakely, who dithered for a few seconds before cautiously climbing in. “Isn’t this a bit too formal? I’m genuinely pleased to be of assistance, as a friend of Grantz.”
His voice trailed off hopefully as he snuck a glance at the officer.
The officer raised an eyebrow as he settled into his seat. “As a friend to Grantz?”
“Uh, I meant the beginning of a friendship.”
“I suppose you’re not wrong. Grantz welcomes you, friend.”
“Let me see…do you require a guide? We can arrange one. Or would you prefer free entry clearance? Or perhaps complimentary priority passage through Grantz channels on your next visit? I could request authorisation from my superiors.”
Lakely’s voice rose slightly. “Oh, wow! I’m happy just being in Grantz! Entry clearance is all I need.”
Lakely had arrived with a contingent of the Grantz military this time, meaning his entry documentation was handled for him. Under normal circumstances, however, it wouldn’t be so straightforward.
Lakely had done his research beforehand: Grantz’s entry protocols were actually quite stringent. While things were somewhat easier for those within the same galactic domain, Alliance folks like him were particularly limited in what they were allowed to do, perhaps as a result of Grantz’s limited cooperation with the Alliance.
He’d prepared himself for rejection and the possibility of spending the rest of his trip around the mothership port.
This would make it easier to immerse himself in Grantz culture.
Why has he been so lucky since going on this trip??
The officer chuckled, “That’s easy to handle.”
He didn’t elaborate, “We’re here.”
Before he could open the car door for Lakely, the man had already ducked out and sprinted away.
The officer followed without much fuss. He used his credentials to open the warehouse doors.
Said doors were absurdly large. The moment they creaked open, Lakely eagerly squeezed his way inside.
Even though he had steeled himself, the sight before him still shocked Lakely.
The warehouse interior was clad in pale memory metal, its walls expansive and impossibly high. Standing there, Lakely felt utterly insignificant.
Monstrous king insects towered over him from either side, almost all of them reaching the ceiling.
“It feels like I’m in the midst of a swarm. I’ve seen Xavier’s perspective countless times, but standing here in person is…different.”
He instinctively took a step back, sweeping the camera over each one.
Lakely murmured, “There’s no doubt about it. Specimens of this size have to be king insects.”
Compared to these, the winged king insect he’d seen earlier seemed insignificant, almost stunted.
The officer stopped beside him and confirmed his observation. “Yes, they’re all king insects.”
Indeed, there was scarcely room to store these massive specimens. Thankfully these warehouses that originally housed various weapons and equipment had freed up after the insect tide and the resource competition. However, they would soon need to start restocking weapons and resources for the next insect tide, especially as new equipment began arriving from the Alliance.
Everyone had been wracking their brains over whether it was more cost-effective to build new warehouses or simply dispose of the old specimens.
Though he had yet to consult his superiors, even a tenth of Lakely’s quoted price, would likely secure swift approval.
Disposing of these specimens seemed wasteful, but selling to the black market was not much better, with prices being mediocre at best. Constructing new warehouses would also incur additional costs.
If only they could sell them to the Alliance, the officer mused. Even 10% of that auction price would be a great deal.
Lakely sobered up as he took in the king insects in his vicinity. “Seems like our flagship product needs to be re-evaluated. It’s got some steep competition.”
He walked for what felt like an eternity before tripping over something. The camera panned down to reveal an ordinary-looking sack bearing the logo of XX Industrial Company.
The officer strode over to grab the sack and haul it onto a pile of similar sacks on the side.
Further in, the space between specimens was crammed with similar sacks, stacked somewhat haphazardly. The central passageway remained unobstructed.
The officer seemed slightly sheepish. The warehouse was already running short on space, so less important items had been dumped here. “The younger recruits can be rather hasty.”
“En. Warehouses are always like that.”
Lakely remarked, his camera drifting subconsciously towards the bags.
The officer shifted. “It’s not exactly aesthetically pleasing. If you need them moved, I can arrange that immediately.”
Lakely huffed in amusement. “It’s fine. Quite amusing, actually. Your handling of king insect specimens is so different from those auction houses.”
It perfectly matched Lakely’s impression of Grantz, a bold nation.
But it was thanks to Grantz’s casual attitude that Lakely learned just how sturdy king insect specimens could be.
Lakely’s smile vanished abruptly as something caught his eye. One of the bags had ripped open at some point, spilling its contents onto the floor. The beautiful gems had been casually piled into a small heap.
Lakely’s expression grew serious as he tentatively asked, “Are those…king insect crystals?”
The officer gave an awkward grunt of acknowledgement. These crystals were substandard, either lacking sufficient energy output or somehow flawed in appearance. These rejects were unfit to present to His Highness Xavier and not the optimal choice for energy conversion either.
Yet after so many insect tides, every military district had accumulated piles of these imperfect crystals.
Lakely’s voice grew breathy, “All of them?”
“Yes.”
Lakely fell silent for a moment. The camera swept over the innumerable crystals haphazardly packed in various sacks. “This warehouse…insects don’t attack it much, do they?”
The officer glanced at Lakely, slightly puzzled. “I suppose, yes.”
This was the imperial capital, after all. Grantz’s main palace stood here. How could they allow insects to attack this place?
Lakely, however, gazed at the sacks with reverence.
King insect crystals could be used in mecha fabrication or the outer coating of motherships. They had a general deterrent effect on ordinary insects. Even so, within the Alliance at least, their main use was as hard currency. Though their applications were limited, in this era of incessant insect infestations, these crystals were in dire short supply.
The difficulty in hunting king insects, coupled with crystals often sustaining damage in combat, kept prices stubbornly high.
Alternative uses existed, of course. The crystals contained trace amounts of energy, meaning they could theoretically be used as fuel. Yet who would be so extravagant as to use them to substitute readily available energy sources? It would be like burning money.
……
Ye Muo looked up at Norton, sensing the discreet shift in his mood. “Father?”
Norton paused before withdrawing his hand. “It’s nothing.”
The peculiarity vanished, as if it had been nothing more than his imagination.
Ye Muo frowned for a moment before rising, his enthusiasm reigniting as he pulled Theodore away. “Let’s clean ourselves up, shall we? There’s a hot spring over there, but I wasn’t in the mood to use it on the way here…”
Felix approached once more. “Your Majesty, a communication request has come in from Grantz.”
Norton spared the screen a glance before his psychic power cut the transmission. He met Felix’s gaze. “Alright.”
Norton rose and walked to the floor-to-ceiling windows, settling into a seat there.
Felix stared at the screen for a few seconds before calmly closing the window. Forget it. His Majesty had made his stance clear.
He might as well fetch some juice.
Meanwhile.
Bert turned to Dylan. “I think Norton’s blacklisted our coordinates.”
“No, only yours.”
