Chapter 13
Upon hearing that Wright couldn’t have dinner with him, the light in the little merman’s sparkling eyes dimmed at once. His emotions were written all over his face, but he still tried to hold back his sadness and gave a soft “Mm.”
Wright drew a deep breath. Watching the other’s retreating figure, he suddenly felt as if his feet had taken root in the ground.
If the border hadn’t suddenly run into trouble, he wouldn’t have wanted to break his promise either.
The moment he entered the conference room, the virtual projection of his deputy, Levi, appeared before him. Standing ramrod straight, Levi saluted. “General.”
Wright asked, “What happened?”
Levi’s expression was grave. “At 19:59 capital time, the Konaren outpost on the northern frontier detected three Alpha pulse waves. Before that, however, none of the three defensive lines in the W-382 planetary belt—third, second, or first—showed any response.”
To repel insectoid invasions and ensure the Empire could enter a state of alert immediately in an emergency, it had established three defensive lines in the W-382 planetary belt beyond Blue Star. Each was equipped with one hundred of the most advanced detectors and the tightest military fortifications to detect insectoid signals. Beyond those three lines, after entering the atmosphere, lay the Konaren frontier outpost at the northernmost point of Blue Star’s surface—the military base where Wright was stationed year-round.
Over the past year, the three defensive lines in W-382 had detected abnormal signals 781 times and intercepted and destroyed 35 small insectoid starships, without letting a single one slip through. The Konaren outpost’s alarm had never gone off.
Yet this time, the abnormal signal had crossed the most tightly guarded military defense line in Blue Star’s history.
Wright’s brows knitted slightly. “Have all the detectors deployed in W-382 been inspected?”
The odds of all three lines’ equipment failing at once were extremely low, but he couldn’t rule out any possibility.
Levi replied, “The equipment is in good condition, General. I just had the men conduct a complete overhaul a week ago.”
The atmosphere grew even more oppressive.
Wright asked, “Were there any signs of an alien incursion around the abnormal signal?”
“There are no signs of an alien incursion along the Konaren frontier, but...” Levi brought up an image. “We found this black crystalline substance in the yellow soil where the pulse waves were detected. It’s about the size of a fingernail. Our initial assessment is that it’s a rare crystal from another planet. We’ve sent it to the lab for testing.”
Wright received the files Levi sent and quickly compiled a report. “I understand the situation at the border. I’ll report this to the capital now. I’ll return to the frontier in a week. Contact me immediately if anything unusual happens.”
“Yes, General.”
Levi saluted once more, and then his virtual projection disappeared.
By the time Wright had taken care of everything, it was nearly half past nine at night. The little merman had long since finished dinner, washed up, and gone to bed.
When he pushed open the door, the little merman was sitting on the bed reading. He had even placed Sharky as close beside him as possible, with the two of them leaning against the pillows together.
Mu Chen’s long silver hair spilled down over his shoulders. He held a thick, paper encyclopedia in his hands, making sure Sharky could see it too as he turned each page.
At times like this, Wright felt his heart soften like a sponge soaking in water, and his footsteps slowed.
He sat down quietly beside the bed. From the corner of his eye, he noticed the suitcase at the foot of it, already packed with a great many things.
Sensing Wright’s movement, Mu Chen immediately leaned against him. “Big Brother, the smart butler says the weather will turn cold next week, so we should bring more clothes when we go to the amusement park.”
Wright realized the things in the suitcase were what the little merman had prepared for their outing next week. Faced with his eager anticipation, he suddenly didn’t know how to tell him that he might have to break his promise again.
Even without an immediate response from Wright, Mu Chen continued to lean obediently against him and read. He even “generously” gave up Sharky’s spot to Wright. His rosy, plump lips curved upward like a doll’s; simply staying close to Wright seemed to make him especially happy.
Wright wasn’t a particularly sensitive person, but he could still sense that the little merman had a special dependence on him.
Like a kitten that hadn’t yet grown up finding someone it trusted, he always wanted to cling to him.
Yet this dependence left Wright at a loss.
This feeling was too heavy. It carried all of Mu Chen’s trust, so heavy that Wright hardly dared touch it, afraid he might break something.
This feeling was also too light, like a cloud. Even when he carefully used all his strength to hold it up, he was still afraid he would make it dissipate.
Wright had never been in such a position before.
In the early days of the Empire, border conflicts were frequent. Saying goodbye was the norm.
When it came to his father, Jorah, Wright’s farewells had always been brief and decisive. To him, this was simply what he had to do; the responsibility on his shoulders far outweighed the reluctance to part. Though his younger brother Lance had a completely different personality, the same independence was etched into his bones. The two of them usually understood each other’s intentions without needing to say much.
Compared with the imperial palace, the desolate, remote military base felt more like home to Wright.
But at that moment, Wright didn’t know how to face Mu Chen.
“I...”
His chest vibrated, producing a single syllable.
It was as if some seed buried in the earth had put down countless roots, winding into his veins and melding with his flesh, bringing with it a cloying, indecisive feeling that even made his vocal cords tighten beyond his control.
“I might not be able to go with you next week.”
The atmosphere fell silent for a moment.
Mu Chen slowly closed the book. The curve of his lips stiffened a little as he seemed to process the news. “Do you have something to take care of?”
Before Wright could respond, he pulled himself together, wrapped his arms around Wright’s waist, and said softly, “It’s okay... The week after next works too, or whenever you have time later, Big Brother.”
Wright lowered his eyes to look at him. “I have to return to the border.”
This kind of Level Two anomaly usually required a state of heightened alert lasting six months to a year.
Mu Chen suddenly looked up, his widened blue eyes revealing his anxiety as both hands clutched tightly at Wright. “How long will you be gone?”
Wright said, “A month at the earliest. If it takes longer...” Three years, five years, or even no return date at all.
But he couldn’t continue, because by the time the little merman heard “a month,” his eyes had already filled with tears. He tilted his head back, trying hard not to let them fall, and asked with a slight sob,
“Then can you take me with you?”
Wright froze. “The border is dangerous.”
Mu Chen pressed his lips together and asked in the tone that usually softened Wright’s heart the most, “Can’t I?”
But this time, Wright’s attitude was firm. “No.”
No matter what, he couldn’t possibly take Mu Chen to the border. Besides, the capital was the best place for the little merman to grow up. It had the finest resources, the best education, and was also the safest place on Blue Star.
“Quina will stay here with you in the palace, and...”
Before Wright could finish speaking, crystal-clear tears spilled from Mu Chen’s eyes, dampening his lower lashes. He hugged Sharky and ran out of the bedroom, wiping his tears with one hand as he went.
...
When Quina pushed open the bedroom door, Wright was still inside.
He sat on the edge of the bed with his legs apart and his elbows braced on his knees, head bowed in thought. A few locks of blond hair had fallen across his forehead, adding a hint of confusion to his usually stern face.
Hearing the door open, Wright looked up at Quina. “He still won’t come out?”
Quina shook her head.
Ever since the little merman heard that the prince was leaving, he had hidden underwater and refused to come out.
Wright lowered his head again, rubbing his chin with a curled finger.
There were some things he couldn’t understand—for instance, why Mu Chen would rather go with him to the border than stay in the palace, and why his emotional reaction had been so intense upon hearing that Wright was leaving.
Wright had very little experience comforting people, and the only one or two times he had done it had been with Mu Chen.
He always tended to tell the other person “what to do to make things better.” His way of comforting people was to offer a solution.
When the little merman had just run out of the room crying, Wright could still faintly hear his sobs from quite a distance away. He wanted to comfort Mu Chen and tell him “it’s okay,” but when the words reached his lips, he didn’t know how to say them.
Because “it’s okay” wasn’t a solution.
After a long silence,
“Why is he...”
Wright looked up to ask Quina, but halfway through his sentence, he furrowed his brows and seemed to hesitate.
“Your Highness.” Quina saw Wright’s struggle at a glance and spoke first.
“It’s a child’s nature to seek protection from their parents and elders. But Mu Chen lost his parents when he was young, and after coming to the palace, he had no family by his side. Though he usually seems very sensible, he’s still quite young. Here in the palace, he must see you as the person closest to him, someone like an older brother.”
“Young children don’t understand the difference between the outside world and home. Wherever their parents and siblings are, that’s home. When their family leaves, their first reaction is to ask to go with them. You know how dangerous the border is, of course, but to Mu Chen, he may simply want to stay with the person closest to him. Still... he may indeed be a little overly dependent on you.”
To Mu Chen, Wright had become like the little shark he took everywhere. The little merman wanted to cling to him at all times.
After hearing Quina’s explanation, Wright murmured almost to himself, “Overly dependent...”
...
By evening, the lights around the indoor lake had dimmed, casting a shadow over its deep waters.
Wright stood by the lake, but all he saw were the shadows of fish swimming back and forth. The little merman was nowhere to be seen.
He knew Mu Chen must have hidden himself.
Wright didn’t know how to get him out of the water, so he simply jumped into the pool.
The splash sent water surging loudly, and the cold lake water reached Wright’s chest. He swept his wet hair back and began searching for the little merman.
The indoor lake was enormous, and the deep-water area was unfathomably deep. Humans were slower underwater than marine creatures, and searching every inch of the pool would take quite some time.
However, Wright didn’t search at all. A little head appeared from behind a reef in the distance. The little merman’s lips were pursed and his eyes were red. He snuck a few glances in Wright’s direction, then swam over.
Mu Chen swam to Wright and hugged him, burying his face in the crook of his neck without a word.
Wright stroked his head. “I’m sorry...”
Mu Chen’s voice was muffled. “Mm... You don’t have to say ‘sorry.’ It’s not your fault the border suddenly ran into trouble, Big Brother. You just have a mission to carry out. I’m fine. I can be here alone... I can stay here alone just fine.”
The more he said that, the guiltier Wright felt, as a sour ache spread through his chest and weighed on him.
After a moment of silence, he said, “I was thinking...”
Mu Chen lifted his head from Wright’s shoulder. “Thinking about what?”
Wright said, “Would you like to go to school?”
What Quina had said about excessive dependence was indeed a problem. Mermen belonged in the vast ocean, and a little merman of this age should be with his peers and fellow mermen. But Atlantis was gone, and Mu Chen could only stay in the cold palace.
Although Mu Chen could receive an excellent education here, he was missing out on social interaction.
Wright thought that perhaps after joining a new group and making new friends, the little merman would be able to overcome this excessive dependence.