Invasion - Chapter 17

Chapter 17

The news of Lord James’ death in his own bedroom quickly spread, becoming the hottest topic of conversation in the streets and alleys these days.

It was said that the murderer was still at large, and the sentinels from the Public Security Bureau were extremely busy. Even Her Majesty, who hadn't shown her face for a long time, was now paying attention to the matter, and had sent Captain Luther of the Royal Guard to personally supervise the case.

But no matter who it was, no matter how prominent they had been in their lifetime, once the lamp of life was extinguished, they would only linger for a few more days in the spittle of others.

Soon, it would fade away with time, never to be remembered again.

After the crimson night had ended, the sun rose again.

In the wilderness far away from human settlements, vegetation was growing vigorously, and the earth was full of vitality.

An airship was slowly approaching from the horizon.

The exquisite goddess statue in front of the airship gleamed in the sunlight with the cold sheen of some sort of special material. Its oval-shaped body could accommodate hundreds of people. The huge shadow of the airship was cast on the green vegetation of the earth, startling a herd of elk that were hidden in the forest.

The beautiful herd of elk ran in the green wilderness, accompanied by the roar of the airship.

Soon, the elk rushed into some ruins covered in vines, stirring up some leaves, and they disappeared into the old buildings that humans had long since abandoned.

“Look, those are ruins from the old days,” a young man said, pointing out of the window of the airship.

He was wearing the white uniform of the Guide Academy, with delicate lace at the cuffs, his every move revealing the good manners that seemed to be carved into his bones.

He still looked very young.

Several Guides dressed the same as him came over and peered out of the window.

It was very costly for this luxurious airship that had been left over from the old days to operate.

It required expensive energy stones, and it was not a means of transport that ordinary people could use.

At this time, the interior of the airship was carrying more than ten young Guides, guarded by many sentinels. They were slowly heading toward the border.

Nowadays, the situation at the border was becoming increasingly dangerous. The contaminated zones were constantly expanding and changing, and powerful mutated creatures were appearing everywhere.

No Guide would be willing to reside permanently in those dangerous outposts which were lacking in resources. The rare and frail Guides couldn't bear the losses from war, either.

But in order to soothe the emotions of the sentinels stationed in those harsh and desolate lands, the empire would select some Guides from the White Tower each year to visit the various outposts at the border and stay there for a few days.

It was called helping to treat those sentinels with serious mental health problems. After all, the empire claimed that it would not easily abandon any sentinel.

However, over the years, this matter had almost become a mere formality.

Every year, the empire would symbolically send out some Guides. At each stop, they would take video recordings amidst many decorations and festivities.

The Guides would hastily stay for one or two days in those difficult conditions, complaining endlessly, and quickly return.

They basically wouldn’t truly help the low-level sentinels on the border get rid of their mental contamination.

There were an overwhelming number of sentinels who needed help, and there were very few young Guides, and there wasn't really much they could do, so they could only make it seem like they were doing something.

The young Guides sat in the bright and spacious dining room and enjoyed a meal. Through the wide glass portholes, the endless scenery of the wilderness was displayed before them.

No matter how unwilling they had been to depart, they were, after all, a group of young people who had never left the White Tower. Everything about the outside world was new and interesting to them.

Under that lush green grass, there were large swathes of buildings left behind by humans.

The overpasses and street lights that once stood tall across the city were now mostly collapsed. Like a dead dragon, most of it was buried under the dirt, and some broken sections were still frozen in time, looking up at the brightly lit sky.

Countless skyscrapers had been corroded over the centuries. Like hundreds of giant tombstones, they stood silently in the wilderness, covered in greenery.

“Wow, were those the places where the ancient humans lived?”

“See those tall, tower-like buildings? Those small black holes everywhere on them, they were where people used to live,” the sentinel who had been instructing everyone initially explained.

“Wow, why did they build such tall houses and live in such cramped spaces? When there’s so much land. They didn’t have contaminated zones at that time, right?”

“During that time, there were a lot of people on this planet, so many that you could never imagine it, that they didn't have enough land to live on. People could only build their houses taller and taller, one layer on top of the other, and live crammed together like bees. Well, just like you’re seeing now.”

“He truly deserves his title as the top student, who ranked first in the academic assessments. He’s even this knowledgeable in ancient history.” His companion praised the young man. “Xiao Shu, you ranked first in every subject, right?”

Shu Jingtong, who was sitting in the dining hall of the airship, pulled his gaze away from the window, elegantly laid out his napkin, and smiled humbly. “That is not the case. There are others with better grades than me, of course.”

“Jingtong would’ve had the top spot in every subject if it weren’t for that one subject, the mental strength test. Every year, he would be beat by that weirdo.”

“You, are you talking about that person?”

“Yeah, who else. Her grades for everything else are a complete mess. Her flower arrangements are a disaster, and she failed her tea ceremony. When we were in the cooking class, I happened to be in the same room with her, and I watched her set fire to the trash can.”

“How could Jingtong lose to someone like that? Could it have been some kind of foul play, cheating?”

“That's right. All of her grades except for mental strength are so poor, why did they match her to such an excellent partner at such a young age?”

“The only son of the Jiang family, a sentinel who had already passed the level B test when he was so young, with a mental body that was a majestic cheetah. He’s handsome, and they say that he has a good personality.”

Shu Jingtong raised his hand to stop his companion’s gossip. “Don’t say that, her mental strength truly is superior to mine. We should obey the White Tower's arrangement.”

As a top student who had grown up in the Guide Academy, he had been taught and influenced by the teachers since he was young, and he had been raised with self-discipline, courtesy, humility, and gentle character. He was an example of excellence both in academics and morals among his classmates.

He knew that for a Guide, humility and gentleness were the most important qualities. He thought that it was very wrong to speak ill of others behind their backs.

Even if he had also felt disagreement and suspicions in his heart.

He had once secretly asked his teacher why he would always lose to that person in this subject.

“Teacher, I just want to know how much stronger her mental strength is than mine. That way, I can work harder and try to win against her once.”

At that time, the teacher had simply sighed and patted his head.

Although the teacher didn't say anything, the look of pity on his face had triggered his rebellious heart.

It had taken him a long time to reflect on himself and adjust his mentality to make his heart calm and gentle again, so that every time he heard that name, he wouldn't be filled with a competitive spirit that he shouldn't have.

A Guide shouldn't have such a desire to win or lose, it wasn't right.

“That’s not something a Guide should care about,” his teacher's earnest teachings were still fresh in his mind. “The most important thing for a Guide is to learn to control their mental strength gently and meticulously, to be able to channel the negative emotions for their assigned partner, and that’s enough. It’s not good for a Guide to be too strong.”

He took his teacher’s words to heart and discarded those improper thoughts.

The most important quality of a Guide was to be calm, gentle, and beautiful. To devote one's life selflessly to one's partner was the virtue of a Guide. This was the common value, and everyone thought so, right?

Shu Jingtong also followed this rule, and year after year, he carefully and strictly demanded his every word and action, making himself into the image of a perfect Guide.

Several Guides who were traveling with him heard the gossip and gathered their heads together to chatter.

“Are you talking about Lin Yuan?”

“Does she have some kind of powerful background? She’s quite mysterious, she doesn’t fit in at all. She’s always cold and aloof, by herself. I don’t think any Sentinel would be able to tolerate her.”

“That's right. I thought they would break up eventually. Who would like a Guide who couldn’t even pass her cooking exam?”

“Don’t you know yet? Lin Yuan and Jiang Yangshuo have already called off their engagement,” a girl sitting at the dining table put down her golden fork, gently wiped her mouth with a napkin, and said. “It happened not that long ago, I heard that Lin Yuan bumped into Jiang Yangshuo with another Guide.”

“Really? What happened next? Tell us in detail, Nicole.”

Everyone loves gossip, not even the gentle and dignified Guides were immune.

Countless ears perked up. Even Shu Jingtong, the most excellent student in the academy, couldn't help but slightly lean in.

Nicole was a girl with an afro. The eccentric hairstyle paired with the academy's solemn uniform seemed rather out of place.

But she was from a prominent family, born into a hereditary noble family. Her father was the royal family’s spokesperson and held the title of Baron. Therefore, she lived much more freely than ordinary Guides, and no one dared to control her.

“They were caught red-handed, so there’s nothing to explain. Lin Yuan was quite impressive though, she immediately took off her engagement ring and threw it into the sewer in front of those two scumbag sentinels.” Nicole said. “It’s all over the social circle. You just didn't hear about it yet.”

“Really? She really threw the ring into the sewer?” Someone asked in disbelief. “I heard that was an heirloom of the Jiang family, and it’s worth a lot of imperial coins.”

“Of course it’s true. I saw Lin Yuan at that banquet a few days ago, the day when James died. She was no longer wearing the ring.” Nicole curled her lip. “To be honest, I quite admire her character. It’s much better than clinging onto a scumbag sentinel and making a huge fuss.”

“Right, didn't Lin Yuan also come? She seems to have joined the Special Research Department. She’s taking the same airship as us to the outpost. Wouldn't it be better to ask her directly?”

Nicole raised her head and searched the crowd, and she quickly found the person she was looking for, and she waved her hand in that direction. “Lin Yuan, come here. Sit here.”

The group wanted to stop her but it was too late. They saw that legendary weirdo, who had been in the academy for so many years, but was not familiar with anyone, walking over with a tray of food and a confused expression.

“Did you call for me?” she asked.

Just like all the other Guides, since she rarely went out into the sun, she had slender limbs and fair skin.

But she was not wearing the academy’s formal wear with its complicated patterns. She was wearing a set of dark blue sportswear.

The material of the clothes was high-quality, but they seemed to be a bit ill-fitting.

She had a belt outside her loose clothing, and her long legs were in high-top, hard-soled shoes. Her sleeves had been folded up to her elbows, revealing her pale forearms, and two fingers were spinning a tray filled with food.

She, who had just experienced her partner's betrayal, didn’t seem to have any particular emotions.

She stood frankly in front of everyone, with an expressionless face, and asked, “Did you call for me for something?”

“It's nothing much.” Nicole smiled at her and moved over to make space for her. “We haven't spoken much after all these years as classmates. We heard that you applied to be assigned to the Special Research Department, so we wanted to invite you to eat with us.”

Lin Yuan sat down next to her with the tray.

Actually, she didn’t remember Nicole’s name, even though this girl seemed to act as if they were close.

She couldn't even name most of the people at this table. She only vaguely recognized the male Guide who was sitting by the window as her classmate.

It had been several years ago, probably after an exam, when this person had inexplicably appeared and stopped her.

He had stared at her with teary eyes. “Could, could you let me see your mental body?”

Lin Yuan was perplexed: “?”

“I just want to see how much of a gap there is between us.” It was as if the boy had summoned all of his courage to say these words.

Then, next to this male Guide had appeared a fluffy purebred Chinchilla.

The fluffy kitten had tried to make itself as big as possible. Its size, which was around that of a husky, was rare for a Guide’s mental body.

The “gigantic” Chinchilla had glared at Lin Yuan and meowed fiercely, its voice soft and childish, and it even reached out its fleshy paw.

Lin Yuan had held back all her emotions and had tried her best to suppress all of the restless tentacles in the darkness. She hadn’t paid any attention to that Guide, and with a cold expression, she had walked past that snow-white kitten.

She walked quickly, quickly.

The tentacles could no longer be suppressed.

She didn't know if the kitten Guide, who had been ignored, had started to cry.

In front of a table full of classmates, Lin Yuan couldn't ask everyone their names.

She at least knew that it was impolite to forget people's names.

She could only put on an act, as if she knew everyone, and it was just that she was too aloof to speak.

The dining table, which had been bustling with chatter, suddenly fell silent, stuck in an awkward silence.

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