VAP - Chapter 109
Chapter 109: The Federal Marshal's Journey is the Sea of Stars (5)
For a moment, Yue Du had no idea how to react.
Even without the aid of the Silent Watcher, she could clearly see the silver tabby cat's appearance. When she did activate the Watcher to look around, the other Quantum Beasts were still just blurry gray shadows.
She could only see Sheng Xuejiu's Quantum Beast.
Yue Du slowly raised her head. In her line of sight, Federal Marshal Sheng Xuejiu had her eyes closed, her expression unreadable. She didn't seem to be paying any attention to what was happening over here.
In stark contrast was the beautiful, seemingly well-behaved long-haired cat by Yue Du's calf. It began to nudge the back of her knee with its forehead, its fluffy tail swaying back and forth in a clear display of affection.
A Sentinel or Guide's Quantum Beast symbolizes their subconscious. Some researchers believe a Quantum Beast is another version of oneself, the truest manifestation of their self-awareness.
...That's what the files said.
Yue Du fell silent for a moment. Ignoring the many probing gazes around her, she reached out and touched the spot between the cat's ears.
She watched its two ears flatten softly before immediately perking up again, swiveling energetically. At the very tips was a tiny tuft of silver fur, difficult to spot without looking closely.
Is this the host's subconscious?
Yue Du had petted cats before—specifically, Da Dun, the orange tabby that Yue Hao was in charge of feeding.
Though that cat hadn't been particularly fond of her. It would bolt after a few seconds of petting, looking at Yue Du as if she were a thug, defiant to the death.
Yue Du believed there was no joy in petting an unwilling cat, so she never forced it.
But this beautiful long-haired cat before her was actively seeking her touch!
Even knowing the cat wasn't a real creature but Sheng Xuejiu's Quantum Beast, Yue Du couldn't resist reaching out to pet it.
At the leadership table, Sheng Xuejiu still had her eyes closed.
The headmaster had just finished his speech. He turned off the microphone in front of him and said with a smile, "Marshal, are you quite fond of that child?"
Headmaster Andrea was a Guide. At over one hundred and sixty years old, he had soothed the minds of countless Sentinels. Judging a Sentinel's mental state was as simple for him as opening and closing his eyes.
Because of this, he keenly sensed the change in the young female Sentinel's mental state beside him.
Sheng Xuejiu's tone was nonchalant. "Ah, yes. I am."
So fond that, the very first moment she saw her, the chambers of her heart, usually so restless and agitated, felt as if they had been soothed and steeped in something calming, finding peace in an instant.
"She's sitting in the area for the Mecha Department's Sentinel specialization, Marshal. She's a Sentinel."
Sheng Xuejiu looked up. "What are you trying to say?"
"This is just a well-intentioned reminder from an old man. Her aura is more like a Guide's. I'm worried you've mistaken her," the headmaster said.
Sheng Xuejiu didn't speak. She lowered her gaze to watch Yue Du happily petting the cat, only speaking after a long moment. "It doesn't matter. Sentinel, Guide, ordinary person—it doesn't matter at all."
Sentinels were prone to falling into mental frenzies or dissociation. The only ones who could pull them out of such states were their bonded Guides, or a small handful of top-tier Guides.
There was an unwritten rule in the military: Sentinels with the rank of Colonel or higher had to bond with a Guide to coordinate in battle and avoid unnecessary losses.
Sheng Xuejiu was the Marshal, standing at the very pinnacle of military power. She had no intention of bonding with a Guide, and no one dared force her to. They could only offer subtle and not-so-subtle reminders like this.
Whether the Marshal would listen to these reminders was not something they could decide. Aside from stationing top-tier Guides permanently with the Silver Lion Legion, they could find no other solution.
To this day, however, Sheng Xuejiu had never once lost control. She still refused any form of mental soothing. It was rumored that people were privately betting on when she would have a mental breakdown—the longest bet was three years, the shortest was tomorrow.
Perhaps this was the tragedy of being a Sentinel. Without a Guide, their final destination was madness: destruction, murder, and then self-annihilation.
The headmaster sighed to himself.
Just then, the opening ceremony reached its final segment: the speech by the outstanding student representative.
The first to rise was the new student representative.
Yue Du's fingers were still buried in the soft, smooth fur of the cat's back, but her gaze lifted to the young woman standing on the stage.
This was the top student in this year's Sentinel specialization, Ying Wei.
She was also the "female protagonist" of this small world.
For some unknown reason, while the basic information on the Spiral Star System small world was quite complete, the data related to the plotline was pitifully scarce.
If Qi Jiu's world had at least provided a script outline, this world hadn't even given a story synopsis—only the main character introductions.
Yue Du was very calm about this.
After all, she had already witnessed all sorts of shenanigans from the Main System. A small mishap like this no longer fazed her.
At most, she'd just add another mark against the Main System in her little black book of grudges. No big deal, ha.
Ying Wei was not from the capital star. She was born on a small planet near the border and officially awakened as a Sentinel at the age of seventeen.
Her parents were both deceased, and she was raised by her uncle. Despite her ordinary family background and the limited teaching resources at her school, she still managed to test into the Capital Star's First Military Academy with the top score.
One look at this character profile and Yue Du knew Ying Wei was the type of tenacious, growth-oriented female lead who was destined to stir up storms on the battlefield and in the Federation's high command in the future.
But the future was the future. Right now, Ying Wei was just a young Sentinel from a remote planet. She had far too much to learn.
The upperclassman representative, on the other hand, was a Guide.
A gentle young man with glasses, he spoke in a refined and courteous manner, possessing the very soul-soothing temperament most needed in a Guide.
—He was the one the two female Guides had mentioned earlier, the one who had confessed to Sheng Xuejiu, the First Military Academy's top Guide.
Yue Du didn't find him threatening in the least.
He seemed very confident before his confession, not expecting to be rejected, which was probably why he chose a public venue, allowing ordinary students to find out about it.
However, when he went on stage and bowed to the leadership table, the Guide's expression was natural and poised, showing not the slightest hint of embarrassment.
True. If he didn't even have that much mental fortitude, how could he have become the top student?
Yue Du listened for a moment, decided the speech was rather meaningless, and lowered her head to continue petting the cat.
Perhaps enjoying being petted, the long-haired cat suddenly took a small step back, leaped up, and landed squarely on Yue Du's lap, its large tail wagging happily.
Yue Du: "..."
In the brief moment she was stunned, the cat began to nudge the palm of her hand with its fluffy head, a low purr rumbling in its throat, clearly asking for more affection.
Who could refuse such an invitation!
Yue Du gently scratched its chin.
At that moment in the auditorium, half the people were focused on the interaction between this new student and the Marshal's Quantum Beast. The other half were watching the stage, trying to discern any change in the Marshal's expression.
Unfortunately, they couldn't see a thing.
The opening ceremony ended in this strange atmosphere.
Sheng Xuejiu remained seated, and her Quantum Beast stayed curled up in Yue Du's arms, as if to say, "I'm just waiting for you to come get me."
Yue Du stood up, holding the cat, and looked at Sheng Xuejiu from across half the auditorium.
Homeroom Teacher: "Students of Sentinel Class One, students of Sentinel Class One, follow me! Yue Yao, where are you going?"
Yue Du turned, hefted the cat in her arms, and said with an innocent expression, "Teacher, I'm going to return the cat."
Homeroom Teacher: "...Alright then, go on. You can head straight back to the dorm afterward."
Yue Du walked onto the stage.
"Marshal, may I have a word with you in private?"
A moment later.
Yue Du and Sheng Xuejiu were sitting together on the auditorium roof, and Yue Du was still holding the cat.
"To summarize, you're mine," Sheng Xuejiu said, her expression placid. "That's the gist of it, right?"
Just now, the Main System had notified Yue Du that she had completed the mission to approach the host.
But this time, it hadn't specified that she was forbidden from revealing information from outside the small world to the host. So, Yue Du decided to do as she had in the first two worlds and explain everything about the Main God, the System, and the missions.
While she spoke, Sheng Xuejiu remained quiet, not interrupting. Only after she had finished did she offer her summary.
"You're mine."
—To interpret Yue Du's carefully impartial narrative in such a way, the Marshal certainly had a vivid imagination.
Yue Du stroked the cat's back distractedly. "...You could interpret it that way."
She had originally thought the host would ask about the mission first. Instead, after listening, Sheng Xuejiu's second sentence was: "That's good. I was wondering when you would finally arrive."
Yue Du's hand paused. "You knew I was coming?"
"Yes. I've always known."
In a flash, Yue Du understood.
This was a host whose self-awareness hadn't been interfered with by the Main System. She, too, felt no sense of belonging to this small world and knew that her true self was not human, and that she had other fragments.
Not only that, but Sheng Xuejiu seemed to know even more than Qi Jiu or Nai Yin had.
For instance, the fact that "Yue Du would appear."
"I'm not sure how I know," Sheng Xuejiu said, the corners of her crimson lips turning up in a slightly deeper smile. "But I was certain you would come. I believed it deeply."
The lighting on the roof was excellent. Under the brilliant sunlight, the pale-gold-haired Sheng Xuejiu looked just like a deity descended upon the mortal world.
Just then, as if unwilling to be ignored, the cat restlessly stuck out its tongue and licked the wrist of Yue Du's other hand, its tail perking up again.
Sheng Xuejiu's gaze darkened slightly.
She looked down at her own Quantum Beast, her eyes cold. But the seemingly small and harmless manifestation was not afraid of her at all, licking Yue Du twice more as if in defiance.
The next moment, the cat dissolved into a light mist and was recalled into Sheng Xuejiu's body.
Yue Du, who had suddenly lost the cat: "..."
The moment she saw Sheng Xuejiu's expression, she immediately understood the Marshal's train of thought.
You can't be serious. You're even jealous of your own Quantum Beast!
After a brief shock, Yue Du recalled that for this host, being jealous of herself was standard procedure, and she felt relieved.
Though it was a real shame there was no cat to pet anymore.
Sheng Xuejiu lifted a lock of her brilliant golden hair for Yue Du to see.
Yue Du didn't understand, so she offered a polite compliment. "It's very beautiful."
"You can touch it," Sheng Xuejiu said with a straight face.
In the end, Yue Du solemnly refused the offer.
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