VAP - Chapter 110
Chapter 110: The Federal Marshal's Journey is the Sea of Stars (6)
Being with her host always made Yue Du feel at ease.
Subtle changes in appearance and different personality traits never made the host feel like a stranger. Regardless of whether she had a vague impression of the world beyond, she was who she was.
However, as they say, there are two sides to every coin. Along with the sense of ease came other issues, such as the host's unchanging talent for infuriating people.
Sheng Xuejiu wanted to take Yue Du directly back to the military district.
Yue Du had to remind her, “This is the first time we’ve met.”
No matter how you looked at it, for the Federal Marshal, who had always been stern with others, to suddenly take away a military academy freshman she had just met for the first time—it would seem very strange!
Sheng Xuejiu was unconcerned. “Worried about what others will think? It doesn’t matter. My cat was clinging to you just now. In their eyes, that already explains a lot.”
Yue Du: “Ah, that’s true.”
She deeply condemned herself for indulging in petting the cat a moment ago, disregarding the bigger picture (not really).
After a moment of silence, Yue Du suddenly said, “That won’t work either. It makes no sense to drop out of the military academy right after getting in.”
Sheng Xuejiu said with righteous confidence, “You don’t have to drop out. We can just say the Silver Lion Legion values you and wants you to come for an internship.”
Yue Du shook her head. “That’s against military law.”
Sheng Xuejiu: “…”
The big, golden-furred cat reluctantly lowered its eyes. After a pause, Sheng Xuejiu said in a deep voice, “You are my System. You should be by my side.”
From this, one could see the differences of the interstellar era.
Faced with Yue Du’s dissuasion, in the chaotic and disorderly society of espers, Qi Jiu would have just lazily replied, “I am the law.”
In the fantasy continent or the cultivation world, Nai Yin and Yun Yijiu would probably have innocently retorted, “What is military law? What does it have to do with me?”
But Sheng Xuejiu? She actually hesitated at the words “military law.” At least she took discipline and regulations seriously.
This was one small step for Sheng Xuejiu, but one giant leap for all hosts in their concept of the rule of law!
Yue “once successfully took revenge in a society ruled by law” Du, while feeling inexplicably moved, still said no and patiently analyzed the pros and cons for the Marshal.
Military law was certainly part of the reason.
Even in the interstellar era during wartime, the importance placed on rules and laws was much higher than in Yue Du’s original world. Even as a Marshal, she couldn’t just do whatever she wanted.
On the other hand, Yue Du was also thinking of waiting for the Main System’s mission before weighing her options. Given the Main System’s bizarre methods, it wouldn’t be strange for it to assign any kind of outlandish task, especially since there wasn’t even a plotline this time.
What if her status as a student was more advantageous for completing the mission? No one could say for sure.
After analyzing it all, she turned to look at Sheng Xuejiu again.
…“Refusal to cooperate” was written all over her face.
“Ah Jiu (阿九).” Yue Du sighed helplessly. Only after the word left her mouth did she realize the intonation was wrong. It should have been Jiū (鸠 | Bird), not Jiǔ (九 | Nine).
However, Sheng Xuejiu didn’t seem to think anything was wrong. She raised her eyes slightly; the intimate address had effectively soothed the Marshal’s mood.
“Ah Jiu” was a name she acknowledged.
Yue Du silently made a mental note of this.
Sheng Xuejiu: “It sounds like that would indeed be better.”
Yue Du: “Yes.”
Sheng Xuejiu: “But I’m not happy. Why is it that I’ve clearly found you, yet I still have to spend my days alone in the military district?”
Yue Du: “Hmm…”
That was a problem.
Sheng Xuejiu pondered by herself for a long while, then suddenly broke into a smile. “It’s alright. We’ll see each other again very soon.”
Yue Du let out a single, questioning syllable: “Hm?”
But Sheng Xuejiu refused to say.
Until she left, Yue Du had no idea what secret she was keeping.
Sheng Xuejiu’s aircraft stopped outside the main gate of the military district.
Except in special circumstances, no one was allowed to use an aircraft within the military district, and the supreme commander of the military was no exception.
Sheng Xuejiu disembarked unhurriedly. As she walked through the gate, a photon sensor embedded in it beeped and said in a mechanical voice, “Welcome back, Marshal Sheng. Have a pleasant day.”
Sheng Xuejiu was indeed in a good mood. She didn’t return to her quarters, but went straight to her office instead.
At the same time, she sent a communication to several other people.
“Everyone, come to my turf. I have something to say.”
And so, when the Marshal arrived at her destination, her adjutant, He Yin, and two others were already waiting at the door.
Sheng Xuejiu raised her wrist. The optical computer chip automatically matched her identity for verification, and the door clicked open.
The group stood still inside the room.
Sheng Xuejiu asked first, “Where’s Zhan Lingqi?”
Zhan Lingqi, a four-star general of the military, was one of the people Sheng Xuejiu had just contacted.
“Admiral Zhan is not in the military district. He won’t be able to make it back on short notice,” He Yin said.
Sheng Xuejiu nodded in understanding. “Then forget it. Tell him not to come back. It’s not a big deal.”
Not a big deal…
The few people in the room all breathed a sigh of relief.
But they were only halfway through their sigh of relief when they heard the Marshal say, in a calm tone one might use to decide what to have for dinner, “Prepare the paperwork. I’m going to be at the First Military Academy for a while.”
After a brief silence, He Yin managed to ask, “Are you going for a visit, or to select new recruits for the legion?”
“Neither. I’m going to teach.”
A slender man next to He Yin said in disbelief, “That’s not possible! It’s against regulations—you’re the Marshal!”
Sheng Xuejiu retorted plausibly, “Doesn’t a Marshal have the right to chase her dreams?”
…The way you hole up in your room browsing your optical computer whenever you don’t have a scheduled appointment really makes you look like an ambitious person with dreams.
Having the military’s Marshal go teach at the academy—and from the sound of it, on a long-term basis—was definitely not a good idea.
The military and the academy had always had an inseparable relationship. The academy continuously supplied the military with fresh blood, and the children of most military officers would enter the academy to study, following the path their parents had once walked.
Then there was the current headmaster, Andrea, who himself held the rank of general and had been a fierce commander before retiring from the battlefield.
But having the Federal Marshal become a lecturer was simply preposterous. To put it mildly, it was a gross underutilization of her talents; to put it harshly, it was utter nonsense.
Sheng Xuejiu, shamelessly confident, said, “Military law doesn’t forbid a Marshal from teaching. Besides, I’m technically on leave right now.”
Military law doesn’t permit it either—
The adjutant and the two remaining generals were mentally and physically exhausted.
Having a superior with great strength, immense achievements, and an undefeated record sounded like a good thing—provided she wasn’t so unorthodox, willful, and self-centered, always trying to set new precedents for the military.
The time before last, it was rejecting the Guide matching, stating bluntly that she didn’t need a machine to play matchmaker.
Last time, it was refusing to return to the capital star for the Federation’s annual conference, opting to attend remotely instead.
And this time? The Marshal was going to be a long-term lecturer at the military academy?
We’re begging you, please come to your senses! You’re the Marshal! The number one figure in the military!!
Facing the despairing gazes of her subordinates, Sheng Xuejiu raised the corners of her mouth slightly, a dark glint flashing in her eyes. “I suppose I must seem too gentle today, is that it?”
A certain ominous premonition rose in He Yin’s heart.
Sure enough, the next moment, Sheng Xuejiu rose from her seat. “What a coincidence. How long has it been since I trained with you all? Let’s go loosen up our muscles.”
The aura of a top-tier Sentinel erupted from her. Even though she hadn’t released her Quantum Beast, the others felt as if they were being targeted by some large, ferocious beast, and cold sweat broke out on their skin unconsciously.
He Yin: “I just remembered I have several documents…”
The lieutenant general on duty: “It’s time. I have to go back and lead my troops…”
The slender man simply raised his hand. “I’m a Guide. I’m not participating.”
Sheng Xuejiu sneered, “Stop struggling, all of you. Come on.” Then she said to the male Guide, “Dean, you can use your spiritual power or release your Quantum Beast. Isn’t your ancient white elephant quite durable?”
The group followed, dejected and listless.
Sheng Xuejiu added thoughtfully, “It’s a pity Zhan Lingqi isn’t here. He’s quite strong.”
The group: Thank goodness Admiral Zhan isn’t here!
On this day, the few generals stationed at the military district once again experienced the terror of being dominated by the Marshal and her Quantum Beast.
After the sparring session was over, Sheng Xuejiu, feeling refreshed and invigorated, said, “Well then, I’ll be leaving tomorrow.”
“As you wish,” Dean said, drained of all energy.
“Remember to get the paperwork done.”
“Leave it to me,” He Yin said, full of sorrow.
And so, the military authorities succumbed to the Marshal’s violence.
Capital Star, First Military Academy.
Yue Du finished tidying her dorm room and sat at her desk, thinking about what the host had said today.
She thought for a while, but came up with nothing.
She turned her head to look around.
The dormitories for students in the Sentinel specialization were vastly different from those of other students. They had their own separate dormitory building, constructed entirely with soundproof materials, and every room was equipped with a white noise machine.
To an ordinary person, white noise sounds like a faint rustling, but to a Sentinel with sensitive hearing, it sounds like gentle noises such as flowing water, wind, and ocean waves. It can calm their nerves, which are constantly tormented by noise, making it easier for them to fall asleep.
First-year Sentinels were not yet skilled at constructing mental shields, and the noise of daily life could be suffocating for them.
This was especially true for the small number of Sentinels who had demonstrated the most acute five senses during testing. These individuals couldn’t even live in multi-person dorms and were assigned to smaller, single rooms. Yue Du was one of them.
Under these circumstances, using white noise to soothe oneself was the most effective method.
Yue Du, however, wasn’t concerned about this. Her acute hearing came from her system settings and could be turned on or off at will, which was very convenient.
As long as she activated sleep mode, even if a hundred ceremonial cannons went off simultaneously outside her window, it wouldn’t affect her at all.
Still, the white noise was indeed very pleasant to listen to.
Yue Du turned on the playback device and tested the audio tracks one by one. She found that her favorite was the sound of a summer night’s rain, so she left it playing.
Suddenly, Yue Du’s movements paused.
A strange warmth surged through her body. A faint, dull ache started in her head, and she felt a little weak.
—These were the signs of a Sentinel or Guide during their pre-awakening period.
Yue Du rubbed her temples, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
There had been no signs for the past few months, and she had thought she wouldn’t awaken at all. Who knew that the signs of awakening would appear on the very day she met her host?
It made sense, though. She had already seen Sheng Xuejiu’s Quantum Beast with her naked eye, which meant she was destined to belong to the world of Sentinels and Guides.
She just didn’t know if she was a Sentinel or a Guide.
Yue Du analyzed her own personality and condition and felt that the possibility of being a Guide was higher… even though this contradicted her official identity as a Sentinel.
It wouldn’t be hard to bluff her way through, though.
Whether a Sentinel or a Guide, they were just people with different abilities than the average person. In essence, they were still human.
As long as she could display the abilities of a Sentinel, who would suspect she was actually a Guide?
Of course, all of this was just speculation.
The awakening period could last anywhere from a week to several months. Before the period ended, Yue Du couldn’t be certain which type she would become.
I hope I get a fluffy Quantum Beast.
That was Yue Du’s last thought before she switched herself to sleep mode.
The next day.
“See her? Over there, the quiet-looking one in the Sentinel specialization uniform. That’s the Sentinel the Marshal’s Quantum Beast got close to.”
“She doesn’t look that special. Why would it take a liking to her?”
“The Marshal is the Marshal, and the Quantum Beast is the Quantum Beast! Don’t mix the two up.”
“If the Quantum Beast likes her, doesn’t that mean the person likes her too?”
“You can’t generalize. My fox likes all the pretty girls. It takes every chance it gets to go up and ask for a hug. It’s so embarrassing. Does that mean I like all girls too?”
“Ew. So you’re that kind of person. I misjudged you.”
“Hey—”
A few Guides walked past Yue Du, bantering amongst themselves, thinking their argument was so quiet that no one could hear.
Yue Du, who had heard every word crystal clear: “…”
No matter which direction she glanced, she could see people quickly turning their heads away, clearly having just been looking at her.
In everyone’s perception, the Marshal’s long-haired cat had never been close to anyone and rarely even appeared when it wasn’t needed.
Even so, the cat was still very popular.
Some of the Marshal’s admirers were avid “cloud-cat-petters.” Although footage of it was pitifully scarce, they still managed to “pet” it with great enthusiasm, making it their ultimate goal to capture a complete image of the long-haired cat.
For such a star Quantum Beast to stay by a first-year Sentinel’s side for so long, and even let her rua its fur—that was enough time for the cloud-petters to take hundreds of clear, complete photos!
However, the cloud-petters felt no joy at all in seeing their ultimate goal achieved.
Yue Du found herself the target of numerous mournful and resentful gazes.
She took a deep breath and maintained a standard smile.
Thankfully, she had successfully stopped her host’s idea of having her leave the academy and follow her to the military district yesterday.
Just petting the Quantum Beast a few times had caused such a huge commotion among the academy students. If she had actually left with Sheng Xuejiu… it was hard to imagine how these young men and women would have exploded.
With such thoughts in mind, Yue Du arrived at the temporary classroom indicated on the notice.
The Sentinel and Guide specializations were actually temporary as well, only existing for one academic year.
Once the first-years learned the specific ways to use their special abilities, these two specializations would be disbanded, and the students would be sorted into departments like Command, Mecha, and others to develop in different fields.
Yue Du arrived a bit early. The strict form teacher wasn’t there.
She found a random empty seat and sat down. Before she could even observe her surroundings, another wave of feverish weakness washed over her. She instinctively propped her forehead up with her hand and closed her eyes to recover.
Honestly, these awakening symptoms were a bit annoying.
Just then, a soft, fluffy, warm weight leaped onto her lap.
Startled, Yue Du snapped her eyes open, meeting the round, silver-gray eyes of the long-haired cat. They were translucent and clear, quite beautiful.
Since the Quantum Beast was here, then Sheng Xuejiu herself…
“Are you alright?”
It was the host’s voice.
Yue Du’s right hand had just instinctively come to rest on the cat’s back. Hearing the voice, she immediately looked up and met a pair of deep, dark eyes.
After a moment of daze, she was immediately overcome with a sense of resigned helplessness, as if to say, “I knew it.”
“You—how are you here?”
Sheng Xuejiu pointed to the insignia on her chest. It was the First Military Academy’s emblem, which contained an identification chip and had to be worn by every faculty member and student.
“I’m the practical combat instructor for your year,” she said with a light chuckle. “Student Yue, shouldn’t you be saying, ‘Hello, Instructor’?”
Yue Du… Yue Du felt even dizzier.
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