MORIC - Chapter 190

Chapter 190: Who is the Siren

This was perhaps the quietest succession ceremony in history. No royalty from other galaxies came to offer congratulations, and no reporters were present with the latest equipment.

The only attendees were representatives from the Parliament and the nobility, along with some important military personnel.

They had all come to witness the coronation of the Empire's queen in name only.

Shen Yu was both a noble and a marshal of the military, though her relationship with her family was merely average. At this moment, she stood in front of Wen Xinghuo, exchanging pleasantries with the arriving guests.

Wen Xinghuo stood silently by her side. They wore identical uniforms, though Shen Yu's was of the highest rank and had a modified design.

But Wen Xinghuo was simply too tall, making her eye-catching no matter how one looked at her.

It reached the point where those who came to chat would always add, "This must be the one from your standing army's Special Forces..."

Shen Yu would nod. "Yes."

The last to exchange pleasantries was the highest-ranking member of the Parliament, a male Alpha with star-white hair.

Wen Xinghuo knew of him; he had signed many of the Empire's regulations into law. However, his health had been poor in recent years, so he rarely appeared in public.

Shen Yu appeared utterly sophisticated, completely lacking the casual air Wen Xinghuo had seen when she was trying to win a goose at a stall during their first meeting.

The poised senior exchanged glances with people in this setting, while Wen Xinghuo remained silent, observing everyone present.

After all, the Zerg Queen who had invaded a human and occupied the Queen's body probably still thought everything was going smoothly, unaware that her secret had long been exposed.

The people present had long been infiltrated by Shen Yu. It could be said that after years of negotiations and dealings, at this crucial juncture, everything was under Shen Yu's control.

Shen Yu wasn't old, but she wasn't young anymore either.

But her personality was very youthful. She could get along well with her juniors and would occasionally tease Wen Xinghuo for not acting like a young person at all.

She would say that at their age, even amidst the flames of war, they should indulge in sensual pleasures.

But Shen Yu didn't say to Wen Xinghuo what she had said to Xi Shuang—not to waste her youth, not to have regrets.

Because Shen Yu knew that Wen Xinghuo's regret was difficult to reverse, and even now, it took everyone's combined strength to fight against it.

At this moment, lyrical background music played, and waiters moved about with glasses of wine. The pre-ceremony ball showed no tension at all, as if the Zerg hadn't already invaded the Capital Star.

It was as if nothing had happened, as if the passage between the upper and Lower Worlds hadn't been breached, and the Lower World wasn't a scene of devastation.

As if... no one knew that the master of this Royal Palace was no longer human.

But as it happened, the few people attending all knew.

Amidst the sound of the orchestra, Wen Xinghuo suddenly noticed that Shen Yu had many more white hairs.

Before long, the lights dimmed, the music stopped, and the Queen, seated in a wheelchair, was pushed onto the high platform by a lady-in-waiting.

Under the spotlight, she sang an ancient ballad of the Empire, a musical score from the Prime Century.

How could a Zerg sing? Generations of queens had been human; could their emotions be stolen after being invaded?

This song was heard once every twenty-odd years, melodious each time, as if it wasn't about succession, but about someone's attempt at an eternal life together.

"I entrust all of this to my successor."

"Including my scepter, my crown."

The spotlight jumped, and Sheng Yangkui appeared from the darkness, dressed in the most magnificent attire of her life. She walked step by step to the front of the stage, bowed her head, raised her hands, and her snow-white gloves grasped the scepter. She smiled at the people below.

Even though the light was dim, Wen Xinghuo was still like a flame in her eyes. She saw her in a single glance.

Then, without any lingering, she shifted her gaze away and began to hum the ballad from before.

Starting with the Parliament, this group of attendees shook hands with Sheng Yangkui one after another, while the Queen sat to the side, watching.

She still wore a veil, hiding her aged face, her murky eyes staring at Sheng Yangkui's back.

Originally, Wen Xinghuo wasn't qualified to shake hands, but when it was Shen Yu's turn, she stepped behind Wen Xinghuo.

A pair of delicate hands was offered, and Wen Xinghuo grasped them without hesitation. But the contact was fleeting; Sheng Yangkui, like a butterfly, flew away again.

But she was, after all, a sickly butterfly. Her wings were tainted by disease, easily swept towards death in the wind.

The succession ceremony was brief, but after today, the Queen of R-Galaxy would be Sheng Yangkui.

What made her different from the previous queens was that she was the only one who had not undergone gland removal after her succession.

Xi Mingguang's injuries hadn't healed, so Xi Li attended the succession ceremony in her place.

As it happened, half of the elevators in the Royal Palace were broken today. The Zerg Tide had greatly reduced the efficiency of maintenance personnel, so the guests had to walk down several hundred steps.

Xi Li greeted Wen Xinghuo.

He was wearing a black suit, showing no sign of being at the bottom of his family's food chain. "Xiao Wen, long time no see. You're getting more and more handsome."

Wen Xinghuo was used to Xi Li talking like this. Ever since she was a child, Xi Zhoumeng's big brother had always had this attitude.

Perhaps the sharp tongues of the Xi family were a hereditary trait.

Shen Yu said, "I heard Zhoumeng was late?"

Xi Li: "..."

The person before him was still his sister's superior. What was he supposed to do?

Xi Li's legs suddenly felt weak. He gave Shen Yu a stiff smile. "She's just like that."

Shen Yu said, "I know. That's why I deliberately told her the ship was departing an hour early."

Xi Li: ...

Wen Xinghuo, who was just finding this out: ...

She suddenly started to feel sorry for Xi Shuang and Ling Xun, who had gotten up so early.

Because the Capital Star was very unsafe right now, the military was responsible for the transportation of the guests attending the ceremony.

Wen Xinghuo stayed until the very end. Shen Yu knew what she was thinking. "All we have to do now is wait."

She didn't say "what if," but Wen Xinghuo had worked under her for some time and knew Shen Yu's style very well.

If Sheng Yangkui failed, Shen Yu would bear the crime of rebellion.

Actually, Xi Zhoumeng had been against this plan initially. She still felt that the royal family's reputation wasn't worth protecting.

So what if people found out the Queen had been invaded by Zerg for many generations?

But Shen Yu and Xi Mingguang were stubborn, or rather, their experience far surpassed that of Xi Zhoumeng and Wen Xinghuo. Having lived through the flames of war, they knew better that people sometimes needed lies to fill the void.

"If you become a rebel, what about Aunt Lan Lan?"

Xi Zhoumeng had retorted at the time.

Shen Yu smiled. "A new government will still be established then. It'll be you young people's world. Looking after me should be easy, right?"

She patted Wen Xinghuo. "If you can't bring yourself to..."

Wen Xinghuo took a deep breath and said very seriously, "I can do it."

Of the eight of them from Guyun Academy, everyone except her and Sheng Yangkui had recovered their memories. The elders like Shen Yu were not part of the memory reboot.

But fate works in subtle ways. Even without reminders, people would follow their predetermined paths.

For example, Wen Xinghuo's unhesitating choice.

Xi Zhoumeng clapped. "Very perceptive. But this is the most helpless choice."

"Wen Xinghuo, can't you have a little more confidence in your wife?"

The blonde Alpha, remembering something, smiled gently. "Just like how I have complete faith in my Yueshan's optimizations for my mecha."

"Yours is the type where even a cornered rabbit will bite. She actually has a lot of endurance."

Wen Xinghuo said, "But... the invasion failed during the practical training, and now the Queen is acting like nothing's wrong. I'm still..."

She closed her eyes. Of course, she knew what kind of personality Sheng Yangkui had.

Some people go their whole lives without receiving love; the slightest bit of warmth is enough for them to fly into the flame like a moth.

Moreover, this time Sheng Yangkui had friends. She actually listened to Xi Zhoumeng more than anyone.

Xi Zhoumeng said, "You think she's too fragile."

She only said half of it, since Shen Yu didn't know about their little reboot plan.

She just commented that the youngsters' plan was audacious and reckless, while also admiring this kind of youthful bravado.

Wen Xinghuo knew what Xi Zhoumeng wanted to say.

It was simply that someone who could let you cut off her head back then wouldn't be some kind of coward.

Sheng Yangkui envied Chi Yueshan's fearless courage, but in reality, she herself had possessed this quality all along.

Now, Wen Xinghuo stood in front of the hovercar. Shen Yu had already gotten in but didn't have the heart to rush her.

Only after Wen Xinghuo took a long, deep look at the Royal Palace and got into the car did Shen Yu say, "Wait patiently."

Until she was seated on the spaceship, Chi Yueshan's mind was filled with Xi Shuang's final, cursing words—

"Incredible! You're truly incredible, Xi Zhoumeng!"

So embarrassing!!

How can someone love to show off so much?

Combining Xi Shuang's previous effusive praise for the Omega Xi Zhoumeng and the time she got into a huge fight with Wen Xinghuo over her, Chi Yueshan felt embarrassed just recalling it.

It was too humiliating. No wonder Xi Shuang was so angry now. If it were me, I'd be angry too.

This was an Expeditionary Force spaceship. The course was set, heading for the Expeditionary Force's current garrison—Planet R-E23.

This wave of the Zerg Tide had swept through the various planets of R-Galaxy. The Expeditionary Force's warships had already annihilated most of them during their patrols. Afterward, small squads would patrol together with the local border defense forces.

Now, only a few red dots remained on the star chart.

But Shen Yu had also given Xi Zhoumeng an order: to investigate the situation in the galaxies neighboring R-Galaxy.

Ever since the Zerg Tide struck, they had lost contact with other galaxies. Compared to the restoration of communications in R-Galaxy, the nearest M-Galaxy seemed to have completely lost all trace of humanity. Every message went unanswered.

Xi Zhoumeng was now sitting at the front, looking at the star chart.

The person from the Expeditionary Force who came to pick her up was an Alpha lieutenant general, who was currently reporting the situation to this newly-appointed commander.

However, the other party showed no disrespect whatsoever.

Shen Yu's appointment notice was issued that same day. Her signed order was of the highest level, requiring unconditional obedience from subordinate officers.

On top of that, a blurry, edited video of Xi Zhoumeng's sparring session from that day was circulating internally. Even though it was low-resolution and a bit laggy, any Alpha who saw it would know the skill level of this new commander.

In addition, Xi Zhoumeng's latest report was also delivered along with the appointment notice.

A 21-year-old S+ spiritual power Alpha, who already had a track record of breaking through encirclements of mid-to-high-grade Zerg. In terms of qualifications, there was no problem at all.

Ling Xun was also listening off to the side. The two of them clearly had things to do, leaving only Chi Yueshan with nothing to do.

She suddenly regretted being so bewitched by lust that she had agreed to Xi Zhoumeng's "keep me company for a few days."

This round trip on the spaceship was no small matter.

And... and I've already given her mecha the maximum strength augmentation. Even if there's wear and tear from battle, I've handed over all the contingency plans to the Expeditionary Force's mecha technician team.

How awkward. I'm definitely going to see them later.

Sob sob sob, Mecha Guild, my wonderful career, all ruined by this siren Xi Zhoumeng.

How could I be such a love-struck fool with no self-control?

Chi Yueshan bit her lip, opening her light-brain while thinking she should find something to do, like the construction of the Mecha Guild, and uploading some...

But as soon as she opened her light-brain, she saw an unread message from Xuan Ping.

Xuan Ping was now a highly sought-after researcher. Although she hadn't yet earned her doctorate, she, along with Wen Xinghuo and Xi Zhoumeng, had been given the title of outstanding alumna.

Chi Yueshan hadn't been able to be listed with the three of them yet; they said she had to wait for the next batch.

Xuan Ping had always done support work. Perhaps Xi Zhoumeng's use of Magnetic Star Meteorites for spatial jumps had inspired her, as she was now researching whether the Zerg's sudden appearances and the fluctuations in their own peak values could be related to directional spatial jumps.

Xi Shuang, that gossip fiend, was in the group chat posting classmates' predictions about the future of the AO couple, Xuan Ping and Mu Lai.

For example, Xuan Ping's value was skyrocketing now, far beyond that of an ordinary Omega. She might even be awarded an Imperial Medal after this Zerg Tide was over.

For example, Mu Lai was the one marrying up, and they suggested Xuan Ping find a new Alpha.

Others were saying they were already permanently marked and wondering if it could be washed away or something.

This bunch of people had nothing better to do at home all day. The fact that the Capital Star had emerged unscathed from every Zerg Tide gave them infinite confidence, making them even more certain than the military that this time would also end smoothly.

Xuan Ping: Yueshan, I heard you went with Senior Xi to the Expeditionary Force? Did you bring Hunhun with you?

Chi Yueshan felt even more guilty.

She replied to Xuan Ping: No, I'm just keeping her company for a few days. I'll be back soon. I'm not the kind of person who gives up on myself for an Alpha!

Xuan Ping replied after a moment: Why are you overthinking it? It's perfectly normal to go with Senior. You must be very worried, or you wouldn't have gone.

Chi Yueshan's eyes welled up with tears.

Xuan Ping: I saw the photos of Hunhun you sent me. This outfit 【Image】 and this one 【Image】 are both very cute. Are there any clothing stores that take pre-orders for them now?

Chi Yueshan's heart skipped a beat. She replied with trembling fingers: Pingping, you didn't... you know?

Xuan Ping: Mmm.

Chi Yueshan: But didn't you say you would only... after getting married?

Xuan Ping: You can have a child without the Alpha.

Chi Yueshan couldn't calm down for a long time. When Xi Zhoumeng returned thoughtfully and sat down, she found Chi Yueshan in a daze. Just as she was about to speak, Chi Yueshan grabbed her.

Xi Zhoumeng: "What's wrong with you? Did you have a nightmare?"

Chi Yueshan: "I suddenly feel like I have such a narrow perspective."

Xi Zhoumeng: "What are you thinking about?"

Chi Yueshan: "If my child is an Omega in the future, I will do everything in my power to support her in having a child without an Alpha."

Xi Zhoumeng: ...

Chi Yueshan was still clenching her fists, as if inspired by some unknown force. Although Xi Zhoumeng's mind was filled with what the lieutenant general had just said about the suspected lack of any signs of life, she now relaxed a little because of Chi Yueshan.

She gave her a kiss. Chi Yueshan was about to ask if she was crazy for doing that in public, but she was pulled into a full embrace.

Then, Chi Yueshan heard Xi Zhoumeng's mournful tone: "You're not thinking of abandoning your Alpha and keeping the daughter, are you?"

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