Chapter 61: Rowland Vette

Chapter 61: Rowland Vette

A qualified king must not only manage his own empire but also be vigilant against disturbances from the surroundings.

The one stirring up conflict is not from the empire, but an unknown species from the aliens. Yun Huai felt this wasn't something he could handle alone; it should be the mysterious alien lord who takes charge.

Since it’s in their territory, they should capture the perpetrator and then explain to the empire's injured soldiers.

But Lu Rin'an seemed not to hear him, appearing somewhat frozen.

Yun Huai looked at him earnestly, his eyes questioning, "What's wrong? Is it inconvenient?"

Lu Rin'an's eyes flickered, then he forced a smile, "Convenient, how could it not be? I’ll help you get what you want."

Yun Huai nodded, sensing that indeed there were higher powers above Lu Rin'an.

Lu Rin'an opened the link code and then suddenly said, "He's quite lazy, might not necessarily respond."

Patience was something Yun Huai had in abundance: "No problem, I can wait."

Lu Rin'an added, "His lifestyle is also quite strange, usually just eating or sleeping, very reclusive."

Yun Huai: "...It's fine."

Lu Rin'an struggled again: "He's quite fierce, and if his sleep is disturbed, he might go berserk."

Yun Huai's brow furrowed: "Just try it."

Lu Rin'an: "............"

No choice then.

There were just too many unreliable people in the Creation Star Region. Counting over and over, Lu Rin'an could only think of two who were somewhat reliable.

He made a mental note and then opened one of those contacts.

Alien link code communications are silent until the other party connects, only then can you see their presence.

Ever since becoming a lord, Lu Rin'an could count on one hand the number of times he had initiated communications over the past eight years.

The wait seemed incredibly long.

So long that Guard Captain Ren had switched to a new primal energy gun.

Creation Star Region.

Lord's Residence.

Tang Zhou looked at Theodore strangely, feeling compelled to remind him, "Mr. Theodore, your link code has been flashing since just now."

Theodore, who was organizing documents, glanced at the ID, then smiled and said, "It seems there's a problem with the link code communication. I'll have someone replace the built-in component later."

Tang Zhou didn't press further, then remembered something and asked, "How long has the lord been away?"

Theodore: "Almost two months."

Tang Zhou: "...Can he come back?"

Theodore: "The lord said he would return with the Ita king."

Tang Zhou: "..."

Focused on his work, he mused, "This is indeed a difficult task. The Ita Empire has been searching for a royal family member for hundreds of years. The new king won’t easily leave the Pure White Main Planet. Especially since he doesn't seem much interested in romance; otherwise, he wouldn’t have left so heartlessly."

Theodore smiled faintly: "I’m prepared not to see the lord for as long as ten years."

Tang Zhou's lips twitched, and out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Theodore's link code flashing again. He couldn’t help but ask, "Who is looking for you now?"

Theodore turned off the link code: "It’s still the lord, that’s why I said there’s a problem with the link code. He won’t pay attention to the Creation Star Region during his courtship period."

Tang Zhou understood completely: "Your built-in really does need a replacement, or else it's quite startling to have it go off like this again."

Theodore, the steward, wholeheartedly agreed and booked an afternoon appointment for a built-in replacement at the Lord Star Link Code Management Center.

The two reliable subordinates of the lord discussed their work progress, then split up to handle their respective tasks.

Imperial Border Outpost 687.

Yun Huai noticed Lu Rin'an's face turning subtly unpleasant.

He estimated the waiting time, which was at least five minutes by now.

"Is he really that lazy?" Yun Huai exclaimed in shock, "He doesn’t even answer the link code?"

Before Lu Rin'an could respond, Ren suddenly interjected: "Maybe he’s just a liar deceiving you. He doesn’t really know any lord."

Lu Rin'an: "?"

Ren: "Lord Xie Ye once tried to study the alien lord, but unfortunately, he couldn't figure out the species or basic appearance of the alien lord. This person never appears in public, and all information about the alien lord is highly classified by their kind."

Ren added: "Just like how we keep information about you confidential."

Yun Huai looked at Lu Rin'an. Since Lu Rin'an was sent by the lord, he must have seen him. Yun Huai might doubt the alien lord's laziness, but he wouldn't doubt Lu Rin'an’s strength.

They definitely know each other. If he is the ruler of the aliens, he would surely have registered a cosmic creature like Lu Rin'an and classified him as a top-tier red management level.

Yun Huai pondered: "Maybe he really is in hibernation. Isn't there any other way to contact him?"

Lu Rin'an was silent for a while, then chose another seemingly reliable contact and told Yun Huai, "I'll ask one of his top subordinates."

Yun Huai nodded again, trusting.

This time, the wait for the link code was shorter than before. Yun Huai had used alien link codes before and knew that continuous blue flashing meant connection in progress, while a stop in the flashing indicated a failed connection.

Lu Rin'an's link code flashed only five or six times before it quietly returned to its inactive state.

This could be interpreted as being rejected for communication by the other party.

Yun Huai's gaze at Lu Rin'an gradually became puzzled, then he noticed that Lu Rin'an's expression was even more colorful than his own.

To put it simply, it was a look of wanting to devour someone yet restraining himself.

Aside from being rejected last time at K420, this man had never been so defeated in front of him. Yun Huai watched as the air around Lu Rin'an began to twist intensely, while the guard captain beside him became more vigilant, drawing his lightsaber.

Yun Huai: "..."

This diplomacy is impossible to conduct.

Creation Star Region.

Tang Zhou met Theodore coming towards him and asked, "Is your work finished?"

Theodore nodded: "I've mainly been busy with residence matters. With the lord away, my workload has actually decreased quite a bit."

Tang Zhou: "Are you going to replace your link code's built-in component now?"

Theodore smiled: "Yes, what about it?"

Tang Zhou: "I'll join you. Today is really strange, my link code is having issues too."

Theodore's eyes crinkled in amusement: "Did the lord contact you too?"

Tang Zhou: "Yes, but I dismissed it. The Ita Empire's main planet is too far from the Creation Star Region for the link code to work."

Theodore: "I remember the lord never initiates contact with you, right?"

Tang Zhou nodded: "Only I reach out to him. In the eyes of that lord, we don't really qualify for him to initiate contact."

Theodore wholeheartedly agreed.

The two overly smart and reliable individuals headed towards the Link Code Management Center, discussing how to manage various conflicts that might arise in Lu Rin'an's absence.

"Speaking of which, Lan Xi has been gone for a few days now; he should be returning soon," Theodore said.

"Yes, every year there are at least eight to ten reports about border conflicts. But things are different now. We better not provoke conflicts with Ita. With the emergence of the new Ita king, the empire's soldiers have become more ferocious."

"And the lord, he prioritizes love above all else. That’s why I urgently sent Lan Xi to the border to prevent conflicts. Normally, such minor issues would be resolved by notifying the superior planets in the R Star Region."

"...Work has become increasingly difficult recently. If the lord really could romance the Ita king, it would be great. Everyone would be at peace. With the Ita king to keep him in check, the lord wouldn’t be too fierce."

Tang Zhou chuckled: "You're right."

As they just stepped out of the public office, their link codes started flashing wildly. Tang Zhou lifted his to check and muttered about its intermittent functioning.

He answered, "What's up?"

The voice on the other end sounded somewhat frantic: "Damn it, someone come and pick me up! My hands are shaking so much I can't operate the spacecraft!"

Tang Zhou frowned: "What happened?"

Lan Xi was panicking: "Ahhhh, damn it, I was just sleeping and when I opened my eyes, I saw the lord right in front of me! He was furious about the border situation. I'm still not over the shock. Is Tang Si Si there? Let that kid come and get me!"

Tang Zhou: "————"

Theodore: "?"

Theodore widened his eyes and slowly asked Lan Xi, "Who did you say is at the border star?"

Lan Xi: "The lord! He came with the Ita king! That new Ita king is so cautious, he won't tolerate even a minor border conflict! The lord is simultaneously romancing and accompanying him in the investigation!"

Tang Zhou: "............"

He and Theodore looked at the missed calls on their link codes, falling into a deathly silence.

After a while, the two dependable men exchanged a glance, seeing a kind of apocalyptic despair in each other's eyes.

……

After a trip out for romance, Lu Rin'an wondered if he had been usurped. He couldn't contact anyone in the Creation Star Region, and even his link code was disconnected for the first time.

Lu Rin'an's expression was a solemn silence, as he looked straight at Yun Huai: "Something happened, and now I can't contact anyone from the Creation Star Region."

Yun Huai didn’t really doubt Lu Rin'an's status among the aliens. He was just wondering if Lu Rin'an had been isolated and rejected by the entire alien society for being too high-profile in his cross-star courtship.

After all, he did seem to be resolutely "defecting."

But Yun Huai knew that he simply wanted a cross-star romance. Maybe Lu Rin'an was also upset now, feeling unaccepted by the core areas of the alien society.

Thinking this, Yun Huai frowned slightly, "Don’t you have your own subordinates? Are they still around?"

Lu Rin'an looked up, and Ren also suddenly stirred.

"It makes no difference whether they are here or not," Lu Rin'an suddenly said, "I need to go back to the Creation Star Region. The round trip might take three or four days. Will you leave during these days?"

Yun Huai blinked: "No, the investigation isn't clear yet."

Lu Rin'an nodded, then took a deep breath: "Then, will you forget about me in these few days?"

Yun Huai shook his head; he had stopped being able to forget him a long time ago.

Lu Rin'an, under Ren's deadly glare: "I'll go handle some things and come back to find you very soon."

Yun Huai's eyes moved slightly, suddenly asking: "Between you and the alien lord, who is more powerful?"

Lu Rin'an fell silent. How could he compare? Being himself, he was equally strong, but his silence in Yun Huai's eyes meant a slight disadvantage.

A slight disadvantage meant danger for this trip.

The young man's expression subtly changed, his gray-purple pupils softly resting on the tall, handsome creature.

How many monsters were there in the Creation Star Region? Yun Huai couldn't imagine; he always felt it was a cosmically dangerous area.

Lu Rin'an didn't answer his question, but looked at Yun Huai steadily, his eyes filled with struggle and complexity.

Yun Huai opened the hatch and watched as Lu Rin'an hurriedly arrived and was now preparing to leave just as quickly.

Ren sat at the entrance, and Lu Rin'an suddenly turned back, grasping the hatch with both hands: "I will think of you every moment."

Yun Huai's scalp tingled as he nodded, with Ren beside him ready to shut the door firmly.

Lu Rin'an let go of the hatch. He had arrived swiftly and lightly, but his departure seemed heavy, as if carrying a thousand pounds.

If it weren't for Yun Huai asking him to contact the alien lord and then failing, he might not have realized he was isolated in the Creation Star Region.

As soon as the creature left, the hatch was instantly closed, and Ren appeared to sigh in relief.

Eliad and the little butterfly flew around the loyal and stable royal guard, their movements becoming more relaxed.

Yun Huai opened his light computer to check the spacecraft navigation of the Creation Star Region. After a few seconds, he said to the loyal and steady royal guard, Ren: "How about a three-day trip to the alien region?"

Author's note:

Huai: (Worried) (He helped me a lot) (Oh, I'm the Ita king now) (Something's up) (Let’s go and see) (Stand by my close friend if necessary)

Rin: Try, disrupting, my, romance, again!

Huai: ...

Rin: (Halfway through the bite) (Turns back) (Stunned) (Darling, listen to my excuses!)