Chapter 21: Inquiry

Chapter 21: Inquiry

The investigator was somewhat perplexed by Rong Mi's remark.

Investigator: ...How does this sound like Rong Mi didn't even know Lu Yi's military rank before?

The Federation's territory spanned vast star systems, and peace reigned within the secured zones. Especially in the depths of these safe zones, many people felt that the war with the insectoids was a distant affair, unrelated to their lives.

As such, not everyone knew Lu Yi. But those who did were aware that he was the youngest legion commander and the youngest general in the Federation.

"The First Legion has been stationed in the war zone for a long time," the investigator could only bring up something related to Lu Yi's rank. "General Lu is very capable, having climbed the ranks at the fastest pace in the past hundred years."

Rong Mi fell into deep thought.

...He had no idea how close Lu Yi was to the First Legion's commander.

But the man had promised to keep it a secret! Surely, there shouldn't be any issues now, right?

Lu Yi seemed like the type of person who could be utterly relied upon and would never break a promise.

"Please come in." The investigator had already opened the door to the interrogation room. Rong Mi snapped back to reality and prepared himself for the impending questioning.

However, the investigator's questions were quite restrained.

He inquired about Rong Mi's reason for participating in the competition, how he initially fell into the Ice Butterfly Cocoon area, his encounter with the Ice Butterfly, and the entire process of battling it.

After Rong Mi finished giving the basic account, the investigator nodded.

"As per standard procedure, we need to access your background records, including your family history and upbringing... This will require your authorization." He pushed an optical screen bearing an agreement toward Rong Mi. "The report will only be submitted to the investigation team for this Ice Butterfly incident and high-ranking military officials directly involved."

"This is to rule out any private connections you might have with the insectoids," he explained. "If you refuse the investigation, you'll need to provide a detailed explanation and submit it to the military for review."

"I don't have any issues," Rong Mi quickly signed the consent form. With the original owner's spotless background, he had nothing to fear. His greater concern was the investigation team asking about the significant changes in him.

Upon receiving Rong Mi's signed agreement, the investigator put down his pen.

He didn't inquire about how Rong Mi had become proficient in piloting mechas or how his mental strength had dramatically increased. He also didn't ask any questions about the insectoid hypnosis waves.

"Your competition mecha's spatial button needs to be handed over to us as one of the key pieces of evidence," he said instead. "Are you currently carrying the spatial button?"

"Certainly." Rong Mi returned the space token to the investigator. "I was constantly pursued by Ice Butterflies on that deserted planet. There might be a special scent on the frame that attracts them."

The investigator's expression turned grave. "We'll look into it thoroughly."

Any coating capable of emitting such a scent, as well as the remnants of the lure they found in the charred remains of the competition starship, were under the jurisdiction of the military.

Rong Mi nodded and stood up, preparing to leave.

He opened the hatch, hesitated for a moment, then turned back to confirm, "Is the interrogation really over?"

"Yes," the investigator replied, looking at Rong Mi.

He switched off the recording pen, understanding where Rong Mi's doubt was coming from. He explained earnestly, "We do indeed have questions about your mecha piloting skills and mental power level."

"However, Admiral Lu Yi will personally report to the Supreme Commander. He has also submitted a request to become your guarantor for safety."

"Therefore, this review won't involve any issues related to your mecha piloting abilities or mental power." The investigator shrugged. "If there are any follow-up inquiries, they won't be handled by us but will be taken over by a special investigator from the capital planet."

"So today's interrogation is indeed finished. Before Admiral Lu Yi returns to the capital planet for his report, you won't receive any further inquiry requests."

"When we release the investigation report to the public, we'll also clarify that you've undergone private training in mecha piloting and mental power."

Rong Mi was taken aback for a moment.

Then, he recalled Lu Yi's previous words and the conversation he had half-heard while dozing off. He couldn't help but smile.

Admiral Lu Yi was indeed a true friend!

He had helped resolve a major headache for Rong Mi!

Rong Mi reboarded Lu Yi's starship. Concerned about the other's mental domain, he hurried up the gangway and into the vessel, only to find the Silver Wolves sitting right by the entrance.

Upon seeing Rong Mi open the door, the wolf suddenly stood up, its fur bristling slightly as it crouched down on its front paws.

Upon recognizing Rong Mi, the wolf relaxed, wagging its tail and giving a low growl.

The wolf had already forgotten the minor disagreement they'd had earlier.

It moved aside to let Rong Mi pass, then sat back down by the door, instinctively scratching at the starship's floor with one of its front paws.

Rong Mi sensed that the wolf was now highly alert and somewhat anxious.

"What's wrong?" the young man crouched down.

"Ao." The Silver Wolf turned towards the interior of the starship and let out a short bark, as if urging Rong Mi to go inside.

The young man looked into the ship, his heart lifting slightly.

When the wolf had awakened him, its mood seemed relatively stable.

Ayin had been inside the starship the whole time; any sudden change in its state could only be related to Lu Yi.

He was somewhat concerned about Lu Yi's mental domain. Fortunately, as he moved further into the ship, he didn't sense any cold aura leakage from the Admiral's mental power, indicating that Lu Yi's mental domain was still stable.

As he approached a small conference room near the bottom of the starship, Rong Mi heard voices.

"Fantastic! Both your and General Silver's mental domains have been treated... It's a miracle!"

Following the sound of voices, Rong Mi approached the conference room door.

The door was ajar, revealing a circular conference table inside with around seven or eight people seated around it.

Lu Yi sat directly facing the entrance, lifting his gaze to meet Rong Mi's.

As he moved, everyone else in the room turned in unison, their eyes landing on Rong Mi.

"My therapist," Lu Yi announced as he leaned on the table and stood up, introducing Rong Mi to his personal guard unit.

Rong Mi raised an eyebrow subtly.

The First Army guards in the room immediately rose to their feet in unison.

Captain Ellen, standing at the outer edge, straightened his posture and rendered a perfectly precise military salute to Rong Mi.

The other guards followed their captain's lead promptly.

Everyone in the conference room, including Lu Yi, saluted Rong Mi with a crisp military gesture.

Rong Mi's expression softened, and he eventually smiled.

He knew that this was the most sincere way for the military personnel to express their gratitude.

However, Rong Mi was no longer affiliated with the military and was not allowed to return the salute according to regulations.

The young man thus stood still and said earnestly, "Admiral has also been a great help to me."

If it weren't for Lu Yi, the situation on the desolate planet would have been much more dire.

To restrain the high-level Ice Butterflies and hypnotize them, the price he would have had to pay would have been much greater than now.

Lu Yi noticed how Rong Mi addressed him and his expression shifted slightly.

He met the young man's gaze but didn't see any unusual reaction on the youth's face that might have occurred after learning of his status as the First Legion's Commander.

... He still doesn't know?

Lu Yi hadn't concealed his identity from Rong Mi, but he also didn't explicitly reveal it.

It seemed that Rong Mi had quite a bit of resentment towards the First Legion's Commander.

"I'll wait for you in the lounge." Rong Mi didn't detect any unusual signs from Lu Yi's unchanging expression. He tapped his temple, reminding the other not to neglect the issue with his mental domain.

Rong Mi didn't wish to disturb the military meeting, but out of concern for his patient, he added before leaving the conference room, "Hurry up when you're done!"

Lu Yi nodded.

"Meeting adjourned."

The general promptly postponed the remaining agenda and announced the end of the meeting. Calm as ever, he followed Rong Mi out of the conference room.

Inside the room, the representatives from the First Legion's guard exchanged glances.

"...That's it? The meeting's over?" someone murmured. "He left just like that? We're not discussing the rest of the topics today? That's not like our general at all!"

"The pursuit of the high-ranking Ice Butterflies won't be led by us. The Third Legion is on its way, so we don't need to rush into those discussions..."

"But I'm still surprised! Is it because of Rong Mi? Wow... This is huge!"

"Everyone, quiet down," Ellen's gentle voice intervened. "Are rumors more important than your lives? If the general and Rong Mi haven't gone too far, they might still hear us."

Rong Mi: "..."

The door to the conference room was ajar. Though they were trying to keep their voices down, Rong Mi could vaguely hear their conversation.

He glanced at Lu Yi.

Lu Yi's expression was calm as he met Rong Mi's gaze, conveying a silent question.

All therapists hoped for their patients' cooperation in the healing process. Thus, instead of asking why Lu Yi had left the meeting early, Rong Mi chose to inquire about something that mattered to him deeply.

"Ayin seems to be in a bad mood."

Lu Yi nodded in response.

"There are too many people on the starship," he said. "Ayin is currently very resistant to others entering his territory."

Rong Mi nodded, his perceptiveness on display. "Those who just came to the meeting must be your direct subordinates, right? Ayin should be familiar with them. Was your mental domain injured due to betrayal from within your own military unit?"

"Yes," Lu Yi confirmed.

Rong Mi hummed in response.

"However, prolonged isolation isn't good for its mental and physical well-being," he recalled the documentaries on star beasts he had watched. "Maybe we could find some way to help Ayin relax."

"Does it have any favorite small toys?" The young man's tone inadvertently became more cheerful. "Like, a small toy or a plastic ball?"

"If you ever need to entertain guests, I can play with Ayin to help it unwind."