Chapter 26: What fate couldn’t do, His Majesty almost did

Chapter 26 What Fate Failed to Achieve, His Majesty Nearly Did

But the act of waving a halo around as a threat still made the Crown Clan members' scalps tingle.

Especially when this adorable little one waved his tiny halo back and forth, warning in a babyish voice, "If you come closer, Zao Zao will bonk you again!"

It overlapped with the tender Meow of the fluffy white ball from before.

It was a strangely familiar feeling.

And this little one was quite the grudge-holder.

Frey frowned slightly.

From his observations, although the little one was very young and still at the stage of being curious about everything, his upbringing remained unclear. He seemed convinced that if he had “touched” something and found it uncomfortable or painful, he would never touch it again.

This was his way of protecting himself.

An Ya, who hadn’t noticed this earlier and had spent the past few days antagonizing Xiao Chuzao, had now been firmly placed in the no-go zone by the little one—clearly, he wouldn’t be getting out anytime soon.

"I—"

An Ya still wanted to say something.

But the wary gaze of the little one and Frey behind him stopped him.

"Alright," Frey said, noticing Xiao Chuzao’s tiny wings puffing up in alarm, knowing An Ya couldn't get any closer. "Why don't you wait outside?"

An Ya finally stood up, glanced at the little one one last time, and left wordlessly.

His expression seemed calm, no different from usual.

But he suddenly seemed deflated.

"By the way," said Frey, watching as Xiao Chuzao slowly relaxed.

"The members of the mining team on Planet No. 78 in the mining zone want to know about you. A few of them would like to meet you. Does Zao Zao want to meet them?"

Frey reached for the communicator to pull up the list.

"Just two names came up, both surnamed Wen."

The mining team’s bravery would be properly rewarded—they’d get all the medals and honors coming to them. Whether they wanted to stay or do something else, the Empire had their backs. If they chose to remain on the planet, the Empire would provide everything they needed. And this was just the Empire’s reward, not counting Amos’s personal commendation.

Then he noticed the little one's eyes brighten.

The little one bobbed his head excitedly.

"Yes! Yes! Zao Zao also wants to ask if the uncles and aunts are hurt."

He huddled in the corner of the sofa, his snow-white wings slightly spread, his little halo glinting. He looked soft and adorable—like some kind of tiny angel.

Hearing the little one’s response, Frey grunted in response.

"I'll get the military to bring them over."

"'Kay, Uncle Frey."

The cub nodded, murmuring softly.

As he spoke, he glanced at the nearby table.

On the table was a bottle Amos hadn’t had time to take away.

Little Chuzao had already drained it dry.

But how strange—

The little one patted his belly.

Xiao Chuzao drank a lot and should be full—but why does he feel like eating again?

So strange. This feeling doesn’t seem like hunger… more like a craving, as if something is missing inside.

But Xiao Chuzao couldn’t quite figure out what was missing.

Frey temporarily left the room, telling Wen Qingfeng and Wen Qingyu—already at the warship’s perimeter—to come to the flagship.

He didn’t go back inside yet.

Instead, he looked at An Ya crouching by the door.

“What’s wrong? Can’t handle it already?”

Frey eyed him.

An Ya shook his head.

“I don’t know. It just feels very strange—this isn’t a feeling I should have.”

Even after seeing everything, An Ya felt Xiao Chuzao posed no threat. As Second Brother’s bloodline, he’d been taken in by Second Brother and was now solidly the Crown Clan’s little prince.

But fundamentally—this shouldn’t have much to do with him.

He was, by nature, a prickly person. He knew this—he even leaned into it. He was nearly the youngest of their generation in the Crown Clan. From the moment he was born, the older generations were hit by a wave of collapses. In those years, dozens of elders died off rapidly, followed by the swift decline of the previous generation, until only their generation was left.

It was utterly devastating—watching loved ones and friends die one after another.

An Ya knew he didn’t possess the same emotional toughness as other Crown Clan members. He might be one of the ones who’d break down faster. He wished to be put out of his misery early, not wanting to make others hurt worse by forming close bonds.

An Ya had spent his entire life preparing.

Preparing for his departure.

So Xiao Chuzao not liking him should have been exactly what he wanted.

Yet when he was struck and rejected, it wasn’t just the physical tingling or heartache—it was more than that. It was an overwhelming, crushing sense of loss, something he’d never felt so clearly before.

This feeling even made him just completely deflated.

“I also feel like something’s off with our generation.”

Frey cut in suddenly.

An Ya looked up at him.

By now, the Wen siblings had entered the infirmary. Frey leaned against the wall, keeping an eye on things inside, giving them some privacy.

"He reacts too slowly to emotions, is self-absorbed, and can't give proper responses to children. I only realized this after seeing how Zao Zao treated the Wen siblings—"

A weird disconnect, especially after hearing Xiao Chuzao call him "Uncle"—how softly the kid called him that.

Something was slowly changing between these two Crown Clan members—and even earlier than their change, Amos had already quickly wiped out one of the thieves' camps.

Amos, amped up after leaving the kid, was completely out of control.

His insane psychic power swept everything away.

Not only were there no survivors, but most of the camp's stuff was destroyed too.

That's just how the Crown Clan rolls. Back when they took pity on and protected the original helpless residents of Saint Cas, they already showed off their strength to the outside world—really driving home what it means to be a mythical race.

The entire Saint Cas 9th Army, along with follow-up reinforcements, kept moving forward along the trail, gradually closing in on the Falcon Organization’s base.

This had already caused panic among their enemies.

Back on a small starship, Kaman slouched in his seat after getting another damn notification about changing the banquet location.

Beside him were several empty nutrient packs.

Same brand, same flavor—the exact same kind Xiao Chuzao had thrown at him in fear.

Though Kaman had been kinda grossed out by them at first, he still finished that little canister. When resupplying, he ended up grabbing more—by the time he realized, those supplies were already stacked up on the ship.

Of course, Kaman had his excuse ready.

This was the most popular nutrient juice around. If he was going to buy any nutrient drinks, this one was unavoidable—it had nothing to do with that weird little kid from some unknown species.

But what exactly was Amos doing?

Kaman watched the actions of the Saint Cas Empire.

He really couldn’t understand the military’s current goal—was the whole Ninth Army really being sent after a small-time thief group just for Mei Lun?

For real?

Is this really necessary?

Do they even deserve that???

And couldn’t they slow down a bit?

Mei Lun didn’t even get that messed up, right? How much revenge could there be?!

Or are they coming for me??

But that’s impossible—

There’s not even a hint they’re looking for me!!

Kaman was tearing his hair out.

All he wanted was a good spot to go out—he’d already decided to die. He had no intention of going back to the Saint Cas Empire. He had nothing holding him here in this galaxy anymore. No big dreams, just wanted to see how big an explosion he could make, send those thieves flying—can’t you let me have that?!

“Damn it all—”

Kaman muttered under his breath as he dug through intel channels.

Abruptly, he stopped.

That sullen, irritable, and haughty look vanished, replaced by the same icy haughtiness seen among the remaining Crown Clan members.

He stared at the intel—

#Twin Crowns lured into contaminated zone—those who dislike the Crown Clan are luring beasts to trap them#

This intel was making rounds on the dark web, though it was highly likely the Saint Cas Empire already knew.

Twin Crowns...

Even without contamination, Crown Clan births were rare enough. Twin Crowns were extremely uncommon. Among those still alive, only one pair remained—the last of their generation. To Kaman, these two were still young.

Yet these twins were willful and proud, having also left the Saint Cas Empire without a word to meet their fate.

Being lured into the contaminated zone could only mean they were at their breaking point. Given the Crown Clan's formidable combat strength, they must have entered voluntarily—there was no way anyone could have forced them in.

Kaman silently finished reading, his fingers twitching slightly as he moved to the next page.

So this was the end they'd chosen?

As it should be.

They all knew their fate—it was only a matter of time. But these two would likely be the first and second to fall to Crown’s decay in His Majesty Amos’s generation.

And once deaths began within a generation, the momentum became irreversible, gaining speed with no way to stop.

The Crown Clan’s destiny was reaching its conclusion.

He knew it.

He knew this in his bones.

And he had already chosen his own fate—to await joining his ancestors beyond the void of death.

This was undeniable.

As Kaman thought this, his hand on the table slowly clenched into a fist, knuckles whitening.

*

Meanwhile, in the infirmary.

Wen Qingfeng and Wen Qingyu met the little one.

They noticed the small halo floating above the child’s head and were still somewhat guarded.

In previous interactions with the child, they often heard him say that when his daddy came, everything would be okay.

This wasn’t merely “okay”—it was beyond imagination!

Your daddy is the Emperor of the Empire, His Majesty Amos!!!

This was unbelievable.

Wen Qingfeng and Wen Qingyu felt that the experiences of this single day had surpassed those of their entire past two decades.

Even now, having been picked to represent others in visiting this Little Highness, they remained stunned.

Look at the contours of his features, the slight curl of his black hair—the resemblance was uncanny!

"Uncle, Auntie—"

The soft, doughy little fledgling folded his tiny wings behind him, his round eyes glistening like dew. The panic from earlier had now settled.

"Are you all okay?"

"We're fine, we're all fine."

"Hardly any injuries, and the medical supplies were issued to us—all top quality."

In truth, the rescue team from their main base arrived quickly. Just ten minutes after Amos took Xiao Chuzao away, the fully armed rescue squad from the main base arrived—only to be met with the massive 9th Army of the Saint Cas Empire.

The rescuers from HQ instantly—??? Wait, excuse me, weren’t we called here for the rescue??? Huh? Hold on, what’s all this? From the Empire??? Who did you see??? His Majesty??!!

Wen Qingfeng and Wen Qingyu had never witnessed such a scene either.

But as time passed, they grew increasingly numb—until now.

Apart from the tiny wings and halo, the soft little fledgling hadn’t changed much. His gaze was clear and transparent, calm replacing fear.

Wen Qingfeng and Wen Qingyu slowly relaxed too.

Wen Qingfeng let out a bright laugh. "Little Highness, didn’t I tell you before? Though the Empire can’t manage every single detail, it never neglects us or gambles with Saint Cas citizens' lives."

The mythical races were very different from humans like them. To be honest, when their ancestors sought refuge, they never imagined the Crown Clan would be a race both benevolent and formidable.

They had access to a steady stream of supplies, small Saint Cas military garrisons stationed on the planet, and were even issued state-of-the-art defensive gear.

This wasn’t just mere emotional gratitude.

These were exactly what gave them the courage to stand against the Thieves.

Later, His Highness personally came to visit them to express his gratitude—

At the time, Wen Qingfeng had also said it wasn't that they were genuinely that kind or brave. The Crown Clan had founded the Saint Cas Empire, taking in refugees like them, granting them citizenship and providing them complete security.

Only with all this could the current outcome exist.

This wasn’t accidental—it was inevitable.

"It’s good that you’re okay."

Chu Zao crinkled his eyes into a soft smile.

The little one fidgeted slightly.

Beyond gratitude, he didn’t know what else to say—he had always been the one left behind before.

But now was different.

He wanted to give something in return, but after rummaging through his thoughts, he realized he had nothing to offer.

"Zao Zao just knew once daddy arrived, everything would be alright."

"Oh, right," Wen Qingyu, after watching for a while, fished out two small pouches from her pocket and handed them to the little fledgling. "Little Highness, these are for you."

"What?"

Xiao Chuzao blinked, taking the pouches, and peered inside with puzzled curiosity.

"One bag is roasted potatoes, and the other is raw potatoes."

Wen Qingyu seemed to think the gift was a bit too modest, awkwardly scratching her head.

"After all, you must already have everything else, Little Highness. These are a new variety of potato we've developed—they taste different from what you've had before, creamier and sweeter. As for the raw ones, I remembered you once mentioned not having luck growing things, so maybe you could give these a try? Potatoes are easy to grow; they even thrive here."

Wen Qingfeng couldn’t help but glance at Wen Qingyu, the two sharing a silent glance.

Wen Qingfeng: *I said potatoes weren’t a proper gift. Why did you still bring them? And now you’re asking the Little Highness to plant them?*

Wen Qingyu: *We debated forever, and in the end, this was the only unique thing we had! We couldn’t just come empty-handed, could we?*

Their eyes met for two seconds.

The little one looked at the small yellow potatoes, his eyes crinkling into crescents.

"Okay!"

He looked up, his chubby cheeks brimming with adorable curiosity.

"Can they really grow?"

The siblings turned their attention back to Chu Zao, a warmth in their hearts—though they’d had their disagreements, they were both glowing with joy now.

Finally, Wen Qingfeng nodded. "If you're happy with them, that’s all that matters."

The visit was brief.

Wen Qingfeng and Wen Qingyu still had patrol duties. Though their squad had given them time off, they were newly rewarded and fired up, quickly leaving the flagship of the 9th Army.

An Ya and Frey stood outside in the corridor, gazing at the starry view, giving the little one some space to rest.

Little Chuzao sat cross-legged on the plush carpet beside Mei Lun’s medical bed.

Mei Lun hadn’t woken yet, sleeping peacefully.

The little one stood again to peek, but the bed was high, making him tiptoe, his little wings fluttering open slightly as he leaned over the edge to look.

After a while, Xiao Chuzao grew tired.

He sat back down, eyeing the two pouches of potatoes.

He rubbed his tummy thoughtfully, then pulled them closer.

The raw ones he set aside.

Picking up a roasted potato, he didn’t hesitate—*munch*—he took a bite.

Tilting his head, he chewed with gusto.

It really was tastier than the potatoes he’d had before.

They were small, just the right handful for him.

He polished one off in a few bites.

Xiao Chuzao waited patiently for Amos to return.

He curled up in his corner, waiting.

He didn't go back to his own little bed or stay on the sofa. This corner was beside Mei Lun's bed, positioned in a way that allowed the small child with a low line of sight to clearly see the doorway, yet be hard to spot from there.

Like a tiny animal, he hugged the small bag of potatoes and crunched noisily.

He'd been nibbling for who knows how long.

Most of the potatoes in the bag were gone—the little one let out a potato-flavored burp.

He was full.

He was tired from chewing.

But he still felt hungry.

Such a weird feeling.

Xiao Chuzao patted his round little belly, waiting for his food to digest.

But before he could recover, the little one, who had been rolling and playing on the carpet, fell asleep. His small body curled up, and his tiny wings naturally wrapped around himself.

His halo gradually dimmed—going dormant.

At the same time, there was movement on Mei Lun's medical bed.

His fingertips twitched slightly.

His eyes remained closed, but above his head, the reassembled silver-black crown slowly appeared.

It was just the circular base of a halo now. Upon closer inspection, you could barely make out golden patterns—like cracks—no, more like traces of repair along those cracks. The color resembled that of the little one's halo, working like glue, piecing the shattered crown back together.

Now, the golden hue binding the broken halo gave off a faint glow.

After a rare, deep sleep,

Mei Lun started having weird, disjointed dreams.

The Crown Clan lived long lives.

Even when corrupted and doomed, they endured. Before their halos fully shattered, they could hold on for ages.

Mei Lun dreamed of his closest friends, his family—most of whom had already been swept away by fate.

Even a mighty race like the Crown Clan was just a speck in history's tide.

It was as if fate seemed to begrudge the Crown Clan their success, declaring—"You shall perish the moment your crown shatters."

It sounded like a prophecy, or perhaps an unavoidable end.

All of this left the proud Crown Clan choking on despair and helplessness.

In a daze, Mei Lun kept dreaming.

The images flashed by like a zoetrope—

Then suddenly, the scene shifted.

A world completely foreign to Mei Lun unfolded before him.

What a strange place, its boundaries all blurred, like a sea of flowers.

Except the center was bare.

Cleared and prepped on purpose, as if someone had planted something there.

Mei Lun saw a small figure holding a wide green leaf in his hands, his pretty eyes glued to it, carefully keeping the water from spilling.

His tiny white wings flapped behind him, and atop his head floated a very familiar golden halo.

Wearing a white robe—it was the little angel he’d seen right before he “died”—

No, Mei Lun realized now.

That wasn’t an angel.

That was Zao Zao.

Mei Lun watched the little one carry the leaf like a busy little bee, back and forth, again and again,

Watering that bare patch of dirt.

When everything was done, he wiped sweat from his forehead with his hand, his voice tiny and babyish—

“Did I do it right? Will it grow now?”

He looked eager, gulping a little as if craving something.

“Tart and sweet fruit—if you won’t give Zao Zao any, Zao Zao will grow them himself!”

He seemed proud of himself, chest puffed out, hands on hips.

Mei Lun realized this kid looked even littler than before.

And he kinda knew right away what was wrong.

The kid clearly didn’t know where he’d picked up this planting idea.

But he was drowning it in water—nothing would ever grow like that.

Didn’t anyone tell him?

But whatever. If nothing grew, then nothing grew.

Kids are curious—playing around like this was normal enough.

Mei Lun still didn’t get what was going on.

Until suddenly, time seemed to fast-forward—days passed, the kid kept at it nonstop, but in the end, nothing came of it.

The kid just sat there among the flowers, holding the big leaf, staring blankly at the bare spot.

Until some angels gathering flowers walked by behind him—

“Are you planting flowers?”

They were curious, but after glancing at Xiao Chuzao’s halo shape, they kept their distance—all their angels had smooth, round halos and wouldn’t turn into white puffball creatures.

The little one paused for a long time before finally speaking slowly, like he’d made up his mind.

"...No, Zao Zao is growing fruit."

He wanted to ask more.

But he heard the little angels speak again.

"My dad said that parentless little monsters won't receive the Nature God's favor. You're not an angel, so you can't grow anything."

"Yeah yeah, looks like our parents were right after all! You’re not a little angel, are you? No wonder nothing sprouted."

"C’mon, let’s get out of here—"

The solitary little one watched them leave, then slowly shut his mouth. The once proud and confident child slowly lowered his head. After a long pause—his tiny shoulders quivered slightly.

The image shook as well.

Witnessing this, Mei Lun felt a surge of irritation: "No, you couldn’t grow anything because no one taught you not to overwater—it has nothing to do with anything else! What little monsters? Those bald-haloed brats are the real monsters!"

The vision dissolved completely.

Lying on the medical bed, Mei Lun’s eyelids finally twitched—he slowly pried them apart.

Fate?

Fate says he should die now?

Like hell he would!

He absolutely refuses!

He—

At that moment, the medical room door opened.

Amos returned, searching for the little one the moment he entered.

But he didn’t immediately spot Xiao Chuzao huddled in the corner.

The parent, having vented but still stuck in unrelieved stress, erupted like a detonation.

His calm expression gave no hint of the crushing, violent psychic power that instantly filled the entire room—until Amos located the little one sleeping sprawled out in the corner.

Though Amos knew Xiao Chuzao couldn’t possibly be lost here, not seeing him immediately upon entering made him lose composure.

The sleeping little one seemed to sense something—his golden halo pulsed weakly.

Meanwhile, Mei Lun—battling furiously against fate to open his eyes and rise—was abruptly slammed back down by Amos’s tyrannical psychic pressure, nearly choking.

Wheezing back to consciousness, Mei Lun finally opened his eyes:...

Recognizing whose energy this was, Mei Lun thought—truly worthy of His Majesty.

Fate wanted him dead. Yet here he lived.

What fate itself failed to achieve, His Majesty nearly accomplished. *:*