Chapter 29: Dad’s aura is a bit strange

**Chapter 29: A Strange Aura Around Baba**

Kaman was moving fast.

He stayed hidden in the shadows, his expression unreadable.

His destination was the starship docking area of the estate.

The crown’s energy, already fracturing from fury and agitation, was now forcibly restrained—an unbearable strain, like his head might split open, his vision slightly blurred.

Despite the pain, his sharp combat instincts let him dodge every obstacle smoothly as he pressed forward.

He had to get out of here—

Whether his crown’s power shattered and destroyed him somewhere else, or he took his own life in some abandoned corner.

But it couldn’t happen here—no way would he self-destruct here, or let the people of the Saint Cas Empire see him in such a pathetic state.

Gritting his teeth, Kaman had always done things his own way since leaving the Saint Cas Empire. His crown could have lasted longer, but he kept wearing himself down, making things far worse than the Saint Cas Empire ever guessed.

His steps suddenly stopped.

He heard footsteps—unusual ones.

Not far ahead, near the flowerbeds by the docking bay.

Whoever it was hadn’t learned to mask their steps—they moved lightly, quickly, with little weight.

Dizzy, his thoughts foggy, Kaman tried to piece it together.

*Hmm, probably not tall either.*

The strange thing was—after a few steps, there would be a long pause before they moved again, and the next set of footsteps came from another direction.

Still light, still unhidden, not a jump.

More like—a young one flitting around between steps, using wings and legs.

—Wings.

As one of the winged mythical races, Kaman was sensitive to that idea.

Few races had wings—but the Crown Clan was the least likely.

All those fantasies about children were just the desperate dreams of Crown Clan members who longed for offspring—centuries of wishful thinking.

They were gone!

There were no children left!

Only people like Mei Lun who refused to face reality, holding onto false hope instead of looking for real solutions.

Kaman hesitated only briefly.

Then he moved forward again, just as determined as when he first left the Saint Cas Empire.

He was one of the Crown Clan, but he was different.

He wanted to live—at all costs. But if death was unavoidable, he wouldn’t die like the others, in a way that seemed cowardly.

Even if no one backed him up, he’d do it alone.

Then Kaman spotted the small figure on the path leading to the starship hangar—it was the kid he’d just heard about.

The five-year-old was spinning near the flower bushes, holding a few pretty little flowers in his hands. Occasionally, when he saw one he liked deep in the blooms, his tiny snow-white wings fluttered eagerly, lifting him to the center of the flowers as he craned his little head for a closer look.

Kaman froze—his whole body went rigid.

He recognized that face—he’d seen it before with Mei Lun.

And right now, Kaman still had nutrition packs in his pocket bought specifically for this little one.

But now, Kaman stared at those snow-white wings and the golden halo glowing above the cub’s head.

The crown hadn’t shattered—it gleamed in a gold unlike anything the Crown Clan had ever seen. The designs and carvings seemed familiar, like something he’d seen many times before, yet Kaman couldn’t place where.

But how’d the kid Mei Lun was raising end up here…?

And how was this even possible—this really was a Crown Clan child?

For a second, Kaman’s scalp prickled.

The way Crown Clan kids were born had disappeared ages ago. He couldn’t be sure whose kid this was, but from what he knew, the Crown Clan wouldn’t just leave a child alone like this.

Then again, maybe they would.

Kaman thought about how this generation of the Crown Clan treated children—with total indifference. They’d scrapped tons of kid-friendly facilities and perks.

If this really was one of their kids, they probably had no clue how to raise a kid right.

Xiao Chuzao heard a noise nearby and instinctively glanced over.

His bright amber eyes blinked.

“Baba! Baba!”

Without a second thought, the kid spun around and bolted.

He kept shouting as he ran.

Xiao Chuzao remembered Kaman too.

He hadn’t seen Kaman’s crown, but he recognized his wings.

He was a real jerk—hadn’t even been nice to Grandpa Mei Lun.

Baba had said stuff like this was his problem—Zao Zao didn’t need to worry!

The cub’s small wings flapped as he flew sideways.

Clutching his colorful flowers, he flitted around like a little butterfly.

A little earlier, An Ya had slipped away from the group to handle the Thieves solo on the estate’s far side.

Meanwhile, Amos and Frey, after thinking it over, picked a route Kaman might take.

They weren’t rushing—just hanging back and waiting. Noticing the pretty flowers nearby, they let the kid play around for a bit.

The main operation hadn’t started yet—the “gate” wasn’t fully closed.

The Saint Cas Empire has made up its mind this time.

Now that they’ve been caught, these thieves must be completely wiped out!

Kaman couldn’t help but stare at the path where the little one flew off. He found it somewhat amusing.

He took a couple of steps forward, wanting to figure out who "baba" was—the person the kid had called out in that babyish voice.

A golden crown? At that age? Unlike a typical Crown Clan member, it likely wasn’t born in the habitat the usual way. Had they discovered a new method for birthing young?

In the next instant, a fierce and piercing gust of wind suddenly struck.

Kaman sidestepped, staggering several meters sideways. He glanced at the marks beside him—gashes that looked like they had been carved by an axe or blade. In the moment he dodged, a familiar figure slowly rose from the smoke.

Frey, clad in the black military uniform of Saint Cas, still wore his icy expression. The Crown Clan insignia on his shoulder gleamed faintly; his smooth hair swayed slightly in the breeze. His crimson eyes slowly lifted to meet Kaman’s gaze.

“Uncle Kaman, it’s been a while.”

“Ah… Prince Frey.”

Kaman squinted slightly as he recognized him. He stood lazily to one side, dressed in casual athletic wear, looking disheveled—his chin covered with slight stubble, his hair a sickly gray. One hand was tucked into his pocket, and his demeanor remained relaxed.

“I heard His Majesty Amos is here too, right? And what’s the story with that kid just now? Did you develop a new birthing method? The old-timers in the royal court must be thrilled. I suppose Mei Lun got messed up protecting that child, didn’t he? Is it... your kid?”

“No, Zao Zao isn’t my child.”

Frey just stood in Kaman’s way. The Crown Prince remained as cold and steady as ever, like an unmovable iceberg—though there was a flicker of something in his eyes… pity?

Before Kaman could decipher Frey’s expression, he felt a chill run down his spine. He hastily twisted aside, yanking his hand from his pocket to defend himself, sending a nutrient canister tumbling to the ground.

Kaman’s face twisted in horror as a Psychic Blade grazed his shoulder, slicing off a few locks of hair—his shoulder had nearly been pierced clean through.

Even with the Crown Clan’s formidable regenerative abilities, this was too much!

And standing behind him, unmistakably, was the ruler of the entire Saint Cas Empire—Amos Dwight.

Amos held the little one Kaman had just seen in one arm, a Psychic Sword in the other. The fractured yet ornate crown atop his head exuded overwhelming pressure, its intricate designs etched with the family’s signature patterns—no wonder Kaman had found the little golden crown familiar earlier. It was nearly identical to Amos’ own!

Damn!!

He might’ve stood a chance against Frey.

But Amos?

Taking on Amos? No way!

And Amos in full-on paternal rage mode? He wasn’t some reckless upstart in the Crown Clan.

In that instant, Kaman understood why the Saint Cas Empire was hell-bent on wiping out the Falcon Thieves this time.

The Crown Clan’s protective instincts—you’d never believe how far they’d go. And clearly, Amos was in that state right now.

He’d stepped straight into the crosshairs.

“Kaman.”

Amos hesitated, thinking.

"Should we drag you back tied up, or should we throw down right here?"

Even this iron-fisted tyrant tossed in a shred of democracy when dealing with a traitor from his own kind.

He actually asked Kaman—the elder he hadn’t seen in ages—for his input.

Kaman: "...And the difference is?"

Kaman took a quick glance at the little cub.

Amos was holding Xiao Chuzao, the little one’s head poking out curiously before spotting the nutrient canister on the ground—something Zao Zao hadn’t gotten to try yet.

Amos explained to the little one perched on his head.

"We can just haul you back without a fight, or we can have a brawl here first and then haul you back anyway."

So you’re just gonna beat him up for no reason???

"You’re really saying this in front of the kid?"

Amos looked down.

Xiao Chuzao looked up.

Amos paused, then plopped Xiao Chuzao down on the ground. He reached out and covered the little cub’s ears.

"I can whoop you into line, Uncle Kaman, and then drag you back."

Kaman: ...Little late for the ear-covering, don’tcha think?

Xiao Chuzao, with his ears covered: ?

"Dada, dada—"

He said softly.

The kid didn’t hold back.

"Zao Zao caught all that just now."

"Play dumb. You’re too young for this stuff."

Amos thought for a moment and spoke to the little cub.

The five-year-old was so small he barely came up to his dad’s thigh, and nodded hesitantly.

Okay, Dada knows best.

Who the hell teaches a kid this?! And what kinda lesson is this supposed to be? How to beat up your elders???

Kaman took it all in, thinking this was beyond ridiculous, but in the end, he held out his wrists and let Frey cuff him with some fancy restraints.

Kaman eyed Amos, who had Xiao Chuzao by the hand.

Had he misjudged Amos all along?

Kaman realized Amos had a twisted sense of humor.

Funny, but barely.

Ten minutes after Kaman was captured, alarms blared throughout the entire manor.

Saint Cas troops stationed on the outskirts swiftly moved in.

With thorough prior preparations, Saint Cas Imperial forces quickly took control of all access points.

The thieves, still lost in fantasy, didn’t even finish their sweet dreams before being wiped out in one go.

Amos held Xiao Chuzao, while Frey kept an unwilling Kaman under control.

For the little one’s mental and physical well-being, Amos avoided the gory scenes.

Instead, he patrolled the manor, overseeing the operation and tracking the location of the cunning leader of the Falcon.

As expected, someone who had evaded capture so many times had keen senses.

The Falcon caught the slightest whiff of danger, and all reports confirmed that no trace of him could be found.

Not long after Kaman left the banquet hall, the Falcon had also vanished.

“There are plenty of civilian starships on this wandering planet. Just block the routes and conduct inspections.”

Kaman had already stopped trying to run. He had initially considered fighting back hard, leaving under the watchful eyes of his kin, never to return.

But he hadn’t expected to cross paths with Amos.

Kaman didn’t bother resisting.

As he spoke, however, Amos’s crown began to glow faintly.

A surge of overwhelming mental energy spread out in an instant.

This was an entire planet, and not even Amos’s territory.

No matter how formidable Amos’s mental power was, searching the whole planet was impossible. Moreover, exerting such force was a challenge even to his seemingly stable crown.

Not just a tyrant—a complete madman!

Kaman watched as Amos handed the little one over to Frey, still keeping a mental tether here.

Amos’s massive wings unfurled behind him, and in an instant, he vanished.

In the distance, among the fleeing civilian starships in the sky, one suddenly exploded—as if ripped open from the outside by sheer force.

Frey tensed up slightly. He held Xiao Chuzao’s tiny hand while keeping Kaman restrained with the other.

But Kaman only stared at the horizon, muttering under his breath, “Madman.”

He thought he was already crazy enough, but here was someone even crazier.

“What’s wrong with him? He doesn’t seem quite right,” Xiao Chuzao chimed in, tilting his little head curiously.

Frey remained silent, but he knew—Amos was still in overdrive. His fury hadn’t subsided; he only appeared calm.

In truth… it was cold fury.

The Falcon had fled the manor the moment he sensed something amiss.

His sharp danger sense had helped him avoid disaster multiple times and rebuild his power on several occasions.

But today was different.

He was nearly reaching the atmosphere, ready to slip in unnoticed among the civilian starships and make his escape.

Yet at the last moment, the starship was ripped open with a huge tear.

Terrified, he turned to look.

Someone had stepped aboard.

With a casual swing of the Psychic Sword in hand, the sword’s energy wave made him shudder.

Amos gazed at him calmly. He didn’t waste words—just raised his hand and slashed without hesitation.

Falcon didn’t even have time to dodge.

Blood poured from Falcon’s mouth. After the initial panic, his eyes burned with madness as he reached out and desperately gripped Amos’s Psychic Sword.

“So arrogant… Crown Clan…”

He choked out, battered and bleeding.

Psychic energy was the strongest power a person could wield, and weapons made from it were the most powerful of all. High-tech weapons were nothing compared to truly strong Psychic Weapons. However, directly attacking others with psychic energy was too dangerous for humans—which was why these invincible mythical races existed.

Across the galaxy, the Crown Clan was one of the few mythical races capable of creating weapons straight from psychic energy, putting them at the top of the interstellar food chain.

They took pride in their strength, in their Psychic Weapons.

The 'God' had proclaimed—this was a sin.

A sin named arrogance.

At the same time, Falcon’s life hung by a thread. Onboard a starship belonging to the Hymn Organization—evading pursuit by the Saint Cas Empire’s military—an alarm blared from a ship’s instrument.

“What’s happening?”

“A pawn’s dying before it could fulfill its purpose.”

“What?”

“The Falcon, a high-level cultist, extracted and cultivated a substance from his own psychic energy and heart—one that accelerates psychic disturbances. It takes years to produce even a trace of this substance. It was meant to be the ultimate weapon against the Crown Clan, but it was triggered prematurely.”

The person stared at the readings.

“But there’s good news—he encountered a member of the Crown Clan. The trigger target was the Emperor of Saint Cas, Amos Dwight. If Amos’s psychic energy was already unstable, he might experience an even more violent upheaval in the coming months, speeding up his downfall!”

“Perfect—let this storm praise ‘God’ once more!”

Amos also sensed something amiss.

Something was wrong with Falcon. The Psychic Sword, which should have been easily withdrawn, now seemed stuck in place.

In his final moments, Falcon muttered—“The mythical races shall perish… the True God arrives—offer praises… to the True…”

The substance lingering in Falcon’s body suddenly clung to Amos’s Psychic Sword.

Amos’s vision blurred slightly, and for an instant, he felt his psychic energy spiral out of control—a sensation that only struck him once every few years.

The last incident had just passed, and Amos had picked up Zao Zao during that outburst of losing control.

Amos suddenly snapped back to his senses, his psychic power tearing through the body before him as he tried to break free from that force. In an instant, he drew his Psychic Sword.

The tip of his Psychic Sword touched the ground, slightly supporting Amos’ weight.

After losing its pilot and with its systems destroyed, the starship hung suspended momentarily before beginning its descent.

Amos retracted his Psychic Sword, steadied his mind, and cast a cold glance at the motionless Falcon lying on the ground.

He mulled over Falcon’s dying words.

Amos sneered, his voice laced with open contempt: “Idiot.”

With that, Amos snapped his wings open and leaped off the starship.

All was said and done.

It had all happened very quickly.

After the 9th Army's joint announcement, the news hadn't fully sunk in yet—not just for the citizens of Saint Cas, but also those from allied empires and refugees from the outer colonies.

Had Saint Cas made another power move?

Hadn’t the Crown Clan of Saint Cas already reached Molu?

Meanwhile, the people of Saint Cas grew excited.

—His Majesty and the princes were still going strong.

The star-net exploded with chatter.

But none of this affected Xiao Chuzao.

The kid only had to wait a short while before Amos returned.

Now that he’d blown off steam, Amos seemed calm again—at least in front of Xiao Chuzao and his kin, he remained ever reliable.

The little guy understood that preventing Amos’ turn toward darkness and breakdown was mainly tied to the deterioration of the Psychic Crown, so he paid extra attention to such matters.

Zao Zao wanted to be a happy little angel!

Amos calmly scooped up the kid into his arms and glanced at Frey and Kaman.

His tone was steady, giving nothing away: “Return.”

However, the child in Amos’ arms blinked, lowered his head, and started giving Amos a thorough sniff-down.

He was like a fuzzy little critter now, searching for the familiar scent of his caregiver.

Absorbed in his inspection, the small wings on the little one’s back spread slightly, and his little halo pulsed with a soft glow, like he was puzzling something out.

“What’s wrong?”

Amos was sniffed all the way back to the flagship, where the Ninth Army fleet was preparing to return.

The little one was still sniffing him repeatedly.

Amos looked down in confusion and asked the little guy, “What’s wrong?”

The soft little guy blinked up with his big eyes.

“I can’t say—”

He said in a babyish voice.

“Papa, Zao Zao thinks you smell a little funny, but he can’t tell why.”

It was kind of bitter.

But when he sniffed harder, it wasn’t there anymore.

This was a feeling the little one had never experienced before—he felt a little confused.

“Amos, we’re already on our way back to the Imperial capital. Try to relax a little. You don’t have to keep Zao Zao within your sight all the time. This is the flagship of the Ninth Army, and Uncle Frey and I are here. Nothing’s gonna happen.”

Frey glanced at the bloodstains on Amos.

“I know. I’ll go get cleaned up.”

Amos also felt his psychic energy being pulled, requiring more effort than usual to control.

Without hesitation, he placed Xiao Chuzao on the plush carpet and ruffled the little one’s soft hair.

“Papa will come give you your milk later. Stay here with Uncle Frey and Grandpa Mei Lun, okay?”

“Okay.”

The little one nodded.

Amos turned and left, bumping into Mei Lun just outside.

Inside the room were the little one, Frey, and the restrained Kaman.

Kaman had settled down a bit, but clearly, he was at the end of the line.

“Kaman!”

Mei Lun clenched his fists.

After being brought in, Kaman simply slouched against the wall, head bowed and silent until he heard Mei Lun’s voice. Then he looked up.

With a slightly mocking smile, he said,

“Mei Lun, never thought you’d actually hit the jackpot. In the end, you really did find a Crown Clan kid.”

He was talking about Zao Zao.

Xiao Chuzao blinked up with big eyes, peeked at Kaman, then whispered to Grandpa, “Grandpa, this person was messing with things when you were passed out last time—”

The little one said in his tiny voice.

Mei Lun moved closer. “Grandpa knows! He’s a real piece of work!”

"You're the jerk!"

"Do you know how heartbroken Auntie was when you left home?! You had no idea—you didn’t even come back! When Auntie's dignity was completely shattered, there wasn’t a single word from you!"

"...We never saw eye to eye, so this outcome was inevitable."

"Don’t you dare say you didn’t—"

"Mei Lun! Don't test me! Just because you've caught me now doesn't mean you're right and I'm wrong!"

Kaman, who had been acting all relaxed just moments ago, seemed suddenly struck in a sore spot and finally lashed back in anger.

It was clear both men had been raised with manners, trading verbal blows back and forth.

The little troublemaker who'd just snitched looked bewildered: Huh?!

His gaze darted between them as they argued, his tiny halo spinning along with his confusion. The poor kid was completely bewildered.

Fighting...?

Does this have anything to do with me?

What should I do...?

Then, as if realizing he was losing the argument, Mei Lun suddenly paused, a smirk tugging at his lips. "Zao Zao, shoot this guy with your little bow!"

"Pew—"

Obediently, the little cub summoned his little bow and aimed at Kaman, firing an arrow before he even fully processed it—Wait, is this... not good?

Kaman watched the feeble spiritual energy arrow flutter toward him, barely more than a mosquito bite as it grazed him, leaving only a faint itch.

"Ha, you think this proves your point? To be honest, Mei Lun, your communication skills are as terrible as ever..."