Chapter 83: Who Gave Zao Zao the Shot?

Chapter 83: Who Gave Zao Zao the Injection?

The little cub had curled up almost into a ball, his fluffy snow-white wings drawn forward to shield his tiny body.

He looked both wronged and pitiful, yet so well-behaved.

He even had a fever.

At this moment, he resembled a melting piece of honey candy.

No Crown Clan member could stay indifferent.

Lynn, who’d been a little flustered before, now stood still at the doorway, just watching the little one.

An Ya thought for a second before getting up—quite coincidentally, Finn stood up at the same time.

Finn rubbed where his second brother had hit him again—his second brother really hit hard, aiming for every sore spot.

An Ya walked out, and Finn followed.

An Ya glanced back to find Finn already reaching out, putting a hand on his youngest brother’s shoulder.

"Honestly, An Ya, since you've been around Zao Zao all this time, tell me how I got on Amos’s bad side. It couldn’t have been you, could it?"

An Ya stayed silent.

"Because your mindset’s flawed and untrustworthy. Second brother usually doesn’t need a reason to punish you."

Finn paused—

His words were so logical that for a moment, Finn couldn’t refute them.

But—

"Where are you going?"

"Where are *you* going?"

An Ya and Finn exchanged glances. They understood each other too well, reading each other’s thoughts in a glance.

—The little one had been crying over his small wings earlier, crying that the big bird he caught had been set free.

An Ya had been too worried then to think about catching that bird.

Now, while the candy Lynn had brought earlier was no longer available, finding a big white bird nearby shouldn’t be hard.

They rushed out.

Just then, they ran into a tall Crown Clan member ambling slowly down the corridor.

"Finn, An Ya?"

Ayala gave Finn and An Ya a puzzled look.

"What are you two doing?"

"Ayala?"

"Oh yeah, I just heard you got here."

An Ya and Finn turned their heads.

The two didn't have time to explain much to Ayala, merely waving their hands before hastily rushing off to find the 'injured bird.'

Leaving Ayala alone, staring in confusion at the scene.

So what exactly was going on? What had happened?

Ayala knew of Xiao Chuzao's existence.

But that was all—just knowing.

Ayala was also someone with a stoic demeanor, born with a naturally stern, almost arrogant face. Most of the time, he was out dealing with those rogue beasts—the type to fight first, ask questions later.

The influence of a young one on him? Naturally, Ayala paid it no mind.

Before, Ayala had never even considered it. Later, he heard that King Amos had found a new young one.

Though he felt nothing special, he was still somewhat curious.

So he searched for related information on the Starnet, browsing through young ones of various species—

Whether human or those other cute, fuzzy critters.

After looking through them all, Ayala thought coldly—young ones seemed like weak, high-maintenance pests.

Of course, the young ones of the Crown Clan shouldn’t be that weak or troublesome, but to Ayala, they did nothing for him either.

Still, it was fine—Amos would be the one raising it.

In the end, it wasn’t his problem.

He had no interest in young ones. From the images on the Starnet—Ayala didn’t find them cute either.

So regarding the odd behavior of the other Crown Clan members, Ayala quietly wondered.

Was there really a need to lose their cool like that?

He had just returned, meeting his kin he hadn’t seen in ages.

From Lynn to Finn and An Ya, they all put him on edge.

Ayala thought to himself as he finally arrived at the medical room door—inside stood several people.

He glanced in and happened to see Amos, seated right in the center, holding a small, snow-white ball curled up softly in his arms. The little one clung to his crown in a daze, sensing the unfamiliar psychic presence approach, peering up blearily.

Ayala stalled mid-step before realizing something was off—Wait, what the hell was he holding???

Ayala’s breath caught in his throat.

But by the time he arrived, Lynn and Amos had already noticed him—they just didn’t look his way.

Xiao Chuzao was curled up in Amos’ arms, burning up with fever, a miserable little lump.

The fever shot lay beside them. Since the little one had never had a shot before, the Crown Clan had no clue how he’d react—

Would the little one burst into tears from the prick? That sort of thing.

The Crown Clan didn’t sweat the small stuff.

But now it was about their place in the little one's heart.

Even Amos seemed a bit hesitant—An Ya and Finn had just run off to find that poor victim bird.

Xiao Chuzao was blissfully unaware he was about to get a shot.

The little one's head was muddled from the fever, operating on his own peculiar logic.

And it was different from normal.

He just felt awful—his head hurt, his wings hurt—and even curled up in Amos's arms, it didn't help much. Then, when he looked toward the door...

There was someone with a fierce, scary expression, giving him an unexpected scare.

The little one dug deeper into Amos's embrace.

His tiny head tucked in, his little wings quivering behind him, trying to wiggle in too.

"He's really uncomfortable," Lynn said.

"Mm," Amos responded, then glanced at Ayala, who looked completely confused.

"Everything taken care of?"

"Yes..."

Ayala answered automatically, stepping closer.

In a daze, he moved closer and finally got a good look at what the little one was holding in his arms.

His eyes widened in shock, staring dumbfounded for several seconds.

Suddenly, the Halo appeared above his head, and he stared at his own crown with the expression of someone who'd discovered America.

"...Can Halos be—taken off?"

Lynn: "..."

Amos: "..."

The little one nestled in Amos's arms gave a weak wing flutter.

Clearly, no.

"Finn once yanked on his so hard he passed out," Amos said matter-of-factly, effectively snapping Ayala out of his daze.

"Oh..."

So what was the deal with this little one?

Ayala stood beside Amos, watching the little bundle in his arms. The little one wouldn't even look at him—his small face buried against Amos, clinging pitifully to his guardian.

Ayala thought back to that quick glance he'd caught earlier.

Those hazy, dewy honey-brown eyes.

Still holding onto the thought that he wasn’t interested in the little one, Ayala stared at the little one for a while.

“What’s wrong with him?”

“He overused his power and got a fever.”

Amos was changing the little one’s towel, still hoping to bring the fever down a little.

This time, the fever was higher than the last time the little one had a temperature.

The little one seemed even more uncomfortable. Amos touched the little one’s forehead again, and the little one nuzzled weakly into his arms, like a little fireball.

He clung to him, utterly dependent.

Amos couldn’t bring himself to act—King Amos’s heart ached, making him hesitate.

“Isn’t there anything we can do?”

Ayala watched for a while longer.

“We could give him a fever shot.”

Lynn pointed to the syringe nearby.

But Xiao Chuzao, already miserable, getting another shot—

Wouldn’t that just make him cry again?

Lynn thought to himself.

“Why not do it?”

Ayala couldn’t understand.

“He looks miserable.”

Ayala said, picking up the fever shot.

Amos decided: “Do it. His fever’s worse than last time and won’t break.”

Amos adjusted the position of the little one in his arms.

“Dada?”

The little one was ‘dug’ out of Amos’ embrace.

His big eyes blinked, dazed and questioning.

Then the sleeve of his clothes was pulled down, revealing a chubby, lotus-like arm.

Xiao Chuzao blinked in confusion.

The bunched-up sleeve partly covered his eyes.

He heard Amos’ voice, soothing: “Zao Zao, we need to give you a shot.”

Need a shot?

Ayala held the fever-reducing needle, watching Amos's meticulous movements.

She thought to herself—isn’t this a bit too indulgent?

For a Little Crown Clan member.

It didn’t seem right.

Ayala, without any psychological burden, inserted the needle into the little one’s arm.

The little one winced at the sting and, dazed, reached out with his other tiny hand to tug at his clothes, peeking through the gap with wide eyes—

A needle pierced Zao Zao’s skin, the medicine slowly being injected.

Xiao Chuzao reacted a bit slowly, watching as the medicine finished injecting, the needle pulled out, drawing a drop of blood with it, which Amos quickly pressed down on.

Amos looked down at Xiao Chuzao.

Xiao Chuzao’s little curls were tousled from rubbing against Amos’s chest, now looking completely dazed.

Blankly staring at his tiny arm.

Then—

It stung a little.

The little one widened his big eyes, tears pooling in his eyes again.

Xiao Chuzao looked at his arm, then at the unfamiliar face—

Ayala’s darker complexion and deep-set eyes made him seem intimidating whether he smiled or not, the type that frightened children.

He’d already scared Zao Zao earlier, and now he was sticking a needle into him!

The little one paused for a moment, meeting Ayala’s gaze, before tears began to fall.

“Dada—”

Xiao Chuzao burst into loud sobs.

“Needle—needle poked Zao Zao—so mean! Mean! Zao Zao wahhh!”

Lynn, whose Psychic thread was still wrapped around the little one’s crown, was startled by the sudden outburst.

Amos, of course, also heard the little one’s sudden mental cry in his mind.

Amos showed no change in expression—though at the moment, compared to the mental ringing in his head from the little one’s cries, he was more heartbroken.

“It’ll stop hurting soon, and your headache will get better too.”

Amos unbuttoned his military coat, parting it slightly to let the tiny little one wrap his soft arms and legs around him, clutching him while sobbing into his chest.

Amos used his coat to gently envelop the little one.

The little one peered out from the folds, bleary-eyed, staring at Ayala, who was stunned by the sudden outburst.

“Wuwu—mean to Zao Zao, poke Zao Zao with needle—”

Ayala had been perfectly composed just moments ago, but now he froze in place. He looked down at the syringe in his hand, then glanced at Lynn, who'd edged away from him.

For a moment, Ayala felt completely at a loss for words.

"No, when did I ever scare you... I..."

Meanwhile, the Grail Clan had already finished their examination. Under supervision at the medical center, Derek was finally able to meet his father.

The Grail Clan's leader, Cavenaugh, lay on the bed, his face ashen, appearing on the brink of death. His hands lay folded across his chest, holding a grail manifested from spiritual energy.

Now, the once luminous grail had turned murky and black.

"After this injection, he'll be conscious briefly," a medic whispered to Derek, who seemed frozen in place.

"Watch the time. Your condition isn't great either."

Over there, another medical staff administered the injection to Cavenaugh.

Derek slowly approached his father's bedside. He reached out and carefully took Cavenaugh's hand—it was ice-cold.

As if no warmth could ever revive it.

A frail elder receiving treatment glanced over and sighed.

"Young master..."

"Dad..."

Derek curled up beside the bed.

"Dad, what happened to you? Wake up, please. Tell me this is just a nightmare, isn't it? I've ruined everything, Dad... What am I supposed to do? If you leave—what will I do? I never thought—"

Derek choked back his sobs, his voice thick with tears.

As a member of the Longlived race, life was long, and the Grail Clan had always used their spiritual energy to hide from the world, living in isolation like paradise.

He had never imagined what losing his father would be like.

And now—at a time when he'd let his guard down and made mistakes.

The hand in his grasp twitched slightly.

Derek startled, lifting his head in confusion.

Cavenaugh, whose body was being eaten away by the plague researched by the Hymn Organization, opened his eyes slightly. His hand, weak, moved slowly—from Derek's grasp to the top of his head.

That cold yet gentle hand lightly stroked his hair.

"Derek—"

Cavenaugh whispered.

"Don't be afraid."

Derek quickly stifled his sobs, biting back his tears.

Cavenaugh had moments of lucidity before and already knew most of what had happened.

He looked at the Saint Cas Soldier beside him.

Speaking softly, he said, "I wish... to see His Majesty King Amos. Please convey to His Majesty King Amos—there are some things I need to tell him. The Grail Clan Chieftain's lineage possesses a power that, in the final moments, can foresee certain futures that must be avoided, to keep our people safe."

The future is ever-changing; any decision made now will alter what comes later.

This isn't like the normal mental assessments of the Grail Clan.

Only the chieftain's line has this power.

Originally, Cavenaugh never meant to seek out the Crown Clan.

After all, he had already gotten clues from his father.

But because Derek was having problems too.

Running away won't fix anything.

Cavenaugh thought to himself.

After speaking, he gently stroked his child's hair again.

He whispered, "It's not your fault, Derek. The problem lies in the direction our entire race has taken."

Derek, who had been holding back his sobs, seemed to finally break.

He hid his face, tears flowing uncontrollably.

"Derek, Dad knows. It's alright... cry if you need to..."

Cavenaugh gazed tenderly at his child.

Derek's body trembled, and he finally broke into loud sobs.

Meanwhile, in another med bay on the starship.

A little one who had just received an injection, hurt and beyond reasoning due to overwhelming discomfort, was whimpering miserably.

Suddenly, Xiao Chuzao's cries were interrupted by a sudden burst of loud crying.

Amos was still soothing him, almost done, when Ayala, who had just moments ago considered the little one a minor nuisance, was suddenly in big trouble.

Sweat beaded on his frustrated brow.

The child stopped crying, looking around confused.

Who's that?

That's some loud crying.

Louder than me even!

The Crown Clan has a competitive nature.

This is a simple fact.

Xiao Chuzao stared blankly, thinking for a moment, then cleared his throat—

Zao Zao was complaining—why was someone crying louder than Zao Zao?

Zao Zao wasn’t having it.

Zao Zao was going to cry louder in return.

Xiao Chuzao’s train of thought was a little off, feeling sorry for himself.

Lynn, his head buzzing, shrank into a corner trying to disappear.

Seeing this scene, he reached out futilely—Wait, Zao Zao, this isn’t what Grandpa had in mind, is it?

So don’t use your competitiveness in such weird places!

Amos instantly realized what his little guy was about to do.

He bent down, pulled out a piece of candy from his pocket, and handed it to the little cub.

He even quickly unwrapped one himself and fed it to the cub.

The cub, who had been about to burst into louder tears, suddenly froze.

He blinked his big eyes—the medicine was slowly taking effect.

But it clearly hadn’t made the little guy feel better that fast yet. Still dazed, he licked his lips.

Sweet.

The cub sucked on the candy, looking up at Amos in admiration.

Amos reached out to wipe the tears off the suddenly pouty cub’s face.

"Baby, your tears are going to drown Dad."

Zao Zao loved it when Amos called him "baby."

The little one gazed at Amos dazedly for a moment, his little wings tucking in shyly. Finally forgetting about the shot he’d just gotten, his small body snuggled back into Amos’s arms.

Mumbling softly.

"Daddy, no."

Zao Zao didn’t have that many tears.

Lynn looked over.

That’s King Amos for you.

Amos was busy soothing the cub in his arms.

Only moments later.

A commotion broke out outside the door.

Xiao Chuzao turned to see.

Finn and An Ya were each dragging a big white bird—different species, no less—no one knew where they’d found them.

They hurried in.

The little cub's attention was caught.

"Zao Zao, look here—"

An Ya was about to speak.

Finn just beat her to it.

"Zao Zao, look what's this?"

"They're wings!"

The little cub, still wearing a small towel on his head, pointed at the big birds.

Then he turned and pulled at his own little wings, looking at Amos.

"Daddy, you are what you eat—"

The cub's eyes lit up as he shook his little wings that had been bothering him lately.

He announced happily, "Zao Zao eat wings!"

Would eating them make him feel better?

The two captured 'victim birds' remained silent: ...

The little cub squirmed in Amos's arms, trying to get down.

Amos released him.

They watched as the feverish cub wobbled unsteadily on his short legs. The cub toddled over to examine the two big birds.

Finn and An Ya handed over the birds to the little cub.

Little Chuzao gripped each bird by the neck.

Finn leaned in.

"Did he get the shot?"

"Yes, he got it," Amos replied.

"Who gave him the shot?" Finn glanced around.

"Was it you, Second Brother?"

"And Zao Zao still cuddled with you?" An Ya, who usually ranked lowest in the cub's heart, muttered, eyeing Amos.

Thinking of how the cub had looked when they came in, she couldn't hide her jealousy.

"Not me."

Amos glanced behind him.

Finn and An Ya turned their heads together, looking at Ayala, who stood flustered not far away.

The two paused for a moment.

Suddenly, they understood something.

—Did Ayala do it?

If they remembered correctly?

Zao Zao didn’t even know Ayala before?

And Ayala wasn’t exactly kid-friendly.

An Ya quickly collected himself.

He thought it wasn’t so bad—at least his place in the kid’s heart was steadily rising. Xiao Chuzao liked Amos the most, and there was no point getting jealous about that.

But as for Ayala—

"Did Zao Zao cry earlier?"

An Ya remembered the noise he and Finn heard when they entered. He had intended to speak normally but couldn’t help—he snorted.

Ayala: "......"

Ayala glanced at the tiny little one not far away, clutching two big birds by the neck, his small head lowered as he studied them, seemingly pondering how to take a bite. Sensing Ayala’s gaze, the little one shot him a glance before quickly looking away.

Ayala: "......"

Finally, the little guy hauled the two birds back by their necks, toddling over as if seeking Amos’s opinion.

The feverish, dazed little one was like a clingy little dumpling—insecure, needing to press close to Amos every now and then.

But the sick little one couldn’t stop the crafty birds from escaping. The two birds struggled, screeching as they wriggled loose from his grip one after another.

He’d already let one slip earlier—was he really going to let these two get away too?

He spun around and took off after them, a bit too greedy, trying to catch both at once. His tiny wings fluttered as he leaped—only to miss completely.

The little one stared blankly up as the birds frantically sought shelter. He then turned to look—only to find every adult in the room watching him.

Meanwhile, at the medical room’s entrance, Saint Cas soldiers hurried over to report on the Grail Clan’s situation. They’d been tense, but the sight of the soft little one tumbling forward, his tiny wings quivering as he went face-first into the rug, made their eyes widen involuntarily—Little Highness, this is—okay, that’s ridiculously cute?! What are you doing?

Silence fell. The damp towel on Xiao Chuzao’s head slipped off, hitting the floor with a *plop*. He froze for a second, seemingly embarrassed.

Clambering up to sit on the soft carpet, his curly hair a mess, he muttered, half-defensive, though the medicine had clearly cleared his mind a bit: "No, no… it wasn’t a failed hunt—Zao Zao, Zao Zao was giving them a pass."

That’s his story, anyway.