Chapter 23

Chapter 23

The so-called "announcement of the Sea Emperor's identity" was, in fact, a video of someone's imagined portrait of the Sea Emperor.

The creator never expected the view count to instantly break records.

Many quickly followed suit with their own drawings, though none matched the original video's popularity.

However, these portraits had one thing in common—they were... cute.

The reason goes back to Huinis's public speech during the election campaign.

During elections, it's usually best to avoid discussing foreign policies and stances.

As a former leader who regretfully stepped down because of injury, Huinis was already highly respected among the Federation's populace. When he announced his candidacy, wave after wave of supporters took to the streets in protest.

Under such circumstances, avoiding the topic would've been smarter. Yet, Huinis openly stated his stance toward the Sea Emperor without hesitation.

The media scrambled for information but, despite their efforts, couldn’t find a single clue about the Sea Emperor.

Fortunately, someone got a bright idea—interview Huinis's old staff. These officials, who had escorted him back to the capital planet, had heard about his ordeal and hated Pulitzer deeply.

Grateful beyond words toward the Sea Emperor for saving their leader, these bureaucrats—though useless in battle—were great at praising during media interviews, praising the Sea Emperor endlessly, which left reporters speechless.

Their praise matched the Cygnus Governor's, both using the same descriptor... cute.

Ah, so that’s the connection!

Thus, portraits of the Sea Emperor were drawn, views skyrocketed within a short time, even breaking viewing records.

But within hours, StarNet users were baffled: What happened to the video?!

Soon, it was discovered that the video had been flagged and removed for "false information."

—The Emperor is way cuter than this lousy drawing!

Though most of the Sea Clan didn't care about other planets and didn’t know Interstellar, a small fraction did—such as the Sea Palace Director. Not happy about the videos, he thought, *What kind of nonsense is this? How dare they compare this to our Emperor?!*

He sent a letter to the StarNet headquarters—written politely and elegantly, of course—expressing his disapproval of factually inaccurate videos circulating online. He hinted strongly that if StarNet failed to act, the Sea Clan wouldn’t mind stepping in.

"......" The StarNet bosses who got this "suggestion" (or thinly veiled threat) almost passed out on the spot.

Thus, netizens could only watch helplessly as the video was removed.

Yet, this incident showed them clearly how much the Sea Clan cherished their Emperor. Back when planets teamed up against the Sea Clan in Cygnus, the Sea Clan hadn’t reacted at all, making people think they didn’t use StarNet. But this time, just a video about their Emperor was flagged and removed within hours.

How fast they acted...

What a difference!

Okay, okay, we get the message—the Sea Clan loves their Emperor most!

Without knowing it, Luo Ci was all over the news again across StarNet’s news and video platforms, going viral across the galaxy. Yet, he had no idea. When he logged onto StarNet, the only thing he could find was Huinis’s interview.

These days coincided with Azure Planet’s seasonal cosmic storms, making space travel impossible. Trapped in his room, Luo Ci killed time on his holopad.

But the moment he opened StarNet, he was flooded with news about himself—unaware that this was already a filtered version.

*Why aren’t these people focusing on the election...*

*Why care so much about me?*

Some outlets, clearly marked as official media, seemed incapable of praising fish without resorting to... unembellished terms.

Was there really no other vocabulary available?

Who... who describes an Emperor as *cute*...?

Faced with the overwhelming coverage, Luo Ci couldn’t possibly ignore it. He frantically scrolled, but every page seemed to feature him. The tips of his ears gradually tinged pink, deepening until even his tail flushed rose, turning him into a little pink fish.

Initially focused on his holopad, the little merman soon grew increasingly flustered. He curled up, hugging his tail and burying his face in its snow-white, soft fin veil, like an ostrich hiding from reality.

For the surrounding Sea Clan Warriors, this was an immense test of restraint. Their nerves tensed instantly. Though they didn’t look up, their keen senses detected every subtle movement around the little merman.

*The Emperor’s body temperature seems to have risen suddenly...*

*Is he sick?*

*No... Could he be... embarrassed?*

They pricked their ear fins, listening intently. Torn between comforting him and not wanting to disrupt such an adorable display, these usually stoic warriors experienced true dilemma for the first time.

Luo Ci, warmed by his own fluster, felt uncomfortable. He coiled his tail around Milu, hugging the cool, squishy creature to cool down.

Milu, soft and jelly-like with translucent round eyes, seemed freshly awakened. It offered no resistance, serving as the perfect plushie.

The little merman’s moods came and went quickly.

By lunchtime, he had nearly forgotten the StarNet frenzy.

Sniffling slightly, he suddenly missed Helunen again.

Truthfully, the Federation election period was relatively quiet for the military. Coupled with Helunen’s century-long lack of vacations, he could afford to spend so much time with him on Azure Planet.

But what information had Huinis provided about Pulitzer? Helunen was now personally investigating the matter, leaving him busier than usual.

After lunch, Luo Ci exercised in the pool.

Since arriving on Azure, he had either been carried around by Sea Clan Warriors or the orderly, barely moving on his own.

Now, a gentle pinch on his soft belly revealed a wobbly layer of baby fat.

If he didn’t exercise soon, he might sink straight to the bottom in water.

He swam three laps, the clear currents flowing through his gills and forming strings of transparent bubbles on the surface.

*That’s enough for today.*

"Glub glub."

He surfaced.

Wriggling his tail, he swam to the edge, where a Sea Clan Warrior lifted him onto a small couch.

"Hmm?" Luo Ci’s skin was so delicate that the warrior’s grip left a slight mark. Curious, he turned and noticed a freshly torn scar on the warrior’s arm.

He had seen similar scars on many Sea Clan Warriors before.

Those fine scars appeared on the scales, looking less severe. To hold His Majesty without harming his delicate skin, the Sea Clan Warrior retracted his scales, exposing the dark gray wound more visibly.

Luo Ci stretched out his soft, pudgy little hand and tentatively brushed against it lightly: "Does it hurt...?"

The Sea Clan Warrior carefully bent down, making it easier for His Majesty to reach him. The wound, which normally couldn't feel pain, tingled pleasantly under the gentle touch of those soft fingers. The muscles in his arm tensed like a slab of gray stone.

"It doesn't hurt."

Luo Ci stroked the wound, feeling a twinge of concern.

Even though he knew Sea Clan Warriors didn’t have blood vessels or neurons like humans, didn’t bleed when injured, and were less sensitive to pain, seeing such a long gash stretching across a firm chest and down the arm still made him uncomfortable.

"How did you get hurt so badly...?"

"......"

As if unwilling to expose the wound before His Majesty, the scales surged back like a tide, covering the injured area.

"This isn't acceptable, at least it needs to be treated..." Luo Ci flicked his tail, searching for the emergency medical kit but couldn’t find it. "Do you have bandages? Help me get some."

The Sea Clan Warrior wordlessly retrieved the medical kit.

"Come closer." Luo Ci frowned and beckoned.

The Sea Clan Warrior hesitated, unmoving. He realized His Majesty was concerned for him, but he feared his rough scales might harm His Majesty, so he stood frozen in place.

"Come here." Luo Ci couldn’t help but frown at the thought of such a severe wound being soaked in seawater. He was determined to treat it properly.

Seeing His Majesty clearly growing displeased, the warrior dared not delay further. He retracted his scales, lowered his head, and cautiously approached, gently nuzzling to convey submission and affection.

"Stay still..." Luo Ci softly stroked the ragged edges of the injury. Though long, it wasn’t deep. Since Sea Clan Warriors didn’t bleed like humans, it was hard to tell if it had scabbed over.

He applied ointment to the wound and wrapped bandages around the arm and chest in layers.

Luo Ci wasn’t skilled at bandaging—it ended up looking like a haphazardly wrapped bundle.

Blushing, he slowly tied a knot.

...It was a bit ugly.

Even Luo Ci wasn't pleased with it.

But in the eyes of the Sea Clan Warrior, there was no cuter or prettier bow in the world.

This was His Majesty’s gift.

Overwhelmed with excitement, his powerful tail thumped behind him, slapping against the surface and leaving many dents.

"His Majesty..."

Other Sea Clan Warriors, hearing the commotion, crowded closer, exposing wounds on their abdomens, chests, or arms, gazing at His Majesty with hopeful eyes.

Luo Ci froze, puzzled. Why did so many warriors have injuries? Though dying to know, he first focused on bandaging their wounds, his tail twitching as he worked.

He didn’t know that the Sea Clan valued strength above all, and this principle was fully reflected in who could become His Majesty’s guard.

To appear before His Majesty was the highest honor for a Sea Clan Warrior. From the elite guard to the patrol teams, the roster changed daily, with only the fiercest combatants earning the right to join the selection.

Those who stood before His Majesty were all the elite among their warriors.

These wounds weren’t even considered minor injuries to them—Sea Clan Warriors possessed formidable regeneration and healing abilities. Those they defeated in battle were much more severely injured, yet within days, they’d be back, challenging them again.

Unaware of this, Luo Ci’s expression twisted in distress, his lips pressed together unhappily.

"...Zzz...hoo...zzz..."

His ear fins twitched slightly as he caught a faint, soothing whale song.

He had heard whale songs during the welcoming ceremony—it was said to be a time-honored melody passed down among the Sea Clan, carrying many meanings. It could spread joy during festivals, soothe younger generations when sung by elders, or even serve as a lullaby for hatchlings...

Wordlessly, it conveyed the singer’s emotions.

The warriors’ whale song, though rugged, overflowed with affection—a vast, resonant melody like a breeze sweeping across the open sea.

Dappling the water with sunlight.

They were comforting His Majesty.

Luo Ci rubbed his eyes. Already tired, he buried his face in his tail and curled into a sleepy little ball, tiny transparent bubbles floating from behind his ear fins.

The room fell silent again as the warriors, using their comparatively gentler fingers, gently stroked His Majesty’s downy hair.

·

Luo Ci hadn’t fully woken when he heard recognizable sounds. His tail wriggled, his eyelids half-lifted, and he sniffed the air as he groggily tried to orient himself. Nudging closer, he was eventually picked up, and upon looking up, he grinned brightly: "Done with your meeting?"

Helunen nodded. "I must return to the capital planet. The orderly will stay with you."

Luo Ci jolted awake instantly, his tail tip hooking around Helunen’s wrist. "I’m coming too!"

Helunen: "Do you know why I’m going?"

Luo Ci shook his head unabashedly.

"Huinis’ inauguration ceremony demands my attendance."

Luo Ci tilted his head. "Inauguration? Is he becoming the president?"

"Most likely."

Luo Ci knew Helunen never spoke without being sure.

If Helunen said so, Huinis’ presidency was all but certain—

He had a general idea of Federation history. If Huinis hadn’t been infected during battlefield cleanup, Mo Lesen would never have taken power. Now, authority was simply being returned.

Luo Ci wasn’t particularly interested in who became president—he just wanted to stay by Helunen's side. He pulled Helunen’s hand closer and nuzzled his palm. "Let’s go together, okay...?"

Helunen: "I’ll return in two weeks at most."

Luo Ci shook his head vigorously. "Two weeks is so long! I don’t want to be apart from you that long."

The little mermaid gazed up at him, wide eyes full of neediness. Helunen cupped his tiny face and breathed a quiet sigh. "My trip isn’t just for the ceremony—there’s important matters..."

When Pulitzer initially transferred Huinis over to Totsuka, he never anticipated Huinis' recovery.

From Helunen’s recent investigations, Pulitzer appeared to realize Huinis was coming for them—especially with Mo Lesen’s looming electoral defeat. His recent actions had become ever more careful. Helunen’s trip was to supervise the Pulitzer inquiry.

“I won’t interfere with your official duties,” Luo Ci coiled his little tail around Helunen, pleading earnestly. “I promise not to hold you back and can definitely take care of myself. You’re always saying I’m not growing up. If you keep me locked in a room all the time—how can I grow up? Right...?”

Helunen pinched his cheek, a hint of amusement in his tone. “Whenever it comes to this, that little brain of yours works overtime, doesn’t it?”

Luo Ci leaned in closer, his round eyes crinkling with delight as he smiled.

Helunen said, “Since you’re going, start preparing now.”

The space jump from Azure to the capital planet would take about 2-3 days, but Luo Ci couldn’t handle space jumps well, so they had to depart earlier.

“Can I bring the Sea Clan with me?” Luo Ci asked eagerly, clinging to Helunen.

It suddenly occurred to him that the Sea Clan Warriors had probably never been to the capital planet before. Maybe they could all go together for a sightseeing trip—like a field trip.

“There’s no problem with that, but don’t bring too many.”

Luo Ci nodded repeatedly at the reply, then immediately turned to call in the Sea Clan guards to share the news.

The Sea Palace erupted with excitement.

The Emperor was selecting attendants for the trip to the capital planet. On the surface, the palace seemed as calm as ever, but the training grounds had turned into a frenzy of competition.

Especially among the few Sea Clan Warriors sporting ribbons—they paid no mind to attacks on their vulnerable gill slits, but if anyone dared touch their ribbons, they flew into a rage.

At first, no one understood why, but once it became known that the Emperor himself had tied those ribbons for them, green-eyed envy spread fast.

This only fueled their battles even more, escalating into full-on brawls.

The final roster wasn’t set until the day of boarding.

“Cosmic storm detected. The starship will perform a short-range jump. Please fasten your seatbelts...”

The announcement played three times.

Luo Ci was already accustomed to starships—interstellar travel wasn’t new to him—but this was his first time encountering a cosmic storm. Seasonal cosmic storms were common near Azure, and their vast coverage made detours impossible, forcing short-range jumps instead. This was a novel experience for him.

Helunen was discussing the short-range jump with the pilot.

Luo Ci rarely had the chance to visit the cockpit. Dodging the Sea Clan Warrior’s attempt to carry him, he wriggled his way up onto the monitoring platform, looking around curiously.

The complex control panels were complete gibberish to him, so he widened his round eyes to observe the storm in the distance.

Countless asteroids were caught in the swirling vortex, colliding with magnetic fields—somewhat resembling turbulent ocean waves.

A steward approached, trying to pick him up. “Your Majesty, allow me to escort you to the dining hall. Your usual treats have already been prepared. By the time you finish afternoon tea, the short-range jump will be over.”

Luo Ci didn’t want to leave. He tugged at Helunen’s sleeve. “I want to stay here with you.”

“Be good,” Helunen ruffled his soft hair. “I’ll join you soon.”

After a moment of hesitation, Luo Ci couldn’t resist the allure of desserts and mumbled, “Then hurry up, okay? I’ll save you... two pieces of cake.”

“Understood.”

The dining hall was located in the middle of the starship, the most stable area during a short-range jump, but seatbelts were still prepared in advance.

The seats were even cushioned with Luo Ci’s favorite camel wool pads—softer than cotton, ensuring no discomfort for his scaly little bottom.

Chin in hands, he gazed out the window. “What’s a short-range jump like? Will the starship flip upside down?”

“Your Majesty, the starship shouldn’t flip,” the steward mused. “But there might be a slight sense of weightlessness...”

However, with seatbelts securing them, the weightlessness would be barely noticeable.

Before Luo Ci could truly feel it, the short-range jump was already over.

When Helunen returned to the dining hall, the little mermaid wasn’t eating desserts—instead, he was clutching a pen, scribbling intently on a piece of paper.

Helunen approached. “What are you doing?”

“Making plans,” Luo Ci said seriously, carefully marking his notes. “I’ve received so many gifts, so this time, I want to buy lots of gifts to bring back from the capital planet.”

He sighed softly. “So many, many things to buy...”

The orderly, who had followed Helunen in, coughed at this. “Then you’ll need quite a bit of money, Your Majesty.”

Luo Ci nodded, naturally nudging Helunen’s palm with his head. “Money-money.”

Helunen transferred a sum directly through his comms device.

The orderly’s jaw dropped—it was a small fortune!

Watching his superior spend such a fortune on the little mermaid without batting an eye, he silently wiped away envious tears. If he had that much money, he’d retire on the spot.

Luo Ci had no real concept of the value of star credits—and even if he did, he wouldn’t care. After all, he was Helunen’s child. What was Helunen’s was his, and what was his was Helunen’s. He was still young and needed Helunen to take care of him, but once he grew up, he’d take care of Helunen in return.

After afternoon tea, Helunen retreated to his room to handle military affairs, while Luo Ci dove into his toy chest.

Still a child at heart, he couldn’t resist the allure of toys.

The Sea Clan had gifted him many fancy little knickknacks, and he had carefully picked out his favorites to store in the toy chest.

Truthfully, he adored stuffed animals, but Milo disliked them. Every time he hugged one, Milo would angrily snatch it away and toss it aside. The little duck Helunen had once bought him had long been mauled beyond recognition by Milo.

As a result, stuffed animals were the rarest in his collection—most of his toys required DIY assembly.

For instance, when he went through a phase where he was obsessed with starship races, he acquired an entire set of starship model kits. The collector’s edition alone was so expensive it could nearly buy a small planet.

Beyond toys, the chest also held an assortment of sparkly little baubles.

The Sea Clan generally loved adorning themselves. Luo Ci had seen many Sea Clan Warriors stringing up rivals’ teeth or bones into necklaces or earrings, covering their bodies with clan markings... It had taken him great effort to stop them from tattooing a little mermaid pattern onto themselves.

Luo Ci also liked shiny things, but he preferred not to wear them—he usually just held them, marveling at their sparkle. Among them was a string of crimson jade, called... a tail ring?

Supposedly, in Sea Clan courtship rituals, the suitor would grind crimson jade into rings and hook them onto their tails while dancing. If the other person caught the ring, it meant yes.

But that was years away. For now, Luo Ci was much more interested in playing with his toys.

He pulled out a new toy he’d received a couple of days ago—a glob of jelly-like water.

During a recent trip to a water world, he’d encountered this water, which looked no different from ordinary water.

But with a little squishing and molding, it could be shaped into anything.

He split the jelly water into two piles—one larger, one smaller.

Luo Ci was completely absorbed in his stacking.

His tail hugged the jelly water close. His pudgy fingers poked and prodded. Before long, the entire afternoon had slipped away.

Helunen simply thought the little mermaid was unusually quiet for once this afternoon.

When he came out of the room, he noticed the table.

...What were these two odd shapes?

The orderly also noticed. The larger one could only be vaguely recognized as a person by its round head and disproportionate body, while the smaller one curled up beside it, soft and coiled into a circle—if one didn’t know better, they might mistake it for an old-fashioned mosquito coil.

Just as Helunen was about to speak, Luo Ci pulled at his sleeve and pointed excitedly, "I worked really hard on these! Look, this one is me, and this one is you..."

He lifted his little face, eyes shining with expectation, waiting for praise.

"Hmm..." Knowing the little mermaid had made them, Helunen naturally praised, "Well done. What do you think, orderly?"

Caught off guard, the orderly: "..."

"Yes, very well done."

If you're going to lie, that's one thing—but did you have to drag me into it?