Chapter 26

Chapter 26

Oh...

Luo Ci looked over and froze briefly—everyone had already stood up.

The Sea Clan Warriors quickly disentangled themselves from their human pyramid, but they still stood frozen in place before the shattered door, their tails twitching nervously, unsure of what to do.

They hadn’t intended to appear before their Emperor, yet here they were… and they’d even accidentally crushed the door. This left the Sea Clan Warriors both guilty and ashamed, especially when the Emperor’s big, round eyes turned toward them, making them even more flustered.

"Come, come here," Luo Ci shook off his surprise, cupping his cheeks and beckoning with a smile.

The Sea Clan Warriors, upon receiving the order, carefully stepped around the fallen door and approached, dropping to one knee with their heads bowed.

Deep-sea creatures were generally emotionally reserved, and only interactions with their Emperor could stir their feelings. At this moment, their emotions were particularly conflicted.

Protecting the Emperor was a duty engraved in the Sea Clan’s genes—their divine duty. This failure left them deeply distressed, even making them feel unworthy of appearing before the Emperor.

Yet when they received the Emperor’s summons, they couldn’t help but obey, drawn forward despite themselves. This inner conflict filled them with self-loathing. The Emperor should punish them—they deserved punishment.

To Luo Ci, it felt like facing a group of drenched puppies. He couldn’t resist reaching out to pat their heads.

He knew the Sea Clan Warriors blamed themselves, but the raiders had come prepared… and the warriors had even shed their protective scales to protect him. Scales existed precisely to withstand harm, so casting them aside was almost like abandoning instinctive protection. They had chosen him over their own survival instincts.

Luo Ci lowered his head, his expression a mix of guilt and worry.

He cradled a Sea Clan Warrior’s arm, tears suddenly spilling down, his voice tinged with a slight sniffle: "Does it hurt?"

"No, Your Majesty."

"Your Majesty, please don’t cry."

"Your Majesty..."

The Sea Clan Warriors had expected punishment, but instead, the Emperor worried first about their injuries. Staring into those glistening eyes, their hearts felt as if struck by a heavy blow, overwhelmed by intense emotion. For a moment, all thoughts fled their minds—they could only think of comforting the Emperor.

Helunen sighed, pulling the tearful little mermaid into a one-armed hug. He had someone fetch a damp towel and gently wiped away the tear streaks at the corners of the little one’s eyes.

He had once promised never to let the little one cry pearls again… this was his fault too.

The raiders… His eyes lowered, veiling icy fury, though his voice remained soft and soothing:

"Don’t worry. They’re not as fragile as you think."

The Sea Clan was fundamentally different from humans.

"Their bodies have almost no pain nerves, and their healing factor far surpasses that of humans. It’s common for them to regrow arms or fins lost in battle. Wounds from photon guns heal within days."

Luo Ci lifted his teary eyes, hesitating. "...Really?"

The Sea Clan Warriors nodded, confirming Helunen’s words. In truth, their skin was incredibly tough, capable of withstanding even deep-sea pressure. The damage from photon guns was nothing compared to the scars they bore from battles fought to secure their positions in the undersea palace.

Luo Ci rubbed his eyelids, his long lashes sticking together as he held back tears. "I want to treat their wounds…"

Younglings were prone to crying pearls when emotionally overwhelmed. Luo Ci rubbed his eyes, struggling to control his feelings, his voice still carrying a faint sniffle.

Helunen had someone bring a first-aid kit. Luo Ci reached out and lightly touched the wound on the Sea Clan Warrior’s shoulder. The warrior felt no pain—only a faint, ticklish sensation where the Emperor’s fingers brushed his skin. His muscles tensed instantly.

Luo Ci glanced up at his expression, confirming he truly wasn’t in pain, before carefully applying ointment and wrapping the wound in bandages. His every movement was meticulous, ensuring not a hint of discomfort.

"Mmm…" After finishing the bandaging, Luo Ci nodded in satisfaction, his ear fins giving a slight tremble. He felt his technique had improved since the first time, so he lifted his little head to look at Helunen.

The little mermaid’s expression was too transparent. Helunen curled his lips, ruffling his small head in praise. "Well done."

Luo Ci tilted his face up, nuzzling against Helunen’s palm—a youngling’s habitual affectionate gesture.

The soft touch was like a fluffy kitten’s paw dancing across his heart. Helunen’s hand trembled slightly.

This feeling was hard to describe. He had once wished for the little mermaid to grow quickly, yet now he hoped these days would pass more slowly… He would protect and cherish the little one. The small, powder-puff cradled in his palms was so soft and vivid, his pink cheeks achingly cute. Anyone who sought to destroy this…

Would not be tolerated.

Helunen shared breakfast with Luo Ci before receiving a communication and leaving the residence for the conference hall.

Luo Ci, meanwhile, drifted back to sleep. When he woke, he frowned sleepily—fish were more accustomed to sleeping curled in Helunen’s embrace.

With his hair a bird's nest, he pouted, flipping his tail as he buried his soft cheeks into the little blanket, the tip of his tail swaying left and right outside. He felt like he’d forgotten something.

Then, a shadowy mass at the door caught his attention.

Seeming to realize Luo Ci had noticed him, the blob quickly shrank back but couldn’t resist peeking inside.

Once, twice, thrice—

"...Milo?" Luo Ci blinked, his tone uncertain, though he recognized Milo’s sad-puppy eyebrows and button eyes.

Milo let out a pathetic squeak, slowly revealing his round, bloated form.

So big—!

That was Luo Ci’s first thought. Milo had absorbed so much water he was nearly the size of an adult. But whether Milo was big or small, Luo Ci felt no fear, so he flicked his tail tip, beckoning him over.

"Mi—"

Milo immediately tried to scoot closer, but his body was too bulky—even the spacious door was too narrow for him. He grunted and strained, struggling to squeeze through.

Crash—!

With an angry push, the newly repaired door collapsed again.

Finally inside, Milo shuffled over to Luo Ci, his petal-soft limbs gently brushing against the little mermaid’s tail. "Squeak."

The tentacles were cool to the touch and surprisingly heavy.

Luo Ci swallowed hard. He had to tilt his head back to see Milo properly—the size gap was startling. Milo seemed equally unsure, tilting his head, his tentacles scratching in confusion.

"Were you waiting outside the whole time?" Luo Ci smiled, clutching a tentacle like a security blanket.

"Mi…" Milo’s sad brows knitted tighter as if he’d suffered immense injustice. His button eyes overflowed, tears plopping down as he curled his petal-like tentacles to wipe them away.

He knew his master only liked him when he was small and cute. Now that he’d grown so big, he wasn’t adorable at all. He’d cried for so long, shedding much of the seawater he’d absorbed, but some stubbornly remained.

At this thought, he wriggled, ignoring the tears splashing everywhere, and painstakingly curled himself into the corner of the room.

Luo Ci felt the tentacle in his arms droop like a deflated balloon, falling limply. Unable to bear Milo’s sadness, he petted the limp limb soothingly. "Milo, you’re still cute like this… I still like you very much."

"Mi…" Milo slowly lifted his head, processing the words sluggishly. His button eyes blinked before he finally understood.

Luo Ci continued comforting him while gazing at Milo’s petal-soft limbs, unable to resist gathering a few more into his arms.

The once petal-like suckers on Milo's body had transformed into tentacles after his size increased, like intricate, translucent vines.

The tentacle held by Luo Ci was far more active, wrapping around his arm as if full of life. These very tentacles, which could effortlessly crush pirate ships, now were as gentle as kittens. With just a light touch from Luo Ci, they trembled like shy mimosa leaves.

Other tentacles swelled indignantly, trying to pull this one away so they could take its place and nestle into Luo Ci's embrace.

As the tentacles squabbled, Milo gradually turned his body. He had finally understood what Luo Ci meant earlier—no matter how he changed, his master would always love him.

"...Mi." Milo squinted his small eyes, happily opening his suckers as he joyfully leaped toward Luo Ci.

Just as his body was about to cover Luo Ci completely, Luo Ci suddenly saw light. When he focused, he saw Helunen holding Milo up with one hand. Milo, eyes squeezed shut, whimpered while reaching out with tentacles toward Luo Ci.

Helunen flung Milo at the butler. "Keep him separated."

"Wahh..."

"Wait," Luo Ci instinctively spoke up, pressing his cheek against Helunen's arm and hugging it tightly. Softly, he said, "Milo was just too excited. I'll tell him not to lunge like that."

Helunen didn't push the matter, merely glancing at Milo, who cowered fearfully under his gaze, curling his tentacles and tightening his body.

Luo Ci petted Milo gently, soothing him. It had to be said—though Milo had grown in size, his body was still smooth and soft, like a giant gel pack.

"Mi..." Milo blissfully closed his eyes, slowly inching toward Luo Ci until they were pressed tightly together.

Helunen shot them a look. In truth, before the little mermaid had woken up, he had already had Yivain examine him.

After a thorough inspection, Yivain had to admit his mistake: "It's not a Miluba. Though they look similar, this is a DeepSea Monster that has existed since ancient times. Their kind has no official name in star charts because sightings are so rare."

"Even the information I could dig up is extremely limited. As you know—beyond our star domain, there are others. Some may belong to humans, some to Bahai, or even jointly inhabited by humans and Bahai... And there are confirmed sightings of them crossing star domains, effortlessly traversing between them."

The Sea Palace Director also confirmed this. DeepSea Monsters were technically Sea Clan members. Like mermaids, they shared ancient DNA and could even share emotions telepathically. However, their existence was so unique that, apart from the Emperor, no one could command them. If described in human terms, they were like muscle-bound royal guards with childlike minds.

"They usually lie dormant in the deep sea. Unless accompanied by the Emperor, they rarely travel far. Other star domains have Bahai-like contaminants, and only the Emperor can purify them, guiding them so they don't get lost during interstellar voyages."

At the mention of getting lost, Helunen's eyes narrowed.

Yivain added, "Though these deep-sea creatures are terrifying—no weapon can pierce their skin—their one weakness is their rudimentary thought processes. Their intelligence is equivalent to that of a toddler, making them especially prone to getting lost."

Thinking of this assessment of low intelligence... Helunen glanced at Milo, who was persistently sticking to the little mermaid, and suddenly didn't seem so bad anymore.

Still, it would be best to find Milo's kin. Once reunited with his kind, this clinginess might improve.

"...Kin?" Luo Ci's eyes widened as he urgently tugged at Helunen's sleeve. "Have you found them?"

"Still searching," Helunen replied.

Unaware of Helunen's hidden agenda to send Milo far away, Luo Ci thought he was simply doing a good deed.

The little mermaid wrapped his arms around Helunen's firm waist, burying his face against his chest in gratitude.

Helunen accepted the hug without batting an eye.

Totsuka peered past the damaged doorframe. "Sir, you still have a meeting to attend."

Helunen had paused the meeting midway upon hearing the commotion. Seeing that Milo had indeed calmed down, he mussed the little mermaid's hair and followed Totsuka out.

Meanwhile, the butler directed the servants to repair the door, even widening it slightly for Milo's convenience.

Soon after, a gentle knock sounded at the door, followed by the Director's voice: "Your Majesty, may I enter?"

"Come in."

Only after receiving permission did the Director push the door open.

The moment the door swung ajar, Luo Ci caught a whiff of a strange, drifting scent.

He sniffed with his little nose... So bitter.

Blinking in confusion before he could identify it, the Director approached, his voice heavy with guilt: "The Sea Clan has failed in its duty. As guards, we neglected our responsibilities, allowing Your Majesty to be endangered. We beg for your punishment..."

The Little Fish shook his head, his tiny tail fin wagging cutely. "It's not your fault... I'm fine, see?"

Seeing the Emperor clearly uncomfortable yet sincerely reassuring him, the Director felt even worse.

The fact that the Emperor had been attacked right before their eyes rocked the entire Sea Clan, especially fueling hatred against the pirates. Many Sea Clan Warriors volunteered to track down the remaining pirates. But even if they wiped them all out, their guilt remained.

Watching this, the little fish bit his lip, regretting even more his impulsive choice to sneak out, causing so much trouble and worry.

Really, the most detestable were those pirates—who could have imagined they'd dare to raid the capital star?

Pouting, he played with the fin veil on his tail, not wanting the Director to wallow in guilt. Noticing the strange bitterness came from the medicine cup in the Director's hand, he pretended to be curious: "What's this?"

"Medicine," the Director replied softly.

For the Sea Clan, the only silver lining was that the Emperor hadn't been harmed, merely fainting from the turbulence.

The physician blamed it on a weak immune system.

Luo Ci looked confused. "For me?"

"Yes..." As Luo Ci tilted his head in confusion, the Director explained: "This medicine is made from freshly harvested seagrass from the Azure Depths. In life, it's an ephemeral creature; after death, it settles among coral and becomes grass. It's incredibly rare but highly effective for strengthening the body and boosting immunity."

The Sea Palace did have dried seagrass, but he always wanted the Emperor to have it fresh. So he had rushed back to the Azure Depths overnight to gather it, brewing the medicine immediately after to present it to the Emperor.

Luo Ci leaned in to sniff the concoction, his ear fins splaying wide in alarm.

After a long, awkward silence, he silently scooted backward.

The Director softened his voice, his stiff features attempting a smile. "Your Majesty, the physician insists your constitution needs reinforcement. This medicine is highly effective—you must drink it."

"Bitter..."

"Tastes bad."

The dark green liquid exuded a scent reminiscent of licorice and fish.

Just smelling it made him imagine the feeling of an explosion on the tongue.

Even knowing it was specially prepared for him, Luo Ci pushed the cup away, turning his face aside.

The Director hesitated. He shouldn't defy the Emperor's wishes, but the physician had stressed the need to strengthen his health...

"Your Majesty, please at least try it."

Luo Ci, intent on stalling, fussed with the wrinkled blanket under his tail tip and said softly, "How about leaving it here? I'll drink it once it cools."

"Your Majesty, it's best taken while warm."

Now Luo Ci was out of options. The steward gazed at him expectantly, and he couldn't bear to refuse again. So, with a drooping head, he took the medicine.

Luo Ci cradled the medicine in his hands, puffing his cheeks to blow on it gently. While pretending to wait for it to cool, he secretly glanced at the steward, planning to push the medicine far away once he left.

But after waiting, the steward showed no intention of leaving.

...There was no other choice.

Luo Ci slowly raised the medicine to his lips, his tongue tentatively licking it like a kitten tasting milk. It tasted like bile steeped in bitter lemon water, and his face contorted in pure misery.

After finally gulping it all down, Luo Ci slumped like a deflated fish. He had the butler bring him water to rinse his mouth several times before the strong taste faded slightly.

The steward encouraged him warmly, "Your Majesty did very well. Next time, it’ll be much easier to accept."

No way—he'd never get used to this.

Luo Ci listlessly hugged his tail, burying himself under the small blanket and wrapping it tightly around himself.

"Mmm..." Milo inched closer, his tentacles gently nudging the little lump under the blanket.

Still hidden beneath the covers, Luo Ci curled his tail and rubbed his numb, medicine-soured face, regretting even more that he had wandered off and been captured by the space pirates.

No more reckless wandering...

...

As the door clicked shut, the steward’s expression instantly turned grave.

Just moments ago, he'd recognized a critical oversight—he had never considered assembling a medical team for His Majesty.

As a result, when His Majesty felt unwell, they had to rely on capital-world doctors. This wouldn't stand.

Truthfully, he had never thought about this issue for good reason. As a member of the clan born to serve the Sea Emperor, he had grown up reading the records left by his predecessors. Most of these writings extolled the Emperor’s might and splendor, with very few documenting His Majesty’s childhood.

On one hand, the Sea Emperor forbade any records that might tarnish his image. On the other, the Sea Emperors of past generations had always reproduced asexually—the previous Emperor would produce a mermaid egg when nearing death.

At that time, the Sea Emperor would plunge into madness, and the psi-bond would broadcast this frenzy to the rest of the Sea Clan, driving them into frenzied, self-slaughtering madness. Therefore, when sensing his impending death, the Sea Emperor would retreat to an isolated world beyond the reach of the mental link, accompanied by DeepSea Monsters, to lay the egg.

Because of this, records of the Emperor’s hatching and early years were scarce as hen's teeth.

Thus, he was unfamiliar with how to care for a young Emperor.

He had never imagined that the Emperor’s childhood would be so tiny, precious, and vulnerable… and so he had never considered the need for physicians in the Sea Palace.

But now, it was necessary.

He acted with admiralty efficiency—no sooner had he made the decision than he drafted a proposal.

The Sea Palace would recruit several more physicians.

After reviewing the preliminary draft, a Sea Clan Warrior responsible for organizing documents cautiously remarked, "My lord, are the requirements—merely expertise in medicine and devotion to His Majesty—too broad? If physicians from other clans apply, should we permit them?"

His Majesty was so adorable—just look at the current galactic net buzz! If the announcement were posted as is, what if physicians from other planets used the opportunity to get close to His Majesty under the pretense of applying?!

The steward nodded, acknowledging the point, and added a restriction: Sea Clan exclusive.

"My lord, I believe mental fortitude is also crucial. After all, the current palace guards were selected through rigorous willpower screenings. If other Sea Clan members lack such discipline..."

The steward’s expression turned stern. Right—willpower screenings would also be mandatory.

If they hired physicians with weak resolve—yes-men who'd agree to anything His Majesty said, especially when His Majesty was being soul-crushingly cute—they might short-circuit on the spot! Even today, he had nearly given in himself!

No, they absolutely could not risk His Majesty's wellbeing.

·

Meanwhile, Luo Ci, still burritoed in his blanket, lay sprawled over Milo as he messaged Totsuka.

Totsuka, from the Military Med Corps, had come to discuss cooperation on research, primarily involving mist chambers and protective suits.

The concept for the suits was inspired by the decontam hydro-rings of Qunqing Star—creating a membrane infused with the mermaid’s psychic energy to shield frontline workers from infection.

Totsuka had first presented the academy’s proposal to Marshal Helunen, who, after consideration, did not oppose it. The little mermaid’s psychic energy couldn’t remain hidden forever—it was bound to come out.

Once, Helunen had assumed the little mermaid would eventually leave him to return to the sea, so he had hoped to keep it concealed. But now, with no intention of parting, he knew the ability would surface sooner or later. It was better to disclose it openly—after all, the little mermaid was under his protection, and anyone scheming against her would have to face the consequences.

As for whether the little mermaid wished to participate, as her guardian, he wouldn’t interfere.

Luo Ci pondered for several days before meeting with the academy’s representative, who kissed up to him properly—even if he declined, they would keep his secret.

They weren't about to cross him, not when he had Marshal Helunen and the entire Sea Clan backing him.

After much deliberation, Luo Ci made his decision.

When deep in thought, the little mermaid had a habit of worrying his fin veil. Helunen had scolded him multiple times but couldn’t break the habit. Sidling up to Helunen’s side, he tugged at his sleeve. "Um, I’ve thought about it..."

"Hm?" Helunen paused his work, signaling him to continue.

Luo Ci nuzzled into Helunen’s arm, fidgeting with his fingers as he murmured, "I want to agree… is that okay?"

The idea had taken root after watching documentaries, especially witnessing the hellscape of the frontier world Diken. The recent kidnapping by space pirates had also made him reflect—he had gotten too soft, neglecting his spiritual training. This was a chance to practice while contributing to research that could benefit other planets.

"I’ve looked into it—they promised no harmful experiments. All I’d need to do is release spiritual energy. It wouldn’t be a burden..."

Knowing Helunen disliked him exposing his abilities, Luo Ci’s voice grew quieter.

But Helunen was already aware. Carding fingers through the little mermaid's messy hair, he said simply, "Do as you wish."

He'd clean up any mess.

Luo Ci’s saucer eyes lit up, and after confirming Helunen’s approval, he let out a delighted "Wow!" before clinging to his arm, wagging his tail like a puppy.

"Remember the interrupted inauguration ceremony?" Helunen suddenly recalled. "It’s rescheduled for the day after tomorrow. Lord Huinis has invited you to attend. Would you like to go?"

What he didn’t mention was that ever since learning of the little mermaid’s arrival on the capital planet, Huinis had been inventing reasons to drop by, even offering a palace for him to move into—all of which Helunen refused. This was the little mermaid’s home. Where else would he go?

Always up for adventure, Luo Ci perked up instantly, clutching Helunen’s sleeve. "Yes, yes, I want to go!"

Terrified that hesitation might make Helunen change his mind.

Helunen: "Then get ready. We’ll go together."

To prevent another incident like the space pirate attack, he would accompany the little mermaid—also making their bond unambiguous... to avoid further misunderstandings.

These days, the galactic net had exploded.

If there were a Most Buzzworthy List on the StarNet, the Sea Emperor would undoubtedly top the list.

Originally, everyone was discussing the Star Pirates' invasion of the Capital Star. Though people initially sympathized with the Capital Star, after witnessing the pirates' fate... people suddenly realized they could feel a little bad for them too.

The DeepSea Monster was also blowing up online, but it was later confirmed to belong to the Sea Clan—their emperor had been abducted, which explained the monster's rampage... Well, that made perfect sense.

Wait a minute.

The Sea Emperor?!

The entire galaxy was stunned, and the situation instantly exploded like a grease fire. Though the live footage was distant and blurry, one could vaguely make out a blur of white cradled in Helunen's arms.

A few seconds of footage were picked apart frame by frame, amassing billions of views within days. Then, a piece of news broke out—not only did StarNet users go wild, practically ready to pop champagne, but planetary bigwigs across the galaxy were on edge too.

The Sea Emperor would also attend the inauguration ceremony—