Chapter 33

Chapter 33

The next morning, Luo Ci got out of bed, clutched Bunny, and clattered downstairs, intending to explore outside the floating castle.

He had previously discovered that Yixu Star wasn't entirely populated by the Mechanical Race. The desert hid many small creatures, such as fennec foxes with ears as big as butterfly wings, capable of gliding briefly through the air. Skittish but nimble, they would immediately bury themselves in the sand at the slightest disturbance.

Luo Ci had seen them a few times and, excitedly, took some hidden-away treats to leave in places where the fennec foxes often appeared.

Sure enough, he spotted them poking their heads out a few times. He wanted to slowly make friends with the little one.

The little one was particularly scared of Robot Soldiers, burying itself at the slightest rustle. So, Luo Ci stopped bringing Robot Soldiers along on his visits, as the floating car he rode already had an integrated security system that could instantly spot all creatures around the little master. If any creature with malicious intent approached, the defenses would kick in right away, and Star Pursuit beams would fire from the tops of all steel towers toward the target.

Though the depths of the desert might hide many dangers, the security system was more than capable of turning any threat to dust.

As Luo Ci ran downstairs, he happened to see several engineering robots giving Tristan their report.

Engineering robots worked on weapon development and Robot Soldier modifications within the armory. Compared to Robot Soldiers, their brains were smarter, with faster central processing capabilities. In other words, while Robot Soldiers were limited to "wielding weapons," engineering robots were more like "human-like intelligence."

Holding Bunny, Luo Ci walked over just as the engineering robots finished reporting on the latest Robot Soldier modification plan and brought up another matter: "Sir, during this time, we’ve taken the opportunity to study the architecture of Hauskwell Star and have come up with a new plan… making a statue in the likeness of the little master."

Tristan did not object, so the engineering robot continued, "Across the galaxy, people often honor and remember leaders of great contribution through statues, conveying culture as a physical way of emotional expression—"

"We believe this is a great idea. Making the little master’s likeness would show everyone how important he is for our Mechanical Species across the galaxy. It would not only reflect the Mechanical Race's taste in art but also serve as a piece of history."

Another engineering robot added, "Not only should the little master’s statue be placed at the center of Yixu Star, but his likeness could also sit on top of every steel tower. This would serve as motivation for the Robot Soldiers. The little master’s image would beautify the environment and get them pumped up."

"During this time, we’ve completely figured out the architectural principles of Hauskwell Star. Once you give the order, we will give it our all to construct a grander, more magnificent statue than the Hauskwell sculpture group—one that will stand as the most amazing in the galaxy."

Luo Ci stood there gaping. Previously, these engineering robots had seemed like rational researchers, but now, when it came to building statues, they sounded like superfans gushing about their idol.

How strange…

Slowly, it hit him—if all the steel towers on Yixu Star were remodeled in his image, his cheeks burned with embarrassment. He wished he could bury it in the sand like the fennec fox.

Meeting Tristan’s gaze, Luo Ci absentmindedly pulled on Bunny’s rabbit ears.

The engineering robots quickly lowered their heads, their voices returning to a steady tone: "Little master."

But Luo Ci had already seen through them—they were just a bunch of die-hard fans disguised as rational ones!

Hesitating, he only approached when Tristan reached out, scampering over. He wanted to hug Tristan’s neck but could only manage his legs even when standing on tiptoe.

The engineering robot asked, "What are your thoughts, sir?"

Luo Ci tilted his head up, staring pleadingly at Tristan. He believed Tristan was more sensible. If all the steel towers were remodeled to look like him, how terrifying would that be? Tristan surely wasn’t like these engineering robots!

Without hesitation, Tristan replied, "Excellent. It’s a great plan we should do."

The engineering robot continued, "Moreover, after consulting interstellar mineral journals and related publications, we all agreed that the ores from Fart Star are the hardest and most suitable as raw material for the statues…"

Luo Ci was stunned. Why was Tristan like this too? What value was there in turning him into a statue?

He kept quiet for a bit but couldn’t resist speaking up.

Clutching Tristan’s arm, his soft cheeks turned pink. "No… no statues…"

Tristan picked up the pouting baby and held him in his arms, puzzled. "Why not?"

"It’s too weird," Luo Ci puffed his cheeks, lowering his head and playing with his fingers. "I don’t like seeing my own statue every time I look up…"

So that was the reason.

"Then we won’t do it."

Tristan gently soothed the little one in his arms. He could sense the little one’s pulse, heart rate, and neural state. As he comforted him, the little one gradually calmed down. Simultaneously, he signaled the engineering robots with new instructions.

If the little one didn’t want statues on Yixu Star, then they simply wouldn’t let him see them—they could be built on other planets. The Mechanical Race had many planets under its jurisdiction throughout the Delifras and Antilenda star systems, including industrial, energy, and tourist planets. Statues could be erected on any of them.

And the inscriptions on the statue bases—such as the little one’s first cry as a baby, his babbling words, his first attempt at feeding himself—were all special moments that could be engraved for the galaxy to reflect on the little one’s growth.

Unlike interstellar beings, the Mechanical Species did not lose memories over time. Every moment the little one spent in his arms, once recorded, could be recalled as vividly as new. This was the nature of the Mechanical Species—and their way of love.

Creating statues would undoubtedly transform this into a special tradition, unique to the Mechanical Race—a way to show love and romance.

Thinking this, Tristan once again wanted to destroy Castor Star.

The little one’s precious first three years had been spent in that laboratory… The mere thought made him want to activate the power boost system and aim the planet-blasting Star Pursuit Cannons atop the steel towers at Castor.

Luo Ci rubbed his belly, which had grown slightly hollow. He had originally planned to eat breakfast after his outing, but now he was a little hungry.

Noticing the little one’s movement, Tristan instructed the Robot Soldiers to bring over the prepared snacks.

Luo Ci straightened his short legs, eyes fixed on the tray filled with exquisite little treats. His chubby hand randomly picked one up and held it high for Tristan to see. "Bunny Rabbit!"

He flipped the snack over—the back was stamped with a big heart.

The snacks were shaped like Bunny Rabbits with various expressions, clearly custom-made for the little one.

Tristan patted the little one’s head and explained, "A moderate amount of sweetness helps ease tension."

Luo Ci stuffed the snack into his mouth, puffing his cheeks. Tristan handed him a cup of juice, which he chugged down in several big sips.

Each snack was bite-sized, perfect for the little one to eat in one go. After devouring several, Luo Ci slowly sipped his juice, cheeks bulging. Tristan asked, "Would you like to go to kindergarten?"

"Huh?" Luo Ci widened his round eyes, clearly puzzled.

Tristan—and the entire Mechanical Species—had always been extremely protective of him, to the point of wanting to build a steel castle to keep him hidden away.

Given Tristan’s nature, would he really agree to let him go to kindergarten?

He hesitated as he swallowed the last bite of his snack. Though he wanted to make new friends, he also understood the Mechanical Species’ protective instincts. So, faced with Tristan’s question, he wasn’t sure how to respond.

Luo Ci fretfully tugged at Bunny’s ears.

Tristan watched the conflicted little one. Whenever he encountered a question he couldn’t answer, his Little Ears would twitch slightly, and his tiny feet would curl together.

Too cute for words…

As beings at the top of the evolutionary chain, the Mechanical Species constantly sought to improve themselves, crafting stronger bodies. They inherently disliked weakness, originally only recognizing "strong" and "weak" as descriptors. But the little master had introduced new meanings—"beautiful" and "adorable." They didn’t understand these words because the little master was cute; rather, because the little master was cute, they came to understand these words.

Luo Ci felt a touch on his cheek and instinctively looked up.

His face was soft and fair, like freshly steamed milk cake, his watery eyes filled with confusion.

Tristan said, "We can go take a look first. See if you like it."

Luo Ci thought carefully, then nodded.

That made sense. There was no point overthinking it now—better to go and see. What if he didn’t like it?

He forgot about the inexplicable touch on his cheek earlier and pulled Tristan into the bedroom to change into a more formal outfit. It was somewhat academic in style, with a beige color scheme and navy collars both front and back.

It looked very proper.

Once everything was ready, he thought they would board the starship, but instead, Tristan took his hand and led him toward the back garden of the sky castle.

The sky castle was enormous, and Luo Ci still hadn’t explored all of it. The back garden, in particular, was quite far from his usual bedroom, so he had never been there before.

The garden was freshly decorated, as if stepping into a fairy tale. A Baroque-style storybook house had been built there.

Pulling open the door, he saw bright-colored tiles covering the floor, walls plastered with Bunny Rabbit artwork, and cozy camel-colored curtains that looked incredibly soft to the touch.

A dozen animal-shaped desks and chairs were neatly arranged.

Luo Ci’s mouth fell open in surprise. “…”

Was this… a kindergarten?

Tristan: “The Mechanical Race’s kindergarten.”

And it had just been built.

Specifically for the young master.

From human archives, kindergartens were considered a foundational part of a child’s socialization during their growth. Though Tristan didn’t agree with human educational methods or believe the young master needed to socialize with other races, he thought that if humans had it, the young master should too—he didn’t want any gaps in the child’s upbringing.

“Mmm…” Luo Ci blinked, stunned. He'd thought Tristan might hesitate to send him to another planet, but he never imagined Tristan would build a kindergarten just for him.

The young master’s eyelashes fluttered as he curiously looked around.

Tristan: “Go take a seat. I’ll come pick you up when it’s time.”

As soon as Tristan let go, the young master went scampering over to his seat.

The chair was custom-made, designed specifically for small hands and feet. Knowing the young master disliked hard chairs, it was padded with two layers of soft, cloud-soft cushions.

Luo Ci wiggled his bottom, turning his head left and right to peek at his “classmates.”

These classmates were clearly Robot Soldiers playing dress-up—their tall, burly frames clashed comically with the tiny desks, yet they all sat obediently. Some even had ponytails tied atop their heads, large bows pinned to their chests, or bunny ear headbands, looking like three-meter-tall hulking soldiers squeezed into dainty outfits…

Oddly enough, it was kind of adorable…

Luo Ci couldn’t help but prop his chin in his hands, grinning.

Soon, a Robot Soldier acting as the teacher walked in. To emphasize his role, he had even adorned his otherwise bald head with a puff of white curly fleece and tucked a few scrolls of parchment under his arm.

“Children, welcome to the Mechanical Race Kindergarten. I am your teacher, TX-8765. I’m sure you’re all eager to get to know each other, but don’t rush. First, I’ll teach you how to make a paper candy—follow my movements.”

“Now, fold the paper in half, then find the diagonal and fold again… Yes, everyone’s doing great. I bet you already have someone in mind you’d like to meet, right? Now, pick up your little candy and give it to the friend you most want to know!”

Luo Ci lowered his head, his chubby hands slowly fumbling with the paper, struggling to shape even a rough outline.

The moment the teacher finished speaking, candies rained down like a storm, pelting down on his head. Before he could react, he was nearly buried under the candy shower.

“Oh, it seems our little friends all had the same idea…”

Luo Ci was completely overwhelmed by the onslaught.

He had never been to kindergarten before—not when he was a mermaid, and his earliest memories were too fuzzy. The whole experience felt thrilling yet important to him. But no matter how fast he folded, he couldn’t match the Robot Soldiers’ speed. While he was still carefully working on his paper, he was suddenly swamped by candies.

His small hands flailed as he emerged from the pile, only to feel a pair of hands around his waist—the teacher lifted him out of the candy heap.

“Even so, everyone should tone it down a bit. We don’t want to overwhelm our little friend.”

Luo Ci nodded. The teacher had a point.

But halfway through his nod, he heard the teacher mutter under his breath, “If I’d known I could befriend the young master, I should’ve applied to be a student too…”

Luo Ci: “…”

Gee, thanks - he could totally hear that.

After getting to know all his “classmates,” the teacher brought out a box of blocks. “Since it’s everyone’s first day, I won’t assign a theme. Build whatever you like.”

Luo Ci cleared a space on his desk—which was decorated with smiling Bunny Rabbit designs, as were his water bottle and even the tissues, all clearly custom-made just for him.

Once the space was ready, he began earnestly considering what to build.

He wanted to make a class picture.

Pursing his lips, he carefully stacked block by block, his whole face the picture of concentration.

“Beep. Is master building me?”

“Beep. That’s me—the one with the headband.”

“Beep. I recognize myself too.”

……

Luo Ci tended to lose himself in whatever he was doing. By the time he finished his block structure, he realized everyone else had finished long ago.

Some had built pyramids, others Babylon's Hanging Gardens, even the Venus de Milo… But when the teacher asked everyone to vote for their favorite, without fail, every single vote went to the class sculpture.

Luo Ci had always harbored an unshakable confidence in his artistic skills, and now that confidence grew tenfold.

Though a little embarrassed by the unanimous praise, he still managed to help himself to two extra servings of milk pudding at lunch.

Robot Soldiers only needed recharging, not food. The one wearing a headband approached with a tray. “Mine… for the young master.”

Luo Ci politely refused, “No need, I’ve had enough.”

Other Robot Soldiers also brought their trays forward. “We want to give ours to the young master too.”

The bunny-headband-wearing soldier said deadpan, “I was here first.”

“When it comes to serving the young master, there’s no such thing as who was first.”

Robot Soldiers’ programming made them naturally less self-aware, but to better simulate a realistic environment, they had been temporarily embedded with personality protocols—leading to the emergence of self-awareness. They could now distinguish themselves from others and even felt competitive when one tried to please the young master before the others.

The atmosphere turned frosty.

Normally, when Robot Soldiers clashed, their body parts would transform into Star Pursuit Cannons. But with the young master present, such behavior was strictly forbidden.

Properly trained and assessed Robot Soldiers would never make such a rookie mistake!

With their perfect memory, they suddenly remembered—the young master had shown preference for the bunny headband. Upon entering, he had lingered on it a half-second longer (as their precise calculations determined). And in the class sculpture, the bunny ears had been positioned nearer to the young master.

After this careful scrutiny, all mechanical eyes zeroed in on the bunny headband.

As long as one obtains the bunny hairband, they become the little master's favorite companion!

So without the Star Pursuit Cannon or any weapons, the children suddenly began scrambling and roughhousing with each other.

Metallic clangs and crashes filled the air as the bunny hairband was snatched back and forth—one moment on your head, the next on mine. The table and building blocks went flying, the Venus statue lost both arms, and whatever remained of the Babylonian Hanging Gardens and the pyramids... all were completely demolished.

Yet, with strangely coordinated movements... they avoided the family portrait entirely.

Luo Ci blinked, puzzled, unable to understand why they had suddenly started fighting over a bunny hairband.

The teacher didn’t seem to care to stop them either—in fact, they looked eager to join in.

With the tables and chairs nearly dismantled, Luo Ci had no choice but to waddle over and try to break up the fight.

Pulling one away only led to another joining the fray, and stopping that one brought yet another into the chaos.

Pouting and frowning, he finally snatched the bunny hairband himself and plunked it onto his own head.

Everything went quiet at once.

With the coveted bunny hairband now adorning the little master’s head, the Robot Soldiers immediately stood down. After all, it was only because of the little master that the hairband held any significance—and now that it belonged to him, it was only logical. This perfectly aligned with their reasoning.

Seeing everyone obediently return to their seats, Luo Ci, still puffing his cheeks, sat back down as well.

He forgot to take off the bunny hairband.

When it was time for the parents to pick up their children, Luo Ci spotted Tristan at the entrance and immediately pitter-pattered over, clinging tightly to the other’s leg. "Up!"

Though they had only been apart for a mere four or five hours, for a cuddly little thing like him, it felt like an eternity.

Once lifted into Tristan’s arms, Luo Ci rested his chin on the other’s shoulder and began babbling excitedly, recounting the day’s events in his sweet voice like syrup-dipped cotton candy. Tristan listened attentively, his mechanical body instinctively adjusting its temperature to match the warmth most comfortable for the child. As a member of the Mechanical Race, he normally had no concept of body heat, yet from the very first moment he met the little one, it was as if some deep instinct had compelled him to regulate it perfectly for a human child.

Could this be explained by experience? Did the Mechanical Race truly possess their own genetic code?

One that only responded to the little master.

The Robot Soldiers were like his eyes and hands—Tristan already knew everything that had happened that day. Yet, he still loved hearing the child recount it himself. It was an entirely different experience. Watching the little one wearing the hairband through the Robot Soldiers’ sensors was nothing compared to holding him in his arms, feeling the softness of his round dumpling of a face—so small it was even shorter than the bunny ears. Utterly adorable.

He booped the little one’s cheek. "...Cute."

He really should have attended class with the little one.

Luo Ci had been happily babbling about his day when suddenly, his cheek was poked, and he was called cute. His face flushed hot, his soft cheeks turning as hot as freshly steamed bao.

Though he was used to being called cute, there was something about Tristan’s tone—so unusually serious—that left him flustered. He couldn’t quite figure out why it made him so shy, and flustered, he even forgot what he had been saying. By the time they reached the bedroom, he dashed into his own room, snatched up his blankie, burrowed into bed, and softly closed the door behind him.

Why had the little one suddenly gotten upset?

Knocking got no answer.

That evening, the Mechanical Race’s regular meeting met as usual—a virtual roundtable modeled after the Yixu Star conference hall. Upon connection, each participant’s avatar hovered above their designated seat.

All present were intelligent Mechanical Species. After the important matters were reported, no one left the meeting room, waiting instead for Tristan to officially conclude the session.

"Before we adjourn..." Tristan spoke slowly, "there’s one more issue I’d like to discuss."

Everyone sat up straighter—

"How do you cheer up a sulky little one?"