Chapter 23

Chapter 23

The temporary tutoring room, now quiet, was filled only with the sound of wind and breathing.

Gazing at the male, the blue-haired female couldn't help but fall into thought, questioning whether her lesson preparation was flawed.

Yet the application of the Doskafen Formula was already the most fascinating topic in astrophysics. It was thanks to this formula that the species achieved groundbreaking progress in interstellar exploration. Many critical components of modern spacecraft relied on this formula for updates...

As she reasoned through it, her gaze intensified. After confirming that she hadn’t made a mistake in choosing this as the first topic to teach, she turned her attention back to the male.

Her teaching material wasn’t wrong—today’s lesson should indeed cover the Doskafen Formula. So, she should wake him up.

But how does one wake a male?

Physical contact? Unless initiated by the male, non-relatives were prohibited from approaching them without permission. This was the seventh essential rule in the etiquette section of the Male Protection Regulations, mandatory reading for all females as mandated by the Male Management Committee.

Verbal reminder? It seemed a louder voice was necessary.

After all, despite the open window, the breeze, and his own speaking earlier, the male had still dozed off completely.

Lowering her gaze, Gore approached the table where Philo was dozed.

From this closer distance and clearer angle, the male was indeed sleeping deeply. But unfortunately, he still needed to be woken up.

"Philo."

No response.

"Philo."

Still no response.

"Philo."

"Philo."

"...Philo."

Covering her head, Gore felt her tongue stiffen more with each repetition of the name.

No longer restraining her tone, then, a firm voice suddenly rang out.

Good—the soundproof room ensured no servants outside were disturbed. But as for the individuals inside...

"Ah!"

Jolting upright, his heartbeat instantly switching from sleep mode to startled alertness, Philo stared blankly ahead.

Thankfully, it was still the familiar scene, the familiar space, the familiar person—no, individual?

This was...

Damn.

He’d fallen asleep!

"Uh, sorry about that, Gore. Your teaching was great—it’s just that I’m still new to this and couldn’t keep up. Plus, I stayed up late last night, so I accidentally... Well, go ahead and continue. I won’t fall asleep this time."

Instinctively reaching for a book, Philo only found the warm surface of the electronic desk. Casting an apologetic look at Gore, who was tutoring him pro bono, he corrected his slouched posture.

But...

"Alright. But from which part did you stop understanding earlier?"

Without sarcasm, Gore—unaware of when the male had dozed off—was genuinely asking where she should begin again.

But this question was truly a good one.

"How about... we take a short break and chat for a bit? Then later... uh, you can start over from the beginning?"

In other words, he’d missed everything.

Philo awkwardly looked up at the female. Though he knew he was being unfair to her efforts, expecting him to stay awake through such advanced material was testing his limits.

Fortunately, while Gore’s temper was stern, it didn’t seem unkind.

Umfazed, she listened patiently to Philo’s request and agreed to restart the lesson later.

Hearing this, Philo brightened and stood, offering to personally get some refreshments from downstairs as thanks.

Without waiting for her refusal, Philo strode out of the study.

Whether it was his imagination or not, the first-floor hall and kitchen of the Torras mansion looked more inviting today.

"The old butler prepared these in advance. The roasted caramel fruits are ready too—try some."

Pointing at the abundant snack spread, Philo, as the host, enthusiastically encouraged her to help herself.

Without hesitation, she thanked him and began eating with the same focus she gave lectures.

Watching Gore eat as attentively as she lectured, Philo raised an eyebrow, and he mused:

*Well, with that level of focus, no wonder she can master astrophysics.*

But—

"Gore, why do you always carry a gun on your waist?" Casually directing his gaze to Gore’s hip, Philo studied the sleek quantum gun he’d eyed repeatedly the day before. After careful comparison, he confirmed he hadn’t seen it here before.

Given Gore’s military rank, as a lieutenant general, she certainly had proper authorization, allowing her to carry live weapons with a yield of up to 2,000 megajoules.

But even with such regulations in place, not even Commander Zhousha—as far as Philo had seen—carried conspicuous weapons on his person. And Gore was a guest here, in a household with a male.

By local customs, while her behavior wasn’t illegal, many males might still find it impolite and be displeased.

So why did she insist on carrying a gun daily? To show off her rank? Given her personality, that didn’t seem likely.

"My unit is stationed near the frontlines of the border star system, where the average number of high-ranking military females deployed is relatively high."

Pausing her meal, Gore—who had long noticed the male’s gaze—had expected the question. This time, she answered directly and gave a brief explanation.

"The frequency of star beast swarm encounters in our stationed area has exceeded previous records this year. Many high-ranking military females have shown dangerous readings in their psychic scans. To prevent widespread casualties in case of a Psychic Outbreak among them, I must carry adequate firepower to respond to incidents at any time."

She delivered with the formality of an official report, her words flowed smoothly, as if she’d given this explanation often.

At this, Philo grasped the gun’s purpose. But...

His lips pursed, his gaze rested on the weapon.

Being constantly prepared to shoot one’s comrades must weigh heavily. Moreover, according to the inspection report Zhousha had provided, this gun was likely a worst-case contingency...

"What do you usually do for fun when you're bored?" The male quickly shifted the topic away from the quantum gun, as if it had just been an offhand question, and curiously asked about other things instead.

But, fun?

After a moment of silence, the female replied softly, "I usually visit the Military Museum, Weapon Exhibition Halls, and Fighting Arenas on the capital planet. Also, there are many mini-planets near the capital. Occasionally, I take my ship for a spin."

Here, recalling the male's expressed desire for interstellar travel the day before, Gore added, meeting his gaze,

"You need a pilot's license. Otherwise, you’d have to hire a temporary pilot."

"I know that—I saw it on a travel forum on the StarNet. But I don’t really like traveling with large groups, and right now, I’m busy applying to Kalms Military Academy, so I probably won’t have time for a while. Still, the places you mentioned sound interesting, especially the Fighting Arena. Maybe we can go check it out together sometime?"

"...Sure."

It wasn't awkward. Despite having barely met before and coming from vastly different backgrounds, their similar ages made it easy to find common ground.

Especially since—whether it was Philo’s imagination or not—Gore seemed to understand the underlying reason behind Zhousha arranging these tutoring sessions. Perhaps that was why Gore wasn’t as rigid as Philo had heard and even seemed rather tolerant of him?

Since he'd just dozed off during the lesson, Philo quietly dismissed Zhousha’s earlier descriptions of Gore and simply treated the female like an ordinary friend.

But even among friends, some things still didn't make sense.

"Inter-molecular gravity is the key. The particle dust in nebulae primarily clusters due to this force. Once you grasp this, calculating the Kassu value of nebula explosions becomes straightforward. For example, what’s the maximum Kassu value for this nebula’s explosion, Philo?"

"...Can’t we use calculators during exams?"

"If necessary, perhaps General Tulath could talk to the dean. The approval rate shouldn’t be too low."

"Thanks for the suggestion. I’ll do that."

"Mm. So, what’s your calculated Kassu value?"

"...How about you teach me how to use your calculators first?"

On the first day of tutoring, Gore taught Philo the basics of their calculators. The result? Philo no longer needed to learn the Doskafen Formula—the calculator did it perfectly.

When he finally arrived at the same answer as Gore, Philo gripped his communicator, now with an interstellar super-calculator, with newfound determination.

*I’ll need to talk to Zhousha later. Some tools are designed to be used!*

Standing up, same spot, same view.

Just like yesterday, after the tutoring session, Philo smiled as he watched Gore board the aircraft and leave. But the moment the female disappeared from sight, his smile faded.

How to describe this feeling? Like exhaustion after running for three days straight—numb, stiff… Turning around with a rigid expression, he ignored the old servant’s suggestion to rest.

Instead, he headed straight for Zhousha’s room on the second floor. There were still things he needed to discuss in detail.

In Zhousha’s room, the old female, who had been about to head downstairs, was gently guided back to his chair by the male's knock.

By the time the two descended, Yi Jia Fa was already seated at the dining table.

Initially, Yi Jia Fa had been utterly opposed to his son skipping elite academies for the hardship of military school. But while he was firm with his two daughters, he was helpless against his only male.

In the end, faced with Philo’s stubbornness, Yi Jia Fa could only reluctantly agree.

But—

"Philo, didn’t you eat enough this morning?"

Noticing the male's noticeably larger appetite, Yi Jia Fa paused with his fork.

To this, Philo smiled lightly as he sliced into his second steak.

"I did, but today’s steak tastes especially good. I really like it."

*Especially good?*

Glancing at his own plate, Yi Jia Fa couldn’t tell any difference from before. Still, ever since Philo’s return, even his own appetite had grown.

Thinking of his recently snug clothes, Yi Jia Fa lost interest in monitoring Philo’s portions and changed the subject.

"By the way, Philo, has anyone from Qiankesilan added you on comm link recently?"

"Qiankesilan? The fashion brand we ordered formal attire from last time? I changed my comm settings—no one can add me now. Do they need something?"

Still cutting his steak, Philo recalled the renowned clothing brand, whose designs filled his wardrobe.

But beyond custom orders, he’d never met the family. Even at the last banquet, they hadn’t attended, though they’d sent gifts—some kind of jewelry, perhaps?

With dozens, if not hundreds, of jewelry boxes opened that day, Philo couldn’t remember what they’d sent. But whatever it was, what could they want with him?

"The current generation of Qiankesilan has a young male named Ya Jin Qiankesilan. This morning, he messaged me asking for your contact info, hoping to invite you to future all-male gatherings."

Yi Jia Fa, who seemed to have a good impression of the young male, smiled encouragingly.

"Ya Jin’s quite interesting. Hanging out with him would be good for you—he knows how to have fun. You’ll understand after hanging out with him. He even reached out to me after waiting days for you to accept his request."

*Knows how to have fun?*

Now curious about Ya Jin’s idea of fun, Philo—who had already turned down several young females recommended by Yi Jia Fa—nodded in agreement.

Lunch at the Tulath residence ended pleasantly as usual. Afterward, while Yi Jia Fa left for an appointment, both Zhousha and Philo stayed behind.

The reasons were simple: Zhousha had army work and needed to contact Kalms Military Academy’s principal, while Philo had to review the morning’s lessons and practice his universal language. He refused to enter the academy still relying on a translator.

Both busy, they went to their rooms after seeing Yi Jia Fa off.

A comfortable sofa, snacks, a bright space… The servants had arranged the male's room perfectly.

Yet, the hard stuff was still hard.

Frowning at the text on the blue screen, Philo gave a dry laugh. *Study, study. As the saying goes, ‘Study like your life depends on it.’*

At least here, he had privileges. With so many extra credits, even if he couldn’t fully grasp cosmic physics, he could probably pass the written exam.

Preparing for failure, he started going over the material Gore had covered that morning.

But what he’d expected to be another waste of time soon felt… different.

His memory and logical reasoning seemed better than before.

When he was on Earth, mastering a complex physics formula—from comprehension to application—took Philo forever. And as a space illiterate, he’d only just learned what neutrons and quanta were.

Yet now, after reviewing Gore’s notes a few times, his mind understood everything easily, remembering everything.

*This learning ability… That's the insect race for you.*

Rubbing his temples, Philo's thoughts momentarily stilled.

Those faint traces, though minuscule, could not be ignored.

Taking a deep breath and closing his eyes for a moment, the young male Zerg quietly gathered himself before turning his gaze back to the blue screen displaying the text.

He had forgotten—this body was now that of a Zerg, so naturally, some things were different from before. But there was nothing wrong with that.

Back on Earth, he had always wished for a sharper mind, and now that dream had come true. He could count himself lucky. Besides, with higher intelligence, things would be easier for him in the future. At the very least, he now felt more confident about passing the military academy’s entrance exams.

A slight smile curved his lips, as if already seeing himself holding the academy’s admission letter, and the male Zerg’s motivation to study surged once more.

Maintaining this state, he finished reviewing the material Gore had assigned and spent over an hour practicing his spoken language in a simulated classroom. Satisfied, he headed downstairs to reward himself with a good meal.

While he ate, the male Zerg remained unaware that the only friend on his gaming account had just sent him a party invite.

In truth, Li Wei Geshaluolin, a player who relied on spending money rather than skill, hadn’t originally planned to reach out to Philo. After all, if he ended up holding the other back, it would only create trouble for himself.

Even if this male Zerg seemed good-tempered, moodiness was characteristic of male Zerg.

Despite his initial hesitation, Geshaluolin—who also happened to be one of the forum moderators—had stumbled upon a hotly debated post the night before.

Initially, given the late hour, he hadn’t intended to browse further. But the post had been repeatedly reported for allegedly discriminating against subfemales and inciting gender-based conflict. As a moderator with some free time, he decided to check the validity of the reports.

And then—

"Help!!!"

"I’m gonna die! Is anyone there? Save me!"

"Damn it, this game’s combat mode won’t even let me quit! I’m reporting this!!!"

The panicked player moved in such a blur that his username was barely legible.

Yet, even so, glimpses of a three-letter username could vaguely be made out. Combined with the player’s timing, location… and apparent skill level—

Facepalming, Li Wei Geshaluolin regretted for the first time gifting that gaming helmet to a certain male Zerg.

Thanks to the young lord, the war game *Green Algae Galaxy* had been trending on the gaming charts for days, with new player registrations soaring and revenue breaking records. Even Geshaluolin’s other battle games had seen a surge in popularity recently.

But—

Your Highness, surely you wouldn’t actually file a complaint…

Frowning, the male Zerg’s expression stiffened. While every game under Geshaluolin’s banner had received countless complaints from male and subfemale Zerg alike, a single complaint from a male Zerg could easily outweigh all the others combined.

Having just nominated *Green Algae Galaxy* to the gaming authorities for consideration in the annual Top Ten Games list, Li Wei… Well, upon closer inspection, his skills should be more than enough to carry the young lord.

Watching the video of the male Zerg being chased in panic by an F-level star beast, Li Wei raised his delicate features—so different from his in-game avatar—and considered briefly before finally sending a message and a party invite to a certain male Zerg.

In the starter area, at least… he still had some control.

Putting on his gaming helmet and logging in, Philo was immediately greeted by a message from his account’s only friend. He stared at the party invite, momentarily silent.

Earlier, he hadn’t wanted to be a burden to a pro player with his lack of experience. But if the expert didn’t mind his level… maybe he didn’t need to be too polite?

Though he wouldn't admit it, the message couldn't have come at a better time. Despite having watched hologram combat footage of star beasts on the military network to toughen himself up, instinctive reactions could still override training.

Remembering his own panicked screams for help, he hesitated over the accept/decline option for the party invite before quietly hitting accept.

*Sorry, bro. If things go badly, you can scold me all you want.*

*But for now… I’ll just grab onto your coattails.*

Author's Note:

Update is here [celebratory emoji]