Chapter 60

Chapter 60

Rubbing his temples with a mix of amusement and exasperation, Philo activated the flyer's shielding mode, completely cutting off external noise. Unaware, several other insects' flyers that had just passed by were now embroiled in disputes over civilized conduct.

In truth, Philo had already shifted most of his attention away from the surrounding flyers, focusing instead on the streets below.

Although the surroundings of the Torras estate were pristine and located in an upscale district, they were still some distance from the central streets of the capital planet. It wasn’t until now, flying over this area, that Philo finally caught sight of the lively cityscape distinct from private residences.

But...

Pressing closer to the window, the Silver-Haired Male Insect instinctively tilted his head.

As if confirming he hadn’t misseen anything, Philo paused for a moment, closed his eyes, and then carefully looked down again.

Yet—

Nothing had changed. The scene before him remained exactly as it had been at first glance.

His lips twitched slightly as the Silver-Haired Male Insect was momentarily at a loss for words.

After all, if he wasn’t mistaken, welcome messages for his school debut seemed to cover nearly half of the capital’s central boulevard. Many of the towering buildings adorned with celebratory banners even belonged to the Geshaluolin Family—the very same properties Li Wei had mentioned before.

Of course, aside from their family, quite a few others had joined the fanfare, making the occasion over-the-top...

Turning away, Philo genuinely didn’t know whether to thank them or beg them to stop.

But, whatever.

Seeing the noticeably increased crowds on the streets, Philo shook his head with a faint smile, choosing to view it as his contribution to giving the capital’s economy a boost.

Without lingering, even though he had noticed the various celebratory gestures from the insects today, the Torras family’s flyer continued racing straight to Kalms Military Academy.

Kalms Military Academy—one of the most prestigious military schools in the Alliance.

At least, that was the description found on the star network before Philo enrolled.

Now, however, Kalms Military Academy could rightfully claim the title of the most famous military school in the Alliance.

The academy’s official website had once broke interstellar net traffic records, leaving other schools far behind—even the previously highly regarded elite institutions of the capital planet couldn’t compare.

As for the two assessment videos of Philo on the academy’s site, their download counts had reached astronomical numbers.

Though many Young Female Insects would curse the academy after watching the videos, the criticism only boosted the perceived prestige of Kalms Military Academy’s entrance exams in their minds.

At the very least, while the insect race had no shortage of complaints, none dared to claim that Kalms Military Academy’s cadets were incompetent. This realization left cadets of the academy with conflicted emotions.

While net chatter might’ve stirred up complex emotions, the moment the new semester officially began—and the reality of Philo attending the academy alongside them sank in—few bugs cared about what outsiders had to say.

Ahhhhh!

Their school hit the big time!

Seeing His Highness Philo every day was no longer a dream!

From now on, Kalms Military Academy was their home—they wouldn’t take a single break unless His Highness left first!

Pumping their fists, the cadets—already buzzing with excitement long before the semester started—couldn’t resist preparing all sorts of welcome schemes for Philo.

Unfortunately, before they could act, a last-minute rule from the school administration shut down their schemes.

"Non-immediate family members of this year’s freshmen are prohibited from hanging around the campus periphery without valid reason on enrollment day."

The campus periphery... That covered a massive area.

As the cradle of the Alliance’s high-ranking military officers, Kalms Military Academy occupied a vast amount of land—even by the capital planet’s sky-high standards.

For ease of management, the campus was broadly divided into three zones: the core zone, the central administrative area, and the outer periphery.

Simply put, the core zone housed training and teaching facilities for cadets, the central area contained admin offices, and the periphery served as the strictly monitored entry and exit zone managed by the Patrol Guard.

Originally, many cadets had planned to wait at the periphery—or even boldly camp out at the main gate—assuming the Patrol Guard would be more lenient on move-in day.

But alas, the academy’s sudden rule change torpedoed all such plans.

However, while this scheme fell through, the term "family members" seemed to remind the cadets of something they’d overlooked.

His Highness Philo’s family members... Come to think of it, there was already one such individual within Kalms Military Academy.

"Qian Hua, won’t you be swamped handling His Highness Philo’s enrollment alone in a couple of days? I happen to be free, and I’m quite familiar with the academics office—why not let me accompany you?"

"Brother Hua, you shouldn’t be moving this gear yourself! Let us handle it. By the way, aren’t you supposed to meet His Highness Philo at the gate for check-in? Do you need us to come along? Our faculty has no classes that morning."

"Little Hua, I’ve always treated you well, haven’t I? Frankly, I’m at a make-or-break moment in my life—do you think you could offer some guidance?"

As the enrollment day drew nearer, Qian Hua—whose life had been relatively peaceful since returning with Philo—found herself constantly hounded by other cadets no matter where she went.

But regardless of how briefly she’d interacted with Philo (hardly enough to claim familiarity), she couldn’t recklessly introduce strangers to him.

Without hesitation, the Young Female Insect firmly rejected every request. Finally, on enrollment day, after getting permission from her instructor, Qian Hua walked alone toward the academy’s main gate under the envious gazes of her peers.

Meanwhile, the area before the gate was unusually packed.

Gripping their stun rifles, the two Patrol Guard members on duty maintained stern expressions, though their eyes gave away their mixed feelings as more and more freshmen and their accompanying family members arrived.

Enrollment was just enrollment—this was a military academy. In previous years, no one had ever been escorted by family. Anyone who tried would’ve been laughed out of the academy before even stepping inside.

But this year was different.

While off-world cadets arrived alone, many locals from the capital planet came with family in tow.

And it was painfully obvious that these "escorts" were far more interested in looking around than paying attention to their own cadets.

Who they were really here to see required no guesswork from the Patrol Guard.

Even the freshmen seemed in no hurry to enter, lingering until glared at before reluctantly shuffling forward.

Some had even gone so far as to preen like showbirds, their hairstyles clearly styled for the occasion... Pfft. These guys were lucky today was just enrollment. If they dared pull such stunts afterward, the instructors would have their heads.

Their lips twitching in quiet annoyance, the two guards kept shooting meaningful glares, urging the crowd to move along—until a sudden commotion caught their attention.

Instinctively, they turned toward the source of the noise—and then...

Dressed in a plain, simple casual outfit, his slightly tousled hair devoid of any accessories, the Silver-Haired Male Insect carried a compressed military backpack on his shoulder and a foldable duffel in hand.

No Attendants. No prohibited mechanical aids. Not even an escort.

Despite his refined, noble looks that suggested a life of ease, the young male walked forward confidently, head held high with a smile, making his way alone from the flyer docking area toward the gates of Kalms Military Academy.

Yes. Alone.

The guard detail of the House of Toras remained in the aircraft docking area without escorting him further, simply watching as their Highness entered the grounds of Kalms Military Academy.

Rooted to the spot, the new students who had been looking around earlier—though they had steeled themselves to encounter a male—now felt nothing but nervousness upon actually seeing one.

This... this is the very real His Highness Fei Luo!!!

Though they had watched Fei Luo’s evaluation footage countless times on the StarNet, and some of the females present had even seen him at the assessment endpoint, they couldn’t help but thrill at the sight of him in person.

By contrast, as if prepared in advance, the male didn’t seem particularly surprised by the surrounding gazes. Instead, he calmly walked to the academy gate, had his ID scanned, and strode straight in—without missing a beat.

Standing still, the new students watched the silver-haired male’s receding figure, carrying his backpack and suitcase, before finally snapping to attention. Then—

"Mom, I’m going ahead."

"Bud, no need to escort me further."

"Move, don’t block my way!"

"Who’s blocking who?!"

The previously sluggish crowd now moved with sudden urgency, silently speeding up their entry into the academy.

Though the females squabbled fiercely and hurried to follow the male, the scene remained relatively quiet and orderly. After all, no one wanted to cause a scene in front of a male. Moreover, to prevent outsiders from gathering, Kalms Military Academy had already requested temporary traffic control from the Alliance Inspectorate, citing the protection of the male’s safety, barring unauthorized insects from approaching.

Thus, many who had hoped to catch a glimpse of Fei Luo could only hitch a ride pretending to escort new students.

But despite their stated purpose, the insects outside the gate now lifted their gazes in unison, ignoring everyone else, and locked their gaze exclusively on the receding figure of the male.

Left visible—presumably deemed unnecessary to cover—the silver-haired male’s slender neck revealed a complex, distinctive marking, unmistakably marking his status.

Watching this scene, witnessing the male truly stepping into Kalms Military Academy, and seeing the females behind him unconsciously drawing closer, many outside the gate couldn’t help but marvel inwardly.

Though the academy had faced numerous challenges in enrolling His Highness, in the long run, it would undoubtedly benefit.

If nothing else, this year’s students—if they could maintain good relations with him—might gain an edge when applying for regulation sessions with the Male Management Committee in the future.

Given the declining population of A-Class males, even the slightest favor could one day mean the difference between life and death for high-ranking females.

With this in mind, many of the military females among the crowd couldn’t help but regard the male with heightened interest.

Unaware of the weight behind these stares, Fei Luo paid no attention to the eyes following him.

Entering the academy, he followed the wayfinding markers and soon arrived at the new student orientation center, where Qian Hua stood waiting.

It had been a while since Fei Luo had last seen his little brother—who now, amusingly, was his senior.

Thinking this, the male picked up his pace. But the young female noticed him first, stepping forward from the reception desk and immediately moving to relieve him of his bags.

About to decline, Fei Luo paused when he noticed how much more formal the female seemed compared to their last meeting. Instead, he simply said,

"Alright, thanks, Qian Hua."

Patting the young female’s shoulder, he added with a smile,

"Little brothers are the best—so reliable."

"Reliable"—a compliment countless females longed to hear from a male.

The other females bringing up the rear behind Fei Luo, who had hesitated to offer help, could only watch enviously as Qian Hua took his things.

Under their gazes, Qian Hua pressed his lips together, offering no response to the praise. Silently carrying Fei Luo’s belongings, he swiftly guided him through the matriculation process.

Kalms Military Academy’s enrollment was straightforward: after biometric scan at the gate, a brief identity verification at the reception desk, followed by registration at the academic department and settling housing arrangements at the logistics office to collect equipment—that was it.

Without requiring Fei Luo’s input, the young female led him through the entire process. Had it not been for the constant interruptions from other curious freshmen, it would’ve been even quicker.

Exiting the logistics office, Fei Luo checked the newly added Kalms Military Academy section on his communicator. Seeing his dorm assignment—A Zone, Room 01—he turned to the female beside him.

"How many dorm zones are there? Which one are you in, Qian Hua?"

"Based on psychic rating, the dorms are divided into four zones: A, B, C, and D. A Zone has the best conditions and the fewest residents, while the other three are progressively more austere."

Pausing, the young female added quietly,

"I’m in B Zone."

A B-class female naturally belonged in B Zone.

Though A-Class females weren’t rare in Kalms Military Academy, with high-ranking females becoming scarcer among incoming cadets, B-class was still considered excellent.

But "excellent" wasn’t the same as "the best."

Deducing the dormitory assignment logic, Fei Luo glanced at the campus map on his communicator and chuckled.

"That’s great. Your zone’s closer to the cafeteria—far more convenient for meals than mine."

Without pressing further, he patted the female’s shoulder and pointed left.

"The dorm’s that way, right? Let’s hurry, Qian Hua. Once I’m settled, take me to try the cafeteria. I’m curious about academy food—if it’s terrible, I wonder if delivery’s an option..."

Leading the way, the male strode toward the residential area, seemingly uninterested in commenting on the female’s B Zone assignment.

Relaxing slightly at Fei Luo’s casual demeanor, the young female quickly followed, carrying his things.

Soon, Fei Luo arrived at his dorm zone—where a brown-haired female stood waiting.

"Student Fei Luo, I am A Zone quartermaster Ogus Ifriel."

At the A Zone management booth, the female verified Fei Luo’s identity and housing details before introducing herself sternly.

"Unless circumstances change, you will reside here for the next three years. Per academy regulations, all dormitory rules must be followed. The full guidelines have been sent to your communicator—review them thoroughly. Violations will result in disciplinary action. Understood?"

"Understood!"

Without hesitation, Fei Luo responded firmly, unfazed by the supervisor’s rigid tone—a demeanor that would’ve drawn ire from most males.

Satisfied, the brown-haired female cast one last look at the insect behind Fei Luo before allowing them entry.

As for the location of Room 01, the supervisor didn’t specify—but she didn’t need to.

Fei Luo only had to look up to see the placard directly opposite the management booth.

Positioned just so, neither too large nor too small.

The room number was precisely number 1, with the two adjacent rooms being 2 and 3 respectively.

Just how distrustful were the insects at Kalms Military Academy of him...? Did they really assign an administrator just for him?

Shooting a conflicted look at the female staff member who had already returned to the admin booth, Philo helplessly walked into his Room 1.

And fortunately, though the room faced the admin booth outside, seemingly limiting his freedom, the interior space still provided Philo with enough freedom.

However—

"Hey, I'm in Room 3, you're in Room 2—so who's in Room 1? I thought the top two in this assessment were us. Whose room could possibly be ranked ahead of ours?"

"Look, the door to Room 1 isn’t even closed yet. Looks like this guy just got here too. I’ll go say hi."

"Wait, don’t go. That’s probably—"

"Hey! Brother, who... are you...?"

Brother?

Who?

As their eyes met, Philo, standing in the living room, raised his gaze to meet a somewhat familiar pair of eyes. (Raising an eyebrow), the silver-haired man played along.

"Hey!"

"Hey there, man!"

"I'm Philo Tulas."