Chapter 61

Chapter 61

Is there a difference between the voices of male and female Insectoids?

Most of the time, there isn’t much difference.

However, perhaps due to psychological reasons, female Insectoids always feel that the voice of His Highness the male Insectoid is more charming and pleasant to listen to.

But—

Perhaps this feeling isn’t absolute, like right now.

A hot-headed female Insectoid, one hand still gripping the doorknob of Room One, the other resting casually against the doorframe.

Originally, this was a relaxed posture for a female Insectoid, but unfortunately, upon hearing the voice of the Insectoid inside the room, the beaming smile on the face of the female Insectoid at the door instantly froze solid.

This, this is…

He, he… he’s the one…

No, how did I…

Sun-bright, fiery eyes, as intense as the morning sun, met a pair of deep violet eyes, like some reckless cub suddenly plunging into a cold spring. The restless, boiling blood in the female Insectoid’s body instantly turned ice-cold.

Yes, ice-cold.

Dead.

He knew it—he was a dead bug again.

Even though last time, when he nearly threw a Star Beast at His Highness and almost shot him, he had resolved to change his impulsive ways, but…

Tears—he was practically holding back tears on the spot.

The female Insectoid had genuinely planned to start with a clean carapace after the start of school, to become a better Insectoid. He truly didn’t want to offend His Highness again or embarrass himself in front of him. He had even planned how to establish a perfect new persona in front of His Highness, but—

Why would His Highness the male Insectoid also live in the dormitory?!

Isn’t this just a standard dormitory provided by the military academy? How could His Highness possibly be used to living in such a place? And even if His Highness were to stay at the school, shouldn’t he be in a private villa? How could they let His Highness live in the same place as them!

Most importantly, since His Highness had already arrived earlier, couldn’t that stern-faced administrator at the door have given just one more word of warning?!

Clenching his teeth in despair, the female Insectoid was already seriously considering storming out to pummel the dorm supervisor before digging a hole to bury himself in.

Fortunately, before he could act, the male Insectoid inside spoke first.

“We’ve met before, haven’t we? During the assessment, you killed a Sand Beast, and we even talked then.”

In fact, it wasn’t just that one encounter. Later, when Philo went to the rocky area to spend the night, he seemed to have seen this female Insectoid again.

Seeing him take the initiative to greet him, and considering they’d likely be interacting frequently in the future, Philo casually played along with his words in a joking manner. But… was this joke perhaps a bit too much for this guy?

Noticing the tell-tale redness at the corners of the female Insectoid’s eyes, Philo—who had only meant it as a lighthearted remark—quickly added with a smile when he saw the female Insectoid standing frozen in silence.

“It’s nice to meet you. Let’s watch out for each other in the future.”

While they weren't proper roommates, they were at least neighbors. Moreover, they were both freshmen of the same year, so they’d likely share many classes together. It really would be good to look out for one another.

However, even so, even though Philo had only joked at the very beginning and then proceeded with a normal greeting, the female Insectoid gripping the doorknob and leaning against the doorframe quickly straightened up, still looking like he was choking on unspoken words.

Fortunately, there was more than one female Insectoid outside the door.

“Your Highness, you’re too gracious. We were just being nosy earlier. Apologies for disturbing you.”

Unlike the bold and unrestrained greeting of the somewhat reckless female Insectoid, the one speaking now bowed slightly, his tone and words undoubtedly much more cautious.

Walking from the living room to the door, Philo didn’t rush to speak. Instead, he carefully scrutinized the two female Insectoids and soon noticed something different about them.

Unlike most female Insectoids Philo had seen on the capital planet, these two were dressed much more modestly. Even their wrist-comms seemed to be the simplest models.

It was clear that these two, the top-ranked cadets of this assessment, were surprisingly not from the capital planet—a rare sight.

Recalling the information he had previously gathered about the top performers in Kalms Military Academy’s entrance assessments over the years, Philo looked at the two female Insectoids before him with interest.

The first one who had approached had brownish hair, light golden pupils, and still seemed somewhat flustered by his earlier joke.

The one who spoke afterward… had jet-black hair, and his pupils were an unusual mix of amber and raven-black.

Noticing this, Philo barely registered his expression, simply nodding slightly in surprise.

Heterochromia (different-colored eyes)—so even Insectoids could have this condition. With such features, he’d have Earthlings green with envy back home.

But clearly, Philo was the only one who thought this way.

From the moment the first female Insectoid spoke rudely, Qian Hua, standing on the other side of the living room, had already furrowed her brows. And after the second female Insectoid finished speaking, Qian Hua, having quickly scanned both of them, was already about to see them off on Philo’s behalf.

Their attire, their speech—neither of these female Insectoids met the elite standards of the capital planet. Not to mention, the one with heterochromatic eyes practically had “genetic instability” written all over him.

Female Insectoids like these, even if they were A-Class, were destined to be stationed long-term on border planets to guard against Star Beasts—not exactly officer material.

But before Qian Hua could speak, Philo cut in first.

“It’s fine, I don’t feel disturbed at all.”

“Besides, we’ll all be classmates from now on. It’s good to get to know each other early. And you don’t need to call me ‘Your Highness’—just Philo is fine.”

Then, the Silver-Haired Male Insectoid smiled and asked,

“By the way, what are your names?”

Names…

Plot twist after plot twist.

The brown-haired female Insectoid, who had been busy mentally self-flagellating, didn’t expect the conversation to progress so smoothly—and it seemed Philo wasn’t planning to hold his earlier rudeness against him.

Standing straight, the female Insectoid, feeling a glimmer of hope, instantly revived on the spot, drawing himself up and declaring loudly,

“Lancelot Aitran!”

After a pause, a more measured voice came from behind him.

“Amber Alius.”

Aitran, Alius—neither was a surname familiar to the capital planet.

Yet, neither of the two female Insectoids outside the door seemed bothered by this. In fact, the brown-haired one even sounded downright giddy—perhaps because it was Philo asking for his name.

After repeating their names, Philo smiled and once again gave his own name with equal gravity.

"I'm Philo Tulas. We'll all be classmates from now on, so let's work hard together."

Work—together?

Clenching his fists, the brown-haired female straightened up again upon hearing this, suppressing the joy in her heart as she replied.

"Yes, Your Highness!"

She would definitely work hard!

She had already made up her mind—her first goal after the semester started was to surpass the top exam performer, who happened to be sitting right beside her!

Grinning, the brown-haired female, who had momentarily forgotten that she had just been calling the other insect her "brother" and even owed him for helping out earlier, looked at Philo with barely suppressed glee.

As for the raven-haired cadet...

"Yes, Your Highness."

Lowering her eyes, the insect responded with the same words, though her demeanor was noticeably more reserved than the other.

Seeing the way the insect lowered her lashes, Philo, who had initially only suspected, was now certain that this was the stranger who had helped him during the final moments of the exam.

The environment had been too dark at the time, and Philo had passed out shortly after, so he had only caught a glimpse of the side profile of the insect who had aided him. Even in the exam footage later released by the military academy, the insect's face had been blurred, making it impossible to confirm. But now, seeing her up close, there was no mistaking it.

Without further delay—and without inviting the two insects inside, since inter-gender visitation was prohibited under the dormitory regulations Philo had just received—he watched as the two entered their respective rooms before closing his own door and quickly unpacking with Qian Hua.

In truth, the dorm didn’t require much effort.

Though Philo didn’t know what the other rooms in the A-Wing looked like, his was already immaculate, all furniture and equipment prepared in advance. All he had to do was unpack his personal belongings.

By noon, his dorm was fully arranged.

With enrollment procedures completed and lodging settled, Philo, having finished everything ahead of time, turned to the female insect behind him with a smile.

"Thanks for all your help, Qian Hua. You’ve helped me get everything done so quickly."

"No problem."

The female insect, in her black cadet uniform, seemed to have grown accustomed to the male insect’s frequent expressions of gratitude. Compared to their first meeting earlier that day, she now appeared much more relaxed.

Seeing this, Philo said straightforwardly,

"Then let’s go. Perfect timing—I’ll treat you to the cafeteria as thanks for your help today."

With that, the male insect gestured toward the door.

"I can’t wait to taste the cafeteria’s cooking. Let’s go!"

Without hesitation, the male insect strode out, his back practically buzzing with excitement.

As for the cafeteria’s cooking...

The female insect, lagging a step behind as she closed the door, felt strangely uneasy.

Unaware of her thoughts, Philo paid no attention to her slightly odd expression, instead scanning curiously their surroundings as they walked.

They were now in the main campus of Kalms Military Academy, containing dorms along with the cafeteria, lecture halls, training grounds, logistics center, medical center, and other student facilities.

The B-Wing dorms were closer to the cafeteria, while Philo’s A-Wing was farther away, forcing them to cross a simulated outdoor training field to reach it.

Earlier, while near the A-Wing dorms, Philo had seen no other insects aside from Qian Hua. But as they moved toward the cafeteria, uniformed cadets began appearing.

The academy required all students to wear the standard cadet uniform on campus, banning civilian clothes—except during events like the opening or graduation ceremonies, when formal military dress was required.

Regardless, the insects on campus were uniformly dressed, with little variation.

Since today was enrollment day, however, many cadets wandered campus without wearing the standard uniform—a yearly exception at Kalms.

Though this was common on enrollment day, and most upperclassmen were used to it, many female insects in training or classes today kept stealing glances at the newcomers in civilian clothes.

Like, one female insect crawling across the training field spotted a glimpse of non-uniform attire in her peripheral vision and peeked despite herself.

But alas—damn—just another rookie.

Gritting her teeth, she resumed crawling.

However, as many newcomers had already finished settling in and were now out exploring, soon the crawling insect spotted another anomaly.

Despite her resolution not to get distracted again, she couldn't help herself.

Promising herself one last look, the training field’s female insect discreetly glanced sideways—and—

*Crack!*

The sound of a whip from the training instructor, followed by a furious roar:

"Damn it, Anqi! What are you gawking at? If you don’t pick up the pace, get over here and crawl in front of me!"

Yes, that was the instructor’s voice.

But—

Anqi, jolted back to focus, resumed crawling.

Yet now, having noticed a certain silver-haired male insect, it wasn’t just Anqi slowing down. Some cadets even froze in place.

Though the instructor cracked his whip quickly, he'd barely disciplined one than another began slacking off. Soon, the field rang with his relentless shouting.

Blissfully unaware that he was the cause of this commotion, Philo, watching from afar, remarked to Qian Hua:

"The training here really is rigorous—as expected from Kalms Military Academy."

"...The cafeteria is this way."

"Ah, right. Let’s go."

The silver-haired cadet turned, left the simulated training field, took a left at the end, and soon vanished from sight.

Qian Hua's sharper ears caught the abrupt silence on the training field after Philo’s departure and silently continued toward the cafeteria.

Both walked briskly, so despite the distance from the A-Wing dorms, they soon arrived at the cafeteria building.

By now, as mealtime approached and many prepared female insects had gathered, Philo looked up at the towering building emblazoned with the word "Cafeteria," uncertain whether to marvel at its grandeur or the countless eyes fixed upon him.

And then—

Suddenly turning his head, the Silver-Haired Male moved swiftly without any prior indication. Yet, even so, many female cadets quickly averted their gazes without revealing any telltale signs.

Watching their quick reflexes, even if being stared at wasn't exactly comfortable, Philo couldn't help but smirk.

These insects truly proved they were military academy students—their reflexes were indeed impressive.

Moreover, with a slight curve of his brows, seeing that most of the surrounding insects seemed satisfied with watching him and had no intention of approaching, Philo didn't pay it much mind. Leading Qian Hua by his side, he headed straight toward the cafeteria entrance.

He was curious to see just how good the military academy’s cafeteria was.

The photovoltaic sensor doors whooshed open, and the Silver-Haired Male swiftly passed through the gray-blue sensor zone, officially entering the military academy’s cafeteria.

But with his entry, the previously silent crowd of insects outside the cafeteria suddenly broke into excited chatter.

The noise, however, lasted only a moment. With the appearance of the Patrol Guard, the female insects in their uniforms of various grades fell silent once more, surreptitiously trailing the direction the male insect had taken.

Unaware of the commotion he had left behind, Philo didn’t idle upon entering the cafeteria.

He paid no attention to the ever-present stares, instead focusing on the various elevators in the first-floor lobby as he pondered.

No wonder the cafeteria building looked so massive from the outside—it was subdivided into three main cafeterias and five specialty ones.

Yes, strictly speaking, Kalms Military Academy actually had eight cafeterias.

The three main cafeterias offered largely similar menus, with only slight variations in house specialties. As for the five specialty cafeterias, they catered to the rarer insect species with more specialized dietary habits, hence the academy’s additional setup.

Of course, nowadays, aside from those rare species, many other insects occasionally visited the specialty cafeterias simply because they found the food appealing.

Beyond these eight cafeterias, the top floor of the building housed a VIP cafeteria, accessible only to academy instructors or special guests, and off-limits to cadets.

After reading through the cafeteria descriptions, Philo didn’t dwell on the decision, instead leaving the choice to Qian Hua.

After all, he had been eating here for a long time and naturally knew which cafeteria served the best food.

However—

Glancing at Philo, the female insect hesitated briefly, clearly uncertain about which cafeteria to pick.

But smiling at the young female insect, the Silver-Haired Male showed no signs of changing his mind, patiently waiting for her to make the decision.

Meeting his gaze, the female insect instinctively lowered her head. In the end, Qian Hua chose the third cafeteria—the one she frequented most.

With a slight curve of his brows, Philo pressed the elevator button and said with a smile,

"Let’s go. Today, we’ll try out the food at your favorite third cafeteria and see how it is."

The male insect’s button press was swift and decisive.

At the same time, the insects already familiar with the cafeteria building’s layout, upon seeing the elevator’s destination and its markings, unanimously reached for the button labeled "3."

The third cafeteria—the most conventional among the three main ones.

Its dishes weren’t as occasionally stunning as the first cafeteria’s, nor as occasionally disastrous as the second’s. Thus, the number of insects dining here had always remained at a steady average.

But that was before.

At least today, the third cafeteria’s capacity was quickly reached.

Unaware of how many insects would soon flood in, the third cafeteria’s Head Chef was still casually tweaking the cooking bot settings in the back kitchen.

Yes, most dishes in the third cafeteria were fully machine-prepared, with only a few house specialties requiring the Head Chef’s hands-on preparation. After all, the Military Female insects dining here were all about a no-frills lifestyle—he couldn't be expected to put in extra effort for more elaborate dishes.

But, as he said, that was for Military Females.

Stood stock-still, the portly Head Chef listened as the cafeteria manager informed him that a male insect had boarded the elevator and was heading their way. His previously listless eyes suddenly sparkled.

Th-this… In his lifetime, he’d actually get to cook for Prince Philo?!

Someone, fetch his eighteen-piece golden cookware set! Whatever dish His Highness ordered today, he was going to show off his skills!!

Walking through the third cafeteria’s entrance, Philo had no idea that, before he could even place an order, the Head Chef was already eagerly preparing to cook him a custom meal.

In fact, standing at the entrance, Philo was focused on choosing where to sit.

Yes, interstellar cafeterias didn’t require insects to queue at counters—they simply sat at designated tables and used their communicators to scan and order.

The ordered dishes would then be delivered by specialized food delivery bots, making the entire process effortless and convenient.

Of course, Philo would later learn that the military academy’s cafeteria was set up this way for good reason.

But that was for later. For now, Philo didn’t dwell on it, merely scanning the room for a suitable seat.

The insects already seated at the tables sat up straighter, sitting so rigidly they looked less like students about to eat and more like candidates awaiting royal inspection.

Some female insects, finding no empty seats nearby, even discreetly kicked their companions away before straightening their slightly wrinkled uniform collars, hoping to attract His Highness’s attention as much as possible.

But then—

"Qian Hua, fancy meeting you here—you’re eating at the third cafeteria too?"

An unfamiliar voice called out behind the two hesitating insects. The newcomer greeted them before seemingly noticing the male insect beside Qian Hua and exclaimed with forced surprise in a gruff voice,

"Prince Philo?!"

"You’re actually here too!"

Bro, you’re laying it on thick.

Way too much.

Biting his lip, Philo turned around to face a group of insects whose faces were flushed pink with excitement rather than surprise, no matter how hard they tried to hide it. He had to exert all his willpower to keep from laughing.

As for Qian Hua… These embarrassing bunch—she was going to pummel them senseless!!!