Chapter 71

Chapter 71

"So... His Highness Fei Luo really rejected them all?"

"Heh, yes, every single one. No matter how rich or powerful they were, His Highness didn’t accept a single offer."

"Oops—sorry, I couldn’t hold it in, hahahaha!"

"What should I do? I feel so exhilarated! Even though I know His Highness would never belong to me, the fact that he didn’t choose anyone else still makes me ecstatic, wahhh~"

"Previous poster, I totally get you. I feel the same way. Can you believe it? Because of the Silk Flower Festival, I was gloomy for at least half a month, but now the situation reversed—hehe, His Highness still belongs to all of us!"

"His Highness Fei Luo did great! None of those other insects are worthy of you! I’d rather stay single forever just to be by your side!"

Unlike the disappointed female insects at this year’s Silk Flower Banquet in the capital planet, the female insects on the StarNet and the Kalms Military Academy forum were practically overjoyed upon learning that Fei Luo had collected a large number of Silk Flowers but hadn’t gifted his own male Silk Flower to anyone. They were so ecstatic they could’ve beaten drums and gongs in celebration.

After all, the saying goes: *I can live without it, but I can’t stand seeing others have it.*

Rather than watching another female insect have His Highness Fei Luo, they’d much prefer that no one could have him at all.

Thus, when Fei Luo returned to Kalms Military Academy, he was met with a crowd of insects who had shaken off their previous gloom and were now bursting with energy once more.

It had to be said—seeing how instantly revitalized everyone was, Fei Luo couldn’t help but admire the female insects’ amazing emotional resilience.

But regardless, with the academy’s female insects back to normal, Fei Luo could finally resume his peaceful academic life.

Though compared to life at the Torras estate, life at Kalms Military Academy was undoubtedly much harsher. Yet, rather than indulging in aimless luxury, the male insect clearly preferred the feeling of steadily progressing toward a goal within the academy.

Coincidentally, right after the Silk Flower Festival came the time for Kalms Military Academy’s freshman field exercises. Having reapplied to participate, the male insect was this time granted the position of starship operations assistant.

Finally able to experience piloting a spacecraft in reality—especially a military vessel—Fei Luo could barely hide his excitement.

But before his training date officially arrived, the blue-haired female insect, who had already been back on the capital planet for some time, was the first to say goodbye.

"Returning to the border planets? So soon? Your psychic domain still hasn’t fully recovered—can’t you rest a while longer?"

"The deployment schedule was set by the military long ago and can’t be altered at will. Besides, my psychic domain has improved significantly. It won’t affect combat."

Not dressed in casual attire today, the blue-haired female insect wore a skin-tight black military uniform, standing tall with a solemn demeanor.

This female soldier looked every bit the formidable warrior.

Curving her lips into a smile, Gore chuckled softly at Fei Luo’s apparent concern.

"Don’t worry about me. My psychic ability is S-class. The only ones dying will be those star beasts—they can’t do anything to me."

It had to be said—they'd grown close over time. Even someone as composed as Gore had started joking with Fei Luo.

Suppressing the instinctive worry in his heart, Fei Luo raised his gaze to the female insect before him, whose psychic state had indeed improved considerably since their first meeting. He smiled as well, his eyes crinkling slightly.

"I suppose I forgot—Gore, you’re the strongest female insect in the Alliance. There really is no need for me to worry."

Indeed, as the strongest female insect recognized by the entire military—even the entire Insect Union—Gore had rarely given anyone cause for concern since taking charge of the border planets’ defense.

The two insects exchanged a smile, and the sadness of parting seemed to lighten in that moment.

But while Fei Luo cared about the female insect’s affairs, she was equally attentive to his life.

"Has your upcoming training mission and location been finalized? Are you sure you still want to participate this time?"

Gore didn’t hide the fact that she had been monitoring his activities.

After all, as a general-rank officer in the military, obtaining information about the male insect from Kalms Military Academy was extremely simple.

To this question, Fei Luo nodded without hesitation.

"Mm, just training in simulators isn’t enough. This time, I’ll only be responsible for ship navigation and maintenance, with instructors supervising the entire process. Safety is guaranteed. As for the location... that’s still unclear."

An unrevealed location—that was typical of Kalms Military Academy’s training style.

Seeing that Fei Luo had clearly thought this through rather than acting on impulse, the female insect didn’t push the matter.

With the military’s assembly time drawing near, there wasn’t much time left for casual conversation. After a final pause, the blue-haired female insect studied Fei Luo silently.

She didn’t hurry to speak, didn’t rush to say goodbye—she simply watched him quietly for a long moment.

It had to be said—though what first drew Gore to Fei Luo was his interpretation and rendition of the *Thunder Drum*, as she came to know him better, how long her gaze lingered on him grew longer and longer.

She began to think that blue wasn’t the most beautiful color in the world. She found herself staring blankly every time she saw silver hair or purple eyes. Her emotions would fluctuate at any news about him.

She worried for him, was happy for him, was puzzled by his persistence, and admired his determination.

She... truly, truly liked him.

Even Gore herself didn’t know when she had fallen for this exceptionally handsome and unique male insect. But at the very least, she was certain now—she liked him.

She loved listening to him speak, loved walking with him, loved watching from behind as he conversed with others, loved watching over him as he worked toward his goals.

This was the first time she realized just how wonderful it could be to like someone.

Even if... he didn’t like her back.

Or rather, for now, he didn’t return her feelings.

"Fei Luo."

Like a mountain breeze sweeping through a valley, the female insect’s voice carried a raw, direct quality uncommon among most insects of the capital planet.

Standing on this vast ground, Gore looked steadily at the male insect before her and spoke the words she had wanted to say since their last encounter at the Male Insect Management Committee.

"You say you don’t consider yourself an insect, and therefore you could never be attracted to one."

"But that isn’t absolute."

Yes, it wasn’t absolute.

Her blue eyes deep, her voice calm and controlled, she continued.

"If the life you’ve lived for more than twenty years has led you to believe this, then I’m willing to spend another twenty with you, rewriting that perception together."

"I don’t know if I can succeed, but Fei Luo—the Silk Flowers bloom every year. At next year’s Silk Flower Festival, I *will* give you an even more beautiful bouquet."

Her lips curved, her well-defined brows now showing a hint of stubbornness. Meeting his gaze, the male insect seemed momentarily stunned. But before Fei Luo could respond, the blue-haired female insect waved and quickly turned and ran off.

Her coat flapping, she moved so fast that the male insect soon could barely see her.

Yet even so—even when her figure had nearly vanished from view—Fei Luo clenched his fist, standing rooted in place for a long while before finally whispering to himself.

"But among insectkind... I may not have another twenty years."

Time works in strange ways.

When you have it, you complain it moves too slowly; when it’s nearly gone, you desperately try to stretch it out.

Gore, already far away, was out of earshot of the whispers of the male insect left behind. Similarly, Philo, who had turned away, didn’t understand the determination in the female insect’s heart at that moment.

With the Silk Flower Festival officially over, different insects began to go their separate ways.

Kalms Military Academy, warship landing bay.

"Field exercises are valuable, but no matter what kind of training, safety is the top priority. Philo, I need you to promise me that, under any circumstances, you will put yourself first."

Legion Commander Zhou Sha, one of the highest-ranking officers in the military, personally attended the departure ceremony for the first-year cadets' internship at Kalms Military Academy today.

Unlike the internship programs of other elite institutions—where male and female insects might simply spend time working in corporations or government departments—internships at Kalms Military Academy were never so straightforward.

According to the academy’s training regulations, cadets of every grade were required to undergo annual rotational deployments for field training. These training sessions always took place in border star systems or desolate planets, lasting no less than a month each time.

In truth, Kalms Military Academy’s internships were less like training and more like independent missions assigned to the insects. While this approach was highly effective in honing the cadets, it also came with a relatively high risk of accidents.

Precisely because of this, when this year’s freshman training mission was announced, Philo’s name was initially absent from the list.

Admittedly, even the academy’s instructors respected the male cadet and acknowledged that, while his combat skills were still lacking, he had shown exceptional aptitude in starship piloting and maintenance. Yet, they dared not take risks with him.

After all, the deployment zones were far from the usual tourist planets male insects frequented. The selected zones were filled with resource-depleted wastelands and border star systems where raiders could appear at any moment.

Even when Philo formally petitioned to join the training, the academy’s department heads unanimously rejected it.

But alas, if he were so easily deterred, he wouldn’t be Philo.

Since enrolling, the male insect had largely complied with the academy’s arrangements—except for skipping civics classes—but this time, he stubbornly refused to back down.

He didn’t throw tantrums or violate regulations. Instead, whenever he had free time, he began dogging the chief officer in charge of the freshman training across campus.

After being cornered a few times, the exasperated officer could only take leave and work from home temporarily.

The others assumed Philo would give up, but to their surprise, once the officer was on leave, the male insect stopped bothering other officials and instead began driving himself past all limits.

Yes, relentlessly.

On the training field, no matter how his peers pleaded or how sternly the instructors scolded, the stubborn male insect kept running—lap after endless lap.

Sweat drenched his collar. After running all night, he collapsed once from exhaustion, his arms bleeding and his knees barely able to straighten.

Yet even then, even when his body was pushed past all reasonable limits, he brushed off Lancelot’s helping hand, gritted his teeth, and kept moving forward.

Witnessing this, the brown-haired female insect snapped and took a swing at the instructor.

Unfortunately, though Lancelot ranked first in combat among the freshmen, she was outclassed by the veteran instructors.

With a loud thud, the brown-haired female insect was knocked sprawling.

Unlike how they dealt with Philo—where the instructors limited themselves to harsh words and punishment drills—they showed no mercy toward the rebellious female cadets. Already frustrated by Philo’s deteriorating condition, the instructor promptly put down the insubordination hard.

Yes, the Military Females.

Besides Lancelot, other Military Females who couldn't stand it any longer also joined in, seemingly trying to force the instructor to agree to the SilverHaired Male Insect's request.

But these reckless brats—how could such a thing be so easily agreed to!

Having thoroughly disciplined the Military Females, the instructor's pent-up irritation eased somewhat. Finally, he turned to look at the male insect, who had completely ignored the commotion and was solely focused on pushing himself. Unable to suppress his irritation, the instructor scratched his head.

Ah, this young master's temper—who said it was good again?

Honestly, this isn’t his student at all—he might as well be his ancestor!

Helpless, seeing that Philo would truly push himself too far if he didn’t intervene, the instructor sighed and reluctantly agreed to have a talk with the responsible insect in charge of this training exercise.

As for the method of discussion... With a cold expression, the instructor turned on his communicator, already set to recording mode, determined to toss this problem to the higher-ups.

Whether they agreed or not was up to them—if something happened to Young Master Philo, he certainly wouldn’t take responsibility.

It must be said, when a male insect isn’t serious, it’s one thing, but when he truly sets his mind to achieving something, it’s remarkably simple.

Having secured the military academy’s permission, Philo used a similar approach to persuade General Zhousha and Yi Jia Fa.

In the end, the male insect finally obtained his training position and now stood in full dress uniform before the actual warship, waiting to depart.

Of course, Philo’s actions didn’t come without consequences.

One of them, for instance, was Yi Jia Fa. The senior male insect was genuinely angered by his willingness to harm himself just to participate in the training.

Thus, on the day of Philo’s departure, Yi Jia Fa was notably absent, leaving only Zhousha standing there alone.

However—

Seeing the concern in the senior female insect’s eyes, Philo smiled and decided he’d properly apologize to Yi Jia Fa once he returned.

"Alright, I’ll definitely prioritize my safety. Don’t worry, Mother Insect."

In fact, due to the male insect’s participation in this training exercise, Kalms Military Academy had not only notified the training facility in advance to ensure safety measures but also dispatched an additional warship under the guise of supervision, effectively serving as an escort alongside the trainees’ fleet.

With such arrangements and personnel, unless a major incident occurred, it was highly unlikely any real problems would arise.

Moreover, the training facility was located on a watchpost planet. Though situated in the barren star zone, it was still a safe distance from the border territories. The planet’s security facilities and weaponry were also fully equipped, and there had never been any security breaches in all these years.

Thus, though still somewhat worried, Zhousha ultimately watched as Philo cheerfully boarded the warship’s deck.

Waving, the silver-haired male insect in military uniform looked no different from the Military Females beside him.

Seeing his relaxed and natural smile, General Zhousha and the academy’s leadership, standing in the military port’s waiting area, couldn’t help but smile as well.

Fine. Whatever this child was so determined to achieve through this training, as long as they could still protect him, there was no need to hold him back.

After all, this was a male insect born for greater freedom.

Within their means, letting him be as happy as possible was the least they, as female insects, could do.

Yes, Philo’s drive for military knowledge and skills had long surpassed mere casual interest.

Not only had Zhousha realized this, but the academy’s leadership had as well. Yet even if they suspected the male insect was planning or preparing something, since he chose not to share it, they could only do their best to ensure his well-being for now.

As for the rest—truthfully, it wasn’t all that important. Young Master Philo really needn't be so guarded.

No matter what kind of education he received before, whether he truly lost his memory or not, as long as he is a male insect and willing to fulfill the male insect's calming duties, all Military Females would bend over backwards to meet his demands.

After all, Your Highness.

What's done is done. Now, your future and homecoming may only lie with the insect race, with the Alliance.

So, Your Highness, do you understand?

The third-generation top-tier battleship jointly developed by the military and Kalms Military Academy is different from ordinary spacecraft. This large battleship packs way more punch defensively and offensively.

After waving goodbye to the insects at the port from the deck, the male insect, who had only piloted simulated battleships in sim pods, couldn't wait to check out the vessel.

"The bottom and mid-decks are made of military-grade tensile alloy. Based on wear and tear, this ship has seen heavy use and is likely at least ten years old. The mid-deck integrity is still decent, but the bottom deck will need energy-seal patching soon."

"The lubrication of the weapon mounts is slightly worse than the latest generation’s published data, but overall friction remains unaffected. The mechanical axis rotation shows some flexibility degradation—seems this battleship has engaged in combat ops within the last three years."

"The directional auto-calibration panel is fine, but the manual nav-lock system has issues. Looks like the previous crew preferred smart calibration panels."

Brains plus hustle, combined, probably lead to an Earthling's complete transformation.

The silver-haired male insect, engrossed in studying the battleship, didn’t notice how effortlessly he spouted specs and pinpointed issues—nothing like the Zhou Nuo from Earth.

Philo, the male insect, was gradually becoming more like one of the insect race.

Capital Star, the male-exclusive section of the Star Network—The Philo Forum.

Since the male insect left the Capital Star for a month-long training mission, countless female insects began voluntarily keeping a running countdown on the Star Network.

The content was strikingly uniform—mostly posts like: "[Philo Forum] Day one without His Highness Philo, missing him already." "[Philo Forum] Capital Star without His Highness Philo, majorly depressing." "[Philo Forum] 29 days left until His Highness Philo returns from training."

Admittedly, male insects naturally enjoy wandering and traveling, so they rarely stick around Capital Star. But perhaps because Philo had remained there since his debut, frequently appearing in news and photos shared online, his sudden one-month disappearance threw everyone for a loop.

Kalms Military Academy’s training mission was radio silent, so for this entire month, not only the ordinary female insects glued to their feeds for updates, but even the academy’s staff, the Tulas family, and Philo’s close friends received no news of him.

While his presence might have gone unnoticed before, his abrupt disappearance made the void painfully clear.

As a result, the hype train about Philo’s return multiplied rapidly.

But soon, all discussions about his training mission got nuked one day.

"HIS HIGHNESS PHILO!!!"

"Emergency! His Highness Philo critically wounded, whereabouts unknown!"

"Kalms Military Academy training fleet attacked by S-class star beast—leaked combat cam footage here."

"Half of Capital Star’s active-duty Military Females scrambled—can His Highness Philo survive?"

"Petition! We demand facts! We demand the truth!"

"Is His Highness Philo still alive?"

"Urgent! Multiple Military Female riots reported across star sectors!"

All hell broke loose.

As the first post bearing Philo's name climbed to the trending list on the Star Network, the insect community, which had been relatively calm due to the lack of major recent events, suddenly found itself thrown into chaos once again.

Unlike before, and even unlike the time when the male insect participated in the military academy's simulation assessment, this time, whether it was the ambiguous rumors or the various short and long recorded videos, almost all evidence seemed to indicate that Philo had indeed been injured and his current condition remained unclear.

Male insect, Philo, injured, condition unknown.

The combination of these words, it must be said, left nearly every insect shaken.

Tulas Mansion, guest hall.

The Senior Female Insect, who had just managed to calm down Yi Jia Fa—who was crying and demanding to lead a search for Philo—and seen him back to his bedroom, raised her eyes to the assembled insects and gestured for them to sit down.

"The military has already contacted the leading officer in charge of this training mission at Kalms Military Academy. They've confirmed that they did encounter an attack by star beasts, and Philo... has indeed gone missing."