Chapter 37: The Day Before Wandering

Aurilion wasn’t the name of this planet, but the collective name for the two stars it orbited. One was called Auri, the other Leon, and it was the third planet in the Aurilion system, so its full name should properly be “Aurilion III.”

But none of that mattered anymore, because from this day forward, it became Aiai’ang’ang, and it would set sail on its voyage.

Planetary migration wasn’t an easy feat, even by the standards of modern civilization.

Short distances were manageable enough, but from Aurilion to Delphi? That was over a hundred million light-years away.

Even so, not a single Delphian raised any objections to the emperor’s decision. When the news reached the homeworld, people even sighed in relief: “We’re finally getting a moon.”

Thousands of years ago, Delphi had once had a companion satellite. Back then, Delphi’s nights were illuminated by its glow. But it drew closer and closer, eventually surpassing the Roche limit. With the technology of the time, there was no way to pull it back on course. They could only watch helplessly as Delphi’s gravity tore it apart, turning it into a massive planetary ring encircling Delphi.

Later, when technology advanced, no one had thought to drag another satellite over for Delphi.

Now, it seemed, the timing was just right.

The adults were waiting for reinforcements from the homeworld while discussing feasible migration plans. But that was none of our little cat’s concern. Li Ao and Xun were sitting on the Cow Monster’s back, directing it to plow the fields.

At lunchtime, a maid in a servant’s dress arrived carrying a food basket. She spread out a picnic cloth nearby and quietly waited for the little sun’s arrival. Seeing the little cat finally stop, she greeted him with a beaming smile. “Your Highness, shall we have something to eat?”

Of course that was great.

The little cat slid down from the Cow Monster’s back, pulled the little monster along to the picnic cloth, and lifted his head a bit stiffly. “Bunana, can Li Ao have some milk?”

The maid gazed at his chubby little body, itching to pet him. She mentally slapped herself repeatedly to hold back.

Brenna, this is the empire’s little sun—you can look, but no touching!

Her face twisted with restraint, but she forced a smile. “Of course you can! You can have as much as you want.”

The Li Ao-brand pump, deprived of milk for so long, kicked into high gear. The milk was rich and creamy— so good the little kitty wanted to wiggle his butt.

After slurping down the milk, the little cat had a ring of milky mustache around his mouth.

“Your Highness, let me wipe that clean for you.”

Li Ao wanted to say he could do it himself, but seeing the maid’s eager expression, he just blinked and stayed quiet.

His Highness didn’t refuse! Brenna barely contained her excitement, placing one hand on the little cat’s back while wiping his mouth with the other.

She touched him! the maid squealed inwardly, her face still smiling gracefully. “There, all clean.”

“Thank you!” Li Ao said, then looked up to find the robot. He was closer to Silver Wing, after all—polite to this sudden caretaker maid, but not too familiar.

“Machine isn’t here…” he muttered softly, then sidled up to Xun conspiratorially. “Then let’s have an extra piece of candy.”

He’d gotten used to his missing tooth and didn’t even remember it was gone. His little cat brain was full of thoughts of sneaking a sweet treat. But he hesitated, worried the robot might spank him, so he glanced around furtively and popped a candy into his mouth.

So… adorable—

Brenna wanted to scream. What’s wrong with the little cat wanting a candy? Damn robot, limiting His Highness’s sweets! Even His Majesty gave it so much authority! How could it—?!

It had to be said: Thank goodness Silver Wing existed, staunchly delaying the little cat’s tooth loss amid all the brainless doting Delphians, ensuring his gums stayed healthy…

“Here, for you.” After eating her candy, the little cat pulled a Little Flower Beauty fruit from his small pouch, instinctively reciprocating the favor.

Brenna clutched her handkerchief to her chest, deeply touched. In her agitation, she wiped quite a bit of oil off the little cat’s paws. In the process, the fruit dropped.

“Gurgle—” The glass marble rolled across the smooth floor. The frail white little lion cub couldn’t even run; he could only watch it roll farther and farther, coming to a stop at the doorway.

“What made you think of playing with this?” A pair of pristine feet entered Ryan’s view. The little lion squatted down and bowed to him. “Teacher.”

Paimon bent down to pick up the marble, his expression gentle. “Our Highness doesn’t seem like the type to enjoy things like this.”

Paimon was the only non-Delphian caregiver by Ryan’s side, someone Reniya had gone to great lengths to hire to tutor the child.

“Uncle Lian bought it.” The little lion stood and headed to the study area. “He got it for… the little cat that’s coming soon.” And then gave him a few.

“No wonder.” To avoid disturbing the child’s rest with noise, Reniya had ordered everyone around Ryan to go barefoot indoors.

Paimon slightly hiked up his pant leg, revealing a pale ankle as he sat. “It’s the sort of thing only five- or six-year-olds would like.” He placed the marble in front of the little lion, his voice soft. “Ryan, if you’re unhappy, you can tell your teacher.”

The sickly little lion’s eyelashes were delicate and fine. He lowered his gaze slightly and coughed twice. “I’m not unhappy.”

Even though that little cat hadn’t even set foot on Aurilion’s soil yet already had everyone’s anticipation and joy. Even though he could hop and skip everywhere on those short legs. He wasn’t unhappy.

“Is that so?” Paimon ruffled his hair. “Then shall we start our lesson?”

Ryan nodded. Paimon’s lecturing voice was as soft and smooth as silk, but Ryan didn’t catch what he was saying. With his white paw, he pushed the marble off the desk. Amid the continuous patter of bounces, he suddenly spoke calmly: “I don’t like that little cat.”

“The little cat likes you.” The short-legged cat stood up, paws clasped behind his back, beaming ingratiatingly at the robot with his round face.

With such a tiny cat brain and IQ, Silver Wing didn’t even need to run any programs to know what he was thinking.

He still couldn’t quite distinguish “Li Ao” from “me,” but he almost never called himself little cat—except when feeling guilty or face-saving.

A mechanical arm extended. The robot, heart of iron and stone in the literal sense, said, “Hand over the candy.”

The little cat pouted, eyes darting. Pinned by the mechanical arm at his belly, he even knew to shuffle back two steps.

“Liii Ao.” According to the Kitten Rearing Guide, hatchlings couldn’t have too many snacks. Kind machine spoils the child—Silver Wing stood firm in its nanny robot role. “Tell me, how many have you eaten today?”

Don’t think it didn’t know how many extras that maid had slipped him beyond meals!

The little cat was greedy, but he didn’t lie. He deflated and confessed: “Ten.”

“So you tell me—after ten, can you have more?” The robot reasoned with him. “Do you still want your teeth?”

Fierce Cat stomped his foot in displeasure but still brought his little round hands from behind his back and plopped them into the robot’s palm, surrendering the two secretly stashed chocolates.

The robot didn’t cheat him, its electronic voice calm. “Don’t worry, you’ll get more tomorrow.”

Only then did the little cat nod, grudgingly compromising. But the moment the robot turned away, he scampered to Xun’s side. His cat pupils spun, and before he could mutter, he saw the robot turn back.

“Yours too.” Silver Wing ruthlessly extended its hand to the little monster as well.

The old ginger was spicier—two hatchlings who hadn’t even been to a single day of kindergarten were no match for a century-old machine.

Silver Wing pried open the little monster’s mouth, dangled him upside down, and shook out a whole pouch of candies. It shook a few more times to clear them out, then returned the furious, fluffed-up little coal ball to the short-legged cat whose home had just been robbed by bandits.

“Li Ao.” Seeing the little cat’s mouth pouty enough to hang an oil pot, the little monster suppressed his urge to devour the machine and quietly pulled a candy hidden in his fuzz. “Here!”

“Wow—” The little cat yelped, then quickly covered his mouth. Airplane ears confirming the robot wouldn’t turn, he perked his tail and rubbed against the little dog. “We’ll share!”

The two little ones took turns licking—one lick for you, one for me—sweetly sneaking their candy.

The entire scene was captured by the empire’s surveillance feeds, watched by Isiris and Shen Que.

Shen Que’s expression was gentle. “The little Highness is so cheerful and lively.” The man had such a mismatched face—plain and unremarkable overall, yet those violet eyes were stunningly beautiful. “But… is it really okay letting a robot take care of him?”

“It’s working hard to become a guardian.” Isiris’s voice was indifferent but affirming. “As long as the little cat needs it, it has reason to exist. The Federation has withdrawn their troops?”

Shen Que pulled his gaze from the monitoring room. “Yes.” Remembering those who had disrespected His Majesty, he rubbed the thick callus on his tiger-mouth grip from wielding a knife. They should have just been killed outright.

“They won’t let it go so easily,” Shen Que said.

“So what?” Isiris spread his wings and leaped from the warship. His white silk shirt billowed fiercely in the wind. “As long as they need the Delphi Army to support them against the Xenoids and Xenoid Variants, they’ll have to shut their mouths and behave.”

The sands of Aurilion were soft. The man landed and walked toward the little cat, casting down his haughty gaze. “What are you planting?”

The xenoids paced uneasily behind the little cat. They wanted to get close to him, but they felt an overwhelming pressure from the man beside him. This pressure was different from the instinctive submission to superiors—it was a more direct threat of death.

This person is really good-looking. The beauty-obsessed little cat shyly stood on tiptoes and held up a bag of seeds for the man to see. “This is what Grandpa Researcher gave me.”

“Is that so?” Isiris looked at his sparkling blue eyes and inexplicably felt his own mood lighten. “Need any help?”

Xixi wants to help? The little cat thought for a moment. He had the Cow Monster to plow, the Mantis Monster to fetch water, and Little Dog Xun to ride for picking tomatoes. He didn’t need anyone else… If he really couldn’t think of anything, then he could have Xixi deliver things for him.

The little cat used both paws to pick up a small bucket full of tomatoes and handed it to the other. With his two canine teeth missing, the little cat grinned. “You deliver this to everyone, okay.”

No kindness is ever taken for granted. Grandma said that when people are friendly to us, we should return the favor.

“Thanks everyone for taking care of me. And this,” he turned busily and dug out two unknown fruits from a small pouch, “is Little Flower Beauty’s fruit. For you to eat.”

Feeling it might be too few, he raised his round face. “Little Flower Beauty said it’s entering dormancy, so it can’t flower now. Then, then there were five fruits total. Li Ao and Xun ate two, one for Bunana, and these two are for you, okay.”

Fierce Cat only ate one, so two is really quite a lot!

Research data on the Strangling Vine was all outdated. In past history, no one knew it could flower or even bear fruit.

Isiris knelt on one knee and took the fruits from the little cat’s paws. He had always been indifferent to food, finding nutrient fluid the most convenient, and hadn’t planned to eat. But seeing the little cat’s expectant eyes, he popped them into his mouth.

A rich fruity aroma, crisp flesh, and thick juice.

Li Ao straightened up, placing his small paws on the man’s kneeling thigh, raising his little head nervously. “How is it?”

“Delicious.” Isiris discovered the embodiment of cuteness. He tapped the little cat’s head. “Thank you, Leo.”

The pronunciation was close to Li Ao, but not exactly the same. The little cat was stunned for a moment but didn’t think much of it. Seeing the man liked it, he chuckled happily, his big tail perked high. He turned around. “Then Li Ao will keep working. Class soon. Cow Monster, let’s plow more ground.”

“You’re pretty busy.” Isiris glanced at Zolax, who hesitated and didn’t dare approach, then stood. “I’ll deliver the tomatoes for you first.”

The little cat, who had already started bustling about, had forgotten to reply.

Isiris carried the tomatoes onto the warship. The soldiers were out clearing planetary debris, leaving only some ministers and attendants behind.

“Shen Que.” He tossed a tomato to Shen Que. “From the little cat for you.”

The two old men who heard the sound rushed over excitedly, each grabbing one before leaving happily.

A small bucket wasn’t enough to go around. Isiris simply shoved the bucket at Shen Que. “Handle it.”

The purple-eyed man sensed something, his gaze worried. “Your Majesty… are you alright?”

“No matter.” Isiris turned toward his chambers. “I’ll rest a bit. If the little cat looks for me, let him come right in.”

The tall figure vanished into the purple pupils. Shen Que clenched his fist and strode to the conference room. They must—must hurry back to Delphi.

All those of Delphi blood could use the Crystal of Delphi.

It was a gorgeously colorful crystal stone, birthed only by Delphi’s soil. It granted energy; implanted in the body, it protected Delphians from the Doom Virus, even enhancing their spiritual power and physical strength to superhuman levels.

It flowed through Delphian bodies, merging to produce powerful personal weapons.

Of all humanity, only Delphians could bond with it. Others who forced implantation would physically disintegrate in moments.

Thanks to the Crystal of Delphi, Delphians led humanity to victory against the Zerg tide a millennium ago, ushering in the new world.

It was like a divine gift to Delphians—but such gifts came at a cost.

The more power used, the stronger it grew, but the crystallization in the body worsened. Gorgeous patterns crept from the soles, accompanied by soul-rending pain, spreading to the chest until piercing the heart, ending life.

The process was irreversible, suppressible only by the Purification Pool—but its effect was minimal, better than nothing.

Fate gave Delphians two choices: mediocrity, or power at the cost of life.

Delphi had no cowards. They met death with strength—their predestined fate.

Colorful patterns covered his entire chest, the pain beyond mortal endurance. Yet Isiris merely unbuttoned his shirt, standing bare before the mirror with casual indifference. “At least it’ll hold until the little one grows up.”

In the meantime, he’d clear all threats for his child. If the little cat ever wanted to use the Crystal of Delphi, it would be for his own pursuit of power—not as a desperate lifeline in crisis.

There were no weeds on Aiai’ang’ang. Before the Strangling Vine and grass sprouts, it was due to Zerg ravages and barren land. But even after planetary changes, weeds still wouldn’t grow.

Except what the little cat wanted to grow—no other plant could survive here.

Forget planetary consciousness; just the Strangling Vine and grass sprouts would devour them alive.

This made Li Ao’s planting efficiency incredibly high. For others, planting required armies to clear Zerg and constant weeding—why interstellar veggies and fruits were so expensive ordinary people couldn’t afford them.

The little cat held the small bucket in his left paw, grabbed a handful of seeds with his right, and scattered them casually on the soil.

A buzz-cut soldier far off, burning xenoid variant corpses, watched the cat through binoculars. He muttered, “That’s way too casual! Even Aunt Shansa consults diviners for planting dates!”

Her processes were so tedious, her face so serious—it left the soldier with the rigid impression that veggies were hard to grow.

“If they don’t sprout… will Little Highness Cat be sad?” The soldier worried.

But his worry was unnecessary. The seeds that passed through the cat’s paws began rooting and sprouting within minutes of landing.

The little cat clumsily stepped through gaps. Even overcrowded pits were fine—the seedlings knew how to grow. Out of his sight, they twisted alluringly, one per pit, self-organizing neatly.

The little cat’s crops grew well not from skill, but sheer intensity.

“Meow-racadabra!” Li Ao chanted over each plot, wiping sweat from his paws. “This little cat sure ain’t cut out for this.”

Fierce Cat was beat. He would finish tomorrow. He packed the bucket and tools together, standing on tiptoes to look at the distant domed base.

His triangular rice-ball ears drooped, and with a flick of his butt, he turned to the little monster. “We ain’t going back to base. We’re going to the shippy.”

Going back to the base meant having class, and the little cat knew how to skip it. He was tired after a long day, so he decided to go back to the ship to sleep.

The two little ones bounced toward the warship. As soon as they entered, they shouted, “Xixi—!”

Shen Que and the others, having reached a decision, exited the conference room. The purple-eyed man pursed his lips, crouching to the cat. “His Majesty is resting. Does Little Highness want to go?”

Li Ao was always a bit reserved with the ship folk, not as close as with Isiris.

He nodded, tugging Xun. “Me and Little Dog together.”

Shen Que’s eyes curved in a smile, scooping them up and heading to the emperor’s chambers.

“Highness is inside. Please be quiet, don’t disturb his rest too much.” The words were a bit superfluous and overstepping. Shen Que bowed and withdrew upon saying them, but the little cat didn’t mind—he didn’t know etiquette anyway.

But he got the “be quiet” part, so he tiptoed in, leading the little coal ball.

Though a warship, the emperor’s chambers were decorated in retro splendor by his subjects. Brocade curtains hung at the bed. Distinct knuckles rose from within, lightly tapping the bedframe twice.

“Xixi—!” The little cat’s ears perked instantly, grinning as he pattered over.

Isiris had woken when Shen Que opened the door. Seeing the little cat’s short legs couldn’t climb, amusement flashed in his eyes. Before he could reach down, the little monster butted him onto the edge.

Li Ao reached back for Xun. The two little ones clambered onto the bed together.

Crimson beast eyes met golden ones. Xun blinked. “I wanna sleep with Little Cat.”

They always slept together.

Isiris had just arched a brow when the little cat cannonballed into his arms, interrupting.

“Huh?” The little cat suddenly asked, “Xixi, why do you have colorful threads like Xun? Want Li Ao to make you a yarn ball?”

“What?” The golden-haired emperor was somewhat baffled.