Throughout Delphi’s history, there had never been a kindergarten in the human sense—only military academies.
At four or five years old, they could wield knives and guns. By seven or eight, they could master complex tactical maneuvers with ease. They were born to be warriors.
So when his parents told Delka that he and his little brother would be attending kindergarten together, the five-year-old little bean was very unhappy.
“Of course Norde and I are going to preschool military academy.” Delka clenched his fists, standing on a little stool and tugging at his still-daftly grinning little brother. “What bullshit kindergarten? That’s no place for a warrior!”
Delka’s mom was tidying up the house without looking back. “Little Cat Highness attends Magnolia Flower Kindergarten.”
Delka, who had been full of defiance just moments ago, suddenly froze in place like he’d been paused. His brain went ka-cha, instantly clearing all programs.
After two seconds of stupor, he obediently hopped down from the stool, carefully wiping the spot he’d stepped on with his sleeve. Then he dashed to his mom’s side, eyes sparkling. “Mom! When does school start? Tomorrow? Or today? Can we go right now?”
His age was so young, his face-change so swift, it left people stunned.
Delphi’s waters were vast, with land relatively concentrated. The entire city’s layout radiated outward from the castle at its center, winding along the coastline to form a perfect circle.
Magnolia Flower Kindergarten was built at the outermost edge of the coastline.
Bright sunlight spilled across the broad sea surface, waves glittering like diamonds. Seagulls flapped their white wings, letting out crisp cries.
Inside the steadily cruising car, Li Ao draped his paws over the car window sill, feet dangling as he sprawled against the window, staring at the circling seagulls outside. His mouth unconsciously went ka-ka-ka.
It was Xun’s first time hearing the little cat make this noise. His scarlet eyes blinked, and he mimicked the cat, going ka-ka-ka right back.
The two little ones chattered away at the birds outside like they were sending Morse code. Shen Que watched with curved eyes for a bit before leaning over to attend to the Monarch.
Isiris lounged casually, his long legs elegantly crossed, his pure black bespoke leather shoes cool and steady. He’d been low-lidding his lashes to flip through documents, but upon noticing the little cat’s commotion, he slightly raised his gaze and fetched something for footrest, placing it under the little cat’s dangling feet.
Shen Que rarely saw the Monarch in a full three-piece suit like this. In the past, he was almost always in military uniform.
Now, the exquisitely tailored suit subdued his sharp aura into something even more restrained and composed. The crisp shoulder line outlined his broad shoulders and back without a hint of excess ornamentation. But the cooler and more detached he was, the harder it was to look away.
Like staring at the sun. Shen Que lowered his gaze and offered tea with both hands. “Your Majesty, it’s cooling chrysanthemum tea.”
Isiris didn’t take it at first. Only after pulling the cat into his arms did he accept the tea and hold it to the little cat’s mouth. “Open up.”
The little cat, whose gums were still swollen, blanked for a moment before instinctively hugging the man’s wrist with both paws and drinking. A cat drinking was basically a sprinkler in action—tongue curl, slurp, and two splashes from the cup, soaking Isiris’s cuff.
But the man seemed utterly oblivious, steadily holding his wrist without a trace of impatience until the little cat couldn’t drink anymore. Then he set him back in place. “Has he taken his medicine?” This was obviously directed at Li Ao’s guardian.
The short-legged cat’s first day at kindergarten, and Silver Wing had switched to a new body. A one-meter-tall humanoid nanny robot with a blocky head and long mechanical arms—the one the little cat had picked from that pile of gifts.
The robot replied, “Yes.”
“Work. Do it if you like, don’t if you don’t.” Isiris handed the documents to Silver Wing. “You’re already a Delphi citizen. You have the right to choose.”
The robot took them. Inside was unmistakably an emperor’s handwritten recommendation letter and appointment form. It had previously found work at the Empire’s network security division. People here wouldn’t discriminate against it, but it wasn’t human after all—very marginalized.
With this document, everything would be different.
“Thank you…” Silver Wing said.
It knew how powerful the man before it was, and how indifferent he was. The only reason he’d show it favor was that short-legged cat. Because it had been tamed by the little cat, he accepted it too.
Li Ao had some resistance to going to school.
Because in his previous years, he’d seen Grandma bustling about for this very thing.
He didn’t understand human society, only remembered Grandma heading out early every morning and dragging her weary steps home at night, hands clutching crumpled paper bags and receipts, but her face always wore a gentle smile. He didn’t know how hard it was to send a child who wasn’t even yours to school, nor what burden those expenses were for an elderly person.
Li Ao didn’t want to go to school. When he told Grandma that, she’d tap his head, playfully chiding with a smile, “Oh, little one doesn’t want school? Gonna stay home and watch TV, huh?”
“Welcome, little friends~” At the entrance to Magnolia Flower Kindergarten stood a massive holographic screen playing a vibrant welcome animation.
“Ah—” Li Ao snapped out of his memories, his little paws suddenly grabbing Isiris’s pant leg. “It’s Dong Xixi?!”
As if hearing him, the orange-and-white kitten on the screen actually waved a paw, gruffly greeting Li Ao. “Good morning, Li Ao! Study hard today too!”
Li Ao was stunned, his round eyes going wide. A second later, the little cat reacted, whipping his head up to Isiris, eyes full of shock, joy, and disbelief.
“It—it knows me?! Dong Xixi talked to me?! Really talked to me?”
“Of course I know you!” The orange-and-white kitten on screen akimbo’d, proudly puffing its belly. “You’re Fierce Cat’s successor! We’re gonna study together, grow together, and beat monsters together!”
Li Ao’s eyes lit up. His big tail swish—shaking as he sucked in his little belly to stand straight, paws akimbo-ing and releasing repeatedly, not knowing where to put them. Pure little fanboy meeting his idol in person.
Isiris watched from the side, lips curving faintly. He’d searched the interstellar for ages but couldn’t find this Dong Xixi character, so he’d had an animation studio recreate it based on the little cat’s descriptions.
Judging by the little guy’s thrilled reaction, the fidelity was pretty good.
“Go on in. I’ll pick you up after school this afternoon.”
Li Ao tore his gaze from his idol and looked up at his father. Gold pupils met blue; a sheen of water appeared in the little cat’s eyes. He ducked his head and suddenly dashed over, hugging the man’s leg and burying his face in it.
Isiris didn’t pick him up, just stood there quietly. A long while later, he said, “Go on. Don’t be scared. We’ll find Grandma.”
“Mm…” Li Ao sniffled, turned, and tugged Xun—who’d been faithfully at his side—inside with the teacher.
Rustling all around: parents using “dropping off kids” as cover to sneak peeks at the Monarch.
Only when that golden-haired emperor turned and boarded the car, his aura receding, did the breathless Delphi adults—faces flushed—file into the kindergarten one after another.
Snapping out of their agitation at seeing the Monarch, they switched modes, grabbing their own little ones for earfuls of orders. “Listen up! Serve Little Sun well. If Highness says east, you don’t go west. Says cold, you fetch a blanket. Says hot, you blast that damn star down for him!”
“Whoever bullies him—you don’t beat ’em back, you don’t come home!”
“If you can eat at the same table as Little Highness—no no, even same row! Your spot on the family tree moves up three lines!”
The teacher twitched at the temple watching these cat-licker family reps, forcing a smile. “Parents, you can’t teach kids like that~ No matter status, everyone’s equal little friends here. No special treatment.”
So scary… Is this Delphi? Delphi had no kindergartens, so no kindergarten teachers. These new hires were carefully selected applicants from across the stars.
“?” The parents eyed the fresh-faced young girl suspiciously, instantly displeased.
Equal? Special treatment? That’s the Empire’s Little Sun! Spouting nonsense on Delphi soil?!
“Don’t listen to these teachers.” Parents wouldn’t hassle teachers, but they’d smack their own kids. “I’m telling you—if you make Little Highness unhappy, I’ll serve you stick-roast pork at home!”
“Don’t worry, Dad!” The kid straightened up, saluting crisply and loudly. “I’ll definitely protect Leo Highness well! If the little cat wants to walk, I’ll let him ride! Not let him touch the ground one bit!”
A nearby parent was so moved he nearly built an arch for someone else’s kid on the spot, hastily slapping his own. “You hear that?! Learn how people protect!”
The outlander teacher swallowed involuntarily, finding these Delphi folk utterly mad-looking. Really, so off…
Meanwhile, the specially protected Li Ao sat prim and serious in his little seat.
Xun sat beside him; from day one, the two little ones’ seats were right next to each other, deskmates.
“Hello, little friends.” The petite short-haired girl squatted in the midst of a group of children, smiling as she introduced herself: “I’m your homeroom teacher. You can just call me Teacher Xiao Yang~”
The teacher lineup at Magnolia Flower Kindergarten wasn’t made up solely of outsiders. The ones teaching cultural lessons and playing with the kids were hired from outside, while roles like gatekeepers and nursery staff were all locals from Delphi.
After Teacher Xiao Yang finished introducing herself, by all rights, the kids should’ve started chattering and firing off questions left and right… but there was nothing.
These young Delphi cubs were steadier than the last, sitting ramrod straight, eyes fixed straight ahead.
Yang Liuyi followed their gazes, which slanted all the way to the horizon’s edge. Sure enough, they all converged on that little cat.
The super oblivious little Li cat had no idea he was the center of everyone’s attention. His little face tense like he was carrying out some major mission, he gripped his pencil tight and crookedly scrawled his own name on the drawing pad.
After finishing his own, he even tilted his head to check Xun’s. Seeing that Xun had also scrawled his name all crooked-like, he patted the little dog head in approval—only then did he notice how deathly silent the classroom had become.
The little cat blankly scanned the people around him. Vaguely recalling what the teacher had just said, Li Ao felt a twinge of guilt for spacing out and not responding. His fluffy white cat chest puffed out a little less, and with a guilty little tooth-baring grin, he piped up: “Teacher Xiao Yang Mouse, hello!”
The instant his words landed, the group of kids chorused after him in ringing unison: “Teacher Xiao Yang Mouse, hello!”
“…”
Yang Liuyi, with nearly twenty years of kindergarten teaching experience, inexplicably felt like this job might not last much longer.
