SZAR Chapter 114

The exposure of Qu Xia’s identity plate, engraved with the thorned rose, immediately caused a huge stir.

Emperor Glore’s death had been suspicious, and later the young prince’s death was equally mysterious. On the main planet, there had long been whispers that the young prince didn’t die, but instead was taken to a second-class star under a hidden identity. Though the authorities insisted it was a rumor, many still believed it.

Now, a male emerged, clearly fused with the royal bloodline and holding a royal identity plate, hardly something that could be ignored.

Throughout history, royal gossip was always the juiciest. Even though the prince had repeatedly shut down several forums, it couldn’t stop the public’s appetite for news.

In the most popular zerg game, 《Ancient Era,》 countless players sneaked glances at the screens.

⟦ So QX¹ is really that kid? The rumors about SX² are true? ⟧

⟦ I think it’s real. Look at how he hides. ⟧

Those who understood kept silent; those who didn’t, raged.

⟦ What the hell is this, can’t you just write the full name? ⟧

⟦ Not a single word makes sense. ⟧

Some players tried to test it, typing: ⟦ Because if you write the full name, it will look like this. ⟧

⟦ ***, ***⟧

— That player was immediately muted and banned.

At first, this action did suppress the news. But the main planet wasn’t the prince’s dictatorship. The late Emperor Glore’s confidants, though lying low, each had their own influence. And the tighter the news was controlled, the more curious ordinary people became.

A chaotic flood of abbreviations, homophones, and speculation spread everywhere, from games, food, fashion, and countless unrelated channels. The major families added fuel to the fire, and within half a month, almost everyone had heard of it.

During a certain court assembly, an elder of the Tylando family stepped forward, putting Qu Xia’s situation openly on the table.

The venerable elder twirled his silver-white beard and, bowing toward the prince on the platform, said with a smile that hid a sharp edge: “Your Highness, recently some rumors have been stirring among the people. They say a male has returned from the Junk Planet, suspected to be of His Majesty Glore’s bloodline. If we ignore this, it could harm the dignity of the royal family.”

His words were honeyed but dangerous. The prince nearly crushed the cup in his hand, yet forced a smile: “And what do you all suggest?”

The elder continued, smiling faintly: “We must first verify his identity. If he is indeed the child of His Majesty Glore, then he must be formally recognized and returned to the royal family. Royal offspring cannot be left to drift outside.”

The prince suppressed the fire in his heart. “There’s some sense in that,” he said, narrowing his long, sharp eyes. “Summon him to the hospital to confirm his identity. If true, conduct the ritual of formal recognition and return to the royal lineage.”

That afternoon, a royal spacecraft arrived at Qu Xia’s residence.

The servant opened the door and, bowing toward Sylph, said: “Sir, please have the young male come out.”

Sylph cast a subtle glance at the spacecraft and shook his head. “The young male has already left.”

Seeing the servant’s sudden change in expression, he cooled his gaze, then smiled: “The young male is very excited at the possibility of royal blood. He could not wait to be fetched, so he departed first.”

At the same time, Sylph made a gesture of invitation: “You’ve traveled so far and returned without success. I feel truly apologetic. Why not come in for a cup of tea?”

Polite and high-ranking as he was, the servant dared not refuse and could only reply, “Please.”

The two of them walked down the corridor into the flower hall. Sylph subtly signaled to a corner, and immediately someone hurried forward with a toolbox, rifling through the spacecraft.

Meanwhile, on another street…

Qu Xia sat in the center of the spacecraft, surrounded in a circle by robust military females. They formed a tight perimeter around him, their wings glinting coldly, partially spread in a show of vigilance.

Qu Xia fidgeted uncomfortably in the center. Slightly socially anxious, he didn’t enjoy being in a crowd. He clutched the egg in his arms and, through the bulletproof glass, cast his gaze toward the distance.

This was a military-grade modified spacecraft, with a specially reinforced metal hull that would be very hard for even bullets to breach. The solemn atmosphere made Qu Xia uneasy all over. He whispered: “Is all this really necessary?”

The military females on guard all came from the First Army, Erwen’s direct subordinates. Several of them Qu Xia had even met a few days ago under the pretense of dates.

“It’s necessary,” Erwen said in a low voice. “You don’t know how dirty the prince’s heart is.”

He who could throw the commander into injustice before tens of thousands of troops, using countless lives as a sacrifice for power. What else wouldn’t he be capable of?

To avoid an ambush, they deliberately chose another route, staggered their check-in times, and traveled safely. Just as they were approaching their destination, Qu Xia’s light-brain beeped.

He opened it. The message was from Sylph, who was holding a metal device about the size of a can of cola. Its surface was covered in dark grease, as if it had been dismantled from something.

【 The bearings of the craft coming to pick you up have been tampered with. 】

【 If it goes too fast, it will lose control and crash into nearby buildings. 】

【 The attendant assigned to you is built like a golden beetle, extremely tough. If it collides, it will only be lightly injured when it spreads its wings. 】

Sylph didn’t have to say more. Everyone understood his implication: the attendant might only be lightly hurt, but any direct collision with a male would be fatal, leaving no trace of bones or body.

Qu Xia inhaled sharply.

Even with mental preparation, facing such a brutal danger made him nervous.

Erwen nudged him with the egg. “Don’t be afraid.”

The Admiral stayed quietly in Qu Xia’s arms, faithfully serving as a pillow. “I won’t let anything happen to you.”

He let out a cold laugh. “The prince is really arrogant. What makes him think that a method that worked twice before will work a third time?”

Qu Xia froze. “Twice?”

Erwen spoke slowly.

The prince was a high-ranking male, one of the holders of imperial authority. Many nobles were his close guests, and he had promised positions of female monarch or female attendant to many high-ranking figures, including the empire’s largest aircraft manufacturer, Galaxy.

Erwen recounted his car accident, Yi Xi in another. Both incidents involved contributions from Galaxy. Both held high power, yet neither could investigate fully. Considering the influence of the person behind it, only the prince fit the profile.

Qu Xia felt a chill run down his spine.

The prince’s actions toyed with the lives and fortunes of countless people. Thinking about it, Qu Xia could hardly imagine such deeds.

At this moment, the circle of stern, vigilant female guards around him felt especially reassuring. Qu Xia pressed his lips together and nodded. “Mm.”

The elders had been waiting at the destination for some time. As Qu Xia stepped down from the aircraft, several kindly-faced elders approached, fussing over him and asking after his comfort.

All present were heads of powerful families; even the prince wouldn’t dare act recklessly in this setting. Qu Xia was temporarily safe. He was escorted toward the verification equipment and rolled up his sleeve, exposing part of his arm for the medical staff to draw blood.

The narrow test tube filled quickly. The elders watched as it was placed into the verification device. Every step was witnessed, leaving no room for deception.

The crimson blood was injected into the machine. Glore’s physiological data was synced. Within two minutes, the verification report printed out. The white-haired elders huddled around the machine, holding the still-warm A4 sheet up under the light, peering through their magnifying glasses, fixing their gaze on the final result.

⟬ Kinship: 99.9986% ⟭

⟬ Confirmed: Father and Son ⟭

The expressions among the elders varied. Some looked grim, others smiled. The leading elder grasped Qu Xia and beamed. “Congratulations, child. You truly are the offspring of His Majesty Glore, a treasure of the empire, and the crown prince-to-be!”

The structure of the zerg royal family differs slightly from ancient Earth. Beyond the Crown Prince, children of the previous and current emperor all hold the title of Prince, with equal inheritance rights. Qu Xia’s identity confirmed, his title of Prince was now official. Whether he could reachCrown Prince status would depend on ranking and seniority, jointly decided by the council of elders.

Qu Xia nodded cautiously. “Understood.”

The elder’s face glowed with excitement. The Tylando family had backed the wrong side in the power struggle between Glore and the current emperor. Even though the family had kept a low profile in recent years, they had been marginalized for a long time. As an old noble house, they had nearly been pushed off the main planet. Watching the family’s glory fade, the elder had refused to accept defeat, but lacked the chance to act, until now. With Qu Xia’s sudden arrival, he was determined to take his shot.

His joy was plain to see. He patted Qu Xia repeatedly. “Good child! I will definitely find you a noble and elegant title as Prince.”

Then the elder turned to the egg in Qu Xia’s arms, his voice rising in dramatic exclamation: “Oh, this is the egg you brought with you? Is he your child? Oh! Look how fair and large he is, he will surely grow into a distinguished and handsome prince!”

Qu Xia: “…”

Erwen: “…”

The elder rubbed his hands together, thrilled. “I will also come up with a splendid title for the young prince!”

Qu Xia: “…”

If the occasion had allowed, he really wanted to tell the elder that this fair, plump egg was none other than Admiral Erwen, the Sixth Armies commander whose name struck fear throughout the military.

The elder, still unable to contain his excitement, reached out as if to lift the egg and place the noble young prince under the light for careful observation. Qu Xia raised an eyebrow and nimbly dodged, his face deadpan. “No, that’s not necessary.”

He strode forward. “Since the verification is complete, I’ll be going.”

At that moment, Glore’s former loyalists instinctively formed a protective circle around Qu Xia, escorting him out of the verification room. They watched him enter the heavily guarded aircraft, then exchanged a glance and silently headed toward the meeting room.

They needed to discuss how to support this little prince who had seemingly fallen from the sky.

………………

On the third day after verification, Qu Xia received his princely decree.

His status was now officially confirmed. According to the zerg empire’s precise standards of evaluation, there was no error: this handsome male from the wasteland was indeed a child of His Majesty Glore, the empire’s former crown prince.

Snow-like invitations arrived at Sylph’s estate. For safety, Qu Xia stayed temporarily at the Tylando main residence. Sylph, in many people’s eyes, became the rightful female monarch of the young male. He was frequently invited by others wishing to curry favor with the newly-recognized prince, but Qu Xia ignored them all. He sat properly in his room, studying the royal history of the zerg empire with a large, white egg by his side.

The tip of the egg jabbed at the light screen. “Although imperial power is supreme, it is not without checks. The succession of the next royal family and the major direction of governance are primarily decided by the council.”

Qu Xia bit the pen tip and nodded.

The egg rotated, then jabbed the screen again. “The prince is cruel. He dislikes female zergs, and he also detests male zergs. He has repeatedly mocked the Male Zerg Protection Association in public, and his reputation is poor among both sexes.”

It delivered a verdict: “If the council were held under normal conditions, your chances of being selected as crown prince would be very high.”

Qu Xia came from a junk planet, and his past behavior spoke for itself. He was gentle, humble, and unpretentious, and he carried an egg with him across countless light-years to the main planet, a true loyal, good male. Moreover, his foundation was shallow and free from deep political entanglements. Compared to a foolish crown prince or a cruel prince, many neutral parties were willing to choose Qu Xia.

Qu Xia raised his hand. “So… do I just wait, then?”

The young researcher’s strengths lay in science, meaning his political skills were practically negative. He really couldn’t handle those strange power struggles. Hearing Erwen say it would be easy, he immediately lit up with delight.

Erwen mercilessly shattered his fantasy.

The admiral’s tone was cold. “But that assumes the prince does nothing to interfere. From what I know of him, he will never do nothing.”

Qu Xia visibly wilted.

Just as Erwen slowed his tone, intending to soothe him, Sylph suddenly burst into the room. His appearance was disheveled, strands of hair sticking out, temples glistening with cold sweat, and he strode straight toward Erwen.

Erwen frowned. “Why the panic?”

Sylph was out of breath, panting heavily. In the dead silence, his eyes locked on Erwen, his voice grave:

“Erwen, we don’t have time.”

“The palace has sent a report… His Majesty has passed away.”