SZAR Chapter 115

“His Majesty… has passed away!”

Sylph gasped the words out. Qu Xia reacted a beat slower, not understanding why the emperor’s death mattered. Erwen’s tone sharpened, urgent: “What?”

He seemed to forget he was still an egg. He tried to rise, causing the egg to swing dangerously, almost falling off the table. Qu Xia reached out, catching him and holding him safely.

Tilting his head, he asked, confused: “The emperor died… is that so important?”

His science was good, his language skills poor, and politics a complete mess; he couldn’t make sense of these twists. Erwen’s voice turned cold and solemn:

“An empire cannot be without a ruler for a single day. The emperor’s death means the crown prince must ascend immediately. There’s no time to convene the council. This prince is moving first and reporting later…”

Sylph frowned. “His Majesty was weak, yes, but not at death’s door. To die suddenly now… it must be the prince’s doing. Yet the council isn’t foolish; they will investigate afterward. If anything is uncovered, the prince cannot escape responsibility. How could he be so reckless?”

Erwen paused, as if calculating. After a moment, his voice hardened: “Sylph, the commander of the Second Army, General Gena… is he currently on the main planet?”

Sylph froze. “Yes.”

A long sigh escaped Erwen. “He wants to force the succession.”

At this, Sylph’s face went pale, as if a hidden key had suddenly been revealed.

Qu Xia, still clueless, tilted his head: “What does that mean?”

Erwen explained in a few words: he is the commander-in-chief, leading all six armies, with countless loyal subordinates under him. However, because of a fabricated charge of treason, most of them are under strict control and surveillance. That leaves General Gena of the Second Army as the most influential military figure at the moment.

Over the years, the prince has maneuvered among the high-ranking officials under his male identity, and Gena is one of his confidants. Nominally, royal succession requires the approval of the Elder Council, but in reality, military power is the true guarantee of authority. If Gena were to mobilize troops now, seize control of the Elder Council, coerce them with guns and ammunition to sign documents, or even oversee the appointment of new elders, it could all happen.

Erwen asked, “Where are the elders right now?”

Sylph replied, “The emperor passed away suddenly. The elders are certainly at the palace overseeing the mourning ceremonies…”

Then he choked on his words, whispering in alarm, “Doesn’t that mean they could all be caught at once?”

Most troops are stationed at border posts; the garrison on the main planet is small. If the major families are spread out, it’s hard to control them all quickly. But with all the elders at the palace, they’d be trapped, no coming back.

Erwen asked in a low voice, “Did the Tylando elders go too?”

Sylph nodded, “As soon as the mourning notice arrived, the palace sent people. The elders had no choice but to get in a carriage and go.”

Silence fell over the group.

Qu Xia timidly asked, “Then what should we do? Is there anything I can do?”

He had no talent for power struggles and didn’t know what to do, suddenly thrown into this whirlpool, bewildered and dazed. Erwen’s voice softened: “Don’t worry, Qu Xia. I’ll handle it.”

He always seemed this calm and composed, never shaken or broken by any unexpected turn.

Qu Xia felt his racing heart slow slightly.

Erwen turned to Sylph: “Are there any ships that can go to the Pamir Star system now?”

Sylph froze. “You want to leave?”

He shook his head. “Not possible. Every checkpoint has been sealed. The moment Qu Xia’s face shows up, he’ll be arrested immediately.”

The prince wasn’t stupid. He first seized control of the Elder Council and would soon launch a full-scale secret hunt for Qu Xia, trying to eliminate this suddenly appearing prince. That way, the only eligible crown prince left would be the current heir, who is foolish, ensuring his ascension. Then the prince could pull the strings from behind the curtain, becoming the regent of the empire.

Under these circumstances, all exit routes would be sealed; no ship could get Qu Xia out.

Erwen shook his head. “Not Qu Xia. Me. Only me.”

He asked, “Is there any way to get me back to the Pamir Star system?”

Qu Xia paused, pressing his lips together.

Erwen pressed lightly into his palm, brushing twice; a rare, almost coquettish gesture from the admiral, part soothing, part intimacy.

Erwen explained softly, “Gena holds central military power; we can’t confront him head-on. But as long as I’m alive, I can move troops.”

The prince’s maneuver to cut off all potential threats was ruthless. Seeing the situation going against him, he might try to have Qu Xia chosen by the council, but the prince overturned the table, refusing to convene the council.

First, he swiftly killed the late emperor, forcing the elders to attend the mourning through protocol. Then he had General Gena besiege the palace. With this combination of moves, even someone as capable as Qu Xia would struggle to turn the tide.

The only variable in this chessboard was Erwen.

Months had passed with no sign of him. In the prince’s eyes, this highly accomplished Six-Armies Admiral had surely perished in a distant land, his body already feeding the dense forests of the desolate planet. That’s why, despite all his scheming, he never considered that Erwen might still be alive.

Even though the admiral had been falsely accused of treason, he maintained a vast following from years managing the First Army. Even after setbacks from distant campaigns, his influence was far beyond what Gena could rival.

Sylph frowned slightly. “Even if you return as the admiral, what can you do? Are you planning to attack head-on?”

The prince could coerce the council into agreement; no matter how underhanded, with some showmanship, it could appear legitimate. Erwen, trying to summon the First Army to besiege the main planet, would face not only the question of how many would follow him loyally but also the fact that simply attempting a siege and coercion would constitute the crime of usurpation.

Erwen shook his head, struggling slightly as he turned Qu Xia around, tilting his head up a little: “Xia Xia, I need you to help me with something.”

His voice was soft and calm, as if this weren’t a life-or-death crisis, but a parent watching a child solve a math problem, encouraging with quiet hope: ‘You can do it. Keep going.’

Qu Xia pressed his lips together. “What kind of help?”

The young researcher felt a wave of frustration. He had always had things go smoothly. His talent in research let him overcome obstacles with ease. Whenever his senior colleagues were in a bind, he was the first to spot the problem. He was the lab’s favorite, its mascot. Qu Xia had never doubted his own abilities.

But here, with both Erwen and Sylph frowning, he realized he might truly be of no help at all.

This was far beyond anything that careful study could solve.

Erwen spoke slowly, his tone calm, putting no pressure on Qu Xia. He clearly explained the hidden details, helping Qu Xia sort out the logic: “The emperor, though gravely ill, was naturally suspicious and heavily guarded. Killing him wasn’t something the prince could do alone. He must have gathered accomplices and left traces.”

“I know you can infiltrate the royal internal private network. Maybe you can dig there again, find direct evidence of the prince’s treason, his patricide, and usurpation.”

Erwen’s voice was gentle: “At the same time, I’ll coordinate my subordinates. The First Army is mostly stationed on the junk planet; it will take time to gather them. Once ready, I’ll return, deploy forces around the star ring of the main planet, and confront Gena directly. I’ll need you to release your findings, stir emotions, and sway the neutrals to my side.”

In truth, whether Erwen’s loyalists or Gena’s direct subordinates, they were only a small fraction of the vast zerg army. Most of the troops were silent neutrals. They wouldn’t die for Erwen, nor bleed for Gena; they just quietly guarded one star after another. Whoever held legitimate authority and law would gain their allegiance.

The thoughts and leanings of these soldiers would decide the outcome of this confrontation.

Erwen’s reputation was now ruined, his prestige fallen. To win the trust of these soldiers, he had to clear his name.

Qu Xia bit his lower lip tightly. “Okay.”

He had indeed infiltrated the royal internal private network before, but only out of curiosity or for fun, never imagining a responsibility of this magnitude. Now, with the weight of it pressing down like a mountain, his hands trembled slightly.

The egg in his arms nudged him softly once again.

Erwen pressed gently against the little male’s palm: “Xia Xia, don’t be afraid.”

He coaxed softly, “Everything will be fine, I promise.”

Even if the plan failed, he would still get the little male out in one piece and send him to a distant desolate planet, just as the late emperor once did, giving him a new identity so he could continue to grow up safely and healthy.

In fact, more than ten years ago, when he held the little prince at the Selection Ceremony, he had made the same promise.

— I will do everything I can to ensure he grows up safe and healthy.

Qu Xia paused, muttering, “What are you talking about? I’m not a child anymore.”

He was slightly annoyed by Erwen’s way of treating him like a kid: “Don’t worry. I can handle it. If I can’t get it done, then no one in the empire can.”

During their conversation, Sylph had already mobilized all his connections and moved quickly. Then he looked up at them and explained: “Erwen, the ship is ready. The port really has been sealed, all vehicles for travel or visiting are banned, only cargo ships can pass, and security guards are strictly controlling every passage. People can’t get out, but the egg can.”

The method of transferring through the mental domain was still experimental and hadn’t been disclosed outside the lab circle. The prince knew nothing about the research and couldn’t have anticipated guarding against an egg.

Sylph manipulated the light-brain. “I contacted the Stellar Group. They happen to have a gem-mining ship leaving port. I’ve had Yi Xi replace the mining experts with technicians specialized in the mental domain. They’ll help you return to your body.”

Erwen gave a small nod with the tip of the egg.

Sylph then turned to Qu Xia, took a deep breath: “Qu Xia, we can’t leave the main planet. I need to hide you before the search teams arrive.”

The prince had gone this far. He would stop at nothing short of capturing Qu Xia, and when the army came searching, digging every corner, Qu Xia’s situation would be extremely dangerous.

Qu Xia nodded solemnly.

Even so, Sylph thought rapidly, his expression growing darker by the moment. He wasn’t sure where to send Qu Xia.

The main planet was covered in surveillance cameras, with high-precision satellites overhead. Even if he were sent into the primeval forest, it would only be a matter of time before he was found. He frowned, his face tense. Qu Xia spread out the map and asked, “Hmm, satellites are really troublesome. Is there no underground space?”

Sylph paused, then said, “Yes. Behind the area where we live, there’s a large mining pit, almost reaching the mantle. It’s a remnant from ancient times.”

Qu Xia’s eyes lit up as he spoke: “Over time, geological changes caused parts of it to rise into mountains. The mining pits are interspersed, covered with dense primeval forest. Once you’re inside, even satellites will have a hard time spotting anyone.”

The prince hadn’t ascended yet, so his ability to mobilize forces was limited. Without satellites, he couldn’t conduct a thorough search of the pit. Staying quietly inside should be safe until Erwen returned.

“However…” Sylph hesitated slightly, “that area is a garbage dump, heavily polluted, and there’s likely a lot of debris.”

He wasn’t sure whether the delicate little male could handle such a harsh environment.

Qu Xia pressed his eyebrows down, his lips twitching, expression strange and slightly twisted.

Ever since he transmigrated to the zerg world, he seemed to have an unbreakable connection with garbage: he landed on the Junk Planet, his home was next to a trash mountain, and the very reason he first bonded with Erwen was that he needed a female to help him pick up garbage. Now, even after obtaining the rank of prince, he still had to live among garbage.

Qu Xia fell silent for a moment.

Sylph interpreted his silence as hesitation and tried to comfort him: “Right now, there’s really no better option. Those mining pits are old, yes, but when I visited a few days ago, the scenery was still quite nice. And, well, even if there’s more garbage…”

He frowned for a long time. He couldn’t imagine what there could possibly be to praise in a place full of trash. Just as he was about to give an awkward smile, he let out a sigh.

The little male sounded tired, radiating an emotion best described as mental exhaustion.

“It’s fine, Professor, it’s fine,” Qu Xia said softly. “I actually… really like picking trash the most.”