Chapter 63
The royal family wanted to confer the title of honorary marshal on the returning Admiral Monte. As soon as the news came out, it immediately aroused public outcry.
Regardless of whether this military title is reliable or not, at least the royal family acknowledged the existence of the admiral.
The various forces that had been observing for a long time knew that in the first confrontation after the return, Hillel Monte had the upper hand.
Yael was having breakfast when he received the news, and his eyebrows gradually raised as Bai Lang reported.
It only took a few seconds for him to go from being surprised to being suppressed and excited.
"...Okay, I understand."
When Xi Ze finally hung up the call, he gave the female insect a big hug and said, "You've been named marshal! Congratulations!"
Xi Ze quickly caught the male insect and was infected by its joy and started laughing too.
His eyes were full of smiles. He lifted Yael up with his arms and raised his head to respond to the joyful kisses.
The busyness during this period finally resulted in a temporary victory. Yerdu felt proud and happy for the female insect, and he hugged her tightly and rubbed her again and again.
He simply ignored the word "honor" in front of it, and naturally forgot about any tentative or alternate aliases.
It was not carelessness, but rather an almost blind confidence that Cize would be able to become the official marshal smoothly and without any doubt, and it was set in stone and beyond doubt.
Yael came to his senses and felt a little embarrassed, so he quickly got off the female insect.
After a low cough, his eyes were still bright and his expression was full of anticipation, "Will there be a sealing ceremony? I want to go and see it."
"Yes, I will go with you then."
Xi Ze smiled and brought the male insect back to the table. "Continue eating breakfast. You haven't even taken two bites yet."
Two days later.
Early in the morning, a special makeup team knocked on the door of the villa, followed by Bai Lang who delivered customized military suits, filling the entire living room.
Yael got up very early, but the bed next to him was already cold. He asked 015 and found out that the makeup team had arrived. After washing up, he hurried down to the living room.
"…It's almost done. Try putting on your military cap and see…"
A low voice came from the front. Yael got off the aircraft and opened the half-closed door of the living room. When he saw the scene inside clearly, his pupils shrank slightly.
Xi Ze was standing in the middle of the bright light, taking the military cap from the bug next to him and putting it on his head, obviously already fully dressed.
Compared with ordinary uniforms, the military dress uniform is more fresh and crisp, and the style is more complicated and beautiful. The collision of pure black and sparkling gold is extremely stunning.
The buttons on the lining of the collar were fastened to the top, and below them was a row of intricately patterned golden buttons. The golden belt was tightened to the extreme, outlining the slender waistline to the fullest.
Three wheat-ear-shaped ribbons extended from under the spotless epaulettes, two of which were wrapped around the chest and connected to the bottom of the collar, while the other one fell naturally and then wrapped around the back shoulder, swaying with the female soldier's movements.
Xi Ze put down his hand, and the faint shadow under the military cap covered part of his eyebrows and eyes, making his expression a little gloomy and cold, but also making him look more stern and powerful.
But those cold golden eyes moved slightly, and softened a little when they saw Yael, and the corners of the lips that were originally pursed into a straight line also lifted.
"Hero Lord?"
The designer who was helping him adjust his belt inadvertently caught a glimpse of the change, secretly surprised, and stepped back a few steps to make room.
Yael came to his senses from his daze, walked over quickly, and whispered, "You got up so early, what time are you leaving later?"
Due to the presence of foreign insects and fear of disturbing the female insect's clothes, he restrained himself and stopped one meter away, but Caesar reached out and grabbed him.
"No rush, there are still two hours left. I'm just used to preparing in advance."
There were still some pink marks on the male insect's face from sleeping. He rubbed them gently with his fingertips, but it didn't have much effect. He had been crazy until midnight last night, but fortunately he slept soundly afterwards and didn't have dark circles under his eyes.
"Are you hungry? Breakfast is on the table."
"Your dress is ready too. Put it on after breakfast and put on some light makeup. You'll be ready to go."
Yael looked a little surprised and pointed at himself in confusion.
"Me? But we can't be seen now. If I'm watching from the backstage, there's no need to wear a dress."
"Of course it is necessary. Keeping the news secret for the time being does not mean that it cannot be made public. You and Bai Lang are attending the ceremony together, so it is a good opportunity to create momentum through the media..."
It turned out that there was another arrangement. Yael listened carefully and nodded occasionally to show that he understood.
During this time, the female insect had explained many things to him, from the distribution of power in the empire to the layers of relationships between the nobles, which side was the insect that could be trusted, and which side was the insect that should be wary and stay away from... It was very complicated, but it was not too difficult to remember.
The designer who stood back as the background was terrified.
He is a well-known designer who specializes in admiral makeup. He occasionally accepts commissions from nobles, both male and female, but he has never seen a female soldier get along with her male master like this.
There is no need to kneel down and apologize, nor to worry about being punished and be careful with words and actions. Instead, they communicate and interact with each other normally and naturally, and make casual intimate gestures, which even have a hint of teaching.
Isn't this too...amazing?!
He was originally worried that the carefully designed military uniform would be destroyed by the hero who suddenly appeared after the admiral returned.
After all, male insects are like that. They are arrogant and can't stand seeing female insects living a good life. Even if they have no bad intentions, they don't care what the female insects' dress looks like. It will definitely be dirty after serving them in the morning.
But the current situation really surprised him. After tearing off his prejudice filter against male insects, he couldn't help but take another look at the Admiral's master...
Oh my god, it's really beautiful!!
This face! This figure! Does it really exist in reality?!
Yael seemed to sense something, raised his head and looked behind Xi Ze, then met a pair of eyes emitting blazing green light.
He had seen that expression on Adelaide's face many times. There was no malice in it, but it was so wild that it made him feel a little uneasy at first glance, so he turned his face away coldly.
"You go ahead and do it. I'll go have breakfast."
Seeing that time was running out, Yael pushed the female insect away and walked towards the restaurant. On the way, he remembered something and turned back, "Have you eaten?"
After getting a positive answer, he stepped on the flying elf and left, looking obviously happy.
Bai Lang looked at the male insect and then at the general, seeming to be hesitant to speak for a moment.
Caesar's expression faded a little, and he signaled the designer to prepare the dress and accessories for the male insect, and warned Bai Lang.
"He doesn't know about the dirty things going on in the military, so don't say anything unnecessary."
"yes!"
Bai Lang stood at attention and responded, adjusting his expression and trying hard to suppress the anger he felt after hearing the news.
…
"You look good in this outfit... No, no, no, don't wear this jewelry, it's too dull and doesn't suit you at all!"
"——No! These dresses are so ugly. Oh my god, how did I design these ugly things before? It's a disgrace to you!"
Yael looked at the designer who was going crazy, and didn't know what to say for a moment.
He had just been begged to change into several suits, each one more exquisite and gorgeous than the last, and they looked priceless, but the designer became increasingly dissatisfied, and in the end he became so furious that he seemed like he was going to change into something strange in the next second.
Yael had never been dressed so formally before. Looking at the unfamiliar self in the mirror, he felt a little embarrassed.
He frowned, coughed softly and said, "It's too high-profile. I think the first white suit is enough."
"Too high profile... a white, a white suit...?!"
Although it was unbelievable, the male insect had already spoken, and there was a female soldier who would unconditionally protect her master watching closely from behind, so the designer swallowed his blood and agreed.
"Then change back and I'll give you some accessories."
After finally deciding on the look and selecting the accessories, the designer looked up and was stunned for a long time.
It doesn't seem impossible. This male insect doesn't need to worry about clothes at all. He will look good even if he wears a sack!
The new and delicate fabric is so pure white that it cannot hide the whiteness of the male insect's skin. The soft black hair is casually tied into a small bun, adding a touch of cuteness and liveliness.
A thin chain shining with golden light hung from the collar to the chest, swaying slightly with the movements, and a corner of a rose-red handkerchief appeared in the pocket, making the white dress even more elegant and noble.
It is obviously an extremely classic style, but it does not look old-fashioned or out of place at all. It should be a low-key and common outfit, but it creates an almost breathtaking effect that makes insects unable to take their eyes off it.
It's like... a glowing elf from another world.
The mirror reflected his own appearance clearly. Yael felt inexplicably nervous and looked at the female insect beside him unnaturally.
"Is that still okay?"
Xi Ze looked at the mirror with him. Hearing this, he hugged his thin waist and smiled in a hoarse voice, "...It looks good."
He placed a kiss on Yael's brow and added.
"Like the Little Prince."
And he was naturally the knight who followed around and protected the safety of the noble little prince, guarding the clean and soft body behind him with his spear and shield, not letting a drop of flying blood stain the velvet cloak.
The male insect's face in the mirror was visibly flushed, spreading from the ears to the neck, like a large patch of stunning pink, extremely beautiful.
The round little robot butler poked his head out in a noisy manner, and the female insect touched his head. "It really looks like it, doesn't it, 015?"
"Yes!"
015, who considered himself a little servant following behind the prince, said loudly and nodded like a chicken pecking at rice.
Yer's face was hot for a long time, and finally he could only pretend to be indifferent, click his tongue, and push the female insect to let him go quickly.
"... Stop talking and get out of here. You're going to be late."
*
The suspension vehicle drove from the villa all the way into the military base.
The canonization ceremony for female military officers is usually held at the main base. His Majesty personally attends the ceremony and puts medals and ribbons on the canonized female military officers. This process will be broadcast live on major platforms.
Most of the participants in the ceremony are female officers of the military corps, and they are also allowed to bring their subordinates and families in. However, compared with the balls of the nobles, it is still much more strict and relatively boring.
Yael was escorted in the car all the way to the destination, and entered the ceremony site surrounded by a group of armed military women.
"Your Majesty, this way... This is the exclusive lounge for the admiral's family. You can watch the ceremony here."
Bai Lang and the first team were assigned to follow the male insect closely. At this time, he took a quick step to open the door of the exclusive lounge for Yael and explained respectfully and concisely.
"Team B stay here, and Team A follow me in."
Half of the female soldiers were guarding the door, and the rest followed Bai Lang into the lounge, standing at attention against the wall and positioning their guns to deal with any emergencies.
Yael looked serious and cold all the way, and only when he entered the lounge did he finally relax his shoulders a little.
The lounge is a semi-open box with a great view, offering an unobstructed view of the central sealed venue. Tea and various snacks have been prepared inside, just waiting for the ceremony to begin.
He sat down on the sofa and looked at Bai Lang who was standing beside the sofa like a door god. "Don't you want to sit down?"
"No, you should take a rest. The things in the tea table are prepared for you by the Admiral. You can eat something if you are bored."
Bai Lang also relaxed a little, but still remained alert. "You don't have to be so nervous. This box is absolutely safe. The admiral's arrangement will never go wrong."
There was tea and snacks on the surface of the tea table, and there were several drawers underneath. Yael opened them one by one.
The first floor is filled with a wide variety of snacks.
The second level, various holographic movie & game chips.
The third layer contains electronic data related to research, including some rare books on the bookshelf that have not been seen yet.
On the fourth floor, there is only a communicator that looks like a PHS.
"What is this?"
He raised his eyebrows slightly and picked up the small brick, thinking that this should not be a product of Zerg technology.
"The latest research result of the Imperial Research Institute is a communication device that can ignore 99% of cosmic rays and interference when transmitting information. It has been condensed from a huge object fixed on the ground into such a small thing. It is preparing for large-scale mass production and will be used in starships or mechas."
Bai Lang took a quick glance and guessed uncertainly.
"High-intensity jammers are activated at ceremonies attended by His Majesty, but you may be able to contact the Admiral through this."
“So amazing?”
Yael turned the communicator over and took a look, only to find a small plaque embedded on the back - [Yael]
So, this is an encrypted communication channel exclusively for him and Cize?
He smiled, poked the small silver nameplate with his finger, hesitated for a moment, and decided not to disturb Caesar from preparing for the canonization ceremony.
The time reached the set number on time and the ceremony began as scheduled.
After the Emperor's lengthy mobilization speech, a stirring military song rang out. Yael, who had been lying on the sofa bored, stood up alertly when he noticed that Cizek was about to come out.
"Coming?"
He walked forward a few steps and leaned against the glass, watching a small group of people walking through the procession below. At the front was Caesar in a neat military uniform.
Compared to when he just went out, Cize was wearing all kinds of medals on his dress chest, one row after another, so many that his entire upper body couldn't fit them all.
They swayed slightly and collided with each other as the body moved, making a slight tinkling sound, making it look almost like a layer of golden armor, representing supreme honor and glory.
Yael thought of the layers of scars of varying depths on the female insect's body. Those were marks that even the female soldiers with strong self-healing abilities could not erase. They were proof of the female insect's years of life-and-death battles.
Each medal corresponds to countless wounds that have healed or left scars, and is the condensation of countless blood and tears. It is the greatest affirmation of the military female's half-life achievements.
However, the royal family and nobles who were protected by him, who were huddled on the main planet and living a life of drunkenness and debauchery, did not take these greatness and sacrifices seriously, and even did not hesitate to attack and harm them.
Five years.
Those were five years filled with immense pain, enduring countless tortures and endless humiliation, and struggling desperately for survival.
Yael pursed his lips, his nose felt sour for a moment, but he forced himself to suppress it and focused on the extremely solemn scene below.
Tsk, tsk, tsk…
The hard-soled military boots tapped on the smooth ground, making a rhythmic sound that lingered in the ears of countless insects, becoming their salvation or nightmare.
He stared at Xi Ze moving forward step by step, his steps steady and determined, passing by countless gazes with different thoughts, ignoring those with ulterior motives, and came to the front of the platform.
"Imperial Admiral Hilzer Monte..."
The gray-haired emperor stood up from his chair, raised his head and looked at the dazzling military woman in front of him. The wrinkles on his face trembled for a while, and it was unclear whether it was nostalgia or fear.
Maybe he felt hypocritical himself, so in the end he didn't say anything hypocritical. After a moment of silence, he followed the procedure.
"Bang!"
He moved closer and closer to get a closer look and bumped into the glass without noticing. Yael rubbed his forehead, changed his angle and continued looking down.
He actually didn't know what the female insect was doing specifically, but he knew very clearly that Xi Ze was advancing his plan in an orderly manner, moving towards the predetermined goal step by step.
Deploy secretly, return forcefully, seize power...
He is taking back the glory that once shone on his shoulders, seizing the status and voice that belonged to him, and showing the cold blade to those who had hurt him or taken advantage of his misfortune.
——When he was still in Etar, he knew that a bird with broken wings that fell into the mud would one day desperately grow new flesh and blood and fly freely.
The smile in Yael's eyes overflowed, and the expression on his face was also relaxed and happy, with little flowers blooming visibly all over his body.
He was totally oblivious to the flashing lights of the media below, some of which had already moved their cameras in his direction.
Obviously, not all insects in the field were as happy as he was.
"What honorary marshal? He is neither up nor down. He has no real power in the military and no special position. He is just designed to embarrass the admiral... I am speechless."
Bai Lang deliberately walked a little further away to avoid the male insect, but when he passed by a colleague who also looked frustrated, he couldn't help but gritted his teeth and whispered.
"Your Majesty is getting more and more confused as he gets older. He can even come up with such a stupid idea. But it must be the Second Prince who whispered in his ears."
He cursed inwardly, but he was helpless and had no idea what to do.
"Those rubbish from the Third and Fourth Armies. Each of their mechas can't fight in close combat and are lame, but when they team up to do small tricks in private, they are really good at it, one trick after another. Aren't they disgusting..."
The empire had been stagnant for many years and had become old and conservative. It was afraid of the slightest change and could not accept the admiral's sudden return.
If those nobles united to exclude them, even if the admiral had extraordinary abilities, he would not be able to grow strong enough to be completely fearless in such a short period of time. At least bloodshed and conflict would be inevitable.
etc……
Bai Lang's eyebrows jumped, and he suddenly remembered something, and turned his head sharply to look at Yael.
When it comes to chips and help, don’t they have one right next to them?
An S-rank male insect, a rare treasure of the empire that is rarely seen in a thousand years, treasured a hundred times more than the royal family and the nobles, a terrifying existence that can almost overthrow the insect race.
The Admiral protected His Majesty too well, and coupled with the good temper of the male insects, who never boasted about their own rank, they temporarily forgot that they had such a powerful weapon by their side.
"S-rank male insect..."
Bai Lang murmured to himself, and then thought about the possible benefits this name might bring, and his eyes suddenly lit up.
But just as he was about to head towards Yell, he suddenly heard the admiral's warning -
【Don't say unnecessary words. 】
He paused, then hissed in deep distress.
It was obvious that the Admiral was reluctant to let His Majesty wade into the dirty water, but in fact he was the only one who could protect His Majesty from harm.
Before that, it is crucial to stabilize strength and seize power in one fell swoop. At this stage, it is most necessary to rally the forces of all parties to prevent being completely isolated and blocked.
The existence of S-rank male insects is almost like a stabilizing force. If they can fully join their camp and be used properly, the balance will undoubtedly tip in their favor.
“I’m speechless…!”
Bai Lang's voice suddenly rose from behind him, and Yael's ears twitched, and he suddenly came to his senses.
He tilted his head to listen to the female insect's complaints, but the more he listened, the more his brows furrowed.
"What are you talking about?"
Bai Lang coughed violently a few times, ignored the male insect's question, and continued to raise his voice.
"Hey! I didn't say anything, did I, Cade?"
"I didn't say that this ceremony was a joke, that the Duke's Mansion colluded with the Second Prince to trick His Majesty into giving the Admiral a show of power. I also didn't say that the so-called Honorary Marshal was a shitty position, that he didn't even have a chair in the War Office or the Parliament Hall, and he didn't have any real voting rights."
"I didn't say that the Third and Fourth Legions have become a gathering place for the children of noble families, where all kinds of crimes are committed. They have been trying to collude with Anto to suppress and restrain the power of the admiral, and even set their sights on arms..."
The male insect behind him had already turned his head completely and was looking straight over here.
Bai Lang pretended to cough a little louder, and gave his panicked colleague in front of him a reassuring look.
"Oh, the Admiral asked me not to say anything unnecessary, so I'd better not say anything."
The smile on Yael's face had completely disappeared.
Half of the male insect's body was illuminated by the bright light below, making the other side appear somewhat dim. Only a pair of lacquered eyes were bright, as if it had just woken up from a dream.
Is that so...?
So this is all a scam. It is not an honor for Cizek, but a profound humiliation and pressure. There is nothing to be happy about.
But I congratulated the female insect like a fool, thinking that this was a victory and reward... How stupid.
Yael stared blankly with a grim face, and only noticed the pain in his palm when he finally understood the sudden news.
He lowered his eyes and saw that he had clenched his fist too tightly. His nails left several bright red marks on the palm of his hand, like small crescent-shaped marks.
But the pain was sharp and dull, which did not match the wound in front of him. He was stunned for a long time before he reacted.
It turned out that it wasn't the hand that was hurting, but the extremely soft area deep in the left chest that was violently hitting the ribs, making a loud noise in the eardrum, generating a constant and tearing pain.
During this time, Xi Ze talked to him about many things, involving many things, complicated and diverse...almost everything.
But he never talked about his own difficulties and predicaments, never mentioned how difficult it was to get here, and never complained about being excluded and oppressed and unable to cope alone.
The female insect's only purpose in teaching him was to enable him to master enough information to see the road ahead clearly, and most importantly, to have the ability to protect himself.
Even if he leaves one day, I won't be at a loss and be involved in a complicated struggle and unable to extricate myself.
Xize didn't even ask him to take a clear stand, but gave him all the choices and paths, allowing him to follow his own path.
How can there be such a fool in the world...
Yael took several deep breaths before he managed to suppress the bitterness and anger, but he still felt like there was a breath stuck in his chest, which made him feel suffocated.
Damn it.
These rats in the gutter... all deserve to die!
The mental picture seemed to be shaking with the ups and downs of his emotions. The surging mental power was constantly creating huge waves, stirring up the sea water into a mess and making it turbulent.
Yael's eyelashes trembled, and he followed Bai Lang's secret explanation, glanced at the faces of the insects below, and then looked coldly at the emperor and the second prince sitting at the top before stopping.
On the podium, the emperor was putting the medal of honor on Xize.
Thunderous applause suddenly broke out in the venue, one wave after another, but it was unclear how many of the applause were sincere congratulations.
Yael reached into the pocket of his suit jacket and tightly grasped the communicator that the female insect gave him. He was brought back to his senses by the coolness.
He was already so sad and angry just knowing the truth.
What about Xi Ze, who is standing on the stage at this moment, facing those malicious and hypocritical people?
Would you feel cold and disappointed, feeling worthless or even extremely humiliated?
After Caesar had answered questions from the media and returned to the car to collect information, Yael finally came to his senses and smiled slightly, "Now that you're back, are you tired?"
"My Lord, what's wrong?"
Cizek was quick to notice that something was wrong with Yael's mood. Although the male insect appeared calm and nothing seemed unusual, he was actually about to explode.
"Was the ceremony just now too boring? Or is there someone who is causing you trouble? Talk to me and don't be upset..."
He had coaxed the male insect many times and he was almost familiar with it, but this time he couldn't get an answer.
Seeing that he could not get any information from the question, he frowned and rolled down the car window to ask Bai Lang, who was accompanying him, "What's going on?"
Seeing Bai Lang's hesitation, Xi Ze realized something, his expression changed slightly, and he hurriedly said "I'll deal with you when the time comes" and climbed up the car window.
The secrecy about the ritual was protection at best, but deception at worst. He had promised not to deceive Yael again, but he was caught red-handed. No wonder the male insect was so angry.
Caesar tentatively held Yael's hand, and when he received no refusal, he moved a little closer and gave her a few soft kisses on her tightly pursed lips.
"My Lord..."
"Yeah, I'm here."
Yael's eyelashes trembled slightly, he took a deep breath, reached out to touch the female insect's cheek, and raised his head to respond to the intermittent kisses.
Outside the car window, the sky, which had just turned dark, was once again falling with cold, fine snow.
The author has something to say:
Ye Ye, who was originally so happy that he was beaming with joy, instantly got furious after learning the truth. If the general hadn't tried hard to comfort him, he would have bounced up and given those sinister guys a big defeat!
The general handles his relationship like a feudal patriarch, with too much protectiveness and too many concerns. For example, when it is cold, he will carefully prepare autumn pants, scarves and down jackets, but when it is time to go out together, he will worry that the cub will catch a cold or have a fever, so it is normal for the male mother to regret it and be blamed...
This part of his personality trait was just beginning to emerge when he was in Etal. After returning to the main planet and being stimulated by the harsh environment, it became more and more obvious (paralysis)
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