Chapter 532: Hand in Hand
Caesar rested his chin on Anno's shoulder and said in a coquettish tone, "Your Highness, I won't compete with Sitar for anything. Just love me as much as you want."
Hearing his words, Obsidian and the others felt an urge to beat him up, even more so than the Shadow Zerg.
Anguang also popped up and said with a hint of disdain, "This is too delicate."
Caesar didn't care how much hatred he had attracted. He only knew that his prince was drawn to this kind of thing. If he were like that blockhead Secris, who only knew how to look at the prince's picture all day long, he probably wouldn't be able to win the prince's favor even after three hundred years.
One must earn their place in His Highness's heart through their own efforts.
Anno pinched Caesar's cheek and said, "I don't care about you enough. I'm blushing just saying that."
Caesar hugged her and nuzzled her affectionately, "As long as Your Highness has me in your heart, I'm willing to do anything."
Obsidian and the others were about to lose their temper with Caesar; their hands were on their knives, and the veins on their hands were bulging.
Damn it, I'm about to hit him.
The Shadow Zerg nearby, seeing them about to draw their swords, assumed they intended to attack and immediately became alert.
Seeing that the atmosphere had suddenly become tense again, Anno immediately asked Obsidian and the others to be more friendly in his mind network.
Her words made them even more eager to attack Caesar, but they restrained themselves after much effort.
Obsidian said in the consciousness network: "No wonder I always wanted to fight Caesar even after he turned into a Queen Insect. I only found out after coming here that he has the genes of the Shadow Insect Clan. No wonder we are natural enemies."
Bai Yan glanced at his younger brother and raised an eyebrow: If you can talk, then talk more.
Mingxiao said, "I also feel that Lord Vanguard hasn't changed much, but I have never had any intention of being hostile to Lord Vanguard."
Tanville patted him on the shoulder and said, "Silly Mingxiao, he raised you. Even if Caesar was a Shadow Insect back then, you wouldn't be his enemy when you grew up."
Mingxiao nodded: "That's right."
After saying that, he smiled and said to Caesar, "Lord Vanguard, rest assured, I will always stand by your side."
Caesar reached out and ruffled his hair. "Good boy, I'm glad I spoiled you."
Anno looked up at him and said, "Have you forgotten something?"
Caesar then leaned down and kissed her forehead: "I'm sorry, Your Highness."
After saying that, Caesar continued the previous topic of the Shadow Royal Family, "The Shadow Insects do have a king, but they are always of the same lineage as us. Moreover, tens of thousands of years ago, they did not break away on their own, but were driven out after losing a battle with us. Therefore, they do not have a queen to lead them, but they have male insect kings."
Anno exclaimed in surprise, "This doesn't conform to the Zerg's reproductive patterns."
Caesar said, "Without the Queen Worm leading the way, the Shadow Worm might not even last an era with just its high-ranking servants."
Upon hearing this, Anno recalled the fragmented information about the Shadow Insects that he had heard from the other ancestors in the Royal Palace. In the early days after the Shadow Insects separated from the Light Insects, the Shadow Insects were constantly engaged in civil war, trying to seize the right to speak and control the Insect race. But as Caesar said, it was impossible for a high-ranking member to make any rebellious move against the superior Queen Insect.
She also wondered if there had been a disagreement between the two queens, a split between the queen and the princess. But if that were the case, the Shadow Zerg could not possibly be without a queen, so this idea would not hold true. Moreover, the queens are the foundation of the Zerg. They can be said to be a kind of manifestation of the consciousness web. Whether it is the light and shadow or the genes of the Shadow Zerg, they will always be in the highest position. There is no need to worry that the Zerg will split off from them.
So, it was one of the male Zerg kings who led the Shadow Zerg to break with the Light Zerg.
Anno said to Caesar, "I understand now. Was that male insect king who was leading the Shadow Insects a transformation midway through his life?"
If there is only one male Zerg king, it is impossible for it to split from the Zerg.
The answer, in fact, has always been with Caesar.
Caesar nodded and said, "That's right, Your Highness. All the male insect kings that undergo transformation midway carry the genes of the Shadow Insect Clan."
He looked down at Anno and said, "Because apart from the male insect king who is destined to be by the queen's side, no other familiar is qualified to become the only one by the queen's side. But they are not without a chance. Only by breaking through the barrier of that level and releasing their independent thinking can they have the opportunity to truly stand shoulder to shoulder with the queen."
He held Anno's hand in his and whispered in her ear, "In life, we will stand side by side; in death, we will enter the temple together, forever and ever, never to be separated again."
Anuo's heart trembled slightly, and she looked up at him.
“Your Highness, all the transformed male insect kings want to gain the genetic recognition of the insect race’s ironclad rules and laws, want a legitimate title to stand beside their queen, and want to acquire stronger abilities to match their queen.”
Caesar had long since severed the consciousness network and spoke in a voice only Anno could hear: "Your Highness, I want to love you, I want to love you beyond the Zerg's rules, I want to love you beyond the absolute loyalty to the Overlord that the Zerg's genes have given them."
His voice was deep and filled with intense emotion, "Your Highness, do you understand?"
Anno's throat suddenly went dry. She didn't know whether to nod or shake her head. At that moment, her heart fluttered for no reason. It was probably the first time she had heard Caesar make such a heart-touching confession. Unlike his previous obsession, he was warm and incredibly gentle at this moment.
"What...what do I understand?"
Caesar's lips curled slightly as he said, "Your Highness, what I mean is that I want to love you with my true soul, not with the genetic instincts of this body, but no matter what I am—whether I am an insectoid, another race, a machine, or even a cat or a dog—I will find you again and love you."
Anno blinked, feeling her heart beat faster and slowly warm up. She smiled and said, "But we will only be insectoids. We only believe in the eternal existence of the soul. Reincarnation is something that humans on Earth believe in."
Caesar brushed a stray hair from her forehead and said gently, "Reincarnation is also a form of eternal existence for the soul. Your Highness, do you remember the time you were caught up in the ordinary timeline?"
Anno nodded: "I remember."
Caesar said, "That time, you spent some time with Caesar's clone from that time and space, and you also met Caesar from that time and space. Including my own clone, every single one of them loves you. No matter which time or universe they are in, or what race or identity they are, those clones who do not have my memories will love Your Highness unconditionally. To me, these people are my reincarnations."
Anno felt a lump in his throat as he thought about how his soul had suffered hundreds of times.
She lowered her eyes, calmed herself, and then pulled her hand away from Caesar's, enclosing his hand in her own. "I understand, Caesar, I understand."
I understand his uncontrollable love, I understand his obsession and madness.
The mutated wolf he met on Earth, the little beast Huo Yin he met on Casa Star, the mermaid Ming Xi from a parallel universe, and Ling Jiu from the City of Heaven—each of them is him, and each of them wants to get close to her and try their best to love her.
After meeting so many of his alter egos, she gradually came to understand. Now, Caesar is slowly clarifying his feelings for her.
However, they were both unlucky. Over the years, she stumbled and fell as she grew up, constantly losing things, while he searched for her in every world, alone. Because of the wormhole, her fifteen years were his three hundred years.
Fortunately, they finally met. The hardships of the past have faded away in the river of time, and they will walk hand in hand until the end of their lives and the end of the world.
#
After traversing the desert for two days, Anno and his companions finally saw the Holy City that the Shadow Insects had mentioned in the distance.
Standing atop the sand dunes, Anno and his companions gazed into the distance and saw a massive island rising in the heart of the desert.
The island was located in the middle of a lake, with dense and clearly visible cities on it. Anno and Caesar could feel a powerful energy emanating from the Holy City.
Anno had seen many oases in the desert, but she had never seen a lake as vast as the one in front of her, or a huge island in the middle of it.
"Holy Capital, we've arrived!"
The Shadow Insects were extremely excited to see the Holy City, because it was their sacred land, a place with powerful energy that allowed them to connect with the gods and even see the Wind Spirit God.
However, not every Shadow Zerg can enter the Holy City. The Holy City is now controlled by the royal family, and the entry and exit of personnel are strictly controlled.
As Anno and his group approached the Holy Capital, a well-equipped team came towards them. Their mounts were all furry, but they were all dressed in sturdy armor, making them look quite imposing.
Upon seeing Anno and Caesar, the captain immediately jumped off Mao Mao and strode over to them. After staring at Anno for a few seconds in surprise, he quickly recovered and knelt before Anno, saying, "Your Majesty!"
The others followed suit and knelt down behind him.
Judging from their expressions, Anno must have already received the news in advance.
The captain cautiously raised his head, his gaze falling on Caesar's face. Unlike the almost fanatical worship and awe he felt when he saw Anno, when he saw Caesar, worry and fear flashed in his eyes.
Caesar looked down at him, his eyes cold, but a smile played on his lips.
The captain swallowed hard and immediately lowered his head.
Anno turned to look at Caesar. "Is there a problem?"
Caesar patted her head and said, "It's not a big problem, there might just be a battle."
"fighting?"
"Yes, the king's battle."
Anno was puzzled. "Could there be other male insect kings in the Holy Capital?"
That's impossible. Even if it's a male insect king transformed from a high-ranking familiar, there's already a Caesar. Could it be that Caesar has been living in Sivitro, so the Shadow Insects have other male insect kings?
As Caesar previously stated, only royal families with a male insect king are qualified to be called royalty.
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