Interstellar: Return of the Villain
Chapter 29: Getting Prepared

Chapter 29: Getting Prepared

When Lyra stood there with her calm and indifferent look, everyone suddenly realized she wasn’t as weak as they thought.

The screen showed her high score of eighty-two points, making those who mocked her feel pretty embarrassed.

They had laughed at her, called her weak, but she just ignored them.

Even with the score right there, however, some people still tried to convince themselves it wasn’t true.

"Cheating! She must’ve cheated!" Jorath shouted, his neck strained as he faced the instructor. "If it weren’t for Cohen’s recommendation letter, she wouldn’t even be here!"

His words made everyone tense up.

Lyra didn’t need to do anything, for the instructor had already made his move.

"Shut up! Everyone here at the NMA earned their spot. Keep talking nonsense, and I’ll deal with you myself!" The instructor loosened his tie, grabbed Jorath like he was nothing, and sneered, "And you, if you want to be a soldier, learn about obedience and evidence. Baseless accusations will get you nowhere, even if you pass the re-exam."

That’s how the NMA rolled. Troublemakers got a good beating.

Jorath didn’t dare speak again and ended up on the ground. The instructor’s shirt buttons popped open, showing off his muscular chest, like a beast ready to pounce.

He looked sharply at all the young recruits and pointed to the score display. "The results are out. The top two hundred must report by noon tomorrow. In the afternoon, complete your registration. Freshman orientation is at 7 PM. Be late, don’t bother showing up!"

Then he walked off.

Webber and the others shared glances, leaving the freshmen looking confused.

This was just the start, and there was more to come.

Lyra started to leave, but Jorath, still humiliated, wasn’t done.

"Lyra, wait! Why won’t you accept my challenge? Because you cheated?" He yelled, pushing through students like a mad dog.

Zinnia gritted her teeth and took a deep breath. "Gosh, the guy’s like a fly. Let me deal with him."

"No, I’ll handle it," said Lyra as she stopped Zinnia. Then she got into position, and delivered a spinning kick.

"It’s a hassle that killing isn’t allowed in school," Lyra murmured.

Jorath flew and crashed into a passing cleaning robot. The robot, dragging an egg-shaped trash can, wobbled and sounded an alarm. "Attack! Someone is attacking! Unit 202 is starting counterattack."

Then he used his mechanical arm to pick up trash and threw it at Jorath.

Jorath, still dizzy from the fall, came to his senses and jumped up angrily. "You sneaky witch!"

But Lyra was already gone.

SPLAT! A banana peel landed on Jorath’s head.

Furious, Jorath kicked the robot again in frustration. "Lyra, just you wait!"

"Can’t fight back... Unit 202 initiating escape," the robot said, stopping his trash-throwing. A sad face appeared on his black LCD screen, and he quickly rolled away, dragging the trash can behind.

People around looked at Jorath with disdain.

Taking out his anger on a robot after being beaten up was just pathetic.

At the military school, all living supplies were provided, so Lyra didn’t need much. But Zinnia was eager to go shopping.

"Even though we have uniforms, we still need some casual clothes. What will we wear outside of school?" Zinnia said.

Lyra glanced at her t-shirt and cargo pants. They seemed fine to her.

Zinnia, who liked wearing shorts and skirts, loved picking out cute, fresh dresses for Lyra.

"Lyra, try this one!" Zinnia said, holding up a white, frilled midi dress with sparkling eyes.

Lyra finally realized Zinnia had a point. Since she had left Voidstar, she should adapt to different clothing styles.

Her doll-like appearance suited the cute dresses, making the salesman exclaim in surprise.

Lyra had spent most of her life training or studying and rarely paid attention to her looks.

Staring at the young woman in the mirror, she felt a bit unfamiliar with herself.

After changing out of the dress, she told the salesman, "I’ll take it."

"Will you be paying with cash or card?"

"Let me do it!" Zinnia said, pulling out her bank card.

Lyra looked at Zinnia curiously. "Why are you paying for me?"

The tall girl patted Lyra’s head like a big sister. "My brother said you had a hard time alone on Voidstar. Consider this dress a gift from me."

The dress cost over a thousand credits, which wasn’t cheap. Zinnia had already spoken as tactfully as possible.

Lyra couldn’t help but laugh. "Did your brother ever say I was short on money?" She handed her bank card to the hesitant clerk, who immediately smiled, relieved that her sale wasn’t lost.

Zinnia thought for a moment. "I don’t think he did."

"Don’t worry, I’m not short on money," Lyra said. She had many things to do, and material wealth was just the foundation of her plans.

...

Meanwhile, Jorath returned to his residence and immediately had someone investigate Lyra’s identity. His butler quickly came back with a thin sheet of paper detailing her background.

"Voidstar No.2? An orphan?" Jorath skimmed the paper and couldn’t help but prop his legs on the coffee table, laughing. "An orphan, and once a doctor? What does she think she have to compete with me?"

To him, a young woman without any background was someone he could easily manipulate.

The butler, however, didn’t share his dismissive attitude. Bowing slightly, he advised, "Sir, your family has instructed you to study diligently here and avoid causing trouble, especially with anyone from the Whyte family. Otherwise, it will put your family in a difficult position."

Jorath had been sent away from Elden Prime because of his troublesome behavior.

The butler was a retired soldier who once worked from Ansel. He was specifically assigned to keep an eye on Jorath.

Jorath rubbed his cheek, which was still aching from the earlier treatment, and he slapped the paper onto the table. "The royal family might be off-limits, but why should I bear the humiliation from some Voidstar orphan?"

He glared at the name "Lyra" on the paper. It was a very common name, so common that he might come across with one or two every time he walked on the street.

Actually, Jorath remembered that, he once had a cousin with that name.

He didn’t remember his cousin’s face, but he hated the name because it reminded him of a bad memory.

He recalled how, provoked by Erin, he had put a scorpion in Kail’s clothes. That "Lyra" caught him in the act and gave him a thorough beating. He never even saw her face clearly. It was an experience he never wanted to remember.

...

NMA’s new students reported in as scheduled and found their dorm rooms by number. When Lyra opened her door, she was greeted with a huge hug.

"Haah-ha, surprised?"

Lyra lifted her head from the soft embrace. "Not really."

She could feel the excitement in the room from afar.

"Hey? I begged my brother for so long to get us assigned to the same room."

"Alright, I’m quite happy then."

"Liar."