Xyrin Empire
Chapter 512: Wishes and Welcome

Chapter 512: Chapter 512: Wishes and Welcome

In the Interstellar Coalition Flagship’s officers’ lounge on the Imperial Admiral.

Everyone had embarked on their return journey to Earth, and in about half an hour, we would arrive.

Originally, to return, using a single plane transporter was sufficient, taking no more than the blink of an eye. However, this time, we had quite a few "special passengers" accompanying us, and I don’t mean Tohsaka and Emiya. Instead, it was the recently transformed Saber and Archer, along with several other new Avalon side Heroic Spirits including Medusa and, well, also Kagari Ge Mu, just an ordinary Earthling along as Medea’s family member.

Unlike Tohsaka and Emiya who felt emotionally difficult to leave their home world, Kagari Ge Mu had hardly any feelings about his previous living environment. This stoic man, who almost never spoke a word in our presence, had one sole wish—to protect Medea, which was also her fervent desire. As long as this goal was achieved, even going to Hell would work for him. Touched by his cold exterior but warm-hearted steadfastness, I specially approved his and Medea’s application to settle in Avalon. Sandora helped him register as a resident, Big Sister set him up with a teaching job in Shadow City, and Artemis even earmarked a stipend of two hundred bucks for the couple under the Avalon Community Committee’s name...

As for the other Heroic Spirits, they were essentially there out of curiosity and for the excitement.

Although they had become registered soldiers of the Imperial Army, most of them had never experienced traveling on an Imperial Battleship. Those Heroic Spirits, highly curious about what it felt like on such a so-called high-tech spaceship, decided we should take the huge Cross-shaped ship for our journey back, as time wasn’t tight.

"But who knew it would be so boring," Sasaki lamented as he seriously polished his cherished sword while chewing on a toothpick.

"What did you expect from traveling on a spaceship?" asked Cu Chulainn, who had a bandage on his forehead. He was the only one among the new Heroic Spirit recruits who had voted against returning by ship, though his objection was ignored by everyone else.

"At least there should be some swaying, or jolting from speeding up and slowing down," Sasaki yawned. "At the least not like now, where aside from a bunch of incomprehensible machinery around us, it feels no different from being on the ground!"

Swaying...jolting...

Before I could speak, Medusa, who was practicing her triple jump while bowing her head, didn’t lift her eye but retorted precisely, "A ship hundreds of kilometers long jolting back and forth? Do you want to return in the midst of a magnitude twelve earthquake?"

"True Japanese are accustomed to shaking!"

Then no other Heroic Spirits paid him any attention.

"Saber, Red A, come over here for a moment," I stood up, seeing the two who hadn’t talked much and seemed preoccupied, and walked toward the adjoining room, "There are some things I need to tell you."

Altoria and Red A got up, looking confused, but behind them, a group of unscrupulous Heroic Spirits whispered among themselves:

"Hey, Cu Chulainn, do you think the boss is going to talk about their salaries?"

"What are you always thinking about? Earthquakes or bonuses..."

"Spending more time with the boss makes you like this too—purple-haired lady, what do you think of the boss?"

"The boss is quite nice... stop messing around! I’m opening the box now! I washed my hands three times just for this box!"

I admit, after accidentally overhearing the voices behind me, I ended up leaning on the wall as I left.

In the lounge, Saber sat upright with a serious expression, her eyes fixed forward like a soldier awaiting orders, while Red A leaned casually against the back of his chair, his face carefree, though his eyes still showed seriousness.

"You two are the only ones among these Heroic Spirits who still have unachieved goals with such concrete and intense desires," I remarked as I casually picked up a small plate from nearby, "Want some rice crust?"

"You’ve prepared this on the flagship of the legion?"

Red A exclaimed in surprise.

Pfft, just around two kilometers left from the bridge exit is a whole street of barbecues, and Sandora has been happily forgetful there for a full three hours.

"Emiya Shirou, are you still planning to kill your past self?" First, I addressed Red A, our stubborn top-ranking figure from the Fate universe who had traveled through time and space.

Upon hearing my words, Archer, or Heroic Spirit Emiya, was initially stunned, then simply smiled in resignation, "Well, after all, no matter what I know, you wouldn’t be surprised."

Altoria looked at us strangely, quite puzzled by my sudden reference to Red A as Emiya Shirou. Amid Emiya rolling his eyes, I didn’t hide the truth from her.

Simply put, Red A is Emiya Shirou. It’s his future self who adhered to the concept of becoming a "Justice Partner" until death, ultimately manifesting as a Heroic Spirit and becoming a Guardian on the side of Gaia.

Guardian, such a gloriously grand title, it sounded as if Emiya’s wish had finally been fulfilled, living for the purpose of guarding others’ happiness but...

Fate is a load of nonsense; it never lets things go smoothly, especially for someone like Red A, a man continually shadowed by tragedy.

From my first encounter with Fate, I found this white-browed hero, noticeable only from behind, to be a figure brimming with tragic potential. And although now it seems Cu Chulainn, possessed by the spirit of Xiang Lin, is slightly more unfortunate, it doesn’t at all conceal the tragic flair of Red A.

A Guardian is merely a Scavenger. He guards the world, which also means that if there arises a threat to this world, he must step forward and annihilate it.

It could even be an entire nation, an entire race, perhaps even including innocent women and children. Before the so-called great cause of "salvation," even precious lives can simply be dismissed as "necessary sacrifices." This is the true ending Emiya Shirou met, a life of striving and effort, even losing his beloved wife, only to culminate in the finale of a Scavenger, killing countless under the guise of protecting the world.

Thus, he negated his initial purpose, believing that his unrealistic childish fantasy of "wanting to save everyone" led to such an outcome, and, in a manner of escape, he came to the past, wanting to kill his past self and end everything from its root.

"It’s quite embarrassing, right?" As Red A concluded the story with a self-deprecating smile, he turned to face the girl staring at him in bewilderment, "Though it’s a bit late, I should still greet you: long time no see, Saber."

As the two dissimilar figures in my memory gradually overlapped, the golden-haired girl opened her mouth, gestured toward the man before her with her hand, then shifted her gaze to me.

"Unbelievable, isn’t it? The time paradox just got killed off," I quipped, turning to Red A, "The first thing I want to tell you today is, stop thinking about erasing that past self. It’s useless."

Heroic Spirit Emiya remained silent, merely staring at me motionlessly.

"Time holds supreme power in any world, another of my lovers who possesses the power to control time told me this. As far as we know, apart from her, no one can meddle with history. If you truly kill your past self by your own hands, the best outcome would be the world splitting in two, forming a parallel space without Emiya. As for you, nothing would change."

"I know," to my surprise, Heroic Spirit Emiya merely shrugged, "Although I can’t match your knowledge, I’ve never planned to change the future from the start. Killing that unrealistic guy was just running away... or perhaps, vengeance. But if you are worried about whether I would skip out of work to kill myself again, then rest assured, now, I’ve lost interest in dealing with that kid—he’s different from me, I’ve seen that a long time ago."

Indeed, after our arrival, Emiya Shirou’s life trajectory had already been twisted into a knot. Not to mention, from the current development, it’s likely Emiya Shirou will end up with Sakura, having a Crystal Saint Mother as a wife; does he even have a chance to sacrifice for the world anymore? Sakura’s current absolute combat power is about a hundred thousand!

"That’s good, enjoy your new life then," I smiled reassuringly. To be honest, I was genuinely concerned that this stubborn fellow might impulsively decide to kill himself again, "Serve the Empire, although you can’t avoid battle and slaughter, it’s definitely much better than your previous life."

"Next up, you, Altoria."

Compared to Red A, who had already traveled through time, the girl in front of me also wanted to change the past and belonged to the time travel reserves.

Hello everyone, let me reintroduce myself, I am an Undead Star person who doesn’t play by the rules.

"Just like wanting to go back to the past to change your fate, honestly, you two are the ones who give me the biggest headaches. But now it seems, your issue might be a bit easier to solve," I thought for a moment and took out something I had prepared a long time ago, "Here, go back and have fun with this."

Altoria looked dubious as she received it, and upon checking, was instantly baffled.

There were pirated copies of "King Arthur," pirated copies of "Avalon Mist," pirated copies of "Invincible King," pirated copies of "Round Table Knights," and even a pirated copy of "Golden Lotus"... that last one was a mistake.

Uh, why are these all pirated?

Remember Sicaro under Erli Bridge back in the day?

Quickly pulling back that suspicious disc that got mixed in, I awkwardly smiled and said, "Aren’t you just curious to see what path Britain would have taken if someone else had pulled the Sword from the Stone? These stories aren’t all fictitious, they’re the real history of another parallel space. Of course, they’ve been artistically processed, but maybe they can help you understand another version of yourself."

Saber, unable to hold back a laugh, looked at the stack of discs in her hand and shook her head with a bitter smile at me, "Chen, I appreciate your concern, but these... it’s really not that simple..."

"Of course, I know," I sighed, "I don’t know how to persuade you, words always seem powerless at times like this, but in my opinion, since you once chose to take on the King’s responsibility, you should have no regrets about everything that happens thereafter. Plus, as a leader, you’ve already done excellently. Britain without your leadership might indeed welcome another king, but your leadership wasn’t the wrong choice. Let history be judged by posterity—it’s already history after all—you should look at the new life that’s waiting for you. If in the end, you still stick with your original thoughts, then I’ve nothing to say."

Saber knew that my pulling out this bunch of stuff was just a joke. The real point was the last bit of my speech. I admit that my skill in consoling others is indeed no match for the natural big bluffer Lilina, but at least I’m sincere!

Altoria, for the sake of this sincerity, please give up on time travelling. I’ve gotten used to a group of heartless subordinates, and suddenly having you and Red A, who are quite cunning, around, is really troublesome for me!

"Pfft—"

Pfft?

I stared dumbfounded at the girl who suddenly burst into laughter. Wait... did the Knight King just laugh? Was the serious Dai Mao King actually laughing?

"I’ve never seen such a leader before," the smile faded from Altoria’s face, but it was replaced with a bright glow, "To think that the unprecedentedly powerful leader of the Empire would come personally to counsel two subordinates about their mental issues. Perhaps there really could be a monarch so different in this world... But your empire is so powerful, your subjects so loyal, maybe a true monarch should be like this? Perhaps I was wrong from the start? Chen, I acknowledge your strength and your integrity, and now, I also acknowledge your leadership. Therefore, according to their customs, from now on, I’ll call you ’Boss’ too."

Watching the Dai Mao King, who spoke in a completely serious tone, say these words that almost moved me to tears, my spirit of commentary was burning inside!

If you want to learn the way of a King, you could even discuss it with Sandora, but please don’t learn from me!

However, just as I was about to say something, the announcement for entering the Main Material Plane suddenly came over the ship’s broadcast:

"All personnel on board, please be aware, the Imperial Admiral is about to enter the Main Material Plane, this stop: Docking Bay #3, please proceed to the shuttle passage, I repeat..."

"Let’s go, we’ve arrived."

I stood up and said, "The Imperial Admiral is too massive to have its own dock built specially for it; we still need to transfer to a shuttle."

Thinking about it, I really am a bit ridiculous.

"It really was reckless to call Saber and Archer over for some psychological guidance on a whim," I thought. "If talking could really solve everything, we’d be able to save the world with just our words." But, unexpectedly, this coincidental meeting improved Altoria’s favorability towards me, which was a surprise.

"Should I criticize the King of Dai Mao for his unique worldview?"

After transferring to the shuttle that traveled through the spatial rift to the Starport, we immediately boarded the transporter bound for Avalon. After a bit of a hassle, we were finally home.

The teleportation’s white light and brief dizziness vanished in an instant. The clear blue skies of Avalon and the fresh air hit my face. I squinted slightly, enjoying the long-lost feeling of coming home, and then from the corner of my eye, I noticed that it wasn’t just the fresh air that was hitting my face.

A small figure accompanied by a whooshing sound enlarged from a dot to a girl in less than two seconds, followed by a thunderous crash.

"Ah—Jun—" Qianqian’s familiar, vibrant voice rang in my arms. A background noise of creaking ribs accompanied it. The Heroic Spirit recruits following us hadn’t even had time to marvel at the dreamy scenery of Avalon before the supersonic girl startled them, and then all their gazes concentrated on the ground in front of their new boss.

Two skid marks stretching out for three meters were clearly visible.

Feeling the unhidden affection and long-missed longing of the girl in my arms, I involuntarily tightened my embrace. Qianqian lifted her head from my chest, her pretty little face and bright big eyes reflecting my own visage as she gazed at me intently. Then, suddenly, the corners of her mouth curled up slightly, revealing a pair of cute little tiger teeth.

Mouth open, target set, snap, all in one go.

"Wa ow ow ow—"

What echoed through the sky was a scream—this girl, this girl was biting fiercely!

It lasted a full minute. Qianqian bit down on my exposed arm for a whole minute before finally letting go. She looked down at the red mark she made, then couldn’t help but extend her little tongue and tenderly licked it, sending a chill and tingling sensation throughout my body. Watching her lick my arm like a small animal, I couldn’t help but raise my hand and press down on her head.

"This is a punishment!" Qianqian suddenly lifted her head, her bright big eyes staring at me unblinkingly, and then she lowered her head and bit me again, "Punishing you for sneaking a bite!"

I was immediately stunned on the spot, an expression of embarrassment and apology forming on my face.

She knew after all.

Perhaps from the traces of emotions felt through our usual spiritual connection, perhaps because Lin Xue, that instigator, had snitched (though that’s not very likely), or maybe it was just a girl’s intuition at work—Qianqian indeed knew about Sandora sneaking out and my secret indulgence.

Even if someone is normally thick-skinned, or carefree to the point of dumbfounding, Qianqian was still a girl after all, and every girl has her attentive and soft sides. In such situations, who could remain indifferent?

In response, all I could offer was a wry smile. I was about to speak, but she stopped me with a light kiss.

"Don’t apologize, or I’ll keep biting you!" Qianqian said with a rare pouty tone, twisting my side forcefully, "It’s okay... I’ve thought about it before and even discussed such topics with Sandora... But, punishment is still necessary! That’s why I bit you just now!"

With a wry smile and yet more touched than anything, I was about to hold the girl in my arms tighter when whispers started crescendoing from behind.

"Um, shouldn’t we sort these rookie recruits out first?" I said in a negotiating tone, trying to please her. Qianqian glanced sideways at me before reluctantly stepping out of my embrace, then faced the large group of unfamiliar faces ahead of her.

The always-serious Saber and the momentarily unaffected Red A, Lancer immediately showed serious faces. However, Sasaki and Medusa, who had gradually picked up bad habits, couldn’t help but make mischief. They saluted with who-knows-what-era military salutes and chorused in unison, "Hello, boss lady!"

Ah well, let them have their fun. For these Heroic Spirits, such relaxed moments might really be so precious that they’ve abandoned their usual reserve. (To be continued. For more details, please visit www.qidian.com. More Chapters, support the author, support genuine reading!)