Caelus... seemed to have really fallen asleep. His head was slightly lowered, his eyelids closed, and his breathing was steady and long. Amidst the monotonous vibration of the engine, he even appeared exceptionally... peaceful?
The captain's face fell.
Does the Boss have to be so carefree... However, this actually put the captain's mind at ease from another perspective.
If he didn't have absolute confidence, the Boss would never be able to rest so soundly.
He was intentionally captured to infiltrate the enemy camp and wipe out this gang of rats lurking at the edge of the galaxy in one fell swoop.
After all, according to the company's regulations, when dealing with such organized armed criminal groups, one must thoroughly understand their background and assess their reform value before deciding whether to "incorporate" or "execute" them.
Thinking of this, the captain's heart completely settled. He even adjusted his sitting posture to make himself more comfortable and began to close his eyes to rest. The miniature bomb disguised as a false tooth in his mouth didn't seem so important anymore. In the Boss's plan, there was a high probability that such a crude Plan B wouldn't be needed.
Seeing that the two hostages were becoming more "docile" by the minute, the pirate guards didn't relax; instead, they grew tense.
This was completely different from the image of high-level figures being greedy for life and afraid of death that they had expected.
"Hey! You!" a pirate couldn't help but poke Caelus's shoulder with the barrel of his gun. "Don't play dead!"
Caelus wobbled from the poke and opened his eyes dazed, his gaze filled with the confusion of someone who had just woken up. "Hmm? Are we there?"
Pirate: "..."
Captain: "..."
"Are we there?" The pirate laughed out of anger. "We're at our territory! You'd better understand the situation! You are a hostage now!"
"Oh," Caelus responded, seemingly fully awake now. He moved his bound wrists, and the magnetic restraints made a slight "click" sound. "So, do you want a ransom, or do you want to use me to trade for a way out?"
He asked so directly and calmly that the pirates were momentarily speechless.
"Hmph, at least you're sensible!" another pirate said viciously. "Once you see our Boss, you'll have your chance to speak! Cooperate obediently then, and maybe you'll get to keep your miserable life!"
Caelus nodded and actually stopped talking, closing his eyes again as if he were going to continue sleeping.
"Hey, look at them." A pirate guard poked his companion with his gun barrel and lowered his voice, his eyes full of suspicion. "Is there something wrong with these two?"
His companion also frowned, his gaze scanning back and forth between Caelus and the captain. "It's too quiet. They don't scream or beg after being caught, and one of them is sleeping like a dead pig..."
"When has Boss Ghost Rat's intelligence ever been wrong? Besides, those three mechs were chasing so closely just now; if we didn't have electromagnetic interference, we would have been caught long ago. This shows they definitely have guards, we just lost them."
The pirates were also creeped out by his attitude, but the arrow was already on the string. The assault ship quickly passed through the asteroid belt and silently approached a medium-sized pirate mothership hidden in the shadow of an asteroid.
The hatch opened, and Caelus and the captain were roughly pushed off the ship and into the mothership's interior. The corridors were lined with armed pirates, their gazes fierce, trying to overwhelm the captives with their presence.
The captain subconsciously straightened his back, his sharp gaze scanning the surroundings, his brain working rapidly to memorize the ship's structure, personnel distribution, and possible weapon storage points.
The meeting room was filled with smoke. Ghost Rat and several pirate leaders were sitting around a table made from a modified container. Seeing the hostages being brought in, they immediately stopped talking, their gazes shooting over in unison.
"This is the big fish." Ghost Rat stood up. He was small in stature, but his small eyes flickered with shrewdness and cruelty. He walked around Caelus and the captain twice, as if evaluating the quality of the goods.
"That's right, Boss!"
"Very good, very good..."
The pirates sat in chairs while Caelus and the captain stood.
Caelus frowned.
A pirate with a hideous scar on his face asked gruffly, "You! State your identity! What position do you hold under that 'Emperor'?"
The captain remained calm on the surface, letting out a cold snort with a front of preferring death over surrender. This reaction further solidified the pirates' suspicions—if even the guard was this tough, how important must the hostage himself be?
What was his identity?
Captain of the Terra Frontier Trailblaze Squad 9527.
Emm, although this number isn't great, he's still a squad leader, the kind who manages several pilots.
"Quite arrogant! If even the guard has such backbone, then this one must be an important character!"
"Exactly! Ghost Rat, you've really caught a big fish this time!" The one-eyed pirate next to Scarface grinned, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth. "To have such an elite as a guard, this guy's status under that 'Emperor' must be quite high!"
The pirates began to chatter, as if they already saw mountains of ransom and supplies. They sized up Caelus as if evaluating the quality of a piece of merchandise, their eyes full of greed and calculation.
"So, you, what are you responsible for under the 'Emperor'? I'm warning you, don't try any tricks, or you'll have a hard time!"
"Stand straight and speak up!"
"What are you looking at!"
"Raise your head!"
Caelus:... Dun-dun-dun.
Wow.
It really is a very well-known face.
So well-known that Ghost Rat's heart stopped the moment he saw it.
That face might seem majestic and distant in carefully edited official images, but in the eyes of these pirate leaders who lived on the edge of death and survived on plunder and intelligence, the meaning of this face was far deeper than any wanted poster.
That was the "Emperor."
Time seemed to freeze at this moment.
The smugness and greed on Ghost Rat's face vanished instantly, replaced by a suffocating paleness. He gasped, his throat making a strange "he-he" sound, his eyes bulging, and his finger trembling as he pointed at Caelus. He seemed to have had his bones removed as he slumped weakly from his chair.
This was truly terrifying; it scared the wits out of him.
Tagging @Xi here.
The other pirate leaders weren't much better. Some fell backward, toppling over with their chairs; some dropped their wine glasses, which shattered with a "crash," oblivious to the wine splashing all over them; others even drew their weapons but almost shot their own feet because their hands were shaking so violently.
"Ghost Rat! You god-forsaken bastard! What the hell did you bring back?!"
The current scene was no different from a Bungee Zombie clutching a Doom-shroom that was about to explode and presenting it to Dr. Zomboss as a "big surprise."
There were no questions or attempts to move against Caelus. When a person capable of shattering a planet with a single palm stands before you without restraining his aura, you realize that even breathing is a luxury.
The pirates were now cursing Ghost Rat, who had died of sheer terror, a hundred times over. It was as if they had simply wanted to tell their son to go out and buy an octopus for dinner, only for the boy to drag Cthulhu back home.
Those reaching for guns, those drawing blades—all thoughts of resistance vanished the moment they recognized reality. When facing a powerhouse head-on, any extra movement seemed laughable.
"Kidnapping, and with serious aggravating circumstances."
Caelus yawned.
"Help me read out the regulations I issued. Tell me which ones they violated, and then we can execute them."
"—Yes, sir!"
The Captain puffed out his chest.
He was most familiar with this.
What could be done, what couldn't be done, and how to handle situations—he had memorized them every day just to be clear.
His purpose had finally arrived.
That's right, he was a civil official now!
What's wrong with being a civil official? Being one next to the Emperor isn't bad at all.
"According to Article 12, Chapter 3 of the 'Talia Security Defense Regulations': Anyone within the territory of the star system who uses violence, coercion, or other methods to hijack or control others with the intent to..."
"According to Article 1 of the 'Interim Regulations for the Handling of Interstellar Pirates': Anyone possessing weapons and engaging in looting, destruction, intimidation, or other acts within the star system, and whose identity as an interstellar pirate is confirmed, shall be regarded as a member of an armed violent group. Their leaders and core members, if they refuse to surrender, show no significant signs of remorse, and endanger the security and stability of the star system—"
"Oh, then let's handle it according to the rules."
Caelus nodded with satisfaction.
"You remember them very clearly. However, after we return, the training volume for everyone on your side must be increased. Otherwise, how can you protect the people properly?"
"Yes, sir."
This punishment was nothing.
"What? To save your lives, you're actually pulling the 'old, weak, sick, and disabled' card?"
Caelus was amused.
"You mean to say you're an old man and she's a woman, so I can't touch you, right?"
"That's right... Aren't you a merciful Emperor?"
Caelus chuckled. He looked around at these pirate leaders who had been arrogant not long ago but were now desperately searching for excuses to survive. There was no anger in his eyes, only a sense of absurdity that bordered on pity.
"Merciful?" He repeated the word, his tone as flat as if he were discussing the weather. "My mercy is for those willing to lay down their weapons and exchange labor for a living. It is for those who, even in darkness, still yearn for the light."
He took a step forward. The armed pirates all took a step back in unison, their weapons lowering.
"As for you..."
Caelus raised an eyebrow.
"I have already given you ample and generous time. You are the last batch who refuse to repent. The other former pirates are living quite well with us; they have labor every day to keep them physically and mentally fulfilled."
"Also, you just said you're full of illnesses, some are old, and there are women, right?"
Caelus nodded solemnly.
"Well, this old pirate gentleman isn't a woman, and this female pirate is certainly not an old person." He pointed to the scarred, burly man who claimed to be 'old and frail,' then turned to the female leader with the fierce gaze.
He spread his hands. "So, the 'old, weak, sick, and disabled' exemption you just proposed doesn't quite hold up logically."
The pirates were nearly choked with frustration by his 'reasonable' words.
"As for illness..." Caelus tilted his head slightly, as if sensing something. "Hmm, you indeed have some 'illnesses' on you. Greed, cruelty, violence... these spiritual maladies are harder to cure than physical ailments. I'm afraid ordinary labor reform won't be a long enough course of treatment."
"Execute them according to the law."
There was no impassioned sentencing, no redundant ceremony.
Since you wouldn't take the path of life offered and insisted on crashing into the path of death, then of course, I must satisfy you. Otherwise, wouldn't it seem quite unmerciful?
You should know, sometimes you shouldn't overestimate the bottom line of certain fellows. You have a bottom line, but they don't.
"Boss, are you really not a god?"
"I'm not a god. I'm just an ordinary person with a bit of power. Any normal Pathstrider should be able to move around in space, right?"
This 'normal' you speak of is a bit abnormal.
The Captain looked back at the fleet that was slowly disintegrating, as if it had rapidly passed through countless years.
Truly incredible... even if the pirates had remnants elsewhere, they wouldn't be able to amount to anything now.
"You reacted quickly today, and the handling was appropriate. Just remember this lesson. Training should be scientific; don't just focus on adding more sessions."
"Yes, sir!" The Captain nodded vigorously.
The spaceship sailed smoothly on the route back to Terra. Sitting in the co-pilot's seat, the Captain watched the nebulae flash by outside with complex emotions. The experience just now felt like an absurd dream, but the wreckage of the pirate fleet slowly dissipating into cosmic dust behind them served as a vivid reminder that it had all truly happened.
"Then... how should I write the report after we get back?" The Captain remembered the serious business. Such a large-scale operation had a perfect result, but the process was a bit... difficult to describe using standard procedures.
"This matter is quite important. Just write down what you saw along the way truthfully. Remember not to write about me dozing off."
That ship was quite comfortable, swaying back and forth; it was very conducive to sleep.
"Understood, Boss. I'll focus the report on the pirates' deathbed struggles and your... uh, wise decision-making in penetrating the enemy's nest and taking control of the situation."
"Forget 'wise decision-making.' Just write normally. If anyone questions your words, tell them I told you to write it that way. What's the use of just making it look good? What's needed now is something that can be understood at a glance."
The Captain immediately responded, already having a draft in mind. He decided to describe the facts strictly, from how the anomaly was discovered to being hijacked, and then to how the Boss handled things calmly in the enemy camp, finally disposing of the pirate leaders.
The ship soon returned to Terra. When Caelus and the Captain walked off the ship unscathed, the others clearly breathed a sigh of relief. Although they believed in the Boss's strength, worry was always inevitable.
"Boss, are you alright?"
"I'm fine, it was just like going out for a stroll." Caelus waved his hand, his tone light. "By the way, the commander of this area... have him run over to see me."
The Captain's hand shook.
He still didn't escape it; he was about to be 'promoted.'
What kind of promotion was this... it was being picked up to be beaten!
Soon, the commander was nearby doing push-ups, drenched in sweat.
Fortunately, no sentries were drowsy. If a sentry had been drowsy, Caelus would have had to drape his coat over him to keep him from catching a cold.
The weather is getting cold; put on another layer.
"The latest Interstellar Peace Corporation regulations have been drafted, and they've been promoting them with great fanfare... claiming they're about to implement drastic reforms in basic employee benefits." Dan Heng had a video call with Caelus.
"Yeah, I saw that too. I think some of the things in there are quite good, so I plan to learn from them as well."
Caelus replied with a smile.
Knowing Caelus would react this way, Dan Heng wasn't surprised: "However, they won't actually implement these regulations."
After all, Dan Heng had spent time on an Interstellar Peace Corporation ship; he knew their ways very well.
"Does that have anything to do with us?" Caelus shook his head. "If they have good ideas, we'll just learn them. A company as big as theirs wouldn't lie about this sort of thing, right? Why not learn? They've handed us the answers; can't we even copy their homework?"
Dan Heng:...That's not necessarily true.
But it was true that whether the Interstellar Peace Corporation was genuinely changing or just putting on a show, as long as there were merits to be found, they could be used for improvement—as for whether the other party could implement them, that was their own problem.
"By the way," Dan Heng remembered something else, "The Family sent us a letter this time, inviting us to attend the next Harmony Festival."
"Can I bring all the people from Talia then?"
"I'm afraid not."
"Sigh, what a pity."
"...To be serious, the invitation specifies special guests and a limited number of accompanying personnel. I suggest just you, me, and March—adding one or two more people is enough. Lu Shi and Kyuusyou... if they want to go, it can be considered, but Kyuusyou's attendance would require Ms. Herta's approval."
"Alright, I'll follow your lead. You make the arrangements, and we'll... have a streamlined delegation." Caelus followed the advice readily but then added, "However, we need the Omikron to do a full live stream, with the signal sent back to Terra and the other planets. For such a grand cosmic concert, if everyone can't go together, they should at least get to enjoy watching it. Also, have the cafeteria prepare some good food that day."
Dan Heng looked at Caelus's 'I'm listening to you but I have a better idea' expression and sighed helplessly, but didn't object... "What do you think I should wear when the time comes?"
Caelus's clothes were scattered messily on the bed.
March 7th rubbed her chin in thought.
"How about this one? This one! I think this formal suit with this watch, this hat, and these leather shoes... Wow! It's super classy!"
"You want me to wear this set?"
Caelus scratched his head.
The original owner of this outfit was Mikhail.
Yes, it was the same set the Watchmaker wore. When Caelus first went to Penacony's Dreamflux Reef, he had only left Mikhail with a pair of pants and changed him into a Northeast Flower Pattern Padded Jacket.
"Do you know whose clothes these are?"
"I don't know, but I feel like they'll suit you perfectly."
March 7th gave Caelus a thumbs up.
"Trust me, you can't go wrong!"
"If I show up wearing this, it'll cause a riot."
Caelus shook his head.
"But this set really suits you..." March 7th poked the sophisticated formal suit with a bit of disappointment. "And for an occasion like the Harmony Festival, shouldn't you dress a bit more formally and impressively?"
"It'll cause trouble," he emphasized again, though his tone was no longer as firm.
"Trouble? How!" March 7th put her hands on her hips, arguing her point. "It's just a formal suit! In a place like Penacony, what kind of eccentric outfits haven't they seen? Maybe everyone will even think you have great taste! When you stand there, you won't even need to speak; your aura will be maxed out! Who would dare look down on us then?"
Caelus:... "Then they certainly wouldn't dare look down on us."
"Fine." He finally sighed, as if having made a decision. "This set it is."
By the way, he could go see Mikhail then.
Although Mikhail had passed away, he still left behind... Misha.
Yeah.
When the time comes, he'll bring Misha to meet Pom-Pom and... let him see a different path from his own.
This Father of Penacony, his story was indeed a legend. He was a genius storyteller. When Penacony faced a crisis again, he concocted the stories of the 'Watchmaker' and the 'Grand Celebration,' using those names to attract guests from all over... The young man in the mirror had shed his usual casual look of greasy overalls; his posture was upright, and his eyes held an indescribable depth of experience and insight, looking like a gentleman who had stepped out of the old days.
"...Captain," March 7th stared blankly, subconsciously covering her mouth. It took a while for her to find her voice, her tone full of wonder, "You like this... really will cause a riot."
"I told you so." Caelus tugged at his collar uncomfortably.
To be honest, aside from minor differences, anyone who had seen the young Mikhail would probably think at first glance that Caelus was the famous and legendary Watchmaker.
"Forget it, let's just go with this." Caelus finally gave up on adjusting it. Since he had decided, he would go as is. He turned to March 7th, "Is your formal dress ready?"
"Of course!" March 7th immediately perked up. "Let me show you this lady's new clothes!"
Springtime Arrival
"Yeah, it looks good."
"Hehe, if anyone dares to get this lady's clothes dirty that day, they're dead!" Receiving the compliment, March 7th's Tail was practically wagging in the air. She leaned in closer to Caelus, scrutinizing his outfit and muttering in a low voice, "But Captain, this look of yours... is just too unfair. If those young girls see you, they'll definitely scream."
Caelus stared at March 7th.
Hmm... there are already two little ones now... "March, I suddenly have an idea..."
"...An idea?"
March 7th blinked her eyes blankly.
What idea?
"Close your eyes, I'll give you a little surprise."
Caelus thought of March 7th's previous comments like "I want cute kids like little Lu Shi and little Kyuusyou too!" and decided to give her a small gift.
He would let Lu Shi and Black March 7th board the Astral Express together.
So logical.
Pink hair, Dragonkin, and the Galactic Baseballer.
A special power gently extracted certain parts from March 7th's body, then reorganized... and recreated them.
"Alright, you can open your eyes now."
"Huh?"
March 7th opened her eyes and saw a girl slightly smaller than herself—with the same face and hair color, but her eyes were red, and her clothes were slightly different.
There seemed to be a look of bewilderment on her face.
"This is a little gift for you."
"Whoa! I have a daughter just like Dan Heng does!"
Caelus:...
The girl was March 7th's past, not a continuation of March 7th.
But March 7th wouldn't listen.
No matter what she said, March 7th just felt... "My daughter has so much personality! So cute! As expected of my daughter, she's as pretty as I am!"
The girl in her arms—so similar to her, yet with eyes like rubies—stiffened slightly, trying to use her elbows to create some distance, but her strength was quite gentle. She tilted her head to avoid March 7th's overly enthusiastic cheek, her voice clear but lacking any real deterrent: "Let go first."
"I won't!" March 7th hugged her even tighter, rubbing her cheek against the girl's. "Caelus, look, she's blushing!"
Clearly, Evernight was helpless. But being held by March 7th, Evernight actually quite enjoyed it.
"March, I have to tell you something, and that is... this isn't your daughter."
"Eh?" March 7th blinked, still tightly clutching the pink-haired, red-eyed girl. "How could she not be? Look at this hair, this face, this vibe... even if the eye color is different, this is definitely my biological daughter! Right, right?"
"I am the 'past'," Evernight stated calmly, her red eyes devoid of emotion. "I am your past..."
"That's awesome! Then you're both my daughter and my sister, how cool!"
Evernight:...Evernight smiled.
It seemed like she had a plan, but in reality, she was out of moves.
A trace of helplessness seemed to flicker deep in her eyes, but it was more of a sense of near-indulgence.
"What incredible logic. I'm willing to call you a Logic Master," Caelus clapped from the side.
"Right, right!" Having received Caelus's affirmation, March 7th became even more proud. She pressed her cheek against Evernight's hair and took a deep breath. "My daughter smells so good!"
"Have it your way," Caelus finally waved his hand, giving up on explaining. "But you have to figure out how to explain this to everyone, especially Dan Heng."
"Explain what? Just say she's the biological daughter of me and you!" March 7th said righteously. She let go of Evernight, switched to holding her hand, and looked her up and down. "Oh right, let me give you a name!"
Evernight's gaze moved away from March 7th's face, casting a faint glance at the helpless Caelus beside them, and finally, she nodded gently.
"Okay."
"Then let's call her Evernight for now."
March 7th blinked. "Eh, why call her Evernight?"
"You'll know later. This isn't her or your real name."
"So you know about our past, right?"
"I know that you know that I know that you know what I know, so you don't need to wonder if I know or not."
Caelus reached out and poked March 7th's forehead.
"You've made my head spin," March 7th muttered, rubbing her forehead, but she quickly turned back to Evernight with excitement. "Whatever! The name Evernight sounds great too! That's what you'll be called from now on!"
"Oh right, oh right," March 7th suddenly thought of something, her eyes lighting up. "Since you're... well, my 'past', do you remember a lot of things I don't know? Like who I was before? Where I came from? Why I was drifting in space?"
It turned out that even a person of mystery couldn't maintain their persona when faced with someone who was too direct and too much of an idiot.
Evernight was completely helpless against her idiot 'mother'.
"...Those things, I'll tell you slowly in the future."
"Then it's a deal!" March 7th immediately cheered up, as if she had received a grand promise. She pulled Evernight's hand and turned to Caelus, saying excitedly, "Then when we go to the Harmony Festival, let's take Evernight along!"
"Hmm~ that works too. We'll see if Kyuusyou goes then. If she does, three people might be hard to look after. Evernight, keep an eye on your mother."
"No problem!" March 7th said with full confidence, but then she suddenly reacted. "Wait, who are you telling to watch whom?"
"Of course, I'm letting the more reliable one watch the one who needs more worrying about."
"Huh?!" Hearing Caelus say that, March 7th immediately jumped up. "Where do I need worrying about! I'm very reliable!"
"I'll pay attention," she finally just lowered her eyelids and replied softly. "To ensure... 'Mother' doesn't vomit her guts out at the Harmony Festival because she tried every flavor of soda."
As she spoke, Evernight's gaze toward March 7th softened just a little bit.
Caelus approached Evernight; she clearly wasn't as easy to get along with as March 7th.
But then again.
March 7th's feelings for Caelus were quite special, and Evernight naturally shared similar feelings. That subtle emotion March 7th had for Caelus became a strong possessiveness in Evernight... a sort of love-me-love-my-dog effect.
However, because Evernight was currently truly helpless against March 7th, she seemed more like a comedic character.
"Dan Heng, Dan Heng! Look, I have a daughter too!"
March 7th pulled Evernight along, waving cheerfully at Dan Heng, who was taking Lu Shi for a walk.
"Your daughter?"
"Mm-hmm! How about it, doesn't she look super similar?"
Similar, she certainly was. Evernight was like a mini version of March 7th.
"I'm telling you! Actually, actually, Evernight wasn't born from that gun!"
Dan Heng: "Oh."
"What's with that? You're not surprised at all?"
"Yeah, not surprised."
He had seen too much already; just take it away.
Dan Heng had long since become immune to these kinds of things.
Dan Heng's flat reaction made March 7th a bit discouraged, but she quickly perked up again, pulling Evernight and chattering away as she introduced her. Lu Shi poked her little head out from behind Dan Heng, looking curiously at this older sister who looked so much like March 7th.
"Hello, I'm Lu Shi," she greeted in a small voice, with a bit of childish caution.
"I am Evernight." Evernight nodded slightly, her red eyes lingering on Lu Shi for a moment.
Sigh.
How should one put it.
Everything March 7th experienced from her perspective, Evernight had been watching all along. Therefore, Evernight was very familiar with the things March 7th knew, but the people March 7th knew didn't know Evernight.
Being pulled along by March 7th, Evernight still showed no expression of unhappiness, and her steps showed no resistance. Her red eyes swept over the base corridor filled with the atmosphere of daily life, past those curious employees, and finally landed on March 7th's lively back in front of her.
Mm-hmm.
This isn't bad for now. Thinking this, Evernight tightened her grip on March 7th's hand.
"Caelus!"
Bailu, on the other hand, was quite well-acquainted with Caelus and Lu Shi. It was mainly because Caelus didn't put on airs, which made Bailu's relationship with him particularly good.