CH 67

Noble or Lowly (1)

“……….Learning is your only way out. Kaios Military Academy provides civilians with the possibility of moving forward for free. You could have crossed the gap of your family background, here, you learned the same knowledge as the noble children, until you surpass them, defeat them, and then rectify the injustices one by one with your own hands.”

A moment later, the black-haired young man was sitting in a corner of the classroom with coffee in both hands.

Several stone-like teenage boys and girls stood in front of him with different expressions, either with their faces scrunched up, their heads bowed, or with pursed mouths.

“But you have lost the opportunity to fight, crying like children who can’t get any candy, asking the military academy to optimize all the rules for you to an ideal state.”

Jiang Jianming took a sip of his coffee and neither lightly nor heavily said, “This is wrong, your cries now are of no value, no one will hear them.”

Kevin turned his face away, staring at the floor with unwillingness, as his fists were tightly clenched.

The top of the young man’s head was suddenly patted, it was a pale and slender palm.

Jiang Jianming: “If you want to eat candy, please learn to earn money yourself first.”

Kevin abruptly raised his head, gave him a fierce look, and cursed, “Money-greedy ghost.”

“Such a fellow, even if you learn knowledge in the military academy, so what, the nobles will only throw you a few copper coins, and you will immediately go to lick someone’s shoes.”

Just after the first round ended, he lost his wits, knowing that the gap between the two was huge, thus he shook his head and said that he wouldn’t fight any more. In an instant, the black-haired youth showed an undisguised regret on his face.

This made Kevin realize two things in his depressed mood:

The guy in front of him really wants to drink coffee.

But at the same time really doesn’t want to spend his own money to buy it.

In the end, Luo Hai couldn’t bear watching it anymore, or felt it was too humiliating, and eventually, bought coffee for him.

Even booked a special reservation transport drone, which delivered directly from the coffee shop next to the Aslan library.

Jiang Jianming drank the sweet milk coffee he hadn’t drank for a long time, and now was in a good mood. He did not haggle over Kevin’s bad words, and waved the children away.

As soon as Kevin and the students left, only Jiang Jianming and Luo Hai were left in the huge tactical classroom.

The sky had long since darkened, the moonlight was extraordinarily bright tonight and the shadows of the leaves were dotted on the metal casing of the simulated machine, like a pair of delicate stick figures.

Luo Hai called out, “Let’s go, meal time has passed. If you go to the cafeteria to eat, dinner will also be on me, but you need to agree beforehand that it’ll only be vegetables and porridge.”

“Teacher Luo.”

Jiang Jianming shook his head. He didn’t move, and stood there with his back straight, holding his coffee in both hands. “Now that the children have left, it’s time for you to explain clearly what’s going on.” 

The black-haired young man had a serious look, “I have been in the Kaios Military Academy for five years, and I have never heard of any incidents of noble children bullying and oppressing civilians.”

“You’re angry? For Kevin?” Teacher Luo Hai’s serious and rigid face showed a hint of surprise, which quickly turned into a faint smile, “Isn’t it beautiful to scare your juniors with your words just now?” 

Jiang Jianming remained calm, “Paying accommodation fee, nothing more.”

He couldn’t let these naive teenage boys and girls fight against a noble’s force, and court defeat by fighting against overwhelming odds. He couldn’t watch them threaten the military academy with such a stupid strike as well.

But after completely hitting at the end, the problems that should have existed on this end still needed to be solved.

The Kaios Military Academy was considered a half-royal force, and logically speaking, no one would dare to make a scene here. A noble’s reputation may seem powerful, but in fact it also had a lot of scruples, just like Brandon, who didn’t dare to release the crystal bone in the street even after being stepped on the face by him, precisely because he was afraid of being caught doing something dishonorable or illegal.

But nowadays, there is actually bullying among students in the military academy?

Jiang Jianming walked up to Luo Hai and said in a low voice, “Teacher, the Empire…..will there be any changes? I feel that the atmosphere of the entire Star City in Aslan is somewhat abnormal.”

Luo Hai gave him a deep look.

“Let’s go have a meal first, then go back to the staff dormitory and talk about it in detail.”

****

At nine o’clock in the evening, staff dormitory of the Kaios Military Academy.

“To designate a crown prince.”

Luo Hai suddenly said such a sentence without thinking, and then took a sip of the porridge.

“What?” Jiang Jianming was stunned.

In the end, they didn’t eat in the cafeteria, but instead bought two meals and went back to the room, closed the doors and windows, and talked while having a simple dinner.

Luo Hai picked up another chopstick of green vegetables, and said with a solemn face, “Half a month ago, Her Majesty the Emperor publicly promised that at her birthday ceremony, she would elect the next monarch for our empire.”

“Now the whole empire’s nerves are tense because of this matter, especially Aslan, which is the capital of the empire…” Luo Hai said, “As for the current situation of the empire’s noble and civilian factions, you should already have some understanding.”

Jiang Jianming came back to his senses after a long while, squeezing his chopsticks. “…Yes. I am aware………..a little.”

He thought of that night in the small starship.

Bedside lamp, quilt, pillow…..Garcia lying beside him, staring at his side face with deep eyes, hooking his legs with his feet intentionally or unintentionally.

The prince’s curly hair was slightly messy, like an elegant and lazy big cat.

“The current imperial nobility are roughly divided into three classes.”

Jiang Jianming stroked his back with his hands, and casually said whatever came to mind. “First class is the so-called Zhao’an nobles also known as the Old nobility. When the great emperor overthrew the old empire, he promised to retain a certain position for the surrendering nobles, thereby attracting a large number of forces.” (TL: Zhao’an-to enlist enemy or rebel soldiers by offering amnesty)

“The second class is the Merit nobles. Those who followed the great emperor and seized the power to establish the new empire naturally received the rewards they deserved. Among them, those who have made outstanding achievements obtained additional honorary titles.”

“The last class is the Honorable nobles who were enfeoffed by our current Majesty. The emperor bestowed noble titles on civilians who have made great contributions. These people are also called New nobles.” 

On this night at his alma mater, Jiang Jianming lost himself in contemplation as he faced his former teacher, and said to himself. “New nobles…..and Old nobles.”

The Merit nobles were those who have made real achievements in the founding of the army of the country, and at the same time, their number was relatively small. They belonged to the group that “generally speaking, they don’t cause trouble” and “generally speaking, no one dares to provoke them”.

So for many years, the main contradiction in the empire had been the confrontation between the Old nobles and the New nobles, to put it bluntly, it was the confrontation between the nobles and the civilians.

And the formation of this confrontational situation had something to do with Her Majesty, the current Emperor.

It was the first year of the New Imperial Calendar. After personally burying the dark and chaotic old empire, Emperor Kaios did something that no one could have imagined, nor could have dared to imagine.

Without any warning, at his coronation ceremony, he adopted a female general under his command to be his foster daughter, and then later appointed as the next crown prince.

What’s funny was that the outstanding young great emperor was too young when he was crowned, only twenty-five years old, and this nominal “foster daughter” general was actually two years older than the great emperor.

The female general’s name was Lin Ge, a ballad song. Born in the abandoned Old Blue Mother Planet, didn’t know the biological father and mother, and was also blind in one eye. Even before meeting His Majesty, the teenage girl could not read a few big characters. (TL: pin yin for ballad is “Ge” “Yao”, and “De’ “Ge” for song. Meaning the character Ge in a ballad song)

Later, under the command of Commander Aslan, she followed the great emperor’s crusade. General Lin had a rebellious and unruly temper, her words and deeds were coarse and casual, and she didn’t bother about trifling things that sometimes she appeared like a rascal.

But in truth, she’s a jinmian among the jinmian. (TL:social class whose social status is lower than that of ordinary people in a hierarchical society)

The great emperor forcefully placed such a jinmian in the most honorable position in the empire. With this move, the Old nobles were all dumbfounded.

They were still waiting to rely on the promise of the new emperor and continue to tyrannically abuse their power. As a result, the young emperor fulfilled his promise, but at the same time placed a woman of humble origin on the throne.

At the coronation ceremony, the female general walked in front of the great emperor, dressed in a magnificent red robe and iron armor, resembling a bloodstained peony.

She smiled at the great emperor and said, “It’s fine to be His Majesty’s adopted daughter, but this subject is unwilling to change her surname. Your Majesty, pardon the offense. your surname is just too ominous.”

Kaios meant chaos.

Saying that it’s ominous, it did have a bit of an ominous taste.

The audience became silent, so scared that no one dared to breathe.

Until the great emperor nodded and said with a smile, “Can.”

With such a lunatic crown prince pressing over their heads, the Old nobles did not dare to act presumptuously, and simply wait and see for a few years.

Unexpectedly, the great emperor passed away at a young age, and the new emperor succeeded to the throne. Instead of putting the guillotine on the heads of the Old nobles, instead, there was a change in strategy and she enfeoffed a large number of nobles from civilian backgrounds.

The old and new factions of nobles restrained each other, while the emperor exerted pressure from a high place. This way, the empire maintained stability for decades.

Stable until this winter.

Luo Hai: “Although Her Majesty is already ninety years old, let alone an offspring, she doesn’t even have a spouse. Who will be the next crown prince and what is his identity, no one can predict.”

The winter night was bleak and chilly, the moon was like a round flat piece of jade, and the staff dormitory was so quiet that one could hear the sound of the wind blowing the branches and leaves outside the window.

Jiang Jianming shook his head to express his disbelief, and he said softly, “If it was completely unpredictable, how could the deadlock become like this at present.” (TL:The conflict between people or between people and units is unresolved, to the point of ignoring each other)

Luo Hai looked at him. “……..Even if you know, what can you do? This is not a level we can touch.”

Jiang Jianming: “Teacher, at least I want to know.”

Luo Hai then smiled bitterly, “No one dares to speculate on Her Majesty’s royal intentions, but looking at the situation in many ways, there are indeed two candidates who may become the crown prince.”

“The Prime Minister, His Excellency Laurent.”

“And the young head of the Lance family, Audrey Lance.” (TL: Lance is actually a surname and not a name. Sorry. I already corrected the previous chapter)

Jiang Jianming lowered his eyebrows and pursed his lips, deep in thought.

Luo Hai: “Both of them are from the old nobility by birth, but the factions they represent are opposite.”

“Prime Minister Laurent was one of the first batch of old nobles who defected to the great emperor back then. He is a populares, and he has repeatedly publicly called for the complete abolition of the aristocratic system and the realization of true equality for all.”

“And although the head of the Lance family himself has upright morals, he attaches great importance to the honor and tradition of the family, and is an out-and-out supporter of nobility.”

“Now, both the old and the new factions feel that the situation has reached a ‘match point’. Her Majesty’s will and the future direction of the empire depends on who the next crown prince is.”

“Coincidentally, the Non Crystal Human Race Protection Association is also planning to take advantage of the chaos to raise the rights and interests of the disabled…cough, non crystal people. The above are probably the reasons why you feel that the atmosphere is abnormal.”

Luo Hai let out a long sigh.

“Troublesome, big trouble. Regardless of whether the next crown prince is His Excellency Laurent or His Excellency Lance, their prestige will not be able to suppress the other faction. Someone is bound to stir up trouble. According to Her Majesty’s temper, it’ll most likely result in violent suppression and bloodshed can not be avoided.”

“Unless….”

.

Clang.

Luo Hai’s voice paused, the instructor lowered his head and looked at the chopsticks that fell on the ground in surprise. “What’s wrong?”

Jiang Jianming bent down to pick it up, his black hair covering his face. “Sorry, my hand slipped all of a sudden. Please continue.”

“….”

Luo Hai was silent for a second, and continued what he just said.

“—Unless our former astonishingly talented crown prince, His Highness Ryann Kaios, can come back from the dead.”

****

Inside the starship of Black Shark Base.

The figure of the chief sank in the darkness, and the silver-haired, blue-eyed elderly woman slowly raised her hands in a please gesture.

“Please go to the empire, in the name of Ryann Kaios, regain your crown prince position.”

With her movements, the black long clothes made the unique soft sound when the cloth rubbed against each other, which was engulfed by the dead silence together with the chief’s ending tone. Behind her was the bridge, and the black universe flowed on the glass porthole, like a huge, enormous desolate vortex.

Prince Garcia stood in front of the chief, with his head slightly raised, and the vortex, which was a blend of the starry sky and darkness, sank deeper and deeper at the bottom of those emerald pupils.

Thud…….thud, it was so quiet that he could vaguely hear the beating of the organ inside his chest in a trance.

“I’m curious…” Garcia suddenly let out a low chuckle.

“Even if I agree here, do you really dare to let me stand in front of the public?”

The prince took two steps forward, he stared at the chief closely, his right hand clenched the clothes around his heart.

“You don’t have to be afraid, I’ll be at the grand ceremony for the designation of the crown prince, at the emperor’s birthday banquet, in the hall of the White Jade Palace or anywhere—” 

His eyes were filled with violent and sinister aggressiveness, and he said slowly, almost maliciously, “Tell me what your Black Shark Base is, and what is the me that you ‘created’?”

“This is not important.”

The chief was unmoved, and she repeated, “Please go to the empire, in the name of Ryann Kaios, regain the crown prince position.”

“If this is really unacceptable to you, then please take the first step——go to the empire and meet Her Majesty.”

Garcia: “If I say no?”

The chief bowed slightly and made a “please” gesture. “Black Shark Base will never, nor have the ability to force you either.”

“Three years ago, you were able to leave us and go to the First Fortress of the Silver Big Dipper. It is the same now, if you refuse, the mecha Slash Comet is on your body, you can go anywhere at any time.”

Garcia turned his head and walked away, the cloak on his shoulders raised an arc.

He didn’t look back, and didn’t look at the chief any more.

Thud…….thud, the blood seemed to be boiling through the eardrums.

The devil’s minions climbed up quietly, making bewitching ravings.

In the name of Ryann Kaios……………….

He strode down the bridge and walked through the passage inside the starship. There was no one around, and the sensor lights above his head and under his feet were emitting a soft white light. Garcia’s face remained motionless, but the corners of his lips were tense, as if he was tightly suppressing his emotions. In the depths of his pupils, the flames of fury burned more and more intensely.

In the name of Ryann Kaios……………….!

His steps did not stop, he bent his fingers suddenly, and crystal bones immediately protruded from his shoulders, sweeping across, crackling and shattering the sensor lights along the way. 

Woooooooooo…….The alarm buzzed, the aisle flickered, and then it turned completely dark.

Only the sparks of the flames after the explosion shone, along with the faint black smoke that blew forward from behind.

Garcia closed his eyes, he listened to his footsteps, and touched the small machine on his wrist in the chaotic darkness.

………No 

The prince opened his eyes, but there was no warmth in it.

He then moved his fingers away from the wrist device.

Why do you think of Jiang at this time?

No, you can’t send a message at this time.

He could urge the other party to reply countless times during the day, save face, could apologize and coax the person, and could also watch the disabled human in the call communication as he trample on a rascal on the ground before letting the matter drop.

In the final analysis, it was nothing more than an obligation to ensure the safety of his subordinate.

But he must not contact Jiang Jianming when he loses control of his emotions.

Because once he did, wouldn’t it be very similar to-

A subtle look flashed across Garcia’s face.

Very similar to missing him, be sentimentally attached to him.

So far as to seek comfort from him while being in a vulnerable state?