Ch.58- 10 years
A storm swept the entire empire.
Countless networks of forces that were thought to be deeply entrenched and unbreakable suddenly collapsed.
Like a glacier collapsing on a plateau, the fall of a single stone often triggers even more terrifying avalanches.
If it weren’t for General Doyle and the Third Legion, Planet Ta would have fallen as well.
The turbulence on Planet Ta took three full months before it just barely calmed down.
General Doyle slowly breathed a sigh of relief as he watched the last wave of political prisoners being sent to prison.
A hand was suddenly placed on his shoulder.
General Doyle was shocked that he didn’t feel the presence of the person behind him earlier, and was about to shake the person off when he heard a familiar voice in his ear: “Boy, it is not time for you to breathe just yet.”
General Doyle turned around, and the middle-aged congressman was standing in front of him, looking at him with a smile.
“Uncle.” General Doyle offered a military salute.
Senator Walter waved his hand: “It has not been an easy three months. But… it’s finally over.”
“You have to be responsible for carrying out the work on the other planets in the future,” Senator Walter punched a fist against his nephew’s chest, “This time, you should be satisfied. It took so long, but, finally, you have received your compensation for the wrongs you have suffered.”
“Not yet,” Doyle replied calmly, “…I asked Her Highness, and tomorrow there will be an announcement released about the Third Legion to the entire empire.
“Tsk,” Senator Walter shook his head, “You brat, still as picky as ever.”
He looked the general up and down. When has this kid become so tall and brave? He smiled: ” You haven’t been home for ten years. This time, you can finally return with your head held high.”
Doyle looked at him blankly.
This face looked a lot more like the little brat he knew 10 years ago. The one who swore he would receive an adequate explanation for the injustice the Third Legion faced even if he had to die.
Senator Walter opened his arms and held the silly brat in front of him tightly in his arms.
His voice trembled: “Doyle… welcome home.”
Senator Walter patted Doyle’s back heavily, and then slapped his back with a chuckle as the general’s face turned red.
“You brat…for the sake of the Legion, you said that you would cut off relations with the whole family. For ten years… ten years, you never even once said you would return home!”
“You said it was because Wilson’s group of bastards were keeping an eye on you you. You didn’t even send a letter home or anything because you said it would be too dangerous. Did you really think that just because you broke off relations with us that they would really believe you? They still made things hard for us without you needing to do that!”
Doyle pursed his lips: “…I’m sorry.”
He just finished saying this, when he was berated by Senator Walter: “What are you sorry for?! Ah?! What are you sorry for? We’re a family, alright?!”
“Instead of saying sorry to me here, it is better to go home and say it to your father and mother instead!”
“Yes!” Doyle’s eyes were red, and even his lips began to tremble.
“After seeing your parents, go and you must—”
“You must catch me all those dirty bastards that slipped through the net!!!”
“Yes!!!”
The next day, Princess Lin Yan, representing the royal family, and also on behalf of Planet Ta issued a notice about the Third Legion to all the planets in the galaxy.
Narcissus sent this notice through the star network.
A true hero will never be overwhelmed by darkness.
On the contrary, even in the deepest darkness, they shine brightly in their light.
They will continue onwards and never surrender.
Betrayal and slander cannot break them, and the glory that belongs to heroes will keep them fearlessly moving forwards.
The glory of these imperial soldiers will last forever.
This was a day full of sadness and joy.
Some cried bitterly while holding their screens, while others wore their star-net helmets and burst into tears.
Chris gritted his teeth hard, and held back the tears that threatened to spill from his eyes.
He pulled out a bottle of eye-drying spray from the drawer and sprayed it twice on his eyes. He didn’t leave the laboratory until the person in the mirror no longer showed any signs that he had cried.
Ever since Chu’s mental barrier collapsed, his body has not been in an optimistic state.
Chris walked into the infirmary ward.
The ward was arranged very warmly. The morning sun outside was full of warmth and brightness, and at this moment it passed through the window and gazed gently on Chu’s bed.
On the windowsill was a pot of small flowers that Chris could not name. The round light purple flowers bathed in the sun and swayed in the breeze.
Chris tried to restrain his mood to avoid affecting Chu.
The breakdown of the mental barrier is a terrible thing for a Guide.
Any mental fluctuation is a torture for them. And the longer the collapse was, the more severe the pain.
Therefore, when the Guide’s mental barrier collapses and there is no hope of healing, most Guides will choose to commit suicide.
But Chu did not.
Even though his body has become weaker and weaker because he could no longer bear the pain, he still lived on stubbornly.
Because he… was still waiting for a message.
Chris sat down next to Chu and caught a glimpse of Chu’s skinny wrists. His throat grew sour again.
He gritted his teeth and met Chu’s gleaming eyes.
“Today, an hour ago, Her Royal Highness, Lin Ya, had made an announcement to all the planets in the empire in the name of the Royal Family.”
“Ten years ago, the Third Army did not betray the Emperor, but were the heroes of the empire.”
“The culprits who caused this injustice have all been sent to prison.”
“General Angus Chu will forever be remembered as a hero of the Third Legion and a hero of the Stewart Empire.”
“The Third Legion has suffered ten years of grievances, and today… they have all finally been washed away.”
Chu’s eyes brightened and he smiled at Chris.
“Good,” Chu was in a rarely seen good mood, “Thank you, Chris. Remember to thank them for me too.”
Chu didn’t specify who “they” were, but Chris knew what he meant.
“And…” Chu’s voice gradually weakened, “You must remember to burn my body to ashes. And…please trouble your sister, to launch my ashes into the embers of a supernova.”
Chris gritted his teeth, tears gleaming in his eyes.
“…En, I will do as you say.”
Chu smiled at him, the light in his eyes dimmed little by little.
He smiled for the last time and fell into a sleep he would never wake up from.
Planet Ta, Platinum Palace
Lin Yan took Kristen’s hand and walked step by step up the long steps of the Platinum Palace.
She wore a long dress that reached the floor, and because she was not used to it, she almost tripped over the long skirt.
Kristen supported her easily and stopped her from falling.
Lin Yan pursed her mouth and pouted. Kristen took her hand and touched the back of her hand in a subtle, but comforting manner.
The two walked into the palace, the symbol of the highest power in the empire.
A figure with his back turned towards them appeared in front of their eyes.
Lin Yan pulled Kristen into a bow with her.
“Imperial Father.”
“Your Majesty.”
The Emperor turned around, his eyes falling onto them.
The intimate way they held each other clearly told him what type of relationship they had.
The Emperor didn’t say anything, just gave Kristen an intense look, and then motioned Lin Yan to follow him.
Lin Yan looked at Kristen apologetically, and then followed.
The father and daughter, who had been strangers to each other for ten years, walked silently in this empty palace. Lin Yan had imagined this moment before. She had thought that she would grab his collar and yell at him, asking him why he had done what he did but now… she didn’t know what to say.
The Emperor stopped in front of a huge window.
He looked at the pure white irises swaying in the sun outside the window, and suddenly asked: “…Kristen…does she treat you well?”
“Very well.”
“……That’s good.”
The two fell into awkward silence again.
Lin Yan hesitated again and again, and finally asked, “Father, don’t you…don’t you want to say something to me?”
The Emperor did not speak, he just looked at the irises outside the window and sighed deeply.
“…I don’t know where to start.” He smiled bitterly, “Let’s start with… how I became an emperor.”
.
He was a lucky Emperor.
When he was a young prince, a few of the older princes who were obsessed with power, began to fight frantically for power.
Who knew that it would become a “the sandpiper and clam fight each together while the fisherman catches both” type of situation, but the now fallen anti-guide forces successfully closed the net and defeated all the princes in his name. Like this, he became the final winner.
He was then unexpectedly pushed onto the throne.
At that time, he was still just a young man with lofty ideals.
He wanted to participate in politics with his own political ideals and ambitions, and he wished to create a beautiful and bright empire..
Then he was taught that it was not as easy to do so in reality.
They broke off his wings and threw him into the cage. From then on, the world was covered with a layer of gloom, and he lived in the gilded cage called the Platinum Palace.
He married two Guides who were forced onto him, and gave birth to four children. Although in every marriage, he got along with his wife and children, they divorced him on the grounds that they couldn’t form a proper spiritual connection with a “puppet” that had no soul. He grew resigned to this loveless fate of his.
Until he met his light.
Empress Lin gave him the secret of Pandora and…she gave him love.
For the first time, he went against his puppeteers and married Empress Lin, making her the mistress of the Platinum Palace, and even secretly established a spiritual connection with.
Empress Lin told him that Pandora’s independence is due to the A.I system, and that the A.I was a sword of Damocles hanging high above humans.
Pandora has the most comprehensive analysis system, and at the same time leads the other four elite artificial intelligences. She can conduct the most objective and scientific analysis of the future of mankind.
If humans are on the path of destruction, these elite A.I systems will act and prevent humans from destroying themselves.
If the extreme happens, Pandora will open the ‘box’ and directly destroy the advanced technology of mankind directly, thus forcing mankind to return to the era when interstellar technology was just a dream.
Each of the previous monarchs of the Stewart Empire held both awe and fear towards Pandora.
Empress Lin said that the current conflict between the Guide and the Sentinel was growing day by day, and Pandora had asked her to come to Planet Ta to solve this crisis.
He understood very well what was the reason for the low status of the Guides.
His supporters.
But at that time, he was so blinded by love, he believed that he didn’t have to do anything. As long as his wife was by his side, she’ll solve everything for him.
They had a lovely daughter together, and the Guide Alliance was slowly established. Everything seemed to be developing in a good direction.
Then one day, everything changed.
Empress Lin was assassinated and killed.
It was only then he finally woke up.
He finally saw clearly… what kind of disgusting faces those who said they supported him had, and how they were treating his beloved empire.
To bring down such people, he will have to pay a few more sacrifice.
Thus, he ruthlessly ignored the daughter he had once loved the most, but after discovering her talent for hacking in he secretly guided Lin Yan towards the right direction.
He agreed to all the decisions of his supporters on the surface, including the framing of the Third Legion and the expulsion of the Guide Alliance.
He played an exquisite puppet, listened to the opinions of others without one refusing and carefully forced them to let their guards down while quietly supporting the Guide forces in the dark.
He had waited so long for this day to come.
He was able to cast the 56 count vote that belonged to the Emperor of the Stewart Empire.
Finally, his true power as an Emperor was revealed.
“The reason why I called you here today is just for one thing.”
The Emperor’s sideburns were dotted with gray hair, and he turned around and looked at his daughter who no longer needed him to stand tall.
“Please forgive my selfishness. I just wish for the Stewart Empire to be handed over to a monarch who is truly capable of realizing its future.”
“Lin Yan, are you willing to…become the next monarch of the Stewart Empire?”
Lin Yan looked at the Emperor in front of her who had been called the “puppet emperor” for decades, but in the end he personally sent his “supporters” to the execution ground. She smiled slowly.
“I am willing.”
Author’s notes:
Finale tomorrow.
Thanks for your support. *bows*
Fluffy Translations 