260: Where the heart leads

"Miss Tu Nan," although the captain of the flagship looked troubled, there was no hesitation in its refusal. "You know that Your Majesty gave a direct order that the flagship must remain here to coordinate with the Star Chain for defense."

"Defend against what?" Tu Nan took a step closer. "The Star Worms are intercepted at the front line. Have the combat reports sent back by your reconnaissance starships shown any Star Worms getting through?"

"There is no main force, but the Star Chain can handle defending against small groups of Star Worms that break through the Star Worm Point."

The other party gave a wry smile.

"You are right, but military orders are like mountains." It refused to compromise.

Tu Nan stared at it for a moment, did not press further, and turned to leave.

"Although I am sorry, I must remind you," the other party's words chased after her, "all soldiers belonging to the flagship cannot leave at will; they are all under the scope of Your Majesty's military orders."

Her footsteps paused for a moment, but Tu Nan left the command room without looking back.

Yes, she could not let them disobey the military orders that Your Majesty had given in person. Even though she had the power ring, she did not try to force them to do so.

The army should not have two voices.

Besides, what if The Emperor had other considerations when ordering the flagship to return for defense? She should not recklessly disrupt its arrangements.

But she wanted to see him, it was that simple.

She wanted to see him.

...

"Where are you going?" Peng Tianyu followed behind her, watching Tu Nan wander around the flagship as it headed downwards.

"The Imperial Guard is not part of the flagship's organization, right?" Tu Nan asked.

"Of course, we are directly under The Emperor."

Peng Tianyu frowned. What did Miss Tu Nan mean by this?

"That's good." Using the power ring for identity verification inside the elevator allowed her to pass without hindrance. Stepping out of the elevator on the second-to-last level, Tu Nan looked at the cabin layout map on the wall and continued forward.

She took Peng Tianyu, passed through two checkpoints, and arrived in front of a small door.

Confinement Room, it was written on the door plate.

"Open the door." Tu Nan reached out her hand, actually presenting the power ring for the guarding soldier to check. "I should have authorization."

Under the soldier's signal, she moved the ring toward the door lock.

The door, it opened.

In the unlit room, a person wearing armor was sitting on the only metal bed in the room, watching the video playing on the screen.

The light from outside shone on its armor, making the small room suddenly seem to have a light source, brightening it up.

The Silver Armored Knight, Shou, turned its neck slowly, not caring much.

During these four months, inside this small room, every time the door opened, it was just soldiers coming to deliver necessary living supplies to it; they did not answer any of its words.

However, the video in its room played in stages.

Astronomy, geography, politics, history—the small screen gave it a systematic education that was more than all the knowledge it had learned in its life.

From the beginning to now, in such indoctrination-style learning, it became calmer day by day.

But this time was different; that slender figure appeared before its eyes just like that.

"Tu, Tu Nan." Shou's throat was dry, and it couldn't speak smoothly.

Tu Nan felt an apology rise in her heart—she had almost forgotten its existence before, and it turned out this person had actually been imprisoned here the whole time.

Letting the days and months cycle, and the years wither away.

Was Your Majesty so cruel to the Silver Armored Knight?

But she couldn't worry about that for the moment. She took a step forward and showed the power ring on her hand to it.

"Shou, you are directly under Your Majesty. The command given to you was to protect me. This command hasn't been revoked, right?" She asked.

Its dark brown eyes stared hungrily at Tu Nan from under the cover of its armor. When it heard Tu Nan's question, it showed a pure smile.

That heart, which had been panicked and at a loss later on the Sand Star, on the battlefield, and in this small room, finally calmed down completely.

"Yes, my mission is only to protect you." Shou said.

"Very good, then come with me. I need you to take me to The Emperor."

Tu Nan reached out her hand to it, and the power ring on her hand was exceptionally eye-catching.

This was to tell it that she had the legitimacy to command it.

Shou was stunned for a moment. It looked at the ivory-white, soft, boneless hand in front of it, completely ignoring the ring, only thinking of things from a long, long time ago.

Go... to The Emperor's side.

It looked up slightly.

Tu Nan was still very slender overall, but her chin was slightly rounded, and her waist seemed to have thickened slightly.

"Are you... pregnant?" It asked.

Tu Nan didn't expect its eyes to be so sharp, but there was no need to hide it from it, so Tu Nan nodded and just raised her hand a little higher.

"Yes, I'm taking the Children to find their father, so what do you say?" She was slightly impatient.

Shou said nothing. It devoutly and gently held her hand and stood up.

"As long as you wish, I can do anything." It replied.

Tu Nan finally breathed a sigh of relief and pulled it out the door.

Seeing Captain Peng turn into a wooden goose on the spot again, Tu Nan helplessly patted his arm.

"Wake up. Gather the people of the Imperial Guard, we are going to find The Emperor."

* * *

The group returned to the Border Star base, obtained a small starship, and prepared to return to the front line.

Tu Nan's Video Call was forcefully connected unilaterally.

The Emperor appeared before her just like that.

"You are coming to the front line?"

It seemed the captain of the flagship had tried every possible way to inform him of Tu Nan's commotion.

"Yes." Tu Nan looked directly at him. "I'm worried; he is injured."

The Emperor smiled. He adjusted the range of the Video Call, and only then did Tu Nan see James busy in front of a Treatment Pod in the corner of the room.

A figure was vaguely visible inside the Treatment Pod. Calling it vague was only because the liquid poured into it looked like slightly diluted ink.

Only the outline of that person could barely be identified, while the face was blurred and obscured by the strange treatment liquid. As for the hair, only a long handful could be seen floating to one side.

"You all go out first; let me talk to The Emperor alone."

Tu Nan demanded that everyone around her leave; except for Shou, everyone obeyed.

Shou remained motionless.

"You go out too." Tu Nan lowered her tone.

The Emperor looked at this Silver Armored Knight with interest, and instead smiled and persuaded Tu Nan, "If it wants to stay, let it stay. What do you want to say? Go ahead."

Fine, he was her colleague, The Emperor's knight. Since he thought it was fine...

Tu Nan sneered and asked: "How exactly is The Emperor injured? What are you trying to hide by pickling him in black water?"

The recording tablet in James's hand slammed onto the floor with a clang.

He looked up, dumbfounded, at Tu Nan on this side of the Video Call.

However, The Emperor's attitude didn't change much. He touched his chin and said playfully: "You really discovered it early on..."

Tu Nan ignored him and just stared at James, asking: "Are you still going to hide it from me?"

After the shock, James sighed. He picked up the thing on the floor and looked at the person standing on the side with an indifferent expression.

He stroked the Treatment Pod sorrowfully.

"The Emperor forced a Breakthrough, causing genetic disorder. Now, he is just controlling it so he doesn't collapse."

The other shoe finally dropped.

Tu Nan swayed, and the Silver Armored Knight was quick to support her.

So it really was The Emperor inside the Treatment Pod.

Seriously injured... her Emperor.