Since that’s the case, all the better.
Without much thought, Almer adjusted his clothing with an unflinching expression, using his cloak to hide a certain little cat even better.
The gazes of three others, however, fixed on the pocket of the Emperor’s clothing, all showing great interest in the hidden little creature.
Almer raised an eyebrow and silently mouthed, “Mine.”
His possessiveness was definitely on full display.
Fuyao curled his lip, thinking, ‘Fine, one day I’ll get myself a cute little thing too.’
Kongtong said nothing, but his eyes lingered longest on Almer’s pocket.
Such a tiny, fluffy creature he’d never seen before, and he just wanted to pet it.
A massive aircraft ascended to the ninth floor, where floor-to-ceiling windows opened, and countless live-streaming cameras zoomed in, capturing everyone on the ninth floor in clear detail for the nationwide audience.
> [User 1] Ahhh, His Majesty! His Majesty is the best-looking, the most handsome!
> [User 2] Impossible to choose! Only kids think they have to pick; adults know we get all four. But today, His Majesty deserves center stage! Look at me, Your Majesty!
> [User 3] His Majesty’s coming out! He’s going to speak!
> [User 4] His Majesty’s knights are so handsome too! When will His Majesty post online so we can see him every day?
> [User 5] Your Majesty, Your Majesty, look at me, look at me, look at me!
> [User 6] Everyone calm down! Too many comments—I can’t even see His Majesty’s face!
> [User 7] In the central square, watching His Majesty on the big screen is amazing hahaha…
> [User 8] I would’ve brought my kid, but I’m afraid I’d leave with two and come back with just one.
Under the eyes of the crowd, Almer stood calmly on the aircraft, visible to both the soldiers below and the live-stream viewers.
Meanwhile, Ruan Shu had curled up into a little ball inside Almer’s pocket, now somewhat regretting her decision. If there was one thing she was good at, it was turning into a cat in a crisis and squeezing into a convenient hiding spot.
Outside, other than Almer’s voice, everything was silent. Unable to resist, Ruan Shu used her little furry paw to pull at his pocket, peeking out a small, fluffy head.
She quickly withdrew, though, seeing all those cameras. Almer wasn’t lying!
Thank goodness he had a cloak; her little head probably hadn’t been spotted, right?
—
On the military academy’s starship…
“Just now, did something peek out of His Majesty’s pocket? Or was it my imagination?”
“I think I saw it too—something small and white, and it looked like it was alive? But it went right back in.”
“Are you serious? Did we really see something?”
“What could it be? There’s no way His Majesty would carry a living creature in his pocket, and what creature would be that small?”
“But I’m sure I saw it; it was tiny and looked fluffy.”
“How could that be?”
Rong Jun nudged Ruan Ling’an with his elbow. “You saw it too, right? There’s something in His Majesty’s pocket, isn’t there? Too bad that cloak was covering it, so I couldn’t see clearly.”
Ruan Ling’an: “…”
He had indeed seen it—and it looked very familiar.
With a deadpan expression, Ruan Ling’an replied, “No, you’re mistaken.”
Lowering his head, he frantically sent messages to his grandfather and his older brother.
Ruan Ling’an: What’s going on? How did Ruan Shu end up in His Majesty’s pocket? She almost got exposed just now!
Ruan Ling’an: There are so many cameras on her; it’s a global live broadcast!
Ruan He, who had only recently heard about his precious granddaughter being with His Majesty: “…”
Ruan He: It’s His Majesty’s bad influence on Shushu!
How could there be anything wrong with Shushu? She’s just a sweet, harmless little cat. Without His Majesty leading her, how could she possibly make it to the ninth floor?
Ruan He didn’t even dare to call his precious granddaughter now, fearing the call would go off while His Majesty was still speaking.
Ruan Fengsi felt the same way. He wished he could rush over and pull the little cat out of His Majesty’s pocket himself!
Meanwhile, Ruan Shu, unaware that a few people had already noticed her, was curled up in a ball, holding her tail and licking her fur, content that the cameras and people outside couldn’t see her.
After Almer finished his speech, he drew the sword from his waist. Standing under the sunlight, his sword gleamed with a cold light as he raised it. His clear, calm voice flowed through the microphone for all to hear.
“With the Divine Beast as my witness, may the Star Beast Empire stand together. To battle!”
“To battle! To battle! To battle!”
All the Star Beast Legion, including the knights, drew their swords together and performed a simple but striking salute, lowering the tips of their swords to the ground. Though they were holding cold steel, they wielded it with an aura of reverence and power.
Their resounding voices echoed to the heavens, imbued with the strongest conviction and an indomitable, grand spirit.
Even Ruan Shu couldn’t help but peek her little head out, only to feel a hand gently pressing down to keep her in place.
Ruan Shu: Doesn’t dare to move.jpg
“Roar!”
A chorus of beast roars sounded, and Ruan Shu recognized her father’s voice among them. Instinctively, she used her paw to nudge Almer’s fingers aside and peeked in her father’s direction.
This time, Almer didn’t stop her.
With her round eyes wide open, she watched as her father spread his metallic wings in a striking motion. The white Qilin-Tiger leaped into the air, roaring with battle spirit, its cry piercing the skies.
With stirring music playing, the neatly aligned corps began to march. The synchronized footsteps of the thousands gathered fused into a single, resounding beat.
From any direction, the view was imposing and magnificent.
Ruan Shu stretched her head out a little more.
It reminded her of the military parades she had seen in her past life. No matter how many times she watched a parade like this, it never got old. In her previous life, she had only seen the National Day parades on TV occasionally.
She had only ever watched it at school before; she didn’t dare touch the TV at home. It was only after National Day, when she returned to school, that her homeroom teacher—worried that some students might be too busy playing to watch the grand parade—played it for them during break.
Now, she was lucky enough to see it live. Although it wasn’t the same world anymore, watching those orderly marching squads still filled her with a familiar, thrilling excitement.
And this time, she was watching from the center!
Ruan Shu watched with intense focus, her entire little cat head popping out from between Almer’s fingers.
Her gaze darted between her father and the squads below, as well as the various warships and battleships flying in perfect formation across the sky. She felt like she couldn’t take it all in fast enough.
After the human formations came the parade in their Star Beast forms.
Majestic war horses marched forward, clad in imposing scaled armor. The crisp clip-clop of their hooves striking the ground blended into a single, resonant beat, their fierce and battle-ready appearance so captivating that she couldn’t look away.