MRG Chapter 13: Over-dependence

Translator: Bamboo

When he heard that the other could not accompany him to dinner, the little merman’s originally bright eyes dimmed instantly—the emotional changes were completely written on his face, but he still tried hard to hold back the sad emotions and only hummed lightly.

Light sighed in his heart as he watched the other’s leaving figure. His feet suddenly seemed as heavy as if they had taken root in the ground.

If there hadn’t been a sudden situation at the border, he wouldn’t have wanted to break his promise.

Entering the conference room, the virtual image of Vice General Levi immediately appeared in front of his eyes. The other person stood upright and saluted him, “General.”

Light asked, “What’s going on?”

Levi looked serious. “At 19:59 capital time, the northern Konaren outpost detected three alpha pulse waves. However, before that, the third, second, and first level defense lines of the outer W-382 planetary belt did not respond at all.”

In order to resist the Zerg invasion and be on alert immediately in case of emergencies, the empire had set up three lines of defense in the w-382 planetary belt outside Blue Planet. Each line of defense is equipped with hundreds of the most advanced detectors and the most rigorous military fortress for detecting the Zerg’s signal waves. After crossing these three lines of defense and entering the atmosphere, you will reach the Konaren border, the northernmost outpost on the Blue Planet’s surface. This was also the military base where Light was stationed all year round.

Within this year, W-382’s three lines of defense detected abnormal signals a total of 781 times, intercepted and killed 35 small Zerg starships, never letting a fish slip its net. The alarm at the Konaren outpost never sounded once.

However, this time, the abnormal signal crossed the tightest military defense line in Blue Planet’s history.

Light frowned slightly. “Have all the detectors deployed by W-382 been tested?”

The probability that the instruments of the three lines of defense would be faulty at the same time was extremely slim, but he could not let go of any possibility.

Levi, “The equipment is in good condition, General. I just sent someone to conduct a comprehensive overhaul of the equipment a week ago.”

The atmosphere became increasingly gloomy.

Light, “Are there any traces of alien invasion detected around the abnormal signal?”

“There are no signs of alien invasion on the Konaren border, but…” Speaking of this, Levi brought up a picture, “We found this fingernail size black crystal in the loess where pulse waves were detected. Preliminary judgment indicates that it is a rare crystal from an alien planet, and it has been sent to the laboratory for further testing.”

Light received the documents sent by Levi one by one and quickly compiled a report. “I understand the situation at the border. I will report it to the capital now and return to the border in a week. If anything unusual happens, contact me immediately.”

“Yes, General.”

Levi saluted again, and then the virtual influence disappeared.

By the time Light took care of all this, it was almost nine-thirty in the evening. The little merman had already finished eating, washed up, and was lying on the bed.

When he pushed the door open and walked in, the little merman was sitting on the bed reading a book. He did not forget to place the Sharky at his side, and the “two people” leaned on the pillow together.

Mu Chen’s long silver hair hung down and draped over his shoulders. He held a heavy paper encyclopedia in his hand and turned the pages while making sure that Sharky could also see it.

Whenever he saw this, Light felt as if his heart had softened like a sponge soaked in water, and even his steps had slowed down a bit.

He quietly sat down beside his bed, and out of the corner of his eye he caught a glimpse of the folding suitcase at the end of his bed, with many things already stuffed in it.

Feeling Light’s movements, Mu Chen immediately came over and leaned on him, “Gege, the smart butler said that the weather will get cold next week, so you should bring more clothes when you go to the amusement park.”

Light realized that the things in the box were prepared by the other party for going out to play next week. Faced with the little merman’s expectant look, he suddenly felt at a loss what to say. How could he tell the other party that he might break his promise again?

Even though he didn’t get an immediate response from Light, Mu Chen still obediently leaned against him to read. He also “generously” gave up Sharky’s position to Light, with his doll-like red full lips curved upward, as if just being close to him would make him extra happy.

Light was not a sensitive person, but he could still sense that the little merman has a special dependence on him.

It was like a small kitten that had not grown up yet, had found someone it can trust and always likes to stick to that person.

But this dependence left him at a loss as to what to do.

This emotion was too heavy, carrying all the trust of the other party. It was so heavy that Light didn’t dare to touch it easily for fear of breaking something.

This emotion was too light, like a cloud, so light that even though he controlled the strength of his whole body to carefully lift the cloud, he was still afraid of dispersing it.

Light had never been in this position.

In the early days of the empire, border wars broke out frequently, and bidding farewell was the norm.

Facing his father Jorah, his farewell had always been brief and decisive. For Light, this was what he should do. The responsibility on his shoulders was far heavier than the reluctance to say goodbye. Although his younger brother Lance had a completely different personality from him, the same independence was engraved in their bones. The two of them could usually understand each other’s intentions without saying a word.

Compared to the palace, the desolate base was more like where Light belonged.

But at this moment, Light didn’t know how to face Mu Chen.

“I…”

His chest vibrated as he uttered a single syllable.

It was like some kind of seed buried in the soil had taken root deeply, entangled in the blood vessels, and blended into the flesh and blood, adding a bit of reluctance and indecision. Even the tightening of the vocal cords was out of his control.

“I may not be able to go with you next week.”

The atmosphere was silent for a moment.

Mu Chen slowly closed the book, the corners of his mouth froze, as if he was digesting the matter. “Are you busy with something?”

Before Light could respond, he adjusted his emotions again, hugged Light’s waist, and whispered, “It’s okay… next, next week is fine, or when you are free, Gege.”

Light looked down at him. “I need to go back to the border.”

This type of secondary abnormality usually required a warning period of six months to one year.

Mu Chen suddenly raised his head, his wide blue eyes showing a nervous emotion, and his hands were still holding him tightly. “How long will it take?”

Light, “One month at the fastest, if not…” He might not return for three to five years.

But he couldn’t continue, because when he heard “one month,” the little merman’s eyes were filled with tears. He raised his head and tried not to let the tears fall, and asked with some choking—

“Then can you take me there with you?”

Light was stunned for a moment. “The border is dangerous.”

Mu Chen pursed his lips and asked in a tone that usually makes the other person feel softer, “Can’t I go?”

But this time Light’s attitude was firm. “No.”

No matter what, he couldn’t take the other party to the border, and the capital was the most suitable place for the little merman to grow up. It had the best resources, the little merman could receive the best education, and it was also the safest place in all of Blue Planet.

“Kuina will stay with you in the palace, and…”

Before Light finished speaking, crystal tears trickled down Mu Chen’s eyes, wetting his lower eyelashes. He hugged Sharky and ran out of the bedroom, stretching out a hand to wipe his tears as he ran.

……

When Kuina pushed the door open and entered the bedroom, Light was still inside.

He sat on the edge of the bed with his legs spread apart, his elbows on his knees, looking like he was bowing his head in thought. A few strands of blond hair fell from his forehead, adding a bit of confusion to his originally stern face.

Hearing the sound of the door opening, Light raised his head and looked at Kuina. “Is he still unwilling to come out?”

Kuina shook her head.

Ever since the little merman heard that the prince was leaving, he hid under the water and refused to come out.

Light lowered his head again and rubbed his chin with his fingers.

There were some things he couldn’t figure out, such as why the other party would rather go to the border with him than stay in the palace, and why he had such a big emotional reaction after hearing that he was leaving.

Light had very little experience in comforting people, and he only used it on Mu Chen once or twice.

He always tends to tell others “what to do to make this better,” and his way of comforting people was to provide solutions.

And when the little merman ran out of the room crying just now, his sobbing could be faintly heard even from a long distance away. Light wanted to comfort Mu Chen that “it’s nothing to worry about,” but when the words came to his lips, he didn’t know what to say.

Because “nothing to worry about” was not a solution.

He was silent for a long time,

“Why did he…”

Light raised his head and wanted to ask Kuina, but he frowned mid-sentence, looking like he was hesitant to speak.

“Your Highness.” Kuina saw through Light’s confusion at a glance, and she was the first to speak—

“It is a child’s nature to seek protection from parents and elders, but Mu Chen’s parents died early, and he had no relatives around him after entering the palace. Although he usually seems very sensible, he is still young after all. In this palace, he treats you as his closest person, like an elder brother.”

“Young children don’t understand the difference between outside and home. Home is wherever their parents and brothers are. When family members leave, their first reaction is to ask the other party to take them with them. Your Highness naturally knows how dangerous the border is, but Mu Chen, he simply wants to stay with the people closest to him, but… he may be a little too dependent on you. ”

Now Mu Chen treats Light just like the little shark he carries with him wherever he goes; the little merman wants to stick to him all the time.

After listening to Kuina’s words, Light muttered to himself, “Is that overly dependent…”

……

In the evening, the lights of the indoor lake dimmed, casting a dark shadow on the deep water.

Light stopped and stood by the pool, but he could only see the shadows of fish swimming back and forth, but not the little merman.

He knew that Mu Chen was probably hiding.

Light didn’t know how to get the other person out of the water, so he simply jumped into the pool.

The splashing water made a loud noise, and the cold lake water covered Light’s chest. He pushed his wet hair back and looked for the little merman.

The indoor lake was very large, and the deep water area was even more unfathomable. Human beings couldn’t move faster underwater than marine life. If he really wanted to search every inch of the pool, it would probably take a lot of time.

However, Light didn’t have to look for him at all. A small head appeared behind the rocks in the distance. The little merman pursed his lips and his eyes were still red. He glanced secretly in the direction of Light and then swam toward him.

Mu Chen swam to Light and hugged him, burying his face in the other person’s neck without saying a word.

Light touched his head. “Sorry…”

Mu Chen’s voice was muffled, “Um… there’s no need to say ‘sorry’. It’s not Gege’s fault that there is a sudden problem at the border. You just have to go on a mission. I’m fine… I can stay here alone.”

The more he said this, the more he felt uneasy, as if a sour emotion was spreading in his chest, making him feel panicked.

After a moment of silence, he said, “I was thinking…”

Mu Chen raised his head from his shoulder, “Thinking about what?”

Light, “Do you want to go to school?”

What Kuina said about over-dependence was indeed a problem. Mermans belong to the vast ocean. Little mermans of this age should be with their fellow tribesmen. But now that Atlantis was gone, Mu Chen could only stay in this cold palace.

Although Mu Chen could indeed receive a good education here, he lacked interaction with others.

Light thought that perhaps after integrating into a new group and making new friends, the little merman could leave behind this over-dependence.