Not long after Fang Chang lived up to expectations by pulling in a massive investment from the Enterprise for the Alliance, Chu Guang, who was taking the Heart of Iron to Fallen Leaves City on an inspection tour, finally met the diplomatic delegation from the Honey Badger Kingdom.
Clearly, displaced amid the flames of war, they had no idea that the Heart of Iron had already been captured by the Alliance; their knowledge of the Alliance was still stuck months in the past.
Thus, when the towering airship appeared in the sky above, the panicked royal guards nearly made fools of themselves again.
However, seeing the airship did provide Samer with a vague answer to some of the confusion lingering in his mind.
This airship had once been General Macklen's flagship.
Rumors had swirled that the King of the Falcon Kingdom had betrothed a royal family member to a Legion general.
He just hadn't expected that royal family member to be the king's own consort...
The airship slowly descended.
After briefly asking Ma Ban about the delegation over the comms channel, Chu Guang readily invited the prince and princess, who had traveled from afar, to board his airship.
He also invited Consort Teresa of the Falcon Kingdom up.
Two weeks had already flashed by since he put her to work in the refugee camp.
He was somewhat curious about how the consort's reform was coming along...
***
On the airship's bridge.
Having just taken the elevator up into the airship, Samer was still ill at ease. Perhaps because he had never been up so high, his face was slightly pale.
Yet having seen the wider world after all, the somewhat inexperienced youth bowed with steady composure.
"Greetings, esteemed Administrator. I am Samer Honey Badger, Acting King of the Honey Badger Kingdom. Beside me is the late king's youngest daughter, and my younger sister, Avni Honey Badger."
"Hello, Mr. Administrator. You may call me Avni, or Nini," said the slightly curly-haired young girl beside him, curtseying and speaking in a crisp, melodious voice.
Hearing the words "Honey Badger," Chu Guang couldn't help thinking of the fearless honey badger meme.
Yet both individuals before him looked frail and delicate, bearing no resemblance whatsoever to creatures that were "either picking a fight, or on the way to pick one."
"Chu Guang, Administrator of the Alliance."
After briefly introducing himself, Chu Guang signaled with a glance that Teresa didn't need to stand on ceremony, then looked over the young prince and princess with interest.
Although their exact ages were hard to tell, they didn't seem very old.
To cross an entire war zone and flee all the way here from Oasis 3 was truly no small feat.
Just as he was about to speak, Avni blinked and piped up in a clear voice.
"You look completely different from the Administrator in the illustrations."
"Illustrations?" Chu Guang raised an eyebrow, intrigued.
"Mm!" Avni nodded, holding up a picture book cradled against her chest. "They depict stories about you."
The moment Samer saw that picture book, his expression turned awkward and he tried to stop her.
Yet Avni had already handed the book forward and lifted her skirt in a courtly curtsy.
"This book was bought at a market. I hope you will not take offense."
"Haha, of course not."
Chu Guang chuckled heartily and signaled Captain of the Guards Lü Bei to bring him the picture book.
Someone actually drew him in a comic book?
Interesting.
Chu Guang opened the booklet to see how the desert dwellers imagined him.
Yet the moment he turned to the first page, the bizarre art style nearly made his nose twist in indignation.
Fuck!
Which artist committed this atrocity?!
Drawing me this damn ugly!
Though he had anticipated that information would distort over such vast distances, he hadn't expected them to give him full-blown plastic surgery.
Besides, when had he ever grown such a long beard?
And doesn't power armor have a helmet? Who the hell takes their helmet off in a fight?!
And what was this nonsense about four sons?!
Chu Guang's immediate thought was that some player had started this rumor.
His mind instantly locked onto Prime Suspect Number One: Mosquito. Prime Suspect Number Two: Tail.
Still, setting aside the art style, the content was rather entertaining, carrying that distinct superhero flair.
While Chu Guang was trying to accept the absurd art style and continuing to flip through with amusement, Samer cast a nervous glance at his sister, communicating silently with eyes and lip movements.
*Are you crazy? Why did you give him that booklet?*
*Calm down, Brother, you're overthinking it. Think about it: he would find out from someone else eventually. Isn't it better that we take the initiative to clear up the misunderstanding?*
Meeting her gentle gaze, Samer took a deep breath and calmed himself.
He admitted that the visual impact of the massive airship had been too overwhelming, genuinely rattling his nerves.
*All right... But I was careless; I never considered our intelligence could be so far off. The Alliance's Administrator is actually this young. Even if he has offspring, they couldn't have been born very long ago...*
*It doesn't matter,* Avni mouthed, blinking. *Whatever arrangement you make, I won't mind.*
Samer stared at his sister in shock.
Her gaze was unmistakable: she was already prepared to sacrifice herself.
Slowly closing his eyes, he clenched his fists and looked away, unable to bear the sight.
Having the Administrator's son marry Avni was the optimal choice.
If the two were close in age, by the time their child reached adulthood, Samer would only be in his forties or fifties. Even if he abdicated the throne, he could easily serve as regent prince, keeping power firmly in the hands of the Honey Badger royal family.
By then, an aging Administrator would be in the twilight of his years, plunging the Alliance into a turbulent transition of power, inevitably leaving them with no time or energy to meddle in a vassal's affairs.
Whether the Alliance ultimately fractured or transitioned smoothly, the Honey Badger royalty would hold the initiative to advance or retreat.
Yet to Samer's utter surprise, this lord was so young...
Whether marrying Avni to the Administrator himself or to a son who might only just have been born, neither could be considered a good idea.
Against an ambitious, energetic leader in the prime of his life, even if Samer managed to outlive him, he had zero confidence in standing as this man's rival.
A man who could withstand the onslaught of refugee waves amid chaos, rally refugees terrified out of their wits by marauders, and even lead them to fight back and triumph...
The methods of such a man were definitely far from as simple as they appeared on the surface! Behind that paternal, genial smile surely lurked a ruthless decisiveness hidden from ordinary eyes.
He even couldn't help suspecting that his petty calculations had long since been seen through.
Perhaps that was why the Administrator had invited him onto this airship—to display the Alliance's overwhelming military might and show him that playing petty tricks was completely futile.
Was this an ultimatum?
What should he do?
Thoughts spun rapidly in Samer's mind as he fought to remain calm, pondering how to break the impasse.
Just then, the Alliance's Administrator finally finished flipping through the picture book and handed it with a smile to the guard captain at his side.
"These illustrations are certainly wild enough. I had no idea I had four sons."
Samer bowed with deep apologies.
"It was our negligence failing to dispel the rumors... Upon returning to the oasis, I will issue an edict to sweep these books from the markets."
Chu Guang smiled and said, "No need for that. Let them draw. If a new issue comes out, just remember to send me a copy."
Chu Guang nodded to Lü Bei, gesturing for him to return the picture book to Princess Avni.
Then, Chu Guang looked at the handsome young prince and spoke in a teasing tone.
"As you can see, I'm afraid I cannot grant your request. I can hardly introduce your sister to someone who doesn't exist. And even if I had children, I wouldn't arrange their marriages; a boy should learn to pursue girls on his own."
Samer froze, not quite grasping the Administrator's meaning.
Or rather, he hadn't expected him to say such words.
Was he hinting that the Alliance had no need for a vassal from a kingdom that was on the verge of nonexistence?
Avni glanced at her brother and sighed inwardly, knowing he had almost certainly worked himself into another dead-end overthinking things.
Her second brother had been bright since childhood, far more meticulous and calculating than his peers, which was likely why their father had passed the throne to him.
Yet overthinking was both his greatest strength and his greatest flaw.
Standing before him was neither a court official nor the king of some rival realm, but a supreme commander who had just crushed the Legion's elite forces in open combat.
An elephant does not flex its muscles at an ant, let alone speak in subtle hints.
Its very existence says all that needs to be said.
If that lord wanted something, there was no need to drop hints.
He would either state it bluntly, or reach out and take it.
To buy her brother some time to think and keep the meeting from lapsing into awkward silence, she blinked and picked up the thread of conversation.
"But as your son, shouldn't he consider what is best for the Alliance?"
That was an interesting question.
Though Chu Guang had few memories of his own parents—remembering only the grandfather who had raised him—he had indeed thought about how he would raise a child if he ever became a father.
Looking at the innocent-looking Avni, Chu Guang smiled and said, "You're right. An Administrator's son should do that, and if I had one, I would expect him to. But he could do it through other means."
"Such as?"
"Such as becoming a scientist, a teacher, a soldier, or an engineer... Whether he goes to a research lab, a hospital, a school, a factory, a construction site, a farm, or the military, among so many vocations, he could always find something he loves that happens to be what others need."
A flicker of surprise—or perhaps confusion—surfaced on Avni's face.
"Would that be enough?"
Chu Guang smiled and said, "More than enough. The Alliance before your eyes is built by people just like them. As a father, I believe it would be enough for him to live a meaningful life without wasting his days. As for anything beyond that, it would be up to him."
Avni fell silent for a moment, perhaps reminded of her own childhood, and gave a soft sigh.
"Then you would surely be a wonderful father."
Chu Guang chuckled heartily.
"You flatter me."
Avni pressed on curiously, "Do you have a wife?"
"Haven't thought about it for now. Maybe after this war is over," Chu Guang joked casually.
He knew what his subordinates around him were thinking.
Including Old Luka, who wasn't here, and Lü Bei right beside him, who was barely wet behind the ears himself—everyone was itching for him to find someone to carry on his bloodline and produce a little master for the Alliance.
Yet it was precisely because they still held onto such notions that doing so would be entirely inappropriate.
"An Alliance of all people" was not merely a slogan. Having wallowed in despair for two centuries, they had to realize that they had never needed a savior.
They were their own saviors.
As a young man hailing from a civilized society who had gone through nine years of compulsory education, Chu Guang had never harbored dreams of becoming an emperor, even if he often joked about Sigma with his players.
Perhaps saying so sounded a bit idealistic, but having built this shelter piece by piece alongside everyone, he genuinely cared about it.
He only hoped to live in peace in his old age, and that the house he built wouldn't become some flimsy shack that collapsed at the first kick.
It carried the hopes and emotions of so many people, and he saw everything that happened here.
Avni nodded thoughtfully.
She couldn't read what thoughts lay behind those eyes, but the vision he painted in such broad strokes was genuinely inspiring.
Though it went against the teachings of the Spirit of the Sand Sea, an ancient maxim told her that an elephant does not lie to an ant.
If that was truly what he believed, he wouldn't make life difficult for the people living on that land.
The Alliance was composed of everyone who lived there.
Just as Samer, after agonizing deliberation, finally settled on an idea and prepared to take back control of the conversation, something utterly unforeseen occurred.
The young princess of the Honey Badger Kingdom lifted the hem of her skirt and dropped to one knee.
"Then... may I?"
Astonishment, shock, bewilderment, and pleasant surprise registered across various faces.
The air on the bridge erupted instantly...
***
That counted as a marriage proposal, didn't it?
Alliance law only stipulated the minimum marriage age; it said nothing about who had to propose to whom.
If possible, Lü Bei genuinely wished the Administrator would accept.
Anyone would do!
Even a foreigner was fine!
Even if—well, too bad he was a man; panicking on his behalf wouldn't help.
Regrettably, however, the Administrator did not accept the foreign princess's proposal.
Nevertheless, the Prince of the Honey Badger Kingdom still received the promise he sought.
"...I cannot disclose the battle plans to you, but the Alliance will send troops against the Legion and its thralls.
"Whether in Oasis 3 or Oasis 2, the inhabitants will achieve ultimate liberation. We will not force them to abandon their beliefs, but we will fulfill the shelter's duties: opening schools there, teaching them the laws of science, and showing them how to cultivate farmland. Not even the Spirit of the Desert may interfere."
Samer hurriedly said, "The Honey Badger royal family will cooperate fully with your efforts."
Chu Guang nodded.
He was not entirely selfless; all help had its price, and prioritizing his own people's interests was the bedrock of solidarity. He merely chose a comparatively gentle way of collecting payment.
In the long run, education was the true remedy to eradicate ignorance.
Once Sunset Province had the foundation for reform, its people would naturally follow the tide of history.
As for what the Honey Badger royal family planned to do when that day arrived, that would be their own business.
Still, it was far too early to talk about that now.
When that day truly came, they might even beg to join the Alliance themselves for all anyone knew.
After all, those in need of schooling were not just the commoners of the desert, but the royal house as well.
The ideologies the players brought from their original world would inevitably rub off on them to some degree.
Pausing for a moment, Chu Guang looked at Avni, who wore a crestfallen expression.
"If you truly yearn for the world I described, feel free to walk around and see more of the Alliance's cities these days. I'll arrange a guide for you."
He wasn't narcissistic enough to think this young girl had fallen in love with him at first sight, so he felt no awkwardness at all.
Whatever was spoken in such a setting—whether coached by her brother or decided on her own whim—held no weight.
If she did it to save her war-torn homeland, she should pursue it through other means.
After hearing Chu Guang out, Avni shook her head gently and looked at him in earnest.
"I don't need a guide. If possible, would you allow me to stay by your side? I want to become your student."
A student?
Chu Guang smiled, finding the word somewhat nostalgic.
After all, he had only graduated a few years before being unceremoniously dumped here.
"Unfortunately, I don't teach, nor do I have time to instruct you in anything. But before you return to the desert, if you want a job to pass the time, you can help me organize the books that haven't been cataloged yet.
"There are plenty of fascinating books there from the distant Prosperity Era. Perhaps they'll provide some inspiration for the work you do in the future."
Earlier, he had retrieved many books from Yong Shi, which were currently piled in a warehouse in Dawn City.
The Merchant Guild was in charge of sorting them, but few hands could be spared.
With the ignition of the fusion reactor and the continuous arrival of equipment from the Enterprise, vacancies were popping up everywhere across the Alliance, especially for literate talent.
Avni nodded meekly.
"I will complete the task you've entrusted to me."
Chu Guang nodded approvingly, offering an encouraging look.
Perhaps his plan would unfold even more smoothly than he had imagined.
After all, only two centuries had elapsed since the Prosperity Era. It was not too late.
Chapter 424