Family and Farewell

Zhaoguang City, Royce Family residence.

Royce looked over the message on his communicator, shock appearing on his face.

Then it was replaced by joy. This news delighted him beyond measure!

"Father!"

The third brother, Ivanko, came to Royce's side and called out.

"Third, I assume you saw the message Sixth sent us as well."

"I received it. With Sixth's temperament, he wouldn't have sent us a message unless he was certain."

"Haha! Eleven has truly given me a huge surprise!"

Ivanko nodded as well. "Yes!"

They had placed great expectations on Li Qi back then, believing he had a good chance of entering the Stellar Training Camp. Yet they had never imagined that day would come so soon!

A fierce glint flashed in Royce's eyes. "With Eleven entering the Stellar Training Camp, I'll be fully qualified to join the Zhaoguang City Council. Let's see who can stop me now!"

Ivanko echoed, "Once Eleven enters the Stellar Training Camp, he'll have twenty years of privileges. With those twenty years of privileges, we can completely suppress the Holt Family."

The privileges gained after entering the Stellar Training Camp could be stacked with those of a Zhaoguang City councilor, while the privileges of councilors could not be stacked with one another.

This meant that even if the Holt Family had friends at the councilor level helping them, they would still be unable to escape the fate of being suppressed by the Royce Family's privileges.

"Endure! We still need to endure a while longer, until Eleven officially enters the Stellar Training Camp."

Royce forcibly suppressed his urge to take revenge on the Holt Family.

Afterward, the two contacted the family settlement. After discussing it, they decided to keep the news under wraps and act immediately once the privileges came through.

After finishing his conversation with the three elders, Li Qi returned to his familiar family tent.

Once he was home and had spent some time with his father and mother, he naturally could not avoid being nagged.

"You really are something. You came home without even telling us in advance..."

Listening to his mother's nagging, Li Qi smiled apologetically without saying a word, feeling that his family was as warm and dear as ever.

Early the next morning, Li Qi woke up and looked at the familiar tent roof, feeling utterly at ease.

This was his second day back with the family. There were still twelve days before he left Kuka Planet for the Stellar Training Camp.

After washing up, he headed out, intending to eat at the dining tent.

"Brother Eleven!"

The moment he stepped out of the tent, a tiny figure came sprinting toward him. With her arms spread wide, she threw herself around his leg.

Li Qi looked closely and saw that it was the soft, adorable Little Eighteen.

Clinging to his leg, Little Eighteen raised her head. Tear tracks stained her chubby little face.

Her voice trembled with tears. "Brother Eleven, I thought you disappeared again, just like Big Brother."

Looking down at the little girl hugging his leg, Li Qi bent down and picked her up. "How could I?"

"But last time you did!"

Little Eighteen's eyes were moist. She was a little angry, her cheeks flushed red.

She remembered how Brother Eleven had suddenly disappeared last time. She had looked for him for so long and cried for so long.

"Not this time," Li Qi said gently. "Have you eaten yet?"

"No." Little Eighteen lay against her brother's chest, aggrieved. "I'm hungry."

"Come on, let's go have breakfast."

Carrying Little Eighteen, Li Qi went to the family dining tent.

After breakfast, Little Eighteen clung to him, and he became the children's leader, taking several younger brothers and sisters everywhere to play wildly. He did so for several days in a row.

A few days later, Sixth Father Garibuel came to find Li Qi.

On a small hill, Li Qi lay in the grass with one hand beneath his head, gazing up at the azure sky. Garibuel sat beside him.

"Eleven, the Stellar Training Camp is dangerous, isn't it?"

Li Qi abruptly sat up and turned to look at Garibuel, his expression slightly surprised. "Sixth Father, what did you say?"

"The Stellar Training Camp is dangerous, isn't it?"

Garibuel looked into the distance. "You know, your Second Father died during a trial mission at the Stellar Training Camp."

"That was just an accident!"

Li Qi did not want to discuss the Stellar Training Camp with his family, so he emphasized, "Second Father was murdered!"

"I've been teaching you ever since you awakened your psychic power."

Garibuel said blandly, "I watched you grow up. You can't fool me."

Li Qi fell silent and gazed at the distant sky. That was as good as an admission.

"I noticed something was off before. Second Brother..."

Garibuel murmured, "Now I finally understand."

After those words, neither of them spoke again, as though waiting for the other to speak first.

After a long while, Garibuel spoke first. "If it really comes to it, don't go to the Stellar Training Camp. Stay on Kuka Planet."

"No!" Li Qi refused without hesitation. "I have to go to the Stellar Training Camp."

Hearing this, Garibuel stared into the distance. Only after a long time did he sigh. "As expected, Little One's death affected you deeply.

"I respect your decision. The family respects your decision too."

"The family? Could it be..."

Li Qi's heart jolted. He abruptly turned toward Sixth Father and hurriedly asked, "My father and mother know too?"

"It wasn't hard to guess." Garibuel turned to look at him.

"I thought..."

Li Qi's tone was self-mocking and bitter. He had been deceiving himself.

"They are the people closest to you, and they know you best, so they respect your decision.

"The universe isn't Kuka Planet. On Kuka Planet, the Kuka Star Empire forbids people from killing one another, but things are different in the universe."

Garibuel said, "Think things through before you act. Just like your Second Father and Big Brother, ask yourself before doing anything: is it worth it?"

He patted Li Qi on the shoulder. "You should think about it carefully."

He rose and was about to leave, but then stopped. With his back to Li Qi, he said, "Little One must have thought about it for a long time before making that decision. He believed it was worth it!"

After saying that, Garibuel flew back to the family settlement in the valley.

Is it worth it?

Left alone on the small hill, Li Qi recalled the final image of his eldest brother and came to a realization.

This is telling me to follow my heart when making choices, to have something I am determined to stand by!

Only now did Li Qi understand why Sixth Father had come.

Sixth Father understood him. He knew Li Qi would not change his decision. The reason he had come today was simply to enlighten him.

Once I leave this time, I don't know when I'll be able to return...

From the small hill, he looked down at the little valley where his family lived. It was beautiful. Nothing could be more beautiful than this!

And Father! Mother!

Thinking of his parents, guilt rose in Li Qi's heart.

No parents wanted their child to risk life and death, but he had no choice but to go!

At the Royce Family settlement, Garibuel returned and entered his eldest brother Huo Lu's tent.

Before he could speak, Huo Lu asked, "Eleven still decided to go, didn't he?"

"Yes."

"The Stellar Training Camp is dangerous, isn't it? I mean the kind of dangerous with a high mortality rate."

Garibuel did not answer. He turned and walked out of the tent, leaving only a sigh behind him.

"I understand. I'll tell Father and Third."

After leaving, Garibuel returned to his own tent. He was somewhat dissatisfied with his eldest brother's management of the family, especially this time.

His eldest brother was very intelligent and could reconstruct the truth of certain matters from the slightest clues, but his temperament was too gentle and honest. He was not suited to being in charge!

Li Qi returned home and saw his parents, worried yet pretending nothing was wrong. It made him feel terrible.

But he could not expose it. He could only do his best to make them happy, even if it was only temporary.

In this way, time passed day by day as he kept his family company. Less than an hour remained before the spaceship arrived.

That night, Li Qi sent Little Eighteen and Little Nineteen home after they had exhausted all their energy playing wildly for the day and fallen asleep peacefully.

When he returned home, he noticed that his parents were in low spirits.

Because they knew their child would leave tomorrow, leaving Kuka Planet for the Stellar Training Camp in the universe.

"When will the spaceship arrive?" his father Derrick asked.

"It should be soon. I'll be notified on my communicator when it arrives."

"Mm."

Derrick asked no more. He merely nodded slightly to show that he understood.

Seeing that his father had fallen silent, Li Qi walked over to his mother, who was sitting by the bed sorting clothes, and gently hugged her. "Mother, I'm leaving."

Her gentle voice was filled with deep reluctance. "Little Eleven, protect yourself out there."

"Mm, I will." Li Qi released her and answered.

Suddenly, he felt the communicator on his wrist vibrate. "The spaceship is here."

He picked up the bag containing his clothes and turned around. "I have to go."

His mother stood up. Besides reluctance, her face held the sorrow of parting.

With his bag in hand, Li Qi walked to the entrance and stopped.

He turned to Derrick and forced out a smile. "Father, I hope that when I come back next time, I'll see a younger brother or sister—preferably more than one."

Without waiting for Derrick's answer, he walked out of the tent and shot into the sky...

End of Volume Two.