A Father-and-Son Talk, Bardock's Request

A Father-and-Son Talk, Bardock's Request

Watching Bardock leave, finally exiting the royal hall and disappearing from sight, King Vegeta's gaze grew increasingly terrifying.

The human heart was the most unfathomable thing.

Bardock had shown King Vegeta sufficient respect and loyalty.

Yet King Vegeta still regarded Bardock as a threat! In his eyes, Bardock had, in some sense, already threatened his position.

The fact that Low-Class Warriors alone revered him as a legend was a challenge to his authority.

Even Bardock himself did not know that he had merely wanted to do better, only for his achievements to be deemed too great for a subordinate.

Of course, the most crucial and primary reason was that Bardock was merely a Low-Class Warrior.

Not only in King Vegeta's eyes, but in the eyes of all elites and superiors, lower class was lower class. They did not even qualify to speak with them.

To those lofty elites and superiors, Low-Class Warriors were ants to be ordered around and toyed with at will.

"Hmph!! Once Frieza is dealt with, once I ascend the Throne of the Universe Emperor... that will be the time for a true reckoning." Killing intent flashed in King Vegeta's eyes before he swiftly concealed it.

If Bardock had not been powerful enough, if he had not still held sufficient value for him, he would never have allowed an uncontrollable subordinate to exist...

After leaving the Royal Palace, Bardock did not head home directly. Instead, he began searching for Raditz within the palace.

The time ahead was even tighter. He would be leaving in ten days, while Raditz would set out with Prince Vegeta in seven! So over the coming days, he had to teach him something every day.

Moreover, there were things he needed to discuss with Raditz alone. Preferably, even Gine would not know about them.

After wandering around for quite a while, Bardock finally found Raditz at the training ground on the outermost edge of the Royal Palace. He also saw Vegeta.

As a subordinate, even though his Battle Power had reached ten thousand, Bardock still had to respectfully address him as Prince.

As for everyone else, Bardock ignored them all.

For one thing, he possessed enough strength to look down on those Elite Warriors and superior warriors.

For another, he disdained associating with them.

Even if his son would be working under them for some time, King Vegeta had promised to ensure Raditz's safety, so none of them would dare act recklessly.

And if they did dare act recklessly, he would absolutely not let them off!

That was the intimidation brought by strength.

After taking Raditz away from the Royal Palace, Bardock spent the next few days effectively helping Raditz ask Vegeta for leave.

Otherwise, as Prince Vegeta's personal guard, Raditz had to remain by the Prince's side almost all the time, aside from the occasional break.

Vegeta would not refuse Bardock's request.

Of course, Raditz had just taken the initiative to request several days off, and Vegeta had not cared much about it.

To him, whether Raditz was by his side or not made no difference whatsoever.

At first, he had been quite puzzled as to why his father had arranged for someone his own age with a Battle Power of only a few hundred to remain by his side.

It was only later that he gradually came to understand his father's intentions.

Though Vegeta was only five years old, his mind was far beyond that of ordinary people.

As a Prince, he considered many things—not merely status, but most importantly, the level of one's Battle Power.

His high opinion of himself was inevitable, but he also knew his own limits.

Watching Bardock and Raditz depart, Vegeta's eyes held a glimmer that did not belong to someone his age, his expression grave.

One of his lackeys could not help but stir things up. "Prince, you shouldn't have shown that Bardock any kindness! He's getting more and more arrogant just because his Battle Power is high."

"That's right, Prince Vegeta! He didn't even show you any respect just now."

As the two superior warriors with Battle Power of three thousand spoke up, Vegeta's eyes sharpened.

However, they were not directed at the departing Bardock, but at the two men beside him. "If you have the guts, don't gossip behind his back! Acting like this only makes me think you're useless!"

With that, Vegeta turned and headed toward the main hall of the Royal Palace.

His Battle Power had long surpassed three thousand, so even without his status as Prince, he could take on the two of them head-on.

Mocked coldly by Vegeta, the two superior warriors' faces turned livid, utterly ugly.

It had to be said that Vegeta was more tolerant than King Vegeta and had a better eye for people.

Comparing Bardock with the useless trash at his side, he favored Bardock more, because Bardock was a Low-Class Warrior who had become strong purely through his own efforts! Strictly speaking, among Saiyan Low-Class Warriors, Bardock was also the only one Vegeta had remembered since childhood! Even in the later stages of the original Super Era, Vegeta had recalled Bardock.

Walking through the bustling streets of the Royal City, Bardock and Raditz observed the surrounding buildings and all manner of Aliens as they talked.

"According to what King Vegeta said, I'll be setting out with the Prince to Planet Rump in seven days?" After hearing Bardock's words, Raditz spoke in delight.

He had long been looking forward to this day as well.

He did not know that this expedition would mark the beginning of his tragic life.

"In seven days, you will set out with the Prince's elite unit. A few days after you leave, I will also be carrying out a new mission.

"Raditz! You are my son. As my son, you will have to bear pressure far beyond what ordinary Saiyans endure! During your time at the Prince's side, I think you should already know just how cruel our Saiyan race is.

"Actually, every race is the same. The strong survive, and the weak are eliminated!..."

Bardock rarely spoke so earnestly.

But now, to his own son, he had to instill some important principles in him.

Perhaps he sensed something in the depths of his heart? Or perhaps Bardock had long wanted to tell his son these things, but had never had the time before—or perhaps Raditz had been too young, and there had been no point in saying them.

"Dad, the way you are today is a little..." Raditz was momentarily bewildered, unable to put into words what was wrong with his father.

Bardock smiled gently and reached out to rub Raditz's head. "Strange, right? You may not understand some things if I tell you now, but you will in the future! You will slowly grow up, and you will walk your own path."

Raditz nodded vaguely.

Bardock said many more things to him. Since Raditz's birth, this had been an experience unlike any he had ever had.

For the first time, father and son talked so much.

Only after Bardock had said everything did he leave Raditz with one final sentence: "If I am no longer around, then your mother, your younger brother, and Talot will be entrusted to you."