On the highway leading to Yingtai Advanced Nurturing High School, a streamlined, obsidian-black Dawn limousine sped smoothly along.
Outside the windows, the bustling city rapidly fell away, gradually giving way to the broad green expanses of the countryside.
The interior was spacious, comparable to a small living room.
Fine leather, solid wood paneling, and dark metal created an understated yet luxurious atmosphere that felt both sturdy and secure.
The air circulation system sent out a gentle breeze at a comfortable temperature, carrying a faint, fresh botanical scent.
Liu Zheng sat back on a wide leather sofa with his eyes closed, apparently dozing.
The Yingtai Advanced Nurturing High School uniform he wore—a red blazer, white shirt, and green trousers—was crisp and new, yet it seemed unable to fully contain the sharp, weathered air about him, so out of place in a school.
He murmured the heart of the mission under his breath, repeating it unconsciously. "S System... Supreme Masterpiece..."
His lashes fluttered, and he opened his eyes.
The first thing he saw was the soft fabric of a dark pleated skirt, with the edges of a white shirt and red blazer above it.
His gaze shifted slightly upward and met a pair of purple eyes, calm and deep as a still pool.
Runa Inoue was looking down at him, her head slightly bowed. A few strands of her long black hair had slipped over her shoulder. Her cool, composed bearing was like an orchid quietly blooming in the morning mist of a mountain valley.
"Your Highness, you're awake."
Her voice was steady, betraying little emotion. She simply reached out a slightly cool hand and gently, quite naturally, smoothed the unruly strands of hair on Liu Zheng's forehead.
"We're still some distance from our destination. You can rest a little longer."
The girl's crisp scent reached his nose, a cool fragrance mingled with faint soapberry and something he couldn't quite describe. Liu Zheng's thoughts, tightened by the mission, suddenly relaxed.
He also became fully aware of his current position: his head was resting on Runa Inoue's legs, pressed together beneath her black stockings, enjoying what was known as a "lap pillow."
"See? See? I told you, Takina, your body temperature is too low. His Highness was bound to wake up from the cold!"
A lively voice rang out at once, like notes dancing in the sunlight. It held undisguised triumph at having "known it all along," along with a hint of frustration.
"You should've let me take over earlier! My temperature would've been just right!"
Liu Zheng turned his head slightly toward the source of the voice.
Across from him, by the window, a girl with short platinum-blond hair was almost entirely bathed in the sunlight. Her strands shimmered like flecks of gold, and her ruby-red eyes sparkled as she puffed out her cheeks at him, like a lively sunflower.
It was Chisato Nishikigi.
Her uniform matched Takina's: a red blazer, white shirt, blue bow, and white pleated skirt with black trim. Yet she wore it as if she might spring into motion at any moment.
"Chisato, your theory is incorrect."
Runa Inoue's expression did not change as she stated this in her usual even tone.
"Your body temperature tends to rise when you get excited, and you can't sit still. If His Highness used your lap as a pillow, he'd be more likely to 'wake up from the heat' or 'wake up from all the jostling.'"
"That's totally biased, Takina!"
Chisato Nishikigi immediately protested, leaning forward and gesturing with her fingers. "It's only because you were sitting closest to His Highness and grabbed the best spot! Otherwise, I'd definitely have been picked!"
"That's merely a scenario you've imagined."
Runa Inoue replied briefly, her gaze returning to Liu Zheng's face. She seemed to pay Chisato's protests no mind at all.
"Hey, you two, could you keep it down a little?"
A voice that sounded both rather languid and as clear as electronic equipment cut in.
In a single seat on the other side of the car, the little girl with flaxen hair—Walnut—was holding a slim laptop that looked anything but ordinary, her fingers tapping away at the keyboard.
She wore a black bow headband. Her blue eyes were fixed on the screen through her blue-light-blocking glasses as she spoke without looking up. "The noise level is rising. It'll interfere with His Highness's rest and with my information-filtering efficiency."
"Yeah, it is a little 'noisy'..."
Liu Zheng finally spoke. His voice was slightly hoarse from sleep, but the corners of his mouth lifted despite himself.
"I'm very sorry, Your Highness. I was out of line."
Runa Inoue replied immediately, a trace of chagrin flashing in her purple eyes.
"No, no, Your Highness, blame me. I shouldn't have argued with Takina!"
Chisato Nishikigi hurriedly waved her hands, her usual liveliness replaced by a sincere apology.
"You two..."
Liu Zheng chuckled and raised a hand to rub his temple. "Why are you so nervous? We've been friends since we were kids—back when we used to run around naked... I mean, since we grew up together."
He corrected himself in time. Noticing Runa Inoue's slightly reddened ears and Chisato's suddenly widened eyes, he smiled even more broadly. "When I said 'noisy,' I meant 'nostalgic.'"
He shifted slightly to get more comfortable against Takina's lap and looked over the three girls before him.
"Usually, we're either crawling through a hail of bullets, rolling around in the mud out in the wilderness, or dealing with all kinds of demons and monsters... It's been a long time since we've sat quietly in a car like this and listened to you 'bicker.' How long has it been since the four of us were together like this, just talking?"
"Hmm..."
Chisato Nishikigi counted on her fingers, her blond hair swaying as she tilted her head. "It must've been... eight years, right?"
"Yes. Eight years,"
Runa Inoue confirmed softly, her gaze distant.
"Before His Highness's eighth birthday, we still saw each other often, despite the occasional mission. But after his birthday... we could count the number of times we saw him on our fingers."
"Every time, it was only for a hurried meeting. His Highness was always hurt or visibly exhausted, and then he'd leave for somewhere else soon after."
Runa Inoue said.
"Precisely 2,928 days and 16 hours."
Walnut finally looked up from her screen. Her blue eyes fixed precisely on Liu Zheng as she gave the figure.
"Counting from the seventh day after His Highness's eighth birthday up until our departure today. A total of roughly eight years and one month. It has indeed been a very long time since the four of us had a gathering that wasn't a mission briefing."
Walnut said.
"So it really has been that long."
Liu Zheng let out a quiet breath, something tender inside him stirred.
"No wonder it feels so... nostalgic. But..."
His tone grew resolute and warm as his gaze passed over three distinctive faces, each filled with the same concern.
"Not anymore. This is our last mission. Once it's over, we won't have to be apart again. And being together like this counts, too."
Liu Zheng said.
"That's right!"
Chisato Nishikigi immediately brightened again, brimming with energy as she clenched her fist.
"I finally get to work alongside His Highness on this mission! The etiquette, tea ceremony, flower arrangement, hand-to-hand combat, and marksmanship the palace governesses taught me... I've mastered them all. Even medical abilities! Lately, I've been studying courses on mind control, too. The power of life is so incredible, and I've been waiting for the day I can really help His Highness!"
"Don't worry, Your Highness. If any fools dare cause trouble this time, leave them all to me. I'll make sure they disappear without a trace!"
Chisato Nishikigi said.
"Chisato is right."
Runa Inoue nodded, a sharp, blade-like glint flashing in her purple eyes.
"We'll be the sharpest blades in Your Highness's hands. My spatial ability will clear the way for you. At last... I won't have to stand at a distance and watch you shoulder everything alone."
Runa Inoue said.
"His Majesty's orders are clear. This time, we're permitted to support His Highness with all our strength."
Walnut adjusted her glasses, her tone unmistakably serious.
"So, Your Highness, please don't try to shoulder every danger and burden alone, as you used to. My database and analytical skills are here to serve you."
"In the electronic sea of stars, I'm invincible."
Walnut said.
Seeing the girls' unreserved loyalty and trust, and the emotions that had only grown more intense after their long separation, Liu Zheng felt his chest fill with something warm and reassuring.
The last trace of mission-induced solemnity faded from his face, replaced by a genuine, relaxed, and happy smile.
"Mm, I understand."
He spoke softly, his voice gentler and more resolute than ever. "Thank you... my maids, and most importantly, my family."
Outside the window, the scenery flashed by as the stage known as Yingtai Advanced Nurturing High School drew closer and closer.
Inside the car, the four, reunited after eight years, traveled toward the unknown three years ahead, their hearts full of complicated feelings.
There was the warmth of their reunion, wariness toward their new surroundings, focus on the mission, and a subtle, barely perceptible anticipation of the "ordinary" school life about to begin.
The luxury car glided silently into a private entrance. In the distance, the cluster of school buildings, home to elites and secrets and hailed as a "cradle for future leaders," was already coming into view.