Valerian's Hero Uncle
The garden, Pasteur Villa.
The gardens of the Pasteur Villa are home to over a thousand species of alien plants, creating a beautiful world of birdsong and fragrant flowers, with fresh air and a serene environment. The average lifespan of the Umojan is much longer than that of the Terrans and Kel-Morian, thanks to the community's comprehensive environmental protection and advanced medical technology.
During his stay at the Pasteur Villa in Augustus, he increasingly felt the positive effects of the beautiful environment of Umojan on his mind, body, and health.
Compared to Tarsonis or Korhal IV, Umojan was not initially a suitable garden world for human habitation. Extreme and harsh weather would periodically ravage human homes, making land resources on this planet extremely scarce. However, this situation has been significantly improved with the advancement of technology and breakthroughs in anti-gravity technology.
"I'm sorry, Uncle." Seven-year-old Valerian was panting, his forehead covered in sweat. He was wearing a white training uniform with a black belt around his waist, and his trembling hand held a small wooden sword.
At this time, Valerian was very thin. He was so thin that he was almost small, with little muscle in his hands and legs, and looked as delicate as a little girl. Valerian's skin was as white and tender as tofu or condensed milk, and his already feminine face was flushed red from the strenuous exercise.
Augustus saw himself in Valerian, not in his father Arcturus, who was agile and could chase after the steward from a young age.
"Grasp your sword again, little Vallée. This is your own choice. You are determined to follow in your father's footsteps, so before that, train your body to be strong." Augustus called his nephew by his nickname, which Katherine sometimes Augustus used.
"When you come of age, the Koprulu Sector will enter its most chaotic period in countless ages. You will fight against humanity's enemies, you will travel between star systems, you will fight alongside your friends, and you will die for those you love and those who love you."
"What should I do?" Valerian gripped the wooden sword tightly, looking into his uncle's cold, grey eyes, which were almost identical to his own.
Valerian idolized this man.
His uncle Augustus Mengsk, was a soldier, a brave and selfless warrior whose ideals lay beyond all the stars Valerian had seen in the night sky.
Augustus let Valerian make his own choice: whether to continue living carefree under his mother's wing or to strive for his own dreams. It seemed too hasty, even irresponsible, to let such a young child make a decision about his entire life, but Augustus believed his nephew was extraordinary.
Exploring the stars is far less romantic than depicted in anthologies of cosmic poetry. The harsh natural environments of alien planets, wild beasts, and terrifying and dangerous cosmic phenomena can all turn an exploration Fleets into metal wreckage floating in space.
Adventurers need both a clever mind and the skills to fight unknown enemies and dangers. Reality taught Valerian that he only had the ability to protect himself forever.
Valerian is fascinated by the mysterious knowledge of extraterrestrials, but his uncle tells him that sometimes alien relics and valuable knowledge must be seized or defended by force. The real starry sky is cruel, and humanity, content in its corner of the world, just happens to live in a comfortable garden world.
A true adventurer must be both a learned scholar and a brave and skilled warrior.
"Should I kill those aliens?" Valerian knew his uncle was one of the few who truly believed in the existence of aliens.
In the past, due to his mother's education, Valerian did not even know the meaning of death or war. He only read books on history, geography, and literature, and thought that the starry sky was a beautiful, pure, and fantastical world.
"We will conquer the world by war, but remember that the means to achieve our goals are not limited to war." Augustus, "Use your wisdom and wit, form alliances with friends, and fight to the death with your enemies."
Augustus spoke, he swung his wooden sword at Valerian. The latter deftly twisted his wrist and blocked the blow with a horizontal parry, but the powerful force still knocked him to the ground. Valerian, his face flushed red, immediately showed a look of shame.
"You've done very well." Augustus put down his sword, helped Valerian up, and comforted him, saying, "You are very quick and can master swordsmanship techniques just like your father. You have great talent. Now all you need is a strong body."
"But I can't do anything right," Valerian said. "At first, I couldn't even hold a wooden sword properly. I'm not fast; I get out of breath after just a short distance. I'm too much like a girl, and people look down on me for that. I like to read, and people think I'm just a bookworm."
"No, you are excellent." At this moment, Augustus picked up Valerian and placed him on his shoulder— Valerian was very light, so Augustus could still hold him like a baby. "If you are serious, you can do everything very well."
"If you cannot hold your sword, or cannot swing it powerfully, then swing it ten thousand times. If you run every day, you will become faster and faster. Reading is for enriching your knowledge and increasing your wisdom," Augustus said gently.
"If anyone calls you a sissy or a girl, then knock them all down."
"Oh, but that's too rude. My grandmother and mother don't like me fighting with other people." Valerian nodded as if he understood.
"What if my father said that?"
"..." Augustus was walking in the garden with Valerian on his back when he suddenly stopped and fell into deep thought, "Perhaps you are not his match now, but you can wait until you grow up and one day be able to defeat him."
"Oh!" In just a few days, Augustus had become Valerian's idol.
This elder, sometimes strict and sometimes gentle, almost perfectly matched young Valerian's ideal image of a father. Augustus had high expectations of Valerian, but he never forced him to do things he didn't like.
Augustus patient; he would even stay by Valerian's side and play childish Game with him, taking him through the beautiful countryside of Umojan and pastures where livestock were raised, spending the whole day with him.
This period was the happiest time of Valerian's life; he deeply loved and respected his uncle.
Valerian was hardly looking forward to seeing his father anymore.
The uncle and nephew continued to talk and stroll in the garden until noon. Just as they were about to return to the Pasteur residence for lunch, a member of the Umojan Protectorate stationed there found Augustus.
The words spoken by the Umojan soldier, clad in white Power Armor with a pale blue glow emanating from the joints of the armor plates and his helmet, filled Augustus with ecstasy:
A Behemoth-class Battlecruiser from the Terran Confederacy has just crashed on a hot planet near Umojan due to a navigation system malfunction, and the Umojan Protectorate is deploying ships to that planet.
This is fantastic news, because neither Korhal nor Umojan currently possesses the complete technology to build battlecruisers.