Valerian's Letter

A mighty ruler of his generation, Conqueror, Great One, Friend of the Protoss—titles ten times more insulting and derogatory than those would roll off his tongue like he was reading off a menu whenever he invoked the title of Emperor Augustus. Yet few people ever saw him grinning like a fool, which showed just how pleased with himself he was right now.

Then again, considering this was the man who privately joked that he was the "cultured and martial, wise and mighty, guiding light of the Terrans, Emperor," he probably had never been a particularly serious person at heart.

At that, Arcturus could only wear a speechless expression and drain his glass in one gulp.

When Arcturus was young, he often exchanged letters with his siblings while stationed in military camps. Augustus had clearly been influenced by him in that regard. But there was one thing they had in common: neither of them ever wrote to their father.

Arcturus and Valerian did not have a particularly good relationship, nor could it be called bad. He strove to give his son the finest education and resources, yet cared little about anything else.

That was Arcturus Mengsk. He was the sort of man accustomed to imposing his will upon others, and so he loathed the weakness Valerian had displayed as a child.

Arcturus had told his brother Augustus that he had to teach a deer to hunt and eat meat the way one raised a lion. The Mengsk Family were wolves; they could not be pansies.

Augustus, meanwhile, had said that being a little Gray Gray in a family of wolves was not so bad. Eating grass was good—grass would not leave you starving. Unfortunately, his older brother truly did not understand that ancient joke.

Throughout Valerian's upbringing, Augustus had always played