Chapter 19

Nolan was calling.

After their last training session, Leon had left him his number before he left.

Had he been discovered?

Chapter 22: Carry Out the Officer's Orders Without Question

A little earlier.

"Ugh... It's starting to hurt again."

In the air, Nolan clutched his side and slowly descended into the yard.

"I'm back."

He brushed the dust from his suit. His wife, Debbie Grayson, pulled open the door and rushed into his arms.

She had just closed a major business deal and was currently on vacation.

"I haven't cleaned up—"

"Oh."

Seeing his wife throw herself into his embrace, Nolan's battle-hardened face instantly softened.

He wrapped an arm around her waist and kissed her again and again.

Worthy of his great reputation—what a perfect disguise!

"How did it go?"

"Nothing major. Darkwing's old enemy had a sharp mind and teamed up with the Mauler Twins to set a trap for us.

Then... then it was resolved, as always."

Debbie kissed Nolan on the face again.

"Now that this mission is over, does that mean you're on vacation?"

"Of course. Where do you think we should go? That sausage place in Berlin, or Paris's—"

"You should get out of that suit first, dear."

Tapping the emblem on Nolan's chest, Debbie took his hand and led him toward the stairs.

Then they stopped when they saw the news playing on the television.

"Oh, my God! Was this done by one of your old acquaintances?"

"No. I don't think I know anyone like this."

Nolan's gaze abruptly sharpened.

He had been on Earth for twenty years. He had remained loyal to the Empire and never forgotten his mission—

Conquest.

That was why he had cultivated ties with the Global Guardians and the Global Defense Agency.

He needed to grasp this planet's capacity for resistance. Ideally, when the time came, he would wipe them out without a sound.

But Earth was a strange place.

Unlike the other planets he had conquered, bizarre superhumans kept appearing here.

Like the scene before him: the scar that ran straight across the power plant.

Based on the news report, Nolan contacted Immortal Man.

The other man sounded as abrasive as ever.

"Omni-Man, are you calling to mock me?"

"No. Why would you think that? I thought twenty years of friendship had proven what kind of person I am.

You know your enemies are my enemies. I just wanted to know what happened at the power plant."

"Sigh, all right..."

Immortal Man explained the events in detail and frankly admitted that he had let his temper get the better of him again.

"When I broke out of the rubble, I found the Electric Man barely alive. He really had come to help. I shouldn't have pressed him so hard."

He did not need to say any of that, but in a sense, he unexpectedly trusted Omni-Man.

What a dead tsundere.

But Nolan paid no attention to that. His focus was entirely on that chopping strike.

The timing matched. Had Leon done it?

It shouldn't have been possible. Nolan knew exactly how the Empire trained its people. He did not believe a Viltrumite warrior would disobey orders.

Besides, how could an eighteen-year-old use a hand strike to do something like that?

And he had just beaten the boy up. Didn't he know the extent of his strength?

Impossible. Absolutely impossible.

Thus, for the time being, he could only assume that hand strike had been some sort of gesture for releasing energy.

Now, he was increasingly glad that he had not trained Leon too harshly.

Earth's heroes emerged one after another. He truly needed to remain in good condition.

But since Leon was on his mind again, Nolan hesitated.

Should I talk to him?

He felt that the demands he had made out of resistance at the beginning had been a little too harsh on Leon.

Thinking back to when he had first arrived, he had caused plenty of trouble himself.

"What is it, dear?"

The attentive Debbie immediately noticed something was off with her husband and turned to take his hand.

"Uh, suppose—just suppose—I had a distant relative..."

After hesitating for a moment, Nolan finally spoke.

It was only a hypothetical situation. It did not count as leaking secrets.

And discussing how to better nurture new blood was also an act of loyalty to the Empire.

Naturally, Debbie was quite excited about the matter.

She had always been curious about her husband's hometown.

Her thoughtful advice, combined with Viltrum's lion-like way of thinking, eventually became the words Leon heard:

"Leon, let's talk somewhere else. On the Moon. Put on your battle suit."

Am I going to die?

Leon frowned slightly.

In the end, Leon still went.

First of all, he did not think Nolan would make a move against him.

The location was too close. It would cause too many complications.

And even if Nolan did attack, he could always fly back to Earth and self-destruct on the spot, muddying the waters.

If worse came to worst, his Noble Phantasm was also eager to test itself against the old bastard.

Soon, Nolan's communication came through. He was not far from Leon.

"There's no need to be nervous. I invited you here again only to add a few more explanations."

Looking at the young man maintaining a combat-ready stance before him, Nolan felt gratified.

"I didn't notice before that you have your own battle skirt. Of course, you're already an adult."

This was the mark of a Viltrumite entering military service as an adult.

And according to their customs, one could only choose a name after reaching adulthood.

Nolan remembered clearly that the day he received his was also the day the Scourge Virus descended.

"Did your parents conduct your coming-of-age ceremony?"

This was Viltrum. They spoke of a coming-of-age ceremony as though it were an execution—and in fact, it was.

"They were unavailable. General Craig and Anissa handled it."

"Oh?"

Surprise flashed through Nolan's eyes.

It was said that the coming-of-age ceremony held special meaning. Having parents carry it out was meant to sever completely the bonds that could so easily breed weakness.

For an exception to be made for Leon, he must have been incomparably loyal, enough to win over even his instructors.

"And now that you're on Earth..."

Faced with Nolan's question after question, Leon answered with great caution.

Viltrum did not have speech crimes, but it did have a hell for words.

There had been one in his class.

He had called the late emperor by the wrong name during a political education lesson and had been handed over by the instructor to Leon, the model student, for execution.

Even with only fifty pure-blooded Viltrumites left, they still raised newborns like venomous insects in a jar.

"Your performance has amazed me, new blood."

That was the truth. Within a week, Leon had obtained an identity, a residence, and even gone to school.

No matter what methods he had used, such speed was beyond Nolan's reach.

Could this child be a genius among Viltrumites?

Perhaps in the future, his intellect would be second only to the former king and the regent.

"But do you still remember our most urgent mission?"

Suppressing his amazement, Nolan spoke sternly.

"Of course, sir. We need to travel across the galaxy, find the species most genetically compatible with us, and strengthen the Empire."

"You know how similar Earthlings look to us. Do you know what that means?"

"They may have genetic compatibility with us, correct, sir?"

"Then you know what to do. Start trying with people your own age."

Nolan folded his arms.

It was a Viltrumite duty. He himself carried out this mission every day.

Debbie had said that children this age should spend time with their peers, so let him infiltrate properly.

Of course, my own child is another matter. Even if he awakens, if I find out anyone dares to...

Meanwhile, Leon was thinking:

Since the old man said it, it would be hard to justify refusing the order as a Viltrumite.

Mark still hasn't been found. Who knows whether Nolan in this universe is actually loyal or not?

Who should I start with? Marcia?

Perhaps because of their mixed-blood appearances, they felt a certain affinity for one another. After spending a week together at school, he did not dislike the girl.

So Leon answered firmly:

"Understood, sir."

Chapter 23: First Commission: Crossing Worlds