You're Only a Loli~

Sparta suddenly recalled something Jayce had said last night.

"The higher-ups have been making big moves lately."

But before anything was confirmed, he could not be sure whether the meeting above was related to this matter.

Sparta spoke casually.

"Maybe it's just an ordinary meeting."

"By the way, have you made any new friends during your time in the Recruit Company? Don't tell me you're still hung up on me?"

He had not forgotten that when they had first entered the Recruit Company, Duken had stubbornly insisted on becoming his friend.

Duken scratched his bald, egg-like head with a foolish grin, looking somewhat embarrassed.

"Not yet. Everyone in the Recruit Company is pretty cold. You're the only one who talks to me."

"I heard your squad went on a mission. I haven't gone on one before. What is the world outside the Empire like?"

Within the Recruit Company, only a handful of squads had taken part in missions. Clearly, his squad was not among them.

Unless they went out on missions, all Viltrumites could only live within the Viltrumite Empire for their entire lives.

Leaving the Empire without authorization was a serious crime and would be judged as treason.

After thinking it over, Sparta described what he had encountered yesterday.

"The outside world... is vast. There are many beautiful planets and unknown races."

"If I hadn't seen them myself, I wouldn't have believed there were races in the universe with mouthparts so large they covered nearly half their faces."

"Compared to us, their emotional worlds are much richer. They feel joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness. They also feel fear."

Listening to Sparta's description, Duken became endlessly curious about the world beyond the Empire, especially the part about rich emotions.

"I know joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness, but what does fear feel like?"

Sparta's face showed surprise at those words, and he asked in confusion.

"Have you ever been afraid? Or felt fear?"

Duken placed a hand on his chin, adopting the pose of a thinker, before finally shaking his head.

"No."

Sparta asked again.

"During the Coming-of-Age Trial, didn't you ever think you might die?"

To be honest, he had been terrified during his own trial.

The contents of the trial had been utterly brutal. One moment of carelessness could get someone killed on the spot. Claiming he had not been afraid would have been a lie.

Fearing death was normal.

Yet Duken still shook his head, his expression carrying a trace of confusion and bewilderment.

"Death? Why should I fear death?"

He asked the question back, his tone calm as though it were only natural.

"Isn't dying for the Empire an honor? If I fail the trial, it only means I'm not strong enough and unworthy of being an Empire warrior."

Sparta opened his mouth, unsure how to respond.

Why did everyone view death as an honor to be accepted without question?

This rotten culture had always harmed the Empire's aspiring youth.

After pondering for a while, Sparta could not help asking.

"Why do you think that way?"

Duken watched Sparta with a suspicious gaze.

"Because my father and mother both said so, and everyone else around me thinks the same way."

"Don't you think so too?"

Think my ass.

Sparta rolled his eyes inwardly. He had no intention of dying for some bullshit Empire honor.

He was a Viltrumite, a Viltrumite with his own personality.

Although his father, Eric, often warned him to be loyal to the Empire and defend its honor even at the cost of his life.

Sparta had never been able to understand that almost fanatical spirit of sacrifice.

The Viltrumite Empire was not an Empire at all. It was a massive brainwashing factory, and everyone was merely a tool conditioned by the Empire.

After a moment of silence, he decided to tentatively guide Duken toward independent thought.

"If one day a great purge happened within the Empire, and we were ordered to kill each other... would you carry out the order?"

Sparta lowered his voice and swept his gaze through the corridor to make sure no one was around.

For the first time, Duken frowned. Without any thought or hesitation, he answered.

"The Empire would never issue a wrong order."

"If a purge truly happened one day, it would certainly have been carefully considered by the Emperor. I would carry out the order without hesitation."

Sparta pressed on, adding to the question.

"What if I were your opponent? Would you kill me for the sake of an order?"

This time, Duken hesitated. He did not answer immediately, instead lowering his eyes in thought.

After a long while, his gaze returned to Sparta. With a serious expression, he nodded heavily.

"I would."

Just as Sparta was at a loss for words, Duken continued.

"I hope you'll be strong enough to defeat me by then, so you won't have to die."

Seeing Duken's earnest expression, a complicated ripple rose in Sparta's heart.

"Don't take it so seriously. It's only a hypothetical."

The moment he finished speaking, the seriousness vanished from Duken's face, replaced by his harmless smile. His two rows of bright white teeth gleamed against his dark skin.

Seeing this, Sparta muttered inwardly.

This guy's emotions come fast and go fast.

Duken gave him the mistaken impression of being some landlord's foolish son.

He reached out and patted Duken's muscular shoulder, speaking gently.

"Relax. That day will never come."

"Even if it does, I'll beat you until you piss your pants. You're still twenty thousand years too early if you think you can kill me."

"In my eyes, your strength in the Military Department only qualifies you as a loli~."

Although Sparta sometimes claimed he did not have the strength to truss a chicken.

In a one-on-one fight, he was confident he could defeat most of his fellow Viltrumites.

No matter how strong Duken was, could he really be stronger than Sparta, who trained relentlessly every day?

Seeing Sparta so confident, Duken burst out laughing and immediately asked.

"Hahaha, then I'm relieved."

"And... what is a loli?"

Sparta blinked mysteriously, a sly curve rising at the corner of his lips as he answered in a low voice.

"It's a term often used across the universe. Only truly powerful people can be called lolis."

Duken suddenly understood. So that was what it meant. Didn't that mean Sparta was praising him for being powerful?

Thinking of that, he clenched his fists and said excitedly.

"Then I'll definitely become the strongest loli in the universe."

Sparta nearly choked. Though the corner of his mouth rose by perhaps a pixel, he still managed to keep a straight face.

"That's right, that's right. You'll definitely become the strongest loli in the universe."

Duken was deeply moved. As expected of the only person willing to be his friend—Sparta believed in him so much.

"Thank you for believing in me, Sparta."

Holding back his laughter, Sparta nodded lightly.

"No need to be so polite with me. After all, we're good friends."

In that relaxed atmosphere, the two chatted idly.

What Sparta did not know was this.

In the future, whether Duken encountered other Viltrumites or enemies.

Whenever he introduced himself, he would always say, "I'm Duken. I'm a loli."

Of course, that was a story for later.