"Does the admiral really hate Omegas?"
Shen Que closed his terminal and asked Anya.
The Fourth Fleet was the only one of the Empire's Seven Fleets without a commander.
Apparently, it had once had one-an Omega, no less-but after Pei Ji reduced him to tears in front of the Empress, he transferred out the very next day.
"I wouldn't say he hates them..."
Anya recalled Demi's assessment of the admiral.
"He's just a bit... chauvinistic."
"Is that so?"
Shen Que stopped to rest for a moment.
He walked very slowly, and the Fallen Star Palace was enormous.
The smooth marble floor reflected the intricate openwork patterns on the walls.
Several times, Shen Que nearly fell on the perfectly level floor from sheer weakness, only for Anya to catch him.
"Sir, why don't you let me support you?" Anya asked quietly.
"No need."
Again, his tone left no room for argument.
Feeling thoroughly defeated, Anya watched her master straighten his clothes and turn his stubborn, proud back on her.
Shen Que had almost no hopes for this arranged marriage.
It was a match orchestrated by AI, a set of shackles he had no choice but to wear.
He did not like Pei Ji, and Pei Ji, as luck would have it, seemed to dislike him too.
But Shen Que had prepared himself to accept everything.
If Pei Ji was willing to accept him, he would fulfill his duties as an Omega, whether that meant bonding with an Alpha or... bearing children.
He could do either.
If Pei Ji refused, there was nothing he could do.
He could not force a man so blessed by fate to accept a frail, impaired Omega.
After all, all he had now was the empty title of commander.
Status, standing, power, even a healthy body.
He had none of them.
This marriage was the only thing he had left.
The Empress's words before his departure still echoed in his ears.
Like needles, they pierced his heart.
"Stay alive, Shen Que."
"You are Messiah’s Blade."
"You must stay alive."
It was the Empress's command. For the sake of the responsibility he shouldered, what did surrendering his body matter?
The training ground stood on the left side of the Fallen Star Palace, separated by a long corridor from the main hall with its staggered towers and domes.
Built specifically for the admiral, it used cutting-edge holographic technology capable of simulating a battlefield under any conditions.
The doors opened automatically, and heat rose from the sand inside.
Pei Ji had chosen the desert terrain he excelled in.
Hundred-meter-long sandworms burst from the ground, baring rows upon rows of sharp teeth in the howling wind.
A pitch-black medium-sized mech flipped nimbly between the enormous monsters, then launched upward like lightning.
Small missiles shot from its wings, striking precisely beneath the sandworms' raised eyelids.
The 3S-class Mecha, Devour Heaven!
Shen Que recognized it at a glance.
There were only seven 3S-class Mecha in the entire Icarus Galaxy, and Devour Heaven was one of them.
Its entire body was crafted from high-precision sand gold, with rare crystalline sand gold used for its joints.
Its shell alone could buy an entire small asteroid on the fringes of the galaxy.
And that was not even the most outrageous part.
What was even more outrageous was this:
The synapses connecting this Mecha to its pilot's nervous system were not made using biomimetic technology. They had been harvested from the Sea of Life and painstakingly crafted by hand by twelve 3S-class Mecha engineers.
Apparently, Pei Li had dumped tons of Starcoin outside the Mecha research center, forcing those elite engineers to swallow their pride and work on it for seven days and seven nights.
Every synapse had been precisely adjusted by hand to transmit even the pilot's subtlest commands to the fullest possible extent.
In interviews afterward, every engineer whose name appeared among its creators covered their face in shame.
"I've never done such low-end assembly-line work in my life."
"But he paid far too much to refuse!"
This priceless treasure.
It had been Pei Li's coming-of-age gift to Pei Ji.
"The galaxy owes me a dad."
That was what the adjutant reviewing the files with Shen Que had remarked at the time.
Never expecting to see it in person one day, Shen Que stared at the black Mecha in fascination.
His fingers trembled slightly.
It had been... a very long time since he had piloted a Mecha.
Naturally, Pei Ji had spotted Shen Que the instant he entered.
His hawk-sharp eyes never missed the slightest change on a battlefield.
Even if that change was nothing more than a curious little bird.
Today, Shen Que wore the clothes Demi had prepared, designed by one of White Sand Star's finest fashion designers.
A wide-sleeved shirt with a pigeon-blood-red gemstone hanging at the collar, black trousers, and tall riding boots.
The expertly tailored clothes flattered his figure perfectly.
So handsome.
Pei Ji was very pleased with his commander's outfit.
He caught the Omega's intent gaze.
The Alpha's lips curved into a broad grin.
Devour Heaven beat its wings and began performing even flashier flips.
Small missiles, light projectiles, homing missiles... before long, the explosions bloomed across the arena like a flower.
Shen Que frowned slightly.
"That's far too wasteful of ammunition."
"On a real desert battlefield, such aggressive tactics would attract more sandworms. If they came out in force, it would put the operation at a serious disadvantage."
Anya said, "...Sir, is it possible that the admiral is just showing off?"
Within minutes, the sandworms had been blasted to pieces.
The holograms vanished, revealing cold walls and floor tiles.
Devour Heaven landed in front of Shen Que.
Pei Ji strode out of the Mecha and walked up to Shen Que.
"You're awake, Sleeping Beauty?"
Shen Que frowned.
He disliked such a frivolous form of address, but he did not object. He simply replied, "Good morning, Admiral."
Pei Ji folded his arms and looked over the now-awake Omega.
He's so thin.
It had not been so obvious when he was lying down yesterday. Pei Ji had only noticed that holding him felt a little bony. Seeing him standing today, he realized how absurdly thin he was.
"Have you had breakfast?" he asked.
"Not yet," Shen Que said, lowering his eyes. "I was... waiting for you."
"Waiting for me?" Pei Ji's heart promptly skipped a beat.
The Omega's eyes were lowered, his long lashes concealing his cool gaze. He looked so docile.
A delicious itch stirred in Pei Ji's heart.
Heh... he even knows to wait for me before eating.
My husband has me in his heart.
All that care I gave him yesterday wasn't wasted.
Shen Que could not tolerate being marked. Pei Ji had instructed every servant who knew not to tell him unless Shen Que himself asked.
The Omega already suffered from neurasthenia and poor sleep.
His injuries and illnesses were cruel enough.
Besides...
Coming from Pei Ji, telling him he could not be marked would sound as though he was blaming the Omega.
In a marriage without any emotional foundation, just because he was willing to give something did not mean the other person wanted it.
The man before him had a decent complexion. He did not seem happy, but he did not seem unhappy either.
His eyes had shone while watching Pei Ji train, too.
I wonder if that display swept him off his feet...
Pei Ji, poised to fan his peacock tail, abruptly leaned close to Shen Que.
"Commander, how was my fighting just now? Give me your assessment."
Shen Que gave him a calm look.
"Very good."
"Very good? That's far too perfunctory." Pei Ji was dissatisfied. "Say a little more."
Had Demi been there, she would surely have thoughtfully reminded her master that the admiral was fishing for compliments.
He had been using this peacock display since he was three, and he was still every bit as shameless.
But Demi was busy preparing breakfast with old Hall.
And Anya had little mastery of the art of conversation.
So Shen Que paused in slight surprise, then asked for confirmation, "You're sure... you want my assessment?"
"Go ahead." Pei Ji, the great demon king, assumed a posture of attentive listening.
"Hmm..." Shen Que rubbed his chin with his fingertips.
It was a gesture of serious contemplation.
When he raised his eyes again, a hint of sternness flashed through them.
"Overall, your handling was reasonably smooth."
"But you wasted too much ammunition, and your strikes weren't precise enough."
Pei Ji, who had been waiting for praise: "?"
"Admiral, you instinctively veer left when evading attacks, causing both wings to tilt roughly three degrees too far.
"Then there's a pause of about 0.1 seconds when you correct the angle. If an enemy attacked from your left at that moment, you wouldn't evade it in time."
Pei Ji: "???"
Shen Que said coolly, "I hope you'll train more and make further improvements."
Before you continue