Ch12 - [A pleasant metallic smell] Big beard, we just saw each other during the day!

What’s with the huge breath in the middle of the sentence?

Nalun gazed ahead, expression cold and stiff.

Thinking about those two completely random sentences, the Honored Prince felt somewhat complicated. He felt like today, Sirius’s words were excessively strange.

Regardless of the Sirius he encountered while in disguise as a stranger, or the Sirius he just exchanged words with, both were quite different from the formerly condescending and hypocritical fellow with excellent military service.

What partners with a united front? This was practically a joke.

Charvey and Monte were two family clans that were never friendly towards each other. He and Sirius were even more so, two completely different types of people.

Always disagreeing with each other, without anything in common.

For example just now. Every word that Sirius said, every topic he turned to, were all outside of Nalun’s prediction– making him constantly sinking into a wordless state.

Completely unfathomable, hard to communicate with!

The discussion this time couldn’t be considered pleasant. In the end, Nalun proposed personally inspecting the culprit who attacked his niece.

“Are we not there yet?” Nalun sounded a bit irritated.

In charge of leading the way, Andrew’s expression was as steady as Mount Tai: “The Metal-devouring bug is right in the empty area before us.”

Nalun saw it.

On a flat area outdoors, there were hot springs of all different sizes. The hot steam rose as white vapors into the air, like a layer of transparent gauze. Under the moonlight, it looked light and elegant.

Yet all of this picturesque charm was disrupted by the wooden cage in the middle, which looked like it was crudely built in a hurry. Inside it laid a huge black bug.

The huge bug seemed to be entirely black, as if ink was poured all over it. Only its tail had a small round white spot. 8 legs and a long tail. On its round head was a pair of bean sized eyes, which were spinning and moving around.

The approach of Nalun and the group attracted its attention. It shifted its butt. The two antennas on its head moved slightly. A timid expression flowed within its tiny eyes.

Nalun: “This is the bug that attacked Ilia?”

Andrew: “Yes.”

The huge bug’s antennas waved left and right, as if it were desperately shaking its head.

Nalun fell silent for a moment: “Before the incident happened, where was it hiding?” With this kind of build, it’s hard to remain unnoticed.

Andrew: “We’re still investigating.”

Nalun’s gaze continued to examine the huge bug. The Metal-devouring bug wasn’t a species inside the Asha empire.

Although he knew that all sorts of strange organisms lived on other planets, encountering one face to face was really a very novel feeling.

For example, this bug. It was all black, without any visible features. Yet Nalun could almost see a sulk in those tiny eyes.

Nalun: “…….” This must be a misconception.

Standing to the side, Andrew silently watched the Honored Prince stare at the bug, 360 degrees, no angle neglected. He strangely felt a mental exhaustion.

He still needed to clean up the mess. After the incident, the busiest person was him. Why did the Admiral also want him to guide the Empire’s Honored Prince, who was famous for being hard to please.

The other was clearly overflowing with interest towards the huge bug. Who knew how long he was going to examine it for.

At this time, a subordinate quietly moved closer and pulled Andrew aside. He should be reporting something.

Nalun shot a glance in their direction. Suddenly, he heard a strange sound in his ear.

“Pss pss.”

The huge bug leaned over cautiously. A shadow fell over Nalun’s head.

“Pss, big beard!”

Nalun: “??”

“Big beard, save me!”

Nalun: “……”

His gray-green eyes looked around all over– Andrew was still whispering with his subordinate not far away. The guards standing around in the surrounding area all had normal expressions.

Then who was speaking?

“Look here, look here!”

That soft voice sounded again.

Nalun felt like something was waving over his head. Raising a hand, he touched a long antenna.

“Don’t let go. Hold my antenna, then we can communicate.”

Nalun narrowed his eyes and slowly raised his head. Through the cage, he crossed gaze with a tiny pair of eyes: “Metal-devouring bug?”

The air was silent for a moment.

“QQ!” The huge bug sobbed: “It’s me, it’s me! Big beard, we just saw each other during the day!”

Nalun had a confused expression– No, I don’t know any bugs.

The huge bug was very excited: “I feel like I’m not a normal bug……”

Nalun nodded– Yes, that’s right. Normal bugs couldn’t speak.

“I lost my memories.”

Nalun looked at it in bewilderment: “???”

The huge bug was a bit embarrassed: “I don’t know why I turned into a bug either. Since I lost my memories and woke up, I’ve been a human. However…… After getting captured by the Admiral today, I became very scared. So, so I changed into this…… Big beard, can you help me? I don’t want to be cut into 8 pieces and made into a Insect Burger.”

This voice…… very familiar. Nalun finally remembered. It sounded like the expressive theatrical youth, who was detained unfortunately after his lies were exposed.

Nalun felt extremely complicated right now. Holding the last strand of hope that this was just a fluke, he asked: “You are?”

The huge bug wagged its tail: “I’m called Xi Jin. What about you, big beard?”

Thea…… theatrical god?

Nalun stopped talking.

Xi Jin: “Can you let me out? I accepted a job before and have already completed it. Later, there will be a huge amount of money! I can share it with you…… 10%!”

“……”

Was 10% a lot?

It was better before when this wasn’t mentioned. Right now, Nalun seriously questioned that this ‘huge amount of money” would ultimately be paid by himself. After all, this 8 legged huge bug before him was the employee personally hired by his most faithful and closest friend, Alida.

No wait……

Nalun realized an issue and said with a stern face: “There’s one thing, I must make clear here. You recognized the wrong person. Who’s big beard?”

He touched his chin, which was smooth as jade: “See for yourself. Do I look like someone with a beard?”

Xi Jin’s round spinning little eyes suddenly froze. Its bug face was full of puzzlement.

“But I remember your smell. There’s a very pleasant metallic smell on you.” The antenna slid down and slowly moved around on Nalun’s chest: “It smells very delicious.”

Nalun moved away the antenna and immediately changed the topic: “I suspect you’re an Insectoid alien.”

Insectoid Aliens, as the name suggests, were Insect Aliens that evolved to take human shape. Some Insectoid Aliens with strong bloodlines could switch between the bodies of an insect and a human. In the last few years. The mother planet of Insectoids encountered a crisis. The resources on the planet have been exhausted. The environment has worsened. Plenty of them moved next to the Asha Empire. Occasionally, there were conflicts between both sides.

Xi Jin raised a pair of front claws and gestured: “Just lend me a hand.”

Nalun indicated for him to look at the soldiers guarding the surrounding area and said quietly: “If you can shrink smaller, you can hide in my pocket and leave without anyone noticing.”

The tiny eyes lit up.

Nalun: “But clearly, you can’t.”

The huge bug hung its head in disappointment.

Nalun: “And plus, the girl that you attacked previously is my niece.”

The huge bug: “…… that was a misunderstanding.”

Nalun patted the simple and innocent bug: “En. If it were some other girl, I might be skeptical.”

“Then are you agreeing to save me?”

Nalun: “The Insects and the Empire have a very tense relationship. I can’t let you go casually. As long as you prove you didn’t harm anyone and explain what happened clearly, you wouldn’t be made into an Insect Burger.”

The huge bug put down its front claws, tiny eyes filled with distrust.

“Then I’ll just tell others that you’re big beard.”

Nalun’s face stiffened.

“I trick people to make money. You must have also dressed up in such a strange appearance to do bad things also.”

“……” Was he… being threatened by a bug here?