Ch42 - [The advancement of the competition.] The unexpected slap of sentiments caught him completely off guard.

Nalun’s proper business was wandering around inside the forest.

For some unknown reason, after the Imperial Admiral started following behind him, Nalun never encountered anyone else in his path.

The sunlight leaked through the cracks of the branches and leaves, splitting the incorporeal light into thin rays. Golden light pouring down from above, the two people walked deep into the forest. There was a sudden illusion like they had strayed into an ancient civilization era.

It looked very wonderful.

But reality wasn’t the same.

Because a dissatisfied insect buzz sounded relentlessly in his pocket.

With a hand in his pocket and thumb wrapped up in the Metal Devouring Bug’s antennas, Nalun has actually been engaging in a wordless exchange with the bug the entire time.

— A one-sided exchange.

“Big Beard! I also want to see the scenery!”

“I’m just taking a look, I won’t go out!”

“…… I’ll just peek my eyes out, alright?”

……

Nalun was completely unaffected and perfectly demonstrated the meaning of “a heart of stone”.

The Metal Devouring Bug’s anguished pleas became even more pitiful. In the end, it said: “Alright…… I won’t look at the scenery. Can I sleep laying on your chest then?”

“…….”

Nalun with a cold face: That’s even more impossible. Don’t even think about it.

Sirius suddenly said: “There seems to be a lot of bugs here.”

Squeezing the yelling Metal Devouring bug with one hand, Nalun said coolly: “Oh?”

“The buzzing of insects.” Sirius expressed with certainty: “This entire way.”

Without touching the Metal Devouring Bug’s antennas, people can only hear a buzzing insect cry. Luckily, the buzzing of a Metal Devouring Bug wasn’t anything special. It was similar to many similar types of insects, belonging to the voice of the masses. Sirius shouldn’t be able to differentiate it.

Therefore, Nalun said: “I also hear it. There are many insects in the forest. It’s normal.”

Sirius declined to comment and nodded his head, as if agreeing with what Nalun had said.

The Metal Devouring Bug had a deep impression of this person who had captured it and threw it inside a cage. After hearing Sirius’s voice, it immediately became well-behaved and obediently curled up inside Nalun’s pocket…… planning to take a good long nap.

After walking a bit longer, Sirius asked: “Are you very cold?”

Nalun felt very strange: “Not cold.”

Sirius pointed.

Nalun followed Sirius’s line of sight and saw his own right hand, which he had stuck inside his pocket this entire time– This rather undignified gesture, when done by him, made it seem even more irregular.

The Honored Prince realized this as well and silently relaxed his fingers. He placed the drowsily sleeping bug in a good position.

Even while dreaming, the Metal Devouring Bug had wrapped its soft antennas around Nalun’s thumb. Feeling the thumb it was hugging suddenly disappearing, it subconsciously let out a buzzing cry.

Nalun poked the bug’s belly to express comfort and suddenly felt like he was a single father, carrying around a baby all day.

After that, he spread his hand out in front of Sirius and expressed that he had done it unconsciously: Was he not allowed to put his hand in his pocket?

Sirius naturally didn’t have any opinions. With a profound expression, he stared at the grubby paw held up before him.

“……”

Nalun picked up three stones from the ground and put them in a pile by the roots of a tree.

Sirius asked: “The secret signal for Miss YiSi?”

Nalun said: “Yes. Her drop off point seemed to be pretty far from me.”

–They had already walked quite a distance, but still didn’t bump into her. He also didn’t notice any marks by the road that was left by Mona.

“Even without her, I can still expand the size of the Prey Team alone.” Nalun indicated: “…… However, since we made the agreement, it’s not like I can break my promise.”

After placing the rocks, Nalun continued to walk forward. As he walked, he said: “Perhaps we’re walking in the wrong direction? The road is becoming more and more desolate.”

There was no movement behind him.

Nalun turned his head and discovered that Sirius was still in the same spot.

“What’s the matter?”

The Imperial Admiral used his body to block the pile of rocks that he had kicked over and walked unhurriedly towards Nalun.

“Nothing. Let’s continue to walk forward.”

Nalun felt like something didn’t seem right, but for the moment, he couldn’t figure it out.

Sirius walked next to him, placed an arm around his shoulders, and turned him around: “Eyes in the front.”

Nalun: “……”

Alright. Eyes in the front.

But he still felt uneasy inside and couldn’t help but ask: “You wouldn’t try to do anything sneaky while I’m fighting with others, right?”

If you must know, although Sirius was converted to the Prey team, when calculating the winners and losers, he still counted as a Hunter. Everytime Nalun defeated and converted someone, it meant that Sirius’s chance of winning decreased.

If it were him, if he were unfortunately ‘convinced’ by Sirius into becoming a Hunter, Nalun would definitely do his best to cause chaos and bring the game back.

The more Nalun thought about this, the more frightened he became.

If Sirius betrayed him during his confrontation with another Hunter, then he would be surrounded by enemies in the front and in the back. Once he loses, everyone that he had defeated and converted previously would become numbers for the opposing team.

This was the rule of this screwed up game.

In other words, early stage victory was useless. A slight carelessness can lead to a complete loss in the end.

Sirius revealed an ‘enlightened’ expression.

Nalun: “…….”

He was only asking casually. Please don’t take it for real.

Sirius very quickly adjusted his expression properly: “I won’t. This is only a game. Compared to winning, I’m more interested in the process.”

The process?

He continued to say: “Spending a delightful time with a friend is more precious than winning a competition.”

“……”

The unexpected slap of sentiments caught him completely off guard.

“Not to mention, this competition has been assigned a wonderful significance since its birth. Victory was never its main purpose.” Sirius smiled, using tactful words to once again suggest that Nalun has no need to worry over the emblems.

“Feeling happy is most important.”

The Honored Prince turned his face and nodded: “As far as I’m concerned, I can only be happy if I can win the competition.”

Sirius followed up: “Then our needs do not conflict.” His expression carried some earnestly: “If you want to win, I will help you.”

Nalun: “…….” Are you aware that the real reason I want to win is to see you run around in a dress?

He really wanted to see if Sirius could maintain this enlightened, zen state. However, looking into those deep, dark eyes, Nalun became temporarily unable to speak.

Sirius’s enlightened awareness wasn’t only profound, it was also staunch and resolute– This fact seemed even more evident after the two people encountered the Sheriff brothers.

This pair of tall brothers were rather famous in the Imperial Capital. They were handsome and sturdy. In the crowd of youths, they were the top of the top.

The only shortcoming was probably that they were too ostentatious. They especially disliked other people stealing the limelight.

In the first decades of their lives, they had always been the leaders of the Empire’s younger generation. However, after Sirius finished his youthful travels and returned to the Imperial Capital, the two brothers’ brilliance swiftly dimmed.

— You can imagine their moods.

Nalun actually didn’t dislike them. If you must know, everyone has a slight flaw in their personalities.

Not to mention, this special aspect of the Sheriff brothers, resulted in brilliant shows when colliding with the Empire’s idol, Sirius, who stole the limelight everywhere.

From a certain point of view, Nalun really appreciated every single warrior who was willing to oppose Sirius.

However, what he didn’t know was that the spearhead of the Sheriff brothers wasn’t only pointed at Sirius. It was also pointed at a certain pampered and spoiled Honored Prince, who had a ‘powerful and privileged old dad’.

What he didn’t know even more was that after Sirius made impressive battle contributions, although the two brothers acted dissatisfied outwardly, internally, they had already been won over and were even secretly developing into potential fanboys.

Yet Nalun?

A second generation, who was born a few years behind them, yet still towering above them in status. With the most valuable worth on him being the Charvey name, yet still pursued by numerous people. He could even be considered, an equal and rival to the Admiral, while somehow mysteriously not being at a disadvantage.

Having the limelight stolen by this kind of person, was really enough to make people frustrated.

After the two groups encountered each other, the temperature in the surroundings instantly lowered.

The older brother, Maji Sheriff, swiftly locked his gaze onto the two people’s emblems.

When he saw Sirius, who should have been a member of the Hunter team, carry an emblem that’s been changed into the python and lion image, he was shocked.

Anyone could be defeated, but how could Sirius lose? After he saw the distribution of the team, Maji even silently considered the Hunter team as the winners already.

However, he didn’t actually see wrong. The change in the emblem’s image was the truth. Spending a total of ten seconds to digest this information, Maji watched as Nalun greeted them and then reached another terrifying conclusion.

Nalun actually subdued Sirius?

No. How could this be possible?!

“Why are you guys together?” His little brother, Tanglin, asked out loud first.

Sirius gave a simple and brief explanation about how he was now a member of the Prey team.

Tanglin asked: “Because of Nalun?”

A certain person, who was named, shot him a cold and detached glance. Why so surprised? Was it very strange that he was able to defeat Sirius?

If Tanglin knew what Nalun was thinking, he would probably tell Nalun. No, he didn’t feel it strange.

He felt terrified.

In comparison, Maji was far less perturbed. He didn’t forget their usual relations with Sirius and gave some routine words of ridicule: “The competition just started how long ago? How did Admiral-daren lose his status in such a short amount of time?”

Tanglin, however, wasn’t actually throwing rocks at the fallen: “Isn’t this too quick? We just descended. Didn’t even start yet!”

The last two people of the Hunter Team to be dropped off from high altitudes, found it hard to imagine the speed at which Sirius lost.

Nalun thought to himself: Definitely worthy of being the brothers who often caused trouble for Sirius. In terms of mockery, they hit the nail on the head, completely merciless.

“Compared to investigating these questions, I’m more hoping you guys will voluntarily hand over your emblems.” Nalun spoke up.

The Sheriff brothers: “What did you say?”

Nalun said: “Hand them over. I’ll return them back to you soon.”

The Sheriff brothers: “……” But do you dare to return them with their original image!

Nalun took half a step back and glanced at Sirius. The latter was also currently looking at him. Noticing his head turn, Sirius immediately gave him a smile and marched towards the two brothers.

Maji winked, expressing that even if Sirius suffered a momentary loss, as long as they joined forces to defeat the Honored Prince Nalun and convert him into the Hunter Team, then Sirius could recover his team status along the way.

This kind of mutually beneficial thing was good for everyone.

However, Sirius seemed like he didn’t even see Maji’s secret signal. Instead, he pulled out his standard long sword and pointed it at them.

His posture was already very obvious.

Sirius refused Maji’s suggestion.

Maji realized something and said in utter confusion: “What are you doing here?”