Ch44 - [Crescent Moon Lake] A certain missing pet bug was currently curled up in its friend’s pocket.

Diya’s participation added a flaming torch into this lukewarm conference.

Although he didn’t reveal any genuine details, he still made people feel there was more to think about here. For example: “As his good friend for many years, it’s really too regrettable that I am actually unable to travel together with him in the competition this year.”

Suspected of becoming Nalun’s new friend, Sirius has already ditched this old friend of his in a blink of an eye. The Sheriff brothers couldn’t help but reveal sympathizing looks.

Mona also wordlessly comforted him.

Diya then said: “This year’s Hunting Festival was arranged by the Honored Prince. He’s really quite inconsiderate, putting my seat so far away from Sirius’s seat.”

Of course Nalun wouldn’t do everything personally himself. Regarding the seating, he was actually blamed very unjustly. However, at this moment in time, the group only had a feeling of sudden enlightenment……

Tsk tsk.

No wonder they saw the two people sitting together during the opening ceremony. So it was because someone was maneuvering behind the scenes.

The Sheriff brothers: “…….” Wait, why would Nalun maneuver behind the scenes?

Following Diya was a colleague who also graduated from the military academy. He stood in silence not far away, looking at this group of gossip warriors gathering together, chatting and completely forgetting themselves.

He walked over a few steps.

Diya finally remembered this partner who had traveled with him throughout this journey and beckoned him over with a smile.

The colleague’s personality was rather cold. He only nodded his head in greeting.

After that, he instantly captured the Prey Team’s Miss YiSi and acquired her under his belt.

Mona: “……”

“We’re still competing.” The colleague reminded Diya: “The Admiral has already defected. The victory of the Hunter Team depends on our collaboration.”

Diya: “Uh…… Agreed.” His shoulders were about to collapse from the weight of this sudden responsibility.

Mona said coldly: “Your hardwork is sneaking on a completely defenseless woman?”

“……”

“Fellow sirs, have any of you seen a cute little bug?” A languid male voice sounded from behind them.

The five people turned their heads in unison and saw a very handsome man. His brows were refined, countenance and manners outstanding. When he looked over with that pair of eyes, it seemed to carry 30% of amusement.

Diya furrowed his brows. This person didn’t actually wear the distributed uniform. Nor did he wear any emblems.

Tanglin was even more direct: “Who are you?”

The man pressed his lips together and smiled, giving a self-introduction: “I am Lan Jia, the head of His Majesty’s Imperial guards.”

Diya: “Head of the Imperial guards?”

Lan Jia nodded his head, gaze sweeping over them one by one: “His Majesty’s beloved pet disappeared. The video recording showed that it had accidentally entered the Prey Team’s transport plane. There’s no more clues after that.”

Diya: “Have any images?”

Lan Jia took out some already prepared information, walked over, and distributed it to the group.

Diya gave it a glance. He saw a mini Metal Devouring Bug, rolling onto its back and showing its belly, looking rather cute and adorable.

Mona expressed: “I’ve never been able to distinguish the difference between Insect species.”

Maji was even more speechless: “Transport plane? In other words, this bug followed us into the forest?”

The taciturn colleague said: “Searching for a bug inside a forest is no different than fishing a needle from the ocean.”

Tanglin laughed out loud: “This is a bit too impossible. However, I can catch a new bug to give to His Majesty. What kind does he like? How about a round smooth beetle?”

Lan Jia’s gaze landed on Tanglin.

Tanglin suddenly felt a chill up his back. He couldn’t resist letting out some dry chuckles……But a moment later, he thought it was too humiliating and decided to raise his head and give a glare.

Lan Jia had already shifted his gaze away and said coolly: “If there’s any clues, please remember to inform me. His Majesty is very worried.”

Diya stared at the image in his hand, as if pondering deeply.

Lan Jia discovered his abnormality and asked: “Sir Diya, have you seen it before?”

Diya said: “This is a Metal Devouring bug. Why would His Majesty raise something from the Insectoid Planet?”

Lan Jia’s reply was very composed: “This you can ask His Majesty in person.”

Diya said: “I’ve seen this bug. It’s very suspicious.”

Lan Jia’s eyes lit up: “Are you certain it’s this one? There’s a white spot on its tail. Its eyes are tiny, its body round. There are 8 legs. It’s a very cute little bug.”

“Cute?” Diya shook his head: “No, it was large enough to carry an adult man. However, aside from the size, the other characteristics are completely the same. Oh, right. I remember I saved a picture of it previously.”

He opened his personal comp. After a moment, he sighed: “There’s no signal here. There’s no way to connect to the galactic net.”

Lan Jia: “If you see it again, please inform me.”

Unable to obtain any useful information, the head of the Imperial guard looked pretty disappointed. However, he still squeezed out a smile and cordially bid his farewell.

After the head of the Imperial guards walked far away, Mona finally started asking Diya: “Have you seen him before?”

Diya gave her a look: “Never.”

Mona: “Such an outstanding looking man, how could I have no impression of him at all?”

Diya looked profoundly: “I’m even more curious, what’s going on with His Majesty’s beloved pet?”

There was temporarily no answer to these questions.

Meanwhile, the heart of these questions, a certain missing pet bug, was currently curled up in its friend’s pocket, quietly dozing off.

After some unknown time later, it felt a patting force over its body. It moved its antennas and slowly opened its little eyes.

“Big Beard?”

“En, it’s me.”

Nalun’s voice came from outside. Xi Jin climbed out of the pocket, peeked its head out and stared at him in confusion. That scary man who defeated it and locked it up in a cage was no longer present. The Metal Devouring bug let out a breath of relief and climbed up Nalun’s fingers, onto his shoulder.

The bug curiously looked around the surroundings. The next second, its little eyes instantly became fixed.

The sunlight had already set. The horizon met with a star-filled, dark blue lake. The shining brilliance swayed and sparkled in the water ripples. Gentle and beautiful yet constantly in motion. Tranquil and peaceful yet intense. As if the Milky Way was pouring downwards, carrying the stars and everything into the lake before them.

Xi Jin opened its mouth wide. Its two antennas stuck straight up like a V shape. This entire bug was shocked and stunned by the scenery before it.

“Very beautiful, right?” Nalun asked.

Xi Jin nodded its head vigorously, excitedly replying with an “En.”

“Is this a surprise you prepared specifically for me?!”

Nalun, very coldly: “No.”

However, his distant attitude didn’t actually hurt a certain emotional bug.

Xi Jin with tears in its eyes: “Nethertheless…… I’m coming to like you more and more, Big Beard.”

Nalun said: “Thanks. If you really like me, then don’t call me Big Beard.”

Xi Jin became embarrassed: “Alright. I thought this was a nickname that only existed between the two of us… If you don’t like it, I’ll call you Nalun in the future?”

In certain moments, this Metal Devouring Bug can really be soft and cute.

Nalun gave a cool “En”.

“Nalun…… where’s that person?” It was talking about Sirius.

Nalun turned his head and looked at the bug on his shoulder. He said calmly: “I don’t know.”

Xi Jin was confused. Weren’t you guys together?

Nalun asked: “Other than this lake, what else is here?”

Xi Jin looked around and answered: “Trees!”

Nalun: “En. It’s all trees.”

Xi Jin: “???”

Nalun tilted his head up, looked at the sky, and sighed.

“I was abandoned.” His tone was an unprecedented heaviness.

The Crescent Moon Lake was an S level protected scenery area within the Asha Empire, located in the forest of the Royal family’s hunting grounds.

The forest itself was a well-known A level scenery location that would only be opened to a limited amount of people during the most important holiday. The scenic area didn’t make any informational signs for the Crescent Moon Lake, just for the purpose of protecting it from being disturbed by people.

There were only three types of people capable of finding the Crescent Moon Lake. The first type is the Strategy gang, who’s made thorough and meticulous preparations ahead of time. The second type is the Super Lucky gang who entered accidentally. The third type belongs to the Experienced gang, who had already visited previously under the first two situations.

Nalun placed himself into the second type.

On the first day of the Hunting Festival, his luck seemed to have grown exponentially. Not only did he gain countless points without any difficulty, he also took down Sirius easily. Finally, later on, he stumbled into the Crescent Moon Lake, which was one of the “Three Mystery Areas of Asha”.

However……

Perhaps the one who was lucky was Sirius. After all, Nalun was following behind him most of the time.

Recalling that road, which was covered by thistles and thorns, so narrow that only one person could pass, at first Nalun was even cursing Sirius internally for leading him on some random messed up path. Who would have thought that after passing through the narrow path, this huge lake actually appeared before his eyes.

–Like a scenery that would only appear in your dreams.

Nalun was very aware that his expression at that time was no better than the foolish bug on his shoulder.

“And then?” The bug asked.

And then…… while he was engrossed in the beautiful scenery, Sirius said he was going to find some food and told Nalun to wait by the lake until he came back.

Thus, Nalun nodded his head and agreed. After he recovered from the stunning scenery, he finally realized that Sirius had left for way too long.

Xi Jin revealed a sympathetic expression: “He doesn’t want you anymore?”

Nalun expressed: “You can’t say it like that.”

Xi Jin: “Then how should I say it?”

Nalun: “Those words are ambiguous.”

Xi Jin: “……”

After a moment of silence, Nalun then said: “Before he left, he repeatedly emphasized that I must wait until he returns. However…… it’s already dark.”

Xi Jin followed the conversation and asked in a small voice: “In other words?”

Nalun with a deep gaze: “Should I continue to wait or not?”

Xi Jin blinked its pitch-black little eyes, bug face looking blank and foolish.

The man and bug both remained silent. The night breeze blew past. Nalun hugged his arms, feeling a bit cold.

Xi Jin secretly examined his little friend. Seeing the other’s emotionless face, dark eyes, and mouth faintly curving into a terrifying smile, Xi Jin trembled all over and also felt cold.

“Who does he think he is?” Nalun said sarcastically: “What rights does he have to make people wait for him indefinitely?”

“Other than brute force, he has nothing else praiseworthy.”

“Speaking frankly, he’s just a lying and deceitful scoundrel.”

“This must be Sirius’s scheme. Trying to use the Crescent Moon Lake to whittle away my determination and weaken my ambition.”

Xi Jin shivered in trepidation.

Nalun swept it a look: “You’re shaking my shoulder.”

Xi Jin instantly stiffened, not moving at all.

Nalun continued to say: “As I wait here, he might even be helping the other people of the Hunter Team right now…… for example, his good friend Diya, to snatch away emblems from the Prey Team.”

“Or perhaps he couldn’t accept the truth of losing to me and wanted to use this kind of boring cheap trick to get revenge on me.”

Xi Jin: “……”

The amnesiac Insectoid really didn’t understand very well the holiday customs and personal conduct of you Asha people.

Nalun scoffed coldly: “Ha ha. Does he think I will continue to wait?”

“Then…….” Xi Jin asked in a stuttle: “Are, are we still waiting?”

Nalun stared at him darkly.

Xi Jin: “……”

As if feeling the trembling in the bug’s heart, Nalun reached out and touched its round, plump back.

Flinching away, Xi Jin wailed silently…… That’s my butt!

It heard Nalun laugh and say: “I suddenly feel…… having you accompany me is not bad either.”

Xi Jin: “……” For once, Big Beard was sentimental, but why did Xi Jin only want to hold its head and cry?

Nalun said: “I know you like this place.”

Xi Jin nodded its head.

“Then I’ll enjoy the scenery with you for a bit longer.”

Xi Jin: “……” Oh, so touching.

After waiting for a while longer, Nalun’s patience was finally exhausted. He furiously placed the bug on his shoulder back into his pocket and got ready to leave.

What ‘most upright and honorable person within the Empire’?

What ‘paragon of morality’?

All fake!