Ch45 - [The deceitful bug] The ‘approach’ was completely intentional.

What ‘if he wanted to win, then I’ll help you’.

Actually, it was only a lie to bewitch Nalun’s heart. If Sirius truly viewed him as a friend, why would he make Nalun wait alone in a quiet, uninhabited place for hours?

Nalun was almost swayed….. and thought that friendship could actually develop between the two of them.

Reality proved that he had overrated Sirius.

The feeling of betrayal enveloped Nalun with an intense irritation, head to toe.

The Metal Devouring Bug slowly peeked a head out from Nalun’s pocket and looked at him with faint worry.

He gave it a look and then placed it back into his pocket. Bending down, he squeezed into the cramped, thorny little path.

Without Sirius to lead the way and open the path, the entire trip became much harder to walk through. When he finally traversed through the thorny path, there were already several new rips in his clothes.

The Honored Prince pulled his collar closer, completely expressionless.

The final count of the game was at 9pm. Wasting more time here and Nalun would miss the part of the event that involved making requests. Wasn’t that his true reason for participating in the competition? As for becoming friends with Sirius?

Nalun snapped off a branch in front of him, a cold light flashing across his eyes.

This thought was a joke in itself!

The night just began, giving the forest more of an eerie atmosphere. Some unknown bug was flying around, flashing dimly. Occasionally, they’d gather together, bright enough to light up the path before him.

“Found you.” A man’s voice sounded, feeling especially abrupt in the silent, quiet forest.

Nalun looked towards the sound of the voice. Using the faint illumination, he saw a person hiding in the shadows. His expression changed instantly.

A person, who never should have appeared here, was currently leaning against a tree trunk leisurely, looking at him.

He only saw this person once, not long ago, in a video call with Alida.

This little underclassman, who should have been tormenting his good friend in a neighboring city… His in-person appearance was even more impressionable than from the video– a very handsome man. Other than being somewhat short, it was practically impossible to find any outer flaws.

“Alida often talks about you to me, your highness.” The other used a tone of familiarity to greet Nalun: “Who would have imagined, I’d be able to meet his best friend here.”

Nalun asked: “I thought you’d be sticking to Alida, not parting from him even one step.”

Lan Jia lowered his head and gave a wave of laughter. His shoulder shook: “He’s a delightful fellow. I really like him.”

Nalun didn’t plan to continue exchanging pleasantries with him. He asked: “How did you infiltrate inside here? What’s your goal? Where’s Alida?”

The forest was supervised rigidly. The requirements for entering this area were strict.

Today was the first day of the Hunting Festival. Other than participants of the competition, other guests were not allowed inside. In addition, this person before him was emitted a dangerous aura from top to bottom.

“Of course it’s for you guys.” He only decided to answer the second question.

Nalun’s eyelids twitched: “Us?”

“That’s right.” Lan Jia’s gaze landed on him: “The bug in your pocket smells quite delicious.”

Nalun: “……”

In this instant, the Honored Prince recalled the terror of being dominated by the sense of smell once again.

Xi Jin cautiously poked out its head.

Lan Jia waved his hand: “Long time no see, Xi Jin-daren.”

Daren?

Nalun’s expression stiffened faintly for a few seconds.

He asked: “You guys know each other?”

Lan Jia said: “Of course.”

Xi Jin said: “Who’s he?”

The two people’s voices sounded at the same time, but the transmitted information was completely opposite. The atmosphere instantly turned somewhat awkward.

After a little while, Nalun discovered an issue: He was able to understand Xi Jin’s words because he was holding onto the bug’s antennas. What was Lan Jia awkward about?

Lan Jia sighed with lament: “Ai, so heartless……” He really sounded like someone with a story to tell.

Nalun didn’t plan to ask about his tragic backstory and refused to follow up.

Xi Jin was even more confused. Therefore, he curiously waited for Lan Jia to continue his performance.

“……”

Lan Jia asked: “I heard you have obtained the Scepter already, and even gotten the Honored Prince Charvey to become your spy. Now, you’ve even moved into the royal palace and become the Asha Emperor’s pet?”

With a well-behaved face, Xi Jin sat in the pocket of Nalun’s pants.

With a smile, Lan Jia exclaimed in awe: “As expected of the most intelligent and wise Xi Jin-daren of the Insectoids. You really make people feel a whole new level of respect.”

The air suddenly stagnated.

Nalun had an expression of “Oh fck, what are you saying” on his face.

Intelligent and wise? The MOST? Was this talking about the bug, Xi Jin?

Countless curses and questions flew wildly across the Honored Prince’s heart. Meanwhile, a certain bug, who was at the center of the topic, looked utterly confused: “Ah?”

Lan Jia continued to say: “Your big brothers probably never imagined, the first to obtain the Scepter would be you.”

Nalun looked towards Xi Jin in question. You have older brothers?

The Metal Devouring Bug was completely baffled.

The similarly befuddled man and bug both stiffened their expressions. They looked very serious, as if they had sunk into a kind of deep contemplation.

Lan Jia mistook this grave contemplation as the start of an open, honest confrontation: “I also felt surprised. However, you always brought us many surprises.”

He seemed to have recalled something amusing and laughed very happily: “However, the first to obtain the scepter may not necessarily be the ultimate winner. I’m much nicer than that group of older brothers of yours. As long as you hand over the Scepter to me, after I gain leadership of the Insectoids, I can let you live the rest of your life without worries or woes.”

Scepter? Leadership?

With a flash of light, Nalun abruptly recalled something Sirius had once said.

“Right now, the Insect Planet has split completely into different factions, every group scrambling for the position of King. Is it possible that you guys have established an agreement that involves using the Asha people’s Scepter as the bargaining chip?”

He had always thought Sirius only said this randomly…… Now it looked more like a cautious probe.

Connecting Sirius and Lan Jia’s words, Nalun was able to deduce approximately: Asha’s National Treasure had innocently become a contested trophy used to establish the next Insectoid king.

Meanwhile Xi Jin…… possessed a rather powerful background prior to its memory loss.

From Lan Jia’s expression, he didn’t seem to be lying. Furthermore, he had no reason to fabricate a story like this.

Nalun looked at the foolish bug, who ‘always reacted a few beats slower in all aspects except acting’ and felt extremely complicated. He discovered that other than a feeling of old fatherly pity, he actually didn’t feel anything else.

“What Scepter? I don’t know.” Xi Jin mumbled in a small voice, his questioning look landing on Nalun. He even looked rather frustrated at often having trouble understanding the words of others.

Lan Jia’s gaze remained on the Metal Devouring Bug the entire time. Therefore, he also followed suit and looked towards Nalun.

“……” Stop looking already. In regards to the Scepter, he was the true bystander here.

Nalun can only say expressionlessly: “I’m loyal and wholeheartedly devoted to my nation. I wouldn’t become anyone’s spy.”

Lan Jia nodded his head in understanding, expressing that he can sympathize.

“The reason why Asha is able to flourish today is closely related to your father. Yet now that the Honored Prince Sr. is old in years, Luye Derlin is assisting others into power. It’s really quite disappointing.”

Nalun didn’t want to hear him beat around the bush: “What do you want to say?”

Although he knew that Luye Derlin was His Majesty’s name, hearing it come out of Lan Jia’s mouth made him feel a strange familiarity, like he had heard it not long ago.

Lan Jia said: “Looks like your highness enjoys a more direct method of conversation. Then I’ll just head straight to the point. No matter what agreement you made with Xi Jin, it can remain in effect under me. Perhaps…… I can be an even more reliable ally than him.”

Nalun: “What kind of bug are you?”

Lan Jia froze.

Nalun: “Insectoids have too many varieties. If you’re a wiggling stinkbug, then this would be rather hard. That would be too much of a challenge to my bottom line.”

Lan Jia: “……”

Nalun: “Are you?”

Lan Jia shook his head: “No. I can tell you the answer to your question. However, before that, I must explain briefly. Because of the outer appearance, my insect form doesn’t have a very good reputation in the hearts of you Asha people.

Nalun: “Reputation?”

Lan Jia said seriously: “Yes, reputation. Only by having a few more orifices than normal insects, we were unreasonably given the title of Liar. In reality, we’re very popular amongst the Insectoids.”

Orifice, liar……

Nalun, with a cold face: “Oh. Mist bug.”

Lan Jia felt shocked and humbled: “You’ve heard of us?”

Nalun, with a profound face: “Done a bit of research.”

Lan Jia, curiously: “Then in comparison to the round, 8 legged Metal Devouring Bug, what do you think of the Mist Bug’s outer appearance?”

Although he felt this question was somewhat strange, Nalun still gave an appropriate review: “Pretty beautiful when the mouth is closed.”

The Mist Bug was brightly colored. In comparison to a pitch-black beetle, it really was a lot prettier. However, as soon as it opened its mouth, three huge black holes would appear…… that was a very striking visual.

Lan Jia fell silent.

Nalun: “So, can you answer my other two questions now? Where’s Alida?”

“He’s very safe.” Lan Jia didn’t actually plan to hide anything specifically. He said: “Originally I planned to use him to get close to the aristocrats and then infiltrate the royal palace step by step. However, my plans weren’t meticulous enough. A huge deviation appeared midway…… so much that it dragged on until now.”

What this huge deviation meant, Nalun instantly understood.

Thinking about his little friend Alida, Nalun even started feeling pity for this ‘little underclassman’ before him.

In another realm of obliviousness, sometimes, Alida really made people feel despair.

Even if a beautiful woman with golden haired and a slender waist were expressing affections in front of him, he might not be able to recognize the implications of the other’s deep feelings.

Nalun even suspected that Alida might remain a bachelor for the rest of his life… until he heard an underclassman had voluntarily offered himself and launched a passionate and open pursuit of Alida……

However, now, the ‘underclassman’ was fake. The ‘approach’ was completely intentional.

Recalling how Alida had worried and suffered a few days ago, Nalun felt a complaint towards Lan Jia.

This was truly a deceitful bug. Playing with people’s feelings and also coveting the Scepter.

Sirius’s evaluation wasn’t wrong. Mist bugs were a species who spoke nothing but lies!

Nalun’s silence made Lan Jia feel somewhat upset. Especially since he saw the look of accusation gradually appearing in the other’s eyes, Lan Jia said: “Rest assured. That guy is living more carefree than the rest of us.”