Chapter 3: Political Marriage (Part 3)
The next morning, Jin Chi’an came downstairs for breakfast as usual.
Breakfast had already been prepared on the dining table, but unlike before, this time there were two portions.
“The Marshal will stay for breakfast this morning,” the butler reminded him after noticing the confusion on Jin Chi’an’s face.
No sooner had the words fallen than the sound of footsteps descending the stairs followed.
Jin Chi’an looked up.
The man’s perfectly sculpted features were nearly flawless, while his frosty expression alone seemed capable of lowering the surrounding temperature by several degrees.
Perhaps because of the white tiger from last night, Jin Chi’an no longer felt the same resistance toward that cold, distant face. Even his voice sounded softer than before.
“You’re not returning to military headquarters today?”
Hearing Jin Chi’an initiate conversation, Felix paused briefly in surprise.
After pulling out a chair and sitting down, he hesitated for a moment before replying:
“I’ll head back after breakfast.”
Jin Chi’an quietly studied his expression.
Yet on that cold, rigid face, he could not detect even the slightest trace of emotion.
For a moment, he could not help wondering whether the clingy white tiger from last night was truly this same intimidating arranged-marriage partner before him.
Sensing Jin Chi’an’s overly direct gaze, Felix lightly coughed twice.
“You went into the forest last night?”
Faced with the sudden question, Jin Chi’an looked puzzled.
After pausing briefly, he answered:
“Mm. I went to the mountain spring.”
Felix frowned.
“Don’t go there during my leave days from now on.”
“Why?” Jin Chi’an pressed.
Felix glanced once at the burning curiosity in Jin Chi’an’s eyes and decided there was no point hiding it anymore.
“Yesterday was my manic period. Beast instincts are uncontrollable. You’ll be safer staying inside the villa.”
“Why?” Jin Chi’an asked again, smiling faintly. “Felix, would you hurt me?”
His eyes curved slightly as if determined to force out an answer.
After a brief silence, Felix calmly replied:
“During the manic period, beastmen don’t retain conscious awareness. I can’t control my own actions and cannot guarantee your safety. Staying in the villa is better.”
The formulaic response did not disappoint Jin Chi’an.
Instead, memories of the white tiger from last night quietly warmed his heart.
Before Felix could notice, Jin Chi’an already suppressed the smile tugging at his lips.
“Alright. I’ll do as you say.”
After breakfast, an urgent communication summoned Felix back to military headquarters.
Three months of practically widowed married life had left Jin Chi’an with the habit of never leaving the house. If he could lie down and pet cats, then sitting was absolutely unnecessary.
Jin Chi’an was lying comfortably on the soft bed grooming Puff’s fur when a special incoming call suddenly popped up on his optical brain device, startling him upright.
After quickly tidying himself, Jin Chi’an accepted the communication from Loivette Academy.
A holographic projection of a middle-aged woman dressed in a general’s uniform appeared before him.
Amelie smiled warmly.
“It’s been a long time, my dear student.”
Faced with his teacher, Jin Chi’an rarely showed such awkwardness, looking exactly like a lazy student caught slacking off.
He forced out a stiff smile.
“Long time no see, Teacher Amelie.”
Amelie chuckled softly, her gaze drifting toward Puff behind him.
“Little Puff is still as beautiful as ever, though she doesn’t seem to be in very good condition.”
Last night’s tiger paw had injured both Puff and Jin Chi’an. On top of that, the prolonged spiritual guidance had nearly exhausted his mental energy.
Even after a night of rest, Jin Chi’an’s lips remained slightly pale.
“Seems married life hasn’t been going all that smoothly for you,” Amelie remarked with a sigh.
Jin Chi’an laughed awkwardly.
“Teacher, you didn’t contact me just to tease me, right?”
“Of course not.”
Returning to the main topic, Amelie’s expression gradually turned serious, and even her tone carried a heavy sense of gravity.
“Talier’s treatment hasn’t produced any results. Yet the Emperor continues rejecting treatment from Loivette Academy’s guides.”
Amelie sighed softly.
“Ever since the reign of Charlemagne II, no royal sentinel carrying beastman blood has ever lived past one hundred and fifty years old. In the interstellar era, where the average human lifespan reaches three hundred years, that is considered tragically short.”
“Beastmen are born with powerful spiritual strength capable of rejecting all external mental forces. If this ability existed in ordinary human sentinels, it could have been used to defend against enemy mental attacks. But the final result was the exact opposite—sentinels with beastman bloodlines reject all forms of spiritual guidance, eventually dying from prolonged mental riots and spiritual collapse.”
Memories of last night’s spiritual guidance session with the white tiger surfaced in Jin Chi’an’s mind.
“But Felix didn’t reject my spiritual guidance,” he said in confusion. “Though with other beastmen, I definitely sensed extremely powerful mental barriers and rejection reactions.”
“You were able to enter Marshal Felix’s consciousness cloud?” Amelie asked in shock.
“Yes. His consciousness cloud shows traces of having been reconstructed by a guide, and there wasn’t any mental barrier blocking me. Before this, I encountered a monkey beastman in manic period at the Sector Seven port. My mental attacks could only calm him for a few minutes. But Felix remained stable for a long time after the guidance.”
“I’ll pass your findings to the Academy research institute.”
After speaking, Amelie paused briefly.
“However, there’s another reason I contacted you this time.”
She pulled up a military report and spoke solemnly.
“Three days ago, District Fourteen of the Empire star region and District Ten of the beastman star region suffered attacks from zerg species. Multiple sentinels and guides displayed self-harming behavior after mental invasion. Even beastmen experienced shattered mental barriers. So far, over one hundred sentinels and guides have died.”
“Beastman mental barriers shattered? That’s impossible.”
Jin Chi’an looked utterly incredulous.
“The last time I overloaded my spiritual power, I only managed to crack that monkey beastman’s barrier slightly.”
“We’re still investigating the exact cause. Right now, the Empire and Iskan beastmen have already formed a joint investigation army.”
As she spoke, Amelie’s voice gradually softened.
“Chi’an, I opposed sending you to Iskan for political marriage from the beginning. Compared to becoming the wife of a beastman Marshal or a sentinel’s exclusive guide, the frontlines against foreign species are where your abilities truly belong.”
Her gaze carried unmistakable pride.
“You are my most outstanding student. The most exceptional guide in Loivette Academy’s history.”
Jin Chi’an lowered his eyes silently for a moment. Understanding her meaning, he looked up and replied:
“You mean… you want me to participate in this investigation mission.”
“It’s not only my decision. It’s also the will of the royal ministers.”
Amelie continued meaningfully:
“They believe the evolution of these zerg abilities may become the breakthrough point for solving the royal family’s spiritual illness. And from another perspective, Marshal Felix will serve as the supreme commander of the joint forces. No one knows how long this war will last. Living separately as husband and wife certainly won’t help cultivate feelings.”
Jin Chi’an’s ears instantly reddened slightly. Even his voice carried visible embarrassment.
“That… depends on the Marshal’s opinion.”
“You don’t need to worry about that. Everything has already been arranged on our side. Your name has been submitted to the joint army roster, and we’ll send an aircraft to escort you to the military forces.”
Jin Chi’an stared at Amelie in shock, suddenly feeling as though he had been completely tricked.
“Right now?”
Amelie curled her lips into a smile.
“Of course.”
District Ten, Iskan Star Region.
Felix arrived at the temporary beastman division headquarters of the joint forces.
Edwin, who had already organized all the files, had been waiting there for quite some time.
Taking the data manager from Edwin’s hands, Felix shifted his gaze toward the beastman struggling painfully while clutching his head inside the observation chamber.
“Mental invasion. Mental barrier rupture.”
Felix calmly read the report in his hand.
Seeing this, Edwin immediately explained:
“According to the investigation at the scene, the enemy primarily uses mental attacks. Human casualties are even more severe.”
After speaking, Edwin pulled up the Empire’s submitted personnel roster from his optical brain device.
“This is the list of Empire personnel assigned to the joint forces.”
“Mm. Handle those yourself.”
After speaking, Felix intended to skip past that section entirely.
Edwin immediately made a bitter face and stammered awkwardly:
“Boss… maybe you should… look at the list personally.”
Felix shot him a disdainful glance before opening the personnel roster newly transmitted into his communications.
Most of the Empire’s assigned members were high-ranking military guides.
Yet even among the thousands of names, Felix spotted Jin Chi’an’s name immediately.
Watching the fists of his Marshal gradually tighten while coldness spread across his eyes, Edwin wisely retreated several steps.
“You… don’t get angry first,” Edwin muttered vaguely. “There’s also a possibility it’s someone with the same name…”
Felix’s brows furrowed tightly.
Turning toward Edwin, he let out a cold sneer.
“How many S-rank guides with that exact name do you think exist in the Empire?”
Felix had already confirmed the answer in his heart and turned to leave.
But behind him, Edwin hurriedly called out again.
“Boss!”
Felix responded impatiently:
“What now, Edwin?”
“The investigation into that cat-type beastman you asked about is finished.”
Edwin quickly continued:
“I visited people related to brother-in-law. According to them, that cat beast form is an unbelievably beautiful Kemier Maine Coon. They’d already been together since brother-in-law was around twenty years old. We even detected traces of brother-in-law’s spiritual power inside the fur samples.”
Edwin swallowed nervously before continuing weaker and weaker:
“Students from Loivette Academy also said brother-in-law would groom its fur… and even bathe together with it…”
As Felix’s expression darkened further and further, Edwin’s voice eventually became no louder than a mosquito’s buzz.
“Boss… doesn’t this kinda count as… forcibly breaking apart lovers…?”
After a long silence, Felix finally loosened his clenched fists and turned toward the exit.
“Prepare the aircraft.”
“Huh? Where are we going, Boss?”
“Imperial Palace.”
