Chapter 227: The First Empress

In the banquet hall of the Star Casting Palace, the welcome banquet for Klein had already begun. Numerous officials were neatly dressed, gathering in groups of two or three. Various novel and precious foods and wines were laid out, with musicians standing by on the side.

The banquet hall was very large and fully decorated. Upstairs, there were also many private little rooms provided for important figures who wished to communicate privately.

Everyone present was a high-ranking official of Return Star, chatting with each other. Klein stood to the side, her expression indifferent, completely different from before, not paying attention to anyone.

"Good day, Princess..." Someone walked up fawningly, folding their hands in front of their chest. Horus slightly turned sideways, blocked in front of him, and smiled: "Good day, Minister Isuri."

Horus handled external relations on Klein's behalf. He was elegant and poised, his expressions becoming very rich. From time to time, people would take the initiative to come over and chat, their attitudes enthusiastic.

Although the banquet was ostensibly to welcome Klein, it was more of a venue for the officials to network and build connections.

However, the true big shots would not appear here. Those who attended could only be considered upper-level ministers and Imperial Family members.

"Prince Alex..." The officials made way, respectfully allowing a young man to pass. His appearance was exceptionally handsome, and his deep black formal suit made him look like a resplendent star.

He stopped in front of Klein and nodded:

"Prince..." Horus's attitude was gentle. "Your achievements in the Northern Seven Star Systems make me proud."

"It's all thanks to your past teachings." Alex didn't become arrogant because of Horus's praise. He shifted his gaze to Klein, "Welcome back, the Pearl of Return Star."

Hearing this title now, Klein felt a heartfelt disgust. It was like discovering on your 30th birthday that your gift was a QQ status update from when you were 14.

She frowned slightly, not wanting to deal with this brother. Horus spoke up at the right time, "Prince Alex, Princess Klein is feeling unwell... therefore..."

Alex's eyes flickered, and he said with concern, "Since you're feeling unwell, remember to get checked out later. I won't disturb you then."

Horus sent Alex off and continued chatting and laughing merrily with the surrounding officials.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

A crisp sound rang out. Attendants struck golden cups and plates, drawing everyone's attention.

The surrounding noise gradually vanished, and the ministers gathered around. This was not a formal occasion, so there wasn't too much strict etiquette.

With lustrous blue long hair, composed and solemn eyebrows, and majestic eyes that made one subconsciously ignore her appearance—this was the Queen of Return Star: Vimala Juke Asaha.

The prestige of this Iron-Blooded Queen was no less than that of the Return Star Emperor, who held the title of "Star Burier."

"Good day, Queen..." The ministers were very respectful to Vimala, quietly waiting for the Queen's speech.

Vimala looked around, her gaze finally locking onto Klein, and she spoke slowly, "Welcome back, my child."

Vimala was the fourth Queen of the Return Star ruler and also Klein's biological mother.

"Mother Queen..." Facing Vimala, it was naturally impossible for Klein to ignore her. She stepped forward and nodded to show respect.

"You've worked hard." Vimala forced a smile, making Klein somewhat at a loss, even though Vimala was her biological mother.

But in reality, they hadn't spent much time together, and Vimala hadn't paid her much attention. Now, holding a banquet specifically for her made her quite uncomfortable.

"It was what I should do." Although uncomfortable, Klein responded respectfully.

"The ministers have all come for you. You must communicate well with them," Vimala instructed, her words carrying an underlying meaning.

Klein frowned slightly. Before she could respond, she heard Vimala continue, "Your Excellency Horus, please come with me. Regarding the Black Knight Warship, I have some questions to ask."

Horus's eyes flashed. His first reaction, however, was to look at Klein. The two exchanged glances, and Klein nodded imperceptibly before Horus answered, "Yes, Queen."

Vimala exchanged a few more pleasantries and chatted briefly with several ministers before being surrounded by attendants and leading Horus into a certain room in the banquet hall.

In the corner, Alex was almost completely ignored. It was as if Vimala hadn't even seen this Prince.

He swirled the crimson liquid in his goblet, lifting it slightly. The spicy liquid slid down his throat, and a subtle curve appeared at the corner of his mouth.

Klein gathered her spirits, put on a refined smile, and communicated with the ministers.

Strangely, those ministers seemed to have forgotten about the Prince at this moment as well, only serving as foils around Klein.

Entering the room, Horus's attitude suddenly became strange. That sense of distance and reluctance vanished instantly. His gaze landed on Vimala, containing a certain emotion.

Vimala's voice remained peaceful and indifferent as she spoke to Horus, "Your plan was very successful. Klein has completed her initial transformation. With a little more molding, she should barely pass."

Horus took a deep breath. "Why the sudden rush? We should have had plenty of time to guide Klein. Rushing it now will very likely force Klein to the extreme."

Seeming to think of something, waves also surged on Vimala's solemn face. She said in a low voice, "The King's Death Wave is approaching. The research institute is almost unable to suppress it. The time left for me is running out."

"What?" Horus's pupils contracted, proving just how shocking this news was.

"How could it be so fast!?"

"The backlash of the Titan Genes. That power is too immense." Vimala answered every question from Horus; the relationship between the two didn't seem simple.

Horus fell silent for a moment before continuing, "I understand. How much certainty do you have?"

Vimala pondered, "Originally, it was less than thirty percent. Now that Klein's personality has transformed, there's forty percent. Next, you must make Klein trust you so we can continue to act."

"Klein is already a bit estranged from me, and..." Horus hesitated.

"An unexpected variable?" Vimala frowned, somewhat surprised. Horus's plans rarely produced accidents, and even if they did, he would erase them.

Such hesitation from him was extremely rare.

"Li Yu..." Horus spat out a name. In a field of vision neither he nor Vimala could see, the large eyeball lying on top of Horus's head suddenly opened.

"Li Yu..." Vimala frowned, "Who is that?"

"Didn't you read the report I gave you?" Horus looked at Vimala, feeling a bit displeased.

"I read it..." Vimala's gaze shifted slightly before instantly firming up again. "I just didn't read it very carefully."

Horus: "..."

Horus briefly explained the current situation, and a strange expression couldn't help but appear on Vimala's solemn face. "Klein wants that B-Tier Lifeform to step into the ring with you? Truly..."

"I don't think this is a bad thing. At least Klein already understands checks and balances," Horus shook his head.

"Then why did you make Edwin hostile toward him? Although Edwin is very protective of Klein, he deeply hates those 'friends' of hers," Vimala said meaningfully.

"Your casual phrase 'Klein's friend' probably already made Edwin take it to heart."

Vimala understood this Old Friend. He was meticulous in his planning. With just one light sentence, he got Edwin to help deal with Li Yu, completely removing himself from the picture.

Horus explained, "It's just a test for him. If he can't even pass Edwin's hurdle, he has no right to be my opponent."

"Your opponent?" Vimala was somewhat speechless. "A B-Tier Lifeform acting as your opponent. I'm afraid just killing him directly would make him feel better."

"No..." Horus shook his head, "His significance to Klein is rather special; he cannot be easily erased. Plus, there's that A-grade Mental Power Cultivator. Until we fully understand his situation, we cannot act rashly."

Mentioning Grandpa Pucha, Vimala also became slightly excited. "Treat him as soon as possible. This is a powerful assistance, and its symbolic meaning is extraordinary. If he is willing to help, what does it matter if we give that Li Yu some benefits?"

An A-grade Mental Power Cultivator from the Star Glory Empire being persecuted and turning to Vimala for refuge—if this got out, it would bring her immense prestige.

Horus remained silent, his old face looking very grim. Vimala calmed down slightly and added, "Don't overthink it. You are still my most relied-upon helper."

Horus managed to squeeze out a smile. "Don't worry, I will fully help you get what you want—the first Empress in the history of Return Star!"

Hearing Horus's words, a trace of excitement flashed across Vimala's solemn face. As for the attendants around them, they all kept their heads down, seemingly having heard nothing and seen nothing.

...

"Hey... what's your decision?"

Max waved his hands in front of Li Yu. Ever since he just allowed Li Yu to join the talent support program, this guy had fallen into a trance and wouldn't wake up no matter how much he called.

"What's wrong with him?" Max was a bit frustrated and asked Edwin.

"I don't know!" Edwin's tone was rather foul as he glared fiercely at Max.

Max felt a bit guilty and didn't dare meet Edwin's eyes.

"Were your moral integrity and steadfastness so easily broken through?" Edwin gritted his teeth.

"Ha... haha... intelligence is important, intelligence is important..." Max forcefully defended himself, "Aren't you the same? Bringing him over personally—isn't that just trying to pull strings through the backdoor?"

"Twisting words and forcing logic!" Edwin's eyes almost spewed fire, and he rolled up his sleeves, seemingly wanting to beat Max up.

"Hey! Don't come over here, I'm not afraid of you!" Max knew he was in the wrong and kept backing away.

"...The first in the history of Return Star..." Li Yu slowly came to his senses. The shock in his heart hadn't completely faded, and he subconsciously repeated the words. Halfway through, realizing what he was doing, he swallowed the rest of the sentence.

"He's awake, he's awake, that guy is awake!" Max hurriedly alerted.

Edwin took a deep breath, suppressed his anger, and turned to look at the newly recovered Li Yu.

Max hurriedly walked up and complained, "What was wrong with you just now? You stopped responding halfway through a sentence. Have you decided? Don't worry about retaliation; Return Star will protect you."

"I thought of something..." Li Yu answered perfunctorily. Horus had mentioned his name, the big eye alerted him, so he went to peep.

He didn't expect to actually get huge news. That woman's identity wasn't hard to track down; he could easily find it on Return Star's Interstellar Network. She was the Queen of Return Star.

The first Empress in the history of Return Star. He wondered if she wanted Klein to take the throne, or if she wanted it for herself.

Most importantly, he learned Horus's attitude—that he wouldn't do anything to him in the short term, which made Li Yu breathe a sigh of relief.

"Why are you acting so Effeminate? Are you in or not?" Max said. Seeing Li Yu fall silent again made him quite depressed.

"This..." Li Yu smiled. "Naturally, there's no problem." He reached out, took the documents from Max's hand, uploaded them to the network, and made a backup.

How could he pass up the chance to spread the prestige of his Big Brother Dark Star? Moreover, he could use this matter to his advantage.

Dark Star probably wouldn't even realize he was taking the blame for such a massive pot.

However, once Dark Star learned of this, he would instantly understand how Li Yu had destroyed his entire Mothership back then, and he would also know that the virus was actually leaked by Li Yu.

But the crux of the problem was that Li Yu would point the finger at Dark Star as the source first. If Dark Star then turned around and pointed at Li Yu, probably not many people would believe him.

Because no matter how you looked at it, it would just seem like A Cornered Rat Will Fight, biting blindly.

Furthermore, he wanted to use the [T-Virus Antidote] to gain sufficient benefits from Return Star, but under normal circumstances, this would be very difficult to achieve.

However, a vague plan had already formed in his mind, though some details still needed to be filled in.

"That's great!" Max was overjoyed and grabbed Li Yu, wanting to run outside.

As long as he could prove that his delving deep into the No Man's Land System wasn't reckless, he wouldn't have to stay here gathering dust. Administrative work was too boring; the stars were his true journey.

"Wait a minute..." Li Yu forcefully broke free from Max, not moving an inch from his spot. This made Max slightly surprised.This guy... has such a strong grip.

Li Yu wasn't in a hurry and said instead, "I still have a doubt. If I just go over there with empty claims, will Return Star believe my story?"

"They will believe it." Max smiled mysteriously, while Edwin shook his head. "The crux of the problem lies in your Identity."

"We want to prove that the virus is related to the Star Glory Empire and use Interstellar Public Opinion to force the Star Glory Empire to provide a solution."

"But this is almost impossible to prove. Pointing the finger at Dark Star is an excellent medium. It's a widely known fact that Dark Star serves the Star Glory Empire."

Max added, "Your pointing the finger at Dark Star is... couldn't be more fitting. If the big shots want to turn this accusation into reality, they will definitely utilize me, and that's exactly what I need."

This was not an era of war, but an era of peaceful development for the various civilizations. The Star Glory Empire using underhanded tactics would be widely condemned.

Li Yu didn't expect Max's goal to actually be this. He had been wondering before how he was supposed to prove it to Max without any evidence.

He didn't expect that what Max wanted wasn't proof at all, but the support of the big shots.

However, there would probably still be a struggle in this. After all, Dark Star was just Dark Star, formerly a Marauder. The Star Glory Empire could completely Shift Blame and claim to know nothing about the matter.

"Today is Klein's welcome banquet. The military ministers are probably not present. Let's go over later," Edwin reminded.

"Tsk tsk... almost forgot. Our respected Queen's appeal is quite high," Max said with a hidden meaning. Edwin frowned and shot him a glance.

"Since that's the case, let's go get your resource allocation first." Max led the two toward the resource distribution center.

(End of this chapter)