After the Zerg General Was Accidentally Marked - Chapter 22

Chapter 22: Female Attendant

On the other side, Lyra, the representative from the Mental Power Research Institute, had just entered and sat down when Everett suddenly sneezed: “A-choo!”

“Are you okay?” Lyra was startled and hurriedly pulled out a tissue to hand over. “Are you sick?”

“No.” Everett took the tissue. “I guess an insect is thinking about me.”

Quite superstitious. Lyra took out a recording pen and opened a light screen. “Excellency Everett, actually, besides working at the Mental Power Research Institute, I am also a journalist. An intern for the Transit Star Headlines. So this time, besides making a record for the Institute, I plan to write your story into a report. After all, a high-rank jumping four grades at once is quite rare. Everyone loves these ‘one step to heaven’ stories.”

“Working two jobs, earning two salaries, right?” This routine sounded familiar.

Lyra was very gratified. “A fellow traveler!”

“Do you know a doctor named Perth at the Central Hospital?”

“That’s my brother.”

I see.

Regarding being publicized, Everett didn’t have much of an objection, but: “Documentary news?”

“Gossip entertainment,” Lyra answered honestly.

“Gossip? Do you write love stories?”

“We do! Themes like ‘The Overbearing High-rank Falls for Me’ are very popular among military females and sub-females! Our department targets the massive ‘sinking’ market of common military females!”

Everett thought about himself. Overbearing? Not really.

“What about a non-overbearing high-rank? Is that okay?”

“Uh… that works too? It depends on whether the story is exciting.”

Everett then said with a mysterious look: “This upgrade of mine is related to a certain military female.”

Lyra: “Huh?”

Then the little high-rank added oil and vinegar to tell a story of an F-grade high-rank upgrading for love. How he fell for a discounted female slave at first sight, how he slowly nursed the broken slave back to health, how he bravely stormed the Fourteenth District after finding the other missing, how he was kidnapped and sent onto a cargo ship, how he successfully escaped using his intelligence, bravery, and strength, and finally, how he landed safely. Then, he quickly had the military female and the cub expressed over from the Capital Star and settled them into their little nest.

Lyra was stunned as he listened.

“Are you sure… this is a story about a high-rank?” Fighting and brawling—is that what a frail high-rank is supposed to do?

“Why wouldn’t it be? Isn’t this a great subversion of the trope!”

It sounded like excessive bragging. But Lyra didn’t voice this complaint. “So, why exactly did you upgrade?”

“I don’t know. I just woke up and it was like this.”

Lyra felt that not only would his draft fail to pass, but he would also be severely scolded by his brother.

After seeing Lyra off, Everett turned around and almost bumped into Little Dummy.

That’s the downside of a small house. Everett was about to step around him but was blocked again. “Master, you lied.”

“There wasn’t just one insect on the ship. You attributed the military female’s heroic deeds to yourself.”

“Art originates from life but stands higher than life. Besides, the fact that the military female is a stowaway cannot be told.” Everett suddenly realized something was wrong. “How did you know Solas was on the ship?”

“Bigu said so. He also said you were quite weak on the ship—you couldn’t even jump across a fire pit and had to have the military female sacrifice his wings to carry you.”

Everett: …

You don’t have to say everything, Gugu.

But Everett also knew clearly that the reason Solas’s wings were injured like that was indeed because of him.

“I have to find a way to become stronger. I can’t be a drag anymore.”

“You are a high-rank; your physique is naturally weak. There’s no way around it,” Little Dummy comforted him, patting his back with a stiff mechanical arm.

“Even so…”

“By the way, does Master want to give the military female an identity?”

“Identity?”

“Yes. A death report for the female slave was submitted previously, which means Solas is currently an undocumented person. The ‘no such insect’ type.”

If Little Dummy hadn’t mentioned it, Everett would have forgotten. Mostly because Solas hadn’t mentioned it either, as if whether he was registered in the optical-link system didn’t matter to him.

“Does not having a legal identity affect the military female?”

“Without a formal identity, there is no legal optical-link account. One cannot use the system for star-coin transactions, online communication, or public transportation, nor can one join the military or find a job within the system.”

Everett felt a pang in his heart. So Solas was indeed planning to do illegal work.

Every high-rank is given at least one free optical-link account at birth, roughly equivalent to a human-era ID, bound for life. It can be used for medical care, education, work, social networking, entertainment, and so on. But military females are different. Because the population is so large, the vast majority of military females who want a legal account must either have a family background or pass the rigorous military academy exams to join the military and become a military female.

Solas must have had an account once, but it was stripped away when he became a female slave. Not to mention a military female with genetic defects like Bigu; he could never own an account in his life.

“Little Dummy, if I want to give Solas and Bigu a legal identity and account, how should I proceed?”

“Marry the military female and adopt the cub.”

“It’s that simple?”

“You are a high-rank. This is a high-rank privilege.”

High-rank privilege Everett had heard this term before. But because he had always focused on mental power research and lived in a remote area without close military female relations, he didn’t have a profound impression of the term.

Until this moment, he realized that something a common military female had to work years to obtain, he only needed to fill out a few application forms for.

But for both Solas and Bigu, a legal identity and account were very useful. So Everett acted immediately. “Help me submit an application for a Female Sovereign and an adoption application for the cub.”

“Master, a military female of unknown background cannot directly become a Female Sovereign. He must start as a Female Attendant. He can be promoted to Female Sovereign after one year.”

“So much trouble? Fine, Female Attendant it is then!” Having an identity is better than nothing.

Everett seriously filled out the Female Attendant application and then began the adoption forms. However, as he filled them out, he noticed something was wrong.

Please confirm that the background information of the cub in the system is based solely on the content you provide. The system is not responsible for any problems or conflicts arising from factual discrepancies.

Please confirm that the system only performs a formal review of whether you meet the adoption requirements. The system is not responsible for subsequent issues of non-compliance.

The system does not verify the authenticity of documents you submit. The system is not responsible for any issues resulting from false documents.

The system has no right to interfere with the future upbringing of the cub. The system is not responsible if upbringing disputes or problems lead to the disability or death of the cub.

Everett felt that he wasn’t adopting, but human trafficking.

But regardless, as long as he agreed to these strange terms, the adoption procedures were completed smoothly.

They went from an illegal three-insect cohabitation to a legal family of three.

Everett clicked on his optical-link account and saw the Female Attendant and the cub appear in the linked accounts. He couldn’t stop the corners of his mouth from curling up.

He had a family—no, “home-insects”! Home-insects he chose himself.

Next was purchasing optical-link equipment. Everett was more accustomed to bracelets or robots, so he ordered two identical optical-link bracelets. When it came time to pay, he found:

Insufficient balance.

Everett immediately switched to the “F” account and arranged an idle job for himself at the Transit Star branch: Branch Building Entry/Exit Inspector in short, a doorman. Then he paid himself a bonus of 100,000 star-coins!

Being your own boss feels great!

Now that he had money, Everett didn’t stop after buying the bracelets. He remembered his helplessness on the ship when he was almost forced to pilot it, so he purchased a professional holographic flight training game for high-ranks. He also bought a pile of anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving oral and topical medicines for the military female. Finally, he called Bigu over and bought a pile of snacks together.

Unwittingly, it was almost dark. The bracelets had arrived. When would Solas be back?

On the other side, Sears, having successfully obtained the paper contract, also realized the identity issue. Without an optical-link, many subsequent matters would be inconvenient.

However, he had already made plans for this. A compliant identity was unattainable, but there was a way to buy a fake identity of a dead insect.

Before dark, Sears obtained a refurbished second-hand optical-link bracelet from Carlos, the electronic mechanic.

But when he prepared to change the name, he found this was actually Ned’s original account. His hand paused involuntarily.

“Are you sure you want to give Ned’s optical-link to me?” He thought Carlos would keep Ned’s things. After all, the two of them were very close, perhaps even more than just good friends.

Carlos shrugged. “His background is more suitable. Being able to help you, Ned would probably be happy.”

“…Thank you.”

“You said before that you suspected the insect who killed Ned was related to the Magic Lamp Company and the Kalatin reagent. I recently found something in the local system—I don’t know if it’s useful, but I’ve sent it to you anyway.” Carlos tapped his light screen and sent a file to Sears. “There is also a Magic Lamp branch on the Transit Star, with quite a few employees. Be careful.”

Sears opened the file and took a look, involuntarily knitting his brows. “You too.”

Carlos smiled, tapped two fingers to his temple, and then flicked them out. This was a common gesture of the First Legion, meaning “Goodbye.” But he wasn’t an insect of the First Legion; Ned was.

In fact, this gesture had another meaning: “Farewell.” Used to say goodbye to fallen comrades.

Sears returned the same gesture.

While heading home with the bracelet and dinner, a panicked high-rank hurried past Sears, muttering to himself: “The recording pen, I left the recording pen…” He almost bumped into him.

“Careful,” Sears reminded him.

Unexpectedly, the high-rank stopped, turned back, and looked him up and down. “You… are Solas? Everett’s military female?”

“And you are?”

“Hello, I am Lyra, a journalist for Transit Star Headlines. I interviewed Excellency Everett earlier.” Lyra enthusiastically tried to shake hands, but was ignored by the military female. “I wonder if I could interview you?”

“You want to interview me, a military female?”

“A story needs multiple perspectives to be cross-validated!”

Sears thought for a moment. “Will many insects see your report?”

“I can’t say about elsewhere, but on the Transit Star, everyone will know!”

“Fine,” Sears agreed.

Then Sears told a dark story about how the Magic Lamp Company deliberately and secretly transported and sold Kalatin reagents, which were actually used to control large numbers of military females and force them to work.

Lyra listened with a head full of question marks. “So, what does this have to do with Everett’s mental power upgrade?”

Nothing much. Sears thought for a moment. “Perhaps Everett’s upgrade is related to the Kalatin reagents?”

Lyra had an epiphany. “That makes sense!” There’s the sponsor!

By the time the interview ended and he got home, the food was cold. But fortunately, the little high-rank and the cub weren’t picky. Moreover, the two insects shared a knowing smile while eating, clearly hiding something from him.

After dinner, Bigu squatted on Sears’ shoulder, covered his eyes with his hands, and mysteriously guided him back to the living room.

When Sears opened his eyes, he heard a: “Ta-da—”

Before him was a latest-model optical-link bracelet.

The little high-rank clicked on the bracelet and scrolled down to the linked accounts. It showed the identity as Female Attendant. The high-rank master column was Everett, and the cub was Bigu.

Bigu also stretched his thin wrist in front of his eyes, shouting excitedly: “Bigu has one too!”

Before Sears could speak, the little high-rank cut in: “I originally wanted ‘Female Sovereign’ directly, but the system wouldn’t allow it. So it has to be ‘Female Attendant’ first.”

“As for the ceremony and such, it will be made up later. I think you need this identity more right now.” The little high-rank looked up at him as if asking for credit, dimples deep and cute. “You won’t mind, will you?”

Far from minding, it was a perfectly timed help in his hour of need. But for some reason, Sears felt a bit strange in his heart.

“I like it very much. I don’t mind.”

The little high-rank’s sparkling golden eyes stared at him intently, a layer of crimson appearing on his beautiful fair face. “Then from now on, we are a legally compliant family of insects!”

Saying this, Everett tilted his head up and moved closer to Sears, his upper body leaning forward slightly. The distance was so close that if Sears just cooperatively lowered his head, the distance would become zero, and the closeness would become a kiss.

But Sears tilted his head away, instead reaching out his arms to embrace the high-rank. Thus, an atmosphere perfect for a kiss became a polite hug.

The little high-rank was stunned for a moment, but was immediately dragged away by the shouting Bigu, who was playing with the optical-link: “High-rank brother, how do you use this!”

That night, no one mentioned the missed kiss again.

The next day, Sears and Everett happened to open the Transit Star Headlines at the same time, seeing a headline in red:

Shock! F-grade high-rank risks his life for a beloved slave; unexpectedly jumps four grades because of THIS on the ship!

Kalatin Reagent!

Sears: Why is there a ‘beloved slave’?

Everett: Why is there ‘Kalatin’?

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