Before returning to the Capital, Nero ordered the fleet to land first at the Mirror Spring Port.
The Mirror Spring Palace is located on a temperate asteroid within the Capital Star System, built by the 34th Emperor of the Empire, Ansel IV Kaises.
Ansel IV, an exceptionally rare romantic among the Kaises Family, constructed Mirror Spring Palace solely for his beloved Omega queen to enjoy the hot springs during vacations.
The palace is renowned for its warm springs that remain pleasant all year round. The walls and domes are adorned with luxurious mirrors, and hundreds of exquisite full-length mirrors stand around the springs.
It is rumored that Ansel IV set up so many mirrors in the palace to admire his queen from every angle.
Later, this loving royal couple passed away together, and Mirror Spring Palace became one of the Kaises royal family’s residences.
The White Wolf Knight carried Nero into the palace.
Upon entering the main hall, the sweet and fragrant Omega pheromones immediately filled the air.
The Alpha Wolf Knights guarding the Emperor quickly activated the pheromone isolation devices in their helmets.
The White Wolf Knight holding Nero couldn’t free his hands, so he subtly lowered his head, allowing the young Emperor to press the isolation device button behind the wolf ear.
“…Your Majesty, the Emperor is here!”
The chamberlain at the entrance of Mirror Spring Palace was dozing off. He jolted awake with a sharp cry, as if his neck had been grasped, when the Wolf Knights approached.
Court servants hurried out to greet them.
In the fearful and lowered eyes of the crowd, only the heavy metallic boots of the White Wolf Knights could be seen stepping past, followed by a crimson royal robe swaying gently in their stride and the breeze.
Mirror Spring Palace’s chief steward proclaimed, “…Honorable Emperor, supreme ruler of the galaxy, sovereign of the Empire! Your presence illuminates the entire planet—”
“I’ve come to see my Omega,” Nero interrupted. “To check if you’ve dared to let them lack food or clothing during my absence.”
“…Your Majesty! We are your most loyal servants, we would never dare to be so audacious!”
Passing through the main hall adorned with mirrors, the Wolf Knights entered the central hot spring area of Mirror Spring Palace.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
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Unmarked Omega pheromones would cause an accelerated heart rate and a surge of adrenaline, which was highly detrimental to a severely ill pre-differentiated Alpha.
Nero’s red eyes turned cold, and he gently pressed his tongue against his canine teeth.
The delicate-looking young boys and girls had clearly not expected the Emperor to suddenly visit Mirror Spring Palace.
Apparently, having been neglected for some time, they had gradually adapted to life in Mirror Spring Palace and had even relaxed enough to play in the hot springs.
Now, each one of them, with wet hair plastered to their foreheads, knelt awkwardly on the pebble floor, awaiting the rumored young tyrant’s judgment.
“What is your name?”
The Omegas looked up blankly, first struck by the fierce beauty of the silver-haired Emperor, then slowly coming to their senses.
They were disappointed to find that the Emperor’s gaze was not on them but locked on a black-haired, blue-eyed Omega boy in the back row.
The boy’s hair and robes were dry, with an old book lying beside him.
He had probably been hiding in a corner of Mirror Spring Palace, secretly reading before Nero’s sudden arrival.
Confirming that Nero was looking at him, the boy’s voice trembled as he spoke, “Y-Your Majesty, unless a master bestows a name, a lowly Omega like me… cannot have a name.”
Nero tilted his head thoughtfully for a moment. Then, seeing the clear spring water reflected in the mirrors, he said, “Mimir, come to me.”
The newly named black-haired boy hurriedly rose from the ground and walked to Nero with trembling steps.
The Emperor lifted his chin with a gloved hand, the gesture surprisingly gentle, as was his voice, “Have I ever marked you?”
Mimir was bewildered, “N-No…?”
Nero instructed, “Say, ‘Yes, my lord. The Emperor has bestowed upon me the highest honor, even marking me three times while bedridden.'”
As he finished speaking, the Asimov Collar around the Omega’s neck began to glow, automatically inputting the command.
The Asimov Collar was initially developed to control and reform the empire’s most severe criminals.
Those who wear these collars, once bound by an agreement with the issuer, will completely adhere to the three Asimov prohibitions: protect the master, obey, and self-preserve, just like artificial intelligence.
However, as the power of the upper echelons of the empire’s nobility expanded and Star Pirates’ human trafficking became rampant, Asimov Collars were given more illegal uses.
These collars were widely used by the noble class on Omegas they had scoured, ensuring that even if the Omegas lived in utter misery, they could not end their own lives. Star Pirates secretly smuggled these collars from imperial nobles at high prices to control the children they trafficked.
The Kaises Royal Family had been trying to ban Asimov Collars on a large scale for five generations. However, by then, the royal power had already been diluted layer by layer by the noble groups. The decrees to ban the collars repeatedly issued by the royal family ultimately came to nothing.
Mimir remained bewildered but obediently repeated, “Yes, my lord. The Emperor has bestowed upon me the highest honor, even marking me three times while bedridden.”
As he gazed at the young Emperor’s graceful lips, some image flashed in his mind, causing him to blush with embarrassment.
Nero looked up at the White Wolf Knight and said, “He will accompany us back to the Capital.”
The White Wolf Knight responded, “As you command, Your Majesty.”
The knight turned around, carrying Nero with him, and took away the Emperor’s hand that had been resting on Mimir’s chin.
…
In the era of starships equipped with warp engines, traveling between Mirror Spring Palace and the Capital, both located within the Capital Star System, was as simple as strolling through the back garden of the Solar Palace.
As the photonic shields of the Capital peeled away layer by layer and then instantly restructured behind the fleet, the Royal Fleet entered the port of the Capital. The Solar Palace’s main hall, where a grand coronation ceremony had been held just a few days ago, now stood empty.
However, in the imperial council chamber behind the main hall, the renowned nobles of the Galactic Empire had been waiting for some time.
“Duke! Duke!”
The moment Grand Duke Harrison appeared, four senior ministers immediately stood up, smiling obsequiously as they hurriedly approached.
“Duke, we never imagined we would one day be in the presence of His Majesty!”
“Duke, this is an honor you have bestowed upon me. My family and I will remember this for generations!”
“Duke, you know the planet Ayose in my territory is rich in Tarka Grass… just give the word, and Ayose will be yours…”
“Marquis Barik, watch your words!”
Grand Duke Harrison struck his cane heavily, startling the Minister of Law and Government.
“Tarka Grass was classified as a hallucinogenic drug and banned by the late Emperor twenty years ago! The late Emperor saved us from the empire’s dark age and protected us from Rupert’s crimes. Now, we must serve Nero, the last bloodline of the late Emperor, with even greater devotion and follow his command!”
The four great nobles looked at each other, unsure if Grand Duke Harrison’s words were genuine.
“Colleagues, you must remember your duties,” Grand Duke Harrison said in a low voice.
“Emperor Nero has not yet differentiated, he is young and inexperienced in state affairs.”
“And today is the Emperor’s first council meeting since his coronation. We must shoulder the responsibilities given to us by the Galactic Empire’s laws—assist the Emperor and act as regents. Matters that need not concern the Emperor should not be brought to the table. Since the Emperor has not received the education of a crown prince, he naturally knows nothing about managing the Empire’s affairs.
“We simply need to continue with the previous system, each managing our own territories. If we rashly let the young Emperor intervene, who knows what internal turmoil might ensue within the empire.”
He used gentle terms to express the collective intention of the nobility: to marginalize this Kaises Emperor.
“Duke, I completely understand your meaning,” the finance minister said, somewhat apprehensive. “But… what if the Emperor, like Emperor Karagu before him, insists on reclaiming our power? You saw what happened to Rupert’s rebels…”
Grand Duke Harrison’s face darkened, clearly recalling the scene when the Capital was breached.
The terrifying mental power values of the Kaises family remain unmatched in the galaxy to this day.
Even an untrained, crippled young heir could pilot a mecha with unparalleled ferocity.
During Rupert’s reign, Grand Duke Harrison was Rupert’s minister of war and government—this enabled him to switch sides in time and open the Capital Fortress for Nero.
He had witnessed firsthand how Rupert had been driven to near madness by a mere eight-year-old child during their escape.
“…It’s you damned fools who don’t understand the Kaises Royal Family!” Rupert had once roared, smashing the conference table, his eyes bloodshot. “If you miss the best opportunity to eradicate them, the only option left is to wait for them to self-destruct!”
