027 Welcome Back Chancellor (Part 3)

Xu Lanzhou felt the warm blood on his forehead and on his palm, the feelings of disillusionment and loss that had just weighed on him suddenly vanished into thin air. In their place, a strong sense of mission and glory tumbled in his heart, making him uncontrollably tremble with excitement.

What Bai Zhongqi did not know was that his unintentional gesture was exactly the ritual used by the Imperial Chancellor when conferring knighthood on the Twelve Knights of Destiny. Unlike European monarchs on Earth, who tap a knight's shoulders with a sword, the knighting in Iridium Star involves the Chancellor cutting his palm and dabbing the knight's forehead with his own blood to signify a shared bloodline and intertwined destinies, all bound by destiny.

The words Bai Zhongqi casually spoke, "Through my blood, I grant thee Empire," were precisely those historically recorded as being said to the twelve knights. From this point on, no one doubted whether this unimposing person, who greatly differed from their expectations, was truly the Imperial Chancellor.

Nan Ma also congratulated, saying with a smile, "Congratulations, Commander, after the twelve Knights of Destiny, you have become the thirteenth knight of the Empire in five thousand years. Truly, congratulations."

In the United Empire, only the Imperial Chancellor could knight someone, and the Imperial Chancellor had only ever knighted twelve individuals—the Twelve Knights of Destiny. Since then, no other knight had arisen in the Empire. Even the descendants of the Twelve Knights of Destiny could only claim to be knights' descendants and could not inherit the title of knight. The United Empire did sustain a system of hereditary nobility, not messed up with various ranks like duke or marquis. There was only one type of nobility rank in the Empire, and all nobility could claim the title 'Sir,' passing it down to one successor per generation, unless a serious mistake was committed, allowing this title to be inherited indefinitely. Of course, apart from the ceremonial title, knights still had to pay taxes in accordance with the law, abide by the laws, and did not enjoy any special treatment; they bore even greater pressure instead.

Xu Lanzhou was also incredibly thrilled and could not suppress his pride. After standing up, he saluted Bai Zhongqi militarily, and said, "Your Majesty, the Empire has been awaiting Your return for thousands of years. Our unexpected journey through time must have been guided by the universal cosmic laws, allowing us finally to meet You. The United Empire needs You, and I humbly ask You to board the Sacred Falcon, lead Your fleet and subjects, and usher in a new era for the Empire."

Nan Ma added, "Your Majesty, thousands of us, soldiers and civilians of the Empire Army, are lost in this alternate universe. This is the time when we need Your comfort and benevolence. Please grace the Sacred Falcon with Your presence to reassure the military and the civilians' hearts."

Bai Zhongqi was also excited, as things seemed to be moving in the direction he had hoped. Although he had hardly expected this fleet to truly obey him, if he could just con them into not attacking Earth, then despite the risks, Bai Zhongqi had to try.

"I've been thinking the same, I have indeed been away from the Empire and its citizens for far too long..." he had to keep up the pretense.

Upon hearing Bai Zhongqi's consent to return to the Sacred Falcon, everyone burst with joy. Xu Lanzhou's eyes shone brightly; although she still found Bai Zhongqi's attire inappropriate, as an Empire officer celebrating the return of their Chancellor and being conferred the title by him, her elation was beyond words.

At that moment, Bai Zhongqi suddenly saw on the second-floor balcony, his junior, Han Jiaxue, covering her mouth, looking over in shock.

Bai Zhongqi felt a tingling sensation on his scalp, unsure of how to explain the situation to his new girlfriend. He could only say to a few people from Iridium Star, "Wait a moment, I'll fetch something."

Going upstairs, Han Jiaxue looked at Bai Zhongqi in disbelief and asked, "Are those people aliens?"

Bai Zhongqi could only nod in agreement.

Han Jiaxue's complexion suddenly turned a shade of pale, and the look she gave Bai Zhongqi was filled with fear. She asked, trembling slightly, "You... you know those aliens?"

Bai Zhongqi had no choice but to admit, "Yes, I do have some connections with them."

"They all knelt before you. It's not just some connection anymore, right? Are you their leader? Are you also an alien?"

Bai Zhongqi was overwhelmed by his junior's barrage of questions, but he still responded, "I, probably, um, should be considered their leader. I am an Earthling, that much is absolutely true, not impersonated by an alien. Anyway, I am still your boyfriend."

As he spoke, Bai Zhongqi took a step forward, wanting to embrace Han Jiaxue.

"Stop, don't come any closer!" In her panic, Han Jiaxue even took a step back, trembling like a frightened little rabbit.

Seeing the beloved girl's eyes turning red and tears swirling in her eyes, Bai Zhongqi knew that he had truly frightened Han Jiaxue this time. People are always full of fear towards things they cannot understand, especially a girl who isn't very resilient. She had just barely survived a deadly ordeal, and having relied on him for a sense of security, she hadn't expected him to turn into an "alien," potentially an alien leader invading Earth.

Bai Zhongqi was very conflicted, knowing explanations wouldn't suffice now, and his actions indeed looked suspicious. No one would believe he had just officially become the leader of this group of aliens, and that he had been unaware of the incident that caused thousands of casualties just minutes before. He now lacked the heart and energy to explain everything to Han Jiaxue. The top priority was still to thoroughly subdue the R19 fleet and find a way to control the fleet through the game, averting a catastrophic disaster for Earth.

He had to postpone explanations for later, but the most crucial issue was that he couldn't reveal his major secret to Han Jiaxue, that the alien fleet had emerged from his game. Who knew what consequences could follow if this information was leaked? Or if some ambitious individuals might try to seize control of the game from him?

Bai Zhongqi could only take one step at a time now, feeling utterly confused. He said to Han Jiaxue, "I can't make you trust me now, but my feelings for you are genuine, and I would never harm Earth. I will prove all of this. I have to go now. You should be careful at home by yourself. There is food in the fridge, and you know where the supplies are stored in the storage room. Don't go outside carelessly, as it might still not be safe. But, things will get better soon. If the flights are operational, go back to your country and reunite with your family."

Having said that, Bai Zhongqi could only turn and enter the house, packing the computer that stored the game into his backpack. The Iridium Star people finding him must be related to his playing of the game, so the fleet should be controllable through the game. Thus, he took the game with him, intending to visit the starship and see if he could control the R19 fleet.

Han Jiaxue, meanwhile, was in complete despair, watching dully as Bai Zhongqi, with his backpack, boarded the metallic blue alien spaceship. Ripples like water waves appeared on the exterior of the spaceship, which slowly ascended into the sky and then gradually vanished from her sight.