A Chemist's Interstellar Saga
Chapter 165: Back To School

Chapter 165: Back To School

Matis forced a smile and nodded, watching his beloved granddaughter leave.

Once she was out of sight, he immediately opened his opticomputer and contacted someone listed as "That Prick."

"Yo? Matis, why are you contacting me so late?" Admiral Virek of the Third Legion appeared on the 3D screen, looking at Matis with a touch of disdain.

Yesterday, Virek had asked Matis for some psychic power healing potions, but the old miser had been reluctant and said he’d think about it. Hmph, hypocrite. He just wanted more benefits.

"Virek, I remember you wanted some psychic power healing potions from me, right?" Matis asked, his tone resigned and world-weary.

Virek raised an eyebrow. This stingy guy was actually bringing it up himself. Maybe he had a chance today.

Softening his tone, he replied, "That’s right. So, are you giving them to me?"

"How many do you want?" Matis asked calmly.

Virek hesitated, sensing something was off with Matis today.

But missing out on this opportunity would be foolish.

"I want 100,000 vials of Psychic Healer! Of course, I won’t take them for free. I’ll give you 200,000 Insectoid Cores, enough to make over 500,000 vials of Psychic Healer. I’ll also send you 150,000 units of medical ingredients. If you agree, I’ll send someone over today!" Virek said, showing his sincerity, worried Matis might refuse.

He had just spoken when he felt Matis might disagree and was about to sweeten the deal.

After all, psychic power healers were always in short supply in the legion.

But to his surprise, Matis nodded decisively and said, "Okay, send someone over to collect them."

Virek was stunned.

The mood was one of mutual satisfaction, but both men fell silent.

Looking at the unusually agreeable Matis, Virek felt like he had seen a shapeshifting goblin.

His face twisted for a moment before he awkwardly asked, "Uh, I’ll arrange for someone to pick them up tomorrow. Matis, we’ve known each other for decades. Be honest with me, are you in trouble? Do you need my help with anything?"

Although he was just asking, Virek was 80% sure Matis had run into some trouble. But since Matis was being so generous with the potions, Virek figured he could reluctantly offer some help to ease his mind.

Hearing Virek’s words, Matis finally looked up. His expression turned very serious as he gazed at Virek.

This intense stare made Virek inexplicably nervous, and he shifted uncomfortably.

Feeling he was losing his composure, he coughed deliberately and pretended to be impatient. "Well, say something. I’m very busy! If you don’t speak, I’ll hang up."

"Have you ever drunk psychic power healing potion?" Matis suddenly asked, seemingly out of nowhere.

"Of course I have. What’s so strange about that? It would be strange if I hadn’t," Virek replied, looking at Matis in confusion.

"Oh, then I’m relieved. Goodbye, old man. I’m going to sleep." Matis seemed to have figured something out, his face relaxing. He raised his hand and turned off the opticomputer.

"What are you relieved about?" Virek was bewildered.

Just as he was about to ask for clarification, the screen went black.

Far away in the Third Legion, Virek was so angry that he almost crushed his opticomputer.

That old prick is so annoying! He swore he’d never show any concern to him ever again!

...

The next day, Arix and Drexel showed up early at Hecaris Military Academy, gearing up for a busy day ahead.

Despite the early hour before classes kicked off, the gate was already buzzing with students returning to campus.

As soon as Arix and Drexel arrived, the waiting military students, bored in line, were instantly captivated by their stunning looks. Some even snapped sneaky photos and posted them on the campus network.

The online reaction was immediate. The pretty and handsome duo sparked a flurry of conversation among the students.

"HandsomeGuyAlert: Who’s this beautiful girl with Arix’s brother?"

"NotYourBae: Maybe she’s Drexel’s girlfriend?"

"CoolBreeze: Be careful. What if she’s Drexel’s sister, I mean, like another sister?"

"TooCoolToWalk: Not a sister this time. Look at her hair and eyes; she’s from the Empire."

"TopLunchStealer: Quit guessing. It’s Arix herself. I heard it when she scanned her ID at the gate."

That last comment caused a brief silence on the campus network, quickly followed by an explosion of surprised messages.

At the academy gate, students queued up, scanning their IDs to enter. When Arix’s turn came, she lifted her hand and used her opticomputer to scan. A mechanical voice confirmed her identity.

"Identity confirmed, HMA freshman Arix Kering, please enter."

Those nearby who heard the announcement turned to look at her in surprise. They might not all recognize her by sight, but her name was well-known. Arix was the one who had saved many students during the insectoid attack.

Suddenly, admiring and fascinated eyes were on her. Among these admirers were a pair of siblings dressed in ragged clothes. Without Space Buttons, they had to carry their large bags, waiting in line.

Their shabby appearance drew disdainful looks from some students. The sister was dressed decently without patches, but the brother’s clothes were a patchwork of old fabric pieces.

"Mark, that’s Arix, right? She’s so pretty," said Deanna, a skinny girl with dark skin, watching Arix walk away enviously.

"You’re pretty too," Marceau replied, gently stroking Deanna’s hair with his scarred hand.

Deanna turned to her brother and flashed a sweet smile, but her lack of attention caused her to bump into the girl in front of her.

Before Deanna could react, the girl shoved her away in disgust.

Marceau caught his sister before she fell, his eyes cold as he glared at the girl, raising his hand. He was ready to strike.

Deanna quickly grabbed Marceau’s hand, shaking her head. She apologized, "I’m sorry, I didn’t notice."

"You think you can get away just like that? The coffee’s all over my sleeve! You ruined my new dress, now pay up," the girl demanded, refusing to let it go.

"I bumped into you, but the coffee got on your dress just when you shoved me," Deanna replied, feeling a headache coming on. She knew she had run into trouble again.

"Are you talking back to me? Who do you think you are? Trash from Planet Void?" the girl retorted with disgust, eyeing the siblings with disdain.

Hearing they were from Planet Void, the onlookers lost any inclination to help. Some just watched, while a few supported the girl. Others, unfamiliar with the situation, asked, "Aren’t people from Planet Void not allowed out? How did they get into the military academy?"

"Yeah, I thought Planet Void was for serious criminals. Once you’re in, you can’t get out," another student said, puzzled.

"Not sure about the details, but there’s only one way out of Planet Void. If they aren’t serious criminals but the children of criminals, and if they have exceptional talent, they can come to the academy after passing certain tests. If they earn military honors, they don’t have to go back to Planet Void," explained a student with some inside knowledge.

"No way, do we have to go to school with criminals’ kids? That’s disgusting."

"How good can criminals’ kids be? What if they hurt us?"

"Don’t worry, they won’t dare harm us unless they want to go back to Planet Void."

"That’s good to know."

Surrounded by hostility, Marceau’s eyes turned red, biting his lip so hard it bled.

If not for his sister’s restraining hand, he might have lashed out.

This was so unfair. Being born there wasn’t an option for them, and for the past of their lives, they were either scavenging for scraps to survive, or hiding from criminals.

Thinking about the miserable life on Planet Void and his sister’s happy smile since leaving it, Marceau clenched his teeth and held back his anger.

He could return to Planet Void himself, but he couldn’t drag his sister back to that terrible place.

Marceau forced himself to suppress his rage and said to the troublesome girl, "How much? We’ll pay you."

"Hmph, how can I be sure if your money’s clean? I’ve changed my mind. If you polish the dirt off my shoes and say sorry, I’ll let it go," the girl sneered, looking at them like they were filthy rats.

The students watching were visibly uncomfortable with the girl’s words. Even if Marceau and Deanna were children of criminals, this was crossing a line.

But Marceau didn’t get angry. He had survived worse. For his sister, he could endure anything.

His eyes went dull as he stepped forward, but Deanna quickly stopped him.

"Mark, let’s just go back to Planet Void," Deanna said, her thin hand holding his scarred one, trying to force a smile.

Marceau looked at his sister’s gaunt face and then the girl standing in front of them. His heart ached with the realization of his helplessness.

He longed to give his sister a happy, but it seemed impossible. No matter how hard he tried, it just wasn’t enough.