A Chemist's Interstellar Saga
Chapter 184: Being Selfish

Chapter 184: Being Selfish

Before Matis could even ask, Arix decided to come clean on her own.

"Grandpa, I lied to Dad. I told him I had a way to save Phantom," she admitted, her voice heavy with worry and guilt.

Arix had lied to her dad, who cared so deeply for her. The thought of him finding out and possibly hating her weighed heavily on her mind.

Her eyelashes quivered with fear, and she trembled slightly, her shoulders shaking.

Matis stayed silent for a long moment. Then he gently patted Arix’s head and said, "Don’t worry. Even if your dad finds out the truth, he won’t blame you. And thank you for trying, Arix."

Arix looked up at Matis in disbelief, her voice small. "Grandpa, he won’t blame me? But I lied to him."

"What would he blame you for? For being too considerate? For caring about him too much?" Matis replied, his tone a bit rough. He ruffled her hair, his voice softening with concern. "Arix, you don’t have to carry everything on your own. You’re still young."

Arix didn’t respond. She just hugged her grandfather tightly, burying her face in his embrace.

The way her shoulders shook made Matis feel deeply sad. Arix was often too kind, sometimes she might even hurt herself. He wished she could be a little more selfish and take better care of herself.

Matis sighed quietly and gently patted Arix’s back, comforting her in silence.

Meanwhile, the Alliance officers, after confirming Thaddeus was okay, left quickly. They knew there was still a lot to do.

Before leaving, Zeta granted Thaddeus some time off to recover.

After comforting Arix, Matis waited until Thaddeus’ wife arrived before heading back to the regiment with Marlone.

In the hospital room, Arix stood by the bed, barely daring to breathe as she watched Fleur. She sat between two beds, holding each of the men’s ears.

"Wow, you two did such dangerous things without telling me. Let me tell you, if you don’t explain today’s events properly, you’re going to stay in these beds forever," Fleur said, her anger rising as she twisted Thaddeus’ ears harder.

"Ouch, ouch, honey, honey, I’m sorry. I’ll tell you next time," Thaddeus quickly apologized.

Fleur shot him a stern look but couldn’t be too harsh, given his injuries. She let out a small huff and released her grip.

Thaddeus sighed in relief and lay back quietly, not daring to speak. Seeing this, Drexel quickly covered his aching ear and pleaded, "Mom, Mom, I’m sorry too. I won’t do it again."

"Okay, I forgive you," Fleur said, her expression neutral, though she still held his ear.

"Mom, you haven’t let go yet," Drexel cautiously pointed out.

"And why haven’t I let go, you know? Son, hand it over. I’ll save it for your future career, or family," Fleur said, her tone unexpectedly gentle.

Drexel gasped, eyes wide with mock horror. "Mom, can I just have the money and skip the future wife?"

"No wife means you still have to hand it over. Boys with too much money tend to go astray. Be good, son; this is for your own good," Fleur said with a gentle, yet firm, tone.

Thaddeus nodded in agreement. "Listen to your mother, son. I’ve always given my paycheck to her for safekeeping."

Drexel gave his dad a disapproving look, thinking, ’You’re just a henpecked husband.’ But seeing the increasingly stern look in Fleur’s eyes, he reluctantly transferred 10 billion astrocredits to her account.

In this family, aside from his grandfather, Drexel knew better than to cross Fleur. ’Oh well, money is just an external thing. If it’s gone, I’ll just earn more,’ he consoled himself, clutching one corner of his clothes.

Suddenly, Drexel remembered that Arix hadn’t handed over her money yet. He sat up and said to Fleur, "Mom, Arix hasn’t given hers yet. It’s not safe for a young woman to have so much money. Maybe you should take care of it too."

He spoke with a righteous tone, then turned to Arix and added, "Arix, don’t blame me for this. This is for your own good."

Fleur nodded in agreement. "Your brother has a point."

Arix gave Drexel a disdainful look and was about to transfer her astrocredits to Fleur when Fleur stopped her.

"Arix, listen to your brother and always be careful. Just never let strangers know how much money you have. But even if you lose money, it’s okay. I will give you more," Fleur said lovingly, holding her daughter’s hand.

"Okay, Mom, I understand," Arix nodded obediently, then made a triumphant face at Drexel.

Drexel looked utterly defeated.

That afternoon, after various medical tests confirmed Thaddeus was fine, the doctor cleared him for discharge.

Drexel, already tired of the hospital, was eager to go home and play games on his Connective Pod. He didn’t want to waste such a beautiful weekend in the hospital.

Once home, Arix spent some time with Thaddeus and Fleur before heading to her room to study Psychic Incarnation. She searched the interstellarnet for information but found only fragmented bits. However, some internet users’ theories sparked ideas for her.

Arix carefully recorded these ideas and pondered their connections. Psychic Incarnation was exclusive to the five major families; ordinary people couldn’t possess it.

As to why it favored only these families, Arix was unsure. Based on speculative theories, she thought the answer might lie in the origins of the Alliance, which inevitably led back to ancient times and the ancestors of the five families.

...

Finding reliable information on the origin of the Alliance was a challenge, especially on the interstellarnet, where details were scarce.

The crucial information about the Psychic Incarnation remained mostly a mystery, likely because it was classified as a state secret.

With limited options, Arix decided to dive into her family’s library, hoping to uncover more about the Alliance’s beginnings.

She spent hours poring over old texts, her eyes growing tired from the effort.

Finally, Arix paused, massaging her temples and closing her eyes to rest. She began to piece together the information she’d gathered.

Legend has it that the Alliance’s ancestors hailed from a place called ancient Aristar.

This planet was torn apart by a world war triggered by trivial reasons. Only the Antura Federation, known for its formidable strength, stayed neutral during the conflict. The rest of the world, driven by self-interest or coercion, plunged into war.

The conflict dragged on for years. Then, the Kragos kingdom shattered the world treaty by deploying the first anti-matter bomb, ushering in an era of anti-matter warfare.

The devastation was immense, displacing countless animals and wreaking havoc on Aristar’s ecosystem, leading to the extinction of many species.

As the war continued, even Aristar’s atmosphere became compromised. What was once a protective barrier no longer shielded the planet.

Meteors, which would have harmlessly burned up in the atmosphere, began crashing down, turning each meteor shower into a catastrophic event.

This marked the onset of a century-long disaster era for Aristar.

During this time, the Antura Federation stood as the last bastion of civilization, having avoided the conflict from the beginning. The other nations were nearly obliterated, and their populations decimated without the protection of functioning governments.

Amid this chaos, a surprising event occurred within the Antura Federation.

In a mental hospital, five patients with split personalities experienced a sudden awakening of their main personalities. Their other personalities transformed into what became known as the Psychic Incarnation, each with its own consciousness.

Remarkably, one of these incarnations had the unique ability to design spaceships.

These five individuals, once dismissed and overlooked, began using their newfound abilities to lead the remnants of ancient Aristar.

They became the legendary five heroes of the Alliance, credited with saving their people.

Together with the survivors, they escaped the dying planet in spaceships, eventually stumbling into a new interstellar era.

They landed in the territory of the Empire of Sacred Moonlight, the most powerful nation at that time. Instead of seeing them as invaders, the Empire treated these refugees with compassion, granting them a place to settle on a distant planet.

Little did the Empire of Sacred Moonlight know that their act of kindness would eventually create their biggest competitor.