Sky-cracking Rider

Eat without talking. Soup, cold dishes, vegetarian dishes, meat dishes, staples, fruit, desserts—a full standard meal with each portion modest but the variety extensive enough to satisfy, especially since Chen Fei's serving sizes were always increased, ensuring he would be well-fed. If guests left hungry, it would shame the reputation of the Slan Royal Family. Pure Light Sparrow Xiao Jiu also received its share of food, live worms cultivated in a germ-free laboratory. To be honest, Chen Fei's meal was consumed with some unease. Presumably, Housekeeper Mars had already reported the incident with the Female Shadow Guard to the princess, but from the time they sat down for the meal until it ended, the subject wasn't mentioned. Once the meal concluded, they moved to the princess's private reception room where tea was served. Within the reception room, only Mars, with his stalwart presence, was in attendance, serving them personally. Her Highness Lin Ziyu · Slan, with a dignified and intellectual air, then formally spoke up. "Regarding Lize Jina's rash actions, I would like to offer you a sincere apology here." "No, no, no, it's me who went too far," said Chen Fei, quickly waving his hand. He had acted so swiftly, having knocked the person out before even realizing what he'd done. If it had genuinely been an assassin, they would not have infiltrated the Imperial Princess's residence so effortlessly, not to mention that the responding Royal Guards were all formidable individuals. "No, you are not in the wrong!" insisted Lin Ziyu Slan, still with utmost seriousness. "Alright, can we let this matter rest here?" Chen Fei took the initiative to put an end to it, fearing that otherwise, given the other party's politeness, the matter would drag on interminably. "Thank you for your great magnanimity!" expressed Her Royal Highness the Princess, demonstrating excellent etiquette without further insistence. "Taking this opportunity, I would like to inquire about the specifics of the assignment. Although Housekeeper Mars gave me an overview, there are certain details he might not feel comfortable discussing." Chen Fei sought to understand more about his mission. Concerning royal family strife and the struggle for succession, a mere butler hardly had the standing to comment, even if Chen Fei's own interpretation and conjectures were all he had to go on. Still, it was necessary to know who was a friend, who could be trusted, and who was an enemy, who needed to be guarded against. Without clarity, fulfilling a protective duty could prove very tiring. And needless to say, one must not be worn down while guarding the princess to remain in optimal condition against any unforeseen events. "Mars might not dare to speak, but I can tell you. However, I hope you can keep it confidential," Lin Ziyu Slan hesitated for a moment before deciding to speak frankly. She continued, "My brother, Lin Zio Slan, is the first heir to the throne, and I am the second. In truth, my brother and I hold no conflict between us, cherish a very close relationship, and harbor no intention of harming each other. But being born into the Royal Family, sometimes you have no control over certain things. Only if one could become a powerful sovereign like our mother, who could decree without challenge, but neither my brother nor I have such strength. Thus we're reluctantly becoming figureheads for the power groups behind us, regardless of our will. Inevitably, matters would lead to this point. The position of Crown Prince is a path to the greater good that both my brother and I have tried to prevent, still unable to diminish the greed and ambition of those around us. Thankfully, my mother only had the two of us; otherwise, the battle for the throne could have escalated without bounds." At this point, Lin Ziyu sighed with exhaustion, seeming overwhelmed. To prevent an outright clash, she had already left Cangqiong Star of her own accord to study at Blue Star, carefully avoiding any direct involvement. Nevertheless, those clustered around her brother would not cease their pursuit, always trying to target her. Even more frustratingly, the individuals who self-appointed themselves around Lin Ziyu always seemed to speak solely for themselves, completely disregarding her words and demeanor. Those who wished to elevate either her brother, Lin Zio, or herself, Lin Ziyu, to the throne ultimately sought only a mascot, a puppet they could manipulate at will to control the entire Dynasty and secure their own interests. After hearing the princess's genuine account of the struggle for succession, Chen Fei too sighed, reflecting, "It seems it's a bit different from what I imagined." The two heirs to the Slan Dynasty weren't actively antagonistic but were being forced into opposition by those around them. Both siblings felt helpless, as they were not the Emperor and could not truly command those nobles. Whatever they said fell on deaf ears. "My brother secretly sent word that those people are no longer willing to wait. Even though I've been staying out of it on Blue Star, they, they, they are just..." Lin Ziyu's eyes misted with tears, her voice wavering. Even a princess, doted on and adored, has moments of helplessness. "I think... perhaps you're overthinking things a bit, um, as an outsider, I may be speaking out of turn," Chen Fei began, but then hesitated to continue. The affairs of a Dynasty that ruled an entire planet were unfathomably deep—likely, only the heavens could tell. It was certain that no sovereign state on Blue Star could handle it, much less Chen Xiao'er, an unrelated outsider with a mere sliver of a family connection. Misspeaking could genuinely result in death! "But you may speak freely, I will keep your words secret too," replied Lin Ziyu, quickly regaining her composure, subtly shifting her address from the formal "you" to the more familiar "you," thus narrowing the social distance between them by another notch. "The words I want to say might be rather unpleasant, and you might not accept them. So let's just say if you don't like what I have to say, it can go in one ear and out the other—as if I'd never spoken," ended Chen Fei. Chen Fei hesitated again and again, but considering he had already gotten himself into this murky water and couldn't extricate himself, he felt there were some things he just had to say to feel at ease. The butler, Mars, with his gaze lowered, furrowed his brows slightly, and his hands by his side suddenly clenched. If it weren't for Her Royal Highness the Princess being present, he definitely would have reminded the other party that reckless talk was unacceptable and that one must be cautious with their words. He suppressed the urge to speak and continued to remain silent. "Please speak!" Lin Ziyu assumed a posture of all ears, ready to listen attentively. For those in high positions, listening is an essential skill and an important attitude to have. "You and your brother, each under your own name, gather those who have assembled around you, and then..." Chen Fei's speech stopped abruptly and without warning. This cliffhanger was so unexpected that the nearby butler almost wanted to smack him. "Then what?" Her Royal Highness the Princess, probably unaccustomed to encountering such teases, was momentarily stunned, and her intellectual demeanor suddenly turned cute and endearing, completely different from her earlier self. "Just use one 'Dragon Slayer Missile,' smash their bones to dust, and annihilate them completely!!!" Chen Fei, grinding his teeth, revealed a ferocious expression, so seething with killing intent that Mars, the butler, almost thought this guy was about to attack the Princess, truly like inviting a wolf into the house. It seemed that in this life he just couldn't get along with the "Dragon Slayer Missile." The temperature in the reception room dropped by more than ten degrees Celsius in an instant. Give him a little bit of color, and he's rashly spouting nonsense; truly Chen Xiao'er who is fearless because of his ignorance and ever so overdue for a lesson. "Ah?... AH!!!" After a moment of shock, Her Highness Lin Ziyu · Slan let out a distressed cry, covering her mouth in surprise. Housekeeper Mars realized Chen Fei's true colors – that tone, expression, and the genuine murderous intent, it wasn't an act; he was dead serious. This madman! "Two 'Dragon Slayer Missiles,' as a friendly sponsorship!" Chen Fei, earnest as could be, stretched out two fingers, making a double meaning 'V' gesture with his hand. He loved doing things like offering others' flowers to the Buddha. As long as money wasn't involved, there would be no hard feelings. "This, this, it really can't be done, it must not be done!" The intellectual Princess shook her head emphatically. Slaughtering the nobility – how could such a thing possibly be done? A single "Dragon Slayer Missile" could wipe out countless families and could even trigger a disturbance in the Dynasty. "Better a short pain than a long one, even I, a mere commoner, know that in matters like these one shouldn't be soft-hearted. I think the youngsters of the Imperial Family should understand this to some degree, right?" Chen Fei speculated that the siblings' indecisiveness was due to the 'second child' issue. Naturally, as the Empress, having two children was already pushing the limits, and anything more would impact the management of imperial affairs. If it was a male Emperor, with three thousand beauties in the harem and a bunch of heirs born, the throne remained singular, the chances of successfully ascending weren't one in two, but rather one in twenty – every single one would likely be as merciless as a little wolf cub. Though reluctant to admit it, at this moment Mars, the butler, found himself inexplicably agreeing with Chen Fei's logic. Without those annoying figures, perhaps Her Royal Highness and His Royal Highness wouldn't have so many troubles, right? "Let's really give an end to this topic!" Lin Ziyu couldn't help feeling a wave of anxiety and decisively put an end to the conversation, imitating the example. To delve deeper would likely make things even worse, after all. "Alright, let's talk about something else, something cheerful!" Chen Fei didn't continue to recklessly dash down the path of doom and seemed somewhat sensible at last. The butler cast an encouraging glance at him—if he dared to prattle nonsense once more, even at the risk of being reprimanded by Her Highness, he would intervene and prevent any impudent speech towards the Royal Family members. "My studies on the Great Island of Britannia have finally come to an end, and I've obtained my doctoral degree," Lin Ziyu sighed, taking the initiative to steer the conversation onto herself. She seemed to believe that Chen Fei would be curious about why the Princess of the Silan Dynasty would be staying so close to the Europa Continent on the Great Island of Britannia. However, completing one's studies was indeed a happy occasion. "Congratulations! After I graduated with my bachelor's degree, I wanted to go for postgraduate studies, but then something happened at home... Well, as you see now!" Chen Fei spread his arms wide and said, "I'm just a bachelor's degree holder, an ordinary worker, unworthy even of a state-owned enterprise." If he had succeeded in pursuing further studies, perhaps he would have been striving along the path of masters and doctorate degrees instead of carrying a "Dragon Slayer Missile" to his mutual annihilation with the fearsome and violent Dragon of Slaughter, constantly fighting for his life, with his head practically tied to his belt, and living on the edge every single unfortunate (and thrilling) day. Chen Xiao'er, who talks tough but proves to be quite the opposite, criticizes with words but his actions are always straightforward—he'd slap someone's head off with his own hands.