Chapter 617: Unexpected Arrival
(Planet Juxta, Aegon Veyr’s POV)
Veyr arrived on Juxta unannounced, his steps light yet deliberate, for he carried the weight of strategy in his mind and sought out his cousin to finalize plans regarding the upcoming invasion of Planet Nemo.
However, the moment he entered the Cult’s fortified base, he was intercepted by a Lieutenant who barred his way with an apologetic bow.
"I’m sorry, Lord Dragon, but Lord Shadow Dragon is currently inside the breakthrough chamber, and we have been advised to not let anyone disturb him," the Lieutenant said politely, as Veyr’s eyes immediately brightened with delight.
"Finally breaking through, eh?" he said, a grin spreading wide across his face, as he rubbed his palms together eagerly.
"About time you stepped up to my level, cuz," he added with a playful chuckle, his pride mixing with genuine satisfaction at the news.
"Alright then, I’ll see the Commander instead. Is Commander Charles here?" he asked with casual curiosity, his arms folding behind his back as though he already expected the answer.
"No, Lord Dragon, the Commander isn’t here either. He left just an hour ago for urgent business and has not returned yet," the Lieutenant explained, his tone still careful and respectful.
"Alright, alright, that’s cool... I’ll wait then," Veyr said lightly, his head bobbing in a slow nod as though he was already prepared to find temporary lodging until his cousin emerged.
Yet before he could turn away, the Lieutenant hesitated, as though something else weighed on his tongue, and finally leaned forward just enough to add in a lower tone.
"But you know who is here? I heard the Su Family young master just arrived here as a messenger. He is in our custody and is requesting that Lord Shadow Dragon come meet him. But since Lord Leo is currently preparing for his breakthrough, we have not disturbed him yet."
"Oh?" Veyr said, his lips parting in mock surprise as his eyes gleamed sharply at the revelation, and for a moment the atmosphere around him shifted from casual amusement to keen interest.
"The Su Clan young master, here of all places..." he mused, smacking his lips as though savoring the unexpected twist of fate.
"Well, why don’t I pay him a visit myself," he said, his tone carrying both mischief and calculation as he turned slightly, his long coat brushing the stone floor with each step.
The Lieutenant stiffened but quickly saluted, realizing that Veyr’s words were not a suggestion but a declaration, as he escorted him straight to the holding cell where Su Yang was currently being kept.
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(Meanwhile within the holding cell, Su Yang’s POV)
Su Yang felt the limits of his patience being tested with how the Cult treated him, as not only had they cuffed and chained him to a table, but they now even refused to let him see Leo, while making him wait for an uncertain amount of time.
"For the millionth time... I’m asking you whether or not your men have informed Leo of my arrival yet?"
Su Yang asked, as the Lieutenant sitting in front of him gave him the same response he had given a dozen times before with a straight face.
"Lord Shadow Dragon is currently occupied with something important, we will inform him once he’s free—" The Lieutenant said, as Su Yang rolled his eyes in disbelief.
Never in his entire life had he ever been treated with such contempt and disrespect, as usually the ’Su’ family name garnered him more respect and VIP treatment everywhere he went.
"You know, if this was the Su Clan, even if a messenger arrived from the Cult, we would give them proper answers and treat them with basic respect.
So, again.... What is Leo occupied with? And when will he get here?" Su Yang asked, as he stressed every syllable at the end, only for the Lieutenant to give him the same emotionless reply once more.
"Sorry, I can’t tell you what Lord Shadow Dragon is busy with.
You will have to wait patiently till he’s here.
If you misbehave, we will throw you in a jail cell."
The Lieutenant threatened, as Su Yang clenched his jaw so tight, that the veins on his neck began to pop.
"Agh fuck it."
He said eventually, as he leaned back and closed his eyes, eventually accepting his fate of having to wait for an uncertain amount of time.
However, the moment he went quiet, it was the Lieutenant who spoke up.
"That bit you said about the Su Clan treating Cult messengers with respect... Do you actually believe it?" The Lieutenant asked suddenly, his tone sharper than before.
Su Yang opened his eyes again, meeting the man’s steady gaze, and nodded without hesitation. "Yes, of course I believe it. We are a clan of benevolent royals. All messengers are treated with respect inside the Su Clan."
The Lieutenant scoffed at once, his lips curling as he let out a dry laugh. "Benevolent royals? You really believe that fairy tale? You must be more naïve than I thought."
"What are you trying to imply?" Su Yang asked, his voice low, his pride stung by the scorn.
"I’m telling you that if you think your clan has ever honored the rules of respect, you’re a fool," the Lieutenant replied bluntly, leaning back in his chair as his eyes narrowed.
"Two centuries ago, the Cult sent a messenger to your Su Clan. Do you know what happened? He never even made it past the skies. He was killed before his craft was given permission to land. So forget about courtesy, forget about respect. Your people did not treat Cult messengers with honor. They didn’t even leave them alive."
The words rang like steel striking stone, echoing far louder than the quiet room should have allowed.
Su Yang’s lips parted, his breath catching in his chest as his first instinct screamed at him to call the Lieutenant a liar, however, for some inexplicable reason he did not.
His father’s lessons, his tutors’ words, all the stories he had been fed since childhood rose up like a shield in his mind, painting his clan as noble and righteous rulers of the stars.
But the Lieutenant’s face did not carry the smugness of someone weaving a taunt, nor the lightness of someone spinning a false tale.
It was calm. Steady. Certain.
And for the first time, doubt seeped into Su Yang’s heart.
’Could it be true? Could the Su Clan really have killed a messenger just for being from the Cult?’ he thought, his golden eyes narrowing as unease twisted in his gut.
’Could it be that we never truly honored the universal laws of respect that messengers must not be killed?’ he wondered, as the possibility of the Lieutenant’s words being true struck him harder than he expected.
If it really was true, then what did that make of his clan’s legacy? What did that make of the benevolence he so firmly believed in?
Su Yang clenched his fists, the chains around his wrists rattling faintly as silence thickened in the room.
Maybe... just maybe... the Su Clan wasn’t what he had always thought it to be.