Chapter 29: Male Zerg Recruit × Former Instructor (End): [Only Marrying One Bug? What Kind of Science Fiction Story Is That? It’s Completely Unrealistic...]

【They had agreed to read a novel together, but once Xi'an and Claire crawled under the covers, bodies pressed together, noses touching, stealing kisses here and rubbing against each other there, whispering into each other's ears and cuddling together, neither bug could remember the novel anymore.

The light screen had already finished loading and floated nearby, displaying the novel page.

Meanwhile, Xi'an and Claire were fooling around under the blanket.

They had been married for half a month now, and only recently had they finally started to look like newlyweds, like bugs deeply in love who wanted to cling to each other every moment.

Xi'an would latch onto Claire no matter where they were in the villa.

Mostly in the bedroom and kitchen, though the training room was included, and naturally the bathroom and the living room sofa as well.

The bedroom was for sleeping with Claire, the kitchen was for causing trouble and bullying Claire, and the training room was where he'd get revenge on Claire for however ruthlessly Claire had beaten him.

But in the end, it all came down to love.

At first, Claire still maintained the restraint of an elder, the dignity of a Female Lord, and the seriousness of an instructor.

Then after being tossed around once, his entire brain went blank.

He couldn't remember any of that anymore.

He only wanted to keep the Male Zerg beside him, merge into one with him, and swallow him whole.

Every time they slept together, it felt more like a fight.

Fortunately, Xi'an had a healthy body and frightening stamina. Otherwise, he wouldn't have survived such treatment.

Xi'an was more than happy to wrestle with him.

His eyes sparkled every time.

On a real training ground, Xi'an always lost.

Actually, he'd never won.

But this kind of battle was different. Female Zergs reacted too strongly to Male Zerg pheromones and were hindered by their own bodies, unable to unleash their true combat power.

Xi'an could fight Claire evenly and even gain the upper hand.

“Hm? Instructor?”

Xi'an deliberately whispered into his ear.

“Is this really all a military instructor can do? Being defeated by a recruit? That'd be embarrassing if word got out, right?”

“Oh, but Instructor obviously doesn't care about pride, otherwise he wouldn't have climbed into a recruit's bed in the middle of the night.”

Claire had already found the whole situation unbearably embarrassing and was hiding his face behind an arm.

But hearing the latter half of the Male Zerg's words, he had to defend himself.

“I didn't climb into a recruit's bed in the middle of the night.”

First of all, it wasn't nighttime.

It was daytime.

Which somehow made it sound even less convincing.

Secondly, Xi'an wasn't a recruit anymore.

He was already a Second Lieutenant.

Lastly, they were married.

Him climbing into Xi'an's bed was perfectly reasonable, legal, and fully compliant with regulations. Even military discipline had nothing to criticize.

Xi'an chuckled but still refused to let him off.

“So Instructor said he fell in love with me the first time he saw me in the military district. Then... did you think about me at night?”

Claire's face nearly caught fire from embarrassment.

What kind of Male Zerg would ask such a question?

Saying something like that to a Male Zerg was too offensive.

Even thinking about it felt offensive.

“Come on, Instructor, Female Lord~”

Xi'an rubbed against him insistently, forcing him to answer.

Lowering his eyes to hide his expression, Claire bit his lip and barely squeezed out a few words.

“A few times.”

Because he'd always thought Xi'an disliked him, he hadn't dared think too much.

Whenever he did, he'd remember Xi'an's eyes filled with hatred and anger, and the pain would stab straight into his heart.

Over those three years, there had only been those few occasions.

And even then, Xi'an had entered his dreams.

He couldn't control his dreams...

Compared to those hungry Female Zergs who openly fantasized about Xi'an, Claire had been exceptionally restrained.

Yet now that everything had been exposed before Xi'an, he felt so ashamed he wanted to run away and hide.

Xi'an was actually pretty curious.

He wanted to keep pestering Claire about what exactly he had imagined.

He didn't mind personally fulfilling every fantasy Claire had.

But seeing that Claire looked ready to die from shame, Xi'an mercifully spared him.

He had always been soft-hearted toward Claire.

Even when he occasionally bullied him, he never dared push too far.

If Claire suffered, his own heart hurt even more.

Though he had mentally marked Claire, it was actually Claire's emotions that led his own.

Xi'an helplessly embraced Claire and comforted him softly.

“Alright, it's nothing. I'm already yours.”

“You can think however you want, or better yet...”

Xi'an took Claire's hand and placed it against his own cheek. Tilting his head, he rubbed gently against it and smiled.

“Use your actions to claim me.”

The Male Zerg rubbing against his hand and smiling at him was almost hypnotic.

With the Male Zerg's permission personally granted, how could Claire possibly endure?

He wrapped his arms around Xi'an's neck and rolled over, pinning him beneath himself.

To hell with restraint.

To hell with not corrupting the Male Zerg.

Those were problems for sober Claire to worry about.

Right now, Claire only wanted to feed his Male Zerg navel oranges.

They fooled around from noon until late into the night.

Drowsy under the nourishment of pheromones, Claire still remembered that he was preparing for pregnancy and couldn't allow precious Male Zerg pheromones to go to waste.

Married Female Zergs all had devices designed to prevent pheromone loss, which could be used with the Male Zerg's permission.

But remembering what Xi'an had said when he'd begged for muscle relaxants, Claire stubbornly clenched his teeth and never mentioned them again.

He didn't want Xi'an to think he couldn't even retain pheromones.

Rather than ask for assistance, he'd rather force himself to endure until he absorbed everything.

But this time there was simply too much.

Claire had no choice but to shift his position.

Xi'an had no idea what he was thinking and happily snuggled up against him.

“Claire, Commander, I've already applied to return to my original unit. Once we're back in the military district, we'll still be together.”

Resting his chin against Claire's shoulder, Xi'an spoke softly.

“Okay.”

Claire's voice was low, warmth filling his heart.

“You're not allowed to leave me behind again.”

Xi'an said.

He had wanted to pinch Claire to emphasize the point, but with Claire lying down like that, there wasn't much to grab, so he settled for squeezing his waist.

Claire turned his head and looked at him with those ice-blue eyes full of thought and inquiry.

Seeing that Xi'an only pinched him without intending anything more, he lay back down again.

“I'm sorry. I never wanted to leave you, but expeditions are simply too dangerous for Male Zergs...”

Claire chose his words carefully.

Only to have Xi'an pinch him again.

Claire's body shuddered violently.

“There you go again! Everything's dangerous for Male Zergs. I didn't become a military Male Zerg just to sit around being protected!”

Xi'an sounded annoyed and left finger marks behind.

An attack of that level meant nothing to a Female Zerg. It only stirred his interest further.

Steadying his breathing, Claire muttered,

“That's not something I can decide.”

Protecting Male Zergs was the duty of Female Zergs.

That was society's consensus.

The military would never allow Male Zergs to take such risks.

Not only because Male Zergs were rare, but also because of the massive public backlash that would follow any accident.

Claire knew Xi'an had great ambitions and hated being confined in the name of protection.

But he was only an ordinary Female Zerg.

And he had selfish desires.

His selfishness made him want to shelter the Male Zerg beneath his wings and lock him away somewhere absolutely safe.

“Hmph.”

Xi'an snorted.

He knew Claire lacked that authority.

Whether the military approved his expeditions was one thing.

What he had cared about back then was Claire's attitude.

At the time, Claire had looked down on his strength and believed he belonged safely in the rear.

Naturally, Xi'an had been angry.

But now, he understood Claire better.

He knew how much Claire cared.

He knew that Claire's refusal hadn't been contempt.

It was because he valued him too much.

Besides, Xi'an had already vented his anger.

And now Claire was whole and safe in his arms.

He no longer cared as much.

To put it simply—

He was still too weak.

A Second Lieutenant could only obey the military's arrangements.

If they refused to let him go to war, then he couldn't.

If they refused to let him join expeditions, he wouldn't.

But if he were a Major General, a Lieutenant General, or a Legion Commander—

Would they still be able to restrict him like this?

Xi'an's goal became clearer than ever.

He had joined the military because of Claire.

But it was no longer solely because of Claire.

Becoming a general or Legion Commander wasn't easy.

Especially for Male Zergs.

Compared to military females who could earn achievements through battle and expeditions, Male Zergs could only follow peacetime promotion routes.

Xi'an counted on his fingers.

Even if he performed exceptionally in examinations, evaluations, recommendations, and selections, it would still take an extremely long time.

At this rate, his Female Lord would probably become a Legion Commander before him.

Xi'an grew depressed for one second.

But then again, Claire was his superior officer.

It was only natural for him to be promoted faster.

“Is there any fast-track promotion method for Male Zergs?”

Xi'an finally asked.

Claire thought for a moment.

“...Psychic soothing?”

Military doctors also had ranks.

As professional technical officers, they could rise as high as Lieutenant General.

That really was the path best suited for Male Zergs.

“...”

Xi'an fell silent for several seconds.

“I'll think about it.”

Claire panicked.

He immediately turned around and hugged the Male Zerg tightly.

Psychic soothing didn't necessarily involve sleeping together.

But in the military, giving psychic soothing to military females was almost synonymous with sleeping with them.

Everyone knew Female Zerg psychic domains were difficult to enter.

Most Male Zergs needed pheromones as assistance.

Of course Claire understood he could never monopolize a Male Zerg.

But he wasn't mentally prepared to suddenly have an entire legion of “family bugs.”

From then on, they'd all see each other every day.

—You've slept with my Male Lord too?

—Haha, what a coincidence. So have you.

Claire shivered.

That joke was far too cold.

“Hey, that's not what you think.”

Xi'an laughed helplessly and hugged him.

He wasn't planning to sell himself yet.

“My psychic power is very strong. I don't need those methods to open Female Zerg psychic domains.”

After all, he was a super A-rank Male Zerg.

Even among military females, not many reached that level.

“Don't worry. Nothing you're afraid of will happen. I'll only marry you.”

Xi'an kissed his forehead and made his promise softly.

Claire froze.

He'd only hugged Xi'an instinctively.

It wasn't that he couldn't accept Xi'an having other females.

The gender ratio of the Zerg race was right there.

Every Male Zerg had many females.

That was normal.

Xi'an saying he'd only marry him was what wasn't normal.

It was pillow talk.

Something said in bed that was pleasant to hear, but not to be taken seriously.

Even so, almost no Male Zerg would say such words.

They'd say things like “You'll be my Female Lord,” “You're my favorite Female Attendant,” “Tonight I'll stay with you,” or “I'll spend the next few days with you.”

But marrying only one bug?

Impossible.

Too fake.

Even though his heart beat wildly at those words, his reason warned him not to believe them.

Otherwise, he would only be hurt in the end.

Xi'an noticed Claire's disbelief and didn't force him.

It was always like this.

Adults didn't believe promises made by little hatchlings, treating them as childish words that would be forgotten after one night's sleep.

Female Zergs didn't believe promises made by Male Zergs, thinking they were nothing but beautiful lies.

Xi'an was already used to it.

Words were pale things.

Only actions could prove everything.

He would spend time proving it to Claire.

As he was thinking that, warm lips suddenly pressed against his.

Claire was kissing him.

From gentle and hesitant, it gradually became passionate.

Caught off guard, Xi'an was pushed onto the bed, staring wide-eyed at the Female Zerg above him who seemed almost to be biting him.

Then he smiled.

Claire's reason didn't believe him.

But Claire's heart did.

And that was enough.

He loved Claire.

And Claire's heart loved him just as fearlessly.

Wrapping his arms around the Female Zerg's neck, Xi'an earnestly deepened the kiss filled with emotion...

(The End)】

An: The novel ends here, but their story continues.

...

Readers had been engrossed in reading.

When they reached the last word, every bug was stunned.

[Only marrying one bug? What kind of science fiction story is that? Totally unrealistic... Wait? Huh? That's it? It's over already? I take back all my complaints! I love science fiction stories! An God, come back and keep writing!!! (ugly crying)]

[Don't end it! I still haven't seen Little Strawberry!]

[I {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} want to see Claire carrying an egg. Wuuu, give Claire an egg. I won't be jealous of him anymore.]

[Lord Xi'an hasn't even been promoted yet! How can it end here?]

[And Claire! Claire still hasn't reached S-rank. His expedition merits should count too. Add them together and he should become a Major General. Why end it before his promotion? A mere Colonel can't even hold his head up in novels! An God, do you want Claire to spend his whole life unable to hold his head up? (wailing)]

[And psychic soothing. Will Lord Xi'an choose that promotion route and perform psychic soothing for military females? Male Zergs willing to provide psychic soothing are great, noble, and worthy of respect.]

[What about the novel Lord Xi'an mentioned? Why didn't you write it? At least let Lord Xi'an take a look! I want to read the same novel as Lord Xi'an.]

[That novel? Lord Xi'an will get to read it after sleeping with Claire. But we never will. (crying)]