Chapter 38: Male School Heartthrob x Military Academy Student (3): He’s Never Even Held a Female Zerg’s Hand—Where Would a Hatchling Come From?

[Oh no, does the little hatchling really have a genetic disease? That's too heartbreaking.]

[Poor little Isi.]

Zerg fertility rates were low, hatchlings were precious, and female Zergs all loved hatchlings. Even seeing an unfamiliar hatchling fall ill was enough to make them ache with sympathy.

[As a female Zerg who's raised ten hatchlings, I have to say this: that little one's act when he was crying about his headache was entirely a performance. Not a shred of it was genuine.

But his reaction when talking about the number of psychic soothing sessions was real...

That frequency is seriously abnormal. Even hatchlings with genetic psychic disorders rarely receive psychic soothing that often from male Zergs...

I just hope the little one will be okay.]

[Making a wish for little Isi to grow up healthy and safe. (Nutrient solution x20)]

[If you need help, contact me. I know specialists at the Capital Star Hospital. (Reward: Universe Spaceship x1)]

[Friendly reminder: this is a novel. No real hatchlings are suffering from genetic diseases, everyone can relax.]

[Am I the only one who noticed the female Zerg above raised ten hatchlings? Is that heaven? There are really that many hatchlings to cuddle?!]

[That's what having a big family is like. Your own hatchlings, other attendants' hatchlings... every century a few new ones are born. You can always cuddle fresh hatchlings.]

[That only works if family relations are good. The palace-intrigue fanatics in my house guard their little ones like treasure. They fight over seating arrangements every meal. Which attendant the Male Lord takes to banquets, who he spends the night with—they never stop competing.]

[Must be a huge inheritance to divide. Pretty realistic, honestly. TV dramas are already wild, but reality is even better.]

[Is little Isi's family like that too?]

[Probably. A Lord like that definitely has many female Zergs. It's just that the family is still young, so he's probably the only hatchling right now. That's why he's so spoiled.]

[With that kind of genetic disease, once more hatchlings appear in the family, little Isi's life is going to become difficult.]

[Poor baby.]

[Thankfully he traveled to the past. There aren't any other hatchlings competing with him yet. He can still receive several years of psychic soothing... if the Lord is willing...]

...

【The male Zerg dormitories housed three residents.

Each had their own bedroom, while the common area was shared.

The school thought this arrangement was incredibly clever.

Male Zergs would make friends and avoid loneliness, while still maintaining private spaces.

In reality, however, it left everyone stuck in an awkward middle ground—neither close nor completely distant.

Especially in Zerg society, where hierarchy was absolute.

Lower ranks obeyed higher ranks. It was a law of survival.

Male Zergs were naturally self-centered.

The difference in rank among male Zergs wasn't as severe as among female Zergs, but it still existed.

Hill was the highest-ranking male Zerg among this year's students.

All the others subconsciously revolved around him.

As a result, his roommates would actually come report to him before returning to their own rooms, carefully asking for permission.

Hill: "..."

He knew his presence was making everyone uncomfortable.

After telling them to do as they pleased, he stood and returned to his room.

As he pushed open the bedroom door, he heard the two male Zergs behind him sigh in relief.

They didn't mean any harm.

Hill's rank was simply too high.

The psychic threads naturally emanating from him carried an overwhelming pressure that made others unable to approach him.

Male Zergs of different ranks simply found it difficult to become friends.

Closing the door, Hill sat alone in his room and idly scrolled through his terminal.

This was his first time living so far from home.

Yet he didn't miss home at all.

Instead, he felt like he had finally escaped.

No matter how awkward his roommates were, they were still better than his family.

He no longer had to worry about stepping on someone kneeling on the floor while walking.

There weren't pheromones of male and female Zergs saturating the air everywhere.

He wouldn't accidentally run into an attendant draped in Papa's clothes coming out of Father's room and awkwardly locking eyes with him.

Nor would he have to witness Papa embracing one of the attendants...

...】

Readers who were initially puzzled about why the male Zerg wanted to escape from home immediately started criticizing after reading further.

[The female Zergs in that household are too unruly! If they want to kneel, they should kneel in a corner. Why kneel right in front of the young master and block his path?]

A Heaven Garan reader sneaking over the firewall: [...Nice.]

[What's that thing above? Throw it out.]

[Families with male offspring really need more pheromone purifiers. Any smell the young master dislikes should be eliminated immediately.]

[An attendant wearing the Male Lord's spouse's clothes after leaving the Male Lord's room? Totally inappropriate! Even if his own clothes were gone, he shouldn't wear the spouse's clothes!]

[And what's with hugging? Female Zergs should stop being sentimental. All that embracing is painful to look at.]

[But the spouse really is amazing! (Sobbing) He stayed with me when I laid my egg. When I got injured on the battlefield, it was my commander who watched over me. Becoming family with him is the happiest thing in my life! Do you understand that feeling?! (Tough female Zerg bursting into tears)]

[Understand, understand. Calm down, calm down.]

[Perfectly natural.]

[€€, very normal. Among us Heaven Garans, brothers-in-arms pool money together to marry a male Zerg. Whoever lays eggs, everyone helps raise the hatchlings.]

[What's that thing above? (Old starship veteran staring at the screen) Where are the moderators? Hurry up and deal with it! Why am I seeing these things online more and more often lately?]

...

【His terminal was flooded with friend requests from strangers.

Hill wasn't sure whether to accept them.

Based on previous experiences with harassment, ignoring them was usually best.

Once he accepted, endless trouble would follow.

Just as he was about to close the interface, a new request appeared.

[Lord Hill, pardon my intrusion. I'm Iso from the military academy next door. My hatchling suffers from a genetic disease. Could I beg you to perform psychic soothing for him once?]

Why come to him?

Shouldn't they seek the hatchling's father?

And Iso?

He knew that name.

There were only so many outstanding peers.

Everyone had heard of each other.

A female Zerg from the Underground District with S-rank potential.

The principal of the Federal Military Academy had personally gone to the Underground District to block his path and forcibly recruit him.

Quite a legendary story.

Hill had seen the name somewhere else as well.

On the list of potential guides prepared by his family.

He suddenly felt fortunate that he had never requested a guide.

Otherwise, the aftermath would certainly have been extremely dramatic.

A young S-rank potential female Zerg...

Actually had a hatchling?

Hill's mind instantly filled with melodramatic scenes of "pregnancy before marriage" and "heartless abandonment."

Still, he accepted the request.

He didn't know why the hatchling's father couldn't perform psychic soothing.

Such things often involved hidden tragedies that were difficult to speak about.

There was no need to pry.

Better to leave each other some dignity.

For a proud high-ranking female Zerg to seek him out, he must truly have reached the end of his rope.

Hill considered many possibilities.

But after becoming friends, the other party immediately sent him a genetic test report.

Trying to prove the disease was real?

Although he already believed him, Hill clicked it open anyway.

Name: Isidore

Sex: Female

Rank: A

Age: 3.5 years

...

A highly gifted hatchling.

As for the massive genetic sequences below...

Hill wasn't a doctor.

He couldn't understand them.

But some sections looked strangely familiar.

On a whim, he compared the hatchling's genes to his own.

『Genetic information...

Compatible with hereditary laws...

Parentage probability 99.99%...

Biological relationship confirmed.』

Hill shattered on the spot.

The most dramatic possibility he'd imagined was that this child belonged to his father or some older male relative.

Instead, it turned out to be his own hatchling???

Meanwhile, messages continued arriving.

Iso: [He is your hatchling. You can verify it with the genetic data.]

Hill: [...Already verified.]

Hill: [I don't care where you got this data, but I hope you understand that I'm nineteen years old and only recently completed my physiological awakening. There's no way I could have a hatchling this old.]

He wanted to say—

He had never even held a female Zerg's hand.

How could he possibly have a hatchling?

Iso: [I know this sounds unbelievable. Could you please give me an opportunity to explain in person? Some things aren't suitable to discuss over the terminal. The hatchling's condition is critical...]

Not suitable for terminal communication?

Gene theft?

Illegal experiments?

Hill grew wary.

But after seeing that final sentence, he ultimately softened.

Hill: [Location.]

The coordinates arrived immediately.

A hotel beside his school.

This was obviously a trap.

A female Zerg inviting a male Zerg to a hotel.

Once inside the room, the male Zerg might not be able to leave.

Yet Hill still came.

And he made no effort to hide himself.

He arrived openly and conspicuously.

If the female Zerg dared to lay hands on him, he'd better be prepared for the consequences.

Iso was already waiting outside the hotel.

He wore a hat and mask and had changed out of his military uniform.

But his black tight-fitting clothes outlined beautiful muscles, making him attract even more attention.

Forced to lower his hat further, he anxiously searched the crowd.

Soon he spotted the black-haired male Zerg approaching and hurried over.

Among all the passing Zergs, the male Zerg was dazzlingly beautiful.

And when a tall female Zerg with his face covered approached him and lowered his head to speak, even more eyes turned toward them.

"Lord Hill... thank you so much for coming. The hatchling is upstairs. Could you come with me?"

Beneath the black cap, those golden eyes were filled with anxious pleading.

This suspicious appearance only made him look more dangerous.

But after meeting those eyes, Hill still followed him into the hotel.

He noticed the amazed gazes and whispered discussions around them.

Male and female Zergs booking hotel rooms together was perfectly normal.

Though they were students, they were already adults.

Most passersby simply envied them and speculated about the female Zerg's identity.

For a brief instant, Hill had a strange thought.

Could this female Zerg be trying to create a scandal with him?

But looking at the heavily disguised female Zerg...

He didn't seem the type.

All speculation ceased the moment the room opened.

A black-haired hatchling shot toward him like a cannonball.

Hill should have dodged.

But the strange blood connection stunned him.

Just as the hatchling was about to leap into his arms—

A hand suddenly reached out from the side, grabbing the hatchling and stopping the attack.

Terrified, Iso hurriedly moved the hatchling behind himself and bowed.

"I'm sorry, Lord Hill. I failed to discipline him. He got too excited after seeing you."

Isidore peeked out from behind Papa.

He didn't understand what Papa was doing.

He wanted Dad to hold him!

He hadn't seen Dad for eight whole days!

They had never been separated this long before!

"Dad... Dad..."

Being in a strange timeline.

Unable to see Dad.

Papa constantly absent from home.

All the fear and grievance he'd been bottling up exploded.

His mouth trembled.

Then tears poured out.

Iso, with no real experience as a father, was at a complete loss.

He quickly picked the hatchling up and patted his back, not knowing how to comfort him.

Watching the chaotic scene, Hill's frozen brain gradually resumed functioning.

"Come inside first. Don't stand in the doorway..."

Fortunately, nobody else was in the corridor.

Now he understood why the female Zerg had rented a hotel room.

If this had happened out in public, not only would his reputation be ruined, but the female Zerg would also be buried under rumors of having a child out of wedlock.

Iso obediently carried the hatchling inside.

Hill closed the door.

Looking again at the female Zerg holding the hatchling, he developed a headache.

"What exactly is going on?"

He was absolutely certain he had never had intimate contact with a female Zerg.

Not after adulthood.

And certainly not before.

The only explanation he could think of was that the female Zerg had somehow obtained his genes and created the hatchling.

Which should've been impossible.

Artificial hatchlings like that lacked the powerful Zerg constitution and would die from genetic collapse.

Wait...

Hadn't the female Zerg said the hatchling had a genetic disease?

Hill's expression darkened.

"Waaah, Dad... I want Dad..."

Struggling in Papa's arms, eyes red with grievance, the hatchling reached toward him.

Hill strode forward and snatched the hatchling away.

Sitting on the bed, he shielded the child in his arms and turned sideways, cautiously facing the female Zerg while releasing a bit of psychic power to examine the hatchling.

"?"

This wasn't what he'd expected.

The hatchling's psychic domain was complete.

Clean.

Very well cared for.

He could even sense traces of psychic power left behind by his own psychic soothing.

Yet he was certain he had never performed psychic soothing on this child.

Looking down.

Once in his arms, the hatchling immediately quieted.

No more crying.

His reddened eyes were now filled with joy.

His soft little face rubbed against Hill's chest, utterly trusting and attached to him.

Even with bloodline resonance, this wasn't how hatchlings behaved toward unfamiliar male Zergs.

Then he looked at the female Zerg.

The black-haired female Zerg stood quietly nearby, his eyes filled with sincere concern for the hatchling.

Meeting Hill's gaze, he hurriedly asked,

"Lord Hill, how is Isi? Is something wrong?"

Iso could tell the male Zerg was suspicious and wary of him.

He didn't like him.

But he cared about the hatchling and was willing to perform psychic soothing.

That was enough.

"His name is Isi?"

Hill's expression became strange.

The first syllable of the female Zerg's name.

Plus the first syllable of his own name...

Who named this child?

...】