Chapter 41: Male School Heartthrob x Military Academy Student (6): He’s Not Some Lustful Zerg

[Waaah! This female Zerg can't hide it anymore, huh?! His true nature is exposed, huh?! (Angry)]

[Actually using this method to trick a male lord into wrapping his arms around his waist, that's too much!]

[But that's how everyone flies in the Underground District? You've never been there, have you? The roads there are impossible for aircraft.]

[That's exactly why it shows his scheming! He lured the Male Lord into the Underground District, so the Male Lord has no choice but to hold him. There aren't any other options.]

[Now that you mention it, that's true! What schemes!]

[Learned it, learned it. I'll do this next time too.]

While criticizing Iso's methods and pointing fingers at him, the female Zergs were also taking notes.

[This teaching material is even more skillful than Claire.]

[PS: Those without the ability are advised not to imitate this. If you get a male lord injured, you can go spend your days in an interstellar prison!]

...

[Iso himself wasn't comfortable making such a request. He stiffly controlled his expression and body, causing his cold, handsome face to appear even colder.

"Please hold my waist. I'll fly you over."

He explained to the male lord.

The roads in the Underground District had no planning whatsoever, and the buildings were even stranger, with every imaginable shape and spacing. Any outsider unfamiliar with the area would definitely get lost.

Bulky aircraft weren't popular here either. Bringing one in would only lead into dead ends.

The female Zergs of the Underground District were more accustomed to flying themselves.

And male Zergs were carried by female Zergs.

Recalling the half-transformed female Zergs weaving between the buildings, Hill finally understood what Iso meant.

So that's what he meant...

Male Zergs also had wings, but theirs had already degenerated. They couldn't fly and were more like beautiful ornaments carrying strong courtship implications. Few male Zergs would expose their wings.

Female Zerg wings were much more practical.

On the battlefield, they were terrifying weapons, indestructible shields, razor-sharp blades, and in daily life, excellent means of transportation.

In a place like this, there really was no choice but for a female Zerg to carry him.

Logically, Hill understood.

Emotionally, he still found it difficult to accept.

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

But making a fuss over something like this would be far too delicate.

Bracing himself, Hill stretched out his hands toward the female Zerg's waist.

Iso had an excellent physique, with broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and a broad chest. His fitted casual training clothes emphasized those advantages all the more. The feeling of wrapping both arms around his entire waist was strangely fascinating.

As he lightly pressed against him, faint pheromones filtered through the clothes into his nose, smelling like the morning breeze or thin mist.

Still dizzy from being this close to a female Zerg for the first time, Hill suddenly heard the sound of something unfolding through the air.

Black wings spread behind the female Zerg, carrying a power that shook one's heart.

Before Hill could see clearly, the female Zerg had already lifted him into the air.

His body suddenly became weightless. Wind brushed his cheeks, colorful phantoms rushed past, and only the whistling sound of wind remained in his ears.

One arm held the hatchling, while the other wrapped around him, pressing his head against his chest to shield his face from the wind.

Hill's mouth and nose were buried in soft warmth, and his entire body stiffened to the extreme.

Isidore leaned over and rubbed his tender cheek against Hill's.

"Don't be scared, Male Parent. Isi will protect Male Parent."

Hill: "..."

The two of them looked like hatchlings buried against the female Zerg's chest drinking milk.

Overwhelmed with embarrassment, Hill buried his face even deeper.

Who knew how long had passed?

It felt like an entire century and yet only half a minute.

Eventually, the female Zerg slowed down.

Then came Isidore's delighted voice.

"We're home! We're home! Male Parent, we're home!"

Hill raised his head and saw a black heavy mecha standing alone in an open space, surrounded by various low buildings.

Calling them buildings was already giving them too much credit.

They looked more like dangerous old shacks or sheds from the pre-interstellar era, completely beyond Hill's understanding.

...Are they supposed to live in a place like that?

Hill's expression froze.

He had already imagined the three of them squeezed together in a tiny shack without a door, with passersby outside knowing exactly what they were doing inside.

The image was too horrifying.

He would call his female parent overnight and ask to be picked up.

He really was about to call the police.

Fortunately, his terrifying speculation didn't come true.

The female Zerg carried him toward the ancient-looking black heavy mecha.

The hatch opened and welcomed them inside.

His feet touched solid ground, and the hatchling beside him jumped down as well, laughing sweetly.

"We're finally back! Male Parent, what would you like to drink? I'll get you something!"

"Water is fine..."

Hill answered subconsciously and looked around blankly.

This was inside the mecha...

So this was the home the female Zerg spoke of?

When he said his home was small, he meant the cabins inside the mecha were small.

When the hatchling said there was a mecha at home, what he meant was that they lived inside a mecha—the home was inside the mecha.

Well, there really was a mecha!

At least they weren't living in a shack.

After his previous expectations had sunk so low, Hill now thought living in a mecha was actually pretty nice.

And really cool.

Among female Zergs, it was the sort of thing everyone would envy.

Even Hill, as a male Zerg, found it novel.

He looked around once before withdrawing his gaze, only to realize that he was still hugging the female Zerg's waist.

The female Zerg had remained stiff and motionless the whole time, waiting for him to recover.

"Are you alright, Lord Hill? I'm truly sorry for frightening you."

Iso genuinely felt apologetic.

He didn't know how much a male Zerg's body could handle and had already slowed down to hatchling standards.

But perhaps that was still too shocking for a male lord experiencing underground flight for the first time.

"N-no problem..."

Hill hurriedly withdrew his arms from around the female Zerg's waist and stepped back. His fingertips still retained traces of that warmth.

"The lounge is ahead. This way, please."

Iso was polite and courteous.

It was the usual attitude female Zergs used when facing male Zergs.

Under his guidance, Hill walked forward.

The living area inside the mecha really wasn't large.

One lounge that also served as a kitchen.

One bedroom cabin.

And another room opposite the bedroom, with its door closed...

Probably a children's room.

Hill sat down on the only sofa in the lounge.

The hatchling brought him water, shared snacks with him, and even fetched some retro game controllers, looking at him expectantly.

"Male Parent, what do you want to eat or play?"

Iso stood quietly to one side as well, his golden eyes silently watching Hill, waiting for him to voice his needs.

Hill thought that even if he made a long list of unreasonable demands right now, the female Zerg would immediately carry them out.

For the sake of his hatchling.

His concern for the hatchling was unbelievably obvious.

This was his weakness.

"No need. Nothing at all."

Hill pulled over the overly energetic hatchling and made him sit beside him before turning to Iso.

"You sit too."

The sofa was long enough.

After hesitating for a moment, Iso obediently sat down.

Keeping a certain distance between himself and the male lord.

Hill felt he had made a mistake.

He should have placed the hatchling in the middle.

At least that would've eased the awkwardness.

"Let's talk about Isi."

Hill took a deep breath and spoke.

"Mhm."

Iso quietly waited for the rest of his words. His face remained calm and expressionless as always, though the tension in his muscles and eyes that hadn't blinked for a long time betrayed his nervousness.

Isidore sat obediently nearby, sipping fruit milk while listening to his parents talk.

When quiet, he somewhat resembled his female parent, though he looked much more relaxed.

"I'm his biological male parent. I'll take responsibility for his Psychic Soothing."

Hill patted Isi's head and glanced at the female Zerg beside him.

If the other party needed Psychic Soothing, he would also help out of humanitarian spirit and their cooperative relationship.

Hearing this, Iso let out a heavy sigh of relief and gratefully said,

"Thank you very much. If there is anything you need, please tell me. I will definitely do it for you."

A male Zerg's gifts had never been free.

In fact, they were extremely expensive.

Iso knew this very well.

But for Isi, for the hatchling connected to him by blood, he was willing to pay any price.

Hill truly didn't need anything.

There were only so many things female Zergs could give male Zergs.

Money?

He wasn't lacking money. If he wanted to sell his paintings, every psychic painting would bring him immeasurable wealth.

With the economic gap between them, it wasn't certain who would be giving money to whom.

Still, he was willing to take responsibility for the hatchling's expenses.

Power?

Perhaps in a few decades Iso could provide him with that, but certainly not now.

Then...

His body?

Hill's thoughts short-circuited for a moment as he remembered the soft sensation his face had sunk into while being carried through the air.

He quickly threw the image out of his mind.

He wasn't some lustful Zerg.

He admitted that Iso was handsome and had a great body, enough to make him want to pick up his paintbrush.

But only that.

He appreciated beauty, but appreciating beauty didn't mean possessing it.

"I don't need anything. Also, I'll pay for Isi's upbringing."

Hill said.

"No, how can I let you spend money? I can support Isi. You don't need to worry."

Iso hurriedly replied.

The fact that the male lord asked for nothing already made him uneasy. How could he allow the male lord to spend money as well?

Besides, he wasn't actually as poor as he looked.

He could earn a huge amount of star coins from a single match.

He had simply burned all his money on his mecha before and saved very little.

Now that there was a hatchling to raise, plus the male lord's expenses, he naturally had to shoulder those too.

Even though there was {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} no marriage relationship between them, the existence of the hatchling made it his responsibility—the most basic responsibility of a female Zerg.

Not to mention that pleasing a male lord itself required spending a lot of money.

For the hatchling and for supporting the male lord, he would earn more and save more.

"This isn't about whether you can support Isi. Isi is also my responsibility..."

The hatchling belonged to both of them.

He couldn't just contribute neither money nor effort. That would make him feel too guilty.

Although...

Most male Zergs really were like that.

In the end, Hill changed his words.

"I'll take responsibility for part of Isi's living expenses."

He changed "all" into "part."

Afraid that continuing to object would irritate the male lord, Iso stopped arguing.

Even though he felt the male lord shouldn't spend even a single star coin and should instead ask him for money.

Each side took a step back, and an agreement was reached.

"And one more thing. Earlier you said Isi had a genetic disease. What exactly is that about? His Psychic Domain is perfectly intact and spotless. There isn't a single problem."

Hill almost suspected it had simply been an excuse fabricated by the female Zerg to lure him out.

Yet the concern and anxiety he showed for the hatchling seemed completely genuine, leaving Hill puzzled.

Hearing those words, Iso's mind went blank for several seconds.

He stared in astonishment first at Isi, who was sitting beside them swinging his legs while drinking fruit milk, and then at Lord Hill.

"You're saying... Isi has no problems at all?"

Hill nodded.

"He's very healthy. At least, according to my examination."

A high-ranking male Zerg's psychic examination could not be wrong.

"But Isi said he had headaches. He also said you used to perform Psychic Soothing on him many times every week..."

The eyes of the two adults met in the air.

Both realized something was wrong.

Together, they turned to Isidore.

Isidore, sucking on his fruit milk:

"...Hic?"

It's over!

...]