Chapter 79: No Different from Being Jealous: Caring About the Favoritism He Had Never Once Received

Ulysses was browsing the daily news.

He also glanced through some of the trending topics on StarNet.

The topic "Zerg Federation and Heavenly Garuda Establish Diplomatic Relations" was so eye-catching that even Ulysses' eyelid twitched when he saw it.

Was this that Lord's will?

The conflict between the Zerg and the Heavenly Garuda was irreconcilable.

Even someone like Ulysses, who merely wanted to beat the Heavenly Garuda into submission and turn them into a vassal state of the Zerg Federation, was considered a moderate.

The hardliners wanted to wipe the Heavenly Garuda out entirely—to destroy them so thoroughly that not even ashes remained, erasing them from the universe itself.

Ulysses opened that Lord's newly published novel.

He had read every one of that Lord's books, though only as a point of reference. He would never stop moving forward because of any prediction.

Even if it was a future written by a god.

This time, the protagonists were one of his Generals and the Heavenly Garuda Male Zerg he had raised.

A report from the Seventh Legion's post-battle cleanup surfaced in Ulysses' mind.

It had once mentioned that they had recovered insect eggs from the battlefield—regardless of whether they were Zerg eggs or Heavenly Garuda eggs, once they ended up in Zerg hands, they were all collectively called insect eggs.

Among them were two Male Zerg eggs.

One of them had been born two months prematurely, making it exceptionally frail, with only the faintest trace of life remaining.

It was also extremely anxious about its surroundings, repeatedly falling into critical condition during incubation. In the end, only the General who had found it—Enzo—had been able to incubate it personally.

The reason Ulysses had paid attention to the case at the time was because that Male Zerg egg possessed astonishing talent.

It had S-rank potential.

Which also meant it came from an extraordinary bloodline.

Yet among all the fallen Heavenly Garuda and Zerg military officers, there wasn't a single Female Zerg whose lineage matched it.

If he had to name one possibility...

There was only the Heavenly Garuda Emperor who had disappeared after being severely wounded—his whereabouts still unknown.

Or rather, the former Heavenly Garuda Emperor.

The Heavenly Garuda Empire had been in chaos for so long that the struggle for the throne should have produced a new emperor by now.

Barring surprises, it would probably be the former emperor's younger brother—the Prince xxx.

He was a war fanatic.

There was no possibility that he would agree to a ceasefire.

Diplomatic relations were even more impossible.

Could even a god make mistakes?

Or...

Would the one proven wrong be himself?

Lowering his gaze, Ulysses continued reading.

His brows slowly knitted together.

That Lord truly treated the protagonists of his novels far too well.

A Male Zerg he had raised with his own hands.

Complete trust.

Complete dependence.

Complete love.

He couldn't even bear to tell him, "Kneel."

Instead, he changed it to, "Squat."

A Male Zerg and a Female Zerg like that...

After getting married, they probably wouldn't even know what punishment was.

After all, the form of address that Male Zerg used was...

"Female Lord."

Heh.

Female Lord.

...

A Male Zerg raised within Zerg society...

Willingly recognizing a Female Zerg as his Female Lord...

How could such a story even exist?

Whether that future would become reality or not, that Lord was simply too biased toward the protagonists of his own novels.

The favoritism was painfully obvious.

Anyone could immediately tell the difference.

Trying to compare oneself with them was nothing but self-inflicted humiliation.

Keeping a cold expression, Ulysses continued reading until he finally reached that scene.

The Zerg and the Heavenly Garuda established diplomatic relations.

The two nations collaborated on a film.

The novel never specified exactly when diplomatic relations were established.

However, based on the current point in the story, it was easy enough to calculate.

It took place twenty years later.

In other words, according to that Lord's writing...

The Zerg and the Heavenly Garuda would establish diplomatic relations within twenty years.

Twenty years.

Far too short.

There was absolutely no possibility of achieving such a thing.

They had only just finished fighting a war.

The book had reached its final page.

Ulysses refreshed it several times by hand before finally confirming that there truly was nothing ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) left.

This...

Really did leave one's appetite hanging.

Perhaps this, too, was one of a god's forms of entertainment.

Watching countless Zergs suffer beneath his novels as they desperately waited for the next chapter.

His gaze swept across the comments below, filled with Zergs—and even Heavenly Garuda readers—crying out for more.

They knew nothing about fate.

They were simply being led around by the words on the page.

Even without divine power...

That Lord was already an expert at manipulating people's hearts.

[Reward: 100 Universe Starships]

[Reward: 100 Universe Starships]

[Reward: 100 Universe Starships]

...

After some searching, Ulysses found the tipping page.

He studied it for a while before repeatedly pressing the highest available amount.

He only exited the page when his adjutant knocked on the door.

Meanwhile, the readers below the novel were left completely stunned.

[H-H-H-Holy crap, a big shot!]

[Big shot: 100 is the website's limit, not mine.]

[Username "Y"? What kind of name is that?]

[I thought StarNet only allowed real-name accounts?]

[I'm going to fight all you anonymous accounts that somehow ignore the real-name rules!]

...

After listening to his adjutant's report, Ulysses casually asked about General Enzo.

"General Enzo..."

As the Marshal's adjutant, he naturally had to know a little about everything.

After thinking briefly, he answered.

"He came to the First Military Region today to see Major General Uriel and applied for... a visitation with Lord Annor."

When mentioning that Lord, he cautiously glanced at the Marshal's expression.

Ulysses paused slightly.

"He went to visit?"

The Military Region Prison had an information blockade personally arranged by him.

Aside from the information he had deliberately allowed Cassian to obtain, no one could trace anything back to the Male Zerg.

No one knew that the novelist on StarNet and the Psychic Soothing specialist inside the Military Region Prison were the very same Zerg.

The adjutant replied, "It seems to have been for the insect egg's pheromones."

Even he couldn't help feeling envious.

Simply because the egg had become unusually attached to him, Enzo had obtained the opportunity to incubate it.

Even if the hatchling was still too young to be legally adopted afterward, he would still enjoy priority visitation rights.

Someone was even helping solve the pheromone issue.

And on top of that...

He got to meet that Lord.

Thinking of that Lord, the adjutant secretly glanced toward the Marshal again.

He discovered that the Marshal's expression had become noticeably worse.

Ulysses' silver eyes darkened.

Pheromones...

The egg merely needed pheromones.

Buying synthetic pheromones produced by Zerg manufacturers would have been sufficient.

Even if that wasn't enough, spending a little more money would have easily persuaded plenty of Male Zergs to provide pheromones.

Yet by sheer coincidence...

He had ended up at the Military Region Prison.

Did he even know who was inside?

"Did that Lord give him pheromones?"

Ulysses asked in a low voice.

"I believe so... General Enzo looked to be in an excellent mood when he left. He even posted a picture of the insect egg tied with a butterfly ribbon on social media."

The adjutant was somewhat puzzled.

Granted, that Lord had once been the Marshal's Male Lord...

But the marriage had already ended.

Even the way they addressed each other had become so distant.

Was it really necessary to care which Female Zerg or which egg the former Male Lord gave pheromones to?

That Lord was already imprisoned in the Military Region Prison.

Had he not insisted that Psychic Soothing only take place inside the treatment room...

The Female Zergs climbing into his bed would probably have formed an endless line long ago.

Ulysses opened his light screen and submitted an application for a visit that evening.

Uriel: "..."

What kind of day was this?

Why was everyone suddenly running to the prison one after another?

His prison wasn't some social club where Male Zergs and Female Zergs came to make friends.

[Uriel]: Marshal, this is already your third visit this month. I can't keep making exceptions for you. It isn't the officially designated end-of-month visitation period yet.

[Ulysses]: But you can make an exception for Enzo?

Where had that sour smell come from?

Uriel could practically smell that something was off even through the screen.

He also guessed exactly why the Marshal wanted to come.

[Uriel]: That's because of the insect egg. And that Lord agreed to it himself.

After sending that message, he added another.

[Uriel]: The pheromones were given directly to the egg. I stood outside the treatment room the entire time, and General Enzo was "standing in punishment" outside together with me. Neither of us even managed to exchange more than a few words with that Lord.

Ulysses understood what Uriel meant.

But in his eyes...

There was no difference.

After all, Enzo was simply one of that Lord's protagonists.

Uriel believed he was jealous of another Female Zerg.

That he cared about the relationship between a Male Zerg and a Female Zerg.

But Ulysses knew...

That wasn't it.

What he cared about...

Was the favoritism he himself had never once received.

Although...

If one looked closely...

The two weren't really that different.

[Ulysses]: I have an agreement with that Lord. Submit the application for me.

Uriel had no choice but to comply.

...

Ever since agreeing to the appointment, An Ruo had already walked back and forth between the bedroom and the dining room for the nth time.

He wiped the table over and over again.

He adjusted the chairs several times, changing both their position and angle.

He even summoned a cleaning robot to clean the already spotless floor one more time.

The agreed time still hadn't arrived.

Yet he simply couldn't calm himself.

Perhaps...

He never should have arranged to meet in his room.

They should have met in the prison cafeteria instead.

But there were far more Zergs in the prison cafeteria.

If he had dinner with Ulysses there, they would become the center of attention.

There simply wasn't a perfect solution.

An Ruo let out a long sigh.

He could only accept his fate and wait.

During that time, he placed a bouquet of flowers on the table.

Then he felt that the red and pink flowers looked far too suggestive.

So he replaced them with a quieter, more elegant bouquet...

But having everything white looked too plain.

He rummaged through his spatial button, picked out several small green and yellow flowers, and added them.

The final arrangement looked fresh and natural.

The menu also underwent several rounds of revisions.

He even sought Uriel's opinion.

At exactly 18:00, the doorbell rang on time.

The Marshal was even more punctual than he was.

An Ruo went to answer the door.

The moment he saw the Female Zerg standing outside holding a bouquet of flowers, he froze.

The other party had obviously dressed up with great care.

His usual military uniform had been replaced with an elegant high-end formal suit.

His long black hair appeared casually draped behind him, but in reality every single strand—and even the curve of every lock—had clearly been arranged with meticulous attention.

The Female Zerg possessed handsome, sharply defined features.

His silver eyes were slightly lowered.

Compared to his usual self, he seemed a little less intimidating.

He felt... easier to approach.

An Ruo couldn't quite explain what had changed.

Usually, Ulysses was already incredibly handsome.

But he gave off the cold, murderous beauty of a war mech.

He carried the majesty of power and authority.

Sharp.

Untouchable.

Making others instinctively afraid to look directly at him or draw near.

But the Ulysses standing before him now...

Made one feel as though he could be picked up...

Taken home...

And secretly hidden away.

In short...

He looked dangerously tempting.

Standing inside a prison that housed criminals, An Ruo remained perfectly clear-headed.

He reached out and accepted the bouquet from the Female Zerg.

The flowers were a dreamy sapphire blue.

Tiny pearls dotted them like drops of morning dew.

Then he remembered the rustic countryside-style bouquet he had prepared.

Compared to this one...

It suddenly seemed embarrassingly unsophisticated.

"Please come in."

An Ruo stepped aside, inviting the Female Zerg inside.

As soon as Ulysses entered, his eyes immediately landed on a newly added holographic poster hanging on the wall.

—A Male Zerg egg tied with an adorably childish butterfly ribbon.

Even an egg had earned a place on the wall.