Chapter 1372: Just One More Lecture

"Aw! Aw! Awwww!"

A desperate attempt to protect his poor ear, followed by a sheepish grin that would’ve had just about anyone forgiving deeds that should’ve been properly documented, signed, and sealed.

Those were the things Killian Nox fully expected to encounter once he finally got his hands on that rascal who kept acting like he had nine lives!

Of course, there was the matter of the baby bee’s condition to consider. Then there were several battalions’ worth of cadets and freed captives to worry about, not to mention the proctors, who would probably look at him as though the heavens had personally sent someone to answer their prayers.

He’d have to assess everyone’s situation, organize the necessary response, and make sure they had somewhere safe to regroup before even thinking about what came next.

Ah, and let’s not forget the pirates. He needed all those damned pirates contained before he gave in to the urge to kill them himself...

Ahem.

In fact, the Chief of Staff was still trying to figure out where to begin when the battleship started rattling so violently that he could barely keep himself steady!

"Hold on!"

He tightened his arms around the weakened baby he was protecting, turning his body to shield her as another piece of equipment suddenly came loose.

BANG!

Something heavy crashed against the floor behind them.

Killian didn’t even bother looking.

With practically everything that wasn’t secured threatening to become a projectile, he was far more concerned about keeping his daughter safe than figuring out what had just broken!

And yet...

Who would’ve thought that grabbing someone’s ear would turn out to be harder than everything else on his list?!

BOOOOM!

"!"

The entire vessel shuddered as it finally struck the ground, the impact nearly sending Killian to his knees.

For one terrifying moment, he thought the battleship might actually overturn, but after several more violent tremors, the enormous vessel finally came to a stop.

"...!"

"Izzie, are you all right?!"

He immediately looked down at the little Queen in his arms, checking her condition before adjusting his hold to secure her more firmly.

Only after making sure she could still move, albeit weakly, did he turn toward the nearest exit.

"Tell me if something else hurts, okay?" was all he could afford to say for now, knowing that every second wasted could worsen her condition.

And so, despite barely having recovered from the landing himself, the Chief of Staff rushed out with his weakened daughter in his arms, calling for the Elders as he made his way toward the disembarkation area.

"Elders! Please check on the cadets aboard our ship and prepare to make contact with those on B10’s battleship!"

Confident that his instructions would be carried out, Killian continued on his way.

However, instead of heading toward the other cadet vessel to assess the situation himself, he made his way toward an entirely different destination.

The biomechas.

That’s right.

The very suits that had practically held those enormous battleships together throughout their descent!

Of course, there were perfectly reasonable explanations for why he’d chosen to approach them first.

For starters, only one of those mechas actually had someone sitting inside its cockpit, and that was definitely not something they wanted to have to explain right now.

Secondly, they still needed to figure out exactly where they’d ended up and just how precarious their situation actually was. Who better to help them scout their surroundings than the biomechas themselves?

But even with those practical considerations in mind, Killian certainly wasn’t going to deny that he had another, far more personal reason for being there.

Because aside from wanting to understand what had caused Izzie’s sudden ailment, someone also needed to have a very serious conversation with that big oaf who’d apparently decided that using his mecha and spiritual energy to hold up enormous vessels was a perfectly reasonable thing to do!

Was he crazy?!

Did that brat have even the slightest idea what kind of strain he’d been putting himself under?!

And what if he’d exhausted himself or the shield had given out before they even reached the ground?!

Just thinking about that kind of pancake had Killian’s expression growing darker.

"The three of you, please continue scouting the surrounding area and report any concerning signs or anomalies!" he ordered, looking toward the biomechas as he approached.

He could only hope they were all right, but for now, he couldn’t risk anyone approaching their mechas before the three had a chance to slip away without attracting unwanted attention.

Thankfully, they were extremely perceptive, and seeing that their exterior looked as intact as though they hadn’t gone through that entire ordeal moments earlier, he could finally breathe a little easier and focus on preparing the sternest lecture he could possibly deliver to a certain well-meaning guy.

Only...

"...!"

There he was.

The redhead he’d been looking for had finally disembarked, standing just a short distance away.

With no natural light reaching the cavern, the battleships were practically their only source of illumination. Yet even that light was largely obscured by the dust and debris still billowing through the air, making it difficult to see anyone clearly beyond a short distance.

Even so, Killian couldn’t possibly mistake that familiar silhouette.

"Jax!"

Good!

At least the brat was standing on his own two feet!

Now, if only he could get close enough to grab that ear...

"Ah..."

"...?"

Jax slowly lifted his head.

For a moment, the redhead simply stared at the man standing a few steps away from him, though the lingering haze made his expression difficult to make out.

Then, as though he’d finally recognized who he was looking at, his lips curved into a faint, almost relieved smile.

"So I must be in heaven, huh?"

"...!"

Killian stopped.

What?

Seriously?

But before he could even open his mouth to chastise this supposed family man, he noticed something that made his heart practically stop.

Jax’s smile hadn’t disappeared, even as he staggered forward.

Only, his eyes no longer seemed to be focusing properly.

And then...

His knees buckled.

"...!"

"JAX!"