Chapter 637: Witness to a Revolution
It was like any other fine day.
Hovercars zipped through the sky lanes, engines humming with their usual rhythm.
A few laughs rang out as children darted ahead, squealing as their parents gave chase, pretending to be ferocious beasts in pursuit.
Every so often, a soft wind stirred, brushing against people’s faces as they strolled leisurely under the carefully regulated sunlight of the city dome.
It was the kind of day that lulled even the busiest citizens into thinking everything was just as usual.
A relatively peaceful day. A promising one.
One that even had the potential to be extraordinary once they finished the analysis of a certain mecha.
Could have.
Should have.
Had it not been for the literal collapse of the pillars of the Empire.
Although if someone asked them, they would have countered that others would’ve been in a similar state if they, too, heard about the collapse of civilized society as they knew it!
Plop!
The sound was deceptively simple. Almost gentle.
Except... the moment Empress Gisella’s knees gave way, the floor cracked.
The disguised monarch hit the ground with such force that the polished tiles dented inward, creating a crater no one could politely ignore. Dust puffed up in a ridiculous halo around her, coating the hem of her disguise.
And it was lights out.
In the end, it was one golden-eyed cadet, whose marriage had just been thrown into question, who screeched in sheer panic when the woman before him suddenly slumped on the floor.
"Ma’am!" Luca yelped, his voice cracking.
Without thinking, he darted forward, scooping her up as carefully as if she were made of glass. He carried her in both arms, heart hammering, before sprinting straight for the medical bay door.
Only to stop dead.
Because what greeted him there was not a calm, professional scene of doctors waiting.
No.
Instead, there was a heavily tied-up and screeching attendant, ropes digging into his limbs, his once waxed hair now sporting a fresh bald spot as if someone had personally scalped his vanity.
"???"
Luca blinked rapidly.
And just beyond him—
The doctor, the supposed healer of this bay, was strewn across the floor like he was the one in need of medical attention.
"Is he dead?!" Luca gasped, his voice shooting three octaves higher. His free hand reached instinctively for his inventory. If not for D-29’s calm yet questioning voice in his ear—"no one is dead yet, host"—the cadet would have already stuffed the poor man with a revive pill.
But no.
The doctor groaned faintly, proving he was, unfortunately, still alive.
Luca’s brain raced as he got both people into the separate beds before intending to look for actual help.
Well, ideally, it should not have been like this.
In any normal event, if something—anything—were to happen to the unshakeable Empress, her team of elite, specialized, and hand-picked operatives would have swept in immediately. They would have extracted her, secured the perimeter, and ensured her well-being with flawless efficiency.
But in this most uncanny of circumstances?
This... circus?
It could have been considered the most successful assassination attempt in history—if assassination had been the actual goal.
Because her legendary operatives, feared across the Empire, could not respond either.
Why?
Because they, too, needed help.
Physical. Mental. And perhaps even spiritual help.
And the aftermath of this chaos?
It was a scene to behold.
A certain Imperial Crown Prince, who had been attending an odd meeting until he heard choice words leaking from Sid, ended up bolting out, citing an "emergency" that absolutely required his immediate attention.
Only, after closing in on where Sid swore Luca should be, his sharp gaze landed squarely on a broken bench.
A bench so thoroughly destroyed it looked like it had been the victim of an attack. One of its legs dangled off pitifully, while the rest lay cracked in pieces on the floor. And next to the splinters? An unfortunate soul groaning weakly, surrounded by a few people fussing over him.
Xavier blinked.
Well. That looked messy. But he didn’t really think much of it. Not until he spotted Marshal Julian.
His uncle was already rushing over, only to slow down at the very last second, his expression a blend of resignation and long-suffering dread.
The prince squinted. Since the Marshal was already there, surely he could handle whoever had mauled the unsuspecting piece of furniture.
Xavier had better things to do.
Like checking on his spouse.
It was just that he did not expect to meet with everyone once again after reaching Luca.
According to Sid, who had been shaken by inexplicable events that he could not even explain, one moment the little master seemed happy enough, but then the next time he listened in, the guardian mecha saw that Luca’s heart was gripped with panic. So he had no choice but to call Xavier’s attention.
What could have happened? Xavier’s chest tightened.
And when he finally saw it, he understood why.
In the usually empty, dust-gathering medical bay, three people who had absolutely no business being there now occupied the beds.
And in the middle of it all, one little chipmunk, golden eyes wide and trembling, looked ready to cry while trying valiantly to keep it together.
"Luca," Xavier called.
The word cut through the mess like sunlight breaking through a storm.
It was such a welcome sound that the little chipmunk, who had been forced to moonlight as a first responder, froze. His ears twitched, catching the familiar voice, before he whipped his head around so fast it was a miracle it stayed attached.
The next instant, he practically flung himself across the space toward Xavier, relief pouring off him in waves.
"What happened?" the prince asked quietly, his voice low but steady as he checked over Luca, his sharp eyes scanning for any sign of injury or lingering danger. After all, outside the medical bay was a crater that definitely didn’t belong in the registration office.
The question should have been simple. Yet the answer... the answer quickly turned into a flood.
Because once Luca opened his mouth, all the worries he had bottled up came spilling out.
"They just collapsed! I didn’t even know what to do first! The attendant said strange things, then suddenly fainted when I tried to help. Then there was the kind woman, w-we were just talking, then she collapsed!"
"S-so I tried to bring her in here too, but then the doctor—he was fine at first, but when we entered, I found him on the floor like that—"
The words tumbled out fast, an anxious litany of details.
But to Xavier, the stream of grievances and confusion faded into the background. His gaze stayed locked on Luca alone, taking in every expression, every tremor, every little furrow of his brow.
With deliberate care, he reached up and brushed a stray lock of black hair away from Luca’s golden eyes. The soft touch lingered, steadying both of them.
"You’re fine," Xavier said, his voice even but threaded with something warm. "That’s all that matters."
The room, however, did not share in that warmth.
Renard, still gagged and tied to one bed, could only thrash and scream internally. Because what was this?! Monsters.
These were monsters.
A normal person, surely, would at least think about saving him, the ideally innocent victim bound and suffering. But no—apparently, the newcomer was only interested in petting the boy who had been his executioner.
On the other bed, the "doctor" twitched awake. But he didn’t dare make a sound. No, he used every shred of training he had to pretend he was still unconscious, body limp, breathing as steadily as possible.
But inside, his brain was howling: I swear, I’d go to all those blind dates! I’d be good! If he could survive waking up to a scene that was way past his clearance level, then he was willing even to shave his head!
And then there was the Empress.
She had stirred the moment the door opened, her lashes fluttering as she blinked awake. But the instant she registered who had come in—that towering figure, her son, whose first word had been Luca’s name—her eyes rolled back and she practically passed out again.
It was too much.
The Crown Prince had actually come for the boy. Had called him by name. Had spoken comfort like it was second nature.
And Luca had rushed straight into his arms without a second thought, like it was the most natural thing in the universe.
Unexpected.
And utterly unbelievable.
To the poor souls forced to watch, this wasn’t just affection. This was a revolution!