Him and their stars.

Chapter 2131 Clear Evidence that the Emperor's Fate is Mostly in Danger

Amya's tall figure moved steadily forward in the dimly lit, enclosed passageway. Her steps were steady and slow, but upon closer inspection, one would find that her movements were as precise as a robot's. Even the sound of her footsteps carried a barely audible friction sound, like the operation of a machine.

This is the underground maintenance tunnel of Mingxi City, a space city. The space inside is narrow and cramped, and the air is damp and cold. The searchlights cast into the dark depths of the tunnel only bring out a dim halo.

Needless to say, this is a perfect setting for ghost stories.

However, for Amya, a psionicist who had participated in the War God Festival and almost died once, this environment could not possibly shake her mind.

She is currently a third-year student at Wisdom Palace University, double majoring in philosophy and engineering. The mazes inside the space city are generally semi-enclosed ventilation or mechanical passages, but she has already walked through them many times.

She could no longer be a powerful psychic, but she could still be a sociologist and engineer, contributing to the world in the same way. Ancient Meya women were all strong women, full of ambition and drive. Amya was clearly one of them.

It's perfectly reasonable for an outstanding engineering student like her to frequently climb ventilation ducts.

This passage was far too narrow for the tall, slender Gumeya, but she had long since adapted to it. Or perhaps it was because of the numerous nanomachines and prosthetic skeletons within her body, but she inexplicably enjoyed this environment.

Yes, this Mingxi City is located in the "second ring" of the Heavenly Capital, one of the space cities in the planetary orbit of the Imperial Mother Star Rui, and also one of the most important space cities in the entire Heavenly Domain.

The Galactic Empire's most prestigious university, Wisdom Palace University, is located in this space city.

After the War God Festival, once Amy had recovered, she received a recommendation from the royal family and began her studies at the Wisdom Palace University. She had already been studying in this space university city for three years and was familiar with everything here.

Despite the extremely low visibility, it did not hinder her movements at all. She could now walk back and forth in this passage with her eyes closed.

Of course, she remained focused, her emerald green eyes flashing sharply in the dim light as she scanned the passage for any clues.

The headset was playing two audio streams simultaneously: one was all the data reported by the reconnaissance unit, and the other was an emergency broadcast from the Empire's official channel.

It was a male voice that feigned composure, sounding calm and collected at first glance, playing a joint statement from the Privy Council and the Heavenly Domain Government: "People of the capital, in this time of crisis, we urge every citizen of the Heavenly Domain to remain calm, stay at their posts, and fulfill their duties! The enemy's fleet is approaching our homeland, but the Heavenly Domain's defenses remain strong."

The broadcast echoed in her ears, but Amya only slightly moved her left shoulder.

A faint light, almost invisible to the naked eye, shone from his left shoulder, illuminating a corner of the passageway and clearly revealing the accumulated dust.

"The hatch is locked." Another voice echoed in her mind.

Of course, Amy carefully placed a warning device at the corner before continuing forward.

Another clear voice echoed in her mind: "...Make every effort to fight against all invading enemies and defend the glory of the Galactic Empire! As long as we hold firm, there is always a way!"

So, do you want us to "hold firm" or "fight back against the invading enemy"?

Amya finally couldn't help but sigh and patted the barrier of the passage. Perhaps due to her overwhelming emotions, the stabilizing unit at her waist even jerked.

Fortunately, the prosthetic device provided by a mysterious scientific group was indeed very effective. The neural connection exoskeleton that was stabilized around my waist regained its stability in a fraction of a second.

Just then, she heard a communication notification tone, followed by a young man's voice: "Testing! Testing! President Lyon is online now. Sister Amya, all the students and professors we can contact have gathered at the central dome library of the Palace of Wisdom and several adjacent reinforced school buildings."

"How many people are there now?" Amy asked casually.

"84377 students and 11000 professors and teachers. Don't worry, after all, it is the empire's premier university, there is plenty of space, and everyone has been settled."

Arranging the relocation and resettlement of nearly 100,000 people in 48 hours is definitely not something an ordinary student council president can do.

Amya paused for a moment before sighing, "So, Leon, you still say you don't have any hidden identity?"

The man opposite him answered quite matter-of-factly: "Yes! I've already said it, I'm the chairman of the Tianyu Overseas Students Association of the Community! After Boss Tan and the others returned to China, and after Mota and Modi went to support the rebels and lost contact, I became the real chairman."

"...You actually admitted it so easily."

“But I also have imperial blood! My uncle is a nobleman, and he changed his nationality after the war started. Sister Amya, I've pledged allegiance to the new lord, so I have a powerful backer now. If all goes well, I might even be able to get a title in the future.”

Lyon paused for a moment, then lowered his voice and said, "Let me tell you, Chris over there has already become a retainer of the King. His grandmother was the assistant head maid of the King's Jade Mountain Palace."

"Now I understand, you Earth Student Council members are all incredibly skilled!"

After becoming a university student, Amy maintained a friendly relationship with the Earth Students' Association of Tianyu, often going out for hot pot together. She was aware, of course, that although the student organization hadn't been banned after the outbreak of war, it had been subject to considerable surveillance. Even so, many key student members had managed to leave the capital; some returned home to fight, others participated in uprisings across the country, but almost all of them had lost contact.

Needless to say, most of them have already perished among the stars.

However, Leon showed no sadness. Neither did Amya.

“There’s also information,” she said.

“I know, we’re organizing and copying it.” Leon paused. “But what exactly should these things…”

"what?"

"Haha, it's nothing. Is this something you can talk about here? You can't!"

They temporarily suspended communication.

Amy knew exactly what the other person was talking about.

Sending the remaining undergraduate and faculty members to Wisdom Palace University and protecting all the archives and research materials were orders from above. She and the rest of the student council were merely executors.

But now, that person is about to enter the capital. Inevitably, everyone has other thoughts.

Who should receive these materials?
The girl from Gumeya paused for another minute, listened to the mobilization statement from the official broadcast, installed all the equipment, and then returned the way she came.

Although she was in a narrow passage, she walked much faster than an average person could run. Even so, it took her another twenty minutes to return to her destination. Once she emerged from the cramped underground passage along the stairs at the end, the scenery before her suddenly opened up.

She had returned to a domed garden somewhere in the west wing of Wisdom Palace University. As the top-ranked university in the Galactic Empire, Wisdom Palace University was the size of a small city, and even with a hundred thousand people flocking in, it still felt empty. This garden was almost completely deserted.

Amy looked around, flicked her fingers, and precisely cut off the broadcast in her ears, plunging the surroundings into an even deeper silence.

Now, all she can hear is the faint sound of the prosthetic motor running and her own strictly controlled breathing.

No, of course there are still some.

The girl, Gumeia, looked through the somewhat empty domed garden and found a person crouching in a corridor surrounded by flowers. The person was wearing a long robe that covered their face and head, and a mask, a very typical villainous schemer's attire.

Such attire was too typical, and Amy was quite disgusted by it.

This time, she paused for a moment, then finally couldn't help but ask, "Why do you Star Seers always choose to appear in deserted places, and why are you always dressed like villains? You look even more sinister than the people in the Inquisition."

Fortunately, she had wanted to ask this question before, but she managed to hold back for three days.

“Judges are proper law enforcers, while we star-seekers are proper charlatans. At least that’s what most people think.” The star-seeker was full of resentment, but a glint of light flashed in his eyes: “So, when really important people need someone to do shady work, we’re the ones who are more convenient to use.”

Amy lowered her head slightly, hiding all her discomfort in her eyes.

“The students and faculty who remained have all been transferred.” She began her report, her tone hurried but clear: “According to your list, several senior professors from the School of Science and Engineering and the School of Life Sciences, along with their core research data and some experimental samples, were among the first to be transferred. As for the progress of copying the remaining materials…”

Seeing that Amya seemed hesitant to speak, the Star Seer said, "The university city's public database and the non-classified core technology databases of each college already have backups. As for the core confidential information, I know the data volume is huge, but as long as we use the backup supercomputing array of the Wisdom Palace, it will definitely be completed. Don't worry, the school has already obtained authorization."

He clapped his hands, his eyes filled with a profound sense of mission: "These are all scientific treasures of the empire!"

Yes, it is not only a treasure of the empire, but also a backup of civilization; it should absolutely not perish in the flames of war. Amya is certainly willing to contribute her share to this great cause.

However, what she couldn't understand was, why must such an important task be handled by someone as suspicious as you, the Star Seer?
Amya kept her doubts to herself and continued, "I've already checked. All the possible entrances and exits to the university town that could secretly bypass the defenses have been equipped with early warning systems. I can also say with certainty that once the defenses are activated, the possibility of infiltrating the Palace of Wisdom will be virtually nonexistent. Of course, that's assuming you trust my judgment."

“Of course I trust your judgment.” The Star Judge chuckled beneath his mask, his eyes still gleaming with an almost imperceptible light. “As expected of a member of the champion team from back then. Hey, to be fair, even without him, you could have made it to the end.”

Chosen Champion? What a long-lost title. After the outbreak of war, it was always referred to as "that person whose name can't be mentioned" or "the Demon Dragon."

“In that case, it’s time to activate the Wisdom Palace’s defense system.” As he spoke, the Star Judge took out his terminal and began operating it right in front of the Ancient Beauty.

Amy thought this guy was just like all charlatans, indeed a bit schizophrenic. But before she could say anything, she could clearly feel the dull thud of machinery operating from beneath the floor. It was the sound of heavy composite armor plates closing and sealing off the main passage.

Within her perception range, at the edge of the entire space city, a curtain of force fields was unfolding, preparing to transform into an impenetrable energy wall that would completely envelop the entire city.

Wisdom Palace University is the most prestigious university in the Galactic Empire, but few people know about it now. The city of Mingxi, where it is located, was one of the first space cities in the Empire and was also a military fortress, serving as the last line of defense protecting the home planet of Tirelo.

Over the following millennia, this space city, almost entirely within the imperial capital's "urban area," underwent several rounds of meticulous renovations and was equipped with state-of-the-art defensive facilities. Although the space city lacked powerful main cannons, its shields, once deployed, made it virtually impregnable.

Looking back now, the capital city has never been invaded by foreign enemies, but the rulers probably did prepare for the worst.

What happened to the Tireiro people being warlike warriors who would rather break than bend? What happened to them only knowing how to attack and despising defense the most?

"No matter what happens in the future, with 100,000 teachers and students, we can hold out for a while with this university town. As long as the Demon Dragon doesn't use that terrifying arc cannon to bombard us, we'll be safe."

“He won’t do that,” Amya said. Her voice was soft, but unusually firm.

"I know he wouldn't go to such lengths, nor does he have the motive or the time," the Star Judge said, surprisingly objective. "If something truly unspeakable were to happen, all the Dragon Kings would actually be more dangerous than the Demon Dragon. We must protect the Empire's treasures and entrust them to the most suitable people. This is our most important duty!"

What does it mean to say something is unspeakable? Is this really something I can listen to?
Amya was speechless for a moment.

The officer's sharp gaze pierced through his mask, fixed on the face of the woman named Gumeya, before finally settling on the flowerbed to the left: "In short, thank you for your hard work, madam. I can finally report back to my superior."

“Then, I, the Anxie people…”

"Your people on the ancient planet have received a year's worth of food and daily necessities, enough for them to survive this difficult time. Hahaha, if they have the will, they might even be able to develop farmland on the planet and become self-sufficient." After all, they are now the property of the royal family. No matter who ascends to the throne, they will not be harmed. They live on the planet's estates, which are now actually the safest place in the imperial capital. Safer than anyone else living in the imperial capital." The Star Official looked at the ancient Meiya people:

"But you, Miss Amya, do you still keep in touch with your compatriots? I mean those who are not in the country. In the past few years, nearly ten thousand ancient Meya people have left the Empire."

"Yes, thank you for the Empire's mercy in setting them free."

"You should be grateful, but it wasn't the Empire that showed them mercy. It was some noble people with a conscience who argued their case in the Privy Council and the Senate." The official asked, "So, is there still a connection?"

Amy shook her head with a completely honest expression.

Gumeya had already made an agreement with the royal family that after graduating from university, she would join the Imperial Household Agency and become one of the ladies-in-waiting at the Dragon Palace.

To avoid suspicion and to maintain her status as a private "retainer" of the royal family, she cut off contact with all her relatives who were abroad, including her childhood best friend Agnes.

Of course, she didn't know that a group of her people had already settled in the New Divine Continent, nor did she know that another group of her people had participated in the Terrabi people's independence movement, and even less did she know that another group of her people had followed Agnes to join the North Wind God Company and had carved out a new world in the New Continent.

All of the above was heard by Amy from a third party, and she didn't even dare to confirm its authenticity.

If the war hadn't broken out, she really wanted to finish university and then spend her life as a female official.

"I am a student at Wisdom Palace University and the secretary-general of the Tianyu Higher Education Association. I am just doing my duty."

“So, thank you for your hard work, Miss Amya. You should have had a bright future.” The star-gazer looked at her, his voice suddenly becoming subdued: “I hope you know, madam, I am also fulfilling my duty!”

The Star Seer's somber voice, like a spell, suddenly froze and suppressed in the air, and Amy felt a sudden alarm! Although she was already disabled, her spiritual perception was still intact, and she had already issued a sharp warning to her mind a moment before the other party's spiritual energy fluctuations rippled.

Almost simultaneously, the Star Seer's hand, hidden beneath his sleeve, suddenly shot out, his five fingers spread wide, a dark vortex of spiritual energy gathering in his palm, like a black hole capable of swallowing light.

Amya couldn't feel the power of the vortex, but she felt as if it could devour her soul.

The emperor is indeed in grave danger! Amy thought. Just as some had said, the empire's decision-makers and various official psionicists have all become increasingly deranged—isn't this the biggest proof of that?
But who told me this?