Free Web Novel“Welcome back to your hometown.”
Hometown...
Wen Yuzhi froze slightly.
Perhaps it was because he hadn’t heard that word in such a long time that when he suddenly heard it now, it felt faintly unfamiliar.
There had once been a time when he had known the warmth of a home. Back then, he had parents who loved him, and a place he could care about—something that could truly be called home.
But those days had been short.
After his parents passed away, he had gone from being the master of the Wen household to merely residing there as a guest. It hadn’t yet reached the point of being dependent on others, but Wen Yuzhi understood clearly—that house belonged to Wen Xingyan now, not to him.
He still lived there in appearance, yet he had already become an outsider who could be driven out at any time.
Hearing Mu Luo’s words now, Wen Yuzhi’s thoughts drifted.
He didn’t see that the moment his eyes lowered, the beings outside the viewing window seemed to sense the dejection clinging to the cub. The River Styx fish that had been quietly suspended in the star sea suddenly began drifting toward the fleet.
The large-scale abnormal movement of the River Styx fish immediately drew the Saint Clan’s attention.
“What’s going on? Did someone disturb them?”
A Saint Clan member voiced confusion.
Alvin was personally overseeing Wen Yuzhi’s upcoming dinner in the kitchen.
The unusual movement of the River Styx fish was visible from there as well.
As if guessing something, the usually composed adjutant said in a tone that was strangely complex, “It’s the young Highness.”
“The purest royal blood...”
The latter sentence was murmured so softly it was almost inaudible.
But those present still heard it.
Their expressions became the same as Alvin’s.
In the silence that followed, Alvin was the first to regain composure.
The River Styx fish were not actually fish at all. They were spiritual entities born from the cosmic star sea. Their appearance resembled scattered stars, and they only lived in the depths of the star sea—existing solely within the Ninth Star Domain.
Their relationship with the Saint Clan was extremely complicated. Several civilizations ago, they had formed a contract with Salilaino, and since then, they had drawn close only to the royal blood bearing the Golden Bloodline.
But after Mansendis killed all blood relatives, the River Styx fish seemed to sense something. They no longer responded to summons as they once had and instead resisted the approach of all Saint Clan.
Mansendis had attempted to communicate with them several times, but each time, the River Styx fish responded with marked indifference.
And yet now...
These solitary, otherworldly beings were once again taking the initiative to approach the Saint Clan fleet.
And in the entire fleet, the only one who could possibly matter to them—
was the young Highness.
—
On the other side,
Mu Luo was personally witnessing the magnificent sight of countless star-glimmers surging forward in brilliant streams of light.
Those deep-blue, tranquil beings were like arcs of light beneath the abyss of a deep sea. When they floated peacefully in the depths of space, they resembled the dark River Styx of myth.
That was how the River Styx fish had first gotten their name.
But now they were stirring restlessly, all converging in this direction, as if something extraordinarily precious here was drawing them in.
“Weng—!”
Suddenly, a low, ethereal sound spread across the entire warship. Every Saint Clan aboard heard it.
Wen Yuzhi heard it too.
Unlike the others, he could faintly sense something within it—an emotion of some kind. It was vague, not entirely clear.
But in the next instant—
Through the viewing window, Wen Yuzhi saw the cluster of blue lights, like ghostly flames, suddenly begin to flicker.
Blinking, blinking—
as though welcoming his arrival.
Mu Luo stared at the scene in shock. freёweɓnovel.com
Only after witnessing it personally did Mu Luo truly understand what royal blood meant—to the Saint Clan, and even to the entire Ninth Star Domain.
—The stars themselves were willing to flicker for him, welcoming their treasure back to its homeland.
And Mu Luo, standing beside Wen Yuzhi, had the fortune to witness this grand spectacle.
Wen Yuzhi’s long lashes trembled slightly. He unconsciously held his breath.
After a long while, he blinked.
Only then did he realize...
This was not a dream.
The stars had truly come before him.
This time, the feeling was no longer vague. The River Styx fish made no attempt to hide their singular preference for Wen Yuzhi from anyone watching.
“Thank you.”
Receiving such a precious gift, Wen Yuzhi made a rash gesture he normally would never have made.
He pressed his palm against the glass of the viewing window. He lifted his right hand in a small wave. Even knowing his voice couldn’t pass through, he still curved his brows and eyes gently, offering his thanks.
The deep-blue star sea flared even brighter for a moment.
They no longer returned to their former resting place in the boundless depths of space. Instead, they lingered behind the fleet, as if determined to follow the Saint Clan back.
This was something even Mansendis hadn’t expected.
When Alvin reported it, the Saint Clan sovereign fell into rare silence.
“Let them be. The contract remains. Salilaino’s promise to them still stands.”
Alvin wasn’t surprised by that decision.
Besides, the arrival of the River Styx fish was a good thing for the Saint Clan.
These purely spiritual beings were not merely beautiful. Across the entire interstellar realm, they were considered extremely dangerous. If one accidentally wandered into that brilliant star sea, even a Saint Clan might not emerge alive.
With them present, the young Highness’s safety gained another layer of protection.
Mansendis, however, did not care about whether the River Styx fish stayed or left. Compared to that, something else concerned him more.
“You went to the kitchen.”
It was a statement.
Mansendis knew exactly what Alvin had been doing. With mental energy covering the entire Thanatos, every movement aboard was known.
Alvin replied calmly, “The young Highness previously lived among humans and is accustomed to three meals a day. And the young Highness’s body is weak. During the cub stage, additional nutrition is necessary.”
There was obvious confidence in that tone.
If anyone dared to refute it, Alvin would gladly throw the stack of cub-rearing manuals directly at their face.
Yet compared to Alvin, Mansendis—the blood relative closest by lineage—had done nothing.
Mansendis nodded indifferently, as if accepting the explanation.
.........
When Alvin brought Wen Yuzhi to the dining hall, Wen Yuzhi had never expected to see Mansendis there.
The powerful, cold presence was already seated # Nоvеlight # at the head of the table. Beside that seat, Alvin had thoughtfully placed a smaller chair.
It was almost blatantly obvious who it was for.
Wen Yuzhi hesitated for a moment before walking over and sitting down carefully.
“Thank you, Mr. Alvin.”
“It is my honor to serve Your Highness. You may also simply call me Alvin.”
Wen Yuzhi nodded and followed suit. “Alvin.”
It was only a change of address, yet it shortened the distance between them considerably.
Alvin adjusted the glasses, unable to stop the faint upward curve of the lips.
That scene, however, fell into Mansendis’s eyes as something inexplicably irritating.
The cub drawing close to another Saint Clan while leaving him aside—Mansendis showed nothing on the surface, yet a trace of displeasure stirred within. Still, not knowing how to interact with this cub, the cold expression only made Mansendis seem even more distant.
And it wasn’t just Mansendis who felt uncomfortable.
Wen Yuzhi wasn’t quite at ease either.
He could exchange a few words with Alvin. But with the stern-faced Saint Clan sovereign before him, he didn’t even know how to address him.
In his heart, he had always called him the silver giant beast.
But by blood, he should call him Father... or Dad.
Yet looking at that face, Wen Yuzhi simply couldn’t say it.
Even though Alvin had explained everything clearly, Wen Yuzhi still had no real sense of this newly appeared relative.
If anything, the relationship felt awkward.
Just as Wen Yuzhi was wondering how to speak, a cold voice sounded above him first.
“You may call me Father.”
The tone remained rigid. It sounded less like a father speaking to a child and more like an order given to a subordinate.
Even Alvin fell briefly silent.
Wen Yuzhi... was even more nervous.
His fingers tightened in the fabric at the corner of his clothes. His cheeks were taut. The word Father reached his lips, yet his throat felt as if it had gone mute. Even after a long moment, he couldn’t force it out.
Mansendis did not seem disappointed.
The gaze merely swept over the cub’s fingertips, pinched so hard they had turned pale. Suddenly, the interest waned.
The silver-haired sovereign withdrew the gaze with a trace of fatigue. The voice grew colder.
“If you do not wish to, you may address me as Alvin does.”
Wen Yuzhi didn’t notice the subtle change in tone. Hearing that he didn’t have to force himself, he released a breath almost instantly. ƒreewebɳovel.com
The table was no longer covered with an overwhelming array of dishes. Based on Wen Yuzhi’s previous preferences, Alvin had specifically arranged foods the cub liked more.
Anything that had not been favored by the young Highness had been quietly removed.
Even so, the remaining dishes were still plentiful. They were arranged in harmonious colors—balanced, nutritious, thoughtful at a glance.
Wen Yuzhi could guess whose effort this was and did not hesitate to offer a grateful look.
The adjutant responded with a gentle smile.
Mansendis sat at the head of the table. Though by blood he was the one the cub should be closest to, at this moment he seemed like the only unnecessary presence in the room.
The lips pressed thinly. Fingers tapped against the tabletop, producing a dull sound.
When both Wen Yuzhi and Alvin looked over, Mansendis finally spoke unhurriedly.
It sounded like a reminder.
But it brooked no argument.
“During meals, no looking around.”
