【Interstellar Contract Magician】Ruyuanke

Sure enough, we didn’t go far before we were stopped by the military.

Several officers in standard military uniforms trotted over, their faces radiating authority and an attitude that brooked no refusal. The middle-aged officer in the lead glanced sharply at Nightingale and me before fixing his gaze on the wax bear in the little girl's arms. His eyes held a complex complex of emotions.

"Stop," the officer said coldly, his voice low and hard. "This girl and the strange beast are now under the custody of the military. You cannot take them away."

The little girl jumped in surprise and instinctively dodged behind me, hugging the bear tighter, its waxen body even slightly deformed by the pressure. Her eyes were filled with vigilance, and her hand quietly reached for the matchbox, clearly ready to light it at any moment.

"Calm down." I said to her softly, but my eyes were fixed on the officer. "She is a child, not your experiment, nor your prisoner. We have reason to take her away. At least for now, she is safer with us."

The officer clearly wasn't buying my words. He snorted coldly, staring at me pointedly. "Safe? Do you know what she is? What is that 'little bear'? Her very existence is a threat, not to mention the danger she could pose to the city and even the entire star field. As a mid-level mercenary, what qualifications do you have to comment on this issue?"

"At least, I won't let her become a tool in your hands." I said in a neither humble nor arrogant tone.

Nightingale stood aside, arms folded across his chest. Although he didn't say much, his eyes were always vigilantly scanning the officers, ready to respond to any emergency. His hand rested lightly on the weapon at his waist, his posture seemed lazy, but he was already ready to take action.

"Listen." The leading officer lowered his voice, his eyes cold. "This girl may be the orphan of a martyr. We will arrange the best possible care for her. But that commander-level beast must not remain in your hands. She and it must be under the full control of the military."

The little girl was shaking with nervousness and tears began to well up in her eyes, but she still held the teddy bear and didn't let go.

"I don't want it!" She suddenly screamed, her voice filled with fear. "You can't take the little bear away! It's protecting me! Mom said I have to wait for her to come back... I can't be without the little bear!"

Her emotions began to spiral out of control, the flame of the little bear in her arms flickered more violently, and a familiar burning sensation began to permeate the air around them.

"Not good." I whispered, quickly squatting down to look at her, "Miyou, calm down, don't let the little bear ignite."

"But they are going to take the little bear away!" Tears welled up in her eyes, her voice trembled, and the matchbox in her hand was half opened.

"No one will take the little bear away." I said firmly, reaching out to hold her hand. "I promise you, I will protect you and the little bear, but you have to stay calm and listen to me, okay?"

She looked up at me, her eyes full of confusion. Finally, she nodded slowly and closed the matchbox in her hand, but she still held the bear tightly.

The officer was obviously wary of this scene. His eyes moved back and forth between the little girl and the bear, as if he was ready to give orders to control us at any time.

Nightingale finally spoke, a hint of sneer in his tone: "Are you sure you want to take action here? If that commander-level bear gets truly enraged, are you all confident that you can control it?"

These words froze the officers instantly.

Nightingale continued, "It's still calm now because the child is here, and we're doing our best to comfort her. If you try to force your way through, don't blame us for not warning you. The consequences...will be borne by yourselves."

The leading officer's expression was grim, but he clearly knew Nightingale was right. They had just witnessed the power of this commander-level beast. With their current strength, forcibly controlling it would only cause the situation to spiral out of control.

He was silent for a moment, then looked at me with a complicated expression. "You are not capable of dealing with such a being. If something goes wrong, who will be held responsible?"

"If you don't trust us, send someone to follow us," I responded calmly. "But she has to stay with us. At least for now, she and Little Bear are emotionally stable. Believe me, she's better suited to being with us than in the lab."

The officer's face was uncertain, and he was obviously weighing the pros and cons.

Finally, he said coldly, "Okay, but we will monitor the entire process. If we find anything unusual, you will all be responsible for the consequences."

I nodded, without saying anything more, and gently patted the little girl's head, motioning her to relax.

The little girl glanced timidly at the officers, hid behind me, and whispered, "I'm not going to the lab... Little Bear won't go either..."

"Don't worry, I'm here and won't let you go." I whispered to comfort him and turned to look at Nightingale. He shrugged his shoulders with an indifferent expression, obviously not impressed by the officers' behavior.

Just like that, the tense atmosphere finally eased a bit. But I also knew that this was only temporary. The military wouldn't let us off easily. The presence of the girl and the bear was still a huge threat.

They give in because they can't control the situation. They don't let go because we can only control the situation, not solve the problem.

Everyone understands.

I don't want Miyou and her bear to be treated as a headache to be solved. Although it is true.

The military's response was faster and more direct than I expected, leaving Nightingale and me no time to react.

Wen Ya underwent "ideological education" right in front of me—no doubt a deliberate psychological tactic. He stood before the screen, his posture erect and expression calm, but I could see a hint of suppressed resentment in his eyes. He was facing a commander in a high-ranking military uniform. His tone was harsh and indifferent, his words filled with coldness, contempt, and a sense of superiority.

"Mr. Wen," the commander's voice was as cold as a nail. "As this child's guardian, how can you explain his actions in taking a dangerous target away? Don't you understand the huge threat this unorganized and undisciplined behavior poses to the Empire?"

Wen Ya lowered her eyes slightly, her expression gentle and calm. "He's just a child, and perhaps he acts impulsively. But he's not unreasonable. The decision to take the girl and the wax creature away was probably made out of some unavoidable consideration."

The commander sneered, his tone becoming increasingly aggressive. "Necessary? That's a good excuse. An unauthorized minor taking a dangerous person away, and you think that's justified? Mr. Wen, do you have a misunderstanding of your guardianship responsibilities?"

I stood aside, my hands clenched into fists. Guilt and anger swirled within me. Why did Wen Ya have to endure all this for me? This was clearly my own decision, and the military was trying to put pressure on me. Why was they targeting him?

Wen Ya wasn't angered by the other party's attitude. He just smiled slightly, his tone remaining calm. "I understand the military's concerns. But this incident isn't just about the child's recklessness, nor is it just about my dereliction of duty. I think the military should be more concerned about the safety of the wax creature and the girl, right?"

This sentence made the other person's expression freeze for a moment, but he quickly returned to indifference.

"What we're concerned about is how to quickly control this out-of-control situation." The commander's tone softened slightly, but still held a sense of pressure. "I hope Mr. Wen can cooperate as soon as possible and help us return those two to their positions. Otherwise, the Empire will not tolerate such beings acting freely."

Wen Ya didn't argue anymore. She just nodded and said gently, "I will communicate with the child. I also hope that the military will prioritize protection rather than simple control."

After the meeting on the screen ended, the room fell silent.

I stood there, feeling a mixture of emotions. Wen Ya turned around and looked at me, his usual gentle smile still on his face, as if the unprovoked "education" just now had nothing to do with him.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, my voice thick with guilt, "I got you into this."

Wen Ya sighed softly, raised her hand and ruffled my hair, her tone still gentle: "You know, I don't care about these things. But as expected, this matter is not that simple. You have to think carefully about the consequences of your choice."

I knew he was reminding me of the military's oppression, but I still subconsciously retorted, "But I can't hand her over. The military won't protect her or Little Bear at all. They'll just use her as a test subject."

A hint of helplessness flashed across Wen Ya's eyes, but he didn't blame me. Instead, he sighed, "You are kind and brave. But in this world, kindness and bravery are often not enough to protect everyone."

His words made my heart sink, but I still raised my head stubbornly: "That's why I must protect her."

Wen Ya was stunned for a moment, then smiled gently, with a hint of relief in her eyes: "Okay, but promise me that when you encounter problems, you won't carry them alone. Also, don't let more people suffer because of your decision."

I nodded, but my heart still felt heavy. I knew the military wouldn't give up easily. They would keep putting pressure on me, not just Wen Ya, but also Ye Lin and even Ye Qing. And all of this was because of my choice.

Although it was late at night, and although I guessed that the waxy little girl who never grew up didn't need sleep, I still imitated Wen Ya's behavior and coaxed the girl to sleep.

I gently closed the door and turned to see Wen Ya standing there. His gaze was gentle yet complex, as if he were considering something, or testing my reaction. The little girl in the room had quieted down, and the flame of the wax bear had softened. Through the window in the door, it reflected in Wen Ya's eyes, like a flicker of some long-lost emotion.

"As you wish," he began, his tone gentle, yet with a barely perceptible hint of emotion, "You seem... to have grown up."

I understood what he didn't say, and my heart trembled slightly. Wen Ya had always seen me as a child in need of protection, but now, perhaps he finally saw the weight of my shoulders and acknowledged that I was changing.

I smiled slightly, with a hint of teasing in my tone: "Yeah, I can't always let you take care of me. I have to learn how to coax others to sleep, right?"

He was stunned for a moment, then chuckled softly, and the hesitation in his eyes dissipated a little. He was silent for a moment, as if he had made up his mind, and asked in a low voice, "Want to go to your room tonight?"

His tone was calm, even a little joking, but I could sense the complex emotions hidden behind his voice. It wasn't a simple inquiry, but a test, trying to know if I still needed his company, if I would still rely on him as much as I did in the past.

"Of course." I nodded without thinking too much, with a smile on my face, "I can't leave you alone."

Wen Ya's eyes softened, he sighed softly, and a smile appeared on the corner of his mouth: "Let's go, young master, let me fulfill my father's duties again tonight."

I smiled softly and followed him to my room. Although everything was changing, some things seemed to remain unchanged. For example, Wen Ya, who always stood silently behind me, and his warm and tenacious protection.

Tonight may still be a peaceful night.