EROS [Zerg]

Have you ever done repair work before?

Brandt had heard that Eros had come to school from the fourth star system on Enel's recommendation, and that he could load and unload mech tires on his own after only one class, so he must have a foundation.

Eros shook his head. Being a repairman requires skills. In the Fourth Star System, he had only ever worked delivering food and packages door-to-door on a simple bicycle.

"What kind of work did you do before?" Brandt felt that his chances of discovering a genius were extremely slim.

"Delivering takeout and packages." Eros didn't want to talk about the shameful things he had done, like working as a prostitute in an underground auction house.

"Takeout and delivery?" Brandt was somewhat surprised. He thought Eros must be a female insect who had served in the military, otherwise how could a takeout deliveryman have contact with Major Enel?

Moreover, the image of this female insect with a highly famous face riding a bicycle to deliver food in the wind and rain is quite comical.

Brandt chuckled softly and patted Eros on the shoulder: "I'd like to talk to you alone after class."

Eros hadn't even wiped the sweat from his forehead when Brandt slapped him on the shoulder with his paw, leaving him momentarily stunned.

He nodded blankly, still not having recovered his senses even after Instructor Brandt walked away with a light laugh.

“You must have caught the eye of Professor Brandt. He probably wanted to speak with you privately because he wants to give you special training.” Seeing Eros still lost in thought, Allai leaned closer.

"But you really surprise me. Is this really your first time working on repairs? You've only had half a class and you can already install mech tires. That's amazing."

"Didn't Professor Brandt just demonstrate? I just followed his instructions exactly, it's not as magical as you think." Eros shook his head, moving the heavy tire had really exhausted him.

Just now, when Mr. Brandt demonstrated, he was able to move that wheel, which was a meter in diameter, with just one arm. It's really strange, considering he's a female insect, yet his physical strength is inferior to that of a sub-female.

It's really embarrassing to think about it now.

Eros silently added a note to his mental schedule: Time to train!! To become a super-powerful female who can lift ten sub-females with one arm!!

"Installing tires isn't exactly a highly technical job, but it's still a very tedious maintenance operation. You managed to learn it after just one look; you're practically a genius." Alai praised the little female insect beside him without hesitation.

He felt that Eros, that little bug, was sometimes too humble; even if he was proud inside, he wouldn't easily show it.

How could Eros, who shared the same face as his idol, Lieutenant General Evanson, such a proud female insect, not feel embarrassed to show his pride?

Eros was a little embarrassed by Allai's praise: "Thank you, Allai."

Alai laughed and said, "You're too kind. Since you're so kind, then I won't be polite either."

"Please bring me dinner; I need to stay in my dorm."

Eros listened with a wry smile and nodded. Alai disliked going to restaurant parties the most, saying it was because there were too many bugs. Whenever he had free time, he would go back to his dorm and read a book with a bug in his room. This made Eros sometimes think that he was a little socially awkward.

The Weapon Science and Technology class didn't end until evening. Brandt seemed to be intentionally training Eros, making Eros try out almost every operation he demonstrated.

“You have a lot of talent, but you need to work on your physique more. You’re exhausted just from carrying a few steel plates. That won’t do.” Brandt inspected Eros’s “homework.” Although it wasn’t perfect, it was good enough for him to accept. In a sense, it could already be called genius.

He had planned to speak with Eros privately after class to ask if he would be willing to specialize in weapons science and technology with him, but he received a terminal contact from Principal Joseph right after class ended.

Principal Joseph said he had something to discuss with him, so Brandt could only tell Eros that he could come to his office later and then hurried to the principal's office.

Eros saw that it was getting late, but the female insects from other classes should still be in get out of class, so he decided to go to the cafeteria to get his food while there were fewer insects there.

Eros went to the cafeteria and quickly bought his food—a Type B meal and a nutrient solution.

He bought the nutrient solution himself.

The academy's set meals were too heavily seasoned for Eros; the bland nutrient solution was the only food he could afford. Five star coins per bottle, enough to last a day, making it very economical.

Although Alai always teases him that his taste is even milder than that of the little bugs, Eros secretly believes that the heavy-flavored meals that are popular with female bugs are the ones that are hard for bugs to swallow.

Back in the dormitory, Eros saw Alai sitting on the bed, leaning against the headboard, holding a thick book in his hands. Judging from the cover, it looked like a book about social rules.

Eros placed the Type B meal he had bought on Alai's bedside table, and then took out the white book that he had read many times from the bookshelf.

"Didn't you go see Professor Brandt?" Alai saw Eros return and realized it was a bit too early.

“Principal Joseph needs to speak with Professor Brandt. I’ll go see him later.” Eros sat down in a chair closer to Alai and turned on his nutrient solution.

Normally, if Alai saw that, he would definitely complain about the colorless and odorless nutrient solution that Eros was holding, which tasted like glue.

But Alai didn't speak today. Eros put down the nutrient solution he was about to feed Alai, and looking at Alai's distressed expression, he was at a loss for words: "What's wrong with you?"

Alai put down the book in his hand and looked at Eros with a heavy expression: "My female father just sent a message about the marriage that my male father arranged for me with a B-level male insect. After I graduate this year, he will let me marry into that family of male insects and become a female servant."

Eros could hear the sorrow and helplessness in Alai's words, and it seemed that this was not a good marriage for Alai.

"Is there no way to cancel this engagement?"

Alai shook his head: "This engagement was arranged five years ago. I have tried my best to delay it for five years. Now that they heard that the Comet Class may only be able to graduate this year, they have put this matter on the agenda."

"The Comet Class can only run until this year?" Eros was somewhat surprised.

Alai nodded: "There are fewer and fewer students, and you saw how they were in class today. They were undisciplined and casual, and their enthusiasm for learning was not high. The instructors are unwilling to teach the students in the Comet Class."

"The Comet Class originally had 167 students, but now only these dozen or so females remain."

Alai rubbed his temples wearily: "There's nothing we can do about it."

"Do you know what kind of character that male is?" Eros didn't know how to comfort Alai, and could only hope that Alai's father wouldn't be too outrageous and marry his insect offspring to a morally corrupt male.

"I have never seen a male insect from the Kritata family, but the characteristics of male insects in noble circles are all pretty much the same."

Alai recalled his father's group of female servants, who lived cautiously, always observing his every word and expression. The female slaves were even worse off; without the male master's permission, they were not even allowed to walk on two legs. They lived without dignity, like walking corpses.

Alai looked at Eros, who was worried about him, and couldn't help but feel sad.

It seems that the fate of female insects is so similar. Even the dazzling Lieutenant General Evanson could not avoid being forced to marry a male insect and then his life withered away quickly.

"Is there any way to prevent you from marrying that male insect?" Eros really couldn't bear to see Alai looking so sad. Just this afternoon, Alai had been such a happy and cheerful insect.

Alai shook his head. "There's nothing we can do about it."

“For the past few years, I’ve deliberately failed every graduation exam, and my father has long been dissatisfied with me.”

Eros finally understood why Alai had repeated so many years, but, "It's no use running away from it all the time."

"You can't stay in school forever."

Eros stared intently at Alai:

“Listen to me, Alai. When I was in the underground auction house, I thought about when I would die every day. I never thought about when I could get out. The female insects who went in there didn’t think about how to get out. They were all like you now, resigned to their fate.”

"But I didn't die, I was rescued."

"You must also believe that you can get rid of those things in your heart that you can't solve."

Looking at Eros's serious expression, Alai felt a surge of warmth in his heart. He didn't want to see Eros sad because of him, so he nodded and smiled, "Okay, I'll think of another way."

Eros placed the meal he had brought for Alai into his palm: "Eat your fill, then we'll figure something out together."

"You are my friend, and I will never abandon any of my friends."

Alai chewed on his food, and when he heard Eros's words, he looked up and laughed, "You make it sound like I'm going to my execution and you're going to rescue me."

"If that day ever comes, I will definitely come to save you."

"Alright, wish me well. I'm not going to commit any crimes or go to the execution ground." Alai picked up the book he had just been reading and tapped Eros on the shoulder a few times, not too hard, not too soft.

"I hate those lawbreakers the most. If it weren't for my disability in both legs, which prevents me from passing the court's medical examination, I would definitely be a judge."

"If I ever break the law and get arrested, don't try to save me. I'll be happier that way."

"You like studying law?" Eros noticed that Alai liked to carry around several law books.

"I like it, but it's not very useful. I just look at it to pass the time."

“How could it be useless?” Eros felt that Alai was a bit pessimistic. Remembering how Alai usually liked to encourage him, he also encouraged him, saying, “Don’t you want to be a judge? If you want to become a judge, you must study legal knowledge.”

“I can’t be a judge.” Alai shook his head. “I’m a disabled female insect, and disabled female insects can’t find jobs.”

"Even if I can skillfully apply the legal provisions, there will definitely be female insects who are better than me. They are physically healthy, quick-witted, and more suitable for the job than I am."

Eros shook his head at these discouraging words: "No way. There are so many healthy, quick-witted, and knowledgeable female insects who are more suitable for the job than you, yet wrongful convictions still exist. I am a prime example."

"They are not omnipotent either, but that's not important."

"What really matters is that you are a female insect who upholds justice in her heart, and for that reason alone, you deserve to fight for a job you love."

Although these words were very appealing to the insects, Alai felt that Eros was too idealistic: "Eros, have you thought about what you want to do in the future?"

"I want to become a military mechanic, stay on the main planet to work, raise Kam to be an excellent and gentle male insect, repay Commander En'er, and then find my family to live with them."

"That sounds so wonderful."

"I'm a little envious of you."

After saying that, Alai didn't explain anything further and buried his head in devouring the food in the lunchbox.

Eros didn't say anything, but leaned back in his chair and began to open the white paper in his hand.

Eros liked this book more and more as he read it.

Eros read through all of the books, from the first to the eleventh, in just a few days.

He could sense from the lines of the book how much the author longed for the arrival of a new society.

Touching the long-dried writing, Eros felt a strange sense of resonance.

Suddenly, it felt like an electric current had passed through his mind, and a blurry shadow appeared before Eros's eyes.

Under the dim light, a blonde female insect was writing something at a desk.

His pen tip kept leaving marks on the paper. Eros wanted to go forward and take a look, but he suddenly bumped into a pair of cold purple eyes.

! !

Eros stared in shock at the face before him that was exactly like his own, like two sides of a mirror, yet so real.

"You are……"

The female insect's mouth moved, as if it were saying something, but no sound came out. Eros couldn't hear a word, yet as if by telepathy, a word inexplicably surfaced in his mind, perfectly matching the shape of the female insect's lips:

【Blue Star】

Blue Star...?

"Eros, Eros?!"

Eros suddenly opened his closed eyes and saw Alai calling out to him with a puzzled expression.

Eros murmured absentmindedly, "Blue Star...?"

"What are you talking about? What Blue Star? Are you talking about those space pirates?" Alai waved his paw in front of Eros's eyes.

"...Alai?" Eros snapped out of his daze and looked at the worried female insect in front of him: "Did you just see something...what kind of insect?"

Alai almost forgot all the sadness he had just felt and rolled his eyes speechlessly: "Yeah, I saw a female insect that suddenly went crazy, and kept shouting 'Blue Star, Blue Star,' it scared the insect to death."

Eros looked up at Alai, puzzled, and asked, "Blue Star... what is that?"

Alai's expression changed, and in the end, he could only look at her with a puzzled expression: "Huh?"

Eros had no choice but to tell Alai what had just happened.

Unexpectedly, Alai jumped out of bed with a start, his voice excited: "You said you just saw Lieutenant General Evanson's shadow?!"