Cannon fodder in the Interstellar

For years, Ruo Manni had known Sheila, but it wasn’t until now that she realized Sheila was also a fangirl of the Crown Prince.

After blurting out her praise for the Crown Prince, Sheila felt a bit guilty. She glanced back to ensure Tamaki Kazia, who was engrossed in documents, wasn’t paying attention. Lowering her voice further, she whispered to Ruo Manni:

“You have no idea how many women on Imperial Star are obsessed with the Crown Prince, trying all kinds of tricks to get close to him. Unfortunately for them, his security team is unbeatable, and he treats all those women with nothing but icy indifference. Over the years, not a single one has succeeded. Did you know there’s even a betting pool on this?”

Recalling the past, Sheila sighed deeply. “So many people have bet on whether there would ever be a girl who could thaw his icy demeanor. Most people wagered that such a girl didn’t exist. And then, out of nowhere, you showed up. You can’t imagine how many people resent you after seeing him smile warmly when talking to you.”

Ruo Manni was taken aback. She couldn’t wrap her head around their logic. “But I’m his first cousin! What’s there to envy? Is it because I made them lose money?”

“It’s not just that,” Sheila said, leaning in conspiratorially. “It’s because you’re able to get close to him, talk to him so casually, and he’s so gentle with you. What’s worse, in their eyes, is that you’re not only the Crown Prince’s cousin but also the Second Prince’s fiancée. Since he got into Xuan Gu First Military Academy, the Second Prince has been ranked right behind the Crown Prince as the most eligible bachelor on Imperial Star. Before anyone else could even make a move, you swooped in and claimed him. Both princes are closely tied to you—of course people hate you for it.”

“And another thing,” Sheila added with dramatic flair, “Most people don’t know the inside story of what happened with the Seventh Army. On Imperial Star, the rumor is that Brittany Beery of the Beery family tried to compete with you for the Second Prince and resorted to dirty tricks to harm you. In retaliation, the Crown Prince and Second Prince joined forces and took down the entire Beery family for your sake. For the past two years, you’ve been the infamous ‘troublemaker’ everyone talks about.”

“You seem remarkably well-informed,” Ruo Manni remarked with a sidelong glance at Sheila, whose eyes sparkled when gossiping.

“Well, I may have fallen out with my family, but I still keep in touch with a couple of my close cousins. Especially now that the family’s decline is even more severe, and they’re barely holding onto their status as nobility. They’ve been reaching out to me more often, which conveniently helps me stay updated on everything happening,” Sheila said with a faint smirk.

“This is a good idea. If your two close cousins can provide you with useful information, it wouldn’t hurt to give them a little incentive. That way, if your stepmother tries to cause trouble again, you won’t be caught off guard,” Ruo Manni suggested.

For the past six months, most of their time had been spent in monotonous and grueling training in space. Sheila had likely been feeling stifled, so Ruo Manni let her indulge in some lighthearted gossip.

The establishment of the Gumera Starfield Alliance Army had significantly eased the pressure on the Seventh Army.

For the citizens of Topaz Star, it was practically a lifeline.

In their minds, having the Crown Prince of the Gus Empire as the supreme commander of the Alliance Army meant that the Alliance Army would undoubtedly favor the Gus Empire.

“The Gus Empire is truly blessed to have the Crown Prince,” Lin Changfeng remarked to Ruo Manni, his tone filled with relief.

He felt fortunate to have allied himself with such a powerful force early on; otherwise, he’d be overwhelmed with worry by now.

“Where will the Gumera Starfield Alliance Army be stationed? Has it been decided? The Vera Federation has been stirring things up again—has it caused major trouble?” Ruo Manni asked, her concern evident.

With the Yunkai people almost upon them, she found it exasperating that even such a critical matter was subject to endless squabbling. The Vera Federation truly seemed to enjoy creating chaos.

“The Crown Prince is no ordinary person. He earned that position through his own merit. How could the Vera Federation possibly stop him?” Lin Changfeng’s tone brimmed with confidence in the Crown Prince.

“The Crown Prince had already decided on the location early on. The Vera Federation can argue all they want, but they still have to follow his lead. Which country still listens to the Vera Federation these days?” Lin Changfeng added disdainfully.

Whenever people from the Gus Empire mentioned the Vera Federation, it was always with this air of scorn. Similarly, the Vera Federation harbored the same disdain toward the Gus Empire.

The longstanding animosity between the two superpowers ran deep. If not for the looming catastrophe, peaceful collaboration between them would have been utterly impossible.

Ruo Manni was not a native of this era, so she didn’t harbor the innate disdain for the Vera Federation that many others did. However, she couldn’t bring herself to like it either. She found its current leadership lacking a proper strategic vision.

Despite being significantly weaker than the Gus Empire, the Vera Federation stubbornly refused to admit defeat. Their constant posturing and trouble-making only made them look worse.

Lin Changfeng provided Ruo Manni with a location point. She checked it on the interstellar network and discovered it was within the Gus Empire’s outer star region.

The location was slightly beyond the area where they had previously intercepted the super beasts. There were two lifeless barren planets there, which would indeed be convenient to convert into a military base.

Unless the Yunkai people took a large detour—adding an extra three to four months to their journey—it would be impossible for them to attack the Gumera Starfield without encountering the Alliance Army’s defenses.

“This position protects all of the Gus Empire’s border stars. I’m surprised the Vera Federation agreed to it so easily. I would have thought they’d demand a location closer to the Gus-Vera Federation border,” Ruo Manni remarked.

“That’s exactly what they initially proposed,” Lin Changfeng said with a smirk. “But our Gus Empire countered by demanding they contribute an equal amount of resources. That shut them up pretty quickly.”

Ruo Manni reviewed the overall strength of the Gumera Starfield Alliance Army. It boasted seven Level 8 mech masters and over 5,000 Level 7 mech warriors.

Level 6 mech warriors made up the majority, numbering 15,000, while Level 5 mech warriors were only about 5,000.

The strength of the Alliance Army surpassed the combined might of the Gus Empire’s Third, Fifth, and Seventh Armies.

These three armies were the forces that the Crown Prince planned to deploy around the Topaz Star system in a year.

With this, Ruo Manni felt a slight sense of relief. With the Alliance Army standing at the forefront and three major armies as backup, Topaz Star’s fate would no longer follow the tragic trajectory described in the novel.

On the Imperial Capital Star, Crown Prince Xiahai Adam met with Hua Deqi in a secret chamber.

“I will officially assume my position the day after tomorrow. I’m entrusting that matter to you. How is the progress with Doctor Paul’s research?” Xiahai Adam asked, his expression serious.

“There are some issues. The third test subject only survived for half a month before dying,” Hua Deqi replied heavily.

“It must be extended to at least a month. Otherwise, the outcomes could become unpredictable,” the Crown Prince said calmly.

Despite the gravity of the situation, Xiahai Adam showed no signs of frustration. It was as if they were discussing a trivial matter rather than a crisis that concerned the survival of all humanity in the Gumera Starfield.