Cannon fodder in the Interstellar

Hua Deli and the Second Prince’s mother were both young ladies from the Amber family. Although their blood relation as cousins was quite distant, family ties still held significant weight, and their public standing was the same. Thus, when Hua Deli was a child, his mother sent him to be a companion to the Second Prince.

However, as they grew older, their differing abilities led them down separate paths.

Hebrew Adam, although a prince, had poor cultivation potential and was overly pampered by the queen. His studies and training lagged behind elite peers like Hua Deli, gradually turning him into a lazy and unambitious young man.

On the other hand, Hua Deli, as the eldest son of Hua Deyu from the second branch of the Hua De family, held a position far less prestigious than that of the Second Prince. This was why his family did not interfere when he was sent to accompany the prince.

However, Hua Deli’s cultivation potential was exceptional. The Hua De family, as a prominent family, made every effort to cultivate outstanding members, especially since Hua Deli was the nephew of the family head.

The Hua De family took Hua Deli away from the Second Prince and provided him with the best training resources and education available.

Hua Deli also rose to the occasion, advancing to a level three warrior by the age of ten, becoming an unmatched genius in the eyes of many.

Meanwhile, the Second Prince continued to indulge in frivolity, often engaging in self-sabotaging actions that caused trouble for the young heirs of noble families, yet they found themselves unable to counter his antics.

As they grew older, the divide between them deepened.

Gradually, Hua Deli and the Second Prince, Hebrew Adam, became well-known figures in the Gus Empire. However, their reputations were oppositional, with Hebrew Adam representing the new generation of waste and Hua Deli symbolizing genius.

Thus, even though the queen was friendly with Hua Deli’s mother, under the influence of the Hua De family, everyone “forgot” about Hua Deli’s earlier role as the Second Prince’s companion once he turned ten.

Hua Deli and the Second Prince grew distant, each with their own friends, and they no longer played together.

This situation continued until two years ago.

Two years ago, after a failed assassination attempt on the Crown Prince, it was said he was severely injured. Shortly thereafter, he ruthlessly punished the factions loyal to the Second Prince and ultimately imprisoned him without concern.

At the time, the queen was frantic about her missing son, causing a stir throughout the capital. However, with King Adam’s unconditional support, the Crown Prince withstood all pressure and refused to release him.

During this period, countless speculations and rumors circulated, with many believing that the assassination attempt on the Crown Prince was likely connected to the queen and the Second Prince.

Thus, when the Crown Prince imprisoned the Second Prince, King Adam took no opposing action, even at the risk of a fallout with the queen.

The people of the Gus Empire have long known that King Adam defied the typical narrative of stepfamilies, as he clearly favored the Crown Prince, leaving the Second Prince sidelined.

After this incident, public perception shifted even further.

Many speculated that the Second Prince would face severe repercussions, likely remaining imprisoned until the Crown Prince ascended to the throne.

No one could have imagined that after being imprisoned for just two years, the Second Prince, who was only a mid-level level three warrior when he was confined, would reappear in the palace as a beginner level five warrior.

In the past few hundred years, no one had ever advanced to level five at the age of fifteen or sixteen; even the exceptionally gifted Crown Prince had only achieved that rank at nineteen.

It was hard to believe that a Second Prince with less than C-level cultivation potential could achieve such a breakthrough. This fact created a huge sensation on the Imperial Capital Star due to its incredibility.

It seemed that King Adam and the Crown Prince had already prepared for this; despite the uproar among the noble families on Imperial Capital Star, no information about the Second Prince leaked online.

Thus, those noble families could only discuss it “quietly,” while only the well-informed families outside Imperial Capital Star had any inkling of what was happening.

After his return, the relationship between the Second Prince and the Crown Prince completely changed. Although there were still small signs of rebellion, anyone with insight could see that the bond between the two brothers was now completely different.

Most people who could stand their ground on Imperial Capital Star were not naive; they immediately speculated that the Second Prince’s significant transformation was definitely related to the Crown Prince.

Rumors that the Crown Prince was ruthless toward his brother quickly vanished without a trace.

To be honest, if the outcome of being imprisoned by the Crown Prince was a rapid increase in cultivation, the palace would be overwhelmed with applicants wanting to sign up.

King Adam and the Crown Prince did not want the Second Prince to steal the spotlight, and the Second Prince, after his considerable advancement, seemed much more at ease.

As a result, during the entrance examination for the Xuan Gu First Military Academy, the Second Prince only aimed for a passing score, and most candidates were unaware that he was even participating in the assessment.

Thus, Hua Deli was still able to maintain his reputation as the number one young genius of the Gus Empire during the assessment competition. Unlike Mina-Olli, who was overshadowed by the suddenly emerging Ruo Manni and became the subject of media speculation.

However, not long after the Second Prince’s return, Hua Deli realized the changes in him, making the title of “first young genius” a sarcastic label for him. Behind the scenes, he also experienced the frustration that Mina-Olli felt being suppressed by an unexpected dark horse; during that time, the praises he received on forums became a form of torment.

Nonetheless, due to their mothers’ connections, Hua Deli and Hebrew Adam were natural allies.

In contrast, Dean Atchison had a somewhat natural opposition to Hebrew Adam. Dean’s mother and the former queen were cousins from the Hua De family, making Dean and the Crown Prince natural allies of the latter.

Of course, Hua Deli was also a cousin of the Crown Prince…

Standing behind the crowd and bowing to the Second Prince, Ruo Manni mentally counted everyone’s relationships and thought to herself how intertwined these noble families were.

For Hua Deli and Mina-Olli, who were both from Imperial Capital Star, there was no surprise at the emergence of a level five warrior in the Second Prince; they likely already knew the news through their connections.

Since Ruo Manni had seen the Second Prince during the assessment challenge, she wasn’t surprised to see him in person.

However, from her observation of other new students from outside Imperial Capital Star, including Gao Haitao, none showed any surprise upon seeing the Second Prince; instead, they adjusted their stances to present their best selves.

Indeed, those who could rise above the rest were all exceptional individuals.

In contrast, Ruo Manni felt like she was completely in the dark; if it weren’t for Mentor Li wanting to see her, she would never have known about the Second Prince in advance.

Initially, when she first started her special training on the island, Ruo Manni had wondered if the Second Prince would show up. Later, when she didn’t see him among the trainees, she speculated about the Xuan Gu First Military Academy’s arrangements for him.