"Suitors?" Augustus’s mory flashed with images of bruised and battered young nobles from Korhal. "Then they can all go to hell."
As he spoke, a vivid scene played out in his mind. At Dorothy’s sixteenth birthday banquet—an opulent celebration that drew half the elite of Styrling—nobles lined up with flowers in hand, all hoping for a mont with her. From freshly minted heirs of minor houses to the youngest senators in Korhal, they all ca dressed to impress.
And yet, none of them got close. Augustus and his father had kept every last one of them out of Dorothy’s line of sight.
Everyone—young and old, n and won alike—had wanted to dance with the guest of honor. But in the end, the one who danced with Dorothy... was Augustus.
"Dorothy’s still young. She doesn’t understand how ugly and twisted those bloated aristocratic parasites really are," Arcturus said, lifting a cup of red tea from the table. After a sip, he added, not even sounding particularly venomous, "Those inbred freaks disgust . All they care about is politics, power, and trading nas. They think a political marriage will bind their house to the House of ngsk."
"So long as we’re alive, Dorothy will never be sacrificed for politics or power."
"She deserves to be happy."
"You really should go ho and visit her," Augustus said with a smile. "She’s not that little girl you rember. Dorothy has a strong will—just like Mom. She’s passionate about reading: economics, politics, classical culture, even the Galactic Heroic Epics. When it cos to business and strategic decision-making, her talent already surpasses ours by a long shot."
"Dorothy should be the one to inherit the ngsk family legacy. anwhile, we’ve always dread of escaping Father’s grip—exploring the unknown stars or making our mark in the military." Arcturus gestured to himself, then to Augustus. "But part of worries she’s shouldering too much pressure. After all, she’s still just a girl."
"If that happens... I think I’d go back and help her," Augustus admitted. Compared to the battlefield, he preferred staying in the safety of Korhal.
Arcturus was clearly caught off guard. This wasn’t the Augustus he rembered. In nearly ten years since Arcturus had joined the military, Augustus had written him regularly—three letters per month without fail—so much so that his inbox was flooded with unread ssages.
And in every single one, Augustus had expressed admiration for his older brother’s free and unrestrained life in the military, vented about their father’s tyranny, and complained of the boredom and suffocation of life under the blue skies of Korhal.
The younger Augustus had dread of becoming a marshal—one who would lead the interstellar marine corps to explore colonies and battle strange alien creatures across the stars.
He had sworn, no less than ten tis, that the mont he broke free from their father’s control and left Korhal, he would never return. And even though Arcturus had tried ti and again to explain how dull and soul-crushing life in the marines really was, Augustus had never changed his mind.
"No matter what, I’ll always support you," Arcturus said with a nod.
Even so, he was happy to see Augustus change. No matter how much he believed in his brother’s abilities, there was never any guarantee that Augustus would walk off a battlefield unscathed. Selfishly, Arcturus would rather see his siblings stay safe, far from danger, than watch them chase dreams that might break their youthful wings.
"But I’m still worried," he said, his brow furrowed with concern. "You know what that bastard Angus is up to—he dreams of toppling the Terran Federation... and he’s actually doing sothing about it."
"With secret backing from the Umojan Council, the rebel forces under Angus have destroyed so many frontier outpost factories on the edge colonies in recent years—and stirred up so many protests and demonstrations—that the federal parliant on Tarsonis is now genuinely afraid."
"What exactly is he trying to do? At this rate, a full-scale war between Korhal IV and the Tarsonis-based Federal Governnt is just a matter of ti. The Parliant will never allow Korhal to slip from its control. If they acknowledge even a single planet’s right to declare independence from the one true governnt, then the rest will follow."
"When that happens, the Federal Governnt will deploy the marines. Sure, with Umojan’s help, Korhal might be able to hold out for a while. But the Parliant also commands a massive fleet—they could wipe out the planet’s defenses from high orbit if they wanted to," said Arcturus.
"Angus has clearly never considered that if he fails, his entire family will be sent to the guillotine. He’s playing with fire—burning himself alive. How many innocent people have died for his so-called ’justice’ as his rebels carried out terrorist attacks on military installations and corporations backed by the ruling families of Tarsonis? Were those workers—those ordinary soldiers—really deserving of death?"
"I don’t care about Angus or his so-called revolution. Whatever happens, he’ll get what he deserves. But what about Dorothy and Mom? We can’t lose them."
"I’ll try to convince Father," Augustus said, though not even he sounded confident in his own words.
"You won’t convince a stubborn old wolf," Arcturus snorted.
Augustus let out a quiet sigh. The two of them fell silent, both clearly aware of just how obstinate old ngsk could be.
After a mont, Arcturus moved on from the topic and shared what was on his mind.
"Augustus, I might retire early—before the war even ends. Maybe early next year. Maybe sooner. Before that happens, I want you to beco an officer."
"Why?" Augustus looked at Arcturus, puzzled. The latter had already been promoted to colonel during the War of the Confederacy, and his ascension to general after the war was practically guaranteed. He’d earned more dals and honors than most n could in a lifeti. After the victory, glory, prestige, power, and wealth would all co pouring in.
"I’m tired of this life," Arcturus admitted. "The thrill and adrenaline of being a marine... it’s long gone. Now, I want to chase my original dream: to beco an interstellar adventurer and prospector."
"I already have so startup capital. Of course, it’s not from Angus. I’ve mapped out a plan—to buy a georesonance scanner, so drilling rigs, a space utility vehicle, and a ship. I’ll need to hire a crew too, though I’ll have to take out a loan for that part. Then I’ll spend the next few years—or maybe a decade or more—searching for a crystal vein big enough to make rich."
Augustus stared at him, dumbfounded.
He rembered that in the future, his older brother would lead a rebellion that toppled the Terran Confederacy and beco the first emperor of the Terran Dominion.
In the ga, the founder of the Dominion, Arcturus ngsk, was a ruthless political mastermind—a cunning warlord of the stars.
And now, that very future emperor was telling his little brother... that he didn’t care about any of that. He just wanted to wear a hardhat and go mining.
"If you’re short on funds, go ask Mom," Augustus said, quickly coming to terms with the absurdity of it all.
"No. I want to prove that even without relying on the family, we can still succeed," Arcturus replied.
"...," Augustus had nothing more to say.
Out of sheer defiance toward his father, Arcturus at this stage in life harbored an intense hatred for revolutions and politics.
He only wanted to explore—beco a wealthy mine owner by prospecting uncharted regions of the galaxy.
Not by inheriting the wealth and power of his family or ancestors,
but by earning it himself.
"When I’m not around, you need to watch out for those with hidden agendas."
After a brief silence, Arcturus spoke to Augustus in a serious, deliberate tone.
"Aside from the mbers of the ngsk family—aside from us—no one else is worth trusting."
"You are the wolf of House ngsk. You must be ruthless."
Augustus nodded solemnly.
"Oh, right—I almost forgot. Get your n ready. But don’t breathe a word of this to anyone else," Arcturus added in the end.
"Starting tomorrow, Operation No. 6 of the Supre Command of the Turaxis Army and Marine Corps will no longer be a secret—we’re launching a full-scale offensive against the Kel-Morians on the other side of Polk’s Pride and forcing them into a decisive battle."
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