The Consequences Of Being A Tyrant Chapter 20
byChapter 20: A Meeting?! An Old Friend Who Can Bear His Moods and Desires?
After spending such a long time together, An Qiao naturally knew what his pet’s actions meant.
It was seeking help.
He looked down at the fluffy white ball of fur and spoke gently, “What is it, Rongrong?”
“Take your time.”
As he spoke, he took a stack of cards from the pet-specific cabinet nearby and slowly spread them out in front of the white fur ball.
An Qiao had specially customized these.
The pictures on them were lifelike images of food or toys.
This straightforward visual information made their communication easier and more direct.
“Rongrong, what do you want?”
But to his surprise, the furry pet didn’t choose any of the cards; its dark eyes were filled with urgency.
“Awoo awoo.”
The forest, the forest you went to.
An Qiao was still confused.
Did Rongrong want a different toy?
Seeing the bewildered expression on the other man’s face, Lin Yu sighed inwardly.
He had forgotten that the white fur ball’s owner only looked intelligent; he couldn’t guess what his pet meant at all.
Fortunately, he had prepared the white fur ball beforehand.
Under Lin Yu’s eager gaze, the white, long-haired furball wiggled its backside, looking left and right, finally locking onto the emerald green plant by the window. It ran over, stood beside the plant, and whined at An Qiao.
However, An Qiao’s mind was even more perplexed, unable to analyze the meaning.
He simply offered a grass biscuit.
Lin Yu: “…”
A flicker of disdain crossed the white fur ball’s eyes. It stomped its paws on the green plant, squeezing out the sap, then pressed it onto the ground, spreading a stain. Following Lin Yu’s description, it then dug up some damp brown soil from underneath and haphazardly patted it below the green stain.
An extremely abstract two-color drawing appeared before everyone.
An Qiao had no idea his little pet possessed such artistic talent.
He was instantly overcome with pride.
Only Lin Yu looked at the drawing, then at An Qiao’s expression, and once again fell silent.
He seriously suspected that the other man’s thoughts weren’t focused on the drawing’s deeper meaning at all.
Just as Lin Yu was considering how to guide the conversation next, Duan Mingyue, who had been watching with folded arms for a long time, finally spoke, “Gert Forest?”
Lin Yu’s heart instantly tightened. Even if he didn’t understand the meaning of Gert, he could infer the vast, sky-obscuring woods from the following noun.
So he tilted his head, feigning innocent curiosity.
Hearing his friend’s words, the terrifying scene from before immediately flashed through An Qiao’s mind—if they hadn’t run fast enough, they would have been cremated in the air!
“It’s over, it’s over, the King must be mad.”
Even though for the past hundred years, their noble and aloof King had never left the forest and didn’t seem to possess powerful destructive capabilities toward the outside world, the fear and worry about that formidable power were still deeply etched into their bones.
What if?
What if the King grew tired of the endless, monotonous woods and the ancient, weathered Palace, and wanted a taste of the mortal world? Who could provide him with that excitement?
Who could bear his moods and desires?
For An Qiao and the others, the King entering the world wasn’t entirely unacceptable, but they needed a rope, a chain, to control him, to restrain his recklessness, and maintain social stability.
The Beastfolk currently held too much fear for the King and lacked sufficient closeness and trust. If a crisis of trust were to ignite, exploited by those with ulterior motives, it would be enough to spark the suppressed dissatisfaction accumulated over this long period. The Empire would then face turmoil.
This was not the outcome An Qiao and his colleagues wanted to see.
However, the surveillance devices they had previously deployed were violently destroyed, clearly indicating the King’s attitude.
Their King did not like it.
Lin Yu slowly lowered his gaze, beginning to ponder the meaning of these words. This country actually had a King.
His presence was far too low. During the time he spent scavenging outside, he hadn’t gathered any related information.
Was he truly recuperating in a specialized mental institution?
Lin Yu was briefly curious, but his attention was quickly seized by An Qiao’s next words.
The man tilted his head back and swallowed a cup of ice water, seemingly trying to calm himself down. The melting water droplets dripped down his fingertips, and his voice, mixed with the sound, seemed particularly cold.
“We should still notify them and dispatch unmanned aerial vehicles for patrol.”
Although entering the King’s line of sight meant only one path, there was always a chance for a stray observation device to gather more information.
Duan Mingyue was noncommittal; he was not An Qiao’s colleague.
He primarily served the Pets.
Like the small figure currently deep in thought.
Duan Mingyue was very interested in him.
He looked at the small figure deliberately avoiding his gaze, smiled, and said, “If this little one you brought back could talk, we could gather much more information.”
“He is currently the longest-staying outsider we know of in Gert Forest.”
Hearing his friend’s words, An Qiao also focused his attention on the fair, delicate little figure.
Looking at the small one’s dark, clear eyes, his heart melted into pieces.
He took a small plush toy from an unopened package nearby and handed it to Lin Yu.
His tone was gentle, his smile kind, “Be good, go play.”
Then his expression changed, and he looked at Duan Mingyue disapprovingly, “He was so scared he came out on his own. Why make him recall those terrible things? Besides, he definitely wouldn’t know anything. With a figure that small, if the King yawned, he’d be blown ten thousand miles away.”
“Moreover, living creatures seek benefit and avoid harm. The King lives in the Palace, and the little one’s tracks are only in the outer perimeter of the forest.”
How could such a weak creature have any contact with their fierce King?
Duan Mingyue chuckled, “I’m not asking him to go be the King’s Pet. I just want to ask if he knows why the King suddenly became like this again.”
“Even a tiny piece of information might lead us to an unusual answer.”
Listening to their conversation, Lin Yu’s expression slowly grew serious: Palace, Forest, King?!
With their words, a certain conjecture in Lin Yu’s mind became increasingly clear. In his memory, besides him, the Keeper, and those strange “foods,” there were no other creatures in that pale Palace.
Unless there was another forest-surrounded Palace elsewhere in the Empire.
But their conversation also fixed Lin Yu as a variable.
So, his Keeper, was the King of this Empire?!
Lin Yu was stunned by this completely unexpected information.
In his impression, his Keeper did not fit the profile of a country’s ruler at all—he was clingy, domineering, and his level of education didn’t seem very high either.
If the criteria were based on martial prowess, Lin Yu would agree.
But the path of a Tyrant is not sustainable.
Lin Yu rested his chin on his hand, his expression somewhat serious, and began to worry about his Keeper’s future life. Losing ambition to frivolous pursuits was absolutely unacceptable.
During this time, his Keeper had been inseparable from him, indeed a little too obsessed with Pet keeping.
Lin Yu’s thoughts drifted slightly but quickly returned. A deeper worry began to spread in his heart. He hadn’t forgotten An Qiao’s words at the beginning.
Their King was mad!
Combined with the Keeper’s abrupt disappearance these past few days, Lin Yu’s heart couldn’t help but sink.
He urgently wanted to know more, but the two giants in his sight had stopped talking.
Only silence solidified in the air, making it hard to breathe.
Lin Yu didn’t care about propriety. Regardless of the illness, early detection meant early treatment.
An Qiao rubbed his forehead, feeling that his job was truly unsustainable and the future of the Empire was quite precarious. Just as he was nursing a headache, he felt a gentle tug on his trouser leg.
He looked down and saw the soft, white little figure looking up at him, a small hand resting on his pants. The delicate brows were slightly furrowed, showing worry and helplessness.
Instantly, An Qiao’s heart softened into cotton candy. Ignoring Duan Mingyue’s speechless gaze, he spoke in a high-pitched voice, “What is it, little baby?”
Lin Yu gestured as if holding a pen, then looked toward the relatively unfamiliar person beside An Qiao.
An Qiao pouted, “Why is the little cutie looking at you?”
Duan Mingyue: “Maybe I’m smarter.”
An Qiao pulled out a grass biscuit from his pocket, treating it as bragging, “Hmph, then tell me what the little cutie wants?”
Lin Yu was still vigorously gesturing.
Duan Mingyue pondered for a moment, “He wants a pen.”
An Qiao looked at the little figure whose head was nearly touching the floor, silently put the food away, and quickly placed an emergency delivery order on his Opticomp.
He then scrutinized his friend, his tone full of suspicion, “Have you been taking pet micro-movement courses behind my back?”
How else could someone who had never kept a Pet guess this?
He couldn’t even guess!
Duan Mingyue smiled, unapologetically, “Because you’re dense.”
That’s why An Qiao treated the figure as merely a Pet. If he treated the little one as a non-verbal peer, many of its actions could be explained.
However, Duan Mingyue still couldn’t guess the deepest thoughts of the little one.
What exactly did this mysteriously appearing small creature want to do?
A few minutes later, the complete set of colored drawing pens An Qiao ordered arrived.
Under their watchful eyes, a drawing resembling a hellish mix of black and red slowly unfolded. With just a few rough strokes, the stench of raw, bloody flesh seemed to rush out. Lin Yu’s face was pale. He didn’t want to recall the terrifying scene from back then, but he had no other choice now.
Only by expressing the information as clearly as possible could he help his Keeper.
He always remembered that everything unusual began that afternoon.
That sticky blood color derailed his life from its peaceful track, and since that day, he had not received a response from his Keeper.
An Qiao and Duan Mingyue exchanged glances, their eyes flashing with shock and surprise. At least in their memory, they had never seen such a cruel and bloody scene. But the relief carving showing a large black hole indicated that this had happened in the Palace!
Compared to the astonishment of learning that this little one had actually been deep inside the Palace, An Qiao’s expression was mostly one of distress.
If they felt uncomfortable seeing such an image, how much worse must it be for such a soft, white little Pet?
He must have been terribly frightened.
An Qiao stroked the little one’s smooth, soft fur, his gaze gentle as he looked at the slightly pale cheeks, saying, “Rest well, good boy.”
He still thought the little one was clever enough to sense his mood and was enduring discomfort and fear to draw and help him.
Lin Yu’s eyes widened slightly. Unable to resist An Qiao’s strength, he was scooped up and placed into the prepared small nest. With a click, the small bedside lamp automatically extinguished, and the world darkened.
Lin Yu: “…”
Wait, there was no need to be so quick.
He hadn’t gotten any information yet.
Watching An Qiao’s retreating back, Lin Yu had no intention of sleeping. He quietly slipped out of the soft little bed, walked through the small door specially left open for Pets, and under the bright white light, clearly saw the grave expressions on the faces of the two giants.
Lin Yu’s heart tightened.
Had the Keeper’s condition worsened?
He followed their line of sight but could only see the corner of the table. His height was too short, making an ordinary table seem like an insurmountable obstacle.
Lin Yu pondered for a moment. His gaze fixed on the curved table leg.
“Hoo…”
Lin Yu grunted and struggled to climb up the table leg, his fair little face flushed red. Just as he was concentrating on his struggle, his back was lightly poked. His vision immediately lifted, and before an expression of surprise could surface on his face, An Qiao’s large face appeared before him.
Lin Yu immediately turned around and looked. In the image projected onto the tabletop below, a streak of blue snaked across the dark brown earth, deep within the emerald treetops.
That was the outer perimeter of the forest.