’ “…Don’t forget to use protection.” Although Silver Wolf’s true feelings were a chaotic mess, like a jumble of spilled spices, the girl who typically postured as cool and collected would never let it show.
She nonchalantly dropped a line that made even Kafka’s blood pressure spike, then turned to head for the game room next door to eavesdrop…
Ah, no—to do her daily quests.
Sixty Stellar Jade was on the line, after all.
“Halt.
I didn’t say you could leave.” Kafka was the second-in-command of the Stellaron Hunters, second only to Elio, the Slave of Destiny.
No matter how rebellious or individualistic a delinquent Silver Wolf was, she had no choice but to obey.
Otherwise, Kafka was fully capable of dismantling her beloved motorcycle.
As for the tall, handsome man with black hair, red eyes, and bangs covering his left eye—his name was Blade.
At that moment, Blade was staring at the boy on Kafka’s lap with a rare, almost unnerving expression of interest.
In his hand, his fragmented Shard Sword pulsed with a faint red light.
Never having been around strangers, Zao Wu immediately shrank back, burying himself deeper into Kafka’s embrace.
This time, Kafka’s body didn’t stiffen; it softened.
Her arm instinctively tightened around the boy’s slender waist, shielding him.
“Tch…” Noticing the look of disdain from Silver Wolf intensifying, Kafka felt the corner of her lip twitch.
She realized she had to thoroughly correct the sordid ideas brewing in the young girl’s mind.
It was time to clarify that this was all a misunderstanding and explain everything about Zao Wu.
Or rather…
about the “creation.” With her Synesthesia Beacon, it was impossible for Kafka not to have understood the true meaning of the boy’s original words.
Yet she had still decided to give him a name.
She had named him “Zao Wu,” a name that suited him perfectly.
This unnecessary display of gentleness could be mistaken for weakness.
It might even transform into a blade that would one day be turned against her.
But she had never known fear.
So, when she wanted to do something, she simply did it.
Just as now, even while being misunderstood by Silver Wolf and scrutinized by Blade, she refused to let go of the boy in her arms.
Zao Wu, for his part, was lost, infatuatedly absorbing the warmth and security from Kafka that he had never known before.
He was like a mayfly with no tomorrow, born at dawn only to perish by dusk.
“Do you two believe,” Kafka began, “that someone could bypass all our shielding and defenses and simply drop a person out of thin air right in front of me?” “Hah?
If you’re going to spin a yarn, at least make it a good one,” Silver Wolf scoffed.
“Something like you went shopping at the Inter-Astral Market and just happened to find a homeless, beautiful boy.
I might actually be willing to suspend my disbelief for you then.” I found a boy, everyone, and he wants to come home with me!
The thought alone made Kafka cringe.
“I believe you,” Blade stated, standing tall and poised with his sword.
“Thank you, Ah Ren.” Blade was the only one who didn’t protest the nickname Kafka gave him.
She had previously tried calling Silver Wolf ‘Ah Lang’ and Sam ‘Ah Sam,’ but both had begged her to stop, claiming the secondhand embarrassment was too much to handle.
Especially for Sam.
Oh, right.
There was another member of the Stellaron Hunters yet to be introduced, currently away on a separate mission for Elio.
Sam.
One of the earliest members to join after the founder, Elio.
A figure clad head-to-toe in powered armor.
And, however incredible it might sound, Sam was actually the one most popular with the men among the Stellaron Hunters…
Sam, too, would likely have believed Kafka’s story without a second thought.
Two against one.
Although Silver Wolf was still skeptical, she had to admit that Kafka didn’t really have a reason to lie to them.
After all, the woman hailed from “Pteruges-V.” It was a planet so warped by a Stellaron that its inhabitants knew no fear.
They indulged their every desire, often degenerating into “demons.” Kafka likewise did not understand fear, so her behavior had always deviated from the norm.
A normal person caught in such a compromising situation would panic, afraid of their reputation being damaged, and would immediately start fabricating excuses.
But Kafka wasn’t afraid of her reputation being damaged.
For all they knew, if she ever did hire an interstellar escort and Silver Wolf happened to walk in, Kafka’s first response wouldn’t be an excuse.
It would be an invitation to join in.
“…Interesting.” Changing her tune, Silver Wolf dragged a chair over, sitting in it backward so she could lean her chest against its backrest and observe.
She studied the boy in Kafka’s arms.
For once, she found something she considered more interesting than a video game.
So it was true.
Some people were so beautiful it was “breathtaking,” making one “unable to look away.” …I really want to hear him call me ‘sister’.
Silver Wolf shook her head, trying to dislodge the tempting, strange thought from her mind.
“You don’t think he’s, like, an incubus who traveled across the stars, do you?” “No.
His body appears to be that of an ordinary human.” “I don’t buy it.
He’s gotta have some kind of special skill, right?” “A ‘special skill’…” Kafka paused.
“I suppose you could put it that way.” “Okay, I suspect you’re veering into NSFW territory.
License and registration, please.” “Oh, stop it, you.” Kafka actually enjoyed her chats with Silver Wolf.
The kid was small, but her mind was always racing with ideas—many of them wonderfully warped.
Time ticked by.
Under the warmth of the fireplace, the lingering chill from the outside world began to fade.
Zao Wu, still nestled in Kafka’s arms, felt the tension from Blade and Silver Wolf’s arrival gradually melt away.
He didn’t care that they discussed him openly, forming hypotheses and speculating about him right in front of his face.
What he wanted had always been simple and rare.
Just a warm embrace.
A mother who was willing to love him.
That was all.
From their conversation, he learned several things, the most important being the name of the purple-haired woman.
—Kafka.
She is the woman who can be my mother.
Zao Wu made his decision with absolute certainty.
As for the silver-haired girl…
The boy’s gaze flickered toward her, taking in the casually worn leather jacket before quickly looking away.
Assessment complete: Lacks the necessary qualities to be a proper mother.
“Did he just steal a look at me?” Silver Wolf clutched her chest defensively, biting her lip in frustration.
“And it was a really rude look, too!” “I think you’re overthinking it.
He’s just a child,” Kafka said with a placating smile.
A maternal instinct she never knew she had seemed to have been sparked to life by this boy so full of attachment for her.
Hearing this, Silver Wolf pouted, a hint of jealousy in her voice.
“What’s that supposed to mean…
I used to be the youngest, the one everyone doted on in the Stellaron Hunters.” “This little brat shows up and steals my spot!” “I’m going to throw a fit!
I really am!” “Unless…
you let me play with him for a little while!” “Zao Wu is not a toy…” Blade simply offered a silent smile.
It was a fine gesture, if not for the fact that, combined with his grim expression, it was deeply unsettling.
Here in this base, for the first time, Zao Wu’s lonely heart felt a sense of vibrancy, of life.
He instinctively tugged on Kafka’s sleeve.
She looked down at him, curious.
The boy’s lips trembled as he worked up the courage to voice his bold request.
“Mama Kafka.” “I want to…”