Chapter 213: Necessary Preparations

Words : 1234 Updated : Sep 23rd, 2025

Chapter 213: Necessary Preparations It was a relative success! Provided you ignore the collapses, sudden overloads, and that one incident where a coolant pipe exploded like a cannon. And maybe that time when Luca got curious about the gravitational stabilizer. As someone who grew up on a Planet where space travel wasn’t something they could focus on, the little tinkerer couldn’t help but want to check out a few things. So he turned it on. Oh yes, he did. And inadvertently reversed the local gravity for a few minutes. Tools, scrap parts, and even his good brother, Ollie, floated midair like an impromptu zero-gravity training exercise. And only stopped after Xavier managed to drag the shocked chipmunk’s offending hand toward the initially innocent device. And gravity eventually returned with a thud—but so did everyone else. But these were all after Luca’s first actual part mishap, which almost gutted the poor mechanic. The idea was that there really was no one to ask for tips and tricks, especially since most of the mechanics alive today likely haven’t tinkered with the materials that Luca was using. This meant that his and everyone else’s foundations were so shoddy that he was bound to make more newbie-level mistakes than the more advanced ones that the training hall would at least warn about. Like what happened to the core stabilizer, which apparently had a very particular quirk. The installation sequence was of utmost importance, or consider the part shot. It was a disaster. One that was very unexpected. Luca’s part ended up binding with a power tool instead of the proper mecha connector. So, not only did the little penny pincher lose a critical part, but he also lost a power tool. And maybe a portion of his heart. It was a lesson on loss and mistakes. The aspirant could understand it; he just hoped it didn’t happen when he was in such a tight spot with CP. But it did. Yet surprisingly, no one made him feel bad about asking for help to replace it. In fact, Ollie was too shocked to know that this was Luca’s first busted component. "What?! Just the first one, brother?! The others are working fine???" Asked the blonde, whose eyebrows could fly off his forehead in surprise. "Well, I think so... But yeah, this one cannot be salvaged at all, " said Luca, who still lamented that this was a fact he had to remember for next time. Sigh. "How much was the total cost of the part?" It was a sudden question, and Luca twitched unconsciously. The skittish guy knew Xavier would likely not get mad, but it was an instinctive reaction from when he once asked for replacement materials and was starved to compensate for the cost. But Xavier did nothing of that sort. Instead, the little chipmunk got asked to eat first before Xavier left for an impromptu Corruption run. It was to make sure he was fine while the current breadwinner was away. And the Imperial Crown Prince kept doing just that, wordlessly gathering CP in case something unexpected happened while ensuring that meals were taken on time. It was just that he wasn’t the only one operating on clockwork. For what can anyone expect from a family that just wasn’t good at committing crimes? However, one Prince wasn’t the only one skirting the edge of no return. There was one, well, one entire Duchy, which was also in the process of living their lives on the edge. For across the galaxy, in the Duchy of Kyros, it could only be described as a pandemonium. "The Duchess will surely be pleased!" mentioned a party planner who was hired specifically to help transform the Duchy for this event. And while his claim radiated false confidence, the planner was at least sure that his current client seemed happy about the arrangements. He just wasn’t sure about the actual celebrant. "Pleased?" Duke Leander’s grin stretched dangerously before turning into a boyish smile that normally wouldn’t befit his status. "She will be amazed!" And that was a bold claim, thought Butler Gary, who had always prepared a suitcase full of the Duke’s clothes, just in case. Especially after all this as they all had started to manically prepare for the coming of their Young Lord. The Duchy, in anticipation of Lord Luca’s return, had been transformed. Banners embroidered with the family crest lined the walls, flanked by towering glass flower arrangements. Golden vines made from precious metals wove through the railings, glittering like the very essence of wealth and extravagance. And thankfully, this is what they settled with, for if no one stopped the Duke, the banners would’ve had the face of the Young Lord instead. But Steward Han managed to retain his common sense and offered a different approach which was to instill a sense of belongingness to the Lord, who was just coming back for the first time in years. However, his influence was not enough to detract the people from the erection of the statues. Dozens of them. All painstakingly crafted to replicate the heir in different depictions. Including one where the statue’s eyes lit up, just like their Lord’s, when earning money was mentioned. "Your Grace, does it need to...light up?" asked one of the servants. Duke Leander scoffed. "Of course! The people must feel inspired! You only ask this because you haven’t seen the way his eyes twinkled when something great (deadly) happens!" Now, the servant wasn’t sure about that since the glowing eyes didn’t exactly twinkle but kept flickering ominously in the dim light. But the Duke may be right, and what did he know as a mere servant who hasn’t met their Lord in person? So, all he and the planner could do was answer questions. "The fireworks?" The busy Duke almost forgot about this but thankfully remembered at the last minute. For what kind of homecoming celebration would be complete without a sky filled with his son’s face in a vibrant pyrotechnic display? "The specialists assure us it’s... safe. Mostly." And as a family of fire elementalists, what did they have to fear when it came to explosions? So that sounded like perfect in his ears. It was just that they had a major problem. One that they still hadn’t gotten a solution for. Food. His son was not the type to eat nutrient solutions. And why would he do that when he had all that perfectly delicious food with him? But what do they do when, technically, all their good food comes from his precious son? And so they enlisted the only other person with crops they could purchase. It was Jax. Who initially couldn’t be bought by money to sell out his great-great-grandchildren but only allowed for a few to be sacrificed because it was apparently all for Luca. And that was practically the only valid reason he could agree to. But now, what do they do about the crops they have? Who would have the guts to learn how to cook? Initially, the Duke offered to attempt to do it himself. But Butler Gary couldn’t allow such a thing this time around. He promised he would keep as many people alive, and he was not one to break his promises. So, while the heir was busy making connectors meet, a few other people were busy trying to extend their lives.

Chapter 213: Necessary Preparations

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