Akivili, as if performing a magic trick, pulled out a train ticket.
Once, he had gifted such a ticket to every Nameless guest.
Each of them would pin the token Akivili gave them onto their clothes.
Akivili leaned down slightly and fastened this one onto Zero's collar, speaking softly, "My dearest friend, let me continue witnessing your victories."
Zero instinctively raised his hand to touch his collar. Feeling the metallic texture of the token that symbolized the identity of the Nameless, he smiled in return.
"Alright, my dear friend."
The subordinates who had been waiting for a long time followed suit eagerly, their tones unusually sincere.
"Marshal, I think the rule of the Aeon is great!"
"Yeah, yeah! Why not spread it to the Xianzhou Alliance too?"
"That's right, Marshal, the Xianzhou people need it too!"
Zero sighed deeply and said helplessly, "…What are your wishes?"
Someone said he wanted to take a photo with the Marshal.
The rest reacted quickly. "Mhm! His wish is for the Marshal to take a picture with all of us!"
Zero agreed.
His cute, innocent subordinates just wanted a photo with him, how could he refuse that?
Seeing the Marshal grant the first wish, everyone was overjoyed.
Then someone said he wished for Zero to visit his own Xianzhou and inspect their work.
The others chimed in immediately, "Yes, yes, Marshal, you can't just stay in Yaoqing! You should visit the other Xianzhou too!"
Chaoyan, the general of Yaoqing who had home-field advantage, slowly typed out a question mark and glared angrily at his colleagues.
Zero thought for a moment and refused.
Whenever he went out, his subordinates would either clear the streets or open up a new realm for him, too troublesome.
But the crowd didn't give up. They kept chattering, tossing out all sorts of ideas.
Then one of them suddenly shouted out loudly, "I want a hug from the Marshal!"
At that, the entire group went silent. Then, as one, they turned their heads toward Zero.
If he were an all-knowing, almighty god who loved the people of the Xianzhou dearly, they would never make such an overstepping request.
But… if he were a Marshal who adored them like a father spoiling his children?
Even one's real parents wouldn't love them as much as he did.
Would it be too much to call the Marshal "father" in their hearts?
Then, as his children, wasn't it reasonable that on their father's birthday, they'd want a word of affirmation, a hug?
A loving father would never, ever refuse such a small request from his children.
Akivili, always eager to watch chaos unfold, first looked at his friend, whose expression remained calm but whose eyes had gone vacant, and then at the Xianzhou generals, whose eyes were now burning with emotion.
Honestly, it was less like a commander with his subordinates, and more like a father with his children.
What's wrong with kids wanting to act spoiled toward their father? Nothing at all.
Unfortunately, as much as his friend adored his subordinates, he was still a dignified leader who cared about his image.
So how could their wish be granted?
Akivili suddenly had an idea. Thinking of how the Xianzhou generals had behaved before, he decided to copy them on the spot and "raise the stakes."
Akivili pretended to be annoyed, sighing in mock exasperation, "Hugging? That's all? Your ideas are so old-fashioned… Learn from other galaxies, will you?"
The subordinates understood instantly. They turned their eyes away from the Marshal and toward Akivili instead.
Eager to learn, they cooperatively played along, ready to "raise the stakes" further.
Akivili, ever worldly, waved his hand dramatically, "In other star systems, when people swear loyalty to their rulers, it's not just a hug! Think bigger! What about a cheek kiss? Or kneeling on one knee and offering a hand kiss?"
Zero, "…"
After hearing that, Zero felt as if lightning had struck him.
'Akivili, what are you doing?! You're not just raising the stakes, you're digging out the foundation!'
The Aeon of Trailblaze almost burst out laughing at his friend's incredulous face.
'Hmph, Akivili's sense of revenge was very strong! Serves him right for teasing Akivili's height earlier!'
Fearing Akivili might say something even more outrageous, Zero shut his eyes briefly and said in a numb tone, "Hugging only."
The subordinates cheered in delight.
Zero took a deep breath and looked at his excited subordinates.
Then he suddenly realized something, he had many female subordinates.
Taking gender propriety into account, he added, "Girls are not allowed."
Immediately, the female officers erupted in protest.
At first, they pitifully accused him of favoritism. Then they started blatantly lying, saying all kinds of ridiculous things.
They said he shouldn't assume their gender. That they were actually male.
Seeing the stalemate between Zero and his female subordinates, Akivili stepped in again.
He pretended to sigh regretfully and offered a "helpful" suggestion to the women, "In that case, just replace the hug with a cheek kiss! You don't have to actually touch cheeks, just make a kissing sound as you get close! Oh, and there are many customs like that I haven't told you yet, want to hear more..."
Zero was dumbfounded.
'Akivili, are you the Aeon of Trailblaze or the Aeon of Elation?!'
'Stop digging! The house is going to collapse!'
His supposedly "pure and innocent" subordinates, well, maybe not that pure, wanted hugs. Could he really refuse them?
Zero's mind was in chaos. Akivili had made him so dizzy with anger that he momentarily forgot to reject them. By the time he came back to his senses, his subordinates were already lined up.
Zero, "…"
Feeling deeply conflicted, he closed his eyes to control his emotions, then looked up at them.
They maintained a polite distance, taking out their jade tablets for photos first.
As for the hug they'd earned by "digging foundations" alongside Akivili… Some of them bent stiffly forward, too nervous to get too close.
Seeing this, Zero sighed, raised his arm, lightly patted their backs, and withdrew his hand.
Strictly speaking, that wasn't even a hug, just a pat on the back.
Of course, a few especially bold subordinates went beyond hugging and made extra requests.
Chaoyan smiled and said, "Omnipotent Marshal, can you grant my wish?"
Zero asked, "What's your wish?"
Chaoyan said softly, "My wish is for you to step away from your desk more often… Though I know that's too difficult for you. Then... may I ask, do you like pets?"
Perhaps afraid Zero would say no, he hurriedly explained how he himself kept cats and dogs, and how well-behaved they were, hardly any trouble to take care of.
Zero remembered the hamster he once had and didn't refuse.
Then came Daiyang.
When it was her turn for a hug, she kept her distance, out of respect for his comfort.
Her eyes were shining as she rubbed her hands together.
"May I braid your hair?"
Zero was confused.
He instinctively refused. "…No."
Daiyang wasn't upset by the rejection.
Because long ago, she and her comrades had already braided the Marshal's hair once.
Back then, the Marshal wasn't yet the Marshal of the Xianzhou, he was their General of Yaoqing.
Chaoyan had somehow found a tattered ancient book that recorded customs from hundreds or even thousands of years ago.
Of course, since it was Chaoyan, the man who loved fancy things, it was naturally not a proper tradition.
He'd only read the first few words before sharing the book with everyone.
When they looked, they saw a custom called the "Longevity Braid."
At that time, the Xianzhou had not yet faced the "Abomination of Abundance."
Moved by their loving General, the people of Yaoqing made longevity tablets to honor him, wishing sincerely that he could live longer, forever, if possible.
So when they saw the words "longevity braid," they got excited instantly.
There were several interpretations in the book.
One said that whoever wore a longevity braid would live a long, healthy life.
Another said it could ward off disasters.
They thought for a while, then started talking over one another.
"Are you going to wear one? I am! I want to stay as the General's subordinate forever!"
"Why only think about yourself? I think the General should wear it!"
"If it wards off disasters, then he should wear several!"
"Damn, that's smart! If he wears more, the General will definitely live to be a hundred!"
"Bah! A hundred? No way! He should live for thousands of years!"
Everyone scolded the one who'd said "live to a hundred," then started thinking about how to make the General agree.
They came up with an idea, strike while he's busy reading reports.
After all, when the General read documents, he ignored everything else. If they worked quietly, he'd never notice.
And indeed, just as they predicted, they succeeded in braiding over a dozen small braids into his hair without him realizing.
It wasn't until he finished his paperwork that he noticed something was off.
Looking puzzled, he glanced at the braids resting on his shoulder and asked, "What are you doing?"
Everyone began talking at once, explaining the hairstyle and showing him the book, eager to persuade him.
The General looked at them, confused. "You all spent an entire afternoon here, just to make me wear this 'longevity braid'?"
He took the book and read the part they hadn't yet reached.
"…The longevity braid is a wish from an elder to a child and must be cut off after the age of twelve."
Everyone froze on the spot.
The General was neither their child nor anywhere near twelve.
He sighed helplessly, looked at their dumbfounded faces, and chuckled. "What's this? Planning a rebellion?"
They'd only seen the words "longevity," never noticing that it was a braid meant for children.
No one spoke for a long while, until Chaoyan, the culprit who started it all, stepped forward and tried to undo the braids.
But the General caught one braid gently between his fingers and shook his head. "Forget it. Tomorrow will do."
Even after hundreds or thousands of years, Daiyang still remembered the Marshal's helpless expression that day.
And just as the people of Yaoqing had wished, the one they worshipped and prayed for had not died.
The Marshal had granted their wish like a benevolent god, first giving her and her comrades longevity.
Then, granting it to the entire Xianzhou.
But everything comes at a price.
Daiyang hadn't realized that at first, until she saw her comrades tortured by the "curse of immortality."
Until she saw Xianzhou people who had fallen into corruption draw their swords against their own kin.
Only then did she understand that for some Xianzhou people, immortality was a curse.
So painful that some of her comrades who had once witnessed the might of the Giants chose to die beneath them willingly.
To those who had sworn loyalty to the Marshal and the Xianzhou, dying beneath the Giants was almost fulfilling their wish.
So Daiyang thought.
One day, she heard that a comrade had lost control before the Marshal and thrown herself onto the blade in his hand.
Daiyang mourned her death, but was also deeply moved by her loyalty.
Even in death, that comrade never forgot to protect the Marshal.
Truly, immortality had brought pain to many Xianzhou people, and to many of Daiyang's comrades.
But sometimes, she still felt grateful.
'Thank goodness...' she thought. 'Thank goodness the Marshal isn't one of the short-lived.'
Daiyang glanced at her jade tablet, it was almost time for the fireworks.
She looked again at the Marshal.
He was finishing up photos and hugs with the generals. When all was done, he stood up.
Wearing a high ponytail and a round-collared robe that she and her colleagues had designed, he reached up to steady the flower crown slipping from his head.
Chanzhen immediately saw the issue and reminded him, "Marshal, it's your hairstyle. Just pull your hair out a bit."
Zero held the crown with one hand and adjusted his hair with the other. Once he confirmed it wouldn't fall, he lifted his eyes to the crowd.
Akivili and the subordinates were chatting lively. When they noticed Zero looking over, they quickly made room for him to have the best view.
Daiyang's gaze burned. She couldn't take her eyes off the Marshal until the night sky was lit by fireworks.
Each burst cost countless credits every second, sparkling and blooming across the sky.
At the same time, throughout the entire Xianzhou Alliance and its hundreds of planets, fireworks were lit in celebration of the Marshal's birthday.
Across different worlds, people paused to watch, stopping their steps in unison.
For the beauty, and for the hero this festival honored.
As for how many credits were spent? Daiyang didn't care. Neither did her comrades.
Out of the corner of her eye, Daiyang caught a glimpse of the Marshal's hair.
She suddenly thought of that snowfall in Luofu, shared with Chaoyan and the Marshal.
The soft, thin snow had landed on his hair, if you didn't look closely, you'd think his hair had turned white.
Just like the fireworks now, the dazzling light that illuminated the night sky also seemed to turn his hair white.
Daiyang thought, 'Thank goodness our Marshal isn't short-lived.'
He had a lifespan far beyond any Xianzhou person's, almost ageless, undying. No, more accurately, divine. Nearly eternal.
Daiyang once believed that their godlike Marshal would always make the right decisions, always choose what best served the Xianzhou, always lead them forward.
Until one day, the Marshal issued a command that baffled everyone, one that brought no benefit at all to the Xianzhou, to reclaim and permanently ban the neutron cannons.
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