Cannon fodder in the Interstellar

Instructor Dudley was well aware of the consequences of concealing the source of danger from those caught in a storm. His oversight had nearly led to incomplete information for Ruo Manni, which could have put her at risk.

Dudley had initially assumed that Ruo Manni might have already received some information from Hua Deqi, which is why he hadn’t mentioned it earlier. However, seeing that she had not been informed, he now needed to explain the situation thoroughly and be cautious not to make such mistakes in the future.

After a moment of thought, Dudley composed his thoughts and spoke directly: “Two months ago, we received very reliable information that all the elite students from our school, including you and the Second Prince, Hua Deli, and Mina, were placed on an assassination bounty list. Among them, you and the Second Prince are especially targeted, with Hua Deli and Mina being in the top ten. Specifically, you, Ruo Manni, are ranked first, Mina is third, the Second Prince is sixth, and Hua Deli is ninth.”

Ruo Manni was surprised to find herself in such a prominent position, but she did not want this kind of attention at all. She said with frustration, “I’m just a first-year student at a military academy. Why would I be so feared by those issuing the bounties? Instructor, how much are they offering for me as the number one target?”

“One hundred million credit coins,” Dudley replied with a heavy tone. Even they were extremely surprised; this was the highest bounty amount in nearly a hundred years.

“What? One hundred million credit coins!” Ruo Manni felt like she had been struck by lightning. She couldn’t believe it. This couldn’t be real, could it?

Oh my goodness! Ruo Manni could hardly believe it. Was her life really worth that much? One hundred million credit coins was an astronomical sum, making her feel dizzy.

Even though Ruo Manni didn’t fully understand this world, she could easily guess that in this force-dominated interstellar society, there would be more people willing to kill for food or money than in the old Earth era. This trouble was beyond enormous.

Feeling deeply distressed, Ruo Manni murmured, “I only have one hundred thousand credit coins to my name. Why would they offer so much to put a bounty on me?”

Instructor Dudley, despite the heavy burden he was carrying, was almost amused by her comment. It sounded as though the dark organization was offering one hundred million credit coins for her because they were targeting her modest one hundred thousand credit coins.

“How much is the bounty for the second place? And what about Mina? Hebrew and Hua Deli?” Ruo Manni asked.

“The second place on the bounty list is a young telekinetic from the Second Legion, with an eighty million credit coin bounty. Mina has seventy million credit coins, Hebrew thirty million credit coins, and Hua Deli ten million credit coins,” Dudley replied.

“Is my value really this high?” Ruo Manni said with a grimace. She wished she didn’t have such a high bounty.

It was practically harassment. To outsiders, she was just a commoner with little power, yet there was such a high bounty on her. It was obvious that assassins would flock to target her.

If she didn’t have her special advantages and wasn’t backed by powerful allies, she would be trembling with fear until the bounty issue was resolved.

“You don’t need to worry too much. Colonel Hua De has already sent undercover guards to protect you, and they are also working to investigate the bounty list,” Instructor Dudley reassured Ruo Manni.

To be honest, Dudley had been concerned due to Ruo Manni’s background as a commoner and her limited power. With Lin Changfeng being far away and unable to help much, Dudley had been worried. However, now that he knew she was a member of the Hua De family, he felt a significant relief.

Given Ruo Manni’s talent and intelligence, no family would be willing to give her up, and Hua Deqi had shown his commitment to protecting her with all his might.

If the protection was driven by her being a valuable talent, it might change over time. However, since it was about protecting his own cousin, Hua Deqi would definitely be thorough and patient.

“And it’s not just your issue. The top five on the bounty list are all telekinetics,” Dudley continued.

Ruo Manni was aware of the Yunkai aliens, and with Dudley’s mention, she immediately guessed that the bounties were related to these aliens. In the novels, the Yunkai aliens were particularly wary of telekinetics, and if the Second Prince was a reincarnate, he would certainly be aware of this.

“This is a matter of national importance. The empire cannot bear such losses and is working hard to resolve it. However, although the empire has sent special agents to handle the assassination bounties, these dark forces are not easily dealt with, and useful leads have been scarce.”

“This situation is unlikely to be resolved quickly. Keeping you all confined to the school is not ideal either, as it would hinder your formal training. Moreover, as soldiers, constantly hiding would dampen morale. Colonel Hua De has been working with the school to come up with countermeasures. To clear out these hidden threats, it’s inevitable that you’ll need to venture out and draw them out. This trip to the banquet may just be the beginning.”

Instructor Dudley said with a serious expression, “You must be extremely cautious when you go out. Regardless of who you encounter, if you find anything suspicious about that person, you have the right to act preemptively. Your safety is the top priority, and both Colonel Hua De and the school will protect you. Additionally, the First Prince personally called me to assure you that, regardless of who you offend, he will vouch for you.”

The fact that the First Prince personally made such a guarantee was meant to reassure Ruo Manni on the surface, but it also had a hidden meaning: to pressure the school and make it clear that Ruo Manni was a highly valued talent in the eyes of the First Prince.

The school leaders were somewhat puzzled. Why would the First Prince place such importance on Ruo Manni? Even though Ruo Manni had extraordinary talent, it seemed excessive. If the First Prince had not personally interacted with Ruo Manni and if she were not so young, they might have suspected ulterior motives.

Instructor Dudley now understood that Ruo Manni was the First Prince’s direct cousin. Given her exceptional talent, it was natural for the First Prince to value her highly. In his eyes, Ruo Manni’s status might be close to that of the First Prince himself.

To be honest, with over forty students from the elite class having bounties placed on their heads, the school was under immense pressure. Fortunately, with the First Prince personally intervening and Colonel Hua De coming to arrange security, they were able to share the heaviest burden.

Without the First Prince’s intervention and Colonel Hua De’s security arrangements, the school alone could barely manage to protect the elite students temporarily. They lacked the capability to address the root of the problem, and given enough time, an issue was bound to arise.

Hearing Instructor Dudley’s message from the First Prince, Ruo Manni’s eyes lit up with excitement. It seemed that having the backing of such a powerful figure made her feel more secure. With this imperial decree, as long as she didn’t act recklessly, she had nothing to fear.

Ruo Manni had been a die-hard fan of the First Prince in her previous life. Since her rebirth into this world, she had been under the First Prince’s protection and assistance.

However, Ruo Manni still hadn’t had the chance to meet her idol in person. She wondered if she might get the chance to meet him at the Queen’s birthday banquet the next day. The thought made her a bit excited.