Cannon fodder in the Interstellar

The group of bystanders at the space station were casually chatting without realizing that part of what they said was actually true.

The reason for the heavy security at the space station today was indeed to welcome the young contestants arriving for the Gumera Star Region Youth Elite Tournament.

However, it wasn’t just the Vera Federation’s team that arrived—there were also teams from other regions and countries, totaling thirty teams with over two thousand participants.

While the number may seem large, in the vast space of the station, it didn’t appear crowded. In a foreign place, surrounded by strong and imposing guards, some of the less experienced young contestants felt a bit uneasy, nervously glancing around.

Among all the teams, the strongest—both in terms of the contestants and their escorts—was the team from the Vera Federation.

Amid this atmosphere, teams from other countries unconsciously gravitated toward the Vera Federation’s group, subtly aligning with them.

Jerome Atchison, a diplomat from the Gus Empire’s Department of Foreign Affairs, noticed this scene but didn’t give it much thought.

However, when he saw the Vera Federation’s team, a subtle gleam appeared in his eyes, and his attention shifted to them.

Of course, Jerome Atchison’s smile remained as warm and friendly as ever, so no one noticed the hint of intrigue in his eyes.

The Vera Federation’s twelve-member team had not only a contestant at the early stage of level five as a warrior but also another contestant at the mid-stage of level five.

Half a year ago, Jerome Atchison had been personally appointed by the crown prince to serve as the special diplomat for this year’s Youth Elite Tournament. From the moment the tournament preparations began, he had closely followed every aspect of it.

Jerome had watched every qualifying match online and, combined with the materials in his possession, was very familiar with the detailed profiles of the outstanding contestants from each country.

This is why Jerome Atchison was certain that this twenty-year-old mid-level five warrior had not appeared in any previous online qualifying matches. Additionally, no information about him had surfaced in any of the intelligence Gus Empire had gathered.

However, based on the contestant’s name, and with Jerome’s deep understanding of the prominent families in the Vera Federation, he could make an educated guess about which noble family this contestant came from.

It was likely that this contestant was a highly valued genius from one of those great families, whose information had been tightly concealed. Not even his name had appeared on the assassination bounty lists from several years ago.

Jerome Atchison didn’t need to think much to realize that this was undoubtedly a master fighter the Vera Federation had deliberately kept hidden, a trump card prepared to catch the Gus Empire off guard.

Among the Gus Empire’s contestants, the highest-ranking warrior was Hua Deli from Xuan Gu First Military Academy, who was also at the mid-stage of level five. However, Jerome had learned from his cousin, Dean Atchison, that Hua Deli had only advanced to the late stage of level five about ten days ago.

In the Youth Elite Selection Tournament, which concluded a month ago on the internet, both Hua Deli and Dean Atchison had been at the early stage of level five.

Although Jerome Atchison’s own level was merely at the mid-stage of level five, his sharp and experienced eye immediately noticed that the aura of this mid-level five warrior from the Vera Federation was very steady, indicating that he had been at that level for quite some time.

Thus, when Jerome first saw this Vera Federation contestant, his heart sank.

After taking a moment to review the contestant’s information, Jerome felt even more concerned. This contestant from the Vera Federation was already twenty years old, giving him both an age and skill advantage. It was unclear whether Hua Deli could win against this opponent.

As a young diplomat favored and promoted by the crown prince, Jerome Atchison understood the high hopes the prince had for this year’s Youth Elite Tournament.

It could be said that this year’s Youth Elite Tournament was more lively and grand than previous ones, completely igniting the passion of the entire nation.

This was because the Crown Prince had laid the groundwork six months earlier, investing a significant amount of money and appointing personnel to guide public discussions and stir up excitement.

The Crown Prince wouldn’t have spent all this money and effort without reason. Therefore, the officials responsible for this tournament understood clearly that the Crown Prince wanted the Gus Empire team to win the championship.

Although Jerome Atchison didn’t fully understand why the Crown Prince was doing this or what impact it would have on the empire, he knew that every action the wise Crown Prince took carried significant meaning—he never did anything without a purpose.

Despite the various speculations running through his mind, Jerome Atchison maintained a calm expression. After assisting the special operations team of the Security Bureau in escorting all the competing teams to the Foreign Affairs Bureau’s hotel and settling them in, it was already late evening.

Without taking time to rest, Jerome Atchison organized the information he had gathered and sent a report to the Crown Prince.

Through Jerome Atchison, the Vera Federation’s plans were directly relayed to the Crown Prince.

Upon reading the information, the Crown Prince smiled, slightly dismissive. In the face of absolute strength, the Vera Federation’s schemes were little more than wishful thinking.

The Crown Prince asked his chief secretary, “Where have those two guys gone?”

“According to reports, they will arrive at the Imperial Capital Star tomorrow. They should have returned a couple of days earlier, but they took a detour to another planet, which delayed them by two days,” the secretary replied.

“Tell them I want them to appear at the opening ceremony the day after tomorrow.” The Crown Prince did not seem displeased; he merely issued the order calmly.

“Understood!” The secretary immediately complied, sending the message through the secure information network.

As the Crown Prince’s personal chief secretary, he understood his master’s temperament well. When he didn’t give orders, discussions could be had, but once an order was issued, it had to be carried out without question.

After the diplomats and staff from the Gus Empire’s Foreign Affairs Bureau left, the area outside the Foreign Affairs Bureau’s hotel was secured by soldiers from the National Security Bureau’s special operations team, ensuring absolute safety both inside and outside.

Each soldier from the Gus Empire’s special operations team looked extremely formidable, which only provided a sense of security for everyone. Therefore, all members of the participating teams were able to rest well that night, without any disturbances.

However, early the next morning, the diplomats from the Vera Federation and the instructors responsible for guiding all the competitors gathered together.

They first carefully inspected their rooms, ensuring there were no listening devices before sitting down to discuss matters with peace of mind.

“The control in the Gus Empire is too strict. My people have gone through a lot of effort just to gather some inconsequential information; they have completely lost contact with the people from the First Military Academy of Xuan Gu,” said the Vera Federation instructor.

While the people from the Gus Empire might be unaware, the Vera Federation diplomats knew that this instructor was secretly in charge of an intelligence agency, and it was actually his assistant who was responsible for training the competitors in tactics.

“Since three years ago, the intelligence we’ve received from the Gus Empire has been very limited,” the Vera Federation diplomat sighed. “I don’t know what the king of the Gus Empire is thinking. Over the past few years, he has gradually delegated power to Xiahai Adam. Originally, everyone thought he was young and inexperienced, but it turns out he’s much more capable than his father.”