Chapter 29: Merus

Xavier surveyed the figure before him—a very young girl, about two years old, her long hair messily tied back, her delicate little face now looking up at him with a proud and disdainful expression.

Is this a Saiyan child with the potential of an elite warrior? Precocious as ever!

He shook his head, uninterested in any childish antics, and said, “Uncle Adriel is inside the house; go find him yourself!”

“Hmph!”

With a cold snort, the girl's proud face almost seemed to reach the sky as she walked past him without a sidelong glance, completely disregarding Xavier.

Staring open-mouthed at her retreating figure, Xavier clicked his tongue and suddenly found it amusing, remarking, “Who does this kid think she is? She's a bit too full of herself!”

After sitting in the yard for a while longer under the increasingly scorching sun, Xavier stood and walked towards the house.

In the kitchen, Rebecca had already prepared a lavish breakfast. Celine was quietly seated at the dining table, already heartily indulging in her meal. Upon seeing Xavier enter, she glanced up briefly then continued devouring her food.

In no time, the mountainous pile of food had been consumed.

“Where’s Uncle Adriel? Why hasn’t he come out yet?” Xavier asked casually as he picked up a piece of roasted meat and sat down.

Rebecca, bringing over a dish of food, replied, “The mission plan we set earlier was postponed for a few days, so his student came to find him. He’s still arranging the next tasks for her!”

“Student?”

Xavier recalled the haughty little girl from earlier; she must be the one Rebecca was referring to!

Since he and Celine had returned to Planet Vegeta after completing their mission on Planet Selma, Adriel had pushed back their training schedule to spend some quality time at home with his children.

“That self-righteous kid is Dad’s student? She’s nothing special, nothing to be arrogant about,” Celine commented disdainfully after finishing her breakfast, wiping the grease from her lips with a napkin. It was clear she had met the girl and did not like her.

She, too, was proud but chose not to show it in front of others. However, her innate pride made it difficult for her to tolerate anyone with such an attitude towards her, especially someone far less powerful.

Truth be told, with Celine's current power level, it was usually her looking down on others, not the other way around.

The little girl’s gaze had clearly displeased her.

“Haha, Merus is quite a prodigy. She was born with a power level far exceeding her peers, only slightly less than Prince Vegeta. She’s truly a top-tier genius, and what’s remarkable is her dedication to training. Adriel is very pleased with this student, although she’s a bit arrogant. But she’s actually a good person,” Rebecca explained cheerily.

To the strong, privilege is natural, and Rebecca firmly believed this; hence, Merus’s attitude seemed perfectly normal to her.

“Merus?”

Xavier murmured the name softly; it did have a nice ring to it.

After listening to Rebecca's description, Xavier began to understand more about the little girl named "Merus." Another prodigious figure; provided she didn't fall prematurely, her future achievements could be substantial. It's just unfortunate she was born at a time when Planet Vegeta was destined for destruction—if she were to perish, all would be lost.

A genius is only remembered and celebrated if they become a strong warrior in the end.

Muttering to himself, he continued with his breakfast, casting aside the thought of a name that might be lost to time.

Soon after, Merus emerged from Adriel's room, shooting Xavier a fierce glance as she passed by, her face filled with reluctance.

What's with her? I didn’t do anything to provoke her, Xavier thought, rolling his eyes in disbelief.

“What’s going on? She has no manners at all!” Celine exclaimed, her voice tinged with irritation.

“Hahaha, don’t blame her,” Adriel, smiling broadly as he approached the dining table, said. “The kid is just upset about me postponing her training schedule. She's just being petulant.” It was clear he was in a great mood.

With two exceptionally intelligent children and a highly talented student, along with his own formidable strength, Adriel had little to lament.

“That doesn’t give her the right to take it out on me!” Celine said, thumping the table indignantly.

This caused the whole family to burst into laughter, a rare scene of warmth among Saiyans.

After breakfast, Celine helped Rebecca tidy up the kitchen, although to Xavier, she seemed more in the way than helpful.

In the living room, Adriel, legs crossed on the sofa and holding a pot of hot beverage, suggested, “Xavier, you two haven’t lived on Planet Vegeta for many years. Since I’ve also had my training duties postponed, why don’t I take you around the nearby city? Once the new mission comes in, you won’t have much free time.”

Nodding in agreement, Xavier asked, “Uncle Adriel, do you know what our next mission will be?”

After a moment's thought, Adriel replied, “Typically, after the first mission, there are various smaller eradication tasks. The authorities will likely assign a few more Saiyans to form a new squad with you!”

“With your record, you might even be appointed as the squad leader.”

“By the way, have you submitted your report for the previous mission? If not, we should stop by the administration office later to take care of that.”

“We haven’t done that yet!”

Xavier shook his head; they had gone straight home upon returning to Planet Vegeta and hadn’t bothered to visit the mission management office. The Saiyan mission system, having operated for years, had a robust management structure in place, even taking care of the spacecraft left at the spaceport without their need to intervene.

Adriel nodded, his voice filled with a stern detachment. "The first mission for Saiyans is the toughest trial one can face. Many low and mid-level warriors never return from it, which is why it's known as a survival mission. Only those who endure this bloody trial can truly be called warriors."

"Even those destined to be elite warriors must undergo the crucible of bloodshed, albeit under the guidance of us retired instructors."

As Adriel spoke, his voice carried an air of cold indifference.

Xavier listened intently, his understanding of the Saiyan ethos deepening through Adriel’s description. The Saiyan way was brutal, a survival of the fittest deeply ingrained in their culture.

Before the decimation of Adriel's squad, both Adriel and Rebecca had strictly adhered to this rule. However, after the loss, particularly since Celine and Xavier joined the family, their cold demeanor gradually began to thaw.