Morning Light City, Royce Family residence.
Ron Royce's face showed shock after reading the message on his communicator.
Then, it was replaced by joy; this news made him extremely happy!
"Father!"
Third Son, Ivan, came to Royce's side and called out.
"Third Son, I presume you've also seen the message Sixth Uncle sent, right?"
"I have. Given Sixth Uncle's personality, he wouldn't send us a message unless he was certain."
"Haha! Eleven truly gave me a huge surprise!"
Ivan also nodded, "Indeed!"
They had held great expectations for Ender, believing he had a good chance of entering the Stellar Training Camp, but they never expected this day to come so quickly!
Royce's eyes gleamed fiercely, "With Eleven entering the Stellar Training Camp, I will have the absolute qualification to enter the Morning Light City Council. I'd like to see who can stop me now!"
Ivan echoed, "After Eleven enters the Stellar Training Camp, he will have twenty years of special privileges. With these twenty years of privileges, we can completely suppress the Holt Family."
The privileges obtained after entering the Stellar Training Camp can be stacked with the privileges of a Morning Light City councilor, while councilor privileges cannot be stacked with other councilor privileges.
This meant that even if the Holt Family had councilor-level friends helping them, they could not escape the fate of being suppressed by the Royce Family's privileges.
"Patience! We still need to endure for a while longer, until Eleven officially enters the Stellar Training Camp."
Royce suppressed the urge to retaliate against the Holt Family.
Afterward, the two of them contacted the Family's settlement. After discussion, they decided to keep the news under wraps and act immediately once the privileges were in effect.
After finishing his conversation with the three elders, Ender returned to his familiar tent.
Upon returning home, after spending some time with his father and mother, he naturally couldn't escape their nagging.
"You, you didn't even tell us you were coming home in advance…"
Listening to his mother's nagging, Ender smiled apologetically without speaking, feeling that his Family was still as kind as ever.
In the early morning, Ender woke up, looking at the familiar tent ceiling, feeling very at ease.
This was his second day back with the Family, and there were Twelve days left until he departed Kuka Planet for the Stellar Training Camp.
He washed up and went out, preparing to head to the dining tent for a meal.
"Brother Eleven!"
As soon as he stepped out of the tent, a small figure came rushing over, opening her arms and hugging his leg tightly.
Ender focused his gaze and saw it was the soft and adorable Little Eighteen.
Hugging his leg, Little Eighteen lifted her head, tears on her chubby face.
She said with a sob, "Brother Eleven, I thought you disappeared again, just like Big Brother."
Looking down at the little one hugging his leg, Ender bent down and picked her up, saying gently, "How could that be?"
"You did last time!"
Little Eighteen's eyes were moist, and she was a little angry, her cheeks flushed.
She remembered that Brother Eleven had suddenly disappeared last time, making her search for a long time and cry for a long time.
"Not this time." Ender said softly, "Have you eaten?"
"No." Little Eighteen leaned on her brother's chest, complaining, "I'm hungry."
"Let's go, let's get some breakfast."
Holding Little Eighteen, Ender went to the Family dining tent.
After breakfast, he was pestered by Little Eighteen and transformed into a children's leader, taking several young siblings to play wildly everywhere, and this continued for several days.
So, a few days later, Sixth Uncle Garribel found Ender.
On a small hill, Ender lay on the grass with one hand under his head, looking up at the clear blue sky, while Garribel sat beside him.
"Eleven, the Stellar Training Camp is very dangerous, isn't it?"
Ender suddenly sat up, turned his head to look at Garribel, his expression slightly surprised, "Sixth Uncle, what did you say?"
"The Stellar Training Camp is very dangerous, isn't it?"
Garribel looked into the distance, "You know, your Second Uncle died during a trial mission in the Stellar Training Camp."
"That was just an accident!"
Ender didn't want to discuss the Stellar Training Camp with his Family, so he emphasized, "Second Uncle was murdered!"
"From the moment you Awakened your Spiritual Force, I've been teaching you."
Garribel said faintly, "I watched you grow up; you can't lie to me."
Ender fell silent, looking at the distant sky, implicitly acknowledging it.
"I had noticed something was off before, Second Brother…"
Garribel murmured to himself, "Now I finally understand."
After his words fell, neither of them spoke, as if waiting for the other to break the silence.
After a long time, Garribel spoke first, "If it's really too difficult, then don't go to the Stellar Training Camp. Stay on Kuka Planet."
"No!" Ender flatly refused, "I must go to the Stellar Training Camp." Upon hearing this, Garribel gazed into the distance, and after a long while, sighed, "Indeed, Little One's death had a profound impact on you."
"I respect your decision, and the Family respects your decision."
"The Family? Could it be…"
Ender was startled, suddenly turning to look at Sixth Uncle, and hurriedly asked, "My father and mother know too?"
"It's not hard to guess." Garribel turned to look at him.
"I thought…"
Ender's tone was self-mocking and bitter; he had been deceiving himself.
"They are the closest people to you, and the ones who understand you best, so they respect your decision."
"The Universe is not Kuka Planet. On Kuka Planet, the Empire forbids mutual killing, but in the Universe, it's different."
Garribel said, "You must think thrice before acting, just like your Second Uncle and Big Brother. Before you do something, ask yourself, 'Is it worth it?'"
He patted Ender's shoulder, "You, think about it carefully."
He stood up, about to leave, but then stopped again, his back to Ender, saying, "Little One must have considered it for a long time before making that decision. He thought it was worth it!"
After speaking, Garribel flew back to the Family settlement in the valley.
"Is it worth it?"
Left alone on the small hill, Ender recalled his Big Brother's last image, and a realization dawned on him.
"This is to make me follow my inner choice, to have something of my own to uphold!"
By now, Ender understood Sixth Uncle's intention.
Sixth Uncle understood him and knew that his decision wouldn't change. The reason he came today was merely to enlighten him.
"After this departure, I don't know when I'll be able to return…"
Looking at the small valley where his Family resided from the small hill, he felt it was beautiful; there was nothing more beautiful than this!
"And Father! Mother!"
Thinking of his parents, Ender felt a pang of guilt.
A child's parents would not wish for their child to risk life and death, but he had no choice but to go!
…
At the Royce Family settlement, Garribel, who had returned, came to Big Brother Hollu's tent.
Before he could speak, Hollu had already asked, "Eleven, he still decided to go, right?"
"Yes."
"The Stellar Training Camp is very dangerous, isn't it? I mean the kind with a high mortality rate."
Garribel didn't answer, turning and walking out of the tent, only a sigh coming from behind him.
"I understand. I'll tell Father and Third Son."
After leaving, Garribel returned to his own tent. He was somewhat dissatisfied with his Big Brother's management of the Family, especially this time.
Big Brother was very intelligent; he could reconstruct the truth of some matters from mere clues, but his personality was too gentle and honest, not suitable for being the main decision-maker!
Ender returned home, looking at his worried but pretending-to-be-fine parents, feeling very bad.
But he couldn't expose it; he could only try his best to make them happier, even if only temporarily.
Thus, time passed day by day as he spent it with his Family, with less than an hour left until the spaceship arrived.
At night, Ender brought Little Eighteen and Little Nineteen, who had exhausted their energy after a day of playing wildly and were now quietly asleep, back home.
Upon returning home, he sensed his parents' low spirits.
Because they knew their child would be leaving tomorrow, departing Kuka Planet for the Stellar Training Camp in the Universe.
"When will the spaceship arrive?" His father, Derrick, asked.
"It should be soon; it will notify me on the communicator when it arrives."
"Mm."
Derrick didn't ask any more questions, just nodded slightly, indicating he understood.
Seeing his father say no more, Ender came to his mother, who was sitting by the bed organizing clothes, and gently hugged her, "Mother, I'm leaving."
His mother's gentle words carried deep reluctance, "Little Eleven, protect yourself out there."
"Yes, I will." Ender released her and replied.
Suddenly, he felt his communicator on his wrist vibrate, "The spaceship has arrived."
He picked up the package with his clothes packed, turned, and said, "I have to go."
His mother stood up, her face showing not only reluctance but also the sorrow of parting.
Picking up his package, Ender walked to the door and stopped.
He looked at Derrick, who had turned to look at him, and forced a smile, saying, "Father, I hope that when I return next time, I'll see a younger brother or sister, preferably more than one."
After speaking, without waiting for Derrick's reply, he walked out of the tent and soared into the sky…