Chapter 69: King Vegeta

Vegeta Planet, the Royal Palace.

A resplendent hall ablaze with lights.

The ivory white stone walls, unadorned and bare, revealed a grid pattern under the luminance of the lamps, its bold and unrestrained style not chaotic but rather emanating a majestic and grandiose aura.

The Saiyans, a warrior race, disdained pettiness and pretense, embracing a spirit that could swallow mountains and rivers whole.

In the palace’s grand hall, a red carpet stretched forth from the entrance to the base of the throne.

Atop the throne, elevated by several steps from the hall, King Vegeta sat in a dark crimson battle armor, one hand propping his head as he leaned on the throne's armrest, eyes closed in contemplation. His chest armor shone like white jade, faintly gleaming, exuding an air of luxury.

Suddenly, King Vegeta opened his eyes and summoned his lieutenant nearby, asking, “Putar, how goes the preparations of our forces?”

Putar, a muscular bald Saiyan and a high-ranking warrior, was in charge of all matters within and outside the palace.

“My King, we have rallied over two hundred thousand Saiyans who have all heeded your call, ready to face Frieza in a battle to the death!” The bald Saiyan, named Putar, had a fierce gleam in his eyes, his voice barely containing his excitement.

“Only two hundred thousand Saiyans? Far too few. Have the others forgotten the pride of the Saiyans? Frieza is not one to be trifled with. Look at those who once followed him; how many remain now? The Saiyans cannot perish by his hands!”

King Vegeta suddenly stood, his tone angry and dissatisfied, his dark brown hair standing tall, a commanding presence instantly sweeping across the palace.

Though ambitious, King Vegeta was wholeheartedly devoted to the Saiyan race and could not bear the thought of their decline.

Years ago, after a fierce battle with the inhabitants of Planet Zvelf, the Saiyans had seized control of Planet Vegeta, but the reconstruction faced significant challenges. It was during this time that Frieza’s forces appeared before the Saiyans, offering to employ them.

Reflecting now, accepting Frieza’s employment was a grave mistake!

King Vegeta had long sensed Frieza’s increasing surveillance of the Saiyan race, which to him was an absolute insult. Saiyans, as warriors, could accept death on the battlefield but would never tolerate being treated and monitored like livestock.

Therefore, long ago, King Vegeta had begun to amass strength, preparing for the day he would confront Frieza.

However, many within the Saiyan race failed to understand, and a considerable number even developed a reverence for Frieza—a sentiment King Vegeta could not tolerate. He could accept neutrality in the rebellion, but not allegiance to the enemy.

Those who sided with the enemy would need to be dealt with once the rebellion succeeded.

“Is there anything else?”

“My King, I have discovered that some have been making covert moves, seemingly plotting something!” Putar flipped through the documents in his hand. Despite his robust physique, he was incredibly astute; he had quickly caught on to the subtle actions of Adriel and his associates.

“Is that so?” King Vegeta’s gaze sharpened. “Putar, see to it that you thoroughly investigate this matter!”

“Yes!” Putar stood at attention, responded loudly, and then turned to walk out of the palace.

In the magnificent palace hall, only King Vegeta remained, sitting on his throne with his eyes closed, deep in thought.

A few days later.

Putar returned to the palace, holding a thick list of missing individuals.

“My King, I have completed the investigation. These are the Saiyans who have mysteriously vanished from Planet Vegeta in recent months; it seems they have left the planet?”

“Oh? To disappear from Planet Vegeta without a trace, and the Tuffles didn’t notice?” King Vegeta’s eyes flickered with a sardonic smile.

The Tuffles controlled the transport systems off Planet Vegeta; any spacecraft leaving the planet was registered with them. King Vegeta had long been dissatisfied with the Tuffles; if not for the need to avoid drawing Frieza’s attention, the Tuffles would not have been allowed to live on Planet Vegeta.

“It appears they did not leave using spacecraft,” Putar was puzzled. Without spacecraft, how did these individuals depart Planet Vegeta?

“Who are these people who left?”

“Mainly low-level warriors, and about a hundred mid-level warriors; only five or six high-level warriors led them!”

“Just these weaklings?”

King Vegeta skimmed through the list, his face displaying disdain as he incinerated the list with an energy blast.

“Forget about them for now; erase these names from the Saiyan records. Hmph, these individuals do not deserve to be called Saiyans. Our main focus should remain on building our strength, not on distractions. We’ll deal with these people after the battle with Frieza!”

Seeing King Vegeta destroy the list, Putar was unsure of what the King was thinking, hesitating several times before holding back his words.

Logically, such rebellious actions should be addressed immediately! Yet King Vegeta did not act as expected, choosing instead to remove their existence from the Saiyan records—perhaps in his heart, King Vegeta was also leaving a path of retreat for the Saiyan race.

Should he succeed in his rebellion against Frieza, those who left Planet Vegeta would likely face certain death; but if he failed, they might represent the last hope for the Saiyans.

However, resting hopes on a few frail low and mid-level warriors was akin to treating a dead horse as though it were alive.

……

Four months later, on a bustling street of Planet Vegeta.

The street was alive with activity as Saiyans, dressed in simple battle suits, carried packs filled with various food supplies. Along the sides, stores operated by a variety of unique-looking aliens catered to the crowd—commerce wasn’t a Saiyan's strong suit outside of their prowess in battle.

On this day, Xavier ventured alone for shopping, strolling from the east end of the street to the west, purchasing only a few everyday clothing items he needed.

As he passed a jewelry store, he thought of Celine, who so far didn’t seem to own any such trinkets or accessories. Deciding to buy some for her, Xavier paused outside the shop then stepped inside.

Inside, the displays were filled with earrings, pendants, and other ornaments, along with wearable items like belts and brooches. Xavier browsed quickly through the store, unsure of Celine’s preferences. Eventually, he opted for a pragmatic approach—picking several attractive ribbons, pendants, and bracelets.

With plenty of mission points left and nowhere else to spend them—especially with the looming destruction of Planet Vegeta—Xavier felt little need to hold back.

As Xavier was paying and having the jewelry packaged, the enthusiastic alien shopkeeper carefully placed each item into elegant little boxes, tying them up with silk ribbons.

“Hehe, I hope Celine likes these!” Xavier chuckled, collecting his purchases.

Just as he stepped out of the store, he spotted a small figure wobbling along the street, munching on something resembling a candy apple.