Sister March 7th's teasing made Sāmu blush. And Gepard's slightly cold gaze, at this moment, swept over sternly. Clearly, he would not allow anyone to be disrespectful to their Supreme Guardian, even verbally, in front of the Silvermane Guards.
The surrounding Silvermane Guards also tightened their grip on their spears and halberds, the originally calm atmosphere now tinged with the smell of gunpowder.
Seeing this, March 7th instantly backed down. The girl hurriedly waved her hands, a sheepish expression on her face. "J-just kidding! My apologies if I offended you!"
Dan Heng shot her a helpless glance and advised, "You should really try to curb that loose tongue of yours."
"I don't want to end up a prisoner every time we go to a new place."
"...It's not every time, maybe just once every three times on average!" March 7th made a weak struggle and rebuttal.
Sāmu's cheeks were slightly sweaty. Brother Dan Heng and Sister March 7th's past trailblazing journeys sounded so full of disasters... I hope this time is an exception. And a good start for myself. Sāmu was already looking forward to the reward Mother Himeko would give him after the successful completion of the Stellaron recovery mission.
Thinking of this, the boy smiled like a spring breeze.
"Alright, enough idle talk," Gepard cut in decisively. "I will now take you to see Lady Cocolia. You can prepare what you want to say in advance. Her time is precious, so she prefers concise reports."
This time, March 7th was well-behaved, linking her arm with Sāmu's and following Gepard up the long flight of stairs.
Stelle's attention was drawn to a district in the distance that was, for some reason, sealed off. There were Silvermane Guards on watch, and strange rifts from which a dangerous aura emanated. It seemed this city was not as impregnable as Gepard had described.
Coming back to her senses, Stelle caught up with the group in front, and not wanting to be left behind, she also linked her arm with Sāmu's other arm. The two girls clung tightly to Sāmu, vying for his attention, neither willing to give way. Because Sāmu was a little shorter, what he was facing on either side, what his cheeks were touching, was not actually the girls' faces. Instead, it was their chests, which were blooming with youth, gradually becoming as full and ripe as spring peaches...
For now, it seemed March 7th had a slight advantage.
Unfortunately, Sāmu was not yet mature enough to feel giddy and enjoy such an ambiguous situation. The boy just felt embarrassed. And it was precisely because of this that Dan Heng, who understood him, couldn't help but cast a sympathetic glance at Sāmu. He wanted to help, but was somewhat powerless.
Before long, the group had arrived at the main gate of Qlipoth Fort. Because Gepard had sent a messenger in advance to inform the Supreme Guardian of his impending arrival with visitors from beyond the sky, Sāmu and his group of four were not stopped at all. They smoothly entered the solemn grand hall, which was not luxurious but low-key and simple, with almost no extra decoration.
Surprisingly, in the grand hall, in front of the Supreme Guardian Cocolia, another tall, silver-haired girl was already present, stating her opinion to the Supreme Guardian with some agitation.
"...But, such a sacrifice is meaningless, you cannot—" The girl's words were cut short by the arrival of Sāmu and the others.
From between Sister March 7th and Sister Stelle, Sāmu difficultly lifted his small face and looked curiously at the girl. And that girl happened to look back, her eyes meeting Sāmu's perfectly. For a moment, a strange splendor flowed in each other's eyes.
Both of them were stunned for a moment. For Sāmu, it was because even among the sisters he knew, her beauty was by no means inferior. What was more eye-catching was the noble, elegant, and unyielding temperament and spirit that radiated from within her. She was like a banner, standing proudly in the cold ice and snow, unyielding to the wind and frost.
For Bronya, however, it was Sāmu's beauty that was even more striking. It was as if he were a piece of jade carved by nature itself, using all the creations of the universe. Compared to him, even the two beautiful girls by his side, and the cold, handsome black-haired man, seemed to pale in comparison for a moment. Even among extraordinary jewels, there is always the most dazzling one, isn't there?
"You may leave, Bronya. The visitors have arrived," Cocolia, who was seated on the higher Supreme Guardian's seat, said, her tone tinged with a hint of sternness and warning.
Bronya lowered her eyes and head slightly, a look of disappointment on her face. "...Yes, Mother."
She was the Supreme Guardian's daughter! The members of the Express exchanged glances, clearly surprised by this answer. Because in their eyes, the Supreme Guardian, Lady Cocolia, still looked very young, with a great figure, almost on par with Miss Himeko. No matter how you looked at it, she didn't seem like she would have... a daughter as old as Bronya.
If this was true, March 7th suddenly had a wild thought. Could it be that the Supreme Guardian's husband, Bronya's father... was still imprisoned in Belobog's jail to this day?
Surely there wouldn't be such a cliché plot... The corner of March 7th's mouth twitched slightly.
And indeed, it was not so. Bronya was actually Cocolia's adopted daughter and heiress. The members of the Express would learn this soon enough.
With confusion and disappointment, Bronya, her slender legs wrapped in black stockings and long boots, walked past the Express crew. As she left, she couldn't help but glance at Sāmu one last time. She was very curious to know what these strangers would say to her mother. More importantly, would their words and opinions be accepted by her mother? If so... perhaps, Bronya might want to ask them for help.
The silver-haired girl's departure made way for the meeting between Sāmu and the others and the Supreme Guardian. Before Sāmu could even form his words to greet the Supreme Guardian, he heard Cocolia speak in a voice that was clearly several degrees softer than when she had faced Bronya, warmly and courteously.
"You have finally arrived."
— "I have been waiting for you for a long time."
"...?" Why was she using the honorific "you"? And there were a total of four people from the Express crew here, but her tone was as if she were only speaking to one of them. Or to be bold, Sāmu even suspected... she was speaking to him.
Also, from the time they met Captain Gepard to entering the city and arriving at Qlipoth Fort, before Lady Cocolia, it had been at most half an hour. Could this be considered... "a long time"?
At this moment, not only Sāmu was confused by this. March 7th and Stelle also felt that the Supreme Guardian's choice of words was a bit strange. Was it a cultural difference? Dan Heng, on the other hand, was lost in thought.
But Cocolia didn't care about the thoughts of the Express crew. She turned to look at Gepard and dismissed him with a calm tone. "Well done, Gepard. You may leave as well."
Gepard bowed respectfully and departed.
Thus, in the vast main hall of Qlipoth Fort, only Cocolia and the four members of the Express remained. The Supreme Guardian descended from her high seat and came before Sāmu, before the Express crew, with a gentle smile.
This was far from the scene the Express crew had envisioned of meeting the majestic ruler of a city. Lady Cocolia seemed very kind and approachable, almost like a big sister or a young aunt from next door, making one feel a sense of goodwill involuntarily.
It couldn't really be Sāmu's "power of beauty" at work, that she was conquered by him from the first moment she saw him, could it?
"Welcome, visitors from beyond the Eternal Freeze... no, from beyond the sky."
"I am Cocolia Rand, the Guardian of Belobog. I am here to listen to the purpose of your visit."
"You... believe us?" Sāmu hesitantly voiced his confusion.
Cocolia smiled at him gently, a faint look of indulgence in her eyes. "Why wouldn't I?" she asked, leaving the boy speechless.
"The 'Architects' remember history in order to strengthen their resolve. I am well aware that in the distant past, before the Eternal Freeze descended, this world was once incredibly prosperous and connected to the sea of stars."
"So, of course, I am aware of your existence, and I am very grateful that you were able to pass through the snow curtain and find us in such a time of crisis for Belobog."
"I believe only noble idealists would do such a thankless task."
"How could I arbitrarily doubt you and hurt your feelings."
Cocolia's "sincere" words quickly captured the simple-minded March 7th and Stelle. Their eyes instantly welled up, shining with a bright light.
"Lady Cocolia!"
"Wise Guardian!"
"Now, our trailblazing mission will be twice as easy!"
"I knew Sāmu was our lucky star!"
"That's right, and the chosen one at that! Woohoo!"
"Never has there been such a wonderful beginning!"
March 7th and Stelle began to celebrate on their own, on the verge of linking hands and dancing a joyful dance. Dan Heng looked at them with a bit of embarrassment. Sometimes, going on missions with the Express crew was just this helpless. It was already remarkable that Dan Heng hadn't been assimilated by March 7th after so long. But now there was Stelle, and he was really worried that one day he would also become this "wise." He could only rely on Sāmu to offset it.
Sāmu was still immersed in his surprise, unable to extricate himself, until Cocolia gently placed her hand on his head.
"L-Lady Cocolia!?"
"Come, tell me the purpose of your visit."
"I will definitely do my best—to help you."
Cocolia's smile was so sincere, her eyes so indulgent, like a warm lake. Even Sāmu was lost in it, completely unaware of the dark abyss lurking at the bottom of the lake.
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