"Does this feel a bit off?"
March 7th looked at the Silvermane Guards surrounding them, fully armored and standing in combat readiness. She couldn't help but feel a little intimidated, whispering to her companions:
"Why do I get the feeling they're super fierce... Are we going to end up as prisoners again?"
March 7th drooped her head dejectedly as she spoke.
"I've noticed that every three worlds we visit, this kind of situation happens at least once... Are we cursed or something? Did I wake up late this morning and skip Pom-Pom's breakfast, so Pom-Pom is secretly drawing circles in a corner to curse me?"
"While I really want to roast you for not eating properly, I don't think Pom-Pom would care about such small things..."
Stelle helplessly overturned March 7th's terrifyingly world-shattering hypothesis, then turned to look at Dan Heng beside her.
"Dan Heng... what do you think?"
"March is right. The situation isn't good."
Dan Heng's gaze swept around calmly, discerning the Imaginary Energy emanating from the Silvermane Guards around them.
"They are all battle-hardened warriors, and their bodies are imbued with the power of Paths. It is obvious that they are all Pathstriders..."
"Although on the surface they are just escorting us to the hotel, in reality, they have already formed a formation in the shadows, blocking off all our escape routes—they are escorting prisoners, without a doubt."
Dan Heng frowned slightly as he spoke, muttering, "March, back in Qlipoth Fort—"
"Stop," March 7th hurriedly made a big 'X' with her arms in front of her chest. Realizing her action was too conspicuous, she shrank her head back and whispered into Dan Heng's ear:
"I know what you're going to say: 'March, you talked too much back there,' 'March, you shouldn't have revealed our goal to people we don't trust'... But I've changed this time! I really didn't say much. You're not allowed to use words from previous trailblazing expeditions to attack me!"
"...I wasn't planning to say that. Of course, I know your performance this time was fine."
March 7th scratched her head awkwardly. "Eh? It wasn't a lecture? I'm just so used to it... Okay, okay, you speak."
Dan Heng sighed slightly. "Back in Qlipoth Fort—did you pay attention to that [Supreme Guardian]?"
Hearing this, March 7th's nose instantly pointed upward. She placed her hands on her hips and spoke with super confidence:
"Of course! After adventuring with you guys for so long, my powers of observation have been polished to be—heh, exceptionally sharp~"
Stelle, standing to the side, listened in confusion.
"Was there something wrong with Madam Supreme Guardian? Am I the only one who noticed nothing?"
"No, she seemed like a pretty normal lady, except she had that kind of... what was it..."
March 7th scratched her head, then had an epiphany. "Oh right, that [superior] aura—you see, she spoke unhurriedly. No matter what we said, she seemed to have everything under control. You couldn't tell what she was thinking at all..."
"And... I always felt her gaze had a penetrating quality—like, even though she was talking to us, her eyes seemed to be staring at something far away..."
"Mm, I had a similar feeling... Although she was speaking to us, her line of sight didn't actually fall on us. Instead, it pierced through Qlipoth Fort and landed somewhere much farther away."
Dan Heng rubbed his chin, frowning slightly.
"She didn't seem to care about the [Stellaron]—or rather, everything we said was actually already within her grasp. She showed no surprise regarding the Stellaron. This isn't the kind of knowledge a civilization cut off from interstellar society, defending itself on ruins for seven hundred years, should possess..."
After listening to March 7th and Dan Heng, Stelle seriously summarized:
"In other words... our goals were entirely within her calculations, and that Supreme Guardian was actually thinking about something far more important than the [Stellaron]?"
Hearing Stelle put it that way, March 7th shrank her head back slightly.
"Eh, saying it like that makes it sound so scary. It feels like even the color of my underwear has been calculated..."
"I don't know what exactly she intends to do... but we'll have to take it one step at a time."
Dan Heng sighed softly.
"We are newcomers here; it's not good to have a falling out with the local regime too stiffly—I suggest we temporarily follow their arrangements and hope nothing happens in the meantime..."
Just as he spoke, a voice came from among the guards escorting them, interrupting the Trailblazers' whispered muttering.
"Honored guests, in accordance with the Supreme Guardian's order, we will temporarily arrange for you to rest at the Goethe Hotel for a few days—you may feel this restricts your personal freedom, but please, do not speculate on Lord Supreme Guardian's arrangements with malice."
Among the Silvermane Guards ordered by Cocolia to escort the Trailblazers, one who looked obviously distinct—wearing heavy armor adorned with several medals—explained to the Trailblazers in a very friendly tone:
"Lord Supreme Guardian absolutely does not intend to imprison you honored guests—in fact, Belobog has been turbulent recently, and there are faint whispers of bad omens circulating in the dark."
"To ensure you honored guests are not swept up in these troubles, we hope you can rest well at the Goethe Hotel for the time being—as one of the most luxurious buildings in our Belobog, most citizens rarely get the chance to visit the Goethe Hotel."
He smiled as he spoke, trying to relax the Trailblazers who had been very stiff since the beginning.
"All expenses for you honored guests at the Goethe Hotel over the next few days will be fully covered by Qlipoth Fort. We hope you enjoy yourselves—look, there is the Goethe Hotel."
The Silvermane Lieutenant pointed to a building not far away—leaving Qlipoth Fort and crossing Alexandra Plaza, in the prime location of the Administrative District, a magnificent building sat. The guests passing through were all either rich or noble, emanating the decadent scent of money.
Looking at the brightly lit, luxurious hotel built on high ground, almost overlooking half the Administrative District, March 7th quietly leaned into Stelle and Dan Heng's ears, whispering:
"This hotel really is luxurious... It doesn't seem as scary as we thought?"
"It looks resplendent. It feels on par with the tourism planets we visited in Company territory before—look, this hotel doesn't even have stairs. It relies on those floor plates that float up when you stand on them to go up and down..."
"What is that... Belobog still retains this kind of technology?"
Dan Heng rubbed his chin thoughtfully, muttering to himself:
"Anti-gravity modules... I remember seeing this technology on a foundry planet owned by the IPC. Every building on that planet had such anti-gravity modules installed within their exquisite designs..."
"And the result?" March 7th asked, face full of curiosity. "That was before I got on the train. You haven't talked about it much before. What did that planet become?"
Dan Heng remained expressionless.
"The result was that the planet was completely covered by buildings. Every inch of land was thoroughly exploited, becoming a refinery for smelting steel and casting construction materials."
"I saw it in the Databank—Jarilo-VI used to be an IPC tourism planet. Perhaps there were once senior IPC employees on Jarilo-VI who obtained this portion of technological data and left this technology behind until now..."
"Then Belobog is much safer than we thought... If even this technology could be preserved, how exactly were they pushed to this extent by the Fragmentum? Isn't the Company very generous to its own senior employees?"
March 7th's eyes were full of confusion. "The Company is so generous even to external partners like Madam Herta. So much money and materials in the Space Station are sponsored by the Company. Dealing with a single Stellaron should be very simple for the Company, right?"
"For the Company, if it's something they want to do, difficulty is obviously not the issue... They just haven't put in the effort."
Dan Heng analyzed calmly, "Perhaps there are hidden circumstances in this planet's history. But right now, we can't analyze these things temporarily. We might as well rest well at the hotel and build up our energy to face the sudden situations that might occur over the next few days."
"Resting, huh... Although that's fine, it's still a bit too early. We might as well walk around the hotel..."
March 7th tapped her lip and tilted her head, thinking about what she should do next.
Stelle dragged this somewhat unreliable companion behind the guards, standing on the floating platform made of anti-gravity modules. She let the platform smoothly carry them three stories up from the ground, arriving in front of the Goethe Hotel's heavy, opulent doors. Watching them open automatically under the influence of smart control modules, the faint scent of tea wafted out.
Walking into the hotel lobby, exquisite crystal chandeliers hung from the soaring dome, flowing with warm Geomarrow light. The light sprinkled on everyone, subconsciously easing the nervous moods of the three Express crew members, making them feel soft and calm.
The pervasive aroma of tea throughout the hotel also soothed everyone's minds—the arrival of the guards caused a slight commotion in the Goethe Hotel, but under the handling of that decisive Silvermane Lieutenant, the disturbance was quickly quelled.
He simply exchanged a few words with Old Goethe at the front desk, then retrieved three sets of keys and handed them to the Trailblazers.
"These are the three best rooms in the Goethe Hotel, and they are all next to each other. Standing before the french windows in the rooms, you can overlook most of Belobog."
As he spoke, he squeezed out a gentle smile, still trying to dispel the vigilance in the trio's hearts.
"Lord Cocolia asked me to book the rooms for you honored guests for three days. You only need to dwell here peacefully for three days—after that, Lord Cocolia will have new arrangements for you, and we can restart the important matters that were not finished today."
"You honored guests can wander freely within the hotel during the day. As the second pearl of Belobog, aside from the Golden Theater, the entertainment projects in the Goethe Hotel should be pleasing to your eyes—"
As he spoke, his tone shifted, the originally gentle voice becoming slightly cold and hard.
"But you honored guests must absolutely not leave the hotel. The wind of change is about to blow in Belobog, and everyone has their own position. If you leave the hotel, you might be forced into some unfavorable positions. This is something Lord Cocolia does not wish to see..."
"Belobog does not wish to be enemies with you. Everything we do is only to preserve Belobog and save this world."
"Welcome to Belobog. I wish you a pleasant stay."
After speaking, he snapped his legs together and saluted the three Express crew members. The other guards had lined up unbeknownst to them, standing beside the Lieutenant, and saluted simultaneously.
Then, they turned around with machine-like precision and elegance, marching away with uniform steps.
Watching the backs of these departing guards, March 7th finally couldn't hold it in anymore, asking Dan Heng beside her with a bewildered face:
"Dan Heng, did you understand what they were saying?"
"Why does everyone like to speak in riddles so much? Speaking like this is super hard to understand, okay!"
Dan Heng watched the doors of the Goethe Hotel close, concealing the back of the last departing guard, and rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"It seems... Hmm, no, I cannot jump to conclusions so hastily."
He muttered to himself, then said to March 7th and Stelle:
"I'm going back to my room to rest first. If I guessed correctly, we shouldn't be in any danger staying here... But it's still better to build up our energy. Remember not to play for too long."
He admonished them in a flat tone, then took his set of keys and stepped onto a new anti-gravity floating tile, heading to the top floor of the Goethe Hotel to find his room.
Leaving only March 7th and Stelle looking at each other in the lobby. The two locked eyes for a long time before March 7th finally scratched her head.
"Did Dan Heng notice something again?"
Stelle shrugged, putting on a dazed face to indicate she knew nothing.
March 7th sighed helplessly. Just as she was thinking about whether she should follow Dan Heng's example and go directly back to her room to start resting at a time when the sun was still high in the sky, a voice suddenly came from the side:
"Are you two the honored guests from beyond the sky?"
Someone smilingly leaned in close to Stelle and March 7th.
"Quite a few interesting things came out of Qlipoth Fort today, especially regarding you honored guests from beyond the sky. Your existence symbolizes that this frozen planet has hope of seeing the dawn again. For a large group of people, it is an incredibly strong shot of adrenaline..."
"You are simply the fire of civilization for Belobog, the light of hope! The entire Belobog shines because of your arrival!"
Hearing this, even someone thick-skinned like March 7th couldn't help but blush slightly. She scratched her head in embarrassment and turned to look at the guy who had suddenly approached her:
"Hehe, we aren't that amazing—eh, what is this?!"
Before she could finish her slightly proud deflection, she suddenly realized that the person of insight who hadn't spared any praise for them was actually just a small machine, half the height of a person. It looked exactly like the trash cans seen everywhere in Belobog's Administrative District, except there was a semi-circular glass dome covering the trash can, forming the "head" of this machine.
Inside the glass dome of this machine's head, suspended black sand formed a simple expression. Right now, the expression was (๑¯◡¯๑), looking silly and seemingly very happy.
Stelle, standing aside, expressed the small shock in her heart with the same repeated phrase:
"What is this?!"
"Cheese Snow Leopard. An automated AI chat robot I designed. This Snow Leopard is a cheerful one. Usually, it follows me around and praises everyone it meets. All day long, it's either happily praising people or on the way to praise people. Although it's clingy, it's actually quite a nice little assistant."
A calm voice came from the side. March 7th and Stelle subconsciously looked in the direction of the voice and saw a man sitting at a table in the hotel lobby not far away, quietly drinking tea. He cast his gaze toward them and smiled gently.
"Welcome to Belobog, you two ladies—it happens to be noon right now. You haven't eaten either, have you?"
As he spoke, he lightly snapped his fingers. A smart robot hidden in the shadows glided out beside him. The glass dome on its head opened, and a thick menu popped out quietly.
"Two orders of Cold-Spiced Sunset Fish, and another plate of Belobog Sliced Red Sausage."
He flipped through the menu casually, ordered skillfully, then simply dismissed the smart robot. He turned his gaze back to Stelle and March 7th, his tone friendly:
"First time in Belobog, you must try some Belobog specialties. If you two don't mind, how about sitting opposite me and sharing a table for lunch?"
Hearing his invitation, March 7th was silent for a moment, then suddenly shrank behind Stelle, whispering in Stelle's ear:
"Stelle! Can you feel it? This guy has the exact same [superior] aura as that Madam Supreme Guardian, and that vague sense of mystery just like Madam Herta... This guy is definitely not an ordinary person!"
As March 7th spoke, her train of thought veered off to who knows where, her tone becoming increasingly tragic:
"Stelle! I'm so scared. I feel like this guy is the type of pervert who could drug our food, knock us out, send us to a lab, and dissect us thousands of times!"
"Using a pretty girl's hunger to achieve his vicious plan, he's so vicious!"
"So how exactly did you reach that conclusion..."
Stelle turned her face away helplessly, pretending she didn't know this living treasure. Ignoring the shocking conspiracy March 7th had discovered for the umpteenth time, she smiled politely and friendly at the man, dragging the hesitant March 7th to sit opposite him.
"Then we will respectfully accept... I am Stelle," Stelle said, turning to look at March 7th beside her. Finding that her face was super vigilant, mouth clamped shut as if she didn't want to say a word, Stelle had to speak for her:
"This is March 7th. We are both passengers of the Astral Express."
The man sitting opposite them took a calm sip of tea, looked at Stelle and March 7th with a peaceful smile, and said:
"I am Ron, currently serving as the Dean of the Belobog Academy of Sciences."
Ron introduced himself simply, then crossed his hands, rested his chin on them, and looked seriously at the two before him, asking with interest:
"According to the records of the Architects, the Astral Express is driven by [The Trailblaze] Akivili. His train is full of Nameless Ones hoping to explore new worlds, crossing the thick barriers between worlds, tunneling through barriers made of Imaginary Energy, and reaching any place in this universe."
"It is said that the Astral Express once opened up Jarilo-VI, connecting the world we live in with interstellar society. The Interstellar Peace Corporation extended a helping hand to us, and the entire planet began an unimaginable technological ascension, forcibly raised to the technical standards of an interstellar civilization."
As he spoke, a hint of probing vaguely appeared in his tone:
"I wonder, for what purpose has the Astral Express set sail again after such a long time, coming to Jarilo-VI?"
Stelle opened her mouth, just about to answer Ron, when March 7th, who had been observing Ron carefully from the side, snatched the conversation away:
"We are here to trailblaze this planet and deal with the [Stellaron] that brought about the Fragmentum on this planet."
March 7th's face still held the hostility she had shown from the start, but she didn't hide their purpose—or rather, Nameless Ones had absolutely no need to hide anything. As Trailblazers, trailblazing this planet was naturally a matter of course.
"Deal with the [Stellaron]... is it?"
Ron muttered thoughtfully, then looked at March 7th and Stelle, asking casually as if he didn't care much:
"Belobog is not entirely ignorant of the Stellaron. In fact, as the Dean of the Belobog Academy of Sciences, I handle research related to the Stellaron myself..."
"According to the classics left by the Architects and my own experiments, I know that the existence of the Stellaron is very special. Ordinary means are difficult to resolve the Stellaron's influence. Even the Interstellar Peace Corporation could not help us back then, failing to successfully contain the newly descended Stellaron completely."
"I do not mean to look down on you... but if even the Interstellar Peace Corporation couldn't do it, does your Astral Express really have a solution?"
Hearing this, March 7th raised her head confidently, hands on her hips, and said:
"Of course we do! We have the corresponding means to take the Stellaron back to the train, removing all troubles faced by this planet..."
"Once it's back on the train, dealing with the Stellaron is simple—do you know Herta? We just left the Herta Space Station not long ago. Before, Herta herself had sealed a Stellaron, treating that Stellaron as her own collection and occasionally doing research on it."
"Because of a small..." She glanced at Stelle beside her, "accident, that Stellaron was temporarily lost. Madam Herta is now missing a Stellaron for her collection. We can just warp back to the Space Station, hand the Stellaron to Madam Herta, and let her seal it, throwing it into the pile of collections never to see the light of day, unable to harm other civilizations."
Hearing March 7th's words, Ron nodded thoughtfully. But he didn't let the topic continue. Instead, he took the dishes brought by the mechanical servant from the side, gentlemanly placed them in front of Stelle and March 7th, and chuckled lightly:
"Let's save this topic for later—now, why don't you two taste our Belobog specialties? They're very famous..."
---o---
"So the current Astral Express isn't trapped by the Stellaron, just having its path forward 'blocked'. In reality, the Express crew is fully capable of reverse warping, returning to the previous safe route, and easily meeting their former friends..."
Looking at the image on the light screen, Ron lifted a finger thoughtfully and tapped the table lightly, the "da da da" sound carrying a subtle rhythm.
The reason Ron could appear at the Goethe Hotel and wait before the Express crew arrived was actually very simple—
He merely saw that meteor in the sky.
In the last simulation, Ron had seen what the Astral Express looked like in the universe. A golden meteor appearing in the sky of Jarilo-VI, where a shooting star hadn't been seen for years, was definitely not a normal occurrence.
So, after discovering this, Ron immediately went to ask Cocolia for leave, withdrew his savings, and ran to the Goethe Hotel without stinting to eat and drink, awaiting the arrival of the Express crew.
But unexpectedly, when he went to ask Cocolia for leave, Cocolia told him that because of his previous merits, he had now been appointed as the Dean of the Belobog Academy of Sciences. If he wanted to rest, he could completely give himself a holiday. This left Ron dumbfounded, thinking to himself, I'm just an ordinary person, how did I get appointed...
Ah, stop, if I keep playing with memes, the interdimensional censors will cut me down.
Ron looked at the image on the light screen, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.
"I originally thought the Astral Express could run back and forth between planets in the original game for gameplay purposes, I didn't expect it to be possible in reality too..."
In that case, couldn't he ride the Astral Express and go directly to the Herta Space Station?
One must know, the technological level of the Herta Space Station is top-tier, ranking among the forefront of all civilizations in this universe.
Although he hadn't thought of exactly how to do it yet, Ron could definitely find a way to rely on the Astral Express to warp to the Herta Space Station and figure out a way to trade for some technology to build Belobog and solve the troubles Belobog was about to face...
And... since it's now connected to the Herta Space Station, some research that Ron abandoned due to danger can now be picked up again.
For example... the Stellaron.
Ron could go to the Herta Space Station to buy Herta's containment device for Stellarons, then completely contain the Stellaron and begin research—
Although Herta cannot completely dispose of the Stellaron, her means of containing it are definitely not weak. A Stellaron completely contained by Herta's containment device would have absolutely no possibility of erupting, obviously becoming much safer.
In that case... Ron could attempt to research the Stellaron, attempt to create a miracle once again, and take that endless Imaginary Energy opened up by the Stellaron for his own use...
Thinking of this, Ron made up his mind without hesitation. While confirming his goal, he clicked on the light screen in front of him, letting the simulation continue.
---o---
Stelle did not sleep well that night.
Although under Cocolia's instructions, she stayed in the best room of the Goethe Hotel. The large bed in the room was soft and comfortable, even the pillows were goose down. Lying on the bed felt like being sucked into a black hole; it felt like one would sink completely into it, unable to extricate oneself.
But in such a perfect sleeping environment, lying on the bed, Stelle felt herself tossing and turning, unable to fall into a deep sleep. Whenever she closed her eyes, rustling, dark sounds would come from beside her ears. Chaotic noises and a somewhat familiar female voice came from her side, as if someone was arguing about something.
The chaotic female voice was mixed, but clearly laced with a bit of grievance and questioning:
"Cocolia... Cocolia... aren't we allies passed down through generations...?"
"Why would you suddenly betray our great dream... betray this world's brand new future...?"
But that somewhat familiar female voice sneered at this, her tone full of coldness:
"There was never any betrayal... Choosing you was merely for benefit. Likewise, abandoning you now is also for the benefit of Belobog."
"A dull villain should continue to be a clown. The current me has no time to deal with you..."
As she spoke, her tone was dyed with a hint of small anticipation:
"Wait a little longer, just wait a little longer. You will eventually lie in the laboratory of the Belobog Academy of Sciences, completely becoming the resources for Belobog's advancement..."
After that, these voices completely mixed together, chaotically blending into confused noise, making Stelle sleep very unsteadily.
After a while, she heard the dense sound of military boots stomping, as if an army was marching in the Goethe Hotel, completely surrounding the place...
Then, hurried knocking came from outside the door. Stelle finally couldn't let herself lie in this gentle trap anymore. Wearing dark circles under her eyes, she walked to the door and opened it.
As soon as the door opened, she saw March 7th looking worried.
"Stelle, did you hear that?"
Stelle listened closely. The sound of military boots was so obvious; clearly, an army was passing by the Goethe Hotel, or marching towards it, surrounding this place tightly...
"A group of Silvermane Guards has arrived outside, a massive black mass of them, and all of them are Pathstriders."
Dan Heng quietly added from the side, a rare trace of surprise coloring his tone:
"It is hard to imagine that this world can still produce so many Pathstriders. I thought that with Belobog fallen to this state, the armed forces in the city should be very weak. I didn't expect them to be tough to this extent..."
Hearing this, even someone with slow thinking could understand the meaning in their words, let alone Stelle, who although just awakened from slumber, was still clever and sharp:
"You mean... they came for us, right?"
"Did we still offend that Madam Supreme Guardian, and now we're besieged by the army she arranged..."
Hearing Stelle directly pierce through this tense atmosphere, March 7th shrank her head back, her tone somewhat fearful:
"Oh heavens, it's totally a predictable development... But there are only three of us. Isn't Madam Supreme Guardian dispatching such a massive volume of troops taking us a bit too seriously?"
"I feel like even the hotel isn't safe anymore... Maybe the next door that opens will suddenly have three thousand axe-men rushing out to chop us directly into meat paste..."
As March 7th spoke, she obviously scared herself quite a bit, shivering subconsciously:
"Eee—so scary, so scary... By the way, if we ask the Train for help now, can Himeko-oneechan and Uncle Yang still help us?"
March 7th's question could not be answered. Dan Heng looked through the window at the massive army and the murderous atmosphere outside, muttering thoughtfully:
"March, don't be too anxious... They don't seem to be coming for us."
"Not coming for us?"
March 7th was slightly stunned, tilting her head in confusion.
"Then they are...?"
Dan Heng pointed to the window in front of them. Through the window, they could easily see the massive army outside.
"Look carefully... these armies seem a bit different."
Different?
Stelle looked suspiciously and carefully at the massive army outside, and suddenly discovered something wrong—
Yesterday, Cocolia arranged for several Silvermane Guards to send them to the Goethe Hotel. She remembered the appearance of the guards clearly now.
Although everyone in these armies wore the standard Silvermane Guard uniform, clearly at least half of the guards wore conspicuous red ribbons on their arms, and faint emerald light flickered around them. It actually looked very obvious.
These special guards did not belong to the same side as the normal guards they saw yesterday either. Instead, they stood in confrontation across a street, clearly divided...
Looking closely, Stelle saw two women standing in front of these guards, dressed in extremely similar styles but standing diametrically opposed.
Listening closely, they could barely hear the sounds of their conversation—
"Mother... if you can announce your abdication now and cede the position of Supreme Guardian to me, perhaps there is still a turning point for today's events. You and I do not have to cross swords."
Bronya tightly gripped the Lance of Preservation, which was wreathed in wild wind, looking at Cocolia seriously:
"Temporarily conscripted guards cannot defeat me, Mother."
As she spoke, she turned slightly, motioning for Cocolia to take a good look at the group of Iron Guard warriors behind her:
"Although they have only just entered their Paths, they are Pathstriders nonetheless... The fact that they can manipulate Imaginary Energy has already created a chasm between them and mortals. This is obvious."
"I don't know where exactly you got your information... but Mother, you have absolutely no chance of winning."
Bronya spoke with a gentle tone, seriously trying to dissuade Cocolia:
"Just like you taught me before, one must know when to yield in the face of the impossible—I only need the power of the Supreme Guardian. Just the power of the Supreme Guardian is enough."
As she spoke, her tone gradually became firm:
"To save Belobog... the wind of change must blow in this city, and it must be now."
Cocolia listened quietly to Bronya's words. After Bronya finished, she was silent for a while before speaking softly:
"You are right, Bronya... To save Belobog, the wind of change must blow in this city."
"But... the one who can make this city change is not you."
As Cocolia spoke, she gripped the Lance of Preservation, which was sealed in hard ice, in her hand, gently lifting the spear tip to point straight at Bronya:
"Well done, daughter... This time, your method is ten thousand times more brilliant than all your previous admonitions. You have successfully proven your growth to me, and I am very gratified by this..."
But as she spoke, her tone suddenly shifted:
"...However, my daughter, although you have grown, it is far from enough."
"You do not yet understand one thing. I will teach you this lesson properly today—"
Cocolia spoke, her tone cold and ruthless:
"You must be clear... What I give you is yours; what I don't give you, you cannot take!"