"Ah, I won't be joining you all."
Adrian stepped back behind the group, "You three, do your best. Remember to have a good chat with the Great Guardian, and don't say anything weird."
"Huh? Teacher Adrian, you're not coming with us?"
Adrian shook his head, a faint sense of unease stirring within him.
Ever since arriving on this planet, Adrian had sensed subtle changes in the Stellaron Core.
According to the research of Genius Society #83, Herta, the Stellaron Core is a unique substance with special mechanisms, connecting to a specific Path or the power of an Aeon.
It responds to the desires of the civilization on its host world to ascend, but the way it grants those wishes always manifests as some form of calamity, likely tied to [Destruction] Nanook.
Seven hundred years ago, the first Great Guardian, Alisa Rand, made a wish to the Stellaron Core, which mitigated the relentless assaults of the Antimatter Legion.
As for how it was delayed? Naturally, through the eternal frost.
The Stellaron Core can be considered a form of life. The Stellaron Core of Jarilo-VI is a prime example—it tempts every Great Guardian.
Unfortunately, the eighteenth Great Guardian, Cocolia, is a counterexample, now fully enthralled by the Stellaron Core's influence.
It's understandable. Belobog has resisted for over seven hundred years, each year more desperate than the last. Now, the erosion of the Fragmentum has spread to the city itself.
If nothing is done, this planet's fate is sealed—doomed to extinction.
And now… due to Adrian's arrival, the Stellaron Core seems to have undergone a subtle shift.
Most importantly, Adrian didn't want to wake up the next morning to find himself wanted by the guards, so he chose not to follow.
"Don't wander off, okay? Stay put and wait for us to come back," Stelle instructed, adopting the tone of an elder.
"Hey, hey, hey! How can you treat Teacher Adrian like a kid? That's messing up the hierarchy!" March 7th protested, pointing animatedly. Dan Heng opted for silence.
Making fun of someone over a thousand years old? That's definitely something Stelle would do.
"Alright, then… Adrian, is there anything you'd like me to pass on to the Great Guardian?" Stelle asked, her expression shifting to one of sorrow, eyes downcast, lips slightly pursed, her face radiating boundless grief.
"Don't make it sound like a dying wish!"
"Let me think… maybe put in a few good words about the [Eternity] Aeon in front of her!"
Gepard stood silently nearby, marveling inwardly at the camaraderie of these four interstellar travelers.
"Ladies and gentlemen, may I escort you to meet the Great Guardian now?"
"It's time to go," Dan Heng said, moving forward. March 7th and Stelle followed closely, while the remaining soldiers escorted Sampo away, leaving Adrian alone.
"Busy, busy is good…" Adrian muttered to himself. With some time before the others returned, he decided to take a stroll around the area and check on the Stellaron Core once everything settled.
Not far off, a woman in a Silvermane Guard uniform was surrounded by children. Might as well join the lively scene.
Adrian approached the Everwinter Monument. He had to admit, the landmark's design blended seamlessly with the upper district, not out of place in the slightest.
Long, long ago, the Mourning Actors visited Jarilo-VI.
At that time, the Stellaron Core had yet to be activated, the eternal frost hadn't arrived, and only the relentless flames of the Antimatter Legion scorched this fragile planet.
They left before the Legion could discover them, leaving behind only a silent elegy and a beautiful stone—now mixed with geomarrow, crafted by the Architects into the Everwinter Monument.
Adrian hoped the children of the Church would study well and build some famous landmarks on Carwash Star. It would boost tourism and attract more interstellar visitors.
Carwash Star couldn't just be known for washing cars, especially as the Church's headquarters. How embarrassing would that be?
Silver Wolf had mentioned something about a statue of the [Eternity] Aeon standing at the heart of the Church—probably a landmark in its own right.
His statue… what would it look like?
Adrian rubbed his chin, curious about what kind of statue that kid Blake would design.
It better not be a bar of soap…
No, better not dwell on these thoughts.
"Let me introduce myself. I'm Pela, Intelligence Officer of the Silvermane Guards and temporary guide for the [Belobog History Tour]. Pelageya Sergeyevna—just call me Pela."
"Sis~ter~Pe~la~!" the children surrounding her called out in unison.
"Youth is wonderful…" Adrian sighed nearby. Childhood dreams were the most precious.
No matter what, he definitely wouldn't call her "Pela Sister." He wasn't Stelle, after all.
"Sis~ter~Pe~la~!"
A male voice suddenly rang out. Pela, standing in the center, looked up at Adrian with a disdainful expression.
"…Certain adults, please don't casually imitate children!" She cleared her throat and began introducing the Everwinter Monument to the kids around her:
"Children, look here: this is the [Everwinter Monument], erected to commemorate the great Architects…"
Adrian froze for a moment. Why was that his voice?
Then it hit him. He looked up at the sky, and sure enough, there was a faint, flickering shadow of a mask!
Adrian: …
He twitched his lips. No matter where he went, Aha always followed sneakily. This wasn't just voyeurism—this was full-on stalking!
"The Architects were followers of the Aeon Qlipoth. They faced crises, built high walls, established Belobog, and preserved the spark of human civilization. Even now, they continue to manage this city."
"The Everwinter Monument consists of two parts: gears symbolizing knowledge and industrial strength, and a massive ice crystal representing the eternal frost."
"These two symbols are tightly interlocked, with the gears restraining the frost, representing the Architects' unyielding spirit against the savage forces of nature."
"That's the introduction. Any questions, kids?"
"Oh, adults can ask questions too," Pela added, her gaze landing on Adrian. If she wasn't mistaken, he was one of the off-world travelers Gepard had brought.
She wondered what he was thinking, not joining his companions to meet Lady Cocolia.
Still, as an outsider, she was curious about how much he knew of Belobog's history.
As an Intelligence Officer, Pela felt it was her duty to uncover the purpose of these visitors, contributing to the Great Guardian and Commander Bronya.
"The Architects… Qlipoth's followers are quite the odd bunch, building walls nonstop just like THEIR idol. Some even went all out for the cosmos and peace, fulfilling THEIR [Preservation] vision by helping build walls. I won't comment on that."
"Qlipoth's zealous followers went to great lengths to gather all sorts of materials for THEIR walls, offering them up, only for Qlipoth to not even glance at them. Sigh, if only that work ethic could be redirected to the Church's development."
"The Church? Is that like some [Deep Blue Scam Victims Support Group] faction?"
Pela caught a somewhat familiar term. Belobog didn't have marketing schemes—only that cross-dressing thief who scammed countless people.
"Oh, you mean Sampo? That guy's already been taken away by Gepard, hasn't he?"
"Huh?"
…
Qlipoth Fort. Cocolia clutched her forehead as the voices in her mind grew chaotic and overwhelming.
[Cocolia… rebuild this dying world… for a new world…]
[Cocolia… embrace Eternity… Eternity is the foundation of a new world, walk toward THEM!]
[THEY are coming, THEY are coming too… THEY are all coming!]
[Elves… Creation Engine… in Everwinter Ridge… everything will be reborn.]
[Before rebirth… there must be destruction…]
"Lady Guardian, I've brought three off-worlders to meet you," Gepard's booming voice echoed from nearby, silencing the voices in Cocolia's mind.
"Well done, Gepard. You may leave."
Once Gepard departed, Cocolia raised her head, sizing up the three from the Astral Express.
The other two seemed unremarkable, but this gray-haired one stood out—especially her outfit. Who wears non-fleece pants in this freezing weather? Talk about resilience.
"Ahem! Welcome, visitors from beyond the stars. I am Cocolia Rand, Guardian of Belobog. I'm here to hear your intentions."
"Hello!" Stelle eagerly greeted.
"Wow, you're not even curious about our identities as off-worlders?" March 7th exclaimed, surprised. This Great Guardian was indeed extraordinary, unlike the soldiers who doubted them.
"I can tell you're not from this world. The [Architects] hold fast to history to strengthen their resolve. I know that in the distant past, before the eternal frost, before the Legion's invasion, this world was once prosperous…"
"The Aeons connected our planet to other worlds. We learned of the countless possibilities in the vast galaxy and heard of [Amber King] Qlipoth. Under THEIR gaze, we began building walls."
"So, don't be surprised. Though the Architects haven't received word from the stars in seven hundred years, I know of your existence."
"State your purpose. I'm listening."
After Cocolia's words, Stelle stepped forward. Dan Heng and March 7th felt a sudden wave of foreboding.
"Ma'am, may I ask if you'd acknowledge that the [Eternity] Aeon is unmatched in beauty, capable of outshining all others?"