WebNovels

Chapter 34 - Ch.34 Form a Band for Life

"Belobog of eternal winter, the [Ever-Active] Machine House, and the [Eternity] Emanator…"

Adrian stood before the Machine House. How could this not be considered a form of Eternity? Though this planet's primary faith was rooted in [Preservation].

But… the foundation of [Preservation] was gradually weakening. The Great Guardian herself had already half-stepped toward [Destruction].

"The power of [Preservation] is waning. If we hadn't come, who knows how much longer this planet could hold on," March 7th said, joining Adrian's side. Mimicking his pose, she tilted her head upward in thought.

"Dan Heng and Stelle have gone to the Goethe Hotel to check in. Thanks to the Great Guardian, we're getting the VIP treatment—deluxe rooms! I heard there's afternoon tea, too. I'm so excited…"

"In my opinion, we're getting this VIP treatment all thanks to you, Miss March."

A lively and adorable girl like March 7th was the type to be welcomed in any world, able to chat with anyone.

Well, the one person she probably disliked the most right now was Sampo, who ditched them and ran off.

"Right? Dan Heng and Stelle were just talking in circles, not saying anything straightforward. Stelle even started with, 'Ma'am, would you acknowledge that the [Eternity] Aeon is unmatched in beauty?' or something like that…" March 7th mimicked Stelle's tone perfectly.

"In my eyes, Stelle is already a qualified follower of [Eternity], always proclaiming and praising THEM. It's a shame she hasn't joined the Church."

"No way you're poaching Stelle from us! She's forever part of the Express crew!" March 7th placed her hands on her hips, her eyes sparkling with a charming smile as she bantered with Adrian.

"How long are you two gonna stand out there? Come in and chat with your big sis!"

The door to the Machine House swung open, and a woman dressed in full-on rockstar style beckoned Adrian and March 7th inside.

"Oh, Serval's calling us! Let's go!" March 7th urged. They'd just met Serval a few minutes ago—she was the owner of the Machine House.

Splitting up, March 7th wanted to explore more before heading back to the hotel, so Dan Heng took Stelle to check in first, leaving Adrian to keep her company.

Or rather, to keep an eye on her. Who knows if March 7th might start snapping photos in front of the sealed-off Fragmentum zones?

"Hey, I heard from a certain guard… honored guests who crossed the snowstorm, what do you want to drink? I've got energy drinks and berry soda. Freshly ground coffee might take a bit…"

"Miss Serval, you're too kind. I have to thank Officer Gepard for the recommendation. I didn't expect Belobog to have such a grand place."

"Grand? First time someone's called my Machine House that. Did my little brother tell you about it?"

Adrian sipped his Immortal's Delight Tea, picking up the earlier conversation. "I can feel the heartbeat of these gears. They pulse with strength, each thrum telling me the tales of the [Ever-Active] Machine House…"

With that, Adrian closed his eyes and clutched his chest, leaving March 7th dumbfounded.

This is a true master of theatrics!

"You sure know how to talk, buddy. Chatting with you guys is fun!"

"Wait… Officer Gepard is your brother?" March 7th finally connected the dots. So Gepard was out here promoting his sister's shop to outsiders?

"Yep, I'm Serval Landau. Just call me Serval, no need for the last name."

"The Landau family is full of talent! Big sis runs a repair shop, little brother's a military officer. Impressive, Serval!" March 7th turned into a mini-reporter, eager to hear more about this family's story.

"Haha, the Landaus all have their own passions. My main gig is rocking out—work's just a side hobby."

"What a cool answer! Not gonna lie, I'm pretty excited for the open-air performances."

"Wanna hear some mechanical rock? Then you're extra welcome here! The Machine House's doors are always open for you. Let's heat up this city with [Mechanical Fever]!"

"[Mechanical Fever] is the band I put together," Serval added, in case March 7th didn't catch it.

"Let's form a band for life!"

In the Goethe Hotel lobby, Stelle flipped through the afternoon tea menu handed to her by a server, torn over which set to pick.

"Hmm… butterfly berry tart? Is this stuff actually good?"

"Why not try one and find out?" Stelle asked for Dan Heng's opinion.

"No problem, as long as we've got enough Winter City Shields."

Dan Heng didn't mind, but Stelle gave an awkward smile. The Great Guardian hadn't given them any currency—they were flat broke.

"If we've got no money, I'll just have to rummage through trash cans!" Stelle declared, pulling out a mimetic trash can lid as big as the table.

"Are you serious?"

Leaving aside hygiene issues, who in the administrative district would be bored enough to toss Winter City Shields into a trash can?

Stelle nodded. "This weapon can scout nearby trash cans. Finding stuff is way too easy!"

"Uh… isn't there a chance we could exchange Credit Points for Winter City Shields?"

According to the archives, back when Jarilo-VI still enjoyed spring-like weather, not only did the Architects visit, but so did factions like the Interastral Peace Corporation.

The problem was, they didn't know the exchange rate between Credit Points and Winter City Shields.

"No way! Big mistake, Dan Heng! You told me yourself—Trailblazing is about exploring the unknown! Nothing can stop my Trailblaze spirit!" Stelle said righteously.

So what if she had billions of Credit Points? She'd never exchange them for Winter City Shields!

"A bowl of porridge, a grain of rice—think of how hard it is to come by. Money's the same. Only what you earn yourself has meaning!"

Stelle had it all figured out. She couldn't just rely on the eight billion Credit Points Adrian gave her. Now that she was on a new planet, she'd earn her keep with her own skills!

"That's not an excuse to dig through trash cans," Dan Heng said, shaking his head. "Let's get to business. Back at Qlipoth Fort… did you notice anything about the Great Guardian?"

"Hm… maybe I said something wrong. After I passed on Adrian's 'dying wish,' the Great Guardian's expression got complicated. Could the [Eternity] Aeon have visited this planet?" Stelle started guessing wildly.

"Impossible."

Dan Heng shot it down. "If THEY had been here, Jarilo-VI would definitely have the Church's informants."

"Fanatical followers of the [Eternity] Aeon—why do you think Bishop Blake was on the same ship as me?"

"Rumor has it, that route's destination… was the ascension site of the [Eternity] Aeon."

"Whoa, that's wild! Will the Express head there someday?" Stelle was already hyped. A trash can's ascension—no, the Aeon's ascension site? Super cool!

"Sorry to burst your bubble, but after everything that happened, it's clear this was fabricated by fictitious historians."

Dan Heng doused Stelle's excitement with cold water.

"No way! Those fictitious historians deserve to rot! Now I get why Adrian hates the [Mystery] faction," Stelle grumbled.

"I actually feel a bit bad for that bishop."

Dan Heng put himself in Blake's shoes. If he were the Church's bishop and got intel about the [Eternity] Aeon's ascension planet, he'd check it out, true or not.

Finding out it was fake? Fine, he'd accept being duped and maybe curse out the fictitious historians.

Months later, he's just trying to catch the morning news when he hears someone badmouthing his Aeon. Who could stand that?

Then, tracking down the rumor-spreaders, he finds out it's the same fictitious historians who tricked him before. Now it's personal—old grudges and new ones settled together.

When it comes to vengeance, [Eternity]'s no less fierce than [The Hunt]…

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