"Svarog's cold logic will always make an exception for Clara." Looking at the outcome before them, Dan Heng said, "Let's hope his database really does contain data related to the Stellaron."
Seele, on the other hand, felt somewhat dazed. The arrival of this result felt unreal to her, and to the Underworld as well, like being in a dream.
She had thought the process would be much harder, that at the very least they would have to go through a fierce battle, with Wildfire and the mechanical settlement both fighting with everything they had and paying a heavy price…
"Is it really over?"
Seele looked around. Although most of the Wildfire brothers were injured, not a single one of them had left…
Wildfire seemed to have truly won, and the cost of that victory was far lighter than anyone had imagined.
And the reason things had been steered to this point was…
Seele looked toward the Trailblazing squad.
But very quickly, Seele composed herself again.
One thing had to be made clear, the battle was not over yet.
Defeating Svarog was only the first step… If… if that Supreme Guardian did not change her decision, then Wildfire's struggle would not end!
Thinking of this, she could not help but turn to look at Bronya.
Only to find that the silver-gray-haired girl was also looking at her at that very moment.
Seele froze for a moment. She saw Bronya show a relaxed smile, and then, immediately after, her expression turned serious again.
"Finally… it's come to this moment."
"What? Are you nervous?" Seele asked when she saw Bronya raise a hand to cover her chest.
"Rather than nervous, it's more like… there's something in my chest that's hurting intensely."
Hearing Bronya's words, Nero spoke up, "That's because the answer you reached through your own thinking runs contrary to the orders you've always trusted and carried out without question."
"But people have to learn to think for themselves."
"If you can't even see your own heart clearly or firm up your own resolve, and instead choose to drift in a haze along the edge of awareness, then you'll only ever be a puppet pushed around by fate for your entire life."
Stelle also nodded. "The truth is always painful."
Bronya took a deep breath. Her expression was somewhat despondent, but she still said firmly, "I'm ready. Let's uncover the truth. I'll listen from the side."
After that, Stelle went to find Svarog. The latter used an audio format to play back the top-secret files, laying the truth bare before everyone.
From this audio data, they learned a great deal of useful information.
For example, the Stellaron truly existed, and it was the root cause that brought about disaster, the culprit behind the cold wave. In order to protect Alisa Rand's reputation, the Supreme Guardian at the time did not want to make this truth public.
Now, Belobog was struggling to survive amid the cold wave. As the only spark of life in the frozen tundra, it swayed precariously in the freezing wind.
If the people's faith were to collapse as well, plunging everything into chaos, then perhaps this light would be extinguished in a very short time, and even the last traces of residual warmth would dissipate into the cold wind.
At that moment, her decision might have been the right one.
She ordered Belobog's researchers to do everything in their power to find a way to completely destroy the Stellaron.
This was the first audio file, Data ID-13175.
After that, Svarog began playing the second audio, Data ID-24830.
In this data, the researcher was already advanced in age, and research into destroying the Stellaron had run into obstacles. His research results were also shelved.
His students did not understand the significance of doing this, while the old man simply believed that the Supreme Guardian had deep foresight, once a method to destroy the Stellaron was found, everything would be resolved.
Data ID-57614.
It seemed that a very long time had passed. The young new Guardian and the Silvermane Guards appeared to be searching for something, possibly an archaeological site.
Here, they discovered Svarog and learned of Dr. Milsheimer's story. The Guardian ordered that all the shelved data be retrieved.
They also took away the prototype that had once served as Dr. Milsheimer's mechanical bodyguard, Svarog, and, after resetting and repairing his system, sent him to the Underworld.
At this time, Belobog was in the midst of its push to develop underground.
That concluded all the data. After arriving in the Underworld, Svarog seemed to have had no further contact with any events related to the Stellaron.
"…So now the truth is finally out in the open, right?"
March sighed. Belobog's history was a book thick with dust and heavy in weight. Even just listening to it made one feel oppressed.
Bronya was trying hard to steady her emotions, unable to say a single word.
All the information pointed to one thing, the Supreme Guardian had always known about the Stellaron, and her mother, Cocolia, was certainly no exception.
And under these circumstances, Cocolia had still ordered the arrest of these outsiders, people who might possess the technology to seal the Stellaron, and who represented a possibility of saving Belobog.
Such a decision was rather thought-provoking.
Even without being stated outright, the truth was like a blood-soaked scar, glaring and painful to look at, and Bronya's breathing grew rapid because of it.
Seele silently stood by Bronya's side and raised a hand to rest on her shoulder.
She was not good with words, but she hoped that this gesture could give Bronya a bit of comfort.
"They were looking for a way to destroy the Stellaron…" Stelle said.
"And judging from the current situation… they never succeeded in the end. Now there's only one last question left, why did that Cocolia suddenly undergo such a drastic change in temperament?" Dan Heng said.
"Teacher Dan Heng, in the first piece of data, that Supreme Guardian said that ever since she became the Supreme Guardian, she had always been able to hear the Stellaron's voice, right? Maybe it's related to that," Nero said.
Dan Heng nodded. "That is indeed a possibility… no, I should say the likelihood is quite high."
March looked over with some concern at Bronya beside them. "Bronya, are you okay?"
"…I'm fine. I just… feel a bit dizzy," Bronya said in a tired voice.
"The truth is always like this. For you, it's just too much information to take in all at once…" Stelle said.
"Mother… why…" Bronya covered her head. She did not even know what words to use to excuse Cocolia. "Maybe she didn't know. Maybe she…"
"…Stop lying to yourself, Bronya. Just like Nero said, people have to learn to think for themselves, to see their own hearts clearly, and to firm up their resolve. It's time for you to make a decision."
"..." Bronya fell silent, trembling… At this moment, she clenched her teeth so hard it was as if blood might seep from her gums.
Natasha, who had been called over by Sampo to help and had rushed to the scene with the other Wildfire members at the very first moment, was the first to calm down.
She stepped forward a few paces and said softly, "Would you come talk with me? I know everyone needs time to process all this information, but we still have to decide on our next plan as soon as possible."