"Ha… things down in the Underworld are finally wrapped up. We can go look for the Stellaron now." March said in a relaxed tone.
"And the even better news is that, thanks to Svarog's data, everyone now knows the Stellaron is the real culprit. People are willing to lend us a hand!
"The mission's going incredibly smoothly!"
"But there are still a lot of things we haven't figured out," Dan Heng said. "For example… the Stellaron's exact location. And Cocolia's sudden change in attitude, both Nero and I think that may be related to the Stellaron."
"With only the clues we have now, we still can't piece together the full picture."
"Actually, I've had a few dreams," Stelle suddenly said.
"Dreams?" Dan Heng looked at Stelle, puzzled.
March blinked. "Oh! Right, I remember you mentioned before that you'd had some weird dreams…"
After that, Stelle explained the details of the dreams to Dan Heng and March.
Come to think of it, those dreams really were strange. Even after all this time, they were still crystal clear in Stelle's memory, she could remember every single detail.
"…All three dreams were the same scene, and they all involved Cocolia and another voice…"
"If that's just a coincidence, it's way too weird," March shrugged.
Dan Heng followed that line of thought. "According to Svarog's data, a certain Supreme Guardian was able to hear the Stellaron's voice. Maybe Cocolia is experiencing the same thing."
"And Stelle repeatedly dreaming about these fragments might not be without reason. Something could be triggering them. After all, neither March, Nero, nor I have experienced anything like this."
March frowned, then suddenly had an idea. "Is it… the Stellaron inside Stelle?"
"Mm. That's my guess as well," Dan Heng nodded.
"There's no concrete evidence, but all the known information points in that direction. It's possible the Stellarons are resonating with each other."
"Sigh, that's basically saying nothing…" March pouted.
"So what are we supposed to do after we get back to the surface? We've talked forever, it all sounds super exciting, but it feels like we didn't actually reach any conclusion."
Dan Heng shook his head. "Grains of sand build a tower. Let's get a good night's rest first, then tomorrow we'll work on this together with the Wildfire people.
"Or you could do what Nero does, pick the most direct target…"
"What did Nero say?" March asked Dan Heng curiously.
"Mm." Dan Heng nodded, his expression a bit odd, but he still said it. "Nero said, 'The Hunt's vengeance lasts until death.' He hopes Cocolia will be prepared, wash her neck clean and wait…"
"That's really straightforward…" Stelle grinned. "Very much his style."
"He's not actually planning to go all out, is he?" March covered her mouth.
Dan Heng shrugged. "No idea. But… you know how that kid does things. In that sentence, revenge might be the only part he really meant."
"True." March nodded emphatically.
She still remembered one day when Pom-Pom and Nero fought over breakfast. After Pom-Pom scolded him, Nero said the exact same thing, telling Pom-Pom to wash his neck clean and wait.
Then, the train hotpot Pom-Pom had prepared for dinner vanished without a trace…
That kid is really that direct, really that decisive, and really that vengeful… but when it comes to being cold and cruel, things get a bit subtle…
Still, one thing was certain, even if Cocolia didn't die, she definitely wouldn't have it easy.
Judging by Nero's habits, he might even hide Bronya somewhere just to drive her crazy…
Thinking about Nero's usual behavior, March sighed, looked around, and asked, "By the way… have you seen Nero?"
Dan Heng and Stelle froze for a moment, then looked around as well. A hint of confusion appeared on their faces as they shook their heads.
At some point, Nero had disappeared.
"So… where did he run off to?" March asked.
"Maybe he went to play with Hook and the others," Dan Heng said.
"Or maybe he went to hang out with Clara," Stelle said. "Those two seem to get along pretty well."
March, "..." As long as he didn't go play with Sampo, that was fine.
———
[Rivet Town]
Natasha's former kindergarten.
Aside from the holes left behind by the damage from the ice of outer space and Nero, the place was actually preserved fairly well.
Seele and Bronya stood there by the fence, looking out over the town below.
Seele spoke in a calm tone she'd never used before. "Look over there. See it? That used to be the messiest district in Rivet Town, and it's where I grew up.
"I used to run around with the older kids there, thinking all day about where we could scrounge our next meal. Until Boss Oleg dragged me out and sent me to the orphanage.
"After that, I learned to read and write with Natasha. From the age of ten, I followed Oleg to patrol the mining areas, and sometimes even confronted the local thugs."
Bronya listened quietly, then relaxed into a smile. From those words, she heard freedom, and couldn't help but sigh. "That sounds really nice."
"Really nice? Are you mocking me?"
Seele shot back. She wasn't angry, but as someone who had lived through it, most of those memories weren't good ones, just endless hardship and suffering that never seemed to end.
Enough food for one meal but not the next. Even water had to be fought over. Danger everywhere. People displaced, families destroyed, countless children turned into orphans, everyone was like they'd had their limbs broken and were struggling in a mud pit, wriggling their way out while choking on mouthfuls of filth, their insides filled with the stench of dirt…
At least, she never thought that was "nice." Suffering was suffering. It didn't bring joy to anyone. Even if you tried to find happiness in misery, you still had to think about happy things.
Suffering never makes people grow. Growth is a person's own doing. A firm will only reveal itself because of suffering, it will never be born from hardship.
If it grows and blooms, it's because the seed was already buried in someone's heart.
And that seed was never brought by suffering. Suffering only takes things away, one after another…
"Sorry," Bronya said, realizing her words had been inappropriate. "Life in the Underworld is very hard. I shouldn't have spoken so lightly."
Seele sighed and turned her gaze away from Bronya. "Why are you being so serious… that's the part about you that's the hardest to deal with."
Bronya was briefly at a loss for words, but still stammered an explanation.
"What I mean is, Seele, I envy you a little."
Hearing that, Seele turned back to look at Bronya.
Bronya raised her head, a nostalgic look on her face.
She looked at the underground sky. Like the Overworld, there was no sun, moon, or starlight to be seen. There weren't even those heavy, pitch-black clouds of worry… it was like a cage.
"Ever since I can remember, my days have been a cycle of studying, etiquette, and training.
"Every day, someone would remind me, 'Remember your identity, Bronya,' 'This goes against the Architects' teachings, Bronya,' 'A proper lady shouldn't use such crude language, Bronya'…
"Some people might envy that kind of life, but I always felt a bit… uncomfortable."
"Doing the same few things over and over for an entire lifetime, with all your goals set by others, this feeling is probably hard for you to imagine, isn't it?"
Bronya felt deeply moved inside.
Adaptation is one of humanity's greatest abilities. Adaptation allowed the people of Belobog to survive the cold waves until now.
But adaptation is also one of humanity's worst abilities. It breeds numbness, and there's no doubt that numbness is terrifying. It's a process of losing oneself.
She, too, had grown increasingly numb through adaptation, only to awaken again in the Underworld…
Now that the confusion and fear were gone, thinking back on what had happened before actually made her feel a lingering sense of dread.
"…Yeah, I really can't imagine it," Seele nodded, then smiled. "But I'm more curious, what exactly did you say that was so crude?"
"..."
Bronya fell silent for a moment, as if gathering her emotions and recalling it. Then her gaze sharpened, her tone turned stern, and she shouted with focus, "I hereby represent the will of the Architects and shove my spear up your nostrils!"
"Hahaha, that's it?" Seele laughed. "That's like scratching an itch through your boots, no punch at all. Looks like before you go back, I'll have to teach you some real street slang."
"If you think it sounds too ugly but still want something with bite, you could also go ask that outsider kid who's kind of like you!"
"Uh… no, no thanks." Bronya shook her head repeatedly.
Seele shrugged. "At least it's better than shoving it up someone's nose…"
Then her tone softened again, something rare for her. "I never thought I'd be here, having a heart-to-heart with the future Guardian."
"When I was little, I hardly ever saw people from the Overworld. I only heard the adults' stories, and I thought you were all arrogant and cold."
Bronya thought for a moment, then said, "I've heard some veteran Silvermane Guards say that before the Isolation Order was issued, there wasn't much difference between the Overworld and the Underworld."
"People ate the same food, talked about the same things, and celebrated the same festivals."
"By our generation, even though the environments we grew up in were different… when it comes to joy and sorrow in life, and the bonds between people, those precious feelings must still be shared."
"If there were a bridge that could reconnect the upper and lower levels… we could surely return to that time when there was no 'you' or 'me,' and stand side by side against the cold waves and the Fragmentum."
"..." Listening to Bronya, Seele fell silent for a short while. "I'm not like you, I can't sum things up with so many grand principles. But… if that's the future you want to see, I'm willing to help you build that bridge."
Bronya blinked at Seele, then smiled from the bottom of her heart. "Thank you, Seele. Your trust means a lot to me."
In that instant, Seele's eyes suddenly widened. Her gaze wavered as she hurriedly turned her head away, while two crimson flowers bloomed on her cheeks.
"B-by the way, what are you planning to do next?" Seele stammered. "What you heard from Svarog must have had a big impact on you, right?"
The heat on her face lasted only a moment. Seele quickly calmed herself with her strong mental resilience, then turned back.
"…Mm." Bronya nodded. Talking about it made her expression a little downcast. "I thought I was mentally prepared, but still…"
Bronya raised a hand and pressed it to her chest. She could feel her heart beating rapidly, and could hear how powerfully that strong muscle thundered within her chest…
The sound was like a war drum, driving her toward the battlefield.
"As long as I remain the Guardian's heir, I was bound to face those truths sooner or later." Bronya's eyes grew firmer.
"But why my mother hid these things from me, and why she wanted me to hunt down the outsiders who knew the true nature of the Stellaron… no matter how I think about it, I can't understand."
"After thinking it over again and again, there's only one thing I can do now, ask her face to face."
Seele froze. She looked at Bronya. "You… wait, you're not really going, are you?" She frowned, her tone growing anxious as worry crept in.
"You're going alone? No, that's way too..."
"I've already made up my mind, Seele," Bronya interrupted. "I am Lady Cocolia's daughter. That will never change."
"Whether as her daughter or as a Silvermane Guard, I must fulfill my duty to offer counsel in person. Even if…"
"Bronya…"
Bronya turned and held something out to Seele. "Take this, Seele. Please give it to those outsiders. If I don't manage to reunite with you… they'll know what to do."
Seele nodded. "…Alright, I understand. You know what you want to do, no matter how much I object, it'd be useless. Just remember one thing, if you run into any danger, I'll risk my life to save you."
Bronya smiled, her eyes softening. "Then I'll be waiting for you."
After that, Bronya turned away and once again looked out beyond the railing. "Did you used to watch the scenery from here when you were little?"
"Of course," Seele let out a soft laugh. "It's just that back then, I didn't understand how precious this view was… it really is nice."
Amid Seele and Bronya's conversation, beneath the pitch-black sky of the Underworld, above countless dim yellow lights, on the rooftop of this abandoned orphanage, an unnoticed glimmer of light flashed by.
Nero put down his phone, propped both hands behind his head, and lay there.
"This is really good stuff to ship…" Nero said.
"Yeah. This brief beauty within suffering is like a flower stubbornly growing from a crack in the rocks. It's too beautiful…" Sampo, lying at the other end of the rooftop, also sighed with emotion.
"Achoo!" In front of the Goethe Hotel, as the three of them were discussing where to look for Nero, March suddenly sneezed.
Then the pretty girl hugged her arms and shrank her neck.
"Why do I feel like something bad is about to happen…"
"Nero says he'll be back soon. He asked where we are."
Stelle's voice came from the side. The little gray-haired girl was smiling as she typed "We're at the Goethe Hotel" into her phone.
Then she blinked. "Huh? Nero sent a video! It looks like it's Seele and Bronya."
[🎉 Shoutout to Fanisa & Luck for joining p@treon. Thank you very much.🤗]