Bronya

People were indeed arguing inside, but the heavy wooden door muffled most of the noise. Only intermittent rises and falls in their voices reached the hallway, occasionally accompanied by the faint scrape of furniture being moved.

March 7th pressed her ear close to the crack in the door, trying to make out what was happening inside, but gave up after a few seconds. She pulled back and asked Bai Luoming in a low voice, "Did you catch that? Sounds like a pretty fierce argument."

Bai Luoming tilted his head and listened for a moment before delivering his conclusion with a serious expression. "I can hear people arguing, but making out what they're saying is probably impossible."

Stelle nodded beside him and offered a fair assessment. "You've said a lot, and it was certainly a lot of words."

Gepard turned around, looking somewhat apologetic. "The acting Supreme Guardian has been busy with official duties lately, and today... it seems another urgent matter has come up. Please wait a moment."

His tone was solemn, but a trace of helplessness lurked in his eyes. Clearly, this wasn't the first time he had encountered such a scene.

Gepard was about to step forward and knock when someone suddenly yanked the heavy wooden door open from the inside.

A girl with blue-black hair stormed out, her anger still simmering, and slammed the door shut behind her.

Bang!

The tremendous noise echoed through the hallway, making the guards on either side instinctively flinch. Gepard's raised hand froze in midair.

Seele's brows were knitted tightly together, and her steps were quick and heavy. Her thoughts were still entirely on the argument.

Gepard's tall frame completely blocked the Astral Express Crew from view behind him.

Seele glanced over and caught sight of only a few unfamiliar hems of clothing. Instinctively assuming they were Upper World officials or chamber of commerce representatives waiting for an audience, she didn't even bother to raise her head and walked straight past.

As Seele passed Bai Luoming, her steps faltered for the briefest moment.

Combat instincts honed before her rebirth alerted her to several presences nearby that had no place in Kliperburg. One of them even seemed somewhat familiar.

But the anger surging in her chest overrode that sharp judgment.

Without looking back, she strode down the long hallway and quickly left.

Only after Seele stepped through Kliperburg's main entrance, the cold wind blowing against her face, did she belatedly realize something had been off.

Those people's clothes and the styles of their weapons didn't look much like the usual attire of nobles... and Gepard certainly wouldn't personally escort ordinary dignitaries.

She stopped at the foot of the steps and looked back at the tightly shut fortress gates. A trace of suspicion arose in her heart.

But she soon remembered the subject of her argument with Bronya, and her expression darkened again.

The Upper World's red tape would only waste time; it wouldn't solve any problems. Rather than go back to check on a few unimportant strangers, she might as well return to the Underworld first and deal with the pressing matters there.

Seele pushed aside that fleeting sense that something was amiss, turned, and headed toward the newly opened passage between the Upper World and the Underworld.

Trusting her own actions—that had always been her way.

Outside the office, Stelle looked in the direction Seele had gone and said bluntly, "She looks angry."

"Be more confident," Bai Luoming replied. "Take out the 'looks.'"

March 7th tugged at their sleeves and whispered a reminder. "This is Kliperburg. Show the highest governing body a little respect." Even so, she couldn't resist taking another look at the wooden door that had been slammed shut.

Gepard made no comment on Seele's behavior. He simply walked to the door and gave it three measured knocks.

Through the door, he reported in a low voice, "Acting Supreme Guardian, I have confirmed the identities of four unusual outsiders outside the city. They possess images of Jarilo-VI taken from beyond the planet. They are very likely the visitors from beyond the sky sought in the notice."

A brief silence fell inside the office.

A few seconds later, Bronya's voice came through.

"Please send them in."

Hearing this, Gepard gently pushed open the office door.

A moment before the wooden door opened, Bronya sat alone behind her desk. Documents lay scattered across its surface, the traces left by the argument evidently still uncleared.

When the words "visitors from beyond the sky" came through the door, her grip on her pen suddenly tightened, the barrel pressing shallow marks into her fingers. She quickly loosened her grip and forced her ragged breathing to steady.

After months of planning, she had finally received a response.

She had rehearsed this meeting countless times in her memory. She knew they would bring hope for resolving the Stellaron, and she also knew what they had once done for Belobog.

But when the lock actually clicked, she still instinctively checked her collar and hair ornament, then cast a quick glance at the messy desktop.

She worried that her appearance wasn't formal enough, and even more that they had overheard her argument with Seele.

But it was already too late.

Bronya could only sit up straight and suppress all her emotions. She repeatedly reminded herself that she must not act too familiar with the four of them. The experiences of the future belonged to her alone; the people before her did not yet know her.

Gepard pushed open the door, entered first, then stepped aside.

March 7th, Dan Heng, Stelle, and Bai Luoming appeared in the doorway one after another.

Bronya's gaze swept quickly over them. After confirming that their number matched the scene in her memory exactly, the tension she had carried for months finally began to ease, and even her eyes softened in that instant.

Her gaze passed over Stelle, March 7th, and the others in turn. At last, it settled on Bai Luoming.

She paused a little longer.

Fortunately, the person she had longed for day and night had come here too.

"Welcome to Belobog, guests from the Astral Express."

Bronya rose and invited the four of them to sit on the sofas in the reception area.

March 7th had expected a stern interrogation, but to her surprise, Bronya didn't even conduct the most basic identity check. She quietly nudged Dan Heng's arm and gave him a questioning look.

Stelle, meanwhile, sat down without ceremony, picked up a snack set out for guests, and popped it into her mouth without hesitation.

Having completed his escort duty, Gepard had intended to stay and assist with verification, but Bronya told him to attend to the pursuit at the city gates, the deployment of defenses, and other matters first.

"I will speak with them personally."

"Yes." Gepard accepted the order and withdrew.

Just before the office door closed, he glanced at Bronya once more. He was now entirely certain that these four were the people she had truly been looking for.

Otherwise, she would never have so readily dismissed everyone else present.

Only five people remained in the office.

The room fell silent.

Bronya steadied her breathing and was about to open with the words she had prepared.

"Acting Supreme Guardian."

A calm voice spoke first.

Dan Heng sat near the edge of the sofa, holding himself ready to rise at any moment.

After a brief silence, he raised his eyes, his tranquil gaze meeting that of the girl behind the desk.

"May I ask how you learned of our whereabouts when we had not yet arrived at Jarilo?"