Bronya's Request

The mood at breakfast was hardly lively.

Stelle cradled a cup of hot drink, her unfocused gaze resting on it. She was clearly still thinking about the intermittent voice from the night before.

"Could the Stellaron be affecting you?" March 7th asked, watching Stelle eat her breakfast absentmindedly, concern on her face.

"I'm fine. Maybe I just didn't sleep well last night."

Bai Luoming finished his breakfast and brought the conversation back on track. "Things have come to this, so let's eat first. There's no use thinking about it too much. We just need to seal the Stellaron afterward."

Stelle came back to her senses, lowered her head, and began to tackle the food on her plate in earnest.

After breakfast, the group left the Goethe Hotel. On the way to Kliperburg, Stelle was noticeably quieter than usual.

Bai Luoming walked up beside her and nudged her gently with his elbow. "Did you dream about trash cans last night?"

Stelle shook her head, her expression serious. "No. That Stellaron kept yammering in my ear, so I barely slept."

"That's a shame."

Stelle tilted her head toward Bai Luoming and asked, puzzled, "What's so disappointing about that?"

Bai Luoming waved a hand.

"Hey, you've got it wrong. Think about it: if you could rummage through trash cans in your dreams too, wouldn't that be twice the fun?"

"Whoa, why didn't you say so sooner?!"

March 7th, standing nearby, couldn't hold back a laugh.

The Silvermane Guards stationed at Kliperburg's main gate were the same ones who had been there the day before.

When they saw the group, the guards didn't question them again, instead stepping aside to clear the way.

"The acting Supreme Guardian instructed us that if you visited, whatever the hour, there was no need to announce you. We were to bring you straight in."

March 7th couldn't help exclaiming, "We're getting treated that well?"

The group's footsteps echoed through Kliperburg's empty corridors in a steady rhythm. Before long, they reached the door to Bronya's office.

Dan Heng stepped forward and raised his hand, curling his fingers to knock on the office door.

Just then, the lock clicked softly, and the wooden door opened inward.

Bronya stood behind it, dark circles under her eyes and traces of exhaustion in her posture.

Without another word, she stepped aside to let them in.

"Come in." Her voice sounded a little lower than it had the day before.

Inside the office, the stacks of documents on the desk had grown taller, and the air carried the mingled scents of stimulant and paper.

Dan Heng sat down on the sofa and went straight to the point. "We want to know everything about the Stellaron: how it came to Jarilo-VI, what effects it had, and every record Belobog currently has."

March 7th leaned over to Bai Luoming and whispered, "Teacher Dan Heng is being way too direct today. He's not even bothering with pleasantries."

Without looking up, Dan Heng said, "Time is limited."

Bronya didn't evade the question. She picked up an old file with worn edges from the desk.

"The Stellaron is a disaster. The Eternal Freeze, the Fragmentum, and the monsters you've seen are all connected to its arrival seven hundred years ago."

She pushed the file to the center of the desk without explaining further.

"The detailed records are all here: oral accounts from past Supreme Guardians, damaged documents, and anomalous data left behind by some observation stations."

Dan Heng reached out and took it, his fingertips brushing the yellowed pages as he began reading quickly. March 7th and Stelle leaned in as well, their eyes settling on the jumbled text and charts.

Bai Luoming didn't look at the file. His gaze passed over the desk and settled on Bronya. "Speaking of which, have you heard any strange voices lately, Bronya?"

Bronya's breath caught, and she looked up to meet Bai Luoming's gaze.

After several breaths of silence, she looked away, gazing at the gray-white sky outside the window. When she spoke again, her voice carried the exhaustion left after every disguise had been stripped away.

"Yes. Ever since I ascended to the position of Supreme Guardian, the Stellaron has been trying to sway me."

Bronya's fingers slowly tightened, her knuckles turning white. "It keeps telling me I can't do it, that Belobog will eventually be destroyed by my hand."

"Especially since you arrived, the Stellaron's attempts to sway me have grown even more relentless."

Dan Heng stopped turning the pages and looked up at the acting Supreme Guardian. He had expected to hear an official statement, but he hadn't expected her to lay bare her difficulties so directly.

"Speaking of which, our current strength alone isn't enough to confront the Stellaron head-on."

Bronya spoke first, her voice steady once more.

She looked away from the group's varying expressions and brought the conversation back on track.

"The Stellaron's influence is too widespread. The Fragmentum and the Eternal Freeze would hold you back at the same time. Even if you went to its location now, it would be difficult to succeed in one stroke and seal it."

Stelle was somewhat unconvinced. "We only got here yesterday. We can't decide in advance that we can't beat it just because the records say it's a tough fight, can we?"

"If four people aren't enough, we'll call Sister Himeko and Uncle Yang over!" March 7th patted her chest. "With those two as well, we'll definitely have enough."

Bai Luoming nodded in agreement and added, "If we really can't beat it, we can keep calling for backup. The Astral Express is all about strength in numbers."

Dan Heng glanced at him but didn't object.

"When dealing with the Stellaron, the more strength we have, the better."

Bronya's gaze swept over the group before settling on Bai Luoming. Her tone grew grave, and there was a plea in her eyes.

"I hope you can first go to the Underworld, learn about the situation there, and try to... coordinate the Underworld's forces."

"Why don't you go yourself?" Stelle asked, puzzled.

Bronya gave a slight twitch of her lips and explained.

"The people of the Underworld don't trust the Silvermane Guards. More than ten years of separation have built up too much resentment. Seele has been working hard to reconcile them, but with limited success."

"I thought that if you visitors from beyond the sky stepped forward, perhaps... it might be more effective."

"Forgive me for being blunt, but that sounds like you're handing us the hottest potato," Bai Luoming said, looking her straight in the eye and dispensing with the pleasantries. "If the people of the Underworld don't trust the Silvermane Guards, why would they trust outsiders like us who've only been here for a day?"

Stelle immediately nodded in agreement. "Exactly! You're giving us the hardest job."

"I understand." Bronya didn't look away, meeting Bai Luoming's eyes. "This really is the thorniest problem. But you're the only ones who might be able to break the deadlock."

She fell silent for a moment, her fingers unconsciously gripping the hem of her clothes.

"I'll shoulder my own responsibility. But before that, I must gather every bit of strength I can."

"Well, what else is there to say?" Bai Luoming stepped forward with a grin. "Since you've put it that way, we'll help you."

Dan Heng closed the worn-edged file, the soft rustle of its pages breaking the silence in the office. He lifted his eyes from it and looked calmly at Bronya.

"The records are incomplete, but they're enough to confirm your judgment." His voice was even. "And when dealing with the Stellaron, the more hands we have, the better."

Stelle nodded along, folding her arms across her chest. "Then let's not waste time. We're just going to the Underworld to find people, right? As long as we can seal the Stellaron, making the trip is no big deal."

Bronya's tense shoulders finally relaxed, as though she had just finished a silent battle. She looked at the group before her. The exhaustion in her eyes had yet to fade, but a glimmer of genuine light had appeared in them.

"...Thank you. When you return successful, I'll be sure to reward you generously."

"It's a deal," Bai Luoming replied. Seeing how tired Bronya looked, he added, "Also, if the Stellaron's attempts to sway you become too hard to bear, don't force yourself to endure them. You can come to us."

"That's right." March 7th nodded vigorously. "When it comes to dealing with Stellarons, we Nameless are professionals!"

Dan Heng said nothing more. He had already risen and was heading straight for the door. Bai Luoming, Stelle, and March 7th followed him.

Bronya's gaze followed them as they left. Her lips moved, as though many words were caught in her throat, but in the end they came together as only two, so quiet they were almost inaudible.

"Thank you."

The wooden door closed behind them, cutting off her view.

Bronya stood before the window, watching the four of them recede into the distance. She didn't move for a long time.

Last night, she had meant to find Bai Luoming, but the Stellaron's whispers had trapped her in her room all night. The voices had grown clearer and clearer, even mimicking her mother's tone, forcing her to doubt her every decision.

She closed her eyes.

When she opened them again, her gaze was calm once more.

"It won't be long before the Stellaron is dealt with for good."