Chapter 587

So, Silval and Bronya both looked at Pela, waiting for the intelligence officer's further analysis.

Under their focused gazes, Pela tensed up, her round face flushing red as she nervously adjusted her glasses. After a moment, she took a deep breath and asked Bronya:

"Excuse me, do you remember that period? I mean, did you see Lady Cocolia taking medicine?"

"I don't recall this."

"In fact, there are no medical records from the past two and a half years. There are only two possibilities: one is that the treatment was very effective, and Lady Cocolia has no longer been troubled by mental illness since then. The other is..."

Pela's voice gradually weakened, her eyes filled with pity and reluctance.

Silval clenched her fists and whispered:

"Secondly, the medication was completely ineffective, and the doctor couldn't help her either. She could only endure it by her own will."

"Miss Silval is right. However, as a Great Guardian, how can one possibly escape responsibility and burden? Personally, I lean towards the second scenario. That concludes my analysis and judgment of Lady Cocolia's physical condition."

Pela looked at her client.

Bronya took a deep breath.

"The original City Builder established the city, preserving the flame of civilization during the disaster, and then entrusted the responsibility of protecting people to the Great Guardian generation after generation. This is our duty, and Mother will persevere. I am also aware of this... I will talk to the doctor later, maybe there is a new medicine that can help Mother."

Then she thought of the highly controversial order to seal off the lower levels.

My mother must have made a very difficult decision, one that came with immense pressure. Yet, she repeatedly contradicts her mother, adding to her burdens without understanding the bigger picture. Is that really the right thing to do?

Bronya bit her lip, a wavering forming in her heart.

She then suppressed these thoughts and asked Pela:

"And what about the other question?"

"Regarding the condition of Ice Scales on the body, I'm sorry, I've consulted a lot of information and asked several doctors, but it seems there are no matching cases. However..."

"Um?"

Bronya saw that Pela's hands were trembling, and her pupils were trembling as well, which spoke of her fear and unease.

Pela forced a smile and said:

"However, there is one situation: if one goes deep into the Fragmentum for a long time and is infected by the negative energy within the Fragmentum... the body will show symptoms of being assimilated by monsters. If it is not dealt with in time, it is only a matter of time before one becomes a monster completely."

Pela looked at Bronya nervously.

As an intelligence officer, when Bronya simultaneously asked to investigate the Great Guardian's physical condition and to examine the special illness, Pela realized something was amiss.

But having investigated this far, Pela hoped her guess was wrong.

The Great Guardian bears the weight of the entire Belobog and acts with absolute authority, contracting the Fragmentum Infection... well, let's at least wait until I and Lingbao have both passed away peacefully and been buried in the same grave before we talk about it!

Then, both Pela and Silval saw Bronya's sudden, stiff reaction.

"No way?"

"Hey! You guys are kidding, Cocolia is the Great Guardian, how could she possibly be infected by the Fragmentum Energy?"

Pela panicked, Silval panicked too.

Bronya was distracted during her afternoon shift.

Fortunately, nothing unexpected happened, and she completed the task satisfactorily.

Upon reaching her front door, Bronya's hand froze on the door, unable to move forward for a long time. For the first time, she felt a sense of fear about going home.

' Pela and Silval aren't the type to speak without thinking; they should be able to keep their promise and keep the secret for now. But Mother... perhaps we've guessed wrong? Maybe it's just a misunderstanding.'

'Otherwise, if even the Great Guardian has suffered such misfortune, what will become of Belobog? What will become of me?'

Bronya gritted her teeth, mustered her courage, and pushed open the door to her home.

As I walked from the doorway into the living room, I could smell the aroma of food wafting through the air; otherwise, it was very quiet.

Bronya placed the musket on the shelf in the living room and turned her gaze to the hallway.

In the study deep in the corridor, she found Cocolia engrossed in writing something—it seemed that Cocolia had been writing for the past few days; Bronya had glanced at it while cleaning and it appeared to be some of Belobog's future plans.

It's perfectly normal for the Great Guardian to plan for the future. But considering the information she received today, Bronya couldn't help but think of the possibility of leaving a will.

"Mother!"

"Okay, now that you're back, go wash your hands and face, then have dinner."

"Mother, you... you should..."

"What's wrong? You shouldn't be the kind of person who's hesitant and timid. If you have any questions, you should be able to speak your mind even in the office in Kriper Castle."

Cocolia stopped writing, looked up, and gazed at Bronya with her clear, jewel-like dark purple eyes.

Bronya felt gentleness and encouragement from it.

She paused for a moment.

Perhaps it was due to differing political views, or perhaps they were both too busy, but it seemed like her mother hadn't looked at her like this in a long time. So much so that Bronya sometimes forgot that they were mother and daughter, the closest and most trusted people in each other's world.

"Call--"

Bronya breathed a sigh of relief, suddenly realizing that her earlier tension was completely unnecessary. They were mother and daughter; as a daughter, what was there to worry about regarding her mother's health?

"Mother, are you really alright?"

No, don't overthink it.

"People affected by the negative energy of the Fragmentum will gradually develop monstrous characteristics, Mother, you know that, right?"

"..."

Cocolia remained silent for a long time, then slowly closed the pen cap and placed it on the table. She looked at Bronya with an expressionless face, and after a long pause, as if she had no choice but to give in to her daughter, she said:

"The responsibilities of the Great Guardian are not as simple as you imagine. There are some things you will only be qualified to know on the day you take over as Great Guardian."

"But your health..."

"Bronya, forget about it. As the Great Guardian... as your mother, I promise you, everything will be alright."

Cocolia's voice was weary.

"You've grown up. Without realizing it, you've grown so much. In another two years, you'll probably be as tall as me, right?"

It was as if the cold, unchanging shell of the past decade had quietly cracked, revealing the hidden weight within to Bronya's eyes.

"Mother."

Bronya was at a loss for words, for she had never seen Cocolia like this before, her aura gentle and fragile, just like the tender mother that every child had dreamed of.

So she stepped down.

Although she might feel resentful and press for answers once she regains her senses, Bronya couldn't bear to put Cocolia in a difficult position at this moment.

'Is it the responsibility of the Great Guardian?'

Bronya sighed softly, turned and went to the living room to prepare dinner.

In the study, Cocolia stroked the development plan she had written based on Belobog's current situation, and heard a chaotic and evil voice in her mind:

Why not tell her the truth? There's a place for her in the new world; that's what you asked for.

'I have my reasons. At least, until the very last moment, let her live as Belobog.'

[Hahaha! Fine, it doesn't matter anyway, do whatever you want. Cocolia, the time is almost here, a new world is before you.]

'Yes, I'm looking forward to it.'

Cocolia smiled, as if there was a cute (silly) little thing right in front of her that was worthy of her smile.