Chapter 609

Silval slept soundly.

With her hair all messy, Silval sat up in bed, touching her empty stomach. She struggled to her feet and staggered toward the bar, intending to find something to eat or drink to fill her stomach.

"Snap! Snap!"

She squinted at the window while chewing on a biscuit.

"It's so bright, how long have I been asleep...?"

"Ah, never mind, there's no one I absolutely need to see anyway, why should I think about this?"

With a dry, forced smile, Silval ate her food in a daze.

After eating a little something, she quickly tidied her hair and clothes, and went straight out.

The relationship was over, but Belobog remained her hometown. With her homeland ravaged, as a child of the Landau family, she had a responsibility to fulfill, and this had nothing to do with Cocolia.

But when she glanced back as she left, she suddenly froze.

"Who wrote... this string of musical notes?"

Her fingers traced the marks on the door; the memories of the dead were attacking Silval.

Back in college, Silval and Cocolia were still very close. And young people are often flamboyant and like to be unconventional, so they came up with a cool set of coded messages that were unique to the two of them.

Simply put, different syllables represent different numbers, and different numbers represent different characters, similar to ciphertext used for confidentiality.

"7, 9, 14, 6, 3, that means... Beyond the front lines, at the ruins platform, I'll only wait for you for one day and one night. Holy crap!"

Silval immediately grabbed a passing guard.

What's the date today?

"Huh? Today is the 14th. What's wrong, Captain Silval?"

"So I've been asleep for two whole days? Oh no, Cocolia, wait the hell for me!"

She screamed and ran away towards the front-line restricted area.

"Hiss... Did Captain Silval just mention Lady Cocolia?"

"Go, go, go quickly and inform Lady Bronya! There's news!"

Silval was completely unaware of the Iron Guards' actions; she was now running frantically in that direction, not even considering the possibility of searching for someone at Kriper Castle.

As we traveled further out, signs of melting ice and snow appeared on the permafrost. The sunlight shining on us was warm, as if it were also shining on our eager hearts, bringing a comforting feeling.

Silval arrived at the ruins, panting heavily.

Sunlight shone on the crystal-clear ice chair, upon which sat a graceful figure with waist-length blonde hair. Another unfamiliar little girl sat on the floor, her head resting on Cocolia's lap, seemingly fast asleep.

A breeze stirred, ruffling the hair of Cocolia and the little girl, creating an incredibly tender scene.

"Cocoa..."

"Shh! The child is asleep. It took me a lot of effort to get him to sleep."

Cocolia her head, and as her hair swayed, her round, jade-like ears were revealed. Combined with the perfect profile of her face, it was as if something had gently struck Silval's heart.

Silval immediately became awkward, haphazardly running her hands through her hair, trying to fix her disheveled hairstyle. After a while, she said with a embarrassed expression:

"Uh... I'm sorry, I seem to be late. I've kept you waiting."

"It's nothing, the scenery was beautiful, so I sat for a while longer. It doesn't bother me."

"Hehe! You were actually waiting for me, weren't you? Stop being stubborn, you two-faced bastard!"

Silval tiptoed over and tentatively placed her hands on Cocolia's shoulders.

It feels smooth to the touch, and Cocolia's hair brushes against the back of your hand, giving you an electric-like smooth sensation.

Most importantly, Cocolia did not refuse.

Silval couldn't help but grin, and subconsciously began to gently rub Cocolia's shoulders. Seeing that Cocolia still didn't move, Silval's hand instinctively reached down.

"Smack!"

"Hey, what are you doing? I just wanted to see if you've developed properly all these years!"

Silval blushed, but tried to remain calm.

However, she also noticed Cocolia's right hand, which was covered in fine, ice-crystal-like scales. It wasn't grotesque; it had an eerie beauty, but it certainly didn't resemble a human feature.

"What are your hands?"

"The side effects of the Stellar Core power, but it doesn't matter, as long as Belobog is saved."

"... Will it hurt?"

"Fine."

Cocolia gently stroked the top of the sleeping little girl's head, her clear, jade-like purple eyes brimming with a captivating tenderness.

She seemed so nonchalant, yet it made Silval's heart tighten. Cocolia say she was fine, but in reality, she was probably really suffering.

Silval bit her lip and asked softly:

Can it be cured?

"It's hard to say. The professionals say that the abnormal energy has deeply integrated with my body, and it's uncertain when it will subside or even if it will subside at all. Let's not talk about this anymore. I'm leaving Belobog now. Is there anything else you want to tell me?"

Cocolia's tone was much gentler than before, as if she had taken off her cold mask and finally revealed her calm and friendly true heart.

Silval's eyes widened.

"Wait a minute, I've never heard of such a thing! Wasn't Belobog already rescued? Where else do you think you're going? Where else could you possibly go!?"

"Saved, but not safe forever. The cold wave has frozen not only the earth, but also ancient extraterrestrial enemies. Someone must deal with those sleeping monsters and protect the future of Belobog."

"Why you? Does it have to be you?"

"I am the strongest in Belobog, and no one is more suitable than me, Silval."

"But you are the Great Guardian! How can the Great Guardian personally..."

"Silval, it was I who sealed off the lower districts, it was I who caused countless Iron Guardians to sacrifice themselves on the front lines... The war is over, but those sacrifices will not disappear. I can no longer serve as the Great Guardian."

Cocolia gazed at the icy plains ahead and sighed deeply, her voice filled with weariness and helplessness.

Silval's heart skipped a beat, and her eyes immediately welled up with tears.

"I...I don't actually know the specifics yet, but it's all about saving Belobog, right? The things in the Lower District, the Iron Guards, and our things are all for the final victory."

"Yes, but that's not a reason. When I put so many lives on the scales as sacrifices for victory, I became unworthy of Great Guardian. Self-exile, to continue fighting for the future of Belobog, is the best ending for me."

"I..."

Silval had so much to say, but her throat felt like it was blocked, and she couldn't utter a single word. She could only slowly lower herself down, gently wrap her arms around Cocolia's body, and rest her head on Cocolia's shoulder.

Cocolia's body stiffened for a moment, as if she was not used to such intimacy, but she eventually relaxed and let Silval hug her tightly.

Silval sensed these reactions and could imagine the emotions that Cocolia had long suppressed but always remembered, so she smiled and felt relieved.

~~~~~

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