Natasha: Pledge Your Loyalty!

"Interesting..."

"It seemed Bronya's experiences in the Upper District over the years were far more complicated than I had imagined."

Had someone deliberately erased her memories of the past?

Had she been subtly brainwashed in some way?

Or had she simply forgotten her childhood playmate as she grew older?

If her memories had been tampered with, then Cocolia was the most suspicious.

As Bronya's adoptive mother, the Supreme Guardian probably did not want her heir dwelling on her past in the Lower District. She only wanted Bronya to remember her future status and mission.

Jiang Mo's original plan had been to use their old bond to quickly draw closer to Bronya.

Now, it seemed that shortcut would not work?

No, it was still too early to draw conclusions.

Perhaps this was merely their first meeting. His appearance had indeed changed considerably from back then, so it was not impossible that she simply had not recognized him right away.

In any case, he would have to try a few more times and see whether he could awaken her dormant memories.

Over the following days.

Jiang Mo gradually became familiar with the rhythm of life at Belobog Academy.

To his surprise, this academy, praised as the Upper District's finest institution for cultivating elites, had a teaching model astonishingly similar to the schools he remembered from his previous life—classic exam-oriented education.

The schedule was packed to the brim.

"History of Belobog," "Classical Literature," "Principles of Advanced Mathematics," "Introduction to Precision Mechanical Structures"...

The teachers spoke eloquently from the podium, endlessly pouring knowledge into their students.

Below, the students dozed off and mechanically copied notes.

On the bulletin boards lining the academic building's corridors were signs in bold lettering: "Countdown to the Unified Midterm Examination."

"So the Upper District kids are this competitive too."

Jiang Mo found it somewhat amusing. This was quite different from the steampunk elite academy he had imagined.

Still, this standardized sort of school was actually easier for him to adapt to and fit into.

Afterward, Jiang Mo naturally focused most of his attention on observing Bronya beside him.

During class, she always sat perfectly straight, her long silver-gray hair hanging quietly behind her without a strand out of place.

She listened with exceptional focus, and her notes were clear, orderly, and neatly written.

Whenever the teachers occasionally asked questions in class, her answers were always textbook-perfect, often earning approving nods from the instructors.

It was almost impossible for Jiang Mo to find a chance to speak with her during class. She took her studies far too seriously.

Even during the brief ten-minute breaks after class, Bronya never joined the girls in their class to laugh and play around.

Instead, she would take a thick book that was not a textbook from her bag and read quietly.

Jiang Mo discovered that Bronya's reading was quite varied: "General Principles of Social Etiquette," "A History of Belobog's Defensive Fortifications,"

and even books like "Introduction to Military Command and Tactics," which seemed rather unsuitable for someone her age.

"Social etiquette was probably Cocolia's requirement for her. But military command... was that her own interest?"

Jiang Mo silently analyzed it in his heart.

At that moment, Bronya seemed to be surrounded by an invisible aura that shut everyone else out.

Although the other students in the class would occasionally sneak curious or probing glances at her—

after all, she was the Supreme Guardian's adopted daughter and designated heir, of noble status and remarkable beauty... no one ever dared to approach her first.

Jiang Mo judged that this situation was partly due to her special status, but also inseparable from her current cold and detached personality.

Several days passed, and academy life continued as usual.

During a self-study class with a relatively relaxed atmosphere, Jiang Mo decided to stop waiting.

He needed to break this deadlock.

He extended a finger and lightly tapped Bronya's elbow beside him.

The girl lifted her head from her thick book, her brownish-gray eyes turning toward him.

"Is there something you need?"

In an instant, the classroom.

Countless gazes—curious, surprised, or simply eager for a show—converged on Jiang Mo.

"That transfer student from the Lower District actually dared to speak to Lady Bronya first!"

"Didn't he know that Lady Bronya never wastes a single word on ordinary people like us?"

"Keep it down, don't let her hear... Just watch, he'll definitely get scolded in public."

The hushed chatter buzzed like a swarm of mosquitoes in every corner of the classroom.

Yet Jiang Mo maintained that gentle, polite smile.

"Sorry for disturbing you, Bronya."

"I transferred here not long ago, so I'm still unfamiliar with many of the academy's arrangements."

"The history midterm is next month. I wanted to ask whether the teacher had roughly outlined the key areas for the section on the 'Pre-Founding Era,' or recommended any reference books."

"I'm worried I might study without direction and waste time taking detours."

Jiang Mo spoke earnestly and naturally, looking exactly like a diligent new student asking his deskmate for guidance.

The expressions of the classmates craning their necks for a show became somewhat strange.

They had expected a scene, but this transfer student was apparently just a bookworm devoted to studying.

Bronya quietly examined Jiang Mo.

Something seemed to flicker in her beautiful brownish-gray eyes. Perhaps his earnest attitude in seeking advice had surprised her slightly.

After a moment, she finally spoke, sounding somewhat less distant than before.

"The history teacher handed out a review outline last week. It contains detailed explanations of the test topics."

She paused slightly.

Then she pulled a folded sheet of paper from her textbook.

"If you didn't receive one," she said, gently pushing the paper onto Jiang Mo's desk, "you can borrow mine to read first."

"Remember to get one from the teacher yourself after class."

"Really? Then thank you very much, Bronya."

A smile spread across Jiang Mo's face as he accepted the outline.

At the same time, something stirred in his heart.

"She was still kind at heart... But did she really not remember me at all? Had we been apart too long? Had my appearance changed too much for her to recognize me right away?"

"Mm, there was no need to rush. Take it slowly. There would always be an opportunity to help her remember again."

From that day onward, Jiang Mo naturally used academic questions as a pretext to approach Bronya.

Bronya still spent most of her time immersed in her own world of reading, and her interactions with Jiang Mo seemed limited to purely academic discussions.

She did not reject interactions that involved no ulterior motives and revolved entirely around studying.

Occasionally, she would even briefly debate a learning problem with Jiang Mo.

Though her tone remained calm and devoid of much personal emotion, she at least no longer ignored him completely as she had at first.

To the other students in the class, this scene was undoubtedly a strange sight.

"That transfer student from the Lower District can actually talk to Lady Bronya?"

"Don't you think... Lady Bronya's attitude toward him seems a little... better than it is toward us?"

"Obviously! Have you ever seen some clueless fool carrying a stack of review materials thicker than the city walls to ask Lady Bronya questions? We rack our brains trying to figure out how to invite her out for afternoon tea after school!"

The students' private discussions were mixed with jealousy, confusion, and a trace of admiration.

Jiang Mo remained utterly calm in the face of all the surrounding gossip and stares.

During Wednesday's lunch break, Jiang Mo was, as usual, reviewing materials in the classroom.

At that moment, a commotion arose from the other side of the room.

Two older boys walked up to Bronya's desk. One of them was tall and wore an arrogant expression.

"Lady Bronya, my family is holding a party this weekend, and I'd like to invite you to attend... Would you honor us with your presence?"

Natasha: Offer Your Loyalty!

"Lady Bronya, my family is holding a party this weekend, and I'd like to invite you to attend... Would you honor us with your presence?"

The tall boy spoke with a certain air of superiority. "After all, my father is on close terms with the Supreme Guardian. As their children, we should get to know each other better too, shouldn't we?"

Bronya shook her head slightly. "Thank you, but I'm not interested."

The boy had clearly not expected to be rejected, and his expression darkened.

"Lady Bronya, forgive my bluntness, but while you are the Supreme Guardian's daughter, you should not treat the friendship of Belobog's nobles with such contempt."

The classroom fell silent at once, and the air froze like ice.

Jiang Mo closed his book, his gaze resting on the section of the history textbook describing the "Post-Founding Era."

It happened to mention an old tale from the end of the Founders' Era, when Belobog's nobles had nearly caused the city's downfall through their arrogance.

"Volume Five of the Chronicles of the Founders records that 'arrogant nobles are Belobog's deadliest enemies, more terrifying than Riftworld Monsters.'"

Jiang Mo spoke evenly. "Didn't you know that the fifth Supreme Guardian stripped the nobles of their power centuries ago?"

"So compared to the Supreme Guardian and her heir... you are, at most, obsolete nobles, little more than decorations. They could crush you as easily as crushing an ant."

The moment he finished speaking, laughter erupted throughout the classroom.

The boy's face reddened as he turned toward Jiang Mo. "You Lower District trash, how dare you—"

"Enough." Bronya cut him off coldly. "I'm not interested in the party. Please leave."

The tall boy clenched his fists, but ultimately left in frustration.

What no one knew was that the next day, the boy would suffer an accident and be hospitalized. He never returned to the academy afterward.

After calm returned to the classroom, Jiang Mo lowered his head and continued reading.

But he could feel Bronya's gaze linger on him for several seconds.

When school ended that day, Jiang Mo packed his bag and prepared to leave.

After hesitating for a moment, Bronya walked over to his side. "That quotation was clever."

Jiang Mo looked up. "What?"

Bronya shook her head. "Nothing. I just wanted to say... thank you."

"No need to thank me. By the way, I found a valuable reference book about the Founders' Era. I'll bring it for you tomorrow." Jiang Mo smoothly continued the conversation.

Bronya nodded in agreement and turned to leave.

After taking a few steps, the corners of her lips unconsciously lifted slightly, revealing a smile even she had not noticed.

In the blink of an eye, a month passed.

Jiang Mo and Bronya's relationship had progressed from being complete strangers to ordinary deskmates who could discuss schoolwork, but no further than that.

Aside from academic interactions, Bronya's attitude toward him had not changed much. They could not even be considered friends.

Jiang Mo knew that truly moving this "iceberg" would require more time.

During that month, besides studying at the academy, Jiang Mo had also made progress in another matter.

Information from the Upper District was not difficult to obtain. As long as one had enough Winter City Coins, many pieces of information could be bought.