Star Rail, Starting as Kiana Chapter 8

Dan Heng was about to speak, to recount their previous trailblazing journey—the time they punched a hole straight through Taikiyan Arena.

"Alright, Stelle. If a stranger suddenly appeared in front of you, would you be wary or welcoming?"

"I'd hit them with a baton. Oh, I see, I get it now."

Stelle understood the situation, so she stopped asking questions and followed the navigation, trudging through the snow alongside the others.

Kiana felt a tug at her clothes and looked down to see March 7th holding the Warm Baby she'd given her, gazing up at her with a grateful expression.

They hadn't walked far before a Void creature appeared in the middle of the road—a translucent blue flying insect, as if carved from crystal.

Looking further ahead, they could even spot two humanoid Void creatures, one red and one blue.

If not for the fact that the three were close together yet not attacking each other, and for the abnormalities in their bodies, it would have been impossible to tell they weren't human.

"Wow, the Void creatures here are so sneaky—they actually look just like people."

Just a moment ago, March 7th had nearly mistaken them for the planet's natives and was about to wave hello, but the others stopped her.

Still, Kiana and the rest couldn't help but agree with March 7th's words. If only that one humanoid Void creature had been standing there alone, even they might have let their guard down and gone over to greet it.

"Alright, since they're Void creatures, get ready to fight."

"Yeah!"

In the end, the three Void creatures barely put up any resistance before falling to their attacks.

"Hey, what's this?"

Kiana had just pulled her Void Lance out of one Void creature when she noticed something drop as its body shattered and vanished.

Picking it up, she found it was a Glimmering Core.

The heart of a monster that wandered the Void—even though the creature was already gone, this heart still glowed faintly, its surface veins pulsing with life.

"That's a Glimmering Core. Keep it. Even though it's a product of the Void and many places consider it an evil thing, it won't affect us. You can keep it as a souvenir or trade it—either way, it's useful."

Stelle had also picked up a trophy—what looked like a Military Insignia belonging to the creature.

Suddenly, Kiana thought of something. She put away her Void Lance, held the Glimmering Core in her palm, and closed her eyes.

When she opened them again, she found everyone else had gotten taller. No—she had gotten shorter, because she now looked exactly like Bronie.

"Huh? Kiana, why did you change into that form again?"

"Can't say yet. You'll find out soon. This appearance will be very convenient in this world."

Since Kiana put it that way, the others didn't press further.

But they hadn't gone much farther before they spotted a snow pile, oddly placed right in the middle of the road.

Whoever was hiding was well-concealed—not a single part of their body was visible—but as they got closer, they could clearly hear the chattering of teeth from the cold, along with the sound of shivering.

And with each tremor, the little snow pile itself seemed to be vibrating.

For a moment, none of them could decide whether this person's hiding skills were impressive or pathetic. One thing was clear, though—their brain wasn't working quite right.

Only Kiana, looking at the snow pile, already knew who was underneath it.

Ah, finding pictures of Bronie is really hard. Aside from official art, there are very few quality fan works. Oh well, I'll add a suitable image when I find one. Time to dig through the archives.

Chapter 14: I Hereby Represent the Will of the City Builders—I'm Shoving This Spear Up Your Nostril!

"The legendary Envoy of Joy? There's no solid evidence, but all of his actions fit the characteristics of Joy perfectly."

And Sampo belongs to the Joy believers, the Masked Fool faction—in other words, the part that's all about stirring up trouble.

The question was whether Sampo had known about their arrival in advance and set this up, or if he just happened to be fleeing from the Silvermane Guards and took the chance to hide on their path.

Kiana tiptoed forward, taking the lead, and signaled the other three not to speak.

Then she pulled out a spear identical to the Silvermane Guards' standard-issue weapon and stabbed it straight into the snow pile.

"What's this snow pile doing here? How strange. You don't think someone's hiding underneath it, do you?"

March 7th caught on to Kiana's idea and hurried over, using her Formless Ice power to create an ice spike, which she stabbed into the ground beside the snow pile.

Then she lowered her voice and said, "Yeah, but a normal person wouldn't hide in a snow pile, right? Maybe someone dropped something, and the snow covered it up."

"True. After all, no one would be stupid enough to hide in a snow pile."

Sampo felt the bayonet on the spear that had sliced off a few strands of his hair and was pressed right against his head. He tried to shift, only to find that his pant leg seemed to have been pierced by something else, making it impossible to move.

But listening to the voices outside, he adjusted his breathing and pretended he wasn't there.

The group watched the figure under the snow pile—whose clothes were already peeking out from all the shaking—and couldn't help but feel a bit impressed.

"Hey, if someone stays out in the snow too long, do you think their skin would get stuck?"

"I don't know, but I heard that if you freeze in the snow long enough, your hair turns into icicles and you end up looking like a hedgehog."

"Step aside. The simplest way to deal with someone covering their ears to steal a bell is to smash a bell right in their face!"

Dan Heng clearly wasn't going to keep watching this farce. He raised his spear and, using the butt end, thrust it straight at the snow pile.

"Careful, Dan Heng! Don't let him enjoy it!"

By the time Sampo crawled out of the snowdrift, none of them had any idea what Kiana was talking about.

It was the experienced Sampo who finally caught on—Kiana was making an innuendo. Seeing the innocent looks on their faces, he decided to play the villain and spell it out.

"I don't have that kind of hobby, and besides, I was lying face-up just now. His spear tip couldn't have stabbed in anyway."

Hearing that, the others finally understood what Kiana meant.

Only Dan Heng, recalling his own actions just moments ago, realized that if Sampo hadn't dodged in time and hadn't been lying face-up, his spear would have turned into a shit-stirring stick.

For a moment, Dan Heng felt a sudden urge to switch weapons.

"Spill it. Who are you? Why were you hiding in the snowdrift to ambush us?"

"Oh, heroes, don't crowd me like this. I'm just a lost merchant. It's perfectly reasonable to hide when danger strikes, isn't it?"

No one believed Sampo's story. When he saw them all raise their weapons, ready to start a fight at the slightest provocation, he quickly raised his hands in surrender.

"I'm a merchant from around here. You can call me Sampo, or Long-Legged Uncle if you prefer. Is Commander Gepard here? I'm pretty familiar with him."

"Gepard didn't come. Isn't it enough that I'm here?"

Only then did Sampo notice Kiana. Because of Dan Heng's positioning, Kiana—wearing Bronie's appearance—had been mostly hidden behind him. When he saw her, his expression froze.

But then he noticed her height, different from what he remembered, and breathed a sigh of relief.

Still, he kept his composure, pretending to look like he'd just spotted a big boss.

"Isn't this the successor to Belobog's Guardian, the commander of the Silvermane Guards? If Commander Gepard is already on the move, why trouble yourself to act?"

Sampo put on an exaggeratedly flattered expression, like an ordinary man, slowly backing away.

But his little movements were too obvious. He'd only taken two or three steps before Stelle circled around behind him, blocking his escape.

"What's all this, folks? Us little people leave the city just to earn a few coins, right? I was only looking for some ancient relics nearby to make a small profit. If you don't mind, I, Sampo, would be happy to lead everyone to make some money together. What do you say?"

They exchanged glances but stayed silent, hoping to pry more clues out of Sampo.

Seeing no one speak, Sampo put on a resigned expression.

That was when he lifted his head and looked at Kiana again.

As if finally noticing her outfit and height, he gasped.

"Huh, so you're not the commander after all. I didn't expect someone to look so much like the commander. Might I ask, are you the commander's younger sister?"

If Kiana hadn't known that Sampo, unlike this planet's natives, wasn't so cut off from information, she might have almost believed his act.

But she didn't call him out. After all, if Sampo felt there was no fun to be had and ran off midway, she'd lose her guide to the Underworld and someone to lead the way.

"Sampo, your crimes are exposed! On behalf of the City Builder's will, I'm going to shove my spear up your nostrils!"

Sampo froze completely. The moment Kiana said those words, he wondered if the person before him really was the city's Guardian successor.

March 7th and the others also turned their gazes to Kiana, startled by the line. They couldn't tell if it was crude speech or some local dialect.

Whether because of the commotion or Sampo's deliberate actions, the Silvermane Guards appeared in the distance.

"Ah, the Silvermane Guards!"

At Sampo's shout, they all looked behind Kiana. Several figures in uniforms, wrapped head to toe in armor and insulated gear, weapons in hand, stood neatly ahead.

When they turned back, Sampo was gone from their midst.

While their attention was on the Silvermane Guards, Sampo had slipped away on greased feet, vanishing without a trace.

By now, he was several meters away.

"Brothers, hold them off! I'll come back to save you!"

"Suspect and accomplices spotted. Apprehend immediately!"

Hearing Sampo's words, the three Silvermane Guards immediately gripped their weapons, ready for battle.

March 7th suddenly spoke up. "Did we get set up? That guy wasn't doing it on purpose, was he?"

Kiana stared at where Sampo had disappeared, murmuring, "Don't worry, Little March. That man is no gentleman. He'll get what's coming to him."

Chapter 15: The Commander Seems Much Smaller

Whether it was psychological or not, Sampo felt a warm current surge through his body, flowing into his chest and groin.

But he had no time to dwell on it. If the two sides reconciled, he'd probably end up getting ganged up on and beaten.

Kiana sighed, turned around, and faced the Silvermane Guards. She slammed her rifle butt on the ground, her expression turning stern.

"Instead of chasing the suspect, you listen to his words? When you return, each of you will submit a written review!"

When they saw Kiana's face, the three Silvermane Guards stiffened, snapped to attention, and saluted her before immediately chasing after Sampo.

Once they were far away, a rookie among the Silvermane Guards asked an older veteran, "Senior, was that really the commander? Why does she seem much smaller than I remember? Could it be an impostor?"

The old Silvermane Guard replied to the rookie, "You're new and young, so you wouldn't know. When I heard 'On behalf of the City Builder's will, I'm going to shove my spear up your nostrils!' I suspected it might be the commander. I heard that line when she was young, and the news was sealed back then—no outsider would know it."

"But why does the commander seem so much smaller? I mean, her height."

The old Silvermane Guard sighed. "You greenhorn, let me teach you your first lesson: don't gossip about your superiors. Some things you can think to yourself, but don't say them out loud."

"Ah, could it be... ah, I understand."

He then shut his mouth and quickened his pace, chasing after Sampo's position.

"Kiana, you..."

March 7th wanted to speak, but then recalled that everyone on the train had their own secrets, and they had an unspoken agreement not to pry into each other's pasts.

Thinking this, March 7th guessed that Kiana's home might be this planet, but she didn't say it outright.

Kiana, however, saw the thought in March 7th's eyes and let out a chuckle.

In an instant, the serious expression on her face vanished completely.

"Alright, March 7th, don't overthink it. I'm not from this planet, just happened to learn about some of the relationships here by chance."

March 7th heard Kiana's explanation and, though clearly delighted, put on an air of indifference.

"I don't mind, really!"

Stelle watched the two of them. For some reason, she had plenty she wanted to say, but her intuition told her to keep quiet and just observe.

"We'll talk about things later. Someone else is coming."

By the time they noticed the approaching figures, they realized it was another group of Silvermane Guards, led by someone whose armor was noticeably more ornate than the rest. His face was uncovered, a cape hung behind him, and he carried a weapon shaped like a violin case.

As he drew closer, Gepard saw Kiana and froze for a moment.

He tested the waters with a question.

"Miss Bronya, what are you doing here?"

But Kiana didn't respond directly; instead, she changed the subject.

"Gepard, the three guards just now went after Sampo, but given his situation, their abilities won't be enough to catch him. You can have them prepare to return—Sampo is probably already back in the city."

No sooner had Kiana finished speaking than the three Silvermane Guards who had chased Sampo returned, looking dejected.

Seeing their commander Gepard up ahead, and even with the Supreme Guardian present, the three immediately straightened their backs. Even if they hadn't caught their target, they didn't want to be criticized for disciplinary issues on top of that.