Chapter 164

Ultimately, today's intelligence gathering was already hampered by Sampo's personal issues, and now this incident has caused Seele's pent-up anger to erupt.

"Stop hitting me! Stop hitting me! You really can't hit me anymore, I'm going to die if you keep going!"

Knowing Sampo's temperament well, Seele ignored his pleas for mercy, showing him no leniency whatsoever, treating the screaming Sampo like a bedbug.

"Then you might as well just die!"

"Are you a demon, Seele!?"

Seele's shadow stretched across the wall, like a giant wolf tearing at everything in its path. Amidst Sampo's bloodcurdling screams that echoed Great Mine, Seele suddenly saw her companions rushing towards her, and Bronya waving at her.

Besides them, there were also the newcomers Bai Jun and Serval, whose expressions were somewhat subtle...

The former looked completely bewildered, while the latter seemed to feel a sense of satisfaction at her beating up Sampo.

Furthermore, considering that she had important matters to discuss with Clara, Seele decided to let Sampo go for the time being.

"Miss Clara, are you alright?"

March 7th, who had previously befriended Clara in Rivet Town, ran up to Clara and looked with concern at the timid white-haired girl hiding behind Seele. Sensing March 7th's worry, Clara shook her head, clutching her arm as she softly replied:

"Thank you everyone, I'm fine, it's just a minor scratch..."

"What? Did Sampo bully you?"

Upon hearing this, everyone noticed the several abrasions on Clara's fair arm and immediately realized that Sampo was probably behind it. They then turned their angry gazes to Sampo, who was writhing and crawling on the ground, trying to escape the scene.

In an instant, the atmosphere on the field became extremely tense.

"I'm innocent, everyone! I, Sampo, swear to God I never harmed little Clara!"

Even when Sampo tried to explain to everyone with a tearful expression, he couldn't stop Seele from rolling up her sleeves and heading towards him menacingly. Oh, and there was also Serval, who was already itching to try.

Wait... where did Serval come from?

"Hey, hey, hey!!! Seele is one thing, but what are you doing here, Serval! It's just that I sold you a batch of substandard parts a while ago, don't try to settle scores with me!"

"Hmph, it seems you're quite aware of what you've done!"

With a blank expression, Serval immediately took action, beating Sampo to a pulp with just a guitar. Even Seele was stunned by the sight, standing helplessly to the side, watching Serval brutally beat Sampo.

Before long, a soft, sweet voice easily dispelled the tense atmosphere.

"It's not Uncle Sampo's fault. I just didn't notice the machinery around me and accidentally got scratched."

In fact, it was Sampo's sudden appearance that startled Clara, causing her to accidentally bump into sharp metal objects. However, being kind-hearted, Clara couldn't bear to see Sampo get beaten up and took the initiative to help him out.

"Serval, that's enough. We still have important things to do."

Amidst the commotion, Bai Jun crossed the railway tracks in the mining area and approached Serval.

This sentence worked immediately. "I know, oh, what a pity, such opportunities are hard to come by again..." Serval sighed as if she hadn't had enough, and gave a final stomp as a farewell gift.

During Serval's trial of Sampo, Bronya and others chatted with Clara.

"By the way, Clara, what are you doing here in the Great Mine all by yourself?"

"The base's power supply has malfunctioned. If it's not fixed quickly, everyone in the settlement will be in trouble. I know the Great Mine has the necessary components, so I came here hoping to try my luck..."

In response to Bronya's question, she lowered her head and murmured the words.

After learning the details from Clara's brief remarks, Bronya exchanged a glance with March 7th Dan Heng before getting to the main point. "Clara, to be honest, we'd like to see Mr. Svarog."

"Oh? Does everyone have something urgent to discuss with Mr. Svarog? Clara can pass on your message..."

"No, we need to talk to him face-to-face this time. Can you take us to see him?"

Looking directly into Bronya's resolute and unwavering silver eyes, Clara subconsciously took a few steps back. It was neither "malice" nor "hostility," Clara could sense that the other's will was pure and untainted, yet it was precisely this attitude that made her feel uneasy.

"But... Mr. Svarog has never liked communicating with others, especially the members of Wildfire..."

Not wanting to refuse directly, she resorted to subtly implying "no."

However, Clara still underestimated the determination of the group.

"Not this time, Clara. We have to see Svarog no matter what. He's avoided talking to us far too many times."

Seele, who arrived from the side, took the initiative to bring up the most pointed words on Bronya's behalf.

Seeing Clara's dejection, Seele stopped smiling and asked as if talking to a child:

"Clara, you said it before, didn't you? Svarog's duty is to watch over the Underworld and Preservation the civilization here. If we share the same desire to cooperate, why should he refuse?"

"... I know Mr. Svarog; he is not swayed by people's desires, he only follows rational judgment. According to Mr. Svarog's calculations, the power of the Underworld alone cannot prevent the disaster from happening."

Clara slowly raised her head, accepting Seele's gaze while also peering into her blue eyes, and responded to Seele's question in a soft yet confident voice.

Seele was silent for a moment, then gritted her teeth with all her might. "Clara, although you don't talk to people much, I know... you don't reject us, so can you tell me what that big guy Svarog is thinking?"

"Mr. Svarog's solution was to allow the lower classes to stay away from the source of the disaster and survive for a longer period of time..."

"So you're just locking us in cages? We're all going to die anyway, so what's the difference between a couple of days earlier or later? Can't we even try to struggle?"

Because of their differing viewpoints and positions, Seele and Clara had a heated argument over the issue of Svarog.

Although Clara wasn't particularly eloquent, she had a keen eye for things and her own principles. Beneath her timid and pitiful exterior lay a stubborn and unwavering heart.

"I'm sorry... this is the only thing Clara really can't help with."

Finally, their argument ended with Clara's rejection.

"Well, if everyone doesn't mind... Clara has some important matters to attend to, so she'll head back now."

Clara--

Seele wanted to go forward and persuade Clara again, but Bronya stopped her.

"Seele, stop talking. That child has made up her mind; I can see it in her eyes."

Watching the direction where the petite figure disappeared, Bronya looked at the girl's back, her gaze slowly falling on her right hand.

This evoked a certain scene.

She had been like Clara in the past, so Bronya understood her resolve better than anyone else. Therefore, Bronya could only sigh in the end. Undoubtedly, the next plan had to be changed again, and she would probably have to think of another way to see Svarog.

Just as Clara was about to leave the group, an unexpected person stopped Clara.

"May I have a few words to say, Miss Clara?"

The young man before them could certainly be described as a handsome man, but to be honest, that wouldn't be quite right. His handsome face, unlike that of a teenager, fell perfectly between majesty and elegance. Although his figure appeared tall and slender at first glance, he didn't give off a frail or weak impression at all.

"Um, you are...?"

Clara blinked in confusion. No matter how hard she searched her Remembrance, she couldn't find any information about the silver-haired youth in front of her. Besides, he was really good-looking, so Clara should have a deep impression of him.

"I am one of the Nameless. It's nice to meet you, Miss Clara. You can just call me Bai Jun."

The young man, dressed in a black suit resembling a tuxedo, greeted her first, then walked up to Clara with a smile, like a knight in a fairy tale, and elegantly extended a hand to her.

"Hello, Mr. Bai Jun..."

Clara, stunned, grasped his hand back.

"Miss Clara just said that ' Svarog believes that the people in the Underworld alone cannot prevent the disaster from happening,' right?"

Clara nodded blankly, but Bai Jun's next words plunged her into complete confusion.

"So, Miss Clara, do you think these Nameless from outside the planet can be considered people of the Underworld?"

"Huh? Another... planet? Please, please don't treat Clara like a child! Those stories are all made up by adults, Clara knows..."

The girl frantically denied her guess, her fingers unconsciously twirling stray strands of white hair as unease crept into her heart.

However, Bai Jun immediately changed his expression, looking down at the flustered Clara with a serious gaze.

"Miss Clara must be very observant, right? Do you think I'm lying?"

Facing Bai Jun, whose gaze was steady and kind, Clara re-examined her own heart. After some struggle, she finally managed to utter her true feelings. "No, it doesn't seem like it."

"That's right, the current situation is that we've arrived, and there's a solution to the planet's calamity... So, if we do indeed possess the ability to overturn Svarog's calculations and save the people of the Underworld —would Miss Clara choose to help us?"

"I... I..."

Clara stumbled back a few steps almost unconsciously, her trembling voice filled with unprecedented confusion, her struggling soul at a loss. Bai Jun seized the moment and succinctly revealed the bewilderment that had plagued her until now.

"I understand how you feel, Clara. You also hope that the situation in the Underworld can improve, but at the same time you don't want anyone to get hurt, right?"

This is a gamble.

Bai Jun drew this conclusion based on his brief observation of Clara.

He concluded that Clara's refusal was not out of favoritism towards Svarog, but rather based on her understanding of Svarog and her concern that a breakdown in negotiations might lead Svarog to attack the Wildfire. Therefore, she decided to take the blame herself rather than allow a conflict to occur.

This is closely related to her innate kindness, and can also be seen as two sides of her guilt. Bai Jun recognized this, which is why he stopped Clara.

"Miss Clara is such a gentle and kind girl."

These words were as pure as pristine snow, and Clara, blushing and blinking several times, couldn't help but tremble all over.

Soon, a cold wind blew past the two of them, first causing the red hem of their clothes and their beautiful long hair to sway, and then a smile spread across the young man's face.

Seeing the gentle smile spread across the handsome young man's face, Clara, with her pure heart, blushed instantly.

Thump! Thump! That's the sound my heart made.

For the first time, Clara had heard anyone other than Svarog praise her like this. For the first time, she had met someone other than Svarog who could see through her true thoughts. For the first time, she felt a warm and gentle tenderness blooming from the bottom of her heart.

I vaguely remember that the book often referred to them as "soulmates".

The phosphorescence on the walls of the mine increased slightly, and the gloom gradually dissipated from the supposedly cold cavern. The icy resolve vanished without a trace, replaced by a cheerful smile, like the chirping of a bird, that blossomed on Clara's face.

Upon seeing this, Bai Jun's smile deepened.

As if encouraged by his smile, the timid girl decided to be brave.

As Bai Jun had said before, Clara also hoped that the situation in the Underworld could improve, and she had been traveling to various areas for a long time for the sake of the Underworld's future—providing relief to the poor, providing housing for Mechanical Settlement... But in the end, it was just a drop in the ocean, and she knew that these actions alone could not change anything.

However, Bai Jun now tells her that there is hope for change in the Underworld.

Even if it's just for a tiny, faint glimmer of hope, Clara is still willing to put in her efforts.

"I... I understand. I will take everyone to see Mr. Svarog."

Clara took a deep breath as if she had made up her mind, and her confused eyes gradually became firm.

The moment Clara uttered those words, the surrounding crowd erupted in a frenzy, instantly injecting new life into the deathly silence.

"No way!? He actually succeeded... He... He... He must have just met Clara for the first time!?"

Seeing that Clara, who was originally unyielding, was calmed down with just a few words, Seele, who couldn't believe what she was seeing, widened her eyes and began to wonder whether she or Bai Jun had a relationship with Clara.

"That's amazing..."

Bronya also covered her mouth in surprise, but compared to Seele, every move she made was filled with elegance.

The gray-haired girl struck a proud pose, as if to say, "Impressive, right? This is my A-Bai!" and raised her chin with an air of arrogance that seemed to pierce the sky. As for March 7th and Dan Heng... they exchanged a glance, shrugged, and although they weren't particularly surprised, they still couldn't get used to such miraculous scenes every time they witnessed them.

"Damn it, what kind of bewitching charm is that? I can hardly control myself..."

Finally, Serval, who had witnessed the whole thing, blushed slightly and quietly averted her gaze from Bai Jun's smile. She kept warning herself not to be infatuated, and at the same time, she suddenly understood why Pela was so infatuated with her.

I'm sorry, Pela, if this continues, I'm afraid I won't be able to hold back anymore!

Chapter 202 Svarog Entrusts His Daughter (bushi)

As the Sun in the Upper District moves from the eastern sky toward its zenith, the sunless underground world also advances steadily forward.

The group left the Great Mine and arrived at the Mechanical Settlement again.

The Wildfire team temporarily gained Clara's trust... Correction, to be precise, it should be that Bai Jun gained Clara's trust, while the other members of Wildfire seem to have been unable to speak to Clara yet.

The reason is simple--

"I didn't expect them to get along so well; they've been chatting ever since the Great Mine..."

Watching Clara and Bai Jun walking at the front of the group, their cheerful conversation made Seele, who had known Clara for a long time but had never had a heart-to-heart talk with her, sigh with envy once again.

"After all, that person is Bai Jun. He's the kind of man who can make even Uncle Yang go crazy for him."

"What a wicked man!" March 7th said, spreading his hands helplessly, completely unaware of Dan Heng beside him, who was giving him a disgusted look and keeping his distance to avoid future trouble.

At the same time, "Achoo!" Welt sneezed on the train, attracting the attention of Himeko and the Conductor.

"Do you have a cold, Welt?"

"I'll go get you a handkerchief!"