Why am I the one being won over?

Welt rubbed his nose and politely declined the Conductor's offer. "Thank you for your concern, but there's no need to trouble Conductor. I just... I feel like someone's talking about me, maybe it's just my imagination... Well, I hope so..."

Welt adjusted his glasses with one hand, turned his head to look at the pure white planet outside the window, and his meaningful gaze seemed to pierce through the atmosphere.

Why is Miss March 7th trembling?

"No, I don't know why, but I suddenly felt a chill..."

"Don't worry about her, Miss Bronya. She only has herself to blame."

The signal tower on March 7th roared loudly, as if sensing danger, and trembled violently. Bronya immediately took off her coat and put it on her, but Dan Heng, who had already seen through everything, stopped her. He sighed and glanced at March 7th with pity.

"Does Mr. Bai Jun also know the operating principles of these mechanical creatures?"

I had heard about forging before, but I wouldn't call myself an expert; I only knew the general idea.

"Wow, amazing! I never imagined Mr. Bai Jun was a blacksmith! He looks so young, and his hands and face are so delicate and clean, you can't see any traces of forging in the furnace... I'm sorry! I'm not questioning Mr. Bai Jun's abilities, I just feel that Mr. Bai Jun is very impressive!"

The two enjoyed their conversation.

They didn't seem like strangers who had just met; rather, they seemed like old friends who had been exchanging letters for years meeting again— Clara's slightly flushed cheeks and the shy smile that always graced her face were the best proof of that.

The two then seemed to be discussing the field of mechanical engineering, with Clara asking questions and Bai Jun providing answers.

After all, Bai Jun was a legitimate member of the Immortal Xianzhou Hundred Refinements Master. Even though his real expertise was in forging, he also had some knowledge of mechanical topics. Clara benefited greatly from his extensive knowledge, and her gaze toward him became increasingly one of admiration and respect.

Seele had been watching the chat the whole time, suddenly stopped and looked at March 7th, who was completely bewildered, with a serious expression.

"March 7th, I have a question. You and Bai Jun seem to have a pretty good relationship, right?"

"W-what? Our relationship... we're probably friends!"

Sensing an interesting topic, the gray-haired girl who was originally following Bai Jun immediately slowed down her pace without making a sound, gradually moving to run parallel to March 7th's figure. Even Dan Heng next to her quietly pricked up his ears.

"Isn't that Bai Jun actually a scumbag who's very good at deceiving and manipulating girls?"

Seele raised her beautiful eyebrows slightly, glancing frequently at Bai Jun, her behavior quite suspicious. After confirming several times that he hadn't noticed them, she covered her lips with her small hand, unlike her usual cheerful personality, and whispered her conclusion.

"--Gaho!?"

March 7th seemed to have choked and started coughing violently, which startled Seele.

At first, she was at a loss, then she saw March 7th say in a flustered voice, "Uh, probably, maybe... no, based on my judgment, Bai Jun isn't that kind of person... To be honest, Seele, how did you come to this conclusion? Bai Jun doesn't seem like a bad person at all!"

The other person seemed to have figured something out on their own, yet remained resentful, leaving Seele utterly confused.

"I didn't say he looked like a bad guy, I just felt he was a bit dangerous to women... That's only natural, right? I've never complimented a man's appearance before, but that Bai Jun is so cute that even I can't help but compliment him, and he's also good at sweet-talking girls. Ugh, I can't handle someone like that."

"Cute... that's such a strange adjective. It's not really appropriate to use it to describe a man, is it?"

The speaker was Dan Heng. He didn't actually want to get involved in the girls' conversation, but in the end, his urge to complain overcame his rationality.

Unexpectedly, these words caused a huge stir, like a boulder thrown into a lake, and others immediately became interested and joined in the discussion.

"Huh? Is that strange? I think the word 'cute' is quite fitting... Look at Mr. Bai Jun's smile, it's like that of an innocent child, so adorable!"

Bronya's fair skin flushed slightly, drawing admiration from Serval beside her.

"Oh! I think so too. Bai Jun's personality is also very cute. No wonder he was raised by Cocolia, his aesthetic sense and taste are quite good. Hmm, no, I should say that your aesthetic sense is exactly the same as Cocolia's and Pela's..."

"Eh? No, Miss Serval! I... I have no interest in that kind of thing."

"Oh, it's nothing serious~ Let's talk about love to get closer! There's no need to be so reserved with me. You can confide anything to me. Knowing Cocolia as I do, being controlled by her must be super tiring, right?"

"No, no!"

Bronya's voice grew louder. Seeing the girl's obviously disheveled appearance, Serval's smile remained unchanged. She spoke to her affectionately while hooking her arm around Bronya's neck, bringing them much closer together.

"Then let me tell you an interesting story. Back in our school days, Cocolia once talked to me about her ideal type of guy—"

Upon hearing the unexpected gossip, Bronya instantly forgot her position and stared at Serval expectantly with sparkling eyes. Seele also seemed very interested in the topic of the Supreme Guardian and was eavesdropping with all her might.

Everyone got along well and even dragged March 7th and the gray-haired girl into the conversation, chatting away non-stop.

The girls forgot their original purpose and enthusiastically discussed topics typical of their youthful years.

These people are completely hopeless... Dan Heng, the third person left out of the conversation, shook his head helplessly.

He considered himself to know Bai Jun fairly well, knowing him to be a trustworthy man, even someone he could entrust his life to. Even if Bai Jun was indeed very popular with women, he still couldn't be associated with the kind of scumbag who deceives and plays with women's feelings.

So, out of curiosity or simply out of boredom, Dan Heng turned his gaze to the two people at the front of the line.

"Mr. Bai Jun, may I... can I call you 'big brother' like family?"

Clara, blushing and blinking several times, avoided Bai Jun's gaze. Her slender fingers twisted nervously together as she asked shyly in a low voice.

"Sure, it would be my honor to have such a clever, sensible, and adorable girl like Clara as my younger sister."

"Waaaaah, so cute and adorable!?"

Faced with Bai Jun's sincere praise and gentle smile, Clara, as if transformed into a steam engine, covered her burning cheeks and let out a whimper like a puppy.

"..."

Dan Heng's worldview collapsed.

It's time to correct this. Although it's extremely unethical, he still silently labeled Bai Jun a master of romance in his heart, while being thankful that he wasn't a woman, otherwise he might have been caught in a love triangle.

"Big brother, look! If we go straight for a few hundred meters, we'll reach Mr. Svarog's base!"

Clara, who was walking at the front of the group, suddenly pointed to the spacious manor in the distance.

"The area around here is very complex. Mr. Svarog has deployed many automated combat machines here. Everyone be careful not to get separated to avoid being injured."

The Mechanical Settlement was extremely complex and strange in its structure. Its multi-layered design gave rise to several staircases extending up and down, and a chaotic network of roads spread to every corner of the district. As soon as they entered the intricate Mechanical Settlement, Clara looked around and said this, and Bai Jun, who was listening nearby, had the same thought in mind.

The residents of the Mechanical Settlement, who had been keeping a distance and watching, whispered amongst themselves when they saw Clara, who had always helped and cared for them, appear. Gold prospectors, machines, the poor, and children all watched the group of people walking down the road with shining eyes.

As Bai Jun's azure pupils swept across the area, he noticed that the residents' clothing was vastly different from that of ordinary people striding confidently down the upper streets; most of them were unkempt.

Under Clara's guidance, a large number of homeless people have established settlements around the base and rely on Clara's help to survive.

In other words, the Mechanical Settlement was actually a slum inhabited by the poorest of the lower classes. Down-on-their-luck miners often ended up there, and it was said that local thugs and hooligans frequently roamed the area.

Judging by the residents' appearances, there wouldn't be any obvious security problems. However, it's an undeniable fact that this area is particularly prone to attracting criminals, especially within the entire lower class. In addition, the complex and intricate structure of the area makes it very suitable for planning crimes.

To this day, no major riots or attacks have occurred here, all thanks to Svarog's iron-fisted policies, which have allowed him to firmly control every move of the Mechanical Settlement with absolute power and mechanical Antimatter Legion that are spread throughout every corner.

Following the rugged mountain road that could only be called the main road of the Mechanical Settlement, the straight path leads to Svarog's base. Among the dilapidated and old buildings in the Underworld, only this villa standing on the snow-covered ruins can still be described as luxurious.

The group proceeded across the iron bridge, opened the ancient double iron gates, and entered the mansion.

A little while later.

"Mr. Svarog! I'm back!"

Deep within the ancient courtyard, in front of the gate of an old, luxurious mansion, Clara waved joyfully at the other person's retreating figure.

Everyone's gaze turned to the direction Clara was facing, where a tall figure stood in the square ahead.

Before everyone's eyes, a humanoid machine stood with its back to the fountain.

"I see the settlement's power system is back online. Thank you, Clara, but—why did you bring them here?"

The machine wore a large black trench coat and suit trousers, with sleek, massive mechanical arms and a robust, muscular torso beneath a glossy black metal shell. Its imposing appearance alone was enough to tell that it was not in the same league as the cheap machines outside.

The crimson mechanical eye instantly focused on the group behind Clara, its mirrored surface flashing with a screen of flowing data.

"Analysis in progress... Analysis results: The target does not belong to the 'Wildfire' organization. Background: Unknown. Category: Unknown information. Given Clara's recommendation, I will give you a chance to speak."

Just as Bronya approached Svarog alone, preparing to explain the purpose of her visit, Svarog's mechanical eye suddenly noticed Bai Jun standing beside Clara... especially since Clara's small hand was tugging at his clothes...

Beep beep beep beep--!!! Major crisis! Svarog's system is facing an unprecedented major crisis!

His prosthetic eye possesses vision hundreds of times greater than that of a normal person. Because of this, he can clearly see the look in Clara's eyes as she quietly gazes at Bai Jun's profile, and he can clearly see that Clara has an almost dependent trust in him.

Svarog's database searches and interprets the situation at a rate of millions of data points per second, ultimately concluding that...

This is a heavy blow that every father inevitably suffers: the tragic end of having his beloved daughter snatched away by a wild boar that suddenly appears out of nowhere.

Therefore, this time, Svarog did not rely on the optimal answer from the database, but instead gave an answer based on the judgment of the emotion system.

"You, come out here. I need to verify whether you are truly qualified to stand beside Clara."

The giant mechanical arm pointed at Bai Jun, who was standing next to Clara, and its crimson mechanical prosthetic eye emitted a bloodthirsty and astonishing light.

So, does this mean negotiations have broken down and preparations for a major war are underway?

Bai Jun was taken aback by the hostility directed at him for no apparent reason. He looked at the others around him with a strange gaze, only to be met with their alertness and their eagerness to protect him. Of course, the three members of the Astral Express Crew did not make any move, but looked at Svarog with pity.

"Don't hurt big brother, Mr. Svarog!"

Clara's tearful cries had no effect; Svarog remained silent, only the red light in his prosthetic eye intensified.

"It's okay, no one will get hurt, I promise you Clara."

Bai Jun gently patted Clara's shoulder, giving her a reassuring smile. Then, amidst the shocked gazes of the others, he stepped out of the group and stood alone in front of Svarog, who exuded a terrifying killing intent.

"Shall we start now?"

"Very well, regardless of the circumstances, your courage and boldness are admirable, but—"

Courage and boldness alone cannot bear the weight of Clara's life! Before Svarog could utter these words, he unleashed a powerful punch at Bai Jun's face in response. The howling wind and the horrified expressions on everyone's faces were enough to demonstrate the power of that punch.

"Although I don't understand the situation, you should lie down for a while."

The moment Svarog heard Bai Jun's flippant remark, his fate was sealed.

Boom! A deafening metallic clang rang out, and before anyone could react, they saw the towering mechanical body fly into the sky and then crash heavily to the ground, leaving the electrically charged Svarog unable to get up after being punched.

With leaking electricity, a dented shell, and a paralyzed mobility system, Svarog now only has his database available. The next second, the database aptly displays the optimal answer.

"Clara... I'm entrusting her to you... Don't let that girl down."

After those words were spoken, only a gust of wind and lingering silence remained.

PS:

I was so happy to be home with my family yesterday that I forgot to update... Well, actually, I forgot to send a leave request. Please allow me to apologize to everyone.

I'm so sorry, so sorry, so sorry, so sorry, so sorry, so sorry, so sorry!

Chapter 203 Seele: Bronya? (Emotionless)

Is it over?

"You... you won?"

"That's amazing..."

It's unclear whose voice broke the silence first.

The battle ended faster than anyone could have imagined. The crowd, who had taken several minutes to recover from witnessing Bai Jun punch Svarog, erupted in a tidal wave of cheers and jubilation.

"Wow, you're amazing! You knocked down that huge iron block with just one punch! Even I'm impressed. You're so cool, I'm almost a fan!"

A bright and cheerful smile spread across Serval's face as she excitedly ran forward and hooked her arm around Bai Jun's neck.

"A-Bai, you've worked hard. Are you alright?"

At that moment, the gray-haired girl, not to be outdone, pounced on him and forcibly took away Serval's place once again.

"Hey! Little girl, I could forgive you for pushing me away last time, but it's just not right that you're doing the same thing again this time, is it?"

Seeing the gray-haired girl squeeze closer to Bai Jun, Serval frowned and clicked her tongue in displeasure, assuming it was the other party's repeated provocations. Even a clay figure has some temper, let alone Serval, who is naturally outspoken and speaks her mind.

"Oh, don't be angry Miss Serval, that's just how that idiot is... Dan Heng, come and help!"

"..."

Sensing something was wrong, March 7th rushed forward to explain in a panic and called out loudly to his companions who were watching the scene, only to be met with a disgusted look from Dan Heng.

"I have to admit, you're really strong."

Seele walked forward hesitantly, seemed to be praising a man for the first time. Unlike her usual fair skin, a faint blush appeared, as if she was already very embarrassed to say it. Bronya, standing beside her, nodded vigorously in deep agreement.

After all, in Wildfire's initial speculation, even if Svarog was not an invincible mythical opponent, he was still a formidable warrior who could only be defeated after a fierce battle and at a considerable cost.

Moreover, the opponent is the leader of both the gold miners and the mechanical Antimatter Legion. In Wildfire's speculation, it cannot be ruled out that the opponent might choose to desperately rally the Antimatter Legion after failure.

This is also the true interpretation of Natasha and Oleg's earlier statement that "Wildfire needs to be prepared to break ties with Svarog."

The entire Wildfire faction is now lying in ambush around the Mechanical Settlement, completely surrounding all the key points and passages within the settlement. If any bad news comes from Seele's communications, they will immediately engage in a fierce battle with Svarog's Antimatter Legion.

However, regardless of which side wins the conflict, the innocent, lower-class people are ultimately the ones who suffer. That's why Wildfire tried so hard to avoid a standoff. But Bai Jun single-handedly broke this deadlock.

Svarog, who was beaten to the ground and lay on the ground questioning his life, was a powerful example of this.