Qlipoth Fort

Seeing Pela walking toward him, Jing Yan greeted her politely.

"Silvermane Guard Intelligence Officer, Pela Sergeyevna, reporting for duty. You may call me Pela."

Pela answered meticulously, to which Jing Yan responded, "I am Jing Yan."

"Mr. Jing Yan, we are already aware of your identity. To be precise, most of the people in this city are aware of it." Pela tried hard to suppress the excitement in her heart as she spoke, her eyes flashing with a hint of hard-to-detect admiration beneath her professional demeanor.

"Miss Pela seems like a very dedicated young lady. I have come this time to see Miss Bronya," Jing Yan stated frankly.

"Very well, Mr. Jing Yan, I shall lead the way for you."

Pela held her notebook in one hand while extending her other arm with her palm facing upward, bowing slightly with a smile. She then matched Jing Yan's pace, walking alongside him as they headed forward.

"Mr. Jing Yan?"

Before the Monument of Everwinter, Bronya had finished her floral prayer. She stood up and turned to look at Jing Yan, who was being guided over by Pela.

"Mr. Jing Yan, your contribution to the liberation of Belobog is immeasurable."

"Whatever you may request, as long as it is within my power, I will do my utmost to fulfill it."

Bronya smiled.

Suddenly remembering something, she took a small teddy bear from her pocket and handed it to Jing Yan.

"Is this the one Miss Natasha found at the orphanage?"

"After the incident at Everwinter Hill, when I was unconscious, it was her medicine that helped me wake up. This bear was left with me afterward. Could you please take this doll back, Mr. Jing Yan, and while you are at it, convey my thanks to Doctor Natasha?"

"My condition has improved significantly, and I feel that perhaps other patients might need the company of this plush toy," Bronya said with a smile.

Jing Yan took the plush bear upon hearing this.

"Miss Bronya, I wonder if you have heard about something."

"What is it?" Bronya blinked.

"The Stellaron crisis has been resolved."

"Is there anything else I don't know about?"

Jing Yan smiled at her words.

"Commander Bronya has misunderstood."

"I am not talking about the crisis."

"I am talking about a new beginning."

Hearing this, Bronya felt somewhat stunned.

A new beginning?!

"Yes, shall we discuss it?"

"Hmm, that sounds good. Why don't you come to my office to talk?" Bronya invited him proactively.

Jing Yan was not just trying to strike up a conversation with Bronya for the sake of "checking in"; he was genuinely concerned about the future of Belobog.

The resources on this planet were somewhat scarce, and the environment seemed rather harsh. However, it was the place where he had spent the most time since his birth. Even though he now possessed unique Path powers and was about to board the Astral Express to embark on a new journey, he still held affection for this place and had his own ideas for its future.

Of course, Jing Yan held no official position, but even so, he was not a person to be slighted or neglected in Bronya's eyes.

Because Jing Yan's reputation and the contributions he had made could not be ignored.

The two walked together, escorted by the Silvermane Guards, toward Qlipoth Fort.

In the distance, Guard Captain Gepard watched this scene with a look of longing on his face.

As a member of the Landau family, protecting Belobog was Gepard's lifelong wish. Through his elder sister Serval, Gepard had already learned the secret between the former Supreme Guardian and the Stellaron, realizing that the world had nearly been extinguished by Cocolia.

He felt a sense of reverence for the distant Jing Yan.

"Of course, as a Supreme Guardian, there is still much I need to learn," Bronya admitted.

Thinking of Cocolia, she fell into memories once again.

Jing Yan smiled.

"That is not actually what I meant."

"People are subject to birth, aging, sickness, and death. The passing of Commander Cocolia was not something anyone could have foreseen. For those who remain, other than cherishing life and looking toward the light, there is no other way. However, there are different ways to live that same life."

Jing Yan's words left Bronya feeling somewhat confused. She frowned slightly and asked, "What exactly do you mean, Mr. Jing Yan..."

"Faith," Jing Yan said bluntly.

"For a long time, the faith of the people of Belobog has been in Qlipoth, the Aeon of Preservation."

"But as we should both know by now, that is not the case."

Jing Yan's words plunged Bronya into deep thought.

She had not expected Jing Yan to bring up such a sharp topic.

Even with Jing Yan's current status, he was indeed in a position to say such things, but it still caught Bronya off guard. Especially in public, she had not yet figured out how to respond. Fortunately, as they were still strolling, Bronya had ample time to think.

"Are you implying that you intend to establish a faith distinct from that of Qlipoth, the Aeon of Preservation?"

As Bronya asked this, a great many thoughts crossed her mind.

She could not forget the strange yet formidable power Jing Yan had radiated during his confrontation with her mother, Cocolia.

An instinctive sense of admiration stirred within her, yet she immediately followed up with another question: "Mr. Jing Yan, do you intend to proselytize in our Belobog as the representative of some unique Aeon?"

At these words, Jing Yan paused in surprise.

"It is perhaps not as you imagine, Bronya. Besides, this is my first time seeing the Supreme Guardian's office in this lifetime."

By now, Jing Yan had climbed the steps and reached the entrance of Qlipoth Fort, walking inside under Bronya's escort.

"If the soldiers always walk with their heads bowed, morale will inevitably sink..."

Bronya murmured to herself.

Before returning to the Supreme Guardian's office, her expression had held a hint of joy, but upon stepping back inside, that radiance dimmed somewhat.

Jing Yan observed the subtle shift in her expression and took note of it.

"It seems that ruling a newborn Belobog is no easy task?"

Jing Yan followed her through the opening doors.

The interior could only be described as a world of its own.

The office ceiling soared dozens of meters high, while the doors stood only a little over three meters tall.

Upon entering, one was met with a vast green carpet. At the far end, tall, arched windows were arranged symmetrically, though they offered no view of the outside world. Even now that the Frost Wave had receded and the sunlight was brighter than in days past, the view remained obscured beyond those three massive white windows.

"Please, come in, Mr. Jing Yan."

Commander Bronya said.