A large contingent of Silvermane Guards advanced toward the Orphanage.
The roads leading there from the Cable Car station had all been sealed off, leaving people to watch from far away.
But the mysterious Big Shot was surrounded on all sides, with a group of tall guards holding massive shields that completely concealed whoever stood within.
Behind the shields, a young woman with blonde hair and violet eyes looked at the old man beside her and said admiringly:
"Uncle, I've always admired you. The Underworld is full of ignorant fools and bloodthirsty thugs, and crime rates remain high. Yet you willingly came here to serve as Adjudicator, undaunted by the hardships."
The old man carrying the Code on his back merely sighed at her words:
"Cocolia, the residents of the Underworld are people too, no different from those of the Upper District. The ignorance and violence here aren't caused by the people themselves, but by their environment."
As he spoke, the old man raised his clouded eyes and gazed quietly at the blonde woman.
"Cocolia, what you must do is change that environment and give the people of Belobog a better future. That is the mission of our Landau family, and more importantly, your responsibility as Supreme Guardian!"
The two people behind the shields were none other than the Chief Stoker of the Underworld and his niece, Belobog's current Supreme Guardian, Cocolia Landau!
The Chief Stoker looked at his niece. Their last meeting had been three years ago.
Back then, Cocolia had only just become Supreme Guardian. She was a recent university graduate, awkward when it came to politics, her eyes filled with fear and unease.
But now, the childishness in Cocolia's eyes was gone. They had become unfathomably deep, giving no hint of her thoughts.
Three years of political struggles and intrigue among the ruling elite had made her more mature and reserved.
The Chief Stoker had heard that, not long ago, Cocolia had suddenly announced her intention to adopt an orphan from the Underworld.
As expected, the nobles in power had vehemently opposed it!
But their opposition had been useless!
She was no longer the girl she had been three years ago, someone they could manipulate at will!
Over those three years, she had won over a large number of young Silvermane Guards officers, improving their benefits and promising them opportunities for promotion!
Swear your loyalty to me, and I will grant you glory!
The young officers had taken action within the military, ousting the nobles who had previously controlled it and returning military authority to the Supreme Guardian.
Through this, Cocolia had shown the nobles her iron fist, making everyone understand that the once-naive girl had grown into the queen of the city of ice and snow!
The nobles no longer dared defy her. All glory belonged to the Supreme Guardian once more!
Cocolia had now become a purely political creature.
The Chief Stoker, however, greatly admired this and could not help praising his niece:
"Choosing you as Supreme Guardian was truly the right decision. I thought you would need at least ten years to outlast those noble ministers and gather the scattered power back into your hands. But you accomplished all of that in just three."
With trembling hands, he took a thick notebook from inside his coat and continued:
"Once you have power, many things no longer face restrictions, and you can pursue them freely. Cocolia, these are some thoughts and suggestions I've gathered over the years on how to develop the Underworld.
"I hope you'll read them and improve the living conditions of the residents here. I believe that, since you're willing to adopt an orphan from the Underworld, you must want to set an example and change all of this!"
The old man grew somewhat emotional as he spoke.
"Uncle, there's no need to be so anxious." Cocolia gently held down the Chief Stoker's hand and said softly, "I will change all of this and the fate of everyone in Belobog. Uncle, I've already found a new path, one that can lead everyone to a new world."
"A new path? A new world?" The Chief Stoker looked at Cocolia in confusion. "What is that? Your political slogan?"
"You could understand it that way, but this is nothing like those empty slogans of the past." Cocolia's voice grew animated. "The path I've found is one that every previous Supreme Guardian unfortunately overlooked. I will devote the rest of my life to making it a reality, so everyone can live in a land without cold or hunger."
She paused, then lowered her voice a little:
"It's just that this path will have some twists and turns."
"Every great plan meets with misunderstanding from the people when it's first put into practice," the Chief Stoker reassured her. "It's good that you have a plan of your own. At least you're taking action rather than settling for the way things are."
He put away his notebook and said with a smile:
"You're right. There's really no need to rush. Now that I see you have ideas of your own, I have even less reason to be anxious. Cocolia, attend to your business first. I'll give you this notebook when you head back."
"All right." Cocolia nodded.
By then, they had reached the steps of the Orphanage.
Cocolia slowly climbed the steps as thoughts stirred within her.
Cocolia asked inwardly:
Is what I'm doing really right?
An eerie voice rang out:
"Of course you're right, Cocolia. The Underworld's geomarrow reserves will only last another ten years. Cocolia, you have no choice but to follow my path."
Cocolia's expression darkened, and she asked again:
Are those who died in the Fragmentum really still alive?
"Of course. I've shown you before. They merely took on another form of life and now live in this quiet, peaceful world," the eerie voice said beguilingly. "There is no ice or snow here, no hunger. Everyone lives in a beautiful paradise. This is what I offer you and your people: a brand-new world."
Cocolia fell silent.
"Cocolia, you have no choice!" the voice in her mind roared. "In ten years, when the geomarrow runs out, you'll freeze to death anyway! On this planet cut off from the rest of the universe, are you still hoping for a savior?"
I'm not, Cocolia replied indifferently. If a savior were going to come, they should have appeared seven hundred years ago.
Belobog had already held out against the Eternal Freeze for seven hundred years!
This planet had once possessed advanced technology and a vast population.
When the Eternal Freeze descended, some people chose to escape aboard spacecraft.
The rest stayed behind to hold their ground.
Those who remained were all the most devout followers of Preservation!
They fought against nature, preserving human civilization amid the ice and snow.
But seven hundred years had passed, and the Eternal Freeze still had not receded.
Civilization had regressed, resources had been depleted, and technology had been lost. The people here had lost the ability to explore the stars.
They had also lost the option of escaping this place!
As Supreme Guardian, Cocolia had inherited an utter disaster-
A city without hope, a city on the verge of collapse!
Unless new geomarrow deposits were found within ten years, everyone would freeze to death!
The previous Supreme Guardian had devoted vast resources to surveying all the surrounding geological formations, yet had found no alternative geomarrow deposits.
Cocolia could not keep exploring farther afield, because there was no longer any point.
Their remaining resources were no longer enough to relocate everyone and build another Belobog.
Thus, the only path left to Cocolia was to wait for death!
She would be the last Supreme Guardian!
And so, just as that eerie voice had said:
"You have no choice, Cocolia."