Almost the moment Chu Mu entered the Underworld, an Automaton Soldier relayed the news to their leader, Svarog.
The large robot raced all the way from the Mechanical Settlement, with Clara clinging tightly to his arm. She had never seen Mr. Svarog move so fast.
Clara wanted to point out that such sudden, strenuous movement could easily wear down his joint bearings, and that metal fatigue might even cause them to snap.
But Clara knew even better that if she stopped Mr. Svarog now, the current in his emotional core module might go haywire.
Clara did not know how to repair chips yet, so mechanical bearings were much easier to fix by comparison. She could simply go to the robot graveyard and remove one from any discarded machine.
Of course, once industrial production resumed in Belobog, Clara would be able to get brand-new parts instead of scavenging for secondhand ones everywhere.
Clara planned to give Mr. Svarog a complete overhaul, replacing all his old armor and joints with the latest models.
Of course, the parts could change, but his appearance had to stay as close to the original as possible. Clara understood that Svarog was waiting for Chu Mu.
That wait might last a very, very long time.
One day, Clara would no longer be able to keep waiting alongside Mr. Svarog.
That was why Clara wanted Mr. Svarog to keep his original appearance, so that when Chu Mu returned, he would recognize him at a glance.
Clara had thought that day would be a long, long way off-so far away that she would never get to witness it.
But now, Chu Mu had returned.
Svarog's engine roared fiercely, like a wildly pounding human heart.
Yet when the boy saw his dear friend, he spoke first, asking with a faint