Under Gepard's lead, the group successfully reached the Administrative District.
They might have looked a little strange to outsiders, though. After all, Gepard was carrying a sack with one hand, and inside it was Sampo, struggling and begging for mercy nonstop.
"Ugh, he's so annoying. Can we stuff something in his mouth?" March 7th covered her ears. Every word Sampo said polluted her eardrums.
Then Gepard briefly recounted Belobog's history as recorded in the archives. March 7th and Stelle listened with fascination, while Dan Heng asked about the Fragmentum.
"Fragmentum Monsters. The Silvermane Guards have been fighting them all along, but the situation isn't optimistic... After you meet the Supreme Guardian, I hope to ask your opinions on the matter. We lack information."
"Trash cans."
"Hm?" Gepard froze for a few seconds, then turned to look at Stelle.
"I was wondering if this would fit on a trash can."
Stelle waved the trash can lid, curious whether the models would match.
"Nobody pays attention to things like that!" March 7th wished Stelle would take this a little more seriously.
Gepard had a question. "Speaking of which, this lady's weapon..."
He had thought using his sister's instrument case as a weapon was unusual enough. He hadn't expected to meet someone who outdid him.
"This can change."
Under the shocked gazes of the Silvermane Guards, the trash can lid actually turned into a baseball bat.
Gepard had never seen such a weapon. "What... miraculous technology," he marveled.
"Of course! This was personally bestowed on us by the Aeon of [Eternity]!"
"March, that's exaggerating a little."
Dan Heng hurried to smooth things over. He only wanted to keep a low profile and avoid a pile of unnecessary trouble.
Hearing March 7th's words, Ye Yan's lips curled slightly into a faint smile, a hint of warmth in his eyes.
He said nothing, as though everything went without saying, letting the silence drift gently through the air as a wordless response.
Gepard was stunned. An item bestowed by an Aeon? Even the Supreme Guardian might not have something like that!
If he remembered correctly, even the first Supreme Guardian, Alisa Rand, had only received the power of [Preservation]. The lance in her hand could tear open the sky in a single stroke.
The other soldiers had also felt an irresistible power constantly at their side in battle. Under the protection of such mighty power, they could actually block blades with their bare hands without suffering a scratch.
Gepard reassessed Ye Yan and his three companions. By his reckoning, these people must still have hidden trump cards they hadn't used.
Were all these interstellar travelers this terrifying?!
"That's an exaggeration," Ye Yan explained. "It's just a stick THEY casually tossed me. I haven't even uncovered this weapon's true power yet."
"If you don't mind, I could also help modify the Silvermane Guards' weapons."
Ye Yan looked at the enormous instrument case in Gepard's hand. He had a good idea he had always wanted to try.
"A good weapon still depends on who's using it."
Sampo, who was trussed up tight, suddenly spoke. The Silvermane Guards escorting him weren't happy to hear that.
"What do you mean? Are you looking down on Captain Gepard?!"
"I wouldn't dare, wouldn't dare. Just a reminder." Sampo was already making it obvious. If you asked him, Gepard would be better off sticking with that modified instrument case.
Sampo knew that, as a captain, Gepard was noble, upright, friendly, and powerful. He would even occasionally hum his sister's rock songs.
But who knew what Ye Yan would turn this black bulwark into?
Sampo still remembered seeing that man who called himself the Presiding Seat using soap as a weapon at the Church of Eternity...
Even the Masked Fools weren't as absurd as they were, though their [masks] had been stolen from the Mourning Actors.
[Fool, come feel the grace of [Eternity]!]
That was the last thing Chair Blake had said to Sampo before throwing the soap in his hand at him.
What normal person uses soap as a weapon?! Sampo kept griping inwardly.
Even more absurdly, that soap was a bomb, and Chair Blake had fucking cooked it to explode on impact!
Only after returning to the Tavern did Sampo hear the folks there talk about Chair Blake's glorious exploits, including but not limited to wiping out countless Voidranger: Tramplers with a bar of soap and single-handedly turning the Annihilation Gang upside down...
Sigh... Times have changed. Even a bar of soap can rival a Voidranger: Trampler from the [Antimatter Legion].
How could the Aeon of [Eternity] be remotely normal, giving THEIR own Emanator soap as a weapon?
But on second thought, this would count as improving Jarilo-VI's overall strength.
After hearing Ye Yan out, the first person Gepard thought of was his sister-Serval Landau.
She made her living repairing machinery. Ever since falling out with the Supreme Guardian, she had spent her days repairing and modifying all kinds of instruments for others.
He felt his sister would have plenty to talk about with him. They both repaired things.
"If the opportunity arises, I'll have to trouble you, Mr. Ye Yan."
"You can keep chatting, but could you put me down first?" Sampo cast a pleading look at March 7th.
Too many citizens had gathered to watch. Being gawked at like this made Sampo feel just a tiny bit... ashamed.
Sampo didn't like attracting attention this way. According to the original plan, he should have stayed behind the scenes, with everything under control.
He had meant to find amusement in someone else, but now he had become the amusement. This wasn't funny.
"What are you looking at me for? This is the price you pay for ditching us and running off on your own."
"So you wanted to run off with him?" Dan Heng asked.
"Uh... never mind those little details."
"We're here."
Gepard completely ignored Sampo and turned to introduce the place to the group.
"This is Kliperburg, the heart of Belobog and the headquarters of the Architects."
"The Architects named it after Qlipoth, the Aeon of [Preservation]. Under their leadership, humanity repelled the assaults of foreign enemies and held back the Eternal Freeze. Now, they're also fighting the corrosion from the rifts."
"This fortress is also the residence of the [Supreme Guardian]."
"The Supreme Guardian?" March 7th tilted her head.
There really were a lot of unfamiliar terms when visiting a planet for the first time.
"She is Belobog's leader, nominated and appointed by the Architects. For generations, they have watched over this city and provided shelter for its people."
"The current Guardian is Lady Cocolia Rand. Every major decision in the city is issued by her."
"Oh... she sounds like a really important person."
"I'll take you to see Lady Cocolia now. You can prepare what you want to say first. Her time is precious, so she prefers brief, concise reports."
"Huh? Huh?! We're meeting her already? Can I find somewhere to freshen up first?" March 7th asked in a panic. Why did this feel like they were about to meet the final boss?
"Leave it to me!"
The baseball bat in Stelle's hand turned into a comb. "Good, my hair isn't messed up... wait, March, you have short hair!"
"March's hair is short, but yours isn't much longer," Dan Heng said.
"So let's not waste any time."
"I sent a messenger ahead, so Lady Cocolia should already know where you're from. Follow me."