A new day quietly dawned over Belobog. The horizon turned pale, and the morning light draped softly over the earth like a thin veil.
Stelle had dark circles under her eyes and looked utterly haggard.
The good news was that she had successfully passed the Milk Tea Devil's questions and obtained a skill book for retrieving objects from a distance.
The bad news was that, after practicing all night, she had barely scratched the surface and still couldn't grasp its essence.
The worse news was that the Devil of Drowsiness had struck... She couldn't muster any energy at all. Hopefully, she could get a good night's sleep tonight.
"Whoa... What happened to you overnight?" March 7th was startled by her appearance. "Did you have a nightmare?"
"She probably didn't get enough sleep. Last night, I heard someone next door constantly praying to the Aeon of [Eternity]," Dan Heng analyzed seriously. He hadn't slept well last night either.
After Cloud-Piercer received its second upgrade, it would have been a lie to say he wasn't excited.
"Wow, I never knew you were so devout. Teacher Ye Yan would be so pleased to see this." March 7th cleared her throat and imitated Ye Yan's tone:
"Good. Keep spreading the virtues of the Aeon of [Eternity] like that, and perhaps THEY'll cast THEIR gaze upon you."
"That does sound like something he'd say."
Dan Heng looked out the window. Ye Yan had gone out for breakfast, saying that he was tired of the Conductor's boxed meals and wanted a change of taste now and then.
He looked at the sleepy Stelle. Perhaps he had spent too long aboard the Express, because the first thing that came to mind afterward was Miss Himeko's coffee.
One sip would definitely wake you up. Everyone aboard the Astral Express could attest to that. Even Ye Yan could only finish one cup without his expression changing; a few more sips would shut him down on the spot.
Coffee was terrifying indeed! Who besides workaholics would enjoy drinking that stuff?
Hearing the commotion outside the hotel, Dan Heng frowned. Yesterday's suspicions had come true.
"A group of Silvermane Guards has arrived at the hotel entrance, but they don't seem to have friendly intentions."
"If they're here to welcome us, the atmosphere is far too tense," March 7th analyzed seriously.
"How can you tell?"
Stelle was a little puzzled. All these guards wore helmets that covered their faces completely. Didn't it get hot and stuffy in there?
"Oh, don't doubt a pretty girl's sixth sense. My judgment is never wrong!" March 7th declared confidently. Dan Heng and Ye Yan really had been right. With the way these guards had assembled, they were probably going to take them to visit a jail cell again.
"Don't worry. With Ye Yan's blessing, they won't discover us. Speculating here won't accomplish anything."
"You're right. We're invisible right now! Let's go outside and watch the drama!"
"Brazenly watching drama about yourself. That's very March."
"Don't tease me at a time like this!"
Dan Heng and the other two carefully pushed open the door and walked outside the hotel, where they saw at least fifty Silvermane Guards waiting.
"Wow, this turnout... Are they here to arrest us?" March 7th muttered. She had originally had a favorable impression of the Supreme Guardian, but now it was completely gone.
"Hey, you two, look... They really can't see me!" March 7th ran up to a guard and waved her hand.
When the guard showed no reaction, March 7th looked as though she had discovered a whole new world.
"Wow, Teacher Ye Yan really came through!"
"Even with [Eternity]'s protection, we should still be careful." Dan Heng stood nearby, waiting for the guards' next move.
Seeing no movement inside the hotel, the Silvermane Guards lost patience too. One of them picked up a megaphone and said:
"Listen up, everyone inside! You've already been surrounded! Commander Bronya is waiting for you down here. Come out and meet her if you know what's good for you, and don't try any tricks!"
"Huh? Seriously? Their attitude did a complete turnaround in just one night? We haven't gotten caught up in something huge, have we...?"
March 7th was a little worried. She saw quite a few onlookers nearby, including Serval, whom they had met a few times yesterday.
"Bronya... Is she that kid down there?"
Unlike in the original storyline, the group hadn't met Bronya when they visited Kliperburg yesterday. After delivering Cocolia's medicine, she had left of her own accord to avoid disturbing her mother's rest.
"I am Bronya Rand, acting commander of the Silvermane Guards. In the name of the exalted and supreme Amber Lord, and by order of Supreme Guardian Cocolia Rand, I have come to apprehend the infiltrators plotting to incite a rebellion."
At that moment, this candidate to become the nineteenth Supreme Guardian was also holding a megaphone, repeating herself over and over.
For some reason, Stelle wanted to laugh at the sight.
Just as Bronya was about to continue, a panicked Silvermane Guard ran up to her.
"Lady Bronya, bad news! The blue-haired prisoner has escaped!"
"What?!" Bronya gritted her teeth. She had brought too many troops with her, never expecting that criminal to seize the opportunity.
"Hmm... Is it possible that they're actually working with that criminal?" intelligence officer Pela reasoned. Yesterday, Gepard had brought them back to Belobog together.
"Without a doubt, this was a premeditated jailbreak."
"This was a planned betrayal, without a doubt."
Dan Heng and Bronya spoke in unison, and the atmosphere turned awkward for a moment.
"Seriously, what gives her the right to say we're working with that guy? She's smearing our good names without any proof!" March 7th was furious. They had actually lumped them together with Sampo. That was the most unacceptable part!
"Should we try communicating with them amicably?"
Stelle didn't particularly care. She was very interested in what treasures she might dig out of the trash can a short distance away.
"Ugh... At a time like this, why hasn't Teacher Ye Yan come back yet...?"
The Underworld, Mechanical Settlement.
A white-haired girl stood in front of a large robot, refusing to take even a single step back.
"Miss Clara, this aurumaton friend beside you... seems a little too wary of me."
Standing before her was none other than Ye Yan, with one hand in his pocket and the other holding a cup of milk tea.
"Why make things so tense? I hadn't done anything, and it fired a laser cannon at me."
Ye Yan looked utterly innocent. He had kindly come to hand out milk tea to the children of the Underworld. How had things gone sour once he reached the Mechanical Settlement?
Just a little earlier in Boulder Town, he had successfully won over the leader of the Moles-Pitch-Dark Hook the Great-with milk tea.
Barring any surprises, they would have to spend tonight in the Underworld. It never hurt to build good relationships ahead of time.
Clara stared at the milk tea in Ye Yan's hand and couldn't help swallowing.
No girl could look at milk tea without being tempted.
"M-Mr. Svarog has never liked communicating with other people. If you're from [Wildfire], big brother-no, no!" Clara had nearly fallen for it. This strangely dressed big brother was trying to change the subject.
If Ye Yan were from [Wildfire], Svarog would be even less willing to communicate with him. Clara knew it didn't trust human emotions, only the results of its calculations.
But... Clara hadn't expected the result this time to make Svarog attack outright.