Seeing Dan Heng deep in thought, Pei Guang waved him over. "Why are you just standing there? Come and take what you need! Don't worry about using them: if it's not enough, Stelle and I can open more crates in a few days."
Dan Heng mechanically took the materials he needed, still in a state of shock. March 7th, on the other hand, was less affected.
How to put it? Even though she'd only known Pei Guang for less than a week, spending time with him made her realize that even when something shocking happened, she should only be surprised for a moment: it didn't matter how these things came to be, trusting her companions was always the right choice.
Only by getting stronger could they face more challenges with confidence.
After dividing the materials, the four of them had a simple breakfast before heading to the administrative district to wait for Gepard.
They were supposed to meet at noon, but the group arrived quite early. When they reached the large monument at the entrance of the administrative district, Gepard spotted them and waved.
"You're here!"
March 7th: "Hehe~ We've been waiting~"
Gepard shook his head. "I just got here too. The Supreme Guardian was very pleased to hear of your deeds. She also learned about your origins and has specifically requested to meet you."
Dan Heng: "Huh?"
Dan Heng sensed that something was off. How did they know about their presence when the group had never revealed their whereabouts? At this point, Dan Heng still didn't know that the strange occurrences from yesterday were caused by Pei Guang and Stelle.
As they entered in Qlipoth Fort, the main hall echoed with the sound of intense arguments.
"However… such sacrifices are meaningless. We now have a chance to choose!"
Standing beside a desk, Cocolia coldly eyed Bronya. "You may leave, Bronya. The guests have arrived."
Bronya was about to say something, but when she saw that the guests were none other than the Pei Guang and Stelle she had tried to meet last night, her eyes widened in surprise.
"Mother! They're the ones…"
Before she could finish her sentence, Cocolia interrupted her once again. "Bronya, I said you may leave."
After a moment of silence, Bronya's voice became calm. "Yes, Mother."
Sensing Cocolia's anger, Bronya tried to open her mouth slightly one last time, but then turned and walked out. Before leaving, she took a third careful look at Pei Guang's appearance.
Last night, when she returned, Pei Guang and Stelle were already gone, leaving only some trash bins behind. After discussing with her mother Cocolia today, Bronya was sure they were aliens. She also recalled the towering golden light and heard them mention the starship capable of destroying planets during their conversation.
A ship that could destroy a planet surely could evacuate everyone from Belobog; although there was no guarantee that they would help, Bronya believed it was worth requesting their assistance, even if the odds of success were slim.
But she didn't expect her mother to outright reject the idea and insist on continuing the previous policies, even…
She memorized Pei Guang's face and decided to wait outside for Pei Guang and the others. This time, she wouldn't let Pei Guang escape.
Cocolia then turned her gaze to Gepard. "The envoy has already informed me about them. Gepard, you may leave. And instruct Bronya to wait outside for my orders."
Gepard said nothing more and left.
As he departed, the entire main hall was left with only Cocolia and the four members of Pei Guang's group.
Watching everyone leave, Pei Guang whispered, "See that? She's clearing the area. The dialogue is ending; a big battle is definitely coming."
Stelle replied, "I'm already prepared."
Cocolia noticed their cautious conversation but didn't catch the words, so she remained composed. "Welcome! From beyond the cold wave… no, from beyond the stars, correct? I am Cocolia Rand, the Supreme Guardian of Belobog, here to listen to your purpose."
Stelle introduced herself directly. "How do you know where we come from? Aren't you suspicious of us?"
Cocolia smiled. "No, I'm not suspicious. I can tell you're not from this world. Architects must remember history to stay true to themselves: I know of the distant past…"
Pei Guang wasn't listening to a word of this. In his mind, the battle was already inevitable. The empty area, the solitary enemy, and that unfriendly tone—what did that mean? It meant a fight was about to break out!
While Stelle and Cocolia were talking, Pei Guang moved closer to March 7th, positioning his body to block Cocolia's line of sight. March 7th understood what Pei Guang was doing: they were comrades in battle, and Pei Guang's actions indicated he was protecting the main character.
As a support who occasionally took on the role of a main character, March 7th prepared to shield Pei Guang.
"We're here to complete a mission."
Pei Guang's attention was still on how to initiate the battle, but when Stelle suddenly mentioned a mission, he instinctively turned to her. "Mission? What mission? All I see is a boss!"
March 7th retorted, "Who even understands what you're saying?"
Dan Heng, sensing the tension, took over the conversation. But just then, Pei Guang, wearing a trash can lid on his head, holding a trash bin lid on his left arm, and a wooden sword in his right hand, pointed at Cocolia.
"Dan Heng! Stop talking. This old lady has no intention of saving this world, much less dealing with the Stellaron. Talking to her is useless."
After speaking to Dan Heng, Pei Guang cut off Cocolia, who was about to speak in anger. "We mentioned looking for the Stellaron, and you're confused? You're telling me you don't know what a Stellaron is?"
Cocolia wasn't amused by Pei Guang's quick response and repeated after him, "And what does it have to do with you?"
Cocolia's face turned grim, but Pei Guang remained calm and continued, "Our mission is to seal the Stellaron. Once the mission is complete, we'll receive our reward, and sealing the Stellaron will make your world safer."
Cocolia, holding back her anger, forced a smile as she looked at Pei Guang. "You…"
But Pei Guang quickly cut her off again. "Your next words will be, 'You have a way to seal that thing called the Stellaron?'"
Cocolia: "You have a way to seal that thing called the Stellaron?"
Cocolia's face grew even darker. The conversation's pace was entirely controlled by these strangers, putting her in a very unfavorable position. She was ready to issue an order for them to leave.
However, Pei Guang spoke up before she could say anything, and this time, Cocolia had learned her lesson and chose to remain silent.
But Pei Guang still guessed what she was planning.
"Logically, our interests should align, but you don't want to seal the Stellaron. You don't even want to verify whether we're telling the truth because you want to use the Stellaron to completely destroy this world. That's why, even though you know what the Stellaron is, you never had any intention of sealing it. So the next thing you're planning to do is to send us back to rest, while saying you'll provide us with as much assistance as possible, but secretly mobilizing soldiers to capture us tomorrow. Am I right?"