While Pei Guang and Stelle were playing around, elsewhere, Bronya was still hard at work.
In Boulder Town, she was directing the operation.
"Those who need to recover lost property or belongings from their homes, please line up on the left."
"Collected supplies are over here. Property owners, please provide valid information to retrieve and register your items."
"If you have any special needs, please come over here…"
Although Bronya often doubted her own abilities, when it came down to handling issues, she found herself capable of doing many things.
Vagrants, town residents, and the mining crew.
Depending on their needs, Bronya recorded the requests and distributed resources accordingly.
The vagrants didn't lack food or water at the moment, so the focus was mainly on providing tools. Sheets, blankets, even comfortable mattresses were handed out, thanks to the ample supplies.
Many of these items were basic goods from the Overworld, but down here in the Underworld, they became life-saving essentials.
"What are you thinking about?"
Seele's voice interrupted Bronya's thoughts. Bronya looked at the neatly organized lines and replied softly, "I was just thinking about the damage caused by the division between the Overworld and the Underworld. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes…"
Seele cut her off: "Quit moping. Got any solutions?"
Bronya paused, then lowered her head. "No, but I can…"
Seele shot back, "Are you going to say you'll go and talk to the Supreme Guardian? If talking worked, Pei Guang and the others wouldn't have been forced down here."
"…"
Bronya fell silent. Seele was right: if talking had worked, it wouldn't have been up to Pei Guang and his crew to earn favor with the Underworld. In fact, Pei Guang's group could have sealed the Stellaron and resolved the greatest threat from the Fragmentum corruption after just a conversation with Cocolia.
Seele patted Bronya's shoulder. "I'm telling you, sometimes you're too caught up in it to see clearly. Pei Guang is pretty reliable—just clear your mind and follow his lead. Ha! How much worse could it get? Total destruction?"
Bronya: "I…"
Seele laughed softly. "What? Still holding out hope for your mother? Outlanders, starships, and even strange materials found in trash cans—none of it's beyond belief. We've even seen weapons with weird special effects."
"Have you ever considered that maybe your mother's been controlled by something? Or maybe the person you think of as your mother isn't even the same person anymore, just maintaining some semblance of relationships while plotting to destroy Belobog?"
Bronya's breath nearly stopped, her hands clenched into fists. The thought was absurd, yet after everything she had seen since meeting Pei Guang, all the unimaginable things, it started to make sense in a somewhat twisted way.
Seele smirked. "I'll admit, I'm not the smartest. But I'm not dumb either. If she could raise someone like you, a Guardian heir who genuinely cares about us, then she must've been a good person once. If she's changed, it's either because someone—or something—has taken over her body or soul."
Those words hit Bronya like a hammer, leaving her struggling to breathe. But…
Seele continued: "Let's go a step further. Why hasn't the Supreme Guardian destroyed us yet? Why divide the Overworld and the Underworld in the first place? Could it be because she's afraid? Afraid we'll rebel, afraid our determined will might awaken the Preservation and wipe her out?"
Seele seemed to have an epiphany: "If she's afraid, then we have to resist. Even if it means our teeth get shattered, or our heads get cut off, we've got to bite back."
"If the world ended up like this because of those strange entities, then we'll kill them. If we can't do it now, we'll do it in the future. If we can't, then our descendants will. Or their descendants."
"If I can pull unknown items from a trash can, I refuse to believe we can't take down whatever's causing this! And if we really can't, so what? The worst that can happen is death, right?"
"Haha, if I ever get the chance, I'd love to see if there are more of those beings out in the universe. Maybe there are other planets on the brink of destruction, just like ours."
At that moment, Seele seemed lost in thought. She felt like she had entered a strange space, where, near and far, a mysterious figure gazed into the distance.
Just as Seele began to wonder if it was a hallucination, the figure glanced at her, and the vision vanished.
Returning to reality and noticing Bronya's puzzled gaze, Seele decided to brush off the strange illusion, laughing lightly: "What? Do you think I'm being ridiculous? Haha, for that, I have to thank Pei Guang and that quiet guy. Set a goal first, then figure out how to achieve it. Don't get stuck in your own understanding and common sense—free your mind and think without limits. Haha, I never realized thinking could be this simple!"
Before, Seele had found thinking things through exhausting, but after meeting Pei Guang and learning his way of thinking, she discovered that it wasn't so hard after all. Whether her thoughts were right or not didn't matter. What mattered was thinking.
After contemplating for a long time, Bronya took a deep breath. Combining Pei Guang and his group's appearance on this planet with Seele's speculations, she believed it was possible.
If it were true, she would have to kill the current Cocolia. For the sake of the person who had taught her how to be, for the sake of the former Supreme Guardian who was once her mother, she needed to restore her honor.
Because of this possibility, Bronya abandoned the idea of seeking another private conversation with her mother. As the heir to the Supreme Guardian, she had to prepare for the worst.
Taking a deep breath, she said, "I'll go find them. They must know something."
In Bronya's mind, Pei Guang definitely knew something. Rather than wasting time overthinking, it was better to seek help from someone she could trust. She was certain that Pei Guang had the answers she needed—asking him was the right move.
Seele said, "I'll go with you. They're looking for Svarog, and I've already heard from some wanderers where he is."
The two girls quickly agreed to seek out Pei Guang. Ever since meeting him, despite his sometimes outrageous behavior, his actions always had clear purposes and results. Bronya knew she couldn't match Pei Guang's ability to make Svarog submit with just a few words, let alone open a treasure chest that glowed with golden light. Since that was the case, it was best to consult the invincible Pei Guang.
Their pace was fast, and in no time, they arrived at the robot settlement. However, when they saw the three people standing on top of the closed gate, both of them fell silent.
Just moments ago, they had been full of energy, ready for action. But upon seeing Pei Guang and Stelle on either side of the gate, and March 7th in the middle striking a bow-wielding pose, their minds went blank.