[Cocolia revealed to you the deeper sickness festering within Belobog—the Elder Council's endless exploitation of the lower classes. Under the guise of providing jobs for the people, they offered meager wages to squeeze out the only valuable labor the populace had left.]
[They controlled the flow of fruits and meat in the market, waiting until vendors struggled to sell their goods and faced ruin before swooping in like saviors. They'd buy up everything at a third of the original price, only to resell it later at a steep markup.]
[Over time, this rot had festered so deeply that the exploited citizens and the Elder Council had formed a twisted, symbiotic relationship.]
[Without a doubt, this was a vile practice standing in the way of Belobog's bright future. Faced with this, your choice is—]
--+--
[A: I will join her in cutting it out by force!]
[The corruption hindering Belobog's progress cannot be allowed to exist. Even if this action strips countless people of their meager livelihoods, even if it incites public outrage, we must carry out our will with unwavering resolve!]
(Note: Based on Bronya's current growth level, the success rate of this option is 40%. If successful, the Supreme Guardian's authority will drop by 80%, with a high chance of triggering the event 'Civil Fury'.)
[B: Let the problem persist.]
[Right now, the biggest threats to Belobog are the Fragmentum and the eternal frost brought by the Stellaron. Until these are resolved, Belobog cannot undergo drastic reforms. We'll deal with this later.]
[C: Turn a deaf ear to Cocolia's claims.]
[You're skeptical of Cocolia's account. After all, these are just her words—without any solid evidence. You decide to investigate yourself and choose between options A or B based on what you find.]
[D: Rather than the options above, you have your own way of solving the problem.]
--+--
As the system's choices unfolded, the live chat fell into deep thought.
As viewers, they had assumed that after the coup and Bronya's rise as the new Supreme Guardian, everything in Belobog would smooth over and steer toward a brighter future.
But no one expected such a severe issue to surface now.
--+--
March 7th: 「Ugh... my head hurts. How are we supposed to choose? I really don't get it!」
Keqing: 「And... it seems like there's no perfect right answer...」
Silver Wolf: 「What kind of messed-up options are these, anyway? Only choice A actually does anything, and it even comes with negative side effects.」
Welt: 「But that's the reality. The Elder Council, which controls Belobog's economy, is deeply entangled with the lower classes. Taking action against them would inevitably impact the people. That's exactly why Cocolia didn't bring this to Bronya—instead, she told Mr. Bai Heng.」
Kiana: 「Because with Bronya's gentle nature, she'd struggle to make a move as decisive as option A...」
Welt: 「Exactly. It's not that she's indecisive—it's that as a ruler, she's simply too kind.」
Sparkle: 「Aww, why sugarcoat it? Just say she's not cut out for it~」
Stelle: 「It's fine! Bai Heng will pick the right answer anyway! Let's just see what he goes with! Hands on hips!」
Lumine: 「Yeah, yeah! Just blindly follow Mr. Bai Heng's lead and we're good~」
--+--
Stelle's comment snapped everyone in the chat back to reality.
She was right—as tricky as this dilemma was, why not just leave it to Bai Heng?
Before this, he'd always chosen the most unexpected yet fitting option. Surely, he'd do it again this time~
With that thought, everyone turned their attention to the screen.
But this time, they didn't get an answer.
On screen, after Cocolia finished speaking, all they saw was the stern look on Bai Heng's resolute face. His remaining left hand slowly clenched, as if he'd made some unshakable decision—then he turned and walked out of Cocolia's palace.
--+--
Stelle: 「.....」
Lumine: 「.....」
Silver Wolf: 「So... what's the answer」
Stelle: 「Is it possible... he handed in a blank paper? Or maybe he's hiding the answer so we can't copy?」
Silver Wolf: 「Lol.」
--+--
Unable to get an answer from Bai Heng, everyone could only refocus on the screen, hoping to see his choice play out in what followed.
Three days later, at Qlipoth Fort.
The Supreme Guardian's residence.
After the silent coup that had gone unnoticed by the public days earlier, the palace had changed hands.
Bronya Rand, daughter of the 18th Supreme Guardian, Cocolia.
Today, witnessed by all of Belobog, she would assume the role of Supreme Guardian, pledging to uphold the oath of Preservation for this eternal city.
For this momentous occasion, the young woman's appearance had also undergone subtle changes.
Her triple turbine accelerators were neatly straightened, and her military uniform now bore a snow-white cape fastened at the front with the Supreme Guardian's distinctive emblem. The Bronya of now seemed less inexperienced than before, carrying a new air of authority.
"Pela, have you seen Bai—my guard?" After finishing her preparations, Bronya turned to ask a round-faced, cute girl.
"You mean that iron-masked knight who's often by your side, Lady Bronya?" After a moment's thought, Pela shook her head.
"I haven't seen him since yesterday. Do you have something important to discuss with him, Lady Bronya?"
"If needed, I can send some Silvermane Guards to check his residence."
"That won't be necessary. It's just that with him not here..."
'I feel a little unsettled'—Bronya couldn't bring herself to say those words.
Ever since the coup ended, Bronya hadn't seen Bai Heng again. It was as though some agreement had been fulfilled, and the person who had helped her had simply vanished.
This left Bronya feeling slightly troubled.
She'd catch herself thinking about that person—his resolute demeanor, yet gentle eyes. She'd remember that incredibly warm embrace on that snowy night.
So... what was wrong with her?
Was it because she'd grown too reliant on Mr. Bai Heng? Why did she feel this way after just a few days without him?
Bronya was puzzled by her own emotions.
Pela would probably know, right?
Thinking that, Bronya framed her question as though it were about "a friend."
"Huh? When that person isn't around, you unconsciously picture them in your mind? You look forward to seeing them every day? And you feel inexplicably happy when you're with them..."
"Lady Bronya, it's pretty obvious—your 'friend' has fallen for that person~"
"Eh?"
Bronya froze on the spot. Pela continued chattering away with her analysis, but Bronya could no longer hear a word the secretary was saying.
So... that's what it was. The feelings she held for Mr. Bai Heng...
Was this love?
A faint smile touched her lips. Bronya didn't feel the slightest bit embarrassed upon realizing the truth of her emotions.
If anything, she felt a little secretly pleased.
Then, once Belobog was firmly on the right track, she'd confess her feelings to him!
The young woman made that decision in her heart.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.