Stelle: "That's definitely her. Bronya was super skinny back then."
Bronya took the album, puzzled.
She glanced at it, and her gaze froze instantly.
"This person… this person…"
Seele leaned over for a look, not noticing anything off at first.
Until she met the child's eyes.
She took two steps back in disbelief, scrutinizing Bronya from head to toe, especially her eyes.
"They look that similar?"
"No… it's not just similar…"
Bronya's lips trembled, her face a mess of emotions.
"This is clearly me. I'm an orphan from the underground, but why… why don't I have any memories of my childhood?"
Stelle: "Cocolia tampered with them, obviously. What I'm curious about is why Natasha didn't recognize you."
Seele, gradually accepting the truth, speculated:
"Kids come and go at the orphanage. Cases like mine aren't common."
"Looking at Bronya now, she's nothing like the timid little girl in the photo. Plus, after more than a decade, it's normal Natasha wouldn't recognize her."
Leon: "Stelle, bring out the junk bins you found in the orphanage."
Stelle didn't ask questions and complied.
Four large wooden crates were lined up in two rows. Leon opened one, beckoning an object to float out from inside.
"That little thing you're holding in the photo—it's probably this."
It was a delicate snow globe.
A snow owl circled above a snowy plain, seeking the perfect moment to hunt a rabbit.
Back at the orphanage, when Stelle had hauled out the bins, Leon had found this.
He hadn't brought it out right away because Clara, Seele, and the others showed up one after another.
He sought it for one reason: to help Bronya recall her lost memories by triggering nostalgia.
Stelle: "Leon, have you ever hunted rabbits like that?"
Leon: "Nope. I'm not a raptor or any kind of bird."
Players still debating whether the snow owl in the globe was Chimi were thrown off by Stelle's line.
The déjà vu from her words was overwhelming, and many couldn't help but picture it—
Leon spreading his wings, eyeing prey from above like a raptor, ready to swoop…
Hilarious!
"Such a serious plot unraveling Bronya's origins, and then this random line out of nowhere."
Old Bear roared with laughter.
"Good thing March 7th wasn't here, or she'd either roll her eyes and roast Stelle or elbow her out of habit."
Bronya, however, didn't get distracted.
On the contrary, as she dazedly took the snow globe, she sank into a trance.
Blurry, fragmented childhood memories surged into her mind, piecing themselves together.
Bit by bit, they formed a few clear, complete pictures.
Seeing her like this, Seele grew worried. "Bronya? You okay?"
"I'm fine…"
Bronya's tone grew more complex.
She remembered a lot.
Seele: "So, you're not Cocolia's biological daughter—you're one of us, from the underground!"
Bronya: "The Architects have said the selection process for the Guardian's heir spans all of Belobog, taking years or even decades."
"During that time, every child of age is tested, and only one is chosen in the end."
"I think… I was chosen at the Rivet Town orphanage and brought to the surface…"
"But why don't any of us remember when you were adopted?" Seele was deeply confused.
"The selection of the Guardian's heir is highly confidential. The process isn't public, and the tests…"
At this, Bronya closed her eyes weakly, her voice trembling more.
"The chosen child must leave their past behind, so I became Lady Cocolia's daughter."
"The next Guardian… I'm so far from being ready…"
"I watch Silvermane Guards die in the Fragmentum every day, yet I can't bring myself to change my mother's mind."
"Now, I know the underground is suffering, but I'm powerless to change it."
"My old home was completely swallowed by the Fragmentum, and I was totally in the dark."
"In the end, I can't protect anything, can't do anything…"
"Why was I chosen? How could I ever be fit to be Supreme Guardian…?"
Leon: "Feeling sorry for yourself already? Don't make us look down on you."
Seele: "Hey—have you said enough?"
Huh?
Bronya froze, looking up at Leon and Seele.
They exchanged a glance, clearly not expecting the other to speak up at the same time.
Leon knew this was the moment to snap her out of it.
Even if not by scolding, his words couldn't be soft or calm.
"While you're saying all this, the Fragmentum hasn't stopped spreading, and monsters are still threatening your home."
"Every day, Silvermane Guards die on the surface, and underground folks can't even get enough to eat. To survive, they're forced to pick sides, with no room to care about right or wrong."
"Do you know why I brought you to the underground?"
Bronya shook her head blankly.
Leon's lips curled into a slight sneer.
"Because as the Silvermane Guard Commander, you care about the people and never shirk your duties. You know what's just and fair."
"I brought you down here to see with your own eyes what your trusted mother has been doing for over a decade."
"Now you know, but your reaction's disappointing me."
"Whether you're fit to be the future Supreme Guardian isn't proven by words—it's proven by actions."
"Oh, sorry, maybe this world won't last until you take over."
"So, you've got two choices now—"
"One, there's a museum on the surface, right? Go back, crawl into the 'Incompetent Heir' display case, and wait for the end as an exhibit."
"Two, as the Supreme Guardian's heir, fight back in your own way and fix the mistakes of this Guardian."
"Can't do anything, can't protect anything?"
"What kind of lame joke is that? You haven't even tried, and you already know you can't do it?"
"You're not incapable—you just don't want to, or don't dare to."
"There's a saying: 'Ride a donkey while looking for a horse.' It means when you don't have a horse, ride the donkey and get moving, instead of waiting for a horse to start."
"Silvermane Guards are bleeding on the surface, and the underground's people are bleeding too, but their blood means nothing to this dying world."
"If you still remember you're the Silvermane Guard Commander and the Supreme Guardian's heir, then lift your head—"
"Start riding that donkey and take the first step. Use the gun in your hand to give meaning to the blood your people shed!"
"Don't act like some hopeless Adou, crying and making excuses for yourself."
Leon's rapid-fire words left Bronya utterly stunned.
Seele opened her mouth to say something but realized Leon had said it all for her.
And definitely… much better than she could have.