After saying goodbye to Clara, the Trailblaze team finally returned to Boulder Town, ready to sit down and rest.
At the Goethe Hotel, in Stelle's room.
March 7th flopped onto the tidy bed, sprawling out like a starfish.
"Intense battles are exhausting. I'm starving, Leon. Got any food?"
① "Weren't you just cheering from the sidelines during the Svarog fight?"
② "Eat that much, and you'll get fat."
"Ha? Cheering?" Ah Xian pouted.
March 7th shot up from the bed, arguing, "What cheering?!"
"This girl was the ranged fire suppression unit, and I gave you buffs."
Stelle gave her a skeptical look. "Your buffs—you mean that shield made of Six-Phased Ice?"
March 7th crossed her arms, brows raised, her eyes carrying a cute warning, as if telling Stelle to watch her words.
"Got a problem?"
"Nope…"
"Then that's that…"
"It's just a shield that shatters on impact. Pretty colors, though," Stelle teased honestly.
"???"
March 7th's big eyes widened.
"Talk nonsense, and I'll freeze you into an ice sculpture!"
"When're you freezing hands? I'm requesting food first."
Stelle's eyes lit up at the portable food Leon pulled out.
March 7th followed her gaze and rolled her eyes.
"Just messing with you."
Her attention shifted to the delicious food—no time to bicker with this girl.
While recharging their energy, March 7th casually asked, "The underground's business is wrapped up. No casualties, and we kept our promise to minimize harm to Svarog."
"The outcome's not exactly a perfect happy ending, but it's decent enough."
"Now we can go hunt for the Stellaron. Mission's progressing smoothly—yay!"
"Just don't know where the Stellaron is or the real reason Cocolia wants us dead."
Stelle blurted out, "Maybe her account got hijacked?"
March 7th tilted her head. "Hijacked?"
Stelle: "Meaning controlled by the Stellaron. Leon said this world's Stellaron 100% has self-awareness."
March 7th looked at Leon. "What's your take now?"
Leon mused, "Cocolia likely knows where the Stellaron's hidden, but we can't just confront her. No evidence, and it'd probably end in a fight to the death."
Stelle boldly guessed, "The most dangerous place is the safest. Could she be hiding the Stellaron on her?"
"No."
Leon dismissed the possibility.
"We've been close to Cocolia. If the Stellaron was on her, Stelle would've sensed it."
Stelle froze. "You mean that special resonance you mentioned?"
"Exactly. The principle's unclear, but based on current info, only self-aware Stellarons trigger it."
"But I…"
"Your Stellaron's part of your body, so it counts as self-aware too."
Leon anticipated Stelle's question and answered first.
Stelle rubbed her chin thoughtfully.
"Now that you mention it, I had weird dreams while sleeping—heard Cocolia's voice and another one."
"So this special resonance, this sensing, is like that, right?"
Leon: "Can't be proven. Not just me—everyone on the Express is seeing a humanoid walking Stellaron for the first time."
Hearing him seriously call her a "humanoid walking Stellaron," many players chuckled.
March 7th: "So if she can't sense the Stellaron, does that mean we're flying blind for the next steps?"
"Faking a kidnapping of Bronya to threaten her won't work. Poison won't either. Cocolia's like oil and salt—nothing gets through."
"Oh, right—"
Thinking of poison, March 7th realized they'd overlooked a big issue.
"Leon, Cocolia's not… already dead, is she? You did poison her."
Stelle recalled this too, turning to Leon.
She'd seen Leon's poisoning skills firsthand and experienced something similar.
Well, not exactly poison in her case.
Point is, it was undetectable.
"Wasn't it called Three Cries Half-Step Seizure?"
March 7th racked her brain, shivering at the memory of its effect.
"After crying three times, half a step really kills you?"
"Dead…"
Leon got one word out before a knock came at the door.
"Honored Wildfire guests, sorry to disturb your rest. Miss Bronya wants to see you."
It was the hotel owner, Aunt Goethe.
Stelle: "Coming to us this late? Looks like she's made up her mind."
Leon: "March, weren't you just stressing about our next move? Meeting her should give us direction."
March 7th downed her sparkling water in one gulp. "What're we waiting for? Let's go~"
…
"What? You're going back to the surface alone first?"
Hearing Bronya's plan, March 7th was visibly shocked.
Bronya straightened her back, gripping her rifle tightly.
"My mother's deception, and why she ordered a hunt for you, who know the Stellaron's true nature…"
"I have to confront her face-to-face and get answers."
Leon: "I won't stop you, but are you mentally prepared? Have you considered the worst-case scenario?"
"Of course."
Bronya answered without hesitation, her face resolute.
"I know you might strongly object, but I can't run away or waver."
"Lady Cocolia raised me. Her kindness is something I can never repay in this lifetime."
"She taught me life lessons and virtues, how to protect Belobog and its people."
"Though her recent decisions have confused me, I can't discard all those beautiful memories."
"Clara's resolve deeply moved me, and your selfless help fills me with gratitude."
At this, Bronya's fingers lightly tapped the Silvermane Guard badge on her chest.
"For duty and gratitude, for loyalty and justice, I must stand before her, bravely state my stance and thoughts."
"I hold one last hope—that I can reach mutual understanding with my mother…"
"This is my wish as her daughter and my unshirkable duty as a Silvermane Guard."
"You three, my visit tonight is to…"
"Stop, stop, stop!"
March 7th unconsciously clutched her sleeve, looking worried.
"You're not about to… say some flag lines, are you?"
Bronya was confused.
What are flag lines?
"No need to explain so much, Bronya."
Leon glanced at his companions.
"Leave your backup plan to us. We understand your intentions and trust you're not acting impulsively."
Bronya paused, then gave a faint smile.
"You really see through people, Mr. Leon."
She took out a letter and handed it to Leon.
"If I can't reach an understanding with my mother, or if something happens to me, please find a chance to give this to the Landau siblings."
"Serval and Gepard are upright and have significant influence in Belobog. I trust them completely."
"Once they see my seal and handwriting, they'll do everything to help you find the Stellaron."