[Holy crab, what a fierce Bronya!]
[That's the spirit! Her trip to the underground with the Trailblaze team wasn't for nothing.]
[Leon's keeping a low profile, but he saw Bronya's potential to stand up and brought her down there.]
[The key was guessing how tough life is for the underground folks.]
[+1, he didn't even investigate, yet his insight is so vast—how much has he been through?]
[Getting bombarded by Bronya like that, will Cocolia flip and disown her?]
Thanks to Ah Xian listening to the full character dialogue, most viewers didn't have time to type long chat messages.
She knew Cocolia's reaction in the beta, but the public release's Leon route was uncertain.
Cocolia stayed silent for a long while, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath.
"If you want the truth about the Stellaron, fine. It's time you heard her voice."
"It's also time you learned how to save this dying world. Prepare yourself and follow me."
Bronya: "And the reason for eliminating the Nameless?"
Cocolia's gaze darkened.
"They're not our kind, so their motives are suspect. Saving a world without reward, risking their lives—you believe that?"
"You're not a child anymore, Bronya. Put away your laughable naivety."
"The Stellaron is the key to saving Belobog. How can we let outsiders meddle?"
"They talk a good game, but they're after the Stellaron's power."
"If it falls into their hands, this world is truly doomed, and no one escapes the calamity."
Bronya wasn't swayed, pressing further.
"But Mother, the eternal frost was caused by the Stellaron, and according to the Nameless, so is the Fragmentum!"
"Eyes are the windows to the soul; instinctive actions paint the true outline of the heart."
"As Silvermane Guard Commander, I've apprehended countless criminals and witnessed numerous judgments."
"Tricking me isn't that easy, so why would they go to such lengths?"
"Guardian, before I learn the truth, please remove the wanted posters from the streets."
Cocolia's face trembled with anger.
"What kind of spell did those outsiders cast on you to earn such trust?"
"I haven't fallen for anyone's spell, Guardian. I trust my own judgment!"
Even in private, Bronya didn't call her Mother, showing her resolve and trust.
Even if there was a one-in-a-million chance the Nameless deceived her—
What about the underground?
What she saw, heard, and experienced—could that be fake?
"Unreasonable!"
Cocolia slammed both palms on the desk, an invisible wave emerging from nowhere, striking Bronya's forehead.
The moment they connected, Bronya's expression turned dazed and lifeless, and she fell silent.
"Guards! Notify Butler Sebastian to take Commander Bronya to rest and guard her strictly against intruders."
The Qlipoth Fort scene ended here, and the screen went to a loading bar.
Ah Xian blinked, stunned, her face showing surprise.
It wasn't taking Bronya to the Stellaron's location for a final battle?
The plot had diverged significantly again.
Cocolia seemed much angrier than in the beta, even knocking out her own daughter.
[So mad! Bronya was standing up for us, and she got…]
[Ah Xian, Ah Xian, when does Cocolia show her health bar? She's the final boss, right?]
[The boss is probably the Stellaron, my guess.]
"Just keep watching. Even if I know the beta plot, spoiling isn't cool."
Ah Xian shook her head.
"Besides, Leon's route isn't the beta plot. The main goal's still finding the Stellaron, but the process is quite different."
"Next, we're probably heading back to the surface. Let's see if we look for Serval first."
…
After resting for a night and briefing Wildfire on some matters, Leon's trio, along with Seele, returned to the surface.
"Phew, finally back on the surface. I missed the fresh air…"
March 7th spread her arms, savoring the moment, her nose twitching before letting out a sneeze.
"Achoo… How come after a few days underground, it feels even colder up here?"
She shivered, hugging her arms and rubbing her hands.
Stelle shook her head with a smirk, promptly taking off her jacket and draping it over March's shoulders.
"Looks like I've got more Trailblaze power to ward off the cold."
Ugh, she's looking down on me…
March 7th gritted her teeth but, warmed by the jacket, decided not to argue with Stelle.
Leon casually gave the girls a way to save face.
"It is colder than when we first arrived in Belobog. It's not March's fault."
"See? Hear that? It's not this girl's frail constitution, okay?" March 7th squinted cutely.
Stelle shrugged, dropping the teasing, and turned to the side.
"Seele, you feeling cold too?"
"It's fine. Just… feels unfamiliar up here."
Seele's gaze was complex, scanning the towering buildings.
"The last time Oleg brought me to the surface, I was a little kid. These sights are long gone from my memory."
"The upper and lower districts have been cut off for too long… too long. I'm fine. Where to next?"
① "The most dangerous place is the safest. Back to the Goethe Hotel!"
② "Rely on parents at home, friends abroad—find the Landau siblings!"
③ "Green hills endure, rivers flow forever—let's head back to the Express!"
Sorry, options one and two pale compared to the temptation of option three.
"Wow, you're so disloyal, spouting nonsense like that. Though… I'm kinda tempted too…"
Realizing what she said, March 7th coughed to change the subject.
"Leon, should we find a hidden spot to lay low first?"
Stelle spoke up first. "No place better to crash than the Machine Shop. What do you think?"
March 7th: "Why there?"
"Gepard's a Silvermane officer, and we don't know where he is. Asking around could cause trouble."
Stelle explained quickly.
"We don't want to get spotted by the Guards before we even find him, right?"
"Serval's different. Her Machine Shop's right by Qlipoth Fort. The Guards wouldn't expect us to hide in plain sight."
Leon's expression was intriguing. "Normally, I'd agree with Stelle's suggestion."
Stelle raised a brow. "What's that mean? Something abnormal going on?"
Leon didn't deny it but sidestepped the question.
"Last night, when I escorted Bronya back, before we parted, I gave her a rifle magazine with a tracking function…"