——
[After Stelle and the others left the office, in a quiet corner where no one was around, Cocolia's expression gradually turned solemn.]
[In the void, a low, eerie sound seemed to whisper intermittently, faint yet unsettling, like the seductive murmurs of a demon drifting into her ears.]
["...Hmm." Cocolia said gravely, "Of course I understand what you're saying. There's no need to rush, I have my own methods."]
Meanwhile, upon seeing this private side of Cocolia, Bronya let out a relieved sigh.
As expected—
"Even in another world, Cocolia still loves deceiving others."
Bronya wasn't the least bit surprised by the current scene. On the contrary, if Cocolia had actually turned out to be some kind of saint, she would have found it far more unsettling.
"This version of Big Sister Bronya, though, has such a gentle personality." Seele looked at Bronya with anticipation. "Is that what you'll look like when you grow up? So pretty!"
"Give it up, Seele. Her personality isn't like mine at all."
Bronya thought back to that tall, elegantly dressed version of herself… and shook her head vigorously. "She's a pampered young lady, a precious jewel cradled carefully in someone's palm. Compared to her… the 'Silver Wolf' is much more like me, Seele."
——
[After the group left Qlipoth Fort, Gepard began introducing them to some of Belobog's notable locations. However, when mentioning the Goethe Hotel where they would be staying, he warned them sternly: "The alley next to the hotel, currently guarded by the Silvermane Guards, has recently been affected by Fragmentum corrosion. It's been sealed off, so please avoid it."]
[Dan Heng couldn't help but sigh. "The corrosion has reached the inner city already? The situation must be dire."]
[Gepard nodded. "Indeed. We're fighting against it. Farewell for now."]
[After Gepard left, the three arrived at the central square, where a peculiar ice sculpture stood—its upper half a massive crystal of ice, its lower half composed of interlocking industrial gears. According to Gepard, this sculpture symbolized the spirit of Belobog.]
[Beneath the sculpture, a petite girl in a Silvermane Guard uniform was enthusiastically playing tour guide for a group of children.]
[The girl had a round face, smooth azure hair cascading over her shoulders, and wore an adorable beret atop her head.]
[Her uniform was completely different from Bronya's—a silver-white coat over a black miniskirt that just barely covered her thighs, revealing slender legs clad in black stockings.]
"Oh? The design of her stockings…"
Chiori immediately noticed the unique feature of the girl's stockings. Near her heels, there were ruler-like markings ascending all the way up her thighs. The minimalist yet distinctive design preserved the allure of the stockings without being overly plain.
The folds behind her knees, in particular, were visually striking.
"Maybe I should try this design when meeting the Traveler…" Chiori tugged at her own skirt, beneath which were slender, eye-catching legs.
…She often wore stockings herself, but even the lace-trimmed designs that had once been trendy in Fontaine now felt outdated to her.
Indeed… the aesthetics of this other world had their own unique charm. She still had much to learn.
["Let me introduce myself, I'm Pelageya Sergeyevna, intelligence officer of the Silvermane Guards and guide for the 'Belobog Historical Tour.' Just call me Pela."]
[The children seemed familiar with her and responded in unison, their voices sweet and childish: " Big~ Sis~ter~ Pe~la~"]
[Stelle leaned in and mimicked them: "Big~ Sis~ter~ Pe~la~"]
[Pela's cheeks flushed slightly. "Please, adults, refrain from shamelessly copying children."]
[March 7th facepalmed and dragged Stelle back. "Did your repeater syndrome act up again? Where did you even pick up this habit?"]
[Stelle grinned mischievously and rubbed her head. March 7th decided not to bother scolding her further and pulled her toward the next attraction, the 'Everwinter' Mechanical Workshop.]
[March 7th glanced around. "Huh? Gepard said there'd be a performance here, right?"]
["His exact words were, 'Occasionally, there are performances.' You filtered out the two most important words," Dan Heng explained flatly.]
["Ugh, I was so looking forward to it…" March 7th sighed in disappointment.]
[But then her gaze shifted to a heater standing outside the workshop. The rhythmic clanking of gears seemed to generate endless heat, turning the heater's metal shell red-hot.]
[Yet upon closer inspection, the heater wasn't emitting much warmth at all.]
["Actually, I've been meaning to ask, this city is so weird. Why are all the heaters placed outside the buildings?" March 7th wondered aloud. "Normally, heating equipment should be installed indoors, right?"]
["Maybe they rely on these things to fend off the Eternal Freeze?" Stelle offered.]
["Uh… if that's the case, then the Architects must've been pretty naive."]
[As they chatted, a woman's voice suddenly called out from nearby, sounding amused: "Hah? You guys can chat for so long in front of a broken heater?"]
[A woman with golden hair as bright as Gepard's walked over. Her features were delicate, her skin fair, and a uniquely designed metal necklace rested against her snow-white collarbone. Aside from her lake-blue eyes, the blue streaks in her hair were particularly striking.]
[Her black-and-white outerwear seemed starkly contrasting, yet it suited her perfectly. Beneath her azure shorts were coffee-colored stockings—both sexy and stylish.]
"Such a cool big sister!" Sein blurted out almost instinctively.
"…" Fern let out a sigh. She had nothing left to say.
From Kafka to Himeko to Cocolia… and now this golden-haired woman, Sein had been squealing at nearly every one of them.
Frieren shot Sein a displeased look. "How rude… I'm a big sister too, and I'm definitely much older than the woman in the projection. Why don't you react like that when you see me?"
"You're older than her?" Sein glanced at the projection of Serval, then back at Frieren beside him.
Then he gestured vaguely around chest level.
"Are you sure about that?"