["It's over..." Seele sighed deeply.]
["..." Bronya raised her head, gazing sorrowfully at the golden aurora in the sky, as if she could see the departed Cocolia.]
["Mother... have you awakened from your dream yet?"]
[Seeing her grief, Stelle, March 7th, and Dan Heng chose not to disturb her, stepping aside to whisper.]
["Wow... this Trailblaze mission was really tough." March 7th sounded exhausted, her voice weak: "Uh... but what about the [Stellaron]? Mr. Yang usually handles these."]
["I've already notified Himeko and Mr. Welt. They'll take care of sealing this [Stellaron]." Dan Heng said calmly.]
["Yay! So... this world's crisis is resolved now?"]
["..." Dan Heng turned to look at the raging snowstorm around them and shook his head quietly.]
["The blizzard rages—it cannot cease abruptly."]
["After the Stellaron is sealed, the Eternal Freeze will gradually recede. The Fragmentum in this world won't expand aggressively anymore, but it won't disappear either. Jarilo-VI has gained the possibility of rebirth, but that will take time..."]
"Though the challenge appears over, I'd say the real trouble is just beginning."
At Yujing Terrace in Liyue, Keqing slowly lifted her head from the architectural blueprints she was reviewing. Her gaze passed through the Glaze Lilies beside the artificial hill, settling on the countless lights of Liyue Harbor below.
A breeze brushed past the strands of hair by Keqing's ear.
She rose steadily and stood before the carved railing. The wind seemed to carry faint murmurs—the hurried footsteps of pedestrians in Liyue Harbor, children's cries, the whispers of young couples beneath the Lantern Rite lights, even the clatter of spatulas against woks from harbor households cooking.
All these sounds seemed to urge her: You still have much to do.
As one of the Qixing—Liyue's highest authorities—Keqing was only responsible for land and infrastructure. Yet even with Liyue's workload distributed among the Qixing and Eight Ministries, and Ganyu assisting as the Qixing's secretary to handle miscellaneous affairs, she still felt there weren't enough hours in the day.
"That Supreme Guardian, as a nation's leader, shoulders the combined workload of all the Qixing. She'll have her hands full from now on."
Combat and governance were entirely different. Battles only required focus on friend and foe... but governing was endlessly complex, overwhelming in its intricacy. Keqing was curious how this Bronya would handle such convoluted affairs.
"Keqing, you should take care of your health too." Behind her, Granny Ping smiled kindly from the stone table.
"This junior understands, honored adeptus." Keqing replied courteously.
"Keqing, I actually think you should give yourself a proper break. Observe how that world in the Celestial Screen operates, how Bronya and the others..."
Across from Granny Ping, Yanfei lounged on the stone table, chin propped on one hand while flipping through her thick legal codex: "Take me for example—I want to study Belobog's legal system, see if there's anything worth referencing or improving for Liyue."
"Now that the 'survival' war has ended, the 'governance' battle has begun. We could learn from Belobog's experience too."
Keqing lowered her head in contemplation: "Indeed, for Belobog to endure centuries in such extreme conditions, they must have unique methods. Their approach to managing the Fragmentum could serve as reference..."
["Everyone... thank you."]
[Though still immersed in sorrow, Bronya managed to compose herself enough to thank Stelle and the others.]
["Don't force yourself." Even Stelle couldn't crack jokes now, only offering comfort.]
["Thank you." Bronya forced a faint smile: "I'm fine, no need to worry. There's still much to do... That Engine of Creation's commotion must have alarmed the city's residents. Many questions need answering, many truths require disclosure... I just don't know how to make everyone accept it all."]
["Disguise the truth." Stelle suggested.]
["You mean... use one lie to cover another?" Bronya hesitated, "But if I do that, I—"]
["Do it, Bronya." Seele supported the idea too, "In the Underworld, we tell children the same thing every day: 'Tomorrow will be better.' Everyone knows it's a lie, but at least it lets them sleep with hope."]
["If you reveal what really happened here, can you imagine the consequences? People would despair. If even the Supreme Guardian can't be trusted—if it were me, I wouldn't know what or who to believe anymore."]
[Bronya closed her eyes, as if finally resolving herself. When she reopened them, she spoke slowly: "...Mother sacrificed herself to [Preserve] Belobog."]
[As Stelle and March 7th looked bewildered, Bronya walked toward the apparatus that once imprisoned the Stellaron.]
["From the travelers who descended from the skies, she learned the Stellaron's secret. She knew the first Supreme Guardian failed to destroy it..."]
["...Yet she chose to challenge this power beyond human comprehension. Supreme Guardian Cocolia sacrificed herself to disperse the shadow over Belobog."]
"This child grasps things quickly." Ningguang remarked admiringly.
"From now on, this is the truth... It 'preserves' both the Supreme Guardian's reputation and the people's hope."
"But what if someone doubts it?" Ningguang's assistant asked.
"This is Belobog's northern snowfields. Besides Stelle's group, who could come here alone? Probably not even Gepard could manage it." Ningguang mused, "The lie is reasonable and nearly impossible to disprove."
"But why must they lie at all?" The assistant remained puzzled.
Ningguang chuckled softly: "Heh... lies conceal truth, yet often the truth itself matters little. Take Belobog—whether the Supreme Guardian preserved the people is irrelevant. What matters is making the people believe they were preserved."
"Only then will hearts remain united... only then can they gather strength, making affairs easier to manage."
Ningguang leaned back onto her plush golden cushion with a long sigh: "Otherwise, rumors spread, alarmist talk arises, and in a blink... public morale collapses."
"During the Rite of Descension, when Rex Lapis was assassinated, Liyue plunged into panic overnight. Fortunately..."
Mentioning past events made Ningguang tense momentarily, but the soothing incense permeating the Jade Chamber soon relaxed her again.
Fortunately, there was that Traveler, the adepti, and this... old friend beneath her.