A new day in Belobog quietly dawns, the horizon tinged with the pale light of fish-belly white, as the morning glow gently drapes the land like a thin veil.
Stelle, sporting dark circles under her eyes, looks utterly exhausted.
Good news: she successfully cleared the Milk Tea Demon's trial and obtained the skill book for Telekinesis.
Bad news: after practicing Telekinesis all night, she's only grasped the barest surface, far from mastering its essence.
Worse news: the Demon of Drowsiness has struck… she's completely drained, hoping tonight she'll finally get some decent sleep.
"Ugh… what happened to you overnight?" March 7th is startled by her haggard appearance. "Did you have a nightmare or something?"
"Probably sleep deprivation. Last night, I heard someone next door fervently praying to [Eternity]'s Aeon," Dan Heng analyzes seriously, having barely slept himself.
After the Astral Express received its second upgrade, it'd be a lie to say he wasn't thrilled.
"Wow, didn't know you were that devout. Adrian would be proud if he saw this," March 7th clears her throat, mimicking Adrian's tone:
"Well done! Keep spreading the virtues of [Eternity]'s Aeon, and perhaps THEY will cast THEIR gaze upon you."
"Sounds like something he'd say."
Dan Heng glances out the window. Adrian went out for breakfast, claiming he was tired of Pom-Pom's bento and wanted a change of pace.
Looking at the weary Stelle, Dan Heng's first thought—perhaps because they've been on the Astral Express too long—is Himeko's coffee.
One sip is guaranteed to jolt you awake. The entire Astral Express crew can vouch for it. Even Adrian can only down one cup without flinching—any more, and he'd shut down on the spot.
Coffee is terrifying! Who drinks that stuff except workaholics?
Hearing the commotion outside the inn, Dan Heng frowns. His suspicions from yesterday are confirmed.
"A group of Silvermane Guards is at the inn's entrance, and they don't seem friendly," he says.
"If they're here to welcome us, the atmosphere's way too tense," March 7th analyzes earnestly.
"How can you tell?" Stelle asks, puzzled. The guards are all wearing helmets, their faces completely covered. Don't they get hot in those?
"Oh, don't doubt a beautiful girl's sixth sense! My judgment is never wrong!" March 7th declares confidently. She and Dan Heng were right—the guards' stance suggests they're here to drag them to the clink again.
"No need to worry. With Adrian's blessing, they won't spot us. Guessing here won't help."
"Right! We're practically invisible right now. Let's go watch the drama unfold!"
"Boldly spectating your own drama? Very March."
"Stop teasing me at a time like this!"
The trio cautiously opens the door and steps outside, spotting at least fifty Silvermane Guards waiting.
"Whoa, this setup… are they here to arrest us or what?" March 7th whispers, her initial goodwill toward the Great Guardian now completely gone.
"Hey, look! They really can't see me!" March 7th darts in front of a guard and waves her hand.
Seeing no reaction, she's like a kid discovering a new world.
"Wow, Adrian's blessing is amazing!"
"Even with [ETERNITY]'s protection, we should stay cautious," Dan Heng warns, observing the guards' next moves.
With no activity from the inn, the Silvermane Guards grow impatient. One picks up a megaphone and announces:
"Listen up, people inside! You're surrounded! Commander Bronya is waiting below. If you're smart, come out and face her. No tricks!"
"Huh? Seriously? One night, and they've done a complete 180? We haven't gotten ourselves into that much trouble, have we…?" March 7th frets, noticing a crowd of onlookers, including Serval, whom they met briefly yesterday.
"Bronya… is that the girl down there?"
Unlike the original plot, they didn't meet Bronya yesterday at Fort Qlipoth. After delivering medicine to Cocolia, Bronya left quietly to avoid disturbing her mother's rest.
"I am Bronya Rand, acting commander of the Silvermane Guards. In the name of the supreme Amber Lord, by order of Great Guardian Cocolia Rand, I'm here to apprehend infiltrators plotting rebellion."
At this moment, the nineteenth Great Guardian candidate is also holding a megaphone, repeating her proclamation.
For some reason, Stelle finds the scene hilarious.
Just as Bronya is about to continue, a flustered guard rushes to her side.
"Lady Bronya, bad news! The blue-haired prisoner in the jail has escaped!"
"What?!" Bronya grits her teeth. With so many forces deployed here, she didn't expect the prisoner to seize the chance to break out.
"Hmm… is it possible they're actually in league with that criminal?" Intelligence Officer Pela speculates. After all, it was Gepard who brought them back to Belobog yesterday.
"No doubt, this is a planned jailbreak."
"A premeditated betrayal, without question."
Dan Heng and Bronya speak in unison, plunging the moment into awkward silence.
"Wait, why's she lumping us with that guy? Slandering us without proof!" March 7th fumes. Comparing them to Sampo is the last straw!
"Should we try to have a friendly chat with them?" Stelle shrugs, her attention drifting to a nearby trash can, wondering what treasures she might scavenge.
"Ugh, where's Adrian at a time like this…?"
…
Lower District, Mechanical Settlement.
A white-haired girl stands protectively in front of a massive robot, refusing to budge.
"Miss Clara, your golden friend here… seems a bit too wary of me."
Standing before her is Adrian, one hand in his pocket, the other holding a cup of Immortal's Delight Tea.
"No need to make things so tense. I didn't even do anything, and it fired a laser cannon at me."
Adrian looks innocent. He came to the Lower District to hand out Immortal's Delight Tea to the kids—how did things go south in the Mechanical Settlement?
Just earlier, in Rock Town, he'd successfully won over the Mole Gang's leader, the mighty Hook, with his tea.
Barring any surprises, they'll be spending tonight in the Lower District. Building rapport now can't hurt.
Clara eyes the Immortal's Delight Tea in Adrian's hand, swallowing hard.
No girl can resist the allure of milk tea.
"Mr… Mr. Svarog doesn't like talking to others. If you were with [Wildfire], no, wait!" Clara almost falls for it. This oddly dressed guy is trying to change the subject.
If Adrian were with [Wildfire], Svarog would be even less likely to engage. Clara knows it distrusts human emotions, relying solely on calculated outcomes.
But… this time, Clara didn't expect Svarog's calculations to lead to immediate action.