Looking at Adrian's attire, he didn't seem like one of the recent wanderers who had come to the Mechanical Settlement, nor was he from Belobog.
Svarog, as an ancient relic of the old world, an autonomous control unit left behind from the era of the Core Mining Expedition, was unlike most mindless machines that only followed commands. It possessed complex cognitive abilities.
Clara had always believed that Svarog respected only rational judgment.
Until today, when Clara saw Svarog act like this for the first time:
"Accessing database… obstructed. Reassessing target status… unable to assess! Unable to assess! Threat level…"
Hearing Svarog repeat these phrases, Clara glanced at Adrian, whose face was practically screaming "innocent."
"Sigh~" Adrian helplessly sipped his milk tea. Seeing Svarog like this, he was tempted to give it a little upgrade himself.
A single laser cannon wasn't thrilling enough—at least a rapid-fire machine gun would do the trick.
Truth be told, Adrian would fit right in at the Mechanical Settlement. He could fix things and even improve them.
Most importantly, he could distribute drinks to everyone.
Unfortunately, Svarog's database had no record of him. Combined with his silent appearance in the Mechanical Settlement, it was easy to classify him as an ultra-high-risk individual.
It was his own oversight. He hadn't expected Svarog to be this wary of him.
Ouch, that stung, old pal.
Seeing Adrian suddenly look hurt, Clara was stunned. Had she said something wrong?
No, the priority now was Svarog! Family came first!
Looking at Svarog, now malfunctioning and spewing black smoke, Clara panicked and cast a pleading glance at Adrian.
"Hmm…" Adrian caught her meaning. It seemed the energy levels of an Emanator were too much for Svarog, nearly frying its circuits.
Without even clashing with Svarog, the mere leakage of his energy had caused it to crash.
After helping Clara fix Svarog, the misunderstanding was cleared. Adrian thoughtfully handed it a bottle of milk tea.
"Eh? Big brother… I don't think Svarog can drink that."
"Assessment system rebooting… reboot successful. Converting variables… Variable One: Clara… Variable Two: Outsider's motives."
"Secondary assessment of target… threat level neutralized. No harm to Clara detected. Annihilation mode disengaged."
Svarog's glowing red mechanical eyes reassessed the dark-haired man before it. "Assessment updated: You… are an exception. Original calculations revised. Engage in friendly interaction with the outsider to fight for the [Preservation] of the lower district."
It had been reckless, prioritizing Clara's safety without considering her feelings or well-being, and rashly attacking the target.
With the misunderstanding resolved, Clara let out a sigh of relief.
She hadn't sensed any hostility from Adrian. And seeing how Svarog had been earlier, if Adrian were truly a villain, he could've dismantled Svarog into pieces right in front of her.
That scene was too horrifying for Clara to even imagine.
"After how Svarog treated you, big brother, aren't you mad…?"
Caught between the man and the machine, Clara glanced back and forth.
"Miss Clara, to me… robots and humans aren't so different. I can feel the bond between you two. Though you share no blood, you have the bond of [family]."
Svarog, the ultimate Family Guy.
Clara listened intently. Svarog looked at Clara, Adrian looked at Svarog.
The three formed a strange loop.
Adrian spoke first: "Miss Clara, you must be curious why I know so much about you, right?"
Before Clara could respond, Adrian spread his arms, and a holy light shone on his face again.
Oddly, how could there be sunlight in the lower district?
"Of course, it's because of the Aeon of [Eternity]!"
Adrian revealed his true purpose: to spread the virtues of [Eternity]!
Starting with the lower district. Yesterday, he had already shown Gepard the power of [Eternity]. Today's targets were Clara and Svarog.
Clara aside, Adrian's real goal was Svarog. That stubborn bot—mention the Stellaron Core, and its danger index skyrocketed.
If he didn't do something, Eternity and the others would have to waste time fixing Svarog again, which wouldn't be good for anyone.
It was decided—today, Adrian would help Svarog [Trailblaze] its database!
Hmm… this sort of thing was best left to a professional archive manager.
…
Seeing the Silvermane Guards slander them, Stelle and her group stepped forward to explain. The sudden appearance of three people in the middle of the scene startled many guards.
If they didn't clear things up, the misunderstanding would only grow.
Unfortunately, Bronya sternly stripped them of their right to speak or act, saying they'd only get a chance to explain during the tribunal's judgment.
Stelle's group naturally wouldn't agree. With Adrian's blessing, they could slip back into stealth mode anytime.
As negotiations broke down and the Silvermane Guards closed in, the trio vanished again.
The guards, watching their enemies disappear into thin air: ???
"Where'd they go?"
While the guards were still processing, Dan Heng led the group to retreat to a distance, where they began discussing their next move.
"What now? They won't listen to a word we say," March 7th grumbled, then took a jab at the Great Guardian.
Changing her tune that fast—how could anyone keep up?
Did no one teach her the ways of hospitality?
"Forget that. Have we contacted Teacher Adrian?"
"No, the message shows read but no reply," Dan Heng said truthfully. It seemed Adrian had sensed something and left the Administrative District before them.
Where he'd gone was the question.
"Ugh… he didn't go back to the snowfield where we landed, did he?! That's no different from being a wildman!"
"Pass it down: Adrian is the legendary Belobog wildman."
"Come on, no joking around at a time like this. Any plans, guys?"
"Quiet, I'm thinking."
Stelle closed her eyes, flashes of yesterday's leisurely moments running through her mind.
Other than rummaging through trash cans and having pillow fights with March 7th…
"I've got it! We can hide in the trash cans!" Stelle's eyes lit up. She thought this was a brilliant idea.
"Don't explain yet. Let me guess… you're saying if we hide in a trash can, there's a chance we'll meet the Aeon of [Eternity], right?"
Stelle nodded. Why make the atmosphere so tense? The journey of [Trailblaze] should be fun and relaxed.
"Report!!!"
Another Silvermane Guard rushed in, his shout drawing everyone's attention.
"B-Bad news, Lady Bronya! That… that blue-haired criminal ran into the Fragmentum!"
"…Running into the Fragmentum themselves—either overconfident or suicidal," Bronya scoffed coldly. Pela added:
"The sudden appearance of those three accomplices was likely to draw attention, allowing the main culprit to slip into the Fragmentum. If our guess is correct, they've likely entered the Fragmentum as well."
"Should we report them as missing or dead?"
"…"
Bronya fell into thought, her mind drifting back to earlier that morning, before the sun rose over Fort Qlipoth.
Gepard, the Silvermane Officer, had sent a report last night: with the help of two off-worlders, the Fragmentum creatures at the restricted zone's front line had been completely eradicated.
But just minutes later, Cocolia found her and told her these off-worlders were here to infiltrate Belobog and incite rebellion.
Gepard, upright and unyielding, was the iron wall of Belobog. He'd never falsify a report—unless the information came from the off-worlders themselves.
Recognizing the familiar handwriting, Bronya dismissed her doubts but was caught in a dilemma.
At that moment, Cocolia saw Bronya's struggle and told her a story.
It was about an Aeon as renowned as Qlipoth… yet utterly malevolent.
The Aeon named Ite, who presided over the Path of [Eternity].
Legend had it that countless lives vanished because of THEIR presence… only through death could true [Eternity] be achieved.
Wherever THEY went, life withered. THEIR followers were fanatics, invading countless planets, forcing their inhabitants to worship [Eternity]. Refuse, and death was the only outcome.
Unfortunately, these off-worlders were the children of the Aeon of [Eternity]. They had set their sights on Belobog, aiming to uproot seven centuries of [Preservation] faith and replace it with the irreversible [Eternity]!
Cocolia spoke with such fervor that Bronya was surprised. She hadn't expected her mother to be so spirited, her words so impassioned.
Though her cool expression showed little emotion, Bronya felt a flicker of doubt. But Cocolia was the mother who raised her—why would she have any reason to doubt her family?
If Adrian or March 7th were here, they'd probably blurt out:
The wicked Fictional Historian strikes again.