After the priestess finished, Blake nodded with satisfaction.
"As THEIR loyal followers, we won't swallow insults. We will strike back against those who slander or harm our Aeon. Never forget what the lord of [Destruction] did to our benevolent THEM!"
"We won't forget that tragic day," Blake said mournfully. The priestess thoughtfully handed him a tissue.
"Thank you…"
Bang!
The cathedral's doors were flung open, and a patrol knight in silver armor rushed in.
"Bishop, THEIR oracle has descended again!" he said excitedly.
"So urgent—another doll from that club?" the priestess asked.
"No, this time… uh, it's some trade convoy's liaison representative!"
"Still alive?"
"Could it possibly be dead?"
…
Belobog.
Sampo led the four in search of [Wildfire], just in time to witness Bronya surrounded by wanderers and Seele swooping in to save the day.
"Let go of that girl!"
Stelle pulled out her baseball bat, ready to teach the wanderers a lesson.
"Whoa, whoa, my dear sister, let's not be so reckless…" Sampo grabbed Stelle. "With Miss Seele there, you think that Silvermane Guard's gonna get bullied?"
"Seele? The purple-haired girl next to her?"
"Exactly! Miss Seele's a force to be reckoned with. Handling a few wanderers? No sweat!" Sampo took the chance to hype up Seele.
"Pathetic bullies…"
Watching the wanderers flee in panic, Seele snorted coldly.
"Phew~ Thank goodness Miss Seele stepped in. Much obliged~ These wanderers are bold, daring to start a fight on [Wildfire]'s turf." Sampo sauntered over, grinning.
"Shut it, Sampo. You're not off the hook for this either." Seele shifted her gaze to Bronya. "I heard from Natasha some Silvermane Guard wandered into the lower district… that you?"
Bronya didn't flinch, countering, "You kidnapped me to the underground. What's your goal?"
"Hmph, still acting like an upper-district princess. Comfy up there, huh? Do you know what the underground's become? Ever thought about the lower district's people?"
"The Silvermane Guards aren't lounging comfortably! We've been fighting enemies, defending Belobog from monsters… protecting everyone, above and below."
"Sounds prettier than a song. What have you protected down here? You pulled all the guards up top, sealed the passageways—nice way to say you're just guarding the so-called [Architects], right?"
March 7th watched the two argue, whispering, "They're going at it hard…"
Turning, she saw Adrian and Stelle engrossed in the drama.
Stelle was one step away from pulling out her phone to record the epic showdown. She loved watching girls bicker.
Adrian thought of how Seele would soon be inseparable from Bronya, catching a whiff of [Elation] in the moment.
"Anyway, you're coming with me. Oleg wants to see you. He's got a lot of questions."
"What a coincidence, Miss Seele. We've got business with the boss too! Wanna team up?" Sampo suggested.
"Team up with you? Who are these people?"
Seele sized up Adrian's group. "You, I recognize—hanging with Hook this morning."
"Thanks to the great Dark Hook's favor… I don't think I've properly introduced myself to Miss Seele."
As Adrian was about to introduce himself, Stelle jumped in. "Hi, I'm Stelle, Oleg's VIP… and that jerk Sampo's friend."
"Huh? What's that mess of an intro?" Seele didn't follow.
After a proper round of introductions, when Adrian mentioned he was a [Eternity] Pathstrider, Bronya's expression visibly shifted.
"As expected, you're followers of [Eternity] Ite…"
Sampo quickly changed the subject, his voice drowning out Bronya's. "Haha, here's the deal—these folks are talents Oleg desperately needs. I'm taking them to meet him."
The more he explained, the more it fueled Bronya's suspicions.
This Stellaron Core was pretty clever. In the past, this trick might've lured Adrian in.
Not anymore… Guess what? The Aeon of [Eternity]'s biggest hater is THEMSELF.
Seele frowned, sensing something off.
Why were they all talking in riddles? Was the cultural gap between the upper and lower districts this big?
"Whatever. [Wildfire]'s got trouble at the Great Mine. Oleg's busy handling it. If you really want to see him, meet me at the mine entrance."
"Later."
After Seele left, Bronya seemed to realize her earlier outburst, apologizing to the group.
"I'm under orders from the Great Guardian to apprehend you—that hasn't changed. But my earlier words, considering your perspective, were no different from you insulting the Great Guardian to my face… I'm sorry."
In a strange new environment, Bronya hadn't expected the lower district to be like this.
"We keep saying we're not THEIR followers. He is."
March 7th pushed Adrian forward. Being misunderstood sucked, and who knew how the Aeons of [Eternity] and [Trailblaze] got along?
"Is that so…"
Seeing Bronya turn to apologize to Adrian, he smiled.
This kid was honest. If Akivili were still around, THEY'd probably burst out laughing on the spot.
Yeah, it was no different from dunking on THEM to THEIR face.
Having your followers mistaken for someone else's? Anyone would be mad, but the kind-hearted Akivili wouldn't.
Bronya got back to business. "But I'm not your friend… I heard from Gepard you're off-world guests, like in ancient legends—interstellar travelers carrying the will of various Aeons."
"Now that I see it, you do have incredible powers…"
In the alley, the last second before Bronya lost consciousness, she saw Stelle and the others standing unscathed, confirming it.
"Huh, now that you mention it, it's kinda contradictory. We're [Trailblaze] folks, but [Eternity] saved us at the critical moment."
March 7th suddenly realized, glancing at Adrian.
"No conflict there. Eternity and Trailblaze are one big family," Adrian said.
Dan Heng pondered. The best way to prove that would be to meet the Eternity Church and see their attitude… it'd reveal the Aeons' relationship.
For [Destruction], they'd spit on them in passing.
For [Elation], they'd prank each other—you punch me, I stab you.
For [Nihility]… had they ever even met anyone tied to IX?
For [Trailblaze], they'd probably be friendly.
"Gepard said you want to help us stop the cold wave and Fragmentum's harm to this planet… Thank you for last night's help, giving the restricted zone's front line a brief respite."
Bronya looked at Adrian, her eyes filled with unreadable complexity.
"Just doing my part, no need for thanks."
"Huh? What happened last night?"