"I'll take watch."
Bronya approached, volunteering to stand guard for the night.
"Bronya, you done talking with Oleg? How'd it go?"
"I learned too much at once. I doubt I'll sleep tonight… If you trust me, leave the lookout to me." Confusion clouded Bronya's eyes.
"It's not that we don't trust you, but you keeping watch? We're not so sure… A Silvermane Guard officer in the underground—you're more likely to run into trouble than us, right?"
"If they think that way, I can't blame them. The Silvermane Guards do owe the lower district."
"If someone had stood up back then and explained the consequences to Lady Cocolia… Never mind, hindsight's useless."
"Don't worry about my safety. You all rest."
"You're so kind." Stelle grinned.
The four returned to their rooms. In Adrian's, unsurprisingly… a blood-red mask lay on the bed.
"Aha~ Old friend, miss me after a few days~?"
"Does your butt still hurt?" Adrian sat on the bed, letting the mask flit around him.
"Haha! You think Aha's as brainless as Tayzzyronth? Guess where Aha sent it!"
"Hmm~ You tossed it into Nanook's lair?"
"Wrong! Aha's got no time to bother Nanook. That guy's all about destroying the universe—THEY wouldn't even glance at Aha. Boo-hoo, poor Aha~"
"Haha, so Aha chucked the Light Arrow at your Church! A Light Arrow with two Aeons' energy—poor little car-wash planet might not handle it~"
The mask gloated, eager to see Adrian lose it.
Adrian's face showed no emotion. "No wonder they say only half of what a Mask of Fools says is true. Their boss's words are half-truths too… Let me guess, you threw the Light Arrow to Qlipoth?"
With Aha's nature, THEY'd definitely toss it to Qlipoth. When THEY sensed Adrian's residual energy on it, THEY'd assume he did it, and Aha would dodge the blame.
If you're tossing stuff at the Church, might as well send a few Doomsday Beasts—they'd make great pets.
A Light Arrow? Those kids might think it's a holy relic and enshrine it.
After a pause, the mask's color visibly brightened.
"No fun~ Aha's out~"
"Hold it." Adrian grabbed the mask before it could dissolve into particles. "We've still got a score to settle."
"Caught~ Aha's got no face left~" The mask's grin turned to a wail.
"When did you ever have face?"
Adrian's lips twitched. A black curtain instantly enveloped the entire Goethe Hotel.
"Aeon of [Elation], let's tally your crimes!"
…
Nighttime. Adrian adjusted his collar, stepping out of the Goethe Hotel, spotting Bronya nearby.
The [Elation] interrogation was over. A faint scream flickered past everyone's ears in the hotel.
As compensation, Adrian gave the mask a milk tea. The mask, about to curse him, fell silent and obediently vanished.
A slap followed by a sweet treat—perfect for Aha.
Decided. Next time, swap the milk tea for Himeko's coffee. Let's see how Aha reacts.
"Who… who's there?" Bronya reacted swiftly, wary of exposing her back to a stranger.
Seeing Adrian, she relaxed. "Mr. Adrian… don't sneak up like that next time. Does the whole Express crew have stealth abilities?"
As Belobog's Great Guardian heir and a capable Silvermane Guard commander, Bronya was raised with strict education, embodying the elegance and charisma expected of an heir.
She could read the Express trio to some extent: Dan Heng was reserved, March 7th was lively, and Stelle was strong but baffling at times.
In the mines, Stelle was still looking for trash cans.
Bronya couldn't figure Adrian out. Lazy and laid-back? He'd helped plenty along the way. Full of energy? He spoke even less than Dan Heng.
Yet this guy was called "Teacher" by March 7th and the others. Bronya didn't get it—she couldn't see what made him shine.
Maybe… his love for milk tea?
Bronya recalled that morning: Stelle's trio vanishing before her eyes in the alley, then reappearing. If Fragmentum creatures had those abilities, the Silvermane Guards would struggle.
Later, she learned that strange power came from Adrian, an [Eternity] Emanator with unfathomable strength.
Emanators didn't always follow their Aeon's orders, but to mortals, they were the Aeon's will embodied. Talking to one without respectful language—wouldn't that make them feel unequal?
"Good evening, Miss Bronya." Adrian's lips curved slightly. [Elation] time was over. Now it was…
[Eternity]'s time!
"Mr. Adrian, since we're alone… can I ask you something?"
Unlike the original plot, Stelle, sleepless last night, fought a pillow war with March 7th and quickly passed out.
Besides the pillow war, Stelle felt she'd done something meaningful—like rating the lower district's hotel.
Great! The beloved rating session!
As the galaxy's top impartial critic, Stelle gave her honest take: bed comfort, tea service, and window lighting—all average.
When signing off, she unhesitatingly wrote "Milk Tea Aeon."
Surprise! She wrapped the dumplings just for this vinegar!
Mission accomplished! Stelle delivered the universe's most impartial review—zero subjectivity.
Even after a day's hustle, she still won the pillow war!
Stelle wasn't just the galaxy's top Baseballer and Critic—she was the Milk Tea Aeon's chief Emanator. Handling little March 7th? No problem!
Dan Heng… in the mine's action, Cloud-Piercer's new mode didn't shine, leaving him slightly disappointed.
"This so-called Stellaron Core… if we find it, how confident are you in stopping the cold wave?"
"Before [Eternity], no hypotheticals are needed." Adrian didn't answer directly.
"Is that so…" Bronya pondered as the lights flickered. With no one around, she poured out her thoughts:
"Honestly, it's hard to believe your claims. For someone who's lived in Belobog their whole life, the terms you use are too distant."
Emanator, Stellaron Core, Nameless—countless unfamiliar words flooded Bronya's mind. Even the sharpest brain couldn't process them all.
But from another angle, weren't Adrian and the others the same? Belobog's geomarrow, the Eternal Winter Monument—these meant nothing to outsiders.
"To me, Lady Cocolia's order to arrest you seems reasonable. But she didn't start with that…"
"So Mother must have seen something in you—something I haven't noticed yet. It troubles me…"
"I don't know what happened. Why did she suddenly change her stance? Even weaving lies to cover it up."
"In the past, upper-district soldiers kept dying on the front lines, yet the Fragmentum's spread never slowed."
"So she sent all the Silvermane Guards to the front, sealing off upper-lower district travel, keeping only supply and geomarrow trade routes open. I used to agree with that decision…"
Seeing the lower district's state, Bronya overturned her earlier beliefs.
"Without the Silvermane Guards, the lower district's fallen to this… Maybe Mother's decision was wrong…"
Sensing Bronya's complex emotions, Adrian caught a trace of [Eternity].
The more you think, the messier it gets; the messier, the more you think—like a compass without poles, spinning uselessly in a storm, never finding direction.
Like a rusted needle endlessly tracing pi, forever nearing but never touching a meaningful whole.
Bronya's lips pursed. "I don't understand. I just want Belobog's people to live better lives…"
"You seem lost, Miss Bronya." Adrian pulled out a milk tea. "Overthinking only clouds the mind. At times like this… a little relaxation is perfect."
Noticing Bronya didn't like milk tea, Adrian offered another option. "Rest, Miss Bronya. Miss March told me earlier—staying up is bad for a beautiful girl's skin."
"Rest? Tonight's bound to be sleepless…"
"Well, since you can't sleep but insist on keeping watch… how about I tell you a bedtime story?"