"Why so serious? That's the most unbearable thing about you."
"What I mean is, Seele—I'm a bit jealous of you. Since I was old enough to remember, my life has been a cycle of studying, etiquette, and training."
"Every day, someone's in my ear reminding me: 'Remember your status, Bronya,' 'That goes against the Architects' teachings, Bronya,' 'A lady shouldn't use such vulgar language, Bronya'…"
"Some people might envy that kind of life, but I feel… constrained. Repeating the same few things forever, with all my goals set by others… You probably can't imagine what that's like, can you?"
Seele's focus wasn't on that part. "I really can't. But I'm more curious—what vulgar thing did you say?"
Bronya fell silent, then steeled herself and repeated it for Seele:
"I'll shove my gun up your nose in the name of the Architects' will!"
Seele couldn't hold back a laugh. "Hahaha, that's it? That's like scratching an itch through a boot—weak! Looks like I need to teach you some real street talk before you head back."
"No thanks."
"Come on, it'd be way spicier than nose-shoving…"
Bronya, having undergone proper training, would never use the kind of crude language Seele had in mind.
"I never thought I'd be here, having a heart-to-heart with the future Guardian," Seele said with a sigh.
"Growing up, I barely saw anyone from the upper district. From the stories the adults told, I thought you were all a bunch of arrogant, cold-hearted snobs."
"I heard from some veteran Iron Guards that before the isolation order, the upper and lower districts weren't so different. We ate the same food, talked about the same things, celebrated the same holidays."
"By our generation, the environments we grew up in are different… but when it comes to the joys, sorrows, and bonds between people, those precious feelings must still connect us."
Bronya's tone was resolute. "If we could build a bridge to reconnect the upper and lower districts… we could return to an era where there's no 'you' or 'me,' standing shoulder to shoulder against the Eternal Freeze and Fragmentum."
"You mean Stelle and the others… Their arrival does feel like a [turning point] to me," Seele said, but that wasn't her main point. "I'm not like you—I can't sum things up with grand ideas. But if this is the future you want to see, I'm willing to build that bridge with you."
"Thank you, Seele. Your trust means a lot to me."
Seele, usually so tough but soft inside, was touched and quickly changed the subject. "A-Anyway, what's your next step? Everything you heard from Svarog must've hit you hard, right?"
"After the story Mr. Adrian showed me last night, I thought I'd grown, that I was prepared… but still…"
Blake, eavesdropping intently, caught a keyword and raised his head, a mysterious smile curling his lips.
Hmm, why not recruit them to the Church? Their strength might be a bit lacking… maybe no suitable roles for them.
"As long as I'm the Guardian's heir, I'll have to face those truths eventually."
"But why would Mother hide these things from me? Why order me to hunt down outsiders who know the [Stellaron Core]'s true nature, even pinning a crime linked to the Aeon of [Eternity] on them? I can't make sense of it…"
"After much thought, there's only one thing I can do now—confront her directly." Bronya's gaze grew firmer.
"Wait… you're not seriously going, are you? Alone? No way, that's too…"
Before Seele could finish, a bone-chilling cold swept around them. Bronya reacted first, drawing her gun.
"Who's there?!"
As the cold dissipated, Blake appeared before them.
"Dear guest, need a guide?" He had donned a top hat at some point and tipped it courteously to Bronya and Seele.
Seeing an unfamiliar face, Seele immediately grew wary. "Who are you?"
"Ah… my apologies. My sudden appearance must have startled these two lovely ladies." Blake quickly admitted his fault, bowing in apology, leaving them bewildered.
"Let's start over, shall we?" Blake adjusted his demeanor, and a holy light illuminated the orphanage ruins.
"Tch, where's that light coming from?"
"Blake Hale, Pontiff of the Church of Eternity. It's an honor to meet you both. Here's the Church's coordinates—come visit."
Blake pulled two bars of soap from his pocket and placed them sincerely in Bronya and Seele's hands.
"Soap?"
Seele was baffled. Why was this guy handing out soap… some kind of closet weirdo?!
"A token of my goodwill. Please accept it," Blake explained, as if reading Seele's thoughts.
"The Church of Eternity…"
…
After much explanation, Bronya and Seele finally believed Blake's identity.
"Pontiff of the Church? What a mess. You don't look local with that getup… So what's with the soap?!"
"Church specialty."
"What a weird Church," Seele said, glancing at the silent Bronya. "Why so quiet?"
"Uh…" Bronya bit her lip. This Pontiff didn't seem to be with Adrian's group, which left only one possibility.
Recalling yesterday, she had said plenty to defame the Aeon of [Eternity]… Was this Pontiff here to settle the score?
Reading Bronya's expression, Blake spoke first. "No misunderstandings, miss. I'm not here to hold you accountable… Though, you could consider me a companion of the [Trailblaze] Aeon."
Eternity and Trailblaze, one family (or so he believed). Blake hoped the Astral Express crew would visit the Church—it'd be a blast!
"I learned of yesterday's events in the upper district. An ignorant, foolish Guardian, swayed by the Stellaron Core, spoke words harmful to HIM."
In the past, Bronya would've had anyone insulting her mother locked up for trial.
But now, she found no grounds to refute Blake.
"No need to worry. I have business to attend to… I won't cross swords with that Guardian just yet."
Blake pointed to the Fragmentum creatures lurking in the streets below. "See those mindless pests? This planet's been ravaged by [Destruction]'s Legion and the Fragmentum. The Church is always eager to help."
"Out of courtesy, I'll first assist the Supreme Guardian by clearing these vermin as an apology gift. She should be grateful—after this, I won't bring judgment upon her."
Compared to Jarilo-VI, Blake was more concerned about the Xianzhou Luofu being targeted by [Destruction] forces.
"From your conversation, I can escort this young lady back to the upper district." Blake snapped his fingers, summoning a glowing portal of holy light.
"But it seems you two have more to say, so I won't intrude further. Until we meet again."
After Blake left, Bronya resumed their earlier topic.
"I've thought it through, Seele. I'm Cocolia's daughter—that will never change, no matter what."
"As her daughter and a Silvermane Guard, I have a duty to confront her directly."
"Bronya…"
Seele wanted to say more, but Bronya handed her a letter.
"Take this, Seele. Please pass it to the outsiders. If I don't make it back to you all… they'll know what to do."
"…Alright, I understand. You know what you want to do, and no amount of arguing will stop you. Just remember one thing—if you're in danger, I'll risk everything to save you!"
"Mm, I'll be waiting."
______
30 advanced chapters on ko-fi@com/edgeofsky