Nolan first gave Charlotte an introduction to the situation on Jarilo-VI, and then she began drafting her interview plan.
While she was busy with that, Nolan checked the affinity skill he had obtained after Charlotte's favorability reached max level:
[With sincere intentions and relentless effort, your once unrelated fates have become deeply intertwined. From now on, the girl's fate star will shine alongside yours. Ability obtained: Reporter's Viewfinder.]
From the name, it was clearly related to Charlotte's profession. Nolan carefully sensed its detailed effects:
[Reporter's Viewfinder: When taking photos by any means, you may choose whether to activate this ability. Any person or object captured in the photo will undergo an interview-style Q&A. If they fail to answer, they will be sealed within the photograph. The maximum level of entities that can be sealed is equal to "the sum of both parties' levels." Taking photos requires "film," which can be crafted from any material. The duration of the seal depends on the material of the "film"—the sturdier it is, the longer the seal lasts.]
This was a sealing-type ability. If the target failed to answer the questions, they would be sealed. As long as the material of the photo was strong enough, even Aeons could theoretically be sealed. It was extremely powerful.
Still, it wasn't completely outrageous. After all, finding materials capable of restraining even an Aeon was no easy task.
After reviewing Charlotte's affinity skill, Nolan stood beside her, watching as she finalized her interview plan. Time slowly passed as he waited.
Perhaps due to her excitement about interviewing in another world, Charlotte finished her plan in less than ten minutes. She excitedly said to Nolan:
"For a completely unfamiliar world, what people are most curious about is what it's like there. So this time, we'll do a travel-style interview and introduce the culture and customs of Jarilo to everyone."
"Sounds good. Then let's set off now," Nolan agreed, taking her hand.
"Mm."
Charlotte's fair face flushed ever so slightly, and she lowered her gaze, nodding softly.
Next, Nolan first brought Charlotte into the "Void Star Sea," then prepared to use a "Waymark" to teleport to Cocolia on Jarilo-VI.
The "Waymark" had been given to Cocolia for convenience, allowing him to travel back and forth between places more easily.
Although Cocolia's favorability toward him hadn't reached max level yet, with the "Command Seal," even granting her the ability of "Interstellar Travel" posed no concern.
As "Interstellar Travel" activated, spatial changes were completed in an instant. When Nolan reappeared, he was already inside the council chamber of Qlipoth Fort.
"Welcome, hero who saved Belobog. It's been a few days. The changes Belobog has undergone are also thanks to you,"
Cocolia said with a smile.
"Changes? What kind of changes?"
Nolan asked curiously. He recalled that Cocolia had previously mentioned wanting to correct the mistakes she had made over the years. Had she already made progress?
"As I said before, I made many wrong decisions over the years. One of them was sealing off communication between the Overworld and the Underworld.
"This brought great suffering to the people of the Underworld, even forcing them to form a resistance organization known as 'Wildfire.'
"To correct my mistakes, over the past few days I have lifted the blockade and dispatched support troops to assist the Underworld."
Cocolia's voice carried a trace of pain as she spoke.
"So the underground area was completely cut off from the surface?"
Nolan had previously used his mental power to explore Belobog and knew there was space underground, but he hadn't looked closely enough to realize the two areas were isolated.
"Yes. The reason Belobog can retain warmth under the 'Eternal Freeze' is due to 'Geomarrow' mined from underground. It is the city's energy source.
"In the past, the Overworld and Underworld worked together. The Overworld resisted the Fragmentum at the frontlines, protecting all citizens, while the Underworld handled the mining of Geomarrow with specialized teams.
"But later, under the pretext of the frontline being in danger, I deployed all Silvermane Guards there and claimed I had no capacity to manage the Underworld. Then I sealed off the connection between the two layers, leaving only the pipeline for Geomarrow exchange."
Cocolia explained.
"What was the point of doing that?" Nolan couldn't help but ask.
"The 'new world' the Stellaron tempted me with… was actually a world completely consumed by the Fragmentum. Everyone in Belobog would become monsters.
"Cutting off contact between the two layers prevented cooperation, naturally accelerating Belobog's downfall."
Cocolia explained the reasoning behind her past actions.
"So that's how it was." Nolan nodded in understanding, then continued, "Then what do you plan to do next? Do you need my help?"
"Not for now. As long as relations between the Overworld and Underworld can be restored, then I, an unworthy Supreme Guardian, have no reason to continue occupying this position."
Cocolia shook her head, clearly having made up her mind.
Seeing the notification on his character panel indicating that he had gained affection, Nolan knew that he had spent at least a minute with Cocolia. Respecting her decision, he then told her about his plan to bring Charlotte over for an interview.
"A reporter from another planet coming to cover Belobog?"
Cocolia seemed a bit surprised, but it wasn't an issue, especially since she was someone Nolan brought.
After thinking for a moment, she said:
"You're not familiar with Belobog yet. It would be more convenient to have someone guide you. I'll have Bronya come and act as your guide."
"That works. Having a guide will make things much easier."
Nolan nodded.
He was also somewhat curious about Cocolia's adopted daughter, wondering whether she looked similar to the Bronya he knew from Honkai Impact 3.
Moreover, Cocolia had mentioned that she would pass her position on to her in the future. If he wanted to maintain influence in Belobog comparable to that of the Supreme Guardian, then building a good relationship with Bronya was essential.
Naturally, the best option was still to max out her affection. Having her act as their guide was the perfect opportunity to get closer.
Cocolia stepped outside and instructed the guards to summon Bronya, saying she had something to discuss with her.
Taking advantage of the waiting time, Nolan brought Charlotte out from the "Void Star Sea."
Looking around at the unfamiliar surroundings, Charlotte curiously glanced about and asked Nolan:
"So this is the other world?"
"That's right. This is the office of the Supreme Guardian of Belobog I just mentioned. And that person over there is the Supreme Guardian."
Nolan introduced Cocolia, who was walking back toward them.
"Greetings, visitor from another world," Cocolia said with a gentle smile as she greeted Charlotte.
"H-Hello!" Charlotte was a little nervous at first, but as a professional reporter, she quickly adjusted herself and introduced, "My name is Charlotte. I'm a journalist from Fontaine, a nation on the continent of Teyvat."
"Welcome," Cocolia nodded.
Before long, a young girl with light gray, slightly curled hair entered the room. Her complexion was fair, and she wore a pair of eye-catching earrings.
She was dressed in a slit dress, its color scheme similar to Cocolia's, featuring the white and blue tones of the Silvermane Guards.
Beneath the front slit of the long skirt, her thighs were tightly wrapped in black pantyhose. In the shadows cast by the hem, the inner side appeared faintly obscured and deep.
On her feet were over-the-knee high-heeled boots of the same style as Cocolia's, black in color, with sharp, armor-like lines.
Considering her identity as a Silvermane Guard, perhaps they were indeed armored boots made of metal.
Judging by her appearance, which closely resembled Bronya from the Earth of Honkai Impact 3rd, it was clear that she was Bronya of this planet, Jarilo-VI.
"Mother, you called for me?"
Bronya glanced curiously at Nolan and the others before turning her gaze to Cocolia.
"Mm."
Cocolia nodded, then turned slightly toward Nolan and Charlotte, introducing:
"This is my daughter, Bronya Rand."
After that, she turned back to her daughter, who had just arrived, and explained:
"Bronya, these two are guests from another world. They plan to tour Belobog. Please take them around."
"Miss Bronya, nice to meet you."
Nolan took the opportunity to introduce himself and Charlotte, and briefly explained their plan to report on Belobog's culture and customs.
"I see. I've heard over the past few days that visitors from another world have arrived in Belobog, but I hadn't had the chance to meet them until now. It's good to finally meet you. Welcome."
Bronya nodded lightly and spoke politely before continuing:
"Please follow me."
"Alright."
Nolan and Charlotte exchanged a glance, then followed Bronya out. As they walked, Charlotte asked:
"Miss Bronya, where are you planning to take us first?"
"Hmm, the most famous place in Belobog is Qlipoth Fort. How about I take you outside to see it first?" Bronya asked for their opinion.
"We'll go with your suggestion, Miss Bronya."
Since Nolan and Charlotte weren't familiar with Belobog, having a local guide meant they wouldn't have to wander aimlessly.
Before long, accompanied by the crisp sound of Bronya's high-heeled boots striking the ground, the group arrived outside Qlipoth Fort.
It was the very same long staircase connecting to the Administrative District that Nolan had previously ascended with Himeko and the others alongside Gepard.
"Please step back and look upward. This is the full view of Qlipoth Fort."
Walking ahead, Bronya suddenly stopped and turned around, her light gray hair swaying before coming to rest.
Nolan had already seen it before, but still followed her instructions. Charlotte, seeing it for the first time, exclaimed in amazement:
"It's… it's huge! The entire structure is built on something like a giant gear?"
"Yes. Qlipoth Fort was constructed by Belobog's first Supreme Guardian, Alisa Rand. Beyond praising the greatness of Preservation, the massive structure at its base is also the key to providing energy for Belobog."
Bronya slightly raised her head to look at Qlipoth Fort, a faint trace of pride showing in her expression.
"What is 'Preservation'?" Charlotte asked curiously.
Teyvat had no concept of Aeons, so she wasn't very familiar with such things and instinctively asked Bronya.
Bronya was more than willing to explain. From the identity of the "Architects" to their generational faith in Qlipoth, the Aeon of Preservation, she went on to give a detailed introduction of Qlipoth Fort.
Charlotte took out her notebook and diligently recorded everything. Only by doing so could she provide a thorough report on Qlipoth Fort when she returned to Teyvat.
After about ten minutes, Bronya finished her explanation. Charlotte then took out her camera and, after asking for Bronya's permission, took a photo of her.
After all, when reporting the news, sources needed to be cited, so Charlotte planned to include Bronya in her report.
Once that was done, she took out her handheld terminal and recorded a video of Qlipoth Fort. Only then was the documentation of this location considered complete.
The entire process was somewhat tedious, but Nolan didn't find it boring at all. After more than ten minutes, along with the few minutes earlier in the council chamber, Bronya's affection toward him had already increased:
[Bronya Has Developed Good Feeling Towards You, Obtained 1 Affection Point. Current Affection Level Lv.1 (22/100)]
They had only just met, yet she was already steadily gaining a favorable impression of him. If he accompanied Charlotte around Belobog for a few more days, it felt like it wouldn't be long before it maxed out.
After touring the Overworld, they could head to the Underworld. There would be plenty of time to raise Bronya's affection to the maximum, Nolan thought to himself.
Meanwhile, Bronya had no idea that someone tagging along beside Charlotte was already setting his sights on her. After finishing her introduction of Qlipoth Fort, she continued:
"After Qlipoth Fort, I'll take you to the Alexandra Plaza below. From there, you can get the best view of the Administrative District's unique scenery."
"Mm, then we'll leave the rest to you, Miss Bronya," Charlotte said, clearly excited. Nolan naturally had no objections.
The group walked down the long staircase. This time, unlike when they came up with Gepard, they didn't take the tram to save time.
After all, they were here to document the culture and atmosphere, so it was better to take their time and appreciate everything slowly.
And that was exactly what Nolan wanted. The slower, the better. That way, he could spend more time with Bronya and steadily increase her affection.
The staircase between Qlipoth Fort and Alexandra Plaza was indeed quite long. It took them a full ten minutes to walk down.
Fortunately, with Bronya introducing Belobog's culture and history along the way, it wasn't boring at all.
Once they reached the bottom of the square, what stood before them was a massive monument. When they had seen it from afar earlier, Bronya had briefly mentioned its name—
The Everwinter Monument.
(End of Chapter)
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