"Is this the place?"
"Why does it look so different from our rooms!" March 7th was the first to complain.
"Even the door looks so luxurious... I'm a bit confused now whether Zao Wu's situation is terrible or wonderful."
"Perhaps terribly wonderful," Stelle occasionally came out with such inexplicably philosophical sentences.
Dan Heng tried knocking on the door.
"Knock, knock!"
At first, he was polite. But after waiting a moment with no response, Dan Heng's approach became a bit rougher.
"BANG, BANG, BANG!"
This time, he used the palm of his hand to pound on the door. Yet, there was still no response.
In reality, this was Sparkle's mischief again. After all, the fun she wanted to see, the scene of a "loving mother and filial daughter," had not yet officially begun~
The power of the God of Elation is so useful!
Even if Zao Wu was disobedient and refused to follow the "Book of Elation" tasks she had worked so hard to come up with, as long as she stuck with him, she could have nine laughs in three days!
Bronya, who usually appeared elegant and composed, took a deep breath.
"Let me do it!"
She decided that every second they delayed could add another ounce of danger to the boy's situation. So, the girl cast aside the decorum and elegance of the Supreme Guardian's successor.
She raised the stock of her rifle and, with the strength honed from years of military training, slammed it hard against the lock.
"BANG!"
The lock loosened slightly.
"BANG!"
The lock looked like it was about to break.
Finally, Bronya, breathing heavily, her well-developed chest heaving, lifted her leg, clad in a black-stockinged military boot, high.
And then—War Stomp!
With one kick, she sent the heavy door flying open, revealing the luxurious and magnificent scene inside. Amidst the faint dust of wood splinters, Bronya's blue and white skirt fluttered as she rushed in first!
Dan Heng and March 7th followed closely behind.
Stelle was left outside, scratching her head.
"You should have just said we could break down the door..."
Still, she liked Bronya's temper. They could be sisters-in-arms!
Inside the room, as Bronya's eyes adjusted to the darkness and she saw the scene before her, her pupils instantly shrank to inky pinpoints, and her face turned pale. The world seemed to spin before her eyes.
"Clang!"
She had to slam her rifle into the ground to keep her swaying body from collapsing. Otherwise, she suspected she might faint.
Because the scene before her was something Bronya could not believe under any circumstances.
And what she couldn't believe even more...
The sexy, mature woman sitting on the bed beside the boy, her expression obscured.
The blonde woman dressed in shamefully revealing black lace.
It was the cold and dignified Mother Cocolia from her memory! The noble Supreme Guardian who seemed so above worldly matters, so untouched by dust!
Just superimposing the image of Mother Cocolia from her memory onto the revealing figure before her took all of Bronya's mental strength.
Building a beautiful image might take hundreds of days and nights of effort, but its collapse could happen in an instant. Perhaps only "devastation" and "helplessness" could describe Bronya's mood at this moment.
The shock Dan Heng and March 7th felt was no less than Bronya's. Dan Heng quickly frowned and looked away (he didn't get a clear look, nor did he want to).
"Am I... seeing things..."
The scene made March 7th doubt her own eyes.
Dan Heng shook his head, indicating that she was not mistaken.
"It can only be said that people have two faces."
"And those in high positions, perhaps especially so."
They occupied a high-pressure, important position, anticipated and imagined by countless people. In a sense, the Supreme Guardian was a great image constructed by the people of Belobog. The moment Cocolia became the Supreme Guardian, she also became another self. A self that did not belong to her. But occasionally, she could choose to be herself again. It's just that "herself" might not be so bright and just, and could even be despicable and obscene.
Fortunately, Zao Wu seemed to have only been frightened. There were no obvious signs of coercion or abuse on his pajamas or his body. It seemed they had arrived in time, causing Cocolia's night raid to end in failure.
The thought made March 7th shiver with fear.
What incredible luck Zao Wu had to have Asta happen to care about him. And for Asta to be serious for once, asking them to check on him. And then, by some "coincidence of all coincidences," Bronya happened to be patrolling near the Goethe Hotel. It was because of her presence, the "heir to the Supreme Guardian," that the hotel manager, old Mr. Goethe, saw the error of his ways and gave up Zao Wu's room number.
If any one of these links had failed, Zao Wu would likely have been eaten clean by that thirsty, mature woman Cocolia tonight!
Such a thing... was too cruel!
Who could endure it if it happened to them!
"Zao Wu! Come here, quickly!" Dan Heng called out, waking Zao Wu, who was momentarily stunned by shame.
"Yes!"
He quickly did as he was told, not forgetting to grab the Herta doll from his side, fleeing from Cocolia to the safety of Dan Heng and the others whom he trusted.
As for Sparkle's mask, it hung on a coat rack in the room, watching this delightful drama with a half-smiling expression.
Soon, it would be time for the main event of "a mother's love, a daughter's filial piety"~
Sure enough, as Sparkle had anticipated, Bronya, gradually regaining her strength and composure from her breakdown, lifted her trembling silver eyes. She looked with great disappointment at Mother Cocolia, who, though not her birth mother, had raised her and taught her the principles of righteousness.
"Mother... you have disappointed me so much."
"I never thought you were this kind of..."
"This kind of shameless woman!"
Bronya had received a noble education since childhood. Just as Herta calling someone a "member of the Club of Idiots" was the extent of her insults, for "shameless" to come from Bronya's mouth was a sign of extreme severity.
Cocolia's face had been dark and grim. But even in this situation, in such a terrible and awkward circumstance, while still wearing lingerie, her posture remained elegant and composed. As if this room was her own resting place, not the scene of her crime against a young boy. As if she were the master here, and Bronya and the others who had barged in were the ones disturbing her peace.
"Shameless woman?"
"Heh..."
"So you do know your mother is a woman?"
Even though Cocolia had suffered a severe blow internally, she maintained a calm demeanor, not showing it at all. Instead, she used the authority she had cultivated as the Supreme Guardian to easily suppress the still-tender and young Bronya with her words.
Even though she was the one who had made a mistake, even committed a crime, Cocolia felt like the judge looking down from on high. She was eloquent, and even in such a disadvantageous situation, she turned the tables, seizing the moral and emotional high ground.
"Bronya, I worked so hard to raise you, pouring almost all my feelings into you!"
"Even in the future, everything I have will be yours!"
"I have given so much for you, I have given you my all."
"And in the end, in your eyes, your mother has become a shameless woman?"
"Yes, putting aside the identity of the Supreme Guardian, I am just a woman."
"I admit it! What's there to deny?"
"I am a woman with my own needs!"
"A woman who wants to find a suitable partner!"
"You tell me, what have I done wrong!"
"Or do you also think that your mother should just toil for Belobog for the rest of her life?"
"I have guarded Belobog for so long."
"Can't I enjoy myself a little!"
Cocolia crossed her arms, and with every word, the snowy waves beneath the sexy lace moved. Bronya's face was pale, and she trembled under Cocolia's scolding and questioning. She knew her mother was using sophistry, that what her mother did was wrong. But something blocked her throat. Something began to blur her vision, falling in large, pearl-like drops.
In moments like these, the difference in experience between the mature and the naive, the veteran and the novice, became apparent. Cocolia, in a situation extremely unfavorable to her, had managed to silence her angry, accusatory daughter with just her words.
If even the highly educated noble Bronya ended up like this, one couldn't expect the simple-minded March 7th and Stelle to seek justice for Zao Wu. As for Dan Heng, he had the words, but the problem was, he chose to remain silent!
However, the more one tried to win against Cocolia through debate, the more one fell into the trap she had set. Just as a seemingly foolish girl can have moments of great wisdom, Stelle found the solution.
"Why are you still talking nonsense with her!"
"Just hit her with a bat first, and ask all the questions while you're hitting her!"
Stelle had directly found a way to break the deadlock. Since Cocolia was a suspect of attempted crime, there was nothing more to say to such a scumbag!
Roar! Eat my one-million-horsepower Galactic Baseball Bat!
Stelle charged her bat with energy and rushed towards Cocolia, swinging! It looked as if she was going to smash Cocolia's "dog head" without a second thought!
Even Cocolia's calm and beautiful face cracked for a rare moment. Clearly, Stelle's move was a case of "the fool outsmarting the master." As a non-combatant Supreme Guardian, despite having attended the Belobog Military Academy, Cocolia's fighting ability was no match for Stelle's. If that bat really hit her... Cocolia finally showed visible panic, her earlier aggressive demeanor gone.
But just then, with a crisp "CLANG!", Bronya swung her rifle with all her might, clashing with Stelle's baseball bat! She stood in front of her mother, making an enemy of Stelle.
"Bronya!" March 7th exclaimed, unable to believe her eyes.
But upon reflection, it was an inevitable outcome. No matter how wrong Cocolia was tonight, she was still the mother who had raised Bronya. She was the most important person in the world to her, even without a blood relation!
Zao Wu could understand Bronya's actions. If he were in the same situation, he would also use his body to protect his Mom Himeko. Of course, he was much luckier than Bronya. Mom Himeko was not like Cocolia...
And after this incident, the boy realized for the first time that being liked was not necessarily a good thing. In the past, Mom Himeko and the others had protected him too well. But from now on, it was time for Zao Wu to learn to protect himself.
"..."
Cocolia gave her daughter Bronya a deep, silent look. Then she stood up, grabbed a bath towel from the coat rack to wrap around herself, maintaining her dignity. The rational woman did not waste the opportunity Bronya had won for her and walked past the Astral Express crew, seemingly about to leave.
At that moment, Bronya, with tears in her eyes, whispered vulnerably.
"Mother... wrong is wrong."
"No matter how you justify a crime, it is still a crime!"
Cocolia's footsteps paused for a moment, her fists clenched involuntarily, her fingertips digging deep into her palm, hurting badly. She did not refute, nor did she say anything more. She just left everyone's sight, leaving the Goethe Hotel.
"Sigh..." March 7th sighed in frustration, feeling indignant for Zao Wu.
"In the face of power, even evil is hard to bring to justice."
"We're probably lucky we didn't face retaliation!"
Zao Wu hugged Sister March 7th to comfort her, which left her flustered. Shouldn't Zao Wu himself be the one needing comfort right now? Fortunately, Cocolia hadn't had time to do anything, or Zao Wu might have been left with a lifelong trauma of mature women.
If only I had known boys could also be...
Stelle and Bronya separated their weapons. The small gray-haired girl glared angrily at the girl with silver-turbine-like hair.
But to everyone's surprise, Bronya not only silently endured the anger from Stelle and the cold gaze from Dan Heng, but she also performed a "dogeza"-like apology in front of everyone, bowing deeply to Zao Wu.
"Sister Bronya..."
"On behalf of my mother, I apologize to you. I'm sorry, Zao Wu!"
"..."
"I know you won't accept it!"
"But I must do this. I will also do everything in my power to compensate you and your companions."
"Finally, please allow me to sincerely apologize to you once more!"
Bronya pressed her forehead to the carpet, remaining in a kneeling position for a long, long time. Even after the Astral Express crew had left without a word, she still did not get up.
They couldn't stay at the Goethe Hotel anymore. The crew packed their luggage overnight, moved out, and checked into a small, ordinary inn nearby. They hadn't exchanged for the local currency, the Winter-City Shields, yet. But fortunately, Miss Himeko had fully considered this issue and had left enough precious metals and the universally accepted "Stellar Jades" in Zao Wu's spatial pouch. They spent one gold coin to solve their food and lodging problems.
As for the original cooperation agreement with the Supreme Guardian... whether it could be maintained had become a complete unknown.
Fortunately, everyone was still quite optimistic. Even after moving from their spacious and bright single rooms at the Goethe Hotel to this simple and crowded multi-person room, no one complained. The narrow room was as warm as spring due to the geomarrow heater. And in the arms of March 7th and Stelle, because of Zao Wu's presence, it was as sweet as honey. The two of them, under the pretext of comforting the boy's mood, snuggled up closely with him. Zao Wu was a little shy but did not resist his sisters' affection.
Soon, the night passed, and daylight arrived.
Bronya hadn't slept all night, wandering the streets like a zombie. Gepard found her, looking lost, and asked with the concern of a subordinate.
"Lady Bronya, are you... alright?"
Bronya glanced at Gepard with dull eyes, trying her best to pull herself together and lie.
"I'm fine... Thank you for your hard work fighting the Fissures inside Belobog, Gepard."
"It is my duty. My shield was born for this."
Hearing this, Bronya looked dazed and lost. If Gepard's shield was born for preservation, then for whom was her rifle raised? For her... adoptive mother who had attempted a crime? To repay her for raising her, could she only watch her mother continue down the wrong path?
In the depths of the girl's heart, something she had insisted on, even believed in, was cracking. Perhaps last night's experience would become an important turning point for the girl to mature and embrace her own growth.
Looking at Captain Bronya's state, Gepard couldn't help but think of his own troubles—about his sister being a terrible woman who took an "interest" in young boys. If he told Captain Bronya, she would probably just be surprised and unable to imagine or understand. In the end, such troubles could only be borne by Gepard alone.
Sometimes, Gepard couldn't help but think: if only his sister Serval could be a little more mature and dignified, a little more reliable, like the Supreme Guardian Cocolia.
Gepard and Bronya parted ways after their brief encounter. Just then, a young Silvermane Guard came to Garrison Commander Gepard, saluted, and reported.
"Report, Lord Gepard, the Supreme Guardian requests your presence at Fort Qlipoth!"
Gepard immediately agreed.
"I understand. I will go see the Supreme Guardian now."
A moment later, inside Fort Qlipoth, Cocolia seemed completely unaffected by the events of the previous night. She had returned to her usual cold and dignified self, still high and mighty, still noble and elegant.
Gepard came before her, saluted respectfully, and waited for the Supreme Guardian to give him his mission.
But Gepard never expected that Lady Cocolia's order would be...
—"I order you to immediately capture the infiltrators who intend to incite a rebellion!"
—"They are the outworlders March 7th, Dan Heng, Stelle, and... Zao Wu!"
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