"You... you..."
Truth be told, Belobog had never been short on chilling urban legends.
Some claimed that inside the Goethe Hotel, a pair of twin sister ghosts would appear if you performed a specific ritual at midnight.
Others spoke of strange creatures called "Pseudo-Humans" within Belobog—bizarre entities that fed on people and were secretly infiltrating the city.
While Bronya knew full well that many of these tales were just side effects of the Fragmentum's corruption, after handling so many cases, she'd still encountered a handful of mysterious incidents that defied any explanation.
This had led her to place more credence in such "urban legends" than most people would.
"Just what... are you?"
"Hehe, scared you, didn't I~"
A mischievous grin spread across Lynelle's face before she fully solidified her form in front of Bronya.
"Actually, it's just one of my abilities. As the future Supreme Guardian, you should know that Preservation isn't the only Path in this world, and there's more than one kind of strange power out there."
"As for what just happened... I just thought you seemed too tense, so I played a little joke to lighten the mood."
"Lighten the mood..."
Bronya's expression turned odd. After all, who in the world lightened the mood by scaring someone half to death?
If Lynelle hadn't mentioned earlier that she was a visitor from beyond the sky, Bronya would've already drawn her gun on the spot.
"Alright, alright, let's get back to business."
Lynelle spread her hands. "By the way, let me ask first—do you know what the Supreme Guardian discussed with us back then? If not, I can bring you up to speed."
"Go ahead... I had just left Qlipoth Fort when mother received you."
Bronya fell silent for a moment before forcing a slight smile.
"Well, it was basically..."
As Bronya's expression grew increasingly thoughtful, Lynelle summarized the previous discussion between the Express crew and Cocolia.
"So you're saying the reason you've stopped on our planet is because a Stellaron blocked your trail? And that same Stellaron is also the root cause of our eternal frost and the Fragmentum?"
"That's roughly correct, though it's still a bit simplified."
Lynelle nodded. "So, do you know where exactly the Stellaron on Jarilo-VI is located?"
"I don't."
Bronya shook her head decisively, then quickly added, as if worried Lynelle might think she was being dismissive.
"Really, I've never heard of anything called a Stellaron, and no one around me has mentioned it either... If solving this so-called 'Stellaron' could end Belobog's suffering, I truly wish it were real."
"But if this thing you speak of actually exists, then it's likely a secret known only to the successive Supreme Guardians. Throughout all of Belobog, probably only Mother would understand what you're referring to..."
"I see... Well, no matter. Didn't Madam Cocolia tell my companions that formal negotiations will begin tomorrow? I believe she should be able to provide some clues."
"After all... Stellarons aren't particularly well-hidden. From the onset of the eternal freeze until now, I find it hard to believe no one has ever known of the Stellaron's existence. That simply wouldn't make sense."
"Wouldn't make sense?"
Bronya seemed particularly attentive regarding this thing that might be the source of their calamity. "Why do you say that?"
"Hmm... That would involve a series of complex concepts like Paths and Aeons. Here, let me put it in terms you can understand."
"It's because you can't entirely think of a Stellaron as an unconscious creation or a natural disaster. In fact, there's no universally accepted theory in the cosmos about their emergence and spread. We can't even determine their purpose."
"Not even their purpose?"
Bronya was taken aback. "Isn't it to destroy worlds?"
"Not necessarily."
Lynelle shook her head. "Many civilizations with highly advanced technology don't fear the crises Stellarons might bring at all."
"Some even harness them, using Stellarons as functional tools. According to current widespread understanding, there's a type of Stellaron that can answer wishes—but it won't necessarily grant them the way you imagine. It might even seduce you into fulfilling your wish according to the Stellaron's own 'script.'"
"For example, if a powerful enemy your planet couldn't handle suddenly appeared, and you wished for the Stellaron to eliminate that enemy... it might grant your wish by blowing up the entire planet instead."
"Was your wish fulfilled? Without a doubt, it was. But that would absolutely not be the method you wanted."
"Gasp..."
Bronya drew a sharp breath. Her mind instinctively jumped to many things—the sudden eternal freeze that had engulfed Jarilo-VI, her mother who had been acting normally one moment and strangely the next lately. "This... this Stellaron is so evil!"
"Indeed. That's why I say Stellarons are dangerous things, especially for civilizations with insufficient strength that are still in their infancy."
Lynelle stood up. "But when it comes to handling Stellarons, we're quite professional... Once we retrieve it, we'll take it back for the seniors on the Express to seal it away. Then everything will be safe, and your eternal freeze in Belobog will naturally recede."
"Are you leaving?"
Seeing Lynelle rise, Bronya quickly stood as well. "Do you need me to arrange accommodation for you? Mother didn't see you, so she probably doesn't know there are actually four of you..."
"Reporting my presence is whatever, but no need to trouble yourself with lodging. I'm fine experiencing Belobog's local culture myself. I'd already toured half the city district this morning."
Lynelle didn't give Bronya a chance to press further, simply vanishing on the spot and leaving Bronya standing there, lost in thought.
After all, in Lynelle's view, she couldn't explain everything about the Stellaron to Bronya. Otherwise, if Cocolia issued an arrest warrant tomorrow, her appearance today would seem far too suspicious.
Besides, some realizations had to come from Bronya herself for her to believe them deeply. If Lynelle were the one to actively tell her, it might backfire instead.
As for what she would do next... Well, meeting with Bronya in the Overworld and planting seeds of doubt in her heart was the only reason Lynelle had remained in the Overworld at all.
Now that this objective was accomplished, then next...
It was time to head to the Underworld and have a chat with Mr. Svarog.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
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If you guys wanna check it out.