"Cough, cough... How could this be..."
"My daughter, you have courage, and you are decisive."
Cocolia floated before Bronya: "But... you acted too late."
"At this point, I have already gained enough power to share a portion of the Stellaron's energy. If you had made your move when I first began issuing those misguided orders, you might truly have had a chance to stop me."
"Guh... Just kill me..."
"Why would I kill you? My daughter..."
Cocolia rose to her feet, lightly tapping Bronya. Immediately, Bronya began to float uncontrollably.
"In my eyes, making mistakes is permitted. Moreover, from my perspective, you haven't even done anything wrong... Rest assured, you will still be the next Guardian, and I will still be your mother."
"However... I need to show you exactly what led me to make this choice."
'Excellent...' A surge of relief washed over Bronya.
'Lynelle guessed correctly after all. This way, both of my tasks are accomplished. What happens next... we'll leave it to fate.'
But something neither of them noticed...
Not long after Cocolia departed, among the stunned Silvermane Guards, a petite girl with a round face slowly struggled to her feet.
"Oh no, oh no..."
Pela fought through the intense dizziness clouding her mind and activated her communicator.
"Captain Gepard, this is Pela... Something terrible has happened at Qlipoth Fort!"
"Bronya's rebellion has failed. The Guardian has been possessed by the Stellaron and intends to lead Belobog to its ruin. Right now, Cocolia is taking Bronya away somewhere, forcibly!"
"..."
Silence hung on the other end of the line as Gepard processed the news.
"What's wrong, Gepard?"
Dunn, standing nearby, asked with concern, "You've seemed distracted ever since Bronya visited this morning."
"It's nothing..."
Gepard took a deep breath.
"Dunn, relay my orders!"
"The entire Silvermane Guard Restricted Zone is to enter a Level 1 combat readiness state. Especially the sectors guarding the path to Everwinter Hill—pull the defensive lines back and reorient them to face inward."
"Target: Guardian Cocolia."
"This... Understood, sir."
As an experienced officer, Dunn knew exactly what Gepard's command implied.
However, given that Cocolia had long lost the military's support, and considering both Bronya and Gepard were highly respected leaders, the entire Silvermane Guard would undoubtedly follow their lead—so long as they weren't ordered to turn against the people of Belobog.
"Also, Gepard, a subordinate just reported something. They think they saw Serval and those outsiders near the periphery of the restricted zone. Should we...?"
"No. Let them pass."
Gepard shook his head. "Bronya already informed me about them. The situation was unclear before, and as a soldier, my duty was to follow orders."
"But given the current circumstances... they are our allies."
"Still, which direction were they headed?"
"That's unclear, but it didn't seem to be towards Everwinter Hill."
Dunn shook his head. "That direction... perhaps... leads to the Engine of Creation?"
--+--
It must be said, that although after abducting Bronya, Cocolia had largely monologued the entire way, giving Bronya no chance to stall, the task of buying time had, in fact, been accomplished quite effectively.
Because Bronya had initiated the coup, the entire Silvermane Guard Restricted Zone was now under strict martial law.
Cocolia, not wanting to cause public panic prematurely—especially since it would still take some time for the Stellaron to fully assimilate Belobog—had chosen to take a detour.
"To think, Mother, even now, you still care about the feelings of the common people."
Bronya's voice was cold. "I assumed there was no place for them in your 'new world'."
"I am not heartless. Otherwise, I would never have been the one to assume the mantle of Guardian in the first place."
Cocolia's voice hesitated for a moment. "But, my daughter, after all I've confided in you on this journey, do you still not understand my predicament?"
"From the very beginning, Belobog was left with no future... Using the Stellaron to envelop Jarilo-VI in an eternal freeze merely postponed Belobog's demise by a few centuries."
"Perhaps our ancestors initially held onto the hope of researching the Stellaron and awaiting reinforcements, but now... it has become a mere struggle for survival. And by our generation, it can barely even be called that."
"This bomb was destined to explode either in my hands or in yours. The immense pressure has already crushed me. I did not want you to experience that same torment, my daughter... Seeking a variable is our only path forward."
"I understand your predicament, Mother..."
Seeing the scene before her, Bronya knew they had reached their destination.
"But... why do you place your trust in the very Stellaron that reduced Belobog to this state, yet refuse to believe in the Astral Express, which has a renowned reputation across the stars? Their records can even be found in Svarog's database, and their capabilities are more than sufficient."
"Because..."
Cocolia was momentarily at a loss for words.
Because... what was the reason again?
"Because you don't know why yourself, but you instinctively find us untrustworthy."
The next moment, Cocolia's eyes widened in horror.
She realized... this entirely different voice was coming from her own mouth.
"Don't bother looking. I'm the one controlling your body now."
Lynelle's voice carried a hint of nonchalance.
"You've already been completely hypnotized into being its puppet. If you could still harbor 'resisting' thoughts against the Stellaron, that would be the real miracle. After all, any thought in your mind that is unfavorable to the Stellaron is instantly snuffed out."
"Or, perhaps you'd like to guess... just how many of these suppressed thoughts I found in your mind? Right before Bronya entered Qlipoth Fort, you were still thinking about giving her the right to decide whether to embrace the Stellaron or not."
"What..."
"Also, don't be so shocked. You'll have more reasons to be amazed in a moment."
Lynelle's form gradually solidified in the air.
"Truth is, Preservation has never completely abandoned this place. So long as you don't give up, the will of Preservation will not abandon you..."
"And... you're about to witness just how frenzied an enraged Stellaron can be."
Lynelle gently crushed the card in her hand.
"Of course, I'll do my best to protect you all. But using power of this level... it's a first for me too. So if my protection proves lacking later..."
As the card shattered, a hazy, gentle radiance enveloped Lynelle from behind.
When the light faded...
A figure stood before them, barring their path.
She was tall and curvaceous, with long, pale pink hair, wielding a massive black-and-white lance. An aura, gentle and comforting like a mother's embrace, emanated from her.
"Please bear with me~"
--+--
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!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.