Chapter 72: Welt: Cocolia Must Be the Problem, Bronya Is a Good Child!
"That Sampo guy is seriously too much!"
Boots crunched against the thick, packed snow as the group marched toward the towering walls of Belobog. March 7th kicked a loose chunk of ice, her pink hair bouncing with every indignant step.
"We were nice enough to yank him out of a freezing snowdrift, and what does he do? The second those Silvermane Guards show up, he bolts faster than a frightened rabbit!"
If the blue-haired merchant were actually here to defend himself, he would have likely cried out in sheer grievance. After all, did slamming an entire train car into a man's face really count as saving him? Truly a touching rescue.
"Exactly, exactly. The man has absolutely zero sense of loyalty," Stelle nodded, her expression deadpan as she matched March's pace.
"Exactly, exactly. Zero sense of loyalty," Caelus echoed, flawlessly activating his built-in repeater mode with a solemn nod.
Walking a few paces behind the energetic trio, Welt Yang let out a low, amused chuckle. He adjusted his glasses but chose not to chime in. During their brief, tense standoff with Gepard and the Silvermane Guards moments ago, the seasoned Trailblazer hadn't lifted a finger. The guards possessed limited combat strength, and as newcomers to this frozen world, Welt had no desire to spark a direct conflict with the local authorities.
As for Sampo, the man practically had wanted criminal written across his forehead. Yet, he was as slippery as an eel soaked in oil. Welt hadn't bothered to stop him from fleeing. For all he knew, the eccentric merchant was just another moving piece in Leon's grand, chaotic chessboard. March 7th and the twins might have been too distracted to notice, but Welt's experienced eyes had caught the subtle tells. That Sampo was more than a mere smuggler. He was, in all likelihood, a Masked Fool.
Such were the benefits of a long life filled with interstellar travel.
"Welcome to the City of Preservation, Belobog!" Gepard's deep, authoritative voice broke through the howling wind. He gestured forward as the massive, heavy iron gates groaned open, revealing the sprawling cityscape within.
"Eh? Is it just me, or is it suddenly not freezing anymore?" March 7th blinked, lowering her hands from her chilled cheeks. The biting frost of the snow plains vanished the moment they crossed the threshold, replaced by a comforting, artificial warmth.
"Because you are now standing inside Belobog, humanity's last bastion," Gepard explained, his posture rigid and proud.
"The last bastion?"
"Yes." Gepard took the lead, guiding the Astral Express Crew through the bustling streets toward the towering structure of Qlipoth Fort. As they walked, he recounted the grim history of his home. "Seven hundred years ago, monsters from beyond the heavens descended, setting our planet ablaze..."
Unbeknownst to the crew, Gepard had already dispatched a runner ahead to notify the Supreme Guardian of these outworlders' arrival. A returning Silvermane Guard had just slipped him a quiet message: bring the guests directly to Qlipoth Fort.
High above the city streets, inside the grand, echoing halls of Qlipoth Fort, Bronya took a deep, shaky breath. She smoothed down the fabric of her uniform, unable to hide the nervous twitch of her fingers.
"Mother, the Astral Express Crew will be here any minute. I am a bit... at a loss."
She had been trained in politics, military strategy, and combat. But she had never been asked to put on a theatrical performance before.
"Bronya, relax," Cocolia soothed, her voice soft and entirely devoid of its usual icy edge. She stepped forward, gently resting a hand on her adopted daughter's shoulder. "Just act exactly as if Leon never came. Pretend you are still furious with my previous decisions."
Behind the scenes, the Supreme Guardian had already issued secret orders to withdraw the frontline troops stationed near the Fragmentum Rift, cutting off the pointless sacrifices she had once demanded. But the warmth and relief in Bronya's eyes right now were completely wrong for the upcoming scene. Cocolia needed her daughter to dig up that old, bitter frustration.
"Do not worry, I am right here," Cocolia said, her tone steady and reassuring. "You simply need to argue with me just like we did before, then storm out in a huff. Leave the rest of the heavy lifting to me."
A small, genuine smile tugged at Cocolia's lips. It felt incredibly liberating to exist without the maddening, venomous whispers of the Stellaron clawing at her sanity. Freed from its corruption, she found herself quite confident in her acting skills. According to Leon's bizarre script, Bronya didn't have much stage time in this act anyway. Her main role would come later, when she was supposed to track the Express Crew down into the Underworld.
At this stage, Cocolia's performance was the linchpin.
Back at the entrance of the fort, Gepard paused and turned to face the group. "I will now take you all to see Madame Cocolia. I strongly suggest you organize your words in advance. Her time is precious, and she favors concise, clear reports."
"Eh? We're meeting the big boss right away?" March 7th squeaked, frantically looking down at her outfit and patting down her skirt. "Can I find a mirror to tidy up my hair first?"
"I need to prep as well!" Stelle immediately echoed, aggressively smoothing down her messy gray hair.
"Are there any specific royal etiquettes we need to memorize so we don't get executed?" Caelus asked, his face entirely deadpan but his tone completely serious.
Dan Heng merely sighed, remaining silent. He pinched the bridge of his nose. It seemed March, Stelle, and Caelus had completely forgotten Leon's grave warning from earlier. The Stellaron was currently bewitching Belobog's supreme leader. In other words, the woman they were about to meet was highly likely an enemy, not a friendly host.
Welt Yang also kept his mouth shut. He exchanged a knowing glance with Dan Heng, a faint, amused smile touching his lips. He gave a subtle nod, signaling the archivist to let the young ones handle the situation themselves. They needed to accumulate real Trailblaze experience. Welt had firmly positioned himself as the safety net for this expedition; he had no intention of overstepping and stealing their spotlight.
"There is no need to be overly formal," Gepard assured them, shaking his head slightly. "The Supreme Guardian does not place much importance on tedious formalities. also, since you are outworlders, it is perfectly understandable that you are not versed in Belobog's customs. I have already sent word ahead; Madame Cocolia is aware of your origins. Please, follow me."
Gepard pushed open the heavy double doors leading into the main audience chamber.
Hearing the heavy thud of approaching footsteps, Bronya immediately snapped into character. Her posture stiffened, and she raised her voice, letting a sharp edge of defiance bleed into her tone.
"...But such sacrifices are entirely meaningless! You cannot just throw their lives away!"
Welt froze.
Wait. Why did that voice sound so incredibly familiar?
He stepped past the threshold, his brown eyes sweeping across the grand hall before locking onto the two figures standing at the far end of the room.
Welt's breath hitched.
"Cocolia?! Bronya?!" he exclaimed in a harsh, low whisper, his eyes widening behind his glasses.
Seeing those two distinct, unforgettable faces, even if they were dressed in vastly different, heavily militarized winter clothing, Welt instantly understood. These were the acquaintances Leon had casually mentioned before they left!
Good grief. They really were far too familiar.
In his home universe, the world of Honkai Impact 3rd, Welt Yang was the Sovereign of Anti-Entropy. Cocolia had been one of his executive officials. It was a strict superior-subordinate relationship.
Except, their relationship had been nothing short of disastrous.
The Cocolia of his world had never fully submitted to Welt's authority. She belonged to the extreme radical faction within Anti-Entropy, constantly operating in the shadows to achieve her own twisted goals. While Welt's core mission was to fight the Honkai and protect humanity at all costs, Cocolia had been obsessed with conducting horrific, highly dangerous human experiments.
Such atrocities were utterly unforgivable in Welt's eyes.
Eventually, Welt had personally gathered the damning evidence of her crimes, exposed her during a high-level internal tribunal, and had her arrested alongside four other radical executives. He had even liquidated her assets to pay reparations to her victims.
And then there was Bronya.
In his world, Bronya had been a tragic victim, a child raised in the very orphanage Cocolia had founded and used as a front for her experiments. After Cocolia's arrest, Welt had personally arranged for St. Freya Academy to take in the orphans. Bronya had eventually become his direct student, learning under his wing until she inherited his legacy, taking up the mantle and power of the Herrscher of Reason.
Welt's gaze locked onto the elegant, imposing woman standing at the top of the stairs. His jaw tightened.
Wasn't the answer to this planet's crisis glaringly obvious now?
The problem absolutely, undeniably had to be Cocolia!
And Bronya? Bronya was a good kid. She always was.
However, as a mature, steady elder who had lived through countless wars, Welt did not summon his cane and blast a black hole into the room right then and there. He forced his muscles to relax. He had already promised himself he would only act as a supportive guardian on this trip. He had to leave room for the younger generation to grow.
"Step down, Bronya. The visitors have arrived," Cocolia interrupted, her voice echoing with cold authority as she waved a dismissive hand at the younger woman.
Welt blinked, his mind stalling for a fraction of a second. Good grief, even their names were exactly the same? If he wasn't currently pretending to be a clueless stranger, he would have half a mind to pull the girl aside and ask if she had a hot-headed sister named Seele running around somewhere.
"Yes, Mother..." Bronya bowed her head, perfectly feigning a look of bitter reluctance. As she turned to retreat, her eyes briefly darted toward the Astral Express Crew, a flicker of uncertainty hidden in her gaze. 'My performance was okay, right?'Welt watched the exchange, utterly bewildered.'Are they biological mother and daughter in this universe, or does the toxic adoptive relationship still stand?'
He rubbed his temples, feeling a phantom headache coming on. Good grief, this entire setup was too familiar. It was so identical it made him dizzy. For a brief, surreal moment, Welt almost believed he hadn't traveled across the cosmos at all, but had simply woken up back in his old, war-torn world.
Somewhere out there, Leon was probably laughing. Who ever told Welt he had left the Honkai behind?
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