Chapter 93: Bronya: Seele, Please Help Me!
"Then this time, Jarilo-VI really does need to be re-evaluated." Topaz leaned back, a sharp, appreciative smile curling her lips. The IPC executive was clearly recalculating her margins.
"By the way," Leon chimed in, his tone entirely too casual as he dropped a metaphorical bomb, "you might as well factor the Herta Space Station into that little evaluation of yours."
He swirled his drink, looking perfectly relaxed. "They are expecting to harvest some unique minerals on Jarilo-VI for their research. Official trade relations will be established shortly."
He thought to himself that as long as he dropped a line to Herta and Ruan Mei, pushing this through would be a walk in the park. Those two Geniuses practically owed him a favor anyway.
Topaz blinked, her usual silver-tongued composure faltering. She stared at him, utterly speechless.
I mean... seriously? Isn't the backing behind this frozen rock a little too absurd?
...
Meanwhile, under the artificial night of the Underworld.
Following the established script, Bronya handled the rusted, winding streets of Rivet Town alongside Seele, hunting for desperately needed medical supplies.
The moment their boots crunched against the cracked pavement of the old Orphanage courtyard, both girls instinctively froze.
"It's not an illusion..."
Bronya murmured softly. Her voice was barely a whisper, swallowed by the howling subterranean wind. Her gaze swept over the weathered brickwork, lingering on the rusted playground equipment jutting out from the shadows. A phantom ache of familiarity bloomed in her chest.
"Huh? What are you talking about?" Seele frowned, gripping her scythe a little tighter as she scanned the perimeter.
"This house... these playground facilities." Bronya stepped forward, her eyes wide with certainty. "I've seen them before."
Because, deep down, Bronya had finally remembered everything.
"Ha? Give me a break!"
Seele scoffed, her immediate reaction one of pure disbelief.
"The Overworld and the Underworld have been completely sealed off for over a decade! Not a single Silvermane Guard has ever set foot down here. If a pampered young lady like you had wandered into the underground, the rumors would have flooded the entire district before you could even blink... Wait." Seele's voice hitched, her eyes narrowing as a sudden realization hit her. "Could it be... from before the blockade?"
"Yes. That is the only logical explanation for why my memories are so fragmented."
Bronya took a slow, trembling breath, squaring her shoulders. "Let's keep moving. I need to see more of this place to be certain."
They scoured the decaying Orphanage, dust motes dancing in the beams of their flashlights. After prying open a jammed door to a storage room, they finally struck gold.
"This is... found it!" Seele cheered, a rare, genuine grin breaking across her face. "Great, the crates are almost completely intact! Natasha probably never expected the emergency supplies she stashed away years ago to hold up this well."
She eagerly pulled several glass bottles of medical alcohol from the dusty shelves.
"For items like medical alcohol, we must check the expiration dates," Bronya gently reminded her, stepping closer to inspect the labels. "If the solution has degraded, its antiseptic properties will be severely compromised."
"Fair point." Uncharacteristically, Seele didn't argue. She popped the seal on one of the supply boxes to inspect the contents.
"Eh? What's this doing in here?"
Tucked beneath the rolls of bandages and alcohol bottles lay a small, faded trinket.
Seele picked it up, dusting it off with her thumb. It was a handmade bow hair accessory. The fabric was frayed and the colors were muted by time, but the careful, exquisite craftsmanship from years past remained obvious.
The moment Bronya laid eyes on it, she turned to stone.
"This is..." She stared at the bow, her voice trembling after two seconds of stunned silence. "...something from my childhood."
"Your... your childhood thing? Are you sure?" Seele stared at her, utterly bewildered.
Could Bronya, the pristine princess of the Overworld, actually have been an Orphanage kid?
"I remember now." Bronya pressed a gloved hand over her heart, her breathing shallow. "I used to live here. Before the Architects took me away, before Lady Cocolia adopted me... I lived here."
She met Seele's gaze, pronouncing each word with heavy finality. "I am from the Underworld."
"You're... from the Underworld?"
Seele's violet eyes widened to the size of saucers. "Wait, you just said Cocolia... You're the adopted daughter of the Supreme Guardian?! Then..."
"Yes. I am the designated successor chosen by the Architects."
Bronya didn't flinch from Seele's shocked stare. "In the future, I will become the Guardian who leads Belobog."
Her shoulders slumped, the weight of the revelation crashing down on her. "Why... why am I only remembering this now? My memories of my early childhood are nothing but a blur..."
Bronya pressed her fingers to her temples, a look of deep sorrow crossing her elegant features.
"Is it possible Cocolia did something to your head?" Seele voiced her immediate suspicion, her tone sharp.
"No! Mother would never do that to me... absolutely not."
Bronya fired back, her voice thick with emotion. That was the mother she had idolized and trusted her entire life; she flatly refused to entertain such a dark accusation.
"Kids in the Orphanage always come and go..." Seele muttered, shaking her head as if trying to clear the absurdity of it all. "To think the future Supreme Guardian actually came from the dirt with the rest of us!"
"But I... I am far from enough."
Bronya's voice dropped to a hollow whisper.
She turned away, staring out the shattered window. The Orphanage sat at the highest elevation in Rivet Town. Looking down, there was nothing but desolate, rusted streets and the grotesque silhouettes of wandering Fragmentum monsters.
"In the end, I can protect nothing," Bronya murmured, her reflection ghostly in the cracked glass. "Why was someone like me chosen? How can I possibly be fit for such a role..."
"Hey. Have you said enough?"
Seele's harsh voice suddenly sliced through the heavy atmosphere, shattering Bronya's spiral of self-pity.
"Eh?" Bronya blinked, startled.
"All that whimpering—it's annoying!" Seele snapped, crossing her arms.
"I..."
"What? Do you think crying and spitting out a few self-indulgent words is going to make me pity you?" Seele stepped closer, her eyes blazing with fierce Underworld grit. "You get to hide away in a warm palace! You can let your thoughts run wild without having to gamble your life on the front lines every single day! But what about the people down here? The people of the Underworld don't even know where their next meal is coming from. Just staying alive until tomorrow is a massive achievement!"
Seele's voice echoed off the damp walls, each word striking Bronya's chest like a physical blow.
"Even if you are only a glimmer of light, you must illuminate others..." Seele quoted, her glare piercing. "Didn't you say that yourself? Didn't you want to protect everyone? Instead of standing around crying about it, don't you have more urgent things to do?!"
The rapid-fire scolding splashed over Bronya like a bucket of ice water, snapping her awake.
"...Indeed. Self-pity solves nothing."
Bronya straightened her spine, composing herself as she nodded slowly.
"Thank you, Seele." A soft, genuine gratitude laced her tone. "Usually, when I fall into negative thoughts, the people around me rush to soothe me. No one has ever dared to snap me out of it so directly."
As the adopted daughter of the Supreme Guardian, she was surrounded by sycophants and gentle handlers. No one in the Overworld would ever dare scold her awake with such harsh, necessary truth.
"Hmph. I don't know the first thing about soothing people," Seele scoffed, looking away, though the biting edge had vanished from her voice. "But as for knocking some sense into your head? I can do that as many times as you need."
She kicked at a loose pebble, her expression softening. "I can tell just by looking at you that the burden you carry is too heavy. Why do you have to push yourself to the absolute breaking point?"
"As the future Guardian of Belobog, I must examine my actions and thoughts at all times," Bronya explained earnestly, her posture rigid with duty.
"Yes, yes, My Lady, the future Supreme Guardian." Seele rolled her eyes, unable to hold back a quiet laugh.
"To think we came from the exact same Orphanage... what a twisted joke of fate."
Despite her gruff words, the invisible wall between them had completely crumbled. Her attitude toward the Overworld princess had softened drastically.
"Want me to show you around the old place?" Seele offered, gesturing to the hallway with her thumb. "Unlike you, I remember everything from when we were kids perfectly."
"Okay." Bronya finally offered a small, radiant smile. "Then I will allow myself to be distracted with you for a little while."
They walked side-by-side through the silent, overgrown courtyard. After a short distance, Bronya stopped. She turned to face Seele, her silver eyes clear and unyielding.
"Seele, I know my mother has made irreparable mistakes in the past..." Bronya began, her voice steady. "But I still want to invite you to join me. Help me build the Belobog that should exist in our hearts."
Seele froze. She stared at Bronya's extended hand, completely stunned. Then, she quickly turned her head away, shifting her weight uncomfortably as the tips of her ears flushed a bright, betraying red.
"I... I get it already, you dummy," Seele muttered. Her tone was stiff, defensive, yet entirely unable to mask the quiet surrender beneath it. "Can you stop saying such cheesy things..."
Bronya watched the fierce Underworld girl fidget awkwardly, and a hidden, triumphant laugh bubbled up in her chest.
Sure enough, Leon was right.
He had told her exactly how to handle this. As long as she was willing to drop her guard and show a little weakness, Seele's tough exterior would melt away, revealing the soft heart underneath.
[Inorin's Note:
Enjoying the story? Dropping a quick review, comment, or Power Stone means the world to me and keeps these daily updates flowing!
Want to read 50 chapters ahead or just want to help keep a shameless translator alive? (My livelihood actually depends on this, haha 😭). You can support me directly here:
(P.S. Just remove the brackets and replace the [.] with a regular dot . to use the links!)
✨ Patreon (50 Advanced Chapters): patreon[.]com/InorinTL
☕ Ko-fi (Support / Sponsor): ko-fi[.]com/InorinTL
Thank you so much for reading and keeping this project alive!]