Chapter 25 - 24 - The Corrupted One

Seeing Cocolia's behavior, Wende knew this was bad. The woman before them seemed to have already lost some of her sanity under the Stellaron's corruption. Otherwise, as the Great Guardian, she would never speak to her own daughter so mercilessly in front of outsiders. It seemed things had become tricky. I should have known, Wende thought, his hand touching the container in his pocket. "I..." Bronya was about to say more, but Cocolia cut her off with a sharp rebuke. "Enough! Do you intend to continue shaming yourself in front of a group of outsiders?!" Cocolia turned her gaze to the Trailblazing team, her expression filled with disdain. "Outworlders. Visitors from beyond the sky, correct?" Before Wende or the others could speak, she continued on her own. "I am Cocolia Rand, the Great Guardian of Belobog. I wonder, after seven hundred years, for what purpose have you outsiders graced us with your presence? Speak. I am listening." Tsk, this is a far cry from the one in the original story. This version isn't even bothering to pretend anymore, is she? Wende complained internally, but on the surface, he put on a smile and gave the haughty Cocolia a slight bow. "Esteemed Great Guardian, we are sales representatives from the Interastral Peace Corporation. We have come to your esteemed world hoping to recommend an exceptional beverage. We hope to re-establish the trade route with Jarilo-VI." Wende spoke with utmost respect, while behind him, his companions wore looks of utter bewilderment. "Wende, what are you—mmph!" Just as March 7th was about to ask what he was doing, Dan Heng, who had already sensed something was amiss, immediately clamped a hand over her mouth, his expression grave as he watched the Great Guardian on the dais above. "Oh? Merchants... Heh. Take out your product and let me see it. If it can pass my inspection, I will permit you to sell it in Belobog." Upon hearing the word "product," Cocolia's expression grew even more contemptuous. Her corrupted, azure-blue fingers tapped lightly on the desk as she spoke down to Wende. "Yes, Your Excellency, the esteemed Great Guardian." Wende pulled a metal container from his pocket, which seemed to hold some kind of liquid. "Leave it there. I will make my decision after you have gone." Cocolia glanced briefly at the container in Wende's hand, a mocking smirk reappearing on her face. "Bronya, see to it that these guests who have come from afar are settled. As for the crime you have committed, I will not hold it against you. Starting today, your position as Acting Commander of the Silvermane Guards will be temporarily transferred to another. I hope you will use this time to reflect on your actions." Cocolia toyed with the metal container Wende had presented, her eyes on the indignant Bronya below as she spoke slowly. Wende turned and walked back down the steps, frantically signaling to Bronya and the rest of the team with his eyes, urging them to leave this place at once. "In that case, Great Guardian, we shall take our leave." With that, Wende led the group and strode out of Qlipoth Fort. "You..." "Shh!" The moment they stepped out of the main gate of Qlipoth Fort, Bronya tried to question Wende, but he silenced her by placing a finger to her lips. "I know you're confused, but it's no longer safe here. We need to find a place where we can talk!" Ignoring Bronya's questions, Wende walked quickly toward the main urban district. Though the other members of the Trailblazing team were just as baffled, they could only follow Wende. "..." Bronya stood frozen for a moment, her thoughts a whirlwind, before she resolutely chased after the group. Inside the Goethe Hotel, before the finally-at-ease Wende could even take a sip of water, he was surrounded by March 7th, Stelle, and Bronya, who had just rushed into the room. "Wende! What was that all about?! How did we suddenly become part of the Interastral Peace Corporation? And from that department that only sells home appliances, no less!" March 7th pouted, her dissatisfaction clear. "Yeah, why didn't we reveal our true identities to the Great Guardian?" Stelle asked, equally confused. Bronya stood to the side, her face cold as she stared at Wende, seemingly waiting for his explanation. Only Dan Heng, who appeared to have already grasped Wende's intentions, sat quietly to one side, sipping the hotel's tea without joining the interrogation. "Sigh... Haven't you all realized yet? The Great Guardian has been corrupted by the Stellaron," Wende said to the three girls, rubbing his throbbing temples. "The Stellaron? The culprit behind Belobog's Eternal Freeze? How could it have corrupted Mother?!" Bronya stared at Wende in astonishment. On the way to Qlipoth Fort, she had learned about the dangers of the Stellaron from the team. It was precisely for this reason that she had been so determined to confront the Great Guardian, only to have Wende unexpectedly intervene. "Yes, and the corruption is severe. Your mother may no longer be the mother you once knew," Wende said to Bronya with a solemn expression. "But... why would Mother..." Bronya's gaze fell, finding it hard to believe that the powerful "Great Guardian" could become so hysterical under the influence of a Stellaron... "Your mother... may have made a wish to the Stellaron." Dan Heng, who had been sitting quietly, suddenly stood up and spoke. "A wish?" "That's right. According to Herta's research, a Stellaron is essentially a living entity, a special substance with a unique mechanism that connects to the power of a certain Path or Aeon. It responds to the desires of a world's ascendant civilization, but the form in which the wish is granted is always some kind of disaster..." "A disaster..." Listening to Dan Heng's explanation, Bronya grew thoughtful. Then, as if remembering something, her pupils contracted sharply, her eyes filled with disbelief. "It seems you've figured it out..." Wende said slowly, seeing the look of enlightenment on Bronya's face. "The Eternal Freeze was very likely caused by someone making a wish to the Stellaron... Although I don't know what wish your mother made, judging by the current situation, it can't be anything good." Wende shook his head as he looked at the pensive Bronya. Though he wanted to offer some words of comfort, it was clear there was no time. "We need to move, and quickly. Before long, the Silvermane Guards will have us surrounded. We don't have much time." "If that's the case, then why didn't we just grab her on the spot and make her tell us where the Stellaron is?" March 7th asked, confused. "Because... we are outsiders. Public opinion would not be on our side," Dan Heng said with a shrug. "And we have no idea what kind of deal she's made with the Stellaron. Rushing into a fight would only harm the innocent." "But... where else can we go? Outside the walls? Or to the Underworld?" Bronya asked with a bitter smile. As Cocolia's adoptive daughter, how could she not have noticed the change in her mother recently? But how could she have ever imagined that her mother would be bewitched by something called a Stellaron? And now, besides Belobog, where else was there for them to go? Knock, knock, knock. "Hello? Are the guests in? Do you need to buy some of Belobog's local specialties? Uncle Cold-Legs's goods are the best in all of Belobog!" A knock came from outside, followed by a voice all too familiar to the Trailblazing team. "See? The person who can help us find a place to stay has arrived." A small smile played on Wende's lips.