"Let's keep looking. The crates here are too scattered." Seele sighed.
This trip to Rivet Town was supposed to yield three batches of supplies, yet two had already been taken by someone else.
If it were anywhere else, fine.
But this was the Fragmentum!
What were these people thinking? Specifically choosing today to rush into the Fragmentum and compete with them!
Not far away,
Zeig was still riding that enormous frost-giant-like Fragmentum creature, talking eloquently:
"In this humble one's view, I'm afraid…"
Bronya gently interrupted Zeig's "casting":
"Executor, don't be so pessimistic. Maybe no one got here first this time."
Seele and Bronya looked around, continuing to search for clues about the supplies.
The place was quiet now—the last Fragmentum creature lingering nearby had been hammered to death by Zeig.
Night slowly deepened.
Under the warm lights, only the sounds of the two rummaging remained.
As they searched, Bronya's movements grew slower and slower.
Finally, she stood frozen in place, lost in thought.
"Hm?" Seele looked up and asked:
"What's wrong?"
Bronya gazed at everything around her, silent for a moment before murmuring:
"This building… and these children's play facilities… I feel like I've really seen them before."
Seele set down what she was holding and immediately laughed:
"Ha? Come on. The Overworld and Underworld have been sealed off for over a decade—not a single Silvermane Guard has come down. If a young lady like you had visited the Underworld, it would've been major news."
She continued:
"Unless… it was before that! Wait… no way, right?!"
Bronya nodded deeply in agreement:
"Yes, that's possible… It's the only way to explain it… But why is my memory so hazy?"
She looked at the scenery—both strange and familiar—and said wistfully:
"Let me look around a bit more."
At that moment,
not far away,
Zeig happily waved his arms:
"Your Excellency! Look what I found—hahahahaha!!"
Amid the manic laughter, Bronya only saw Zeig holding up a small object.
The two walked over to Zeig and finally saw what it was.
"What is this… a brooch?" Bronya asked uncertainly.
Seele recognized the item and immediately understood:
"Oh, oh—this! I remember now. Natasha often taught us crafts. This must be a creation from one of the kids back then!"
"Here, here." Zeig handed the brooch to them. "We can't find supplies, so bringing a souvenir means we didn't come for nothing!"
Seele took it and passed it to Bronya:
"Zeig's right. Let Bronya keep this—as a tourist memento from visiting the Underworld."
Bronya accepted it in a daze, growing worried:
"But someone worked hard to make this… Taking it just like that…"
"You're so rigid. Just keep it if I tell you to." Seele scolded.
Now Seele, influenced by Zeig, had also lost hope of finding the alcohol.
Better to listen to him and bring something else back.
They'd come all this way into the dangerous Fragmentum—took steel plates and bandages but even gave Eric 200 Winter City Shields, split the painkillers half with Clara, and still hadn't found the alcohol. If there was none, not taking something else would be a huge loss.
Bronya watched Seele's expression and sighed:
"You've become as pessimistic as the Executor."
Seele shrugged:
"This is called cutting losses in time."
Soon, Zeig's shout came again.
"Hiss—huh? There's another crate here. Holy shit, holy shit?!"
Seele led Bronya over and asked:
"What are you holy shitting about… Oh my god!"
Following Seele's gaze, Zeig had opened a crate in the corner—it was packed full of alcohol, neatly arranged and perfectly intact.
Bronya was somewhat surprised but still reminded:
"We should check the expiration date on alcohol. If it's expired, it won't be useful."
Seele nodded:
"Fine, let's take out a few bottles and check."
She reached in and suddenly felt something round at the bottom, exclaiming in surprise:
"Huh? What's this?"
When she pulled the item out, the three finally saw it was a round crystal ball.
The crystal ball was pure white all over, with a cartoon image inside of a little white eagle pouncing toward a little white rabbit.
Bronya froze instantly.
"This is…"
"This seems to be… something from when I was little."
Seele looked at her in shock:
"Y-you when you were little?! Are you sure?"
Zeig spoke up:
"Isn't it possible it's just the same model?!"
Bronya shook her head and took the crystal ball, feeling deeply wistful:
"No… I remember now."
Her voice was hoarse:
"I used to… live here. Before the Builders took me away and Lady Cocolia adopted me—I lived here. I… I'm from the Underworld."
This one sentence made Seele's eyes widen in disbelief.
Bronya was actually from the Underworld? For real?
Seele said in shock:
"You're really… from the Underworld? Wait—you were the adopted daughter of the Supreme Guardian, not biological?!"
Bronya nodded:
"Yes, but now I'm the successor designated by the Builders. In the future, I will become the Guardian who leads Belobog."
"Huh?" Seele could hardly believe it.
Zeig immediately grinned, sat nearby, took out a lighter, and lit a string of firecrackers one by one.
Instantly, crackling firecrackers exploded behind the two, creating an extremely festive atmosphere:
"Hey, childhood sweetheart from the heavens! Seele, I told you you're destined for greatness. The next Supreme Guardian lived in the same orphanage as you—your background just leveled up!"
Immediately after, countless fireworks bloomed in the sky. Seele stood bathed in colorful sparks, her mind still crashed.
Bronya covered her forehead, the fireworks' light reflecting on her cheeks:
"Why… why am I only remembering this now? My childhood memories are so blurry…"
"The Builders said the selection of the Guardian successor is conducted across all of Belobog. The process can take a few years or decades."
"During that time, every child of age in both the Overworld and Underworld undergoes testing. In the end, only one child is chosen."
The silver-haired girl looked at the surrounding scene and sighed:
"I think… I was chosen here and then taken to the surface…"
Seele recovered and rubbed her chin in confusion:
"Kids in the orphanage always came and went… Who would've thought one of us would become the future Supreme Guardian! Does Natasha know? Has she been hiding it…"
Bronya shook her head:
"I don't think she knows. The selection of the Guardian successor is an absolute secret. The chosen child must completely sever ties with their past."
"So… that's why I became Lady Cocolia's daughter. Aside from being the next Guardian, I had nothing else… But I… I'm far too inadequate…"
"I watch Silvermane warriors sacrifice themselves in the Fragmentum every day, yet I can never muster the resolve to change Mother's mind."
"I clearly know the Underworld is suffering, yet I can't help at all. My former home has become like this, yet I…"
She clenched her sleeves:
"I… I can't do anything…"
…