On their way to the Robot Settlement, Venti recalled the outcome of his previous conversation with Svarog.
The result was straightforward enough—he’d successfully achieved his goal, smoothly convincing Svarog to join their side.
But if only the outcome was mentioned without the painstaking process, his efforts might seem trivial.
One must know that convincing Svarog hadn’t been an easy feat!
Back then, after understanding Svarog’s stance on the upper district, the situation became less complex.
At his core, Svarog’s operational logic was still inscribed with the word “Preservation.”
Protecting the underground was his mission, one he was born with. However, if that mission could extend to preserve all of Belobog, he wouldn’t let past grudges hold him back.
The reason for sealing the base and barring anyone from entering the upper district wasn’t because he harbored hatred for the builders or the Supreme Guardian, nor because he wished ill upon the underground. Rather, he had his own reasons.
Being a mechanical construct, Svarog was naturally inclined toward rational thinking, rather than impulsive emotional reactions.
While adhering to his mission, he wasn’t rigid.
As long as Venti could provide a viable, convincing force that could sustain the underground’s population, Svarog didn’t mind who took the lead on the matter.
In other words, he cared little about the current Supreme Guardian’s identity or actions.
As long as she wasn’t so deranged as to outright plan to slaughter the underground residents, but merely enforced a policy of isolation, he found it tolerable.
According to Svarog’s calculations, though isolation policies placed the underground in a state of extreme resource deprivation, they did buy the underground more time to survive before doomsday descended.
The rift’s source was above, not within the underground. Though the underground was also affected by its erosion, the intensity of the threat above—fully surrounded by the rift—was far greater.
If destruction was inevitable, relying on the upper district’s sacrifice to buy more survival time for the underground still fulfilled his mission’s core.
Moreover, when the time for vengeance came, the opportunity would be ripe. If the upper district fell, people would naturally flock underground.
Anyone wanting refuge would first have to prove themselves useful to Svarog. At that point, the stances of the upper and lower districts would reverse.
These were cold, merciless calculations, crafted solely to serve the underground and Svarog’s “Preservation” mission.
Yet beneath his logical exterior, Svarog still retained some sentiment—his loved ones resided in the underground.
Protecting Clara’s safety and fulfilling her needs were his highest priorities, on par with his concept of “Preservation.”
Thus, the conclusion became clear.
If Svarog’s two conditions could be met, a cooperative relationship with the Robot Settlement was feasible, albeit difficult.
And Venti demonstrated this possibility—first, by providing the power to alter the environment, and second, by offering a more suitable Supreme Guardian.
Together, these factors were enough to shake his solid calculations, prompting a reassessment of his choices.
—
When they finally arrived at the Robot Settlement, Bronya examined the area known as the home of the Gold Rushers.
Her first impression was one of returning to the Iron Guard frontlines, surrounded by battle-worn automaton soldiers, the air filled with a blend of oil and scorched circuit boards.
Among the scattered people, a small girl in a red winter coat caught her attention. She was petite and adorable.
But that wasn’t the main reason she stood out; it was her impressive maturity and skill as a mechanic.
The girl conducted maintenance on the automatons with remarkable speed, her craftsmanship first-class. Even Bronya doubted she could match the girl’s repair skills.
The position of Supreme Guardian was notoriously strict, requiring more than just academic prowess or combat skills—these were only the basics.
Even Cocolia, now considered a “tyrant,” was once hailed as Belobog’s brightest mind.
Though it seemed ironic in hindsight, it wasn’t hard to imagine how rigorous Bronya’s education must have been as her successor.
She had to be versatile, excelling in multiple areas to surpass both her peers and elders.
Yet here, in a place lacking any formal education, where survival itself was a daily struggle, a girl younger than her displayed this level of mechanical expertise. How could Bronya not take her seriously?
The more she observed, the more astonished she became.
Not only was the girl skilled in basic maintenance, but she could also salvage severely damaged hardware—smoking cores and all. If brought to an upper district repair shop, they’d advise tossing it in the trash, yet she salvaged them with ease.
This wasn’t mere talent; it was mastery that even Bronya had to respect.
Such exceptional talent couldn’t go unnoticed, so Bronya approached her.
However, before she could get close to Clara, a beetle-shaped automaton intercepted her.
Its red and green electronic eyes blinked slowly as it announced in a synthesized voice, “Beep—biological information detected. Identification failed, no matching record in the database.”
Confirming Bronya as an outsider, the automatons gathered around Clara instantly activated, surrounding her in a protective formation.
Some robots’ green lights faded entirely, leaving only a menacing red glow as they began emitting a piercing alarm.
“Warning. Warning. Unregistered personnel detected in the underground district. Activating defensive mode—”
Before Bronya could react, the automatons were already preparing for battle, leaving her momentarily at a loss.
Fortunately, Clara, hearing the commotion, quickly stepped forward, dispersing the robots with a gesture.
Venti, who had been watching, didn’t stay on the sidelines any longer. He stepped in front of Bronya. Though he wasn’t as tall as her, his presence was unexpectedly reassuring, as if she could depend on him.
“Whoa, let’s not get aggressive. She’s a friend of mine, here for a look around and to gather some information.”
“Ah, it’s Sister Venti!” Clara, seeing him, beamed like a warm little sun. “You’re finally back! When I finished repairing everyone last time, Mr. Svarog said you’d left.”
“Sister Venti?” Bronya’s expression froze as Venti responded with a gentle explanation, “I had some things to take care of last time, so I asked Svarog to pass along my goodnight and farewell to Clara. Will you forgive me, Clara?”
“Mhm! Sister Venti didn’t do anything wrong. If anything, the Settlement should thank you! Without the gift you left, everyone would still be worried about our energy source.”
Clara’s words piqued Bronya’s curiosity, and she was also intrigued by the familial closeness between Clara and Venti.
As the three of them moved further into the Settlement, Bronya took in the true heart of the place.
Unlike the desolate, abandoned atmosphere on the outskirts, the core of the Settlement was pleasantly warm, rivaling the best heating systems of the upper district.
Heating with Geothermal Essence typically made the air heavy, so the quality of the heating was easily noticeable.
Here, the air was humid and natural, like the once-vibrant climate of the planet, as old texts described.
Before she could pinpoint the source, Bronya’s gaze was drawn to a vast, verdant expanse that shouldn’t have been there. Even her mind, which remained clear during the fiercest battles, momentarily stalled.
Was this really… just the work of geothermal heaters?
It wasn’t that she hadn’t seen greenhouses before, but this setup had no heating equipment or protective coverings. It was as if someone casually scattered seeds, and they just sprouted on their own.
Was she really not dreaming?
—
T/N: Heh, what now Bronya? Is Venti a guy or a girl
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