Under Pela’s worried, sympathetic gaze, Venti launched into a much-needed explanation—
Using the mechanical bird to project images, he shared with Pela the secrets of the Stellaron and the concealed truths that generations of Guardians had hidden from Belobog. He’d planned for Pela to eventually find these records within the bird, but sharing them now couldn’t have come at a better time.
The overwhelming flood of information left Pela in stunned silence.
She rubbed her temples, struggling to process the magnitude of it all.
But these events had already taken place, the choices made long ago. Trying to unravel the motivations behind them wasn’t important right now. Instead, she focused on Venti’s plan.
“…So, you’re going to turn yourself in just to expose the Supreme Guardian for what she really is?” Pela adjusted her glasses, her expression caught between disbelief and reluctant acceptance.
“You’re still calling her the Supreme Guardian? Let’s see if she has any loyalty left for her faithful soldiers.” Seele’s smirk held a touch of mockery.
“One arrest warrant, and every tie she’s had with people like us gets tossed out. Fits right in with my opinion of her.”
“…Sigh. I’ve struggled to understand why Lady Cocolia would change so drastically, but if the Stellaron is responsible, then maybe that explains it.”
Pela sighed, unable to hide her disappointment. Her clear blue eyes dimmed slightly.
“To be honest, I still feel dizzy just thinking about it. Belobog was never exactly prosperous, but life was stable. And now, all at once, our world has changed. People are faced with harsher struggles to survive, our friends are tangled in conspiracies, and the Guardian we revered has become the mastermind behind it all.
“It’s all so… unreal. If this were a novel, it would end up gathering dust on the bottom shelf, dismissed as pure melodrama.”
Seele didn’t seem as affected by the revelation. Raised in the lower district, she’d learned that if you were going to lead, you had to protect not just your allies but every person in need—whether they were comrades, townsfolk, miners, or even drifters you’d only met once.
For the sake of her people, Seele felt nothing but contempt for Cocolia’s weakness.
Whatever bitterness she’d felt toward the Guardian was gone, replaced with a cold determination to topple such a foolish ruler.
Just then, Venti turned to Pela with a soft smile.
“Anyway, I’d love to say I understand how you feel, but it would just be a friend’s comfort. And given the understanding we have, that would be far too shallow, wouldn’t it?”
Noting the glint of resolution in Pela’s eyes, he continued warmly.
“So, forget the worries and doubts. My friend, if you trust me, I’ll bring you every bit of beauty and wonder this world holds.”
Pela held her breath, and as the others looked on expectantly, she finally reached out and clasped Venti’s hand.
“Well, it’s far too late to back out now, right? It’s like getting dragged onstage before you’re ready…”
Her hand was warm and soft, his slender and smooth. Their clasped hands seemed to glow with some quiet promise.
But then another hand abruptly joined theirs. Seele reached over and firmly placed her hand on top.
Noticing their surprised looks, she tilted her head and said,
“What? Naturally, I’m part of this too. That’s how we do things in the lower district.”
“And this includes me too!” Clara chimed in, placing her tiny hand atop theirs with a smile toward Svarog.
After a moment’s pause, the towering robot knelt down, his massive mechanical hand supporting the four of them.
“Looks like we’ve all pulled Pela into this now,” Venti chuckled.
“Will someone remind me to never make the wrong kinds of comments when things are going so well?” Pela muttered, her tone playful as she bantered with him.
“Hey, who says Wildfire isn’t legit?”
“Ahem, but Svarog and I belong to the Robot Settlement.”
“Data indicates Intelligence Officer Pelageya Sergeyevna is joking with the poet,” Svarog noted, his mechanical voice adding gravitas.
“Yes, exactly! We’re all family here,” Venti emphasized in a sticky-sweet tone.
“So let’s throw a welcome party when all this is over, hmm?”
“Right, because you just want an excuse for free drinks, don’t you?” Seele and Pela said in unison.
They both met each other’s eyes, an unspoken challenge in their gaze.
Venti looked between them in surprise.
“Why does it feel like you two have known each other for ages? I’m almost jealous!”
Neither girl answered, smoothly shifting the topic once more.
“Focus on the plan for now, yes?”
“Agreed. Any more delays and Cocolia will only double down, which means more suffering for Serval.”
With an uncanny synchrony, Seele retrieved the rope to “bind” Venti, while Pela, with her intelligence training, fine-tuned every detail to make Venti look convincingly captive.
In the end—
Venti’s shirt was slightly disheveled, a rosy mark blooming on his cheek, and even his braid hung loose, as if someone had thoroughly roughed him up.
Clara, noticing this, was promptly shielded by Svarog, the robot deeming the scene “inappropriate” for her to witness. He refused to explain further, saying only that Clara was “too young for such sights.”
Even Seele and Pela, the masterminds behind Venti’s appearance, flushed, their minds filled with vividly colorful thoughts.
And so, with Venti slung over Seele’s shoulder and Pela leading the way, the three reached the gates of Qlipoth Forth just as dusk settled in, while Clara and Svarog remained hidden nearby, awaiting their moment to assist.
With remarkable efficiency, Pela arranged Venti’s “surrender,” leading him through a streamlined process that ended with him in a cell. Thanks to a guard who mistook him for a woman—and due to his association with Serval—they ended up in the same cell.
In the dim light, Serval looked at him in surprise, her expression baffled as the bound-up Venti squirmed his way over to her like an inchworm, flashing her a mischievous grin.
“Hey there, Big Sis Serval. Long time no see!”
“V-Venti?! How did you end up here? And what happened to you—oh no, I’m so sorry for dragging you into this mess.”
“Hey, hey, no need to look so glum. To me, coming here is just like coming home.”
“This isn’t the time to joke like that! Who did this to you? Once I get out, I’ll make sure they pay.”
Serval reached out to straighten his tilted hat, a touch of curiosity in her gaze.
“You’re not going to believe it… Pela did it.”
“Say what? My little brother’s the one who threw me in here.”
“Isn’t it ironic? We both ended up in jail, thanks to the people closest to us.”
“Who would’ve thought?” Venti chuckled. “Getting thrown in prison by our nearest and dearest…now that is a rare experience.”
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