As the group entered the city, they were met with the striking sight of Belobog—a fortress city, steadfast against the ages, like a relic from a frozen steam age.
The towering city walls bore countless scars, a testament to battles past, while heavy artillery lined the fortifications, emanating a chilling, war-worn energy. It wasn’t hard to imagine the struggles the people here had endured, defending themselves against threats during the unending winter.
To gain a deeper understanding of this “last bastion of humanity,” the Trailblazers decided to enter the city proper.
Within, the scene shifted entirely.
If March 7 were to describe it, she’d say, “Everyone’s bursting with energy!” For Dan Heng, it would be, “The people share a common purpose.”
But for Welt, he felt it most keenly—the wind moving through the city was no different from the one outside, pure and gentle. It was like a steady current, carrying energy to every corner, sustaining the heartbeat of the city.
“Announcement! People of Belobog! The Supreme Guardian will be giving a fireside chat at the Westwind Church tonight, broadcast through the Geothermal Network. Be sure to tune in!”
“To help with the expansion of the northern plains, we need every able hand! Contribute for the growth of Belobog!”
“The commercial curfew has been extended to midnight, and previously restricted goods will gradually be reintroduced this month. In addition, citizens from the Lower District are eligible for extra subsidies and rent reductions!”
“The Supreme Guardian loves all her citizens. She has gained the blessing of Qlipoth, the Aeon of Preservation, and brought us the breeze of hope itself—Lord Barbatos! May Belobog bid farewell to endless snow and embrace eternal spring!”
As they walked, Silvermane Guards stationed throughout the city called out announcements, each with its own fervor.
According to Seele, these announcers were part of the intelligence branch’s propaganda department, stationed at regular intervals to keep the populace informed.
The announcements covered all aspects of life—military service, healthcare, administration, transport, and production—each task with compensation matching the work, urging everyone to stay motivated.
Another announcement even addressed the issue of “miner’s disease” common among Lower District workers. It encouraged those suffering from it to seek treatment at Belobog’s Benevolent Heart Hospital, where the new director—herself from the Lower District—had vowed to treat all patients free of charge.
Remarkably, the announcements didn’t shy away from mentioning the city’s former leader, Cocolia.
According to the announcers, the new Supreme Guardian understood the flaws of dividing the citizens and was determined to make amends for the mistakes made during Cocolia’s rule, pledging to prevent Belobog from repeating its past errors. From now on, all were equals—so long as they worked, all would be treated with the same respect.
There were even testimonials from people who’d lived through it all:
“I’m just an ordinary drifter from the Lower District. During those ten years when it was sealed off, people like us worried every day just about surviving. But now the Supreme Guardian has opened the tramways to the Upper District, letting us see the light of day again. If we work hard, we can even earn a home of our own! Living a stable life like this—it’s something we’ve dreamed of for so long!”
“Fan club members! It’s been one year since Lord Barbatos’s support group was founded! I used to love those fancy, so-called ‘elegant’ tunes, but when I heard Lord Barbatos’s performance at the plaza that day, I knew I’d found true art! His music is divine! If you join the fan club now, you even get a pair of Lord Barbatos’s signature white stockings. Let’s all be ballad bards!”
Amid all this, something strange seemed to slip into the announcements. Yet, with the city’s information network fully operational, Belobog’s streets were filled with bustling citizens, all focused on their tasks, nodding greetings to one another as “comrades.”
The city’s prosperity surpassed that of many places the Trailblazers had seen—it was almost unbelievable that a place like this had been devastated by a cataclysmic war so recently.
With massive gears churning, Belobog’s unity had tightened, like cogs meshing perfectly after nearly fracturing. People were the bolts holding this machine together, powering it with renewed life.
“Whew, the energy here is overwhelming,” March 7 muttered, as if feeling herself begin to melt from the city’s vibrant warmth.
“Overwhelming? I think it’s wonderful,” Seele responded with a small smile, clearly in high spirits.
“You might not understand,” Seele explained, “but not long ago, these streets were deserted. People hid like moles in shelters, praying the end wouldn’t come. The former Guardian they relied on abandoned them and threw herself at the mercy of that calamity.”
“Belobog used to be shrouded in a shadow of despair—an inescapable cage. Even if someone escaped, all they’d find outside was a wasteland of ice and snow, with no way to survive. People’s spirits were crushed.”
“So this current enthusiasm is the release after all that oppression?” Welt observed.
“Exactly.”
Seele’s agreement came with a slight nod, though her tone was aloof when speaking to Welt.
Welt could feel her reserved demeanor, but he wasn’t surprised. After all, in his world, Seele had never been one for chitchat with strangers.
She was only close to a select few, and above all, she cared most about Bronya, the successor she had chosen herself. Their relationship went beyond friendship, perhaps even into the realm of love. In his world, it was simply understood as part of life.
Still, projecting his past memories onto this new reality would be presumptuous.
Yet the similarities stirred a faint nostalgia, a subtle comfort in seeing such familiar traits.
If he could offer even a bit of help to this city reborn from disaster, he would do so without hesitation.
As they continued through the streets, they attracted the attention of several children who, spotting Seele, eagerly approached, calling her name.
“Look, it’s Sister Seele! She’s back from outside the city—she must have new stories to tell!”
“Sister Seele is so cool! I hope I can marry her someday…”
At this, the formerly smug Seele instantly dropped her prideful expression and shot a flustered glare toward the source of the comment.
The little girls gazed back at her with starry-eyed admiration. If Seele so much as invited them over, they’d surely pack their bags and move in without a second thought.
—They were bolder than any of the boys.
March 7, stifling her laughter, elbowed Dan Heng, who tried to maintain a straight face, while Welt remained unbothered.
Even a few curious citizens paused to look at the newcomers. They murmured in admiration at the Trailblazers attire, a blend of exotic style that perfectly matched Belobog’s new direction.
They’d come to observe the city, but now they were the ones being observed—a slightly ironic turn of events.
After a few more lighthearted exchanges, talk drifted toward “the Great Winter,” “rift creatures,” and the “Legion of Destruction.”
At that point, however, a petite intelligence officer, with round cheeks and equally round glasses, politely took over from Seele.
“Greetings! I’ve received a report from our signalers and relayed it. The Supreme Guardian has expressed a desire to speak with you. From now on, I’ll be taking over as your guide, replacing Officer Seele.”
Adjusting her glasses, she introduced herself with a serious nod.
“I am Pelageya Sergeyevna, intelligence officer of the Silvermane Guards. But please, you can call me Pela.”
Reader discussion
0 Comments
Be the first reader to share a thought about this chapter.