Without the Stellaron's whispers, Cocolia was no longer as stubborn as before.
But because of that, years of accumulated despair and emotional collapse began pouring out all at once.
And when she thought about how the person in front of her had been just a child—not even ten—when she first took office,
She felt a strange powerlessness, like punching cotton.
Taking out her frustration on a child would be utterly disgraceful.
As the Supreme Guardian of Belobog, Cocolia would not behave like an unreasonable woman.
"…Then why only notice us now?"
If this man hadn't appeared and freed her from the Stellaron's whispers,
Her ultimate plan had been to lead all of Belobog into the embrace of the Stellaron—
Toward the "new world" it promised.
Even if that world wouldn't be beautiful,
It still seemed better than struggling endlessly in despair.
"Originally, someone else was supposed to deal with your Stellaron crisis. But they went off course, and I happened to have nothing better to do—so I came instead."
Using the Stellaron for experiments was indeed part of his goal.
Su Ran's intentions weren't entirely pure.
But for the people of Jarilo-VI
This was unquestionably a good thing.
Restoring the planet to springtime?
For him, that was trivial.
Just like everything he did—
He wasn't a kind person.
Too much kindness would only make his help seem cheap.
"The future promised by the Stellaron is nothing but empty words. But I can restore your world to spring."
Bronya's heart stirred instantly.
A world like the one described in books?
Of course she longed for it.
She had only ever known winter—
Never spring, summer, or autumn.
Hearing this possibility, she was completely convinced.
"And the price?"
Cocolia, however, was no longer naïve.
Nor was she like Bronya, easily captivated.
She didn't believe in free miracles.
Nor that, at her lowest point, salvation would simply descend from the sky.
"This planet's ownership… will bear my name."
Su Ran didn't hide his intentions.
Because he was the savior descending from above.
He deserved their reverence.
Cocolia fell silent.
Bronya did too.
Young and ambitious, Bronya resisted the idea.
To her, Belobog should not belong to anyone else.
Perhaps she believed that through their own efforts, they could still reach a brighter future—
Without handing over their home.
But Cocolia was different.
She had experienced despair.
She had already been broken by helplessness.
To her, the Stellaron's promise and Su Ran's offer were no different—
Just two choices.
Freedom meant little compared to survival.
But she didn't agree immediately.
"Do you intend to enslave us?"
If slavery could buy the future—
Cocolia wouldn't refuse.
Losing freedom was nothing compared to endless despair.
"I've suddenly taken an interest in managing a planet and cultivating a civilization. If you call that slavery, then so be it."
He acted purely on interest.
And now—
He wanted to nurture a civilization.
Unlike Teyvat, this world was already on the brink of extinction.
Its situation was far simpler.
To Su Ran, so-called disasters were trivial.
Compared to Teyvat's complex geopolitical landscape,
This place was easier to shape.
After all—
It couldn't get any worse.
Melting the ice and restoring normalcy alone would surpass centuries of effort by the people of Jarilo-VI.
"You call this a sudden interest? Are our lives just a game to you?!"
Bronya snapped.
"Stand down, Bronya!"
Cocolia intervened sharply.
"But Mother—"
"I order you as the Supreme Guardian!"
"…Yes."
Bronya glared at Su Ran, fury burning in her eyes—
But she obeyed.
Reluctantly, she left the office.
"You're smarter than your daughter. You're far less foolish than I expected."
"For Belobog's survival… I have no choice."
Even being called a fool, Cocolia didn't react.
Perhaps despair had long since stripped her of anger.
"Bring me the Stellaron. In three days, you'll see spring again."
"…That fast?"
Cocolia froze.
She had expected vague promises—
Like the Stellaron's.
But three days?
That was immediate.
"Of course. If it took longer, people might laugh at my abilities."
"…."
Cocolia felt like her mind couldn't process it.
Solving a disaster that had plagued them for centuries—
Could it really be that simple?
Then what had all their sacrifices meant?
Outside, Bronya couldn't accept any of this.
She planned to gather allies—
To make her mother see reason.
There was no such thing as a free miracle.
There was no need to sacrifice everything for a promise.
If that outsider simply took away the Stellaron—
Belobog could fight its way back to spring on its own.
There was no need to surrender their freedom.
Following this line of thought, she sought out someone—
Her mother's former friend,
Now the owner of the Mechanical Workshop—
Serval.
Though she didn't know why their relationship had deteriorated,
Bronya hoped Serval could help.
"…What? Cocolia is selling all of Belobog into slavery?!"
Serval was utterly stunned.
Wait—
She was about to become a slave too?!
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