The three continued deeper into Rivet Town, following the cracked shopping street that wound between abandoned storefronts and crumbling apartments. Seele led the way with the confidence of someone who had walked these roads countless times, while Bronya studied everything around her. Caelus remained a few steps behind, quietly watching the two women.
The silence of the ruined town pressed in around them.
Seele: "...That object was pretty important to you, right?"
Bronya turn to Seele understood what she mean.
Seele: "Are you sure you're okay just giving it to Eric like that?"
Bronya smiled.
Bronya: "If it will make him change his ways, it's more than worth it."
Seele raised an eyebrow.
Seele: "Hah, and what if he doesn't?"
Bronya answered without hesitation.
Bronya: "From a young age, my mother taught me to be forgiving and to preserve the goodwill in people's hearts... Even if I am but a small glimmer of light in this world, I must try my best to shine brightly for others."
She looked ahead into the empty street.
Bronya: "I must give him a chance, Seele, because other people can't."
Seele fell strangely silent.
She glanced at Bronya for a moment before looking away.
Seele: "I don't really get what you just said. Anyway, ahem, we should get moving."
She pointed farther down the street.
Seele: "Eric said that we need to take the shopping street to go any further. I think I still remember where it is... this way."
The three continued onward.
As they entered the side street, faded shop signs swayed gently in the stale underground air. Rusted lanterns hung from bent poles, and shattered display windows reflected the pale blue glow of Geomarrow crystals embedded in the surrounding walls.
Seele: "This is the street alright. The orphanage should be at the end."
Bronya slowed her pace.
Her eyes lingered on the storefronts.
Bronya: "These shops and signs... Why do I feel like I've seen them before?"
She frowned.
Bronya: "But when...?"
They approached a long stone staircase leading uphill.
Seele: "The entrance to the orphanage is up this way."
She climbed the first few steps and looked toward the building above.
Seele: "I wonder what the old place is like now. Maybe some things will still look familiar."
Bronya quietly touched the worn handrail.
Bronya: "These stairs... they seem to have become more narrow."
The orphanage finally came into view.
Despite years of abandonment, the large stone building remained remarkably well preserved. Ivy had begun creeping across its walls, and the old playground equipment still stood in the courtyard.
Seele stopped in front of the gate.
Seele: "Almost there! I didn't expect this place to be so well preserved."
She looked around the courtyard with mixed nostalgia and regret.
Seele: "Y'know, if we could've worked together to push back the Fragmentum... maybe we wouldn't have had to take off and leave our homes behind."
Bronya remained silent.
The words seemed to strike somewhere deep within her.
The three stepped through the gate.
The courtyard was exactly as Seele remembered it.
Seele: "...We made it! It's been so long... but this place hasn't changed one bit."
She pointed toward several crates stacked beside the entrance.
Seele: "Oh! It looks like there's a lot of stuff piled outside. Let's go see if there's any rubbing alcohol for Nat."
They walked over and began opening the weathered crates.
Bronya examined the dusty wood.
Bronya: "These crates have been sitting here for many years, right? Even if they have materials in them, are you sure they are still usable...?"
Seele shrugged.
Seele: "Do you think undergrounders care about expiration dates? Even having any supplies is a miracle in itself."
She opened another crate.
Seele: "No... No... Empty..."
Another.
Seele: "How are they all empty? Who could've—"
A sharp crack echoed through the courtyard.
Ice spread across the ground behind them.
A Fragmentum monster burst from the frozen mist, roaring as crystalline claws lunged toward the group.
Bronya: "Careful! Enemy behind you!"
Before the creature could even complete its attack—
A burst of golden light exploded beside them.
Caelus transformed into Ganbarider in an instant.
He stepped forward once.
Drove his fist into the monster's chest.
BOOM!
The Fragmentum creature disintegrated completely, its icy body shattering into countless glittering particles that scattered across the courtyard before vanishing into nothingness.
The shockwave swept through the playground, sending dust and loose snow swirling into the air.
Ganbarider lowered his fist.
Silence returned.
Caelus de-transformed.
Bronya stared at the empty space where the monster had existed only a second earlier.
She genuinely had nothing to say.
Seele looked from Caelus to the spot where the monster had been and let out a tired laugh.
Seele: "Well , at least we have a good Bodyguard for us."
Bronya nodded slowly.
The two girls resumed searching through the crates while Caelus quietly helped.
One crate after another.
Empty.
Eventually Seele straightened up and dusted off her hands.
Seele: "Should be all clear now. Let's poke around."
She walked toward the corner of the courtyard.
Seele: "The kids at the orphanage were always getting into scraps when we played out here. If I remember it right, there ought to be some supplies for our cuts and bruises stored in that corner there."
She looked hopeful.
Seele: "I just hope the monster didn't get to them."
Bronya, however, had stopped moving.
She was staring at the orphanage building itself.
Her expression had become strangely distant.
Bronya: "...It wasn't my imagination."
Seele turned around.
Seele: "Huh? What are you talking about?"
Bronya slowly looked across the courtyard.
Bronya: "This building, this playground equipment... I've seen it all before."
Seele blinked.
Seele: "What!? Come on, the Overworld and Underground have been sealed off from each other for over ten years. It would've been news if a Silvermane Guard had come down here, let alone an Overworld princess."
Then something occurred to her.
Her eyes widened slightly.
Seele: "Wait, unless, before that..."
Bronya nodded.
Bronya: "...Yes, it's a possibility. That would explain why my memory of it is so blurry."
She looked toward the building entrance.
Bronya: "Come on, I need to look around a bit more before I can be sure..."
Near the old toy slide, Bronya noticed a small weathered object tucked beneath the platform.
Bronya: "What's up here? Some kind of toy?"
Seele walked over.
Seele: "Yep. You pick, red or blue?"
Bronya pointed.
Bronya: "Hm... blue."
Seele picked it up and laughed.
Seele: "Ha! Look at this. After over ten years, the teeth marks are still here."
Bronya looked closer.
Bronya: "Teeth marks?"
Seele rubbed the back of her head.
Seele: "Alright, well... this one time, a big kid was trying to steal this toy from me. I couldn't outwrestle him for it, so I just bit down hard and hung on for dear life."
Caelus quickly covered his mouth to hide a laugh.
Unfortunately, Seele noticed.
Without warning—
Thwack.
She punched him in the wrist.
Caelus winced and rubbed his arm.
Bronya looked at Seele with perfect seriousness.
Bronya: "...How boorish."
At the old swing set, rusted chains creaked softly in the underground breeze.
Bronya reached out.
Bronya: "This swing is covered in dust... Hey, don't sit on it! It's filthy!"
Seele ignored her completely and sat down anyway.
The swing groaned beneath her weight.
Seele: "Ah, it sure brings back memories... I still remember one time I swung super high, and everyone was scared I would fly off."
Bronya watched her.
Bronya: "...Who knew swinging could be so intense?"
Seele smiled faintly.
Seele: "At the time, I wanted to swing myself into the sky and fly up to the Overworld."
Bronya folded her arms.
Bronya: "So dangerous... You're lucky to have lived till now."
Seele hopped off the swing.
Seele: "Hmph, aren't we all, though?"
Near a stack of old crates on the stairs, Seele found a small object buried beneath a tarp.
She held it up.
Seele: "I found this. Here, take it."
Bronya accepted it carefully.
Bronya: "What is this? ...A brooch?"
Seele nodded.
Seele: "Natasha would often teach us how to make different handicrafts. This must be some kid's masterpiece."
Bronya looked at it thoughtfully.
Bronya: "And why give it to me?"
Seele shrugged.
Seele: "You gave your medal to that kid Eric. This thing might not be as valuable, but it's at least a replacement of sorts."
Bronya hesitated.
Bronya: "But didn't someone work hard to make this? I can't just take it from here..."
Seele waved dismissively.
Seele: "...You sure are prissy, huh? Just take it."
Bronya smiled softly and slipped the brooch into her pocket.
Finally, they searched the last stack of crates near the playground.
Seele pried one open.
Her eyes lit up.
Seele: "We've looked everywhere but here... I hope my memory is right."
She rummaged through the contents.
Then suddenly—
Seele: "It's... Ah! Yes, we found it!"
She pulled out several bottles of rubbing alcohol and old medical supplies.
Seele: "Great, and it's barely damaged! Nat wouldn't have expected her old supplies from years ago to have stayed in such good condition."
Bronya examined one of the bottles.
Bronya: "You should still check the expiration date for things like rubbing alcohol. If it's expired, it won't be effective."
Seele nodded.
Seele: "Hm, true. Let me check a few bottles."
As she moved the supplies aside, her hand struck something round.
She paused.
Seele: "...Huh? What's this?"
She lifted out a beautifully preserved snow globe.
Inside it, a white owl fly above a white rabbit, surrounded by delicate flakes of artificial snow.
Bronya's breath caught.
Her eyes widened.
Bronya: "This is..."
She gently took the snow globe from Seele.
Bronya: "This is... something from when I was a child."
Seele stared.
Seele: "Wh—When you were a child!? Are you sure...?"
Caelus looked between the snow globe and Bronya.
Caelus: "Could it be, when you were a child..."
Bronya slowly nodded.
Bronya: "Yes. I remember now..."
She held the snow globe.
Bronya: "I—I used to live here... B—Before the Architects took me away, before Madam Cocolia adopted me... I used to live here! I'm... an undergrounder."
Seele froze.
Seele: "You're... an undergrounder? Wait a minute... you're saying that Cocolia, the Supreme Guardian, adopted you? Then—"
Bronya looked directly at her.
Bronya: "Yes. I'm the successor chosen by the Architects. In the future, I will become the guardian who leads Belobog."
The courtyard fell completely silent.
Bronya's voice shook.
Bronya: "Why... Why didn't I remember this until now? My childhood memories are so blurry..."
Caelus spoke quietly.
Caelus: "You were too little to remember clearly."
Bronya took a slow breath.
Bronya: "The Architects said that the guardian's successor is selected from among all people in Belobog. The selection process can take anywhere from a few years to a few decades."
She looked around the orphanage.
Bronya: "During that time, all children of the appropriate age in both the Overworld and the Underworld will be tested. In the end, only one child deemed as "worthy" will be chosen."
Her eyes lowered.
Bronya: "I... must have been chosen from among the children here and then taken to the surface..."
Seele looked around the courtyard in disbelief.
Seele: "The kids at the orphanage are always coming and going... I never thought that there would've been a future Supreme Guardian among us! Does Nat know about this? Could she have been keeping it a secret..."
Bronya shook her head.
Bronya: "...I don't think she knows. The selection of the successor is done with utmost secrecy, and the child chosen must completely say goodbye to their past."
She held the snow globe against her chest.
Bronya: "And thus... I became the daughter of Madam Cocolia. My only identity is that of guardian successor, but I'm... not good enough..."
Her voice cracked.
Bronya: "Every day I see Silvermane Guards sacrifice their lives in the Fragmentum, but I've never had the resolve to change mother's mind."
She looked toward the ruined town.
Bronya: "The Underworld has been struggling, but I never tried to help. I didn't even know that it was my own home that had fallen into such a dire state..."
Bronya: "In the end, I haven't been able to guard anything. How could they have thought I was worthy to be the successor..."
Seele stared at her for a long moment.
Then suddenly stepped forward.
Seele: "Hey! Are you done?"
Bronya blinked.
Bronya: "...Huh?"
Seele crossed her arms.
Seele: "Wah wah wah... So annoying."
Bronya looked genuinely confused.
Bronya: "I... What?"
Seele pointed directly at her.
Seele: "What? You thought I should feel sorry for you after your little speech? You can hide in your palace while you fuss over your Overworld problems, and on the front line it's not even you who's putting their life in danger. But in the Underworld, what do we worry about? If we'll have food for our next meal or survive to the next week!"
Her voice grew louder.
Seele: "Even if I am but a small glimmer of light in this world, I must try my best to shine brightly for others. Didn't you say that? Well, if you really want to protect everyone, what are you standing here crying for? Get to it!"
Bronya stood speechless.
For a long moment, she simply looked at Seele.
Then slowly—
She smiled.
Bronya: "You're right... You're right, self-pity doesn't help solve anything."
Bronya: "Thank you, Seele. Usually when I feel sorry for myself, I am met with gentle consolation. Never has anyone dared to be tough and make me snap out of it."
Seele shrugged.
Seele: "Hmph. I'm no good at consoling, but I can hit you on the head a few times. No problem."
She looked at Bronya more carefully.
Seele: "...I can tell that you have a big burden to carry. Why do you force yourself to?"
Bronya answered honestly.
Bronya: "...As the successor to the guardian of Belobog, I must always be vigilant of my behavior and thoughts."
Seele laughed.
Seele: "Yeah yeah, Lady Bronya~ Hmph, Miss Future Supreme Guardian comes from the same orphanage as me... Who thought it would be a good idea to put us together, huh?"
She smiled.
Seele: "How about I show you around the orphanage a bit more? Unlike you, my memories from when I was little are crystal clear."
Bronya nodded.
Bronya: "Okay, I'll indulge in old memories with you for a while."
Seeing the two of them finally smiling together, Caelus quietly decided not to interrupt.
Caelus quietly stepped away from the orphanage courtyard, leaving Seele and Bronya to continue their tour of old memories together.
He looked down at the list Natasha had given them.
The only thing left to find is painkillers. He'll see if there's any nearby.
The orphanage was larger than it had first appeared. Several narrow corridors and staircases connected to storage rooms and underground supply areas. Caelus moved carefully through the dim interior, the silence broken only by the distant creak of old wooden beams and the occasional drip of water.
As he reached a staircase leading downward, he paused.
A faint mechanical sound echoed from below.
Caelus thought to himself 'What's that sound...'
He descended the worn stone steps slowly, one hand resting on the railing.
At the bottom, he found a small storage area .
Standing there was Clara.
Beside her was a small robot that resembled a traffic light mounted on four mechanical legs, its lenses blinking in different colors as it searched through scattered medical supplies.
Clara: "Oh! It's here, we found it! Thank you, Perkins!"
The little robot let out a cheerful electronic chirp.
Perkins: "Beep — Don't mention it, Clara."
Caelus stepped a little closer.
Immediately, the robot's lenses turned bright red.
Perkins: "Warning. Warning. Danger detected—"
Caelus quickly raised both hands.
Caelus: "I'm just passing by—"
The robot shifted into a defensive stance.
Perkins: "Protect Clara. Initiating active defense mode—"
Clara hurriedly stepped in front of it.
Clara: "Perkins, don't! Stop!"
She turned toward Caelus.
Clara: "I've seen this person before. H—He's not bad, right?"
The robot froze for a moment before relaxing.
Perkins: "Command received. Danger removed. Deactivating active defense mode."
Clara looked relieved.
Clara: "This place is dangerous. You should leave."
Caelus couldn't help smiling.
It was strangely amusing that this small, soft-spoken girl was sincerely warning him about how dangerous the place was.
He nodded politely.
Caelus: "I'm looking for medicine to help the injured."
Clara's eyes brightened in recognition.
Clara: "Oh? I came here for these painkillers, too."
She looked down at the box she was holding.
Clara: "There are a lot of people hurt at the vagrant camp, I guess the miners are no different? sigh If everyone could just get along, things would be easier..."
She carefully took several bottles from the box and held them out to him.
Clara: "Mm... Here you are. I hope the medicine is of help to you..."
Caelus accepted the painkillers gratefully.
This was a good opportunity.
He had been curious about Svarog ever since their encounter in the Great Mine.
Caelus: "What's your relationship with Svarog?"
Clara looked surprised by the question, but she answered honestly.
Clara: "Mr. Svarog, he... he's my family. I met Mr. Svarog when I was real little. He took me in and took care of me."
Her expression became apologetic.
Clara: "I'm really sorry about what happened back in the Great Mine... Mr. Svarog doesn't trust any humans besides me, especially everyone from Wildfire."
Caelus nodded.
Caelus: "Why did Svarog attack us?"
Clara clasped her hands together.
Clara: "Mr. Svarog doesn't want to hurt people, but he always follows the calculations of his analysis. He thinks that interaction with humans is... inefficient."
She looked genuinely troubled.
Clara: "Wildfire wants everyone to leave the underground... But Mr. Svarog wants everyone to stay here. According to his calculations, the overground is already unsafe."
That made Caelus raise an eyebrow.
Caelus: "But the underground is safer?"
Clara nodded.
Clara: "Yes, at least according to Mr. Svarog's calculations..."
She looked toward the ceiling, where the distant rumble of the city echoed faintly.
Clara: "He says that his responsibility is "preservation." To do that, he must make decisions that best protect humanity."
Caelus let out a quiet sigh.
Caelus: "The Fragmentum will swallow up all of the underground sooner or later."
Clara lowered her head.
Clara: "I know that Wildfire wants to talk to Mr. Svarog... But no matter how many times you talk to him, Mr. Svarog won't change his mind..."
She looked back up at him with determination.
Clara: "So, please trust me! I'll try to persuade Mr. Svarog. Hopefully, one day he will finally listen..."
Footsteps echoed from the staircase above.
A moment later, Seele and Bronya entered the storage area.
It seemed their nostalgic tour of the orphanage had come to an end.
Seele immediately recognized the white-haired girl.
Seele: "...Clara? What are you doing here?"
Clara turned toward them.
Clara: "You're... Miss Seele from Wildfire? I came here to..."
Caelus and Clara tell Seele and Bronya what they just discussed...
After Caelus and Clara finished explaining everything.
Seele looked at Clara for a long second, her expression unreadable.
Seele: "...Why are you helping the vagrants look for medicine? If they're so great, how could they make a little girl go around running errands for them?"
Clara quickly shook her head.
Clara: "N—No, it's not like that. I wasn't made to do anything... It's just that, the living conditions for the vagrants aren't great. There's not even a clinic in their camp. So, I wanted to help them out."
She hugged the small box of medicine a little closer.
Clara: "Also, not all of them are bad people... everyone just wants to survive."
Seele looked away and let out a slow breath.
Seele: "..."
Clara hesitated before speaking again.
Clara: "Miss Seele, did this medicine belong to Miss Natasha? Then... can you give me some? The vagrants' injuries are quite serious."
Seele sighed and opened the box of painkillers.
Seele: "sigh I see. Let's split these painkillers then."
Clara looked genuinely surprised.
Clara: "R—Really? We don't need to ask Miss Natasha first?"
Seele divided the bottles into two equal piles and handed one half to Clara.
Seele: "If I know Nat, she won't mind. Although this will make it more difficult for us... she'll understand. She always does".
Clara accepted the medicine carefully with both hands.
Clara: "Great, thank you, Miss Seele..."
Caelus watched the exchange quietly.
Then he suddenly transformed into Ganbarider.
Perkins immediately reacted.
Its red lights flashed brightly as it stepped protectively in front of Clara.
Perkins : "Beep! Beep! Beep!"
Caelus ignored the commotion as he look around and saw an empty Box.
He went and brought the box back, then raised one hand.
Dozens of glowing green Recovery Capsems materialized in the air around him, one after another.
They floated gently downward, filling an entire storage box.
The green capsules gave off a faint, comforting light .
Caelus lifted the box and carried it over to Clara.
Clara looked down at the pile of mysterious capsem in confusion.
Clara: "Big brother, what are these ?"
Caelus de-transformed and smiled gently.
Caelus: "These are Recovery Capsems, the have the ability to heal any injury and cure any illness."
Clara blinked.
She looked from the capsules to Caelus and back again, clearly unsure whether she had heard him correctly.
Caelus reached for one of the capsem as Caelus think 'I should probably prove it.'
The moment he lifted it—
Two hands grabbed his shoulders simultaneously.
He looked left.
Bronya.
He looked right.
Seele.
Both were glaring at him.
Caelus immediately froze, understood the messages.
He slowly lowered the capsem.
Seele folded her arms.
Seele: "We can vote for him, this idiot just cut himself to he can use this stuff to heal himself just to prove it's legit."
Bronya nodded firmly.
Bronya: "Yes, we can vote for him without the need of him doing some foolish action, you just need to spin it."
She gently took the capsule from Caelus's hand.
With a small twist—
Click.
The Recovery Capsem began spinning.
A soft green light burst from its center, bathing the room in a warm glow.
Healing energy spread through the air.
Since it wasn't being used on any injury, the energy slowly dissipated and the capsule came to a stop.
Perkins rolled closer.
Its sensors scanned the lingering energy.
Several lights blinked rapidly.
Perkins: "Analysis complete. Healing energy confirmed. Estimated restoration capability: 100%."
Clara's eyes widened.
Bronya carefully handed the capsule back.
Then she looked at Clara seriously.
Bronya: "Be mindfull of how you use them, each of them could only be use to heal one time each."
Clara looked at the box again.
Her hands trembled slightly.
She turned toward Caelus with overwhelming gratitude.
Clara: "That's amazing, thank you, Big Brother..."
Caelus scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
"It's nothing."
Clara carefully lifted the box of Recovery Capsems and gathered the painkillers they had divided.
The supplies were now enough to help both the clinic and the injured people in the vagrant camp.
Bronya stepped closer.
Bronya: "Are you leaving? This old town is too dangerous. We'll accompany you part of the way."
Clara shook her head.
Clara: "I—It's fine, I have Perkins for company. And... I have some more things I need to look for here first."
Bronya gave a small nod.
Bronya: "Understood. Be careful, though."
Clara smiled softly.
Perkins let out a cheerful electronic beep.
Together, the little girl and her four-legged robot companion disappeared down one of the ruined streets, carrying the precious medicines with them.
For a few moments, the three simply watched them leave.
Seele then turned back to the remaining supplies and checked everything one final time.
She counted each item carefully.
Seele: "Metal plates and bandages... rubbing alcohol... painkillers. Great, that's everything."
She closed the supply crate with a satisfied nod.
Seele: "Let's go report to Natasha in Boulder Town, it won't take long to get back."
Caelus picked up one of the supply boxes while Bronya carried another.
With the full list of medical supplies finally secured, the three left the orphanage behind and began the journey back through the quiet streets of Rivet Town toward Boulder Town, where Natasha and the wounded miners were waiting for them.