[An emergency meeting between the Overworld and Underworld has commenced. You lead your personal guard, Ron, in discussions with the leader of Wildfire, Seele.]
[During the meeting, you discover that your personal guard, Ron, had already reached a consensus with Seele and Svarog. This discussion is merely a formality.]
[Nevertheless, you do your best to interact cordially with Seele and Svarog and build a good relationship with them.]
[Svarog is cold towards you, only softening his demeanor in the presence of a little girl in a red coat who follows him everywhere.]
[But your efforts are not entirely in vain. The affection of the Wildfire leader, Seele, for you has greatly increased.]
[She says she feels as though she has met you long ago but can no longer remember the details.]
[You also find Seele somewhat familiar. Your Affection for her has greatly increased.]
[After the meeting regarding inter-district cooperation concludes, you and Seele discuss the current state of the Overworld and Underworld.]
[Food shortages, Fragmentum corrosion, miner's lung... she tells you of the hardships the people of the Underworld have endured.]
The text on the screen faded away, replaced by an image of a room identical to Bronya's own bedchamber.
However, unlike Bronya's room, which was currently occupied only by herself, this one also contained a girl dressed in a fluorescent purple outfit with a crimson band tied around her arm, looking like a butterfly. Beside her rested a giant scythe as tall as a person.
She looked at Bronya, her gaze sharp, her tone cutting.
"Hmph, if the Silvermane Guards hadn't pulled out of the underground, and if the two districts hadn't been completely sealed off, people wouldn't be living like this... This was all that Supreme Guardian's terrible idea."
"If someone had just stood up back then and explained the consequences of sealing off the districts to Lady Cocolia... Forget it, no point in talking about what-ifs."
Faced with Seele's discontent towards Cocolia, Bronya subconsciously wanted to make excuses for her mother but couldn't find a single reason.
After a long silence, Bronya sighed.
"Perhaps... Mother really was wrong."
In the face of the harsh reality of the Underworld, her idealized filter for Cocolia began to crumble.
The image faded.
---o---
Bronya stared blankly at the screen, her mind still replaying everything she had just seen.
The people of the Underworld... are living like that right now?
Her mother's claims were completely wrong. The Fragmentum still invaded the Underworld, and the automaton defense line was powerless to stop its corrosion...
The Overworld only needed to defend Belobog; it didn't need so many guards. A portion of them could have easily been transferred to the Underworld to maintain order.
But Mother had moved all the guards to the Overworld just to advance into the Fragmentum... It was a terrible, terrible mistake.
Bronya felt dazed. Although she held Cocolia in the highest regard and had always admired her mother, it didn't mean she would deceive herself.
The lies that papered over the cracks were as thin as a cicada's wing before the swift blade of truth, tearing with a single touch.
Cocolia's policies were leading them down a road of no return, pushing Belobog bit by bit into a fiery pit.
No wonder the Geo-Marrow shipments from the Underworld had decreased...
Before, Mother had said it was because the miners in the Underworld were too greedy and lazy, unwilling to dig more. But now it was clear that people were simply dying too quickly.
In such a harsh environment, they had to fight against the Fragmentum's corrosion while also performing the disease-prone work of mining with a severe lack of medical resources...
It was impossible to survive easily.
New text appeared on the screen:
[After learning the truth about the Underworld, your faith in Cocolia's policies has been severely shaken.]
[You have become distraught, even more lost than when you were misunderstood by the citizens of Belobog.]
[Late at night, you lie in bed, tossing and turning, a new thought forming in your mind.]
[Please choose—]
[1. Go to the Guardian's Residence. Find Cocolia Rand directly and ask her why she sealed off the districts, and if she knew the consequences of her policies. By choosing this option, given Cocolia Rand's deep affection for you, you will learn the whole truth.]
[2. Go to sleep with your confusion and doubt. You will face a new day, and your Stress will increase. You will face this choice every day until you learn the truth.]
Looking at the two options, the still-dazed Bronya shook her head to clear it and, without hesitation, chose option one.
The Stellaron, the policies, her mother's transformation... all these questions weighed on Bronya's mind, having long since become a great stone in her heart.
Now that she finally had a way to learn the truth, she would absolutely not pass it up.
She had to find out... what had caused her beloved mother to become the person she was today!
[Unable to suppress the confusion and doubt in your heart, you choose to go to the Guardian's Residence to confront your mother.]
[You enter the Guardian's Residence without any obstruction.]
[You questioned Cocolia Rand. After a long silence, she took off her nightgown, dressed herself neatly in her military uniform, and equipped the symbol of the Supreme Guardian—the Lance of Preservation.]
[She tells you that if you want to know the whole truth, you must accompany her deep into the Fragmentum, to the place where it all began.]
[On a snowy mountain deep within the Fragmentum, she will give you all the answers.]
[You know the Fragmentum is dangerous, but the temptation of the truth makes you cast aside all concerns for your own safety.]
[You leave a simple note for Ron to inform him of your whereabouts, then depart with Cocolia.]
[Cocolia leads you deep into the Fragmentum.]
[Within the Fragmentum, you see the frozen Anti-Matter Legion, the mountain-sized Creation Engine buried under thick snow...]
[And you see the brilliant Stellaron, glowing within its containment device.]
[The sweet whispers of the Stellaron echo in your ears.]
[Your mother, Cocolia, extends a hand to you, sincerely inviting you to join her plan—]
The text on the screen faded, and a new image appeared:
On the snow-covered mountaintop, Cocolia looked at Bronya, who was clutching her ears, her head splitting from the Stellaron's whispers. A gentle smile appeared on Cocolia's face.
"The Stellaron has promised me a bright and brilliant new world."
"Bronya, my daughter, we cannot remain stagnant."
A deranged light flickered in her dark violet eyes, her tone growing more and more fervent.
"Rather than clinging to the illusory path of [Preservation] and being buried in this endless winter, it is better to embrace the [Destruction] that is right before our eyes..."
"That is the new future we must embrace!"