Chapter 45: The Most Important, Yet Easiest to Fail, First Attempt

—Inside the grand and sacred Qlipoth Fort, a young woman dressed in luxurious attire and exuding an air of grace was reporting to the Supreme Guardian about the plans for advancing the ongoing war efforts.

Her will was as firm as a fortress, her words sharp yet meticulous. More importantly, her gaze remained fixed on herself, no longer carrying the faint trace of admiration it once held.

The intelligence officer beside her looked at her with reverence, as did the other members of the Architects who were present to assist in governance.

They were immersed in the young woman’s presentation, genuinely agreeing with her ideas. The atmosphere in the room, compared to its previous dullness, had noticeably shifted.

The Supreme Guardian, Cocolia, keenly sensed these changes.

However, she did not interrupt Bronya’s report. Instead, she observed her from a commanding position.

Bronya had grown even more capable, learning to bind the Architects together with shared interests and thoughtfully leaving them a piece of the pie they couldn’t refuse.

The Edge Corridor was once Belobog’s commercial district. The invasion of the rift had caused significant losses for many Architect families.

Of course, they longed to reclaim the commercial district, but the persistent threat of the rift had forced them to retreat.

People had never been able to reclaim lands eroded by the rift.

This was a fact that, no matter how unwilling, they had to accept over the past seven hundred years.

Even with the Silvermane Guards stationed there, periodically exterminating monsters, human bodies were not suited for prolonged stays within the rift.

Even objects, if left in the rift for too long, would be corrupted by the pervasive erosion, transforming into something entirely different from their original form.

Yet, Bronya proposed some "dangerously radical" ideas.

She believed that the rift was more than just a breeding ground for monsters. If its continuous spread were likened to cancer, there must be a "source of the disease."

Currently, the Silvermane Guards were merely futilely combating the spreading cancer cells, neglecting the more critical source.

If they could find the origin of the rift’s spread and eliminate it, it would undoubtedly be more meaningful than their current exhausting efforts to deal with rift monsters. Perhaps the expansion of the rift could even be halted.

Although Bronya had not yet mentioned the Stellaron, Cocolia could sense that she was not unaware of it. Rather, she was... giving her the opportunity to explain it herself?

Cocolia’s frown deepened, and a sense of dissatisfaction and anger began to spread within her.

While Bronya’s growth pleased her, if she was being influenced by someone else to defy her will—

The coldness in Cocolia’s eyes grew sharper, and a likely suspect came to mind.

That foolish, ignorant woman.

As the daughter of the Landau family, even if she idled away her days in the research department, she could have lived a carefree life. Yet, out of all the topics, she chose to study the "Stellaron."

If not for Cocolia’s leniency due to past affections, pardoning her rebellious actions,

she would have been exiled from the city or discreetly disposed of, like anyone else who had tried to uncover the truth about the Stellaron.

Now, not only did she keep her life and freedom, but she also ran a mechanical workshop in the best part of Belobog, indulging in her hobbies. Was that not enough?

Now, she still refused to give up, attempting to use Bronya to retaliate against her?

Just recalling how she had approached her with that foolish smile, saying that the source of the calamity might be the Stellaron, made Cocolia want to sneer.

People today simply did not understand. They did not realize that the Stellaron had merely fulfilled humanity’s wishes.

It had saved Belobog, which was on the brink of destruction by an otherworldly army.

The remnants of humanity not only remained ignorant of this but also, in subsequent research, avoided mentioning its existence, even attempting to use "it" to suppress the Stellaron... Pathetic, laughable.

As Cocolia’s patience waned, even considering whether to deal with that foolish woman preemptively, Bronya’s voice reached her ears.

"Supreme Guardian, are you listening?"

Cocolia snapped out of her thoughts. Standing before her was her adopted daughter, her expression hesitant. The people around them also looked her way, though they quickly averted their eyes when met with her cold, stern gaze.

After feeling she had sufficiently intimidated these petty individuals, Cocolia calmly turned to Bronya, her voice carrying a hint of authority.

"I am listening. Do you have anything else to report?"

"...No."

Perhaps unwilling to argue in such a setting, Bronya, who had initially wanted to say more, chose to step back.

This slightly satisfied Cocolia, and her tone softened.

"Good. Then return to the frontlines. With your exceptional command abilities, that is where you can truly shine. As for the Edge Corridor, I will handle the follow-up matters—"

Yes, just as Bronya knew her place, Cocolia would also consider her daughter’s dignity and provide her with a way out.

As long as she continued to obey her commands, she would remain her beloved daughter.

Afterward, all it would take was a few words of guidance and a show of affection, and Bronya would realize how arrogant and ignorant Serval’s words were, returning to her embrace.

However, this infallible strategy failed in the next moment. Bronya took a step forward and firmly stated,

"Regarding this matter, I must raise a question!"

"..."

Cocolia’s expression immediately darkened.

This act of defying authority instantly silenced the room, creating an atmosphere so quiet that the drop of a silver needle could be heard.

Whether it was the intelligence officer, Pela, or the other administrative Architects, they all looked on in shock, surprised by the confrontation between the two.

Bronya could also feel the gazes falling upon her, but more importantly, the disappointment and warning in her mother’s eyes left her no room to consider anything else.

She took a deep breath, feeling her heart pounding, while a surge of courage coursed through her veins.

"I am not questioning your judgment as the Supreme Guardian. I simply do not understand why the commanding officer is being replaced mid-battle?"

As if casting aside her timid past self, Bronya spoke solemnly.

"You have repeatedly reassigned my subordinates without my knowledge, and now, without prior notice, you are sending me back to the frontlines.

This not only confuses the soldiers about who to follow, creating rifts, but also leads to significant misunderstandings among the other Silvermane Guards. If this continues—"

"...They are weapons, Commander Bronya. Never let the tools in your hands control your thoughts. Remember your identity and mission, rather than defying my orders before you’ve even fully grasped your role as commander."

Cocolia’s voice, laced with anger, was like the unrelenting cold wind outside, sending shivers through everyone present.

"Now, I order you to immediately head to the frontlines and await further instructions. Do you understand, Bronya—Acting—Commander!"