Chapter 27: The Unfree Child

The progress of the excavation wasn’t slow, but it wasn’t something that could be finished in a short time either.
Therefore, after telling them not to wander off and to keep a good lookout, Seele ignored the two and focused entirely on the task at hand.

As for Venti and Bronya, they finally found an opportunity to reunite and discuss some private matters.

“This place…”
As soon as she spoke, Venti knew what she was probably going to say.
However, as cruel as it might sound, whether or not Bronya sympathized couldn’t change the objective fact that this place had been overrun for many years.
Doing so might make her feel better, but for the many families still suffering under the devastation of the Fragmentum monsters and living in the nightmares of the past, it would be of no help at all.

Perhaps realizing her own immaturity throughout this journey, Bronya abandoned the apology she had originally intended to voice and instead said,
“I can now understand why you insisted on doing those things.”

“Hmm?”
“The people living here have experienced far more despair than those in the upper district. That’s why they yearn so deeply for the beauty sung about in those poems.”
Bronya lowered her eyes, her mood somber.
“If even this small comfort is denied, I’m afraid everyone will eventually break down.”

“While I’m glad you appreciate my poetic skills, the people of the lower district aren’t as fragile as you might think—”
Venti didn’t take credit for himself but instead spoke softly.
“Before I came, they had already lived like this for ten years. On paper, it might just be two words, as if time had passed in the blink of an eye.
But for those living here, constantly experiencing ‘another bad day,’ resilience is something almost every person in the lower district possesses.”

Venti’s words always managed to provoke thoughtful reflection in Bronya, but they also inevitably led to a question.
“How can I help everyone?”
She didn’t make meaningless promises but instead asked a very practical question.

And Venti, like the best teacher, patiently guided her.
“—Well, that’s a good question. I think, as long as you exercise well, study hard, eat well, play well, and rest well, you’ll eventually become a qualified Supreme Guardian and be able to help everyone.”

“But isn’t that just prioritizing my own enjoyment?”
Bronya said anxiously.
“Venti, I’m sincerely asking for your advice here!”

“No need to rush, my friend. The answer has already surfaced in your heart, but you’re still too timid to face it. That’s why you hope to get it from me. Only by doing what others believe is right can you escape the guilt in your heart.”
Venti’s tone softened.
“But have you ever thought about what your life’s goal should look like?”

“My goal… I was raised as the Supreme Guardian’s heir, so naturally, I must dedicate my life to the survival of Belobog and ultimately lead the people to happiness.”

“Then, do the trainings they’ve given you make you confident that you can achieve all of this?”
“I… I’m not sure. In the past, I only saw the glorious surface, but no one ever told me that beneath that glory, there were so many people struggling just to survive—people who could have lived better lives.”

Bronya gazed in confusion at the towering structure at the top of the town.
It felt somewhat familiar, yet she couldn’t recall ever having been here before, much like her current state of mind, which was in complete disarray.
She murmured softly,
“Sometimes I even wonder if Mother is wrong…”

“Because the high expectations placed on you by the Supreme Guardian have nothing to do with them?”
“N-no, that’s not it. Mother…” When mentioning Cocolia, Bronya’s expression flickered with pain, but she quickly corrected herself, “The Supreme Guardian also carries a heavy burden, which is why she has no choice but to—”

“Make the choice to sacrifice others, is that it?”
Faced with such piercing words from someone she trusted, Bronya felt a sharp pain in her heart.
In the end, like a defeated person, she lowered her head, her face pale, her bloodless lips trembling as if to admit it.

But Venti didn’t say the sharp, “discriminatory” words she had expected. Instead, he sighed softly, as if troubled by her inability to understand.
“Bronya, you say you want to protect everyone, ensure the survival of Belobog, and lead the people to happiness—”
His voice seemed to come from a distant place, yet it was as gentle as a breeze brushing past her face.

“This dream stems from the education you’ve received and the determination that erupted after witnessing the current state of things.
But in my eyes, you, who have always been bound by the goals others have set for you, are a very unfree child.”

“Unfree…?”
The people trapped behind the great walls, under the threat of snowstorms and the Fragmentum, had long lost their freedom centuries ago.
Whether as the acting commander of the Silvermane Guards or as the heir to the Supreme Guardian, she could never abandon her duties, forget the sacrifices, or shirk the mission that someone had to bear.
This was the responsibility and obligation that came with the privilege and glory of her position.
How could someone like her pursue personal freedom?

Perhaps sensing her resistance to abandoning her responsibilities, Venti gave her a somewhat helpless smile.
“Freedom doesn’t mean running away from problems or leaving everything behind to fly far away. That’s too narrow—”

“Then, what is freedom?”
“People have many definitions of freedom, so it depends on the specific situation. Most of them revolve around resisting and reflecting on ‘unjust circumstances,’ which is what I believe you lack.”
The poet spoke eloquently.
“To help everyone live a happy life, you must first understand what happiness is and what misfortune is. Perhaps this sounds like nonsense to you, but the definition of happiness varies from person to person—
Some find happiness simply in having their family by their side;
Some believe that immense power and endless wealth are happiness;
Others believe that making others happy is their own happiness.”

Venti’s pure, clear eyes held something Bronya couldn’t quite understand.
“What do you think the people of Belobog consider happiness?”

“The people’s happiness…”
This topic, completely contrary to their previous discussion, gave Bronya a headache.
Venti, however, wasn’t in a hurry to push her. Instead, he gave a mischievous “ehe” laugh, which was both endearing and slightly annoying.

Just as Bronya was about to force herself to answer, Seele’s voice interrupted her train of thought.
“Hey. I told you to keep watch, not to chat. And you’re so absorbed in your conversation. Amateurs really are unreliable.”

She gave both of them a glare before handing over the medical kits she had scavenged.
“One each. Take them.”

“Alrighty,” Venti complied easily. Seeing Bronya’s hesitant expression, he gave a mysterious “ehe” smile and said, “Don’t rush it. Think about it more. When you understand what the people’s happiness is, I think you’ll also understand what freedom is.”

Reluctantly, Bronya shouldered the medical kit and began the journey back with him.
Along the way, she kept pondering the deeper meaning behind Venti’s words, but no matter how much she thought, she couldn’t break free from this seemingly dead-end logical loop.

Then, a ethereal, melodious music box sound rang out, snapping Bronya back to reality and even startling her into a cold sweat.
She had actually been lost in thought in such a dangerous place—a mistake she would never have made in the past. Yet, this mistake also gave her a faint sense of realization.

This feeling of being on the verge of understanding was frustrating, but there was nothing she could do about it.
She glanced at her two companions, who seemed not to have heard the music box sound and continued walking forward.

Just as Bronya thought it might be some abandoned object from the past and prepared to leave—
A young, weak voice belonging to a girl called out.
“Ah… Sister…”

The words made her instinctively stop and turn around.
At the end of her gaze, a small house with a warm light stood alone.
At the same time, the girl’s murmuring voice came again, faintly accompanied by weak coughing.
“Have you… abandoned me?”

—Could there still be survivors here?