Chapter 31

"Hmm…" Zhongli's hand holding the tea cup paused slightly.

Sitting opposite him, Tartaglia burst into a grin he couldn't contain, idly playing with the celadon tea cup in his hand, his eyes fixed on Zhongli's calm face.

— He also really wanted to know Zhongli's answer.

"The strength of gods is hard to judge; the only thing we can compare is whether their peoples are happy." After a moment's thought, Zhongli slowly set down his tea cup and posed a profound question: "Folks, why not consider—are you happy?"

"Um, my surname is Chen…? No, I'm very happy!"

"Putting it that way, we are indeed happier than the people of Beiluoboge— that frozen, godforsaken place where birds don't poop, and surely our Liyue scenery is far more pleasant."

"Yeah, Beiluoboge may look grand, but it's so cold there probably nothing—not even potatoes—can grow."

"The Preserve Star God may keep them from freezing to death, but there's no guarantee they live comfortably."

Listening to their discussion, it seemed the outcome between the Rock King Lord and the Star God had already been decided, and soon the group dispersed.

Feeling like he'd just brushed off Zhongli's laugh and gotten away with it, Tartaglia felt a bit disappointed.

"I just can't figure it out." Tartaglia couldn't help asking, "Could it be that Mr. Zhongli truly believes the Star God's power surpasses that of the Archon?"

Zhongli gazed at his clear reflection in the cup, thought for a while, then smiled faintly: "I don't know either. But Liyue has an old saying—'The able bear more.' Now that I've relinquished my divine position, I only wish to be an idle mortal. Yet that Star God has, for millions of years, steadfastly fulfilled his duty of Preservation; just that mental strength to resist wear and tear leaves me far behind.

Zhongli slightly lifted his head; his gaze seemed to pierce the light curtain, through Beiluoboge's dim, starless night sky, toward a place even farther than the galaxy.

If this Star God could answer me, I would also have many questions to ask Them, you know.

Listening to Jepard's stiff-toned reading, San Yue Qi whispered to Xing and Dan Heng, "He speaks so strangely, oh."

"That is not his previous tone; he must be quoting a passage from some classic." Dan Heng guessed.

"Oh." San Yue Qi tilted their head thoughtfully: "Why is he telling us this then?"

"Because you asked." Jepard's tone was flat, yet faintly carried a stern reprimand.

San Yue Qi rubbed their head, laughing embarrassedly, trying to muddle through.

Jepard also didn't want to pursue it further, continuing to lead them forward; soon they arrived at the central area of Belobog, a place of grand momentum, a towering fortress that reaches the clouds.

"This is Ripperfort, the heart of Belobog, and the headquarters of the Builders."

Xing asked, puzzled: "Along the way you've mentioned the Builders many times—what kind of people are they exactly?"

"They are humanity's saviors. Long before the cold wave arrived, the Builders persisted in building a city here despite people's incomprehension and ridicule; history has proven their choice correct." Recalling this past, Jepard's face involuntarily showed respect—this history must mean a great deal to them.

"Of course, this fortress is also the residence of the Grand Guardian."

"The Grand Guardian?"

"That is the leader of Belobog elected or appointed by the Builders; they have guarded this city generation after generation, providing protection for the people. The current Guardian is Lady Kekalia Rand, and all major decisions in the city are issued by her."

"I'll now take you to see Lady Kekalia; you can first organize your thoughts. Her time is precious, so she prefers concise reports."

Not long after saying that, Jepard led several people to the elevator, quickly arriving before a room at the highest part of the fortress; after obtaining the consent of the guard at the door, he brought Xing and a few others, pushed the door open, and entered Kekalia's office.

Just as they entered, they saw a beautiful-faced girl fiercely arguing about something.

She wore a silver-white combat uniform similar to Jepard's, but in the form of a white long dress that closely fit the girl's lovely curves.

Beneath the skirt's black sheer fabric was a faintly visible hollow pattern, adding a touch of sensuality to the girl's elegant and solemn demeanor. Her over‑knee thigh‑high boots were inlaid with two blue gems, but the most eye‑catching feature was her classic hairstyle.

Three‑vortex turbo‑duck!

Upon seeing this hairstyle, hair color, and the name "Bronya", Xier, who was sitting next to the plank duck, finally could not help but stand up.

In the light screen, two Bronya sisters actually appeared!

——No!

Actually, it's still just one person. The previous Silver Wolf had the same voice, face, and personality as the Bronya sister, but the name was different. This Bronya "big" sister shares the same name, but otherwise everything about her is different.

"And then there's this figure……"

"Mm! What are you thinking about!!"

Realizing they were daydreaming, Xier hastily patted their own cheeks lightly, trying to straighten their thoughts.

——The Bronya sister right before our eyes is simply the most perfect!!

"Oh? Two Bronyas~" Qiana bounced over to the plank duck with a bright smile, "I didn't expect Bronya to be quite popular in another world as well~"

Bronya leaned back and ended up lying on Xier's soft thigh; she looked up with a "ᗜ‸ᗜ" expression, for a moment not knowing what to say.

Not only did her own isotopic counterpart appear twice, but even Kekalia appeared as well.

Bronya always had a feeling she could guess what would happen next……

However, compared to the stories that would happen later, she was more curious about when Xier's isotopic counterpart would appear.

She reached out and gently pinched Xier's smooth, tender cheeks; seeing the girl's shy expression, Bronya giggled.

……Xier is so adorable; their isotopic counterpart must be adorable too, right?

"The silver‑haired girl was fiercely arguing with the lady on the same stage: "…but such a sacrifice is meaningless, you cannot——""

"You may step down, Bronya; the visitors have arrived." Kekalia interrupted the girl's speech bluntly, in a tone that allowed no objection.

"……" Bronya clenched her fists; even though her crimson lips were bitten white, she still obediently lowered her head and said, word by word, "Yes, Mother."

The girl's determined eyes still held a hint of unwillingness; before leaving, she glanced toward Xing.

"Lady Guardian." Jepard stepped forward and said, "I bring three 【outsiders】 to pay respects."