Xingtie, started with a guitar, and made a living by singing

Bronya now has a strong desire to make friends with him and get to know him better...

Although she had previously been enthusiastic and cheerful, willing to humble herself and make friends, due to her status, she could not make hasty decisions on her own regarding matters that should be handled by a diplomat, or matters that could easily lead to associations and thus affect the overall impression of Beloberg.

And now, according to Dan Heng's understanding of her, her enthusiasm should be largely attributed to the absent poet.

As invited guests, they should have come with Wendy, but now she didn't come, but Xing and the two of them came instead. Coupled with what was said just now, it would be hard not to misunderstand that it was Wendy's instruction, right?

As expected, after a round of friendship talks, Xing and her became much closer, and Bronya continued to talk about the previous topic.

"Actually, I shouldn't have discussed these troublesome topics with you when you all came back to enjoy the Sunshine Festival... But, if possible, I would like to seek the opinions of you and Mr. Walter on this matter—"

She pinched her eyebrows, which felt a little sore, and said with a melancholy look.

"As I just said, the residents of this city have the innate perseverance and resilience to resist foreign enemies and survive natural disasters."

"But alongside the more than 700 years of Belloberg's struggle, beyond those fine qualities, there remains a memory that cannot be buried."

"We heard Miss Toppa mention the word 'debt' earlier. Could it be that the company is digging up old debts?"

San Yue Qi touched his chin and guessed.

"...What a keen intuition, March. As you expected, Miss Toppa came here and told me a story: Seven hundred years ago, after the star core landed on Yalilo-VI, the outsiders who had originally resided in this world foresaw the impending crisis and chose to leave."

"Among these outsiders were a group of investors from the Interstellar Peace Company. But before they left, they did something big—"

“…they found the City Builders who had insisted on staying in their homes and provided them with a large sum of money for disaster prevention.”

Bronya narrated quietly.

"It was with that funding that Beloberg was able to build such a tall wall... Even the development funds for the first batch of automated soldiers came from that money."

"Ah, there's actually such a thing! So...so, the business Topa mentioned earlier really is coming to Beloberg to collect a debt. Isn't this too outrageous?!"

"No, that's not her real intention. March, do you remember why she paid so much attention to Wendy before?"

Unlike March 7th who was a beat slower to react, Dan Heng had already successfully deduced from this past event and the content of Topa's previous negotiations, coupled with his undisguised friendly attitude, that what the company wanted was not a bad debt that had been buried for many years.

It would be fine if the company was poorly managed, but Interstellar Peace Company is a giant corporation in the world, with countless planets under its name. Even the bounties on star core hunters have reached astronomical levels. Such a large company will never be short of money.

Debt collection was just a routine matter. What really caught their attention was something else within Beloberg that was far more valuable.

"Uh... I initially thought she was just being polite, but now that I think about it, it's definitely suspicious..."

Sanyueqi was deep in thought, and a hint of sadness appeared on his lovely face.

"What she wants is for Belloberg to use Wendy as a 'jewel' to pay off his debts, or as proof of his credit—"

Xing said it all.

"That's right. Although the conditions offered by Miss Toppa are very generous, even to the point of surprising me, this also indirectly proves that a massive organization like ours, spanning the entire galaxy, is extremely confident in this matter."

Bronya expressed her feelings with a hint of helplessness.

"Although saying this may make you think I'm a coward who's stuck in my ways and afraid to move forward, I don't think Beloberg's development can be achieved overnight. Perhaps the help this company can provide is far greater than I imagine."

"Not only can they help us survive the long period of primitive accumulation and quickly reach the stars, but they also stifle the possibility of our own civilization. Leaving everything entirely to the care of external forces will only cause our successors to lose their way amidst the new trends."

"So, how much is the debt? If it can be paid off, then perhaps Beloberg wouldn't have to speak to him in such a condescending manner."

March Seven was worried and confused, and Bronya also smiled bitterly.

"After seven hundred years of adding principal and interest, the amount has snowballed to astronomical levels... I can't even pronounce the exact number."

"Before you came in, Topa also hinted to me that if the debt is overdue for too long, the company gives her the right to take 'necessary measures'."

"That's why Bronya said she's not afraid of tough external challenges. Instead, she's worried that under their combined soft and hard tactics, more Belobergs will choose a new life funded by the company..."

Xing also frowned and thought about it.

"Although it's still early, due to the novel technologies brought by the outsiders and the unknown splendor of the universe, many people are no longer satisfied with the newly revived land beneath our feet..."

Bronya stood up and looked out at Beloberg in the afterglow of the afternoon.

The silver-haired beauty's eyes were filled with deep love and tenderness as she whispered softly.

"Even though this hope was so hard-earned, even though we haven't yet memorized the face of our home planet, even though... the freedom he longed for, belonging to Beloberg, shouldn't be transformed into a cage that binds him in this way."

"Bronya..."

Seeing her like this, San Yueqi felt upset.

But after thinking about it, she had no good idea and could only look at Dan Heng and Xing for help.

The two of them were also lost in thought, but rather than worrying about it unilaterally, perhaps it would be best to ask Wendy for her opinion.

After all, the company's primary target was him, and Beloberg was merely a bargaining chip. Playing on emotions was pointless for a capital giant like this; it was more concerned with satisfying its voracious appetite for "food and clothing."

"I'm sorry. This must be very difficult for you—"

Bronya looked at the people with troubled expressions and said with a hint of apology.

"I had considered asking for help from the Star Express. Leveraging your reputation in the galaxy, perhaps we could buy Beloberg some crucial breathing space."

"But now I think I was naive. That astronomical sum would have forced Beloberg to tighten his belt for the next hundred or thousand years, a life of endless poverty... If we can't even provide people with the most basic living security, the freedom we seek is nothing more than the last match a little girl lit on a winter night."

"The faint heat brought by the matches and the beautiful scenery outlined by the rising smoke are nothing but self-deceiving fantasies—"

"But sometimes adults should have their own fairytale time, right?"

The breeze blows away the dullness in the meeting room and brings new hope and turning points.

The boy sat on the window frame, holding a red apple with neat tooth marks on it.

His smile melted away the melancholy in Bronya's heart. The many words she wanted to say to him suddenly burst out, but in the end, they all condensed in her throat and turned into one sentence: "—Welcome back, Wendy."

"Yeah. I'm back, Bronya! Also, Pyrrha has already told me the whole story. Of course, I also secretly eavesdropped on some of your negotiations not long ago. You won't blame me, right?"

"How could that be... You've helped Beloberg a lot. No one has the right to blame you."

Bronya shook her head firmly. From the looks of it, as long as Wendy said that the Belobergs should handle this matter themselves, she would not say a word even if she died from overwork.

However, the poet, whose heart is set on faraway places, does not like the place where he started to change beyond recognition, to the point where he can go to a pub for a whole day without even a glass of wine.

So, he invited, "Well, my friend, would you please go for a walk with me? I'm always stuck in the office, and I can't think of anything to do."

Just like that night, the boy invited her to the lower district with a bright smile, the moment that changed her destiny.

Bronya had dreamed of this occasion many times and had prepared many plans in her mind, believing that if that day came, she would definitely be able to muster up the courage and say something that would be more in line with the atmosphere.

But in the end——

Her cheeks still blushed shyly, and under the gaze of the three people behind her, she responded in a mosquito-like voice.

"Well, do as you wish."

……

On the high walls of Beloberg, since the disaster of the Rift was driven away and the cold wave stopped, even the Iron Guards rarely stationed here anymore.

It was only until recently that the company's people came and restored the reconnaissance position. The rest of the place is still in the stage where the old traces have not been removed and the new traces have not been created.

Bronya and Wendy strolled here together, and out of the corner of their eyes they could even catch a glimpse of the "results" left behind when the Wind Dragon disguised itself and attacked the city.

This place is so close to the sky that you can almost touch the white clouds with your hands...

Such thoughts kept popping up in Bronya's mind.

But when she realized this thought, she couldn't help but want to laugh out loud.

Being carefree like this and daydreaming about things unrelated to the current situation has long been a luxury for her.

Not only her, but many others probably have the same idea as her.

But she was the luckier one among them.

——Because, he is by my side.

The boy walked in an unruly manner, sometimes tapping his feet, sometimes pacing randomly, and even kicked a small stone out of the city.

"It's dangerous to do this..." She was about to dissuade him, but she saw the cunning in his eyes and finally changed her words: "Just now, did you kick it somewhere where there was no one?"

"Of course. I'm not some wicked villain. I wouldn't do anything like venting my anger on innocent people."

"You...really are the same as always."

After much thought, Bronya could only come up with this assessment.

She envied Wendy for having such qualities, and also longed to have such ease and freedom to do whatever she wanted.

"Hey. Are you praising me for staying true to my original aspirations, or are you secretly criticizing me for not making any progress?"

Wendy moved closer with a smile and looked at her shameful expression.

Teasing such an innocent girl always makes people feel happy——

As expected, Bronya subconsciously took a step back in shame, but then she seemed to remember something and felt that it was not a good idea to do so. She pretended to be indifferent and returned to her original position, then turned to stare at him straight.

"Bad intentions. You know what I mean."

"Then, Bronya, are you willing to listen to my heart?"

The boy stretched out his hands towards her, proudly puffed out his ordinary chest, and said with a brilliant smile.

Time seems to have stopped at this moment.

Chapter 41: The Troubles of Excessive Luxury

——It was a scene of silver threads dancing and swaying in the wind.

Bronya rested her head against the other's chest, not wanting to miss even a single heartbeat.

I can't hear anything else... but it's so noisy. If it keeps going like this, I'll definitely be exposed, right?

That heartbeat that resonated with him, and the many, many words I wanted to say to him, whether they were coquettish, complaining, liking, or hating...

Even though he had this realization more than once, the warmth surging in his chest at this moment must be due to nothing but that feeling—

It was not until a quarter of an hour later that she raised her head again, put her hands behind her back and took a step back.

The other person's smile was still warm and gentle, and his eyes were so clear that they could reflect her figure.

...there really hasn't been any change at all.

Those magnificent journey stories never left a trace on the poet.

This is not proof of no growth, but rather a transformation to a more restrained and refined one.

Possessing this quality, he will surely continue on the path of freedom until he becomes another great being in the universe.

When I think about it this way, whether it’s Beloberg or the stories between the people here and Him.

Really tiny——

When she could no longer hide her sorrow and wanted to embrace this fleeting beauty and throw herself into the sea of ​​silence, the young man spoke.

"Bronya. I remember a long time ago, I told you that I wanted to see birds flying in the sky."

"Ah... that's true. But..."

The birds on the Yarilo-VI have long been extinct.

The progress of life species has not yet returned to its glory days of more than 700 years ago.

Without considering the intervention of external forces, this is probably a scene that their generation, or even the next generation, will never see.

If they are listed on the company's list of dishonest persons, even tourists will gradually stop coming. At that time, they will be nothing more than "sinners" who hold a treasure trove but are unable to develop it.

"Are you still so prone to overthinking?"

Perhaps sensing her inner thoughts, the young poet couldn't help laughing.

"You weren't such a pessimistic person before."

"...I'm not pessimistic! I'm just being realistic..."

Bronya folded her arms, her eyes timidly looking into the distance.

"Sometimes, I wonder if everything Beloberg has now is just a dream. Sometimes, I wonder what will become of us if you don't want to come back one day."

This is a manifestation of insecurity.

Bronya herself is well aware of this, but it is something that cannot be stopped.

"I don't want to think so, but... compared to Beloberg, who just recovered from the cold snap, the information I've found about the company in the records alone is enough to make me lose the courage to fight."

She is not a lone fighter, but a great protector who must ensure the survival and well-being of the people of Beloberg and bring them shelter.