Before long, two familiar figures appeared in their line of sight.
"Seeing you all safe puts my mind at ease."
Seeing Leon and the others unharmed, Seele visibly relaxed.
March 7th asked curiously, "What happened here earlier?"
Seele's expression darkened as she quickly recounted.
"The miners and vagrants hadn't started fighting yet when Svarog barged in with his minions."
"At first, it was fine—he seemed to just want to drive everyone out of the mining area."
"But then he suddenly launched powerful attacks. Those deep craters over there? Svarog's handiwork."
She pointed at the dark pits nearby, unable to hold back a curse.
"Damn it. Luckily, no one was hurt, and the main transport route wasn't damaged. Otherwise, it would've been a massive loss."
① "Svarog was probably doing it for Clara."
② "Oh no, have we been forced into being catalysts?"
Seele paused, not quite understanding Stelle's words.
"What do you mean?"
March 7th spread her hands helplessly. "We ran into that girl named Clara and almost got into a fight with Svarog."
She'd already organized her thoughts and gave a straightforward rundown of what happened.
"Tch, no wonder he suddenly took off." Seele's face showed sudden realization after hearing the story.
That big lug was awfully protective of Clara.
The moment he sensed anything off about her, he'd immediately shift his action priorities.
"Did Svarog threaten you at all?"
Leon: "Maybe an attempted threat? His minions lack discernment and ambushed my companions."
① "Thanks for asking—almost had a wild imagination moment."
② "I haven't bought insurance yet. Trailblazing injuries don't get medical coverage."
"Heck, even cracking her own dark humor."
Stelle clutched her forehead.
"I just became a Nameless not long ago. I haven't bought Trailblaze insurance yet. If I get seriously hurt, there's no reimbursement."
March 7th looked at her, utterly speechless.
"What do you take the Express for?!"
"The day you swore to join the Nameless on this journey, Leon already contacted the company and got you the highest-tier full coverage."
Stelle looked surprised. "Eh, for real?"
"The Express crew's insurance is all handled by Leon, so you can rest easy," March 7th giggled.
Stelle said solemnly, "Sorry, I was too loud earlier."
Leon couldn't help but chuckle, his voice gentle.
"I'm the Express's doctor, so naturally, I look after everyone's physical and mental well-being."
"As long as I'm here, I won't let anyone cross the gates of death—unless I go down first."
March 7th: "Don't say such ominous things~~"
[??]
[Detected critical line—I, the knife fiend, sniffed it out and came running!]
[Buhao!]
[No wonder every time I see Leon's six-soul diagram, something feels off. There's really a knife on him!]
[Unless I go down first? This reminds me of unhappy things!!]
"Don't jinx it—what knife? It's just a smokescreen, doesn't scare me!"
Ah Xian wasn't too fazed, wearing a confident expression.
"A knife slipped in casually cuts the deepest. Setting it up from the game's launch? No way."
"It's just a composition of catching tears, a classic trope in tons of works."
"Leon's line is a textbook heavy-hitting example. Ah~~ he cares so much about his companions."
"Rounding up, that means he's got me in his heart. I'm gonna give him a litter!"
[Alright, that's enough.]
"Instead of worrying about this line being foreshadowing for a future knife, worry about Leon's yet-to-be-unlocked backstory."
"That's probably where the big stuff's buried."
"But, it's just a tiny, tiny chance of a knife."
"The most important thing is optimism, optimism, got it?"
[Suddenly really wanna see Ah Xian cry from a knife…]
[Better not. If Father Leon gets knifed, who'll restore your stamina and drop surprise rewards?]
Seele: "If you hadn't drawn Svarog away, this place wouldn't have calmed down so fast."
"No matter how it went down, on behalf of Wildfire, I thank you for your help."
March 7th: "So the trouble in the main mining area's pretty much over?"
Seele nodded. "Pretty much. You're looking for Oleg, right? He'll be here soon."
Not soon—right now.
Leon had already sensed, through special means, a large group approaching.
He'd calculated their arrival down to the second.
The Trailblaze team finally met the Wildfire leader.
"I thought the Wildfire leader would be some burly middle-aged guy, but…"
Stelle sized up the person at the front of the crowd. Hmm… completely not what she expected.
"Didn't expect an old geezer with white hair, huh? Hahaha!"
Oleg laughed heartily, not minding Stelle's words.
Seele briefly introduced both sides and explained the Express crew's purpose.
"Seele says you already had contact with Svarog."
March 7th: "Yeah, any problem with that?"
Oleg: "Some, but not much. I know nothing about Stellarons, but Svarog might."
"Huh?"
March 7th's thoughts froze for a moment.
"Who'd think a big robot would know about Stellarons?"
Stelle shrugged. "You know now. Oh, so do I. Guess it's fine then."
"Don't mess around now." March 7th shot her a look.
Oleg shook his head, reminding them again.
"Honestly, Svarog's not exactly easy to deal with."
"That guy's all about calculation results—doesn't give a damn about human thoughts."
"If the Stellaron you're after has some history, there's no better source than Svarog."
"If he's willing to talk, you might find some clues. If even he doesn't know, we're out of luck."
Leon nodded lightly. "Thanks for the info."
Oleg waved it off.
"Wildfire could settle this mess thanks to your big help. We're the ones who should thank you."
"It's getting late, and you must be beat. Head back to town with Seele to rest. I've arranged for you to stay at the Goethe Hotel."
At that, March 7th nearly had PTSD.
"Another rest stop? I'm getting trauma from this world's 'resting'…"
"Sleeping up there and waking up to—"
Realizing Bronya was right beside her, March 7th quickly shut her mouth.
Bronya's face flashed with slight awkwardness, and she looked away.
Stelle: "Reminder: it's the Goethe again."
March 7th hugged her arms. "…Don't say it!"
"Relax, Wildfire's got some pull in the underground."
Oleg laughed heartily, his gaze then shifting to Bronya.
"As for you, Silvermane Guard girl from the surface, I'd like a private chat."
"We've been waiting for someone from the surface for over a decade."
Bronya fell silent briefly, then nodded slowly. "Alright."
Leon quietly observed the situation unfold, then suddenly looked up thoughtfully.
Right on cue, he met a pair of sneaky eyes.