"Ahem ahem, calm down, Seele." Bronya raised her hand and patted Seele on the shoulder, wearing the look of someone who'd been there before.
She spoke earnestly and with a heavy tone, "Children's fear gets amplified in unfamiliar environments. Having a bit of firepower insufficiency anxiety is perfectly normal."
Seele stiffly turned her head to look at Bronya. "Are you serious?"
'Firepower insufficiency my ass!'
'Setting up tripwire mines in a hotel corridor, how is that something a human being would do?!'
The words of complaint rushed up to her lips, but in the end, they still got stuck in Seele's throat.
Meanwhile, over on Nero's side, because he hadn't lied and everything he said was the truth, he was brimming with confidence right now, upright and righteous, not the least bit guilty.
He even put his hands on his hips, his face full of pride, and said smugly to Stelle,
"See! It had to be me! You and Sister Bronya just standing watch like that, wouldn't that be guarding for nothing? Good thing I was prepared early. Tripwire mines plus Fragmentum creatures, Teacher Dan Heng and March are perfectly safe right now!"
Hearing this, Bronya's old face flushed slightly red. She turned her head a little and stopped looking at Nero.
After all, she was the one who had proposed night watch duty, and she was also the one who suggested to Stelle that they walk around.
Even though Nero didn't scold her aggressively like before this time, this situation somehow made her feel even more like her face was being slapped bright red.
Compared to the Nero who was obediently telling the truth right now, she oddly felt that his sharp, forceful version was actually easier to deal with.
Seele, on the other hand, widened her eyes even more. "What? Besides tripwire mines, you even released Fragmentum monsters?!"
She tightened her grip on the scythe in her hand, nearly jumping up for a leaping slash. In just a dozen or so seconds, Nero had already shocked her twice.
Fortunately, Bronya reacted in time and pulled her back.
Bronya pressed a hand on Seele's shoulder and shook her head at her, saying, "I've seen the Fragmentum creature he's talking about. It's not dangerous. It seems like it was turned into a purely heating tool by those outsiders using some special method."
Hearing Bronya say this, Seele finally calmed down a little.
Thinking carefully, it seemed like she'd heard about this from Natasha before as well…
Sampo stood off to the side, quietly taking a few steps back. He raised a hand to rub his chin and watched the scene before him with great interest.
'Interesting, way too interesting!'
He, Sampo, had been watched for laughs by this little ancestor so many times. Now it was finally his turn to be a spectator.
How the tables have turned.
He'd finally managed to pull back a round.
The only pity was that every time he'd painstakingly schemed and planned, trying to win a round in the Fool's Duel, he always failed. And now, this one and only success was still because of coincidence.
But whatever, having something fun to watch was enough. How could life be perfect in every single way?
Stelle's amber-like eyes remained fixed on Nero, completely unaffected by his words.
Because Bronya was right, Nero was a child with a very strong sense of self, and on top of that he was a bit naturally naive. This situation was completely within expectations.
"What I asked is why you're here," Stelle said. "This place is really dangerous… it's been so badly eroded by the Fragmentum…"
"Don't rush, I was just about to say!" Nero waved his hand, signaling Stelle to listen carefully.
"After setting up the mines, I still couldn't fall asleep. Then I thought, Sampo is more familiar with this place, and he just happened to not be sleeping here either, so I had him take me out to play!"
Stelle blinked, then looked up at Sampo.
"So for 'playing,' you brought him here?"
"Yeah, I brought him here." Sampo nodded.
Sampo had been watching the fun with great relish and answered reflexively.
But the moment he finished speaking, his brow twitched. He suddenly felt something was off, and quickly raised a hand to cover his mouth…
Was what this little ancestor said hiding something between the lines?
But thinking about it carefully, there didn't really seem to be any problem.
After setting up the mines, he really hadn't gone back to sleep and was beside Nero (even though he'd been woken up). And Nero really did ask him to take him out to mess around (capture Fragmentum creatures). In the end, it really was him who brought Nero here.
But why did it suddenly sound like everything was his fault, Sampo's fault?
Realizing the seriousness of the situation, Sampo raised his eyes and met Stelle's gaze, sure enough, he saw disgust, contempt, and scrutiny in her eyes.
"No, I… this… he… tsk… um…"
Sampo opened his mouth several times, trying to explain, only to realize there was absolutely nothing he could explain.
Because everything Nero said was damn true. Sampo had a hundred mouths and still couldn't defend himself.
He'd originally thought that today, Sampo was here to watch the fun… but who would've thought… This round of the Fool's Duel was once again Nero's victory…
"Hmph!"
Stelle snorted coldly at Sampo, turned her head away, and then reached out to pull Nero over to her side.
She'd originally thought that Nero's strong self-awareness made him pretty safe, but because of his natural naivety, he was actually unexpectedly easy to trick in some areas.
Among the four of them, the only one who currently had no guard at all against Sampo was probably him.
No, this wouldn't do. She had to find a chance to discuss it with Dan Heng and March, she couldn't let Nero get too close to Sampo.
Stelle made her decision in her heart.
"Ha…" Seele raised a hand to cover her head and sighed. Way too many things had happened today.
"Forget it. Since you're already here, you might as well help us look for supplies needed to treat the wounded."
"Okay!" Nero nodded and agreed immediately.
As for Sampo, he definitely wouldn't refuse now. He urgently needed to do something to change his image in front of the three of them.
"Of course, Miss Seele! Sampo absolutely has to help with something like this!"
Seele nodded, then looked around. "In that corner over there, I vaguely remember there being some stock. When we were kids, we often played around outdoors, scrapes and cuts were pretty common."
"Got it!"
Sampo answered and trotted off happily to look for supplies.
Stelle watched Sampo run off into the distance, nodded at Seele and Bronya, then pulled Nero in another direction.
At times like this, she had to show the posture an adult should have.
Even if the two of them were about the same age, at least in terms of height, she had an overwhelming victory.
Seele also nodded back at Stelle and was about to move when she heard Bronya suddenly mutter to herself, "…It's not an illusion."
She looked up and saw the Silvermane Guard commander from the Overworld looking around left and right, then lowering her head, slightly frowning, as if deep in thought.
"Huh? What are you talking about?" Seele asked.
"This building, and these children's play facilities…" Bronya spoke slowly, her tone somewhat ambiguous, but she seemed to already have an answer in her heart. "I've seen them before."
"Hah? Cut it out!" Seele curled her lips.
"The upper and lower levels have been sealed off for ten years. Not a single Silvermane Guard has come down. If a young lady like you had visited the Underground, that would've been huge news."
Suddenly, Seele stopped.
She furrowed her brows, uncertainty appearing on her face. "...Wait. Could it be that, before that…"
Bronya nodded. "…Mm, that's a possibility. Only that would explain why my memories are so vague."
Then, Bronya raised her head. "Let's go. I need to look around a bit more to be sure…"