Stelle looked around Qlipoth Fort and did not see a figure who should have been there.
Thinking carefully, she realized that she had not seen that person during the earlier address either.
So she asked, "Why didn't we see Seele?"
Bronya smiled lightly, with a hint of fondness in her tone, and said, "She was there, just staying somewhere you wouldn't notice."
"Seele has only just left that closed-off environment. It's normal that she isn't used to scenes like this yet… I'll help her slowly get used to it."
"Bronya's speech was really inspiring! If it were me, I'd probably be so nervous I wouldn't even be able to stand properly," March praised.
"That's true," Nero nodded in strong agreement from the side.
March immediately narrowed her eyes and looked at Nero. "You can even split the sky right in front of us, and you're saying something like that would be a small scene to you, right?"
"A small scene!? Are you kidding me!"
Nero's voice started trembling.
Following what March said, he imagined the situation.
Standing on a high platform, having to speak loudly, with everyone below staring at him and cheering…
Nero instantly felt dizzy, and a blush spread across his face.
"F-fighting is fighting… giving a speech is giving a speech… th-those are n-not… not the same!"
"Oh?" March looked at Nero's red face, rubbed her chin, and showed a smile that looked a bit wicked. "That shy, huh?"
Dan Heng said nothing and reached out to pull Nero over to the other side.
Watching the interactions of the Trailblazing Squad, Bronya smiled softly. She could tell that everyone was very close, and every small movement carried a warm feeling.
"I'm just weaving lies with pleasant words on the surface. I hope you never have to go through things like this."
"Sometimes, kind lies are necessary," Stelle said.
Bronya nodded. "Yes. I want to always stay honest with the people… but I want even more to protect their hope."
"The Stellaron has been removed, the cold wave has stopped, and Belobog can now be said to be moving toward prosperity!" Nero said.
Bronya shook her head. "You said before that the corrosion of the rifts won't fade away… If we want Belobog, and this planet, to truly become better, we still need long-term effort."
"That's exactly the key point. I have a way to develop this planet. Does the Supreme Guardian want to hear it?" Nero said with a smile.
"A way to develop the planet?" Bronya looked at Nero in confusion.
Nero nodded. "Are you interested in the rift industry?"
Bronya blinked. "The rift industry means…?"
"This!" Nero took out the Warm Plush. "Although the cold wave has stopped, Belobog is still very cold right now. You can feel it, right? This thing is very warm!"
Bronya nodded.
Nero continued, "I plan to use products like this to develop an industry, and to build a base and factories in Belobog."
"Of course, to make sure ordinary people can use it safely, I also invited Herta from the Genius Society to provide technical support."
"Oh, this Herta isn't a genius in the usual sense. She's the kind of genius who's still a genius even among geniuses. Someone who was glanced at by Nous, the Aeon of Erudition! So, how about it, interested?"
After thinking for a moment, Bronya put on an extremely serious expression. "Go into detail."
After that, the idea initiator Nero and the reliable Teacher Dan Heng gave Bronya a detailed explanation of what the rift industry was, its general direction, the benefits of promoting it, its current progress, and how many forces were paying attention to it.
Later, both sides held a fairly comprehensive discussion about establishing the first rift industry base and factory in Belobog, and reached a consensus.
During this process, Bronya also gradually understood what Nero wanted Cocolia to do. Mining, capturing rift creatures, and so on. Bronya did not object to this.
After all, it was just normal labor and work, not deliberate harm or torture.
She believed that her mother would also be willing to do these things, and that doing so would surely make her feel better inside. What's more, it would also bring protection.
For her mother, this was instead a very good way of atonement.
She had already made up her mind. Once the industry could operate and her mother's injuries had mostly recovered, she would follow Nero's suggestion and have Sampo, who was responsible for this matter, take her mother to the factory.
It was worth mentioning that Cocolia was currently completely unaware of this.
Bronya chatted happily with the train crew and expressed her anticipation for their next return to trailblazing.
After chatting about various things for a while, the Trailblazing Squad left Qlipoth Fort.
March planned to take more commemorative photos, while Nero started recounting this adventure to Mr. Xiyan in the small Nightless Marquis group.
On the way, March suddenly asked, "Bronya said she's willing to wait another seven hundred years for us… um… Dan Heng, how old can the longest-lived human live to?"
After a moment of silence, Dan Heng replied in an extremely serious tone, "…Endless. But at that point, it can no longer be called human."
March blinked, looked at Dan Heng's serious expression, shrank her neck a little, and said weakly, "…I was just asking, don't suddenly get so serious…"
Nero moved closer to March and said, "The people of the Xianzhou are troubled by endless lifespan. In theory, they can live for a very, very, very long time! But most people, once they reach a certain age, will fall into mara-struck."
"Although Xianzhou people who fall into mara-struck can still be considered alive from a physical standpoint, most lose their sanity, fail to recognize even their closest kin, and become monsters that are neither human nor ghost. In my view, that's no different from death."
"Eh…"
March sucked in a cold breath, then suddenly grabbed Nero's shoulders and asked seriously, "Then Nero, will you be like that in the future too?"
Nero blinked and said, "No idea. But if you count from when I became conscious, I'm still very far from falling into mara-struck. Usually, eight hundred to a thousand years old is when it becomes common."
Nero rested his chin on one hand and said somewhat absentmindedly, "And besides, if mara-struck really comes looking for me one day, wouldn't I just cut it down with one sword?"
After saying that, Nero started thinking about another question in his heart. "Speaking of which, I transmigrated here. In the Honkai Star Rail universe, do I even count as a proper Xianzhou person?"
March looked at Nero.
Although what the kid just said sounded very cool, could mara-struck really be cut down with a sword?
The pretty girl turned to look at Dan Heng's serious face.
Judging from Dan Heng's reaction, mara-struck was definitely not something you could just cut down…
Dan Heng was still a bit angry at this moment, because what Nero said sounded far too casual.
If mara-struck could really be chopped apart so easily, how could the Xianzhou be unable to escape the suffering of endless lifespan?
But…
'Why was this kid so confident when he spoke?'
As if, once he said it could be cut, then it absolutely could be cut.
March's gaze returned to Nero. The boy sitting on the pitch-black greatsword suddenly blinked, then showed a faint smile.
[Ding! Lan thinks what the host said is very good, and has decided to allocate a bit more power of the Path of The Hunt to the host.]
Nero was startled. 'Eh? Has Lan been peeking at me the whole time?'
[Ding! Although the host looks very good, please don't be narcissistic.]
[Ding! The one who has been peeking at the host this whole time is Aha.]
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