Xingtie: Can’t you just let me focus on completing the commissions?

"Cocolia is nothing but a fool with a little bit of cleverness. Look at how many stupid things she has done since she came to power. She is cowardly and only cares about protecting herself when it comes to foreign countries. She is tough when it comes to domestic affairs, but she has completely sealed off the miners of Rocky Town underground. Lady Rosalia once thought she was a creative person, but what has her creativity brought us?"

"Labor shortages, depleted resource output, the cancellation of numerous useful research projects, the closure of Belleburg University, and cuts to military spending... As the head of the Technology Development Department, you couldn't possibly be unaware of all of this."

After a slight pause, the woman with long brown hair spoke again.

“Someone used me and created a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me. That person lured Cocolia and her adopted daughter away from Belloberg, so I must seize power in Belloberg in the shortest possible time.”

"I've already won over twelve lieutenants to the Silvermane Iron Guard, which is essentially equivalent to seizing half of their territory. Next... as long as you're willing to hand over the 'Automaton Key,' the entire armed forces of Beloborg will basically be in our hands."

After saying that, she dropped another bombshell.

"Moreover, Dr. Elizabeth, I did not betray Cocolia simply because of my own ambition. I obtained a crucial piece of information from the person who used me."

"Cocolia has already abandoned 'Preservation,' and she is no longer qualified to be a Great Guardian!"

"If you are willing to hand over the key and cooperate with us to reclaim Lady Alisa's scepter, we are willing to support you in restoring order and becoming the new Great Guardian!"

Chapter 044: Spender, you deserve to die! (4/4)

Dr. Changguang, Elizabeth McSmith, was born into an upper-class aristocratic family.

When she was ten years old, Rosalia Rand, then the High Warden, secretly announced that she would be choosing an adopted daughter to inherit the Rand name.

In aristocratic societies, the pattern of succession of Great Guardians was not a secret.

All the High Guardians have used Land as their surname, thus inheriting the legacy of the first High Guardian, Alisa Land.

Of course, this rule was actually set by the second-generation Guardian, Svetlana.

Because she was also the girl adopted by Alisa Rand, and after she ascended to the throne, in order to prevent one family from taking control of the position of High Protector in the future, she established a rule that the High Protector could not marry during his/her reign.

Therefore, each generation of Grand Guardians was an adopted daughter of the previous Grand Guardian.

This adopted daughter can be an orphan from an orphanage or a daughter from a noble family. As long as she is capable enough and can completely sever ties with her birth family, she is qualified to be adopted.

Elizabeth McSmith was also on the shortlist, and she hoped that she would be chosen by the Great Guardians to become a key protector of Bellberg in the future.

Unfortunately, a girl even younger than her, Cocolia, who was only eight years old at the time, became Rosalia's adopted daughter and inherited the name Rand.

At the time, many nobles felt sorry for Elizabeth. Initially, some people believed that if she had inherited the name of Rand, she would have been able to revive Belloberg and become an excellent guardian comparable to the iron-fisted Svetlana.

But reality was not as the nobles had hoped. Elizabeth, born into an upper-class noble family, ultimately lost to Cocolia, who came from a humble background. Her parents were merely ordinary Silvermane Guards and a housewife. Many nobles realized that Rosalia had deliberately orchestrated this outcome.

However, due to the egregious incident during the reign of the eighth Grand Guardian, in which the Minister of the Interior Spender usurped power and sidelined the Grand Guardian, the relationship between the Grand Guardians and the nobles has always been deeply strained. Starting with the ninth Grand Guardian, the selection process has been completely free for the nobles to interfere with.

Cocolia thus inherited the name of Rand. Although she quickly demonstrated her intelligence and courage, in the eyes of the aristocratic group, compared with Elizabeth, who completed her doctoral degree at the University of Belberg at the age of fourteen, Cocolia's achievements were still insignificant.

This prodigy was once highly anticipated, and in fact, she lived up to expectations by achieving a great deal of research results at a young age. She made remarkable achievements in both civilian and military technology research and development. At the young age of 22, she became the chief of one of the departments in charge of technology. At that time, many people believed that this girl would surely become a shining light in the long night of Bellberg. Thus, the name Dr. Changguang spread like wildfire.

However, later, with Cocolia taking over Beloborg, the upper and lower cities were isolated, social resources were scarce, and a large number of rare materials could no longer be collected from the mining area. Even the most skilled cook cannot cook without rice. The Technology Development Department shelved a large number of research projects. In addition, the funding was cut again and again. Today, the Technology Development Department is almost only used for the maintenance and repair of military equipment.

It's impossible for Dr. Changguang to be without resentment, but to betray Belloberg solely because of this would be a complete denial of her efforts over the past thirty years.

She was never striving for Cocolia or the Great Guardian, but was genuinely following the family precepts and working towards the revival of Beloborg.

"Cleo Jackal".

Standing behind the high-voltage power line, Dr. Changguang quietly watched the woman who was trying to lure him with great rewards. He knew about her situation; the current Minister of the Interior was her brother. In fact, this Miss Cleo had also shown outstanding talent and wisdom at a very young age. This brother and sister, one in the open and the other in the shadows, had been making their mark among the aristocratic faction in recent years and were showing signs of becoming leaders.

“I have no interest in your plans, and I gave up my obsession with the Great Guardian a long time ago.”

Her gaze was extremely calm, showing no interest whatsoever in others' attempts to elevate her to the very top of Belloberg.

“If your coup succeeds, I will still work in this technical department. If you don’t need me then, I can leave. If you want to try me, I am willing to die.”

"But that's your business, I won't interfere, and the entire technical department shouldn't interfere either."

"You may leave today, and we will live in peace. If you insist on forcibly intruding into the research institute and harming the technical staff, we will completely destroy Belloberg's database before you get your hands on it."

Upon hearing this, Cleo's expression immediately turned ugly. All the data in the technology department must be kept confidential. The number of nobles is only a drop in the ocean compared to the number of poor people. If they want to govern the majority with the minority, technology is indispensable. Even Changguang's own mind is one of their targets.

This uprising came suddenly, especially since the masked stranger had left her with many openings, forcing her and her brother to launch the uprising hastily. If they missed this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, it would be hard to say when the nobles would be able to rule Cripple Castle again.

The loss of the Great Guardian's protective power provided them with the perfect reason to rise up. Even from a moral high ground, they could gain the approval of the people of Beloborg, given the undeniable fact that Beloborg's various industries and resource gains had significantly declined during Cocolia's reign.

but……

Unfortunately, they were stopped at the technical department.

"We can't just give up like this."

A fierce, cold light began to gleam in her eyes. Just as their name suggested, they possessed pupils as sinister and menacing as jackals, and the nature of this tribe was similar.

Just as she was pondering a way out of the predicament, suddenly, a series of hurried footsteps came from outside. Cleo turned her head, and in an instant, a man dressed in full silver-blue armor and holding a giant harp case shield appeared in the corridor behind them.

Her heart sank, and an uncontrollable rage finally surfaced in her light brown pupils as she roared at her numerous subordinates.

"Fire! What we can't have, we absolutely cannot allow to be left to Belloberg!"

Chapter 045: Who isn't a Paradox Interactive's living devil?

"To be honest, I really don't want to help you."

Standing on the open-air platform of Yongdong Ridge, Mr. Emiya looked at the mother and daughter in front of him with a headache. Because of that brat Hanabi, he had forcibly helped the mother and daughter so that everything she planned would not go smoothly.

and,

Now that they've escaped, these two might become pawns in Hanabi's hands. After all, on this asteroid, Hanabi, who is suspected to be the Envoy of Pleasure, has almost no natural enemies and can act recklessly without any scruples.

"But I don't want that little brat to have it too easy."

Mr. Emiya rubbed his forehead, then looked at Cocolia and spoke.

"Actually, I have a very bad impression of you, an exceptionally bad one. Even though we've never met, your name and appearance remind me of a perverted woman who would stop at nothing to achieve her goals, turning three or four million people into living zombies in order to advance her objective."

"Moreover, while that person claimed it was for his daughter's sake, he also suspected her of not being absolutely loyal to him, so he implanted a control chip in her brain."

"By the way, the controlled daughter's name is also Bronya."

Upon hearing Emiya's words, Cocolia's expression remained largely unchanged. Bronya, on the other hand, frowned and stepped forward, seemingly wanting to defend her mother.

"I can indeed do what you say."

Cocolia's expression was calm and composed, and her voice was steady, without the slightest hesitation.

Bronya's expression froze completely in an instant...

[Bronya's mood score +55]

“When I kill the first person, I feel guilty. When I kill ten people, the guilt gradually diminishes. When I kill a hundred or a thousand people, I will take it all in stride... because that is how I am now.”

"Not bad, you know how much of a beast you are."

Emiya was almost amused by her anger. This mother and daughter were truly insane. They knew they were animals, but they were unrepentant. They knew their own mother was an animal, but they still thought she could be saved.

"Forget it, compared to the two of you, that little brat is more annoying."

"That inherently evil little devil of pleasure, I'll personally teach her a lesson today!"

However, while Cocolia in this film is also a beast, at least she's not the real beast from the Honkai Impact 3rd film who sacrificed millions of innocent people. At the very least, she made her decision after truly weighing the pros and cons and being seduced by the Star Core. If you have to say, she still has some moral bottom line.

To be honest, back when we played Frostpunk, everyone was a living devil. But when it comes to a real post-apocalyptic setting with scarce resources, the lowest-level labor force is definitely a consuming commodity. But this Cocolia only targets that group of laborers, and doesn't even lift a knife on those who don't have much labor but still enjoy privileges. If it were him, Emiya, he would definitely learn from the teacher (the Emperor)'s method and turn these unruly nobles into stinking cans.

Lilia Rand's assessment was quite good; Cocolia's rule was not entirely crooked. It's just that when the Great Guardians have a meal together, they should remember to sit at the table with Siril, as the others probably look down on her.

However, although this mother and daughter duo are one foolish and the other stubborn, if no one else had interfered, Mr. Emiya would never have associated with these two.

But that brat Hanabi is completely playing with the lives of the remaining hundreds of thousands of people in Belloborg. The star core is most likely in the hands of someone who is prone to losing control. Once the star core breaks through the restraints and is completely exposed, that person will definitely become one with the star core and transform into its jinchūriki.

Then they start causing chaos in Belleburg, and who knows, when they return to Belleburg, they might see a tokusatsu drama scene where "a monster suddenly appears in the peaceful city."

"According to my original plan, the lower city should have staged an armed coup, stormed your upper city, rushed into Cripper Fortress, and personally seized your position as Grand Warden."

"But now... Bronya, you said you're giving up the position of High Warden, right?"

Emiya looked at the gray-haired girl and spoke decisively.

"Actually, the best thing would be to wage a civil war. Only a civil war can push the original order, class and everything else into the dust of history. What about the aristocracy, the guardian system? It's just a town, but it's like a constitutional monarchy and a cabinet. There are a lot of strange things, the administration is slow, and the people below are full of complaints."

“I usually like to do things thoroughly. This time I can help you find the Star Core, and even take care of the Star Core and suppress the rebellion as an example. However, I have a few requirements that you must agree to in advance.”

"Go ahead."

Cocolia nodded. Since Bronya had made her choice, then... she didn't want her daughter to go through everything she had gone through.

The position of Grand Guardian is not simply one of wielding great power and comfortably enjoying it.

The moment you open your eyes, you see hundreds of thousands of people eating and drinking. It's just a town, yet it must possess all the functions that a country should have.

If we were to directly revert to a primitive society like in ancient times, using methods of keeping the people ignorant and exhausting them, that would be acceptable.

However, external conditions simply don't allow it, and the reserves of various resources are already at a saturation point.

By the time it was passed down to her generation, all that was left was to live a frugal life.

If we don't embrace the star core and pass it on to the next generation, the mess will only get bigger and bigger.

She was actually quite conflicted. She didn't want Bronya to suffer the same hardships as her, but she also didn't want Bronya to be purged by other superiors in the future.

The original plan to protect her was to resolve most of the problems in her generation and let her take over a stable situation. As for the nobles and traitors, her original intention was to take them all away in one fell swoop.

Now that Bronya is leaving Ariello and offering a new option, to be honest... she wholeheartedly approves.

"First of all, my help is not unconditional; you need to sign a power of attorney."

"Furthermore, after we resolve this issue, I need you, as the Great Guardians, to completely abolish the aristocracy."

"Finally, if I need anything from now on, you must be available whenever I call and cannot refuse."

A cold smile appeared on Cocolia's face. She felt no guilt whatsoever about harming nobles. Ever since Cyril's generation, the Guardians and nobles had been irreconcilable enemies. If given the chance to eliminate a noble, she would do it even if Emiya didn't ask.

As for the final request to be available at any time and not be refused, if she survives this round of events, that's irrelevant. Bronya also needs a new support, so in that case...

Why refuse?

"I accept."

"Very well, in that case, let's quickly write the letter of authorization."

"Once things are settled here, I might need to find someone to cover for me. Also, those two people over there need to be released."

[P.S.: It's not available yet, so I'm explaining this in the P.S.: I've considered the strength of other works beforehand; there won't be any characters that are suddenly added and become mindlessly overpowered. In Type-Moon, modern Western magicians need a magic foundation. Only those capable of creating their own foundation can truly shine here. The same applies to mind keyprints; there won't be any random magician who suddenly becomes a deus ex machina.]

Chapter 046: There's a cow! There's a cow!

"Lingbao used to frequent the snowy plains on the outskirts of the city, but the most recent sighting was about four days ago."

"The situation at Lingbao's campsite was also quite obvious; she didn't even have time to pack her supplies."

"All the clues we have confirmed that Lingbao was attacked shortly after the last sighting."

"The Silvermane Iron Guards on duty seem to be hiding something... We need to extract more precise information from them."

"...Lingbao was indeed taken away by the Silver Mane Iron Guards. Many members of the Jackal Clan have been infiltrated into the Iron Guards."

"Yongdong Ridge, they actually kidnapped Lingbao there? Why?"

"Ms. Shiluwa was indeed lured there by them."

"...The High Warden has also entered Everwinter Ridge..."

"That area, because of the defensive line, has always been a restricted zone for the Iron Guards. But now, because the Iron Guards have been infiltrated, it has become a favorable location for them."

"Now, all clues point to Yongdong Ridge. Xing, March 7th, we may encounter a fierce battle on Yongdong Ridge. You need to be mentally prepared in advance."

Closing her notebook, Pera looked at the 'Sea Patrol Ranger' duo who had accompanied her and contributed significantly.

"Don't worry, we are seasoned veterans, we will overcome any problem we encounter!"

"Anonymous guest?"

"...another name for the sea patrol knight."

The pink-haired girl stubbornly tried to explain the past, but the intelligence officer didn't delve too deeply into it. Whether it was the nameless stranger or the sea patrol knight, to her now, these two people only had one identity.

New friends.