Chapter 41: Brothers and Sisters

The Administrative District’s Central Plaza was far more spacious than Chen had anticipated, yet it felt suffocatingly crowded.

A dense throng of people had gathered before a hastily erected platform.

Most were residents of the Upper District, their attire neat and their postures expectant.

At the periphery and along key thoroughfares, Silvermane Guards stood like statues of polished steel, their very presence maintaining a solemn, unyielding Order.

Chen and his three companions melted into the crowd, four unremarkable faces in a sea of thousands.

Dan Heng’s gaze was calm and methodical, sweeping across the plaza as he cataloged the guards’ deployment and potential escape routes.

March 7th, ever curious, bounced on the balls of his feet, craning his neck to get a better look at the stage.

Caelus stood quietly beside Chen, his own inscrutable gaze drifting over the faces in the crowd before settling on the empty platform.

It wasn’t long before a ripple of excitement passed through the assembly, a wave of whispers that just as quickly died into an anticipatory hush.

A squad of Silvermane Guards, their armor gleaming under the pale Belobog sun, ascended the platform first, taking up positions in two rigid lines.

They were followed by a figure flanked by several high-ranking officers, who stepped with a steady, confident gait to the center of the stage.

Chen found himself holding his breath.

That was him.

Bronya Rand, heir to the Supreme Guardian and the acting Commander of the Silvermane Guards.

He looked a bit younger than Chen had pictured, perhaps in his early twenties.

He wore an impeccably tailored suit, its primary color a tasteful silver-gray that complemented his station.

Draped over it was a cloak bearing the Silvermane Guard emblem, its fur collar adding a touch of nobility to his otherwise warrior-like and capable aura.

His light gray hair was carefully groomed, not a single strand out of place.

He stood there, perfectly still, his calm gaze sweeping over the masses below.

It was a different kind of presence from the woman standing just behind him; unlike the pure, icy coldness that radiated from Gepard, Lord Bronya’s temperament was more reserved, more complex.

‘Thank goodness… He’s so handsome!’

The heavy weight that had been sitting in Chen’s heart finally lifted, replaced by a deep sense of relief that was almost moving.

Though the world had flipped the script on gender, at least this Lord Bronya’s appearance and aura were up to snuff.

He hadn’t devolved into some muscle-bound, nightmarish uncle.

Instead, he possessed the distinct, refined handsomeness and commanding presence of a young male leader.

That single observation instantly maxed out Chen’s anticipation for unlocking this particular entry in his compendium.

Bronya’s speech began.

His voice, amplified by a simple device, was clear and powerful, carrying effortlessly across the plaza.

The content was largely what one would expect: calls for unity, for Order, for perseverance.

He spoke of the city’s unwavering determination to fight back against the Eternal Freeze and the corrosion of the Fragmentum.

He reminded them of the duties of the Silvermane Guards and the obligations of the people.

The crowd below listened in respectful silence, their quiet punctuated only by occasional, scattered murmurs of agreement.

Gepard stood a half-step behind Bronya, her sharp eyes never ceasing their vigilant scan of the crowd, a silent predator watching over her charge.

The speech wasn’t long, winding down after about fifteen minutes.

After one final emphasis on “obeying the laws,” “supporting the guards,” and “believing in the Supreme Guardian’s leadership,” Bronya prepared to conclude.

‘Now’s the time!’ Chen’s eyes lit up.

He noticed that Bronya seemed to be planning to linger for a moment, likely to accept greetings from a few prominent figures in the front row.

A handful of respectable-looking citizens and minor officials were already beginning to edge forward.

“March, Dan Heng, I’m going in!”

Chen whispered the words in a rush.

Before the two could fully process his intent, he had already begun to weave through the gaps in the crowd, slipping like an eel toward the front.

In an instant, his expression shifted, morphing into one of pure, unadulterated admiration.

He even mimicked the low-voiced, excited chatter of those around him, perfectly blending into the gaggle of fans eager for a closer look at Lord Bronya’s elegance.

March 7th was left dumbfounded.

“What… what is he doing now?”

Dan Heng’s brow furrowed, but his body had already shifted, adjusting his stance.

He was poised to react to any sudden development, subtly positioning himself to keep Caelus shielded behind him.

Chen squeezed his way into a prime position, just a few steps from the platform’s edge.

He watched as Bronya politely shook the hand of a white-haired elder, his smile measured and courteous.

The opportunity was a flicker, a momentary lapse.

Just as Bronya finished the handshake and began to turn away, his gaze shifting, Chen saw his opening.

A guard momentarily turned his head, his line of sight blocked.

Chen seized the instant, popping out from the side of the crowd.

“Lord Bronya!

Your speech was so inspiring!” he called out, his voice brimming with feigned emotion.

“Please… allow me to express my highest respect!”

As he spoke, he was already extending his right hand.

The motion was fluid, natural, as if he were just another one of the countless young people desperate to make contact with their leader.

The “I’m finally meeting my idol” look of sheer awe plastered on his face was a masterpiece of acting.

Bronya, clearly not expecting such an enthusiastic young man to materialize out of nowhere, faltered in his stride.

He paused for a fraction of a second before a faint, accommodating smile touched his lips.

He, too, reached out his hand.

Their palms touched, then parted in an instant.

But in that fleeting moment of contact, a shimmer of light pulsed deep within Chen’s consciousness.

The game-like interface flared to life, and a brand-new, beautifully rendered icon was instantly lit.

The portrait on the icon was, without a doubt, Bronya.

The original Bronya.

‘Success!’ Chen was ecstatic, but he expertly clamped down on his glee, quickly withdrawing his hand.

He even managed a salute—somewhat clumsy, but formal enough—while spouting patriotic clichés.

“Thank you, my Lord!

Long live Belobog!”

With that, he “sensibly” retreated, melting back into the crowd and vanishing as quickly as he had appeared, his mission accomplished.

The entire operation had taken less than ten seconds.

When he returned to March 7th and Dan Heng’s side, Chen could feel their bewildered gazes boring into him.

He paid them no mind, a triumphant grin playing on his lips.

“Are you crazy?!” March 7th hissed, his voice a low mixture of shock and terror.

“Suddenly rushing up to shake his hand!

You scared me to death!”

“Calm down.

It’s called seizing the opportunity,” Chen replied with a smug arch of his eyebrow, his mood absolutely soaring.

“See?

Everything’s fine.

Plus, I got a close-up look at the target.

Totally worth it!”

Dan Heng simply looked at him and shook his head in helpless exasperation.

He didn’t say much, only, “We shouldn’t stay here long.

The speech is over, and the crowd is about to disperse.

The guards’ attention will only become more focused.

We should go.”

Chen nodded, casting one last look at the platform.

He watched Lord Bronya’s departing back, a stark and fascinating contrast to the newly illuminated icon of the silver-haired young woman now residing deep in his mind.

A truly mischievous, wonderfully chaotic thought suddenly sparked in his brain.

‘Wait a minute… Bronya… Bronya…’he thought, the gears turning at a furious pace.’This world is a total gender-swap, but my power lets me transform into the original versions from the game… Theoretically, then, this icon of the original female Bronya in my head…’A slow, wicked smile began to spread across his face.’What would she mean to the Lord Bronya of this world?’He dredged up the lore from the deepest corners of his memory.’I remember… in the game, Bronya was an orphan, adopted by Cocolia… which would mean…”In this world, is Bronya Cocolia’s adopted son?”So… does he know if he has any brothers… or sisters?’

Chen’s breath caught in his throat.

A brilliant, audacious, and utterly deranged idea began to take shape, blooming in his mind like a glorious, catastrophic flower.

[Elysian’s Note:

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