Star Rail: Starting with a Lyre, Living off Busking [4]

What was Wildfire?

In Natasha's words, they were the Silvermane Guards of the Lower District, though with a warmer touch.

In other words, they were a grassroots, volunteer organization.

Of course, considering the management challenges, it was clear that a group of mostly non-professional volunteers would struggle to maintain order across the entire Lower District.

Even now, Wildfire could only manage the area around Boulder Town and the nearby mines.

This was already Wildfire's limit. With insufficient manpower, inadequate equipment, and unreachable goals, the organization couldn't grow any further.

Realistically, even if Wildfire wanted to expand, they lacked the resources to support it.

Even its core members couldn't completely forgo their regular mining work. They had to descend into the mines to gather georoot to meet their basic living expenses and keep the organization afloat.

The "heroic partner" Venti sought was none other than one of Wildfire's elite members.

"Yo, Seele! Here you are. A rare day off, and you're not at the clinic, flipping through those comics you stashed?"

Venti sat on a makeshift platform of crude machinery, looking down at the purple-haired girl below, who seemed lost in thought.

"Oh, you're back, bard. Those comics were all borrowed by the kids ages ago."

Seele turned to glance at him, a touch of gloom still in her gaze—not from the children but from some knot she couldn't untangle.

Looking around, she found a foothold, swiftly climbed up to the platform, and gave Venti a little shove, making just enough room for herself as she grumbled.

"Hey, bard. Tell me, do you really think there's any hope left for the Lower District?"

"Hmm? Why so gloomy all of a sudden? Doesn't sound like the Seele I know."

Venti could feel it—this spirited girl was caught in a period of confusion, though it had come a bit early in her life.

But in the Lower District, it didn't take much for a child to grow up. One trip into the mines, one scuffle for food, one... unforgettable lesson.

"Less talking, more answering. You've been more places than I have, read more books too. Otherwise, I wouldn't even bother asking."

With a proud little huff, Seele's words carried a note of genuine respect.

She had met Venti by coincidence.

One day after her patrol, she saw him being chased by a group of vagrants. Without a second thought, she stepped in to help. But before she could even turn around, he was gone.

At the time, she'd chuckled, thinking he was a coward—flashy but useless, too scared to say thanks. Typical Upper District behavior.

But the next day, he showed up with a load of nice things as a "protection fee."

As a Wildfire member, Seele took pride in keeping the peace in Boulder Town, so of course, she refused.

But he kept showing up every so often with gifts—things rare in the Lower District.

Sometimes it was food; sometimes, cloth; other times, comic books.

He often muttered that he ought to draw his own comics, putting his stories on paper to "spread" them around. But every time he saw the price of paper and pens, he'd give up on the idea.

For a stingy guy, he was surprisingly generous with the kids.

Over time, she got to know him, even giving him the nickname "bard."

After all, she'd been to his performances before.

Even Seele had to admit, though Venti was hopeless in a fight—any random vagrant could probably knock him out—his songs were better than those of the opera singer she'd once heard in the Upper District with Oleg.

He had the talent to thrive in the Upper District, yet he often came down to help those in need.

In her eyes, he was a rare breed—a "scholar" with a conscience.

Sure, she hadn't been to much school and could barely write. But because she didn't understand, she held the unknown in reverence.

Of course, there was little awe, but some respect. Only a tiny bit! Just about enough to fit between her thumb and forefinger.

"Is that so? To earn such trust, looks like I'll have to give you some real insight!"

Venti chuckled cheerfully.

"Oh? And what insight is that?"

Seele's curiosity was piqued.

"Well, as I see it, there are many factors that determine the Lower District's future, but the biggest one has to be what caused things to turn out this way."

"The Supreme Guardian, huh…"

Seele's expression hardened, a flicker of hostility in her eyes.

"Not exactly. Or rather, not entirely." Venti shook his head and explained, "She did decide to abandon the Lower District, but the real culprit behind its desolation is the ceaselessly expanding Fragmentum."

"But even if we know it's the Fragmentum causing all this, what can we do?"

Seele frowned, clearly displeased.

"We can't exactly fight a phenomenon. All we can do is retaliate against the people behind it."

"Now that sounds like the Seele I know!"

Venti gave her a playful wink.

"We may not be able to wipe out an undesirable phenomenon, and we can certainly resent specific individuals. But we must remember—we're here to solve the problem, not just the people causing it."

The two stared at each other for a moment before Seele looked away, a hint of frustration in her voice.

"So what are we supposed to do?"

"Hmm, to put it poetically—wait and hold on to hope."

Before he could finish, Seele jumped up and clamped her arms around his neck, her face close to his but without a hint of affection.

Her violet eyes sparkled with a mix of anger and embarrassment.

"Are you mocking me?"

"Ahh, I can't breathe! Let me go so I can explain! This is hardly ladylike!"

Venti's face scrunched up as he patted her arm.

The girl was stronger than she looked.

After glaring at him, Seele finally loosened her grip slightly, though she didn't let go completely.

Venti had a habit of slipping away like a fish with buttered soles, running faster than she could catch him. If she wasn't careful, he'd escape again, and who knew if she'd ever manage to ask him this question again.

"Whew—I almost thought I'd never see the sun again."

Freed, Venti took a deep breath, feigning a look of terror.

Seele just huffed, irritated. "If you don't explain yourself properly, you'll never see the Belobog sun!"

"Whoa, no need to say something so terrifying with such a cute face!"

Venti didn't doubt Seele's determination. Concerned for his own safety, he got serious.

"If you're only aiming to reunite the Lower and Upper Districts, that's doable. But the real question is—what future does the Lower District want?"

"You mean…?"

"I mean, even if you manage to reunite Belobog, allowing the kids to see a new sun and have full bellies…"

"There are a lot of things to be done first. Like reactivating that long-shut-down railway; reclaiming lost residential areas; and most importantly—"

Venti watched her expression shift as she tried to wrap her mind around his words.

"—figuring out how to secure the right to negotiate as equals with the Upper District…or, to be precise, with that dictator."

"…A right?"

"Exactly. Not a right gained through force, but one that's freely given."

Seeing Seele's blank expression, Venti softened his tone.

"The Supreme Guardian's authority wasn't taken by force; it was granted through the people's trust. They chose a leader they believed would lead them out of hardship."

"Just like Alisa Rand, the first Supreme Guardian, who shielded Belobog from the Great Cold, earning the people's admiration."

"If you can achieve that, then the Lower District will have hope. But if you want to go even further, if you seek greater freedom—"

"Seele, you need to be the one who brings about true miracles."

"Only then can you stand against the Fragmentum, and escape the fate they've ordered to end."