Chapter 33 Agreement

One day before the war in Belobog, at the table that symbolizes the power of the Supreme Guardian, Cocolia was deeply focused on analyzing reports.

She was reviewing political and market research for both the upper and underworld districts for the upcoming year. Next to her, a man sat casually with several military-related reports.

The amount of paperwork had doubled, so their team had grown from six clerks to twelve. Despite this, the documents still piled up, requiring extra hours of work, like now.

Cocolia reached for her coffee but missed it. When she looked again, she saw that a familiar hand was holding her cup. Rubbing her temples, Cocolia noticed the coffee thief.

"You're drinking my coffee, Orion!" she exclaimed.

"So what?" Orion replied, grimacing at the bitter taste, which he didn't enjoy.

Cocolia found his reaction amusing and giggled, covering her mouth. Her laughter was particularly noticeable.

"What are you laughing at?" Orion asked, raising an eyebrow.

Over the past few years, Cocolia has changed significantly. Her once youthful figure had matured into the most strikingly beautiful face in her twenties or thirties, making her even more captivating.

Orion sometimes felt overwhelmed by her charm. Although their relationship hadn't made substantial progress, rumors about them were frequent. Cocolia didn't discourage these rumors and even seemed to encourage them.

Despite knowing about Cocolia's various hints, Orion found himself distant with her. Though they rarely met face-to-face, he could quickly reach her desk, thanks to his speed, despite most of their interactions being through letters and documents.

Orion clearly told Cocolia that after handling the stellaron on this planet, he would be leaving.

Cocolia was initially disappointed, but when she learned that he wouldn't leave until the task was complete, she felt relieved. Since then, she has valued their time together more. Now, Orion and Cocolia are working together as partners toward the same goal.

"When I think about the majestic Orion on the battlefield, it's funny to see him grimace over a cup of bitter coffee," Cocolia said, taking a sip of the coffee under Orion's watchful gaze. Even the strongest coffee couldn't make the Supreme guardian's smile fade.

"Huh." Cocolia always found something to laugh about with him.

"How's the repair going?" Orion asked, shifting to business. Cocolia handed him a report. As he reviewed the data, Orion smiled with satisfaction and slapped the report on the table.

"Very good. This improves our chances of winning by a few percent."

"You should just relax and enjoy the success. Serval has lost a lot of her hair this month. If Geppard saw her like this, he probably wouldn't recognize his sister," Cocolia said, rolling her eyes at Orion. Despite her exhaustion, she remained charming.

"Haha, there's no other option. I'll have to take her out for dinner after the war," Orion replied with a smile. Since their heartfelt conversation three years ago, the three of them—Orion, Cocolia, and Serval—have each found their own path. Politics, military, and technology are coming together, and Belobog is steadily moving closer to their vision.

Cocolia stretched, revealing her graceful figure, and leaned back tiredly in her chair. Orion, having silently approached, draped his coat over her shoulders.

"Let's take a rest." His gentle voice and the soft touch of the coat made Cocolia feel sleepy. More importantly, Orion's presence gave her a deep sense of security.

"Orion, you're leaving again tomorrow," she asked lazily. Cocolia knew that every time at this hour, when she fell asleep, Orion would quietly leave and rush back to the front lines.

"Um."

"Can you come back and visit me more often?"

"I can try."

"You have to promise me..."

Maybe she was really tired, or for another reason, but Cocolia slowly closed her eyes, lay down on the chair, and fell into a light sleep.

After a while, Orion turned around and left silently, seeing Cocolia sleeping peacefully, and quietly closed the door behind him.

A pair of purple eyes opened quietly.

"Fool, you say that every time."

Cocolia isn't foolish. Even though she hasn't been to the front lines herself, she can see from the military reports, casualty lists, and supply consumption that the situation is getting worse. But every time, Orion would return with a victory.

"It must be the same this time." Thinking this, Cocolia fell into a deep sleep.

After feeling the change in breathing outside the door, Orion moved on.

Leaving the gate of Qlipoth Fort, he walked alone through the street. Apart from the bright street lights, only the sound of his footsteps echoed in the night.

As he walked, he thought about how he had spent more and more time in Belobog—one year, two years, now even three years. Sometimes he wondered, "Maybe it would be nice to live here?" But such thoughts were quickly forgotten.

As a traveler among the stars, he shouldn't get too involved with the planet's affairs. The longer he stayed, the harder it would be to leave.

The environment changes people, and he had adapted more than he realized. This was a troubling sign for him. He still remembered there were people waiting for him on the Astral Express.

"Stellaron, it's time to end this fight."

Whether it's a time paradox or the stellaron, Orion knew it was time to execute his plan. He only had one shot at this, and he has made all the necessary preparations; all that he had to do now was execute his plan.