Bronya watched the man's reaction, but inwardly, she let out a deep sigh of relief. If the debt tied to the automaton soldiers could be excluded from the ledger, then Belobog's total debt would be significantly reduced.
After Pei Guang passed the truth about the unused automaton soldiers to Bronya, she relayed that information to the people of Belobog as well.
At first, when the company offered to "help" Belobog, some citizens thought being "sold off" wouldn't be too bad—if it meant they could live better lives.
But once this revelation was made public, the crowd that had gathered in Qlipoth Fort to discuss the situation saw a massive shift in sentiment. Most people now firmly believed that they absolutely should not sign any contract that would strip them of their freedom.
The suffering of seven hundred years was etched into Belobog's very blood. Now, learning that the company had screwed them over in the past—who could say it wouldn't happen again?
Sure, people who'd lived through an apocalypse wanted better lives—but that didn't mean they were stupid. If the company had tricked Belobog once seven centuries ago, they could easily do it again.
Some even insisted that if those mechanized soldiers had been used properly back then, Belobog might not have been buried under endless snow. And the moment that opinion was voiced, it was widely accepted.
Others felt that refusing to sign the contract was totally fine.
With the Trailblazers' help, Belobog was already improving. So what if they owed money? They survived seven hundred years already—what's a few more decades or centuries to pay it off and earn real freedom?
After all, repaying debt is better than being unable to live at all.
After extensive discussion, the ministers and representatives gathered in Qlipoth Fort had reached a consensus.
Even among the people outside, once they learned the company had wronged Belobog in the past, most of them firmly opposed the company. Like they said, life in Belobog was visibly getting better.
Whether in the Underworld or the Overworld, under Bronya's leadership and the influence of the Trailblazers, as long as someone was willing to work, they could eat, drink, and even send their kids to school now.
Bronya had already gathered everyone's opinions during the time Pei Guang was off taking care of things. Seeing that the consensus matched what she'd expected, she finally relaxed.
Her only regret was that Pei Guang wasn't there to witness the people's reactions firsthand. If he were, she felt certain he'd be pleased.
And where was Pei Guang? Of course—he'd gone to summon the true heavyweight backing him. As the saying goes, you've got to eat your meal one bite at a time.
Pei Guang believed Donatan would grow desperate and try to force Bronya's hand if he thought she had no support. While he was her support, he didn't exactly have name recognition. So he returned to the Astral Express, reported everything, and was now bringing Himeko over in person.
She was already on her way.
Bronya didn't know this. She simply carried on with her plans as scheduled. So she turned to Donatan and said, "Mr. Donatan, may I ask—what is the company's stance on this matter?"
Cold sweat ran down Donatan's back. If this was just Belobog's one-sided claim, he could easily dismiss it. But now that the Garden of Recollection was involved… this was far beyond his pay grade.
Donatan paused for a moment, then quickly came up with a countermeasure. "If the portion confirmed by the Garden of Recollection is accurate, then that debt indeed shouldn't be counted against this planet.
However, what about the rest of the resources and capital used to build this city? I believe that even excluding that amount, Belobog still wouldn't be able to repay the debt, correct? If your planet cannot repay what it owes and refuses to sign the contract with the company, then the company will be forced to carry out debt enforcement."
His meaning was clear: that one sum can be written off, and the interest tied to it as well. But even without it, Belobog still couldn't afford to pay.
That portion of the debt only reduced the total by one-third. The remaining two-thirds? Belobog still couldn't pay it back.
With that in mind, Donatan pressed further. "Judging by your attitude, it seems Belobog has no intention of repaying this debt. In that case, there's nothing more to discuss. Prepare for enforcement."
Donatan intended to confirm that Belobog had defaulted. The situation had already grown extremely troublesome—he wasn't going to delay any longer. Who knows what else might happen if he did?
He began to suspect someone was targeting him… and quickly landed on the answer: the Strategic Investment Department. Yes, this mission had originally been passed over from Topaz.
He was now certain someone in the Strategic Investment Department had tampered with this mission to set up the Marketing Development Department.
After all, the two departments often clashed due to differences in strategy and overlapping areas of responsibility: they didn't get along at all.
He'd already been confused why Topaz had refused such a lucrative and seemingly easy assignment. Turns out, she was waiting to pass the grenade to him.
But it didn't matter. He would take Belobog no matter what and turn all of its construction materials into offerings for the great Qlipoth.
The people of this planet would learn what happens when you defy the company.
That's right—Donatan was already losing control. Barring any surprises, he would soon follow the exact path Pei Guang had laid out for him… step by step, right into the trap.
And the first of those traps? It was already waiting.
Just as Donatan finished speaking, Himeko's voice came from behind him.
"I have something I'd like to relay to the Supreme Guardian."
Everyone instinctively turned toward the voice, and there she was—Himeko calmly walking in. She cast a glance at Donatan's bruised, swollen face before turning her attention to Bronya.
Bronya's voice wavered slightly with surprise. "You are…"
"Himeko~ That's Himeko! Ah Guang brought her to help~"
March 7th's excited voice rang out from behind Himeko, and it instantly put Bronya at ease.
When Donatan had entered Qlipoth Fort earlier, Pei Guang and the others hadn't been there. Bronya had done her best, relying on the cards in her hand to negotiate with Donatan, but something had felt off. She'd felt hollow, like something was missing.
Some might say that a Supreme Guardian overly reliant on outsiders wasn't a good look—but only Bronya knew how much hope Pei Guang and the Trailblazers had brought back to Belobog. If she couldn't trust those who saved her world, who else was there to trust?
Still, Bronya had been able to hold her own. But now, hearing March 7th's voice and seeing the familiar trio behind Himeko, it felt like she'd taken a tonic for the soul.