Chương 30: Chapter 30 Cocolia’s Speech
"No, you came just in time."
Putting the awkwardness aside, Orion sat up from the hospital bed in the camp. He was in a tent that looked like a field hospital. The room had all the medical equipment needed, showing it was set up just for him.
Orion wasn't hurt badly, but he had used up a lot of mental energy, which was why he passed out.
Cocolia looked at Orion with concern. Even though the field doctor kept telling her it wasn't serious, she checked on him carefully herself.
Orion stood up, grabbed his black coat from a nearby hanger, and put it on.
Cocolia straightened his collar and said, "Orion, you might not realize what a great thing you've done this time."
"Tell me more," Orion replied.
"The land you attacked used to belong to Belobog. After the world was eroded," Cocolia said with excitement in her voice, "but because of this battle, the land's erosion is finally starting to reverse."
Cocolia's eyes were filled with gratitude. "For the first time in Belobog's history, we've taken back territory from the land eroded by the Rift."
"Taking back the land...?" Orion was intrigued by the idea. The boundary splitting had plagued the planet Jarilo-VI for almost a thousand years. The land people lived on kept shrinking. In fact, a large part of the territory had split into upper and lower areas. Due to boundary erosion, people had to leave their hometowns.
In Belobog, long ago, there were many large residential areas besides the administrative districts.
Under the erosion of the boundary, five districts would be lost today and ten more tomorrow. Eventually, all land outside the administrative districts became uninhabitable. Orion estimated that if nothing was done, boundary erosion would reach the city in a few years.
"I want to prepare a speech for you, Orion," Cocolia said hesitantly, as if seeking his approval.
"You want to inspire the people in the city?" Orion thought for a moment and understood what Cocolia intended.
"Yes, this is really important for Belobog. I hope you can come and speak as well," Cocolia said with a hopeful look in her eyes.
"Well, I don't think that's necessary." It wasn't because of social anxiety, but Orion wasn't used to such a big crowd. Thousands of people were likely to attend, and the thought of that made him nervous. Facing a crowd felt even harder than fighting off the same number of enemies.
"No, no," Pela suddenly interrupted, shaking her head as she adjusted her round glasses, raising her voice a bit.
"After the news spread in the city, some people couldn't believe it. Many now see you as Belobog's hero!"
The light reflecting off Pela's glasses made it hard for Orion to see her eyes, but her tone was clear.
"I am famous now?" Orion scratched his head, not too concerned about it. Seeing their hopeful expressions, he decided not to disappoint them, so he agreed.
"Okay, I'll do it."
"Great!"
Three days later, in the upper district, in front of the Everwinter Monument...
Steps led up to the monument, a symbol of Belobog. On most days, it was a busy spot, but today, the news posted on Belobog's bulletin board had everyone excited.
"Under the watchful eye of the great Preservation Aeon, the Silvermane Guards recently won a major victory in the restricted area. Nearly a hundred streets, including Nikolskaya Street and Arbat Street, will be reopened. Lord Cocolia Rand will personally announce the details to all citizens of Belobog..."
"Wow, did you hear? Nearly a hundred streets! That's like freeing an entire district!"
"Are you serious? Pinch me—ouch, okay, it's real!"
"Aeons bless us! Belobog is rising again!"
People were talking excitedly, and the news spread quickly to every home in Belobog. Everyone, young and old, felt a deep sense of joy about the city's liberation.
Even the usual troublemakers would put aside their mischief for the day and walk proudly through the streets as citizens of Belobog, feeling the warmth like a sunny winter day.
The speech happened right on time, and the people in front of the Everwinter Monument filled the entire square like a huge crowd. The voices of the people were louder than waves, and they were packed together.
On the tall and elegant stage, built quickly by skilled workers, stood the symbol of the city, the supreme ruler, and the Supreme Guardian of Belobog. Cocolia took a deep breath and gently touched the microphone in front of her with her fingernails.
A sharp metal sound echoed through the entire area, and suddenly the noisy crowd went silent, knowing that something important was about to happen. Cocolia's eyes were sharp and full of determination, and anyone could see that she was serious.
"Dear citizens of Belobog, you all heard the good news yesterday. As the Supreme Guardian of Belobog, I, Cocolia Rand, confirm this," she said, pausing for a moment, making the hearts of everyone in the square skip a beat. It was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop.
"It's absolutely true!" she announced.
The crowd erupted in excitement! People hugged and kissed each other, and ribbons floated in the sky. Even though they had heard the news before, they truly believed it when it came from the Supreme Guardian herself: "It's back, the land that has been separated from Belobog for decades is back!"
Cocolia waved her hand, and the crowd quieted down again.
"For seventy years, no Belobog citizen has lived in that area. The young people here probably don't even know its name..."
"That district..." came a trembling voice from an old man in the audience, someone who had lived there long ago. He remembered his parents taking him away from that place when he was young. Their words stayed with him: "Dad, Mom, why do we have to leave our home?"
"To come back one day," they had told him.
Even though the faces of his parents were blurry in his memory, their words remained clear.
As the speech continued, the crowd's excitement grew. This city, long covered in ice and snow, seemed to come alive again with new energy.
"Now, we invite you to honor the hero of the Silvermane Guard, who defeated countless enemies and turned the tide of the battle, the savior of Belobog, the apostle sent by the Aeons, our very own Orion !"
"Orion! Orion! Orion!"
Orion , who had been supported by Cocolia, reluctantly stepped onto the stage. His once handsome face was being touched up by a makeup artist in the audience, someone who claimed to have "twenty years of makeup experience." His face looked almost as perfect as someone from one of Belobog's most beautiful paintings.
The old black coat he always wore was replaced with a custom-made, slim-fit coat of black and white. The material was unknown, but it looked majestic and sacred, like something out of ancient Rome. Orion looked even better than Cocolia did. He seemed more like the true Supreme Guardian of Belobog.
With a mocking smile, Cocolia gave up her spot on the stage to Orion and whispered in his ear:
"Don't worry, Orion. As long as you don't do anything crazy, everyone will welcome you, no matter what you say."
Her warm breath brushed against Orion's ear as she added, "By the way, you look really handsome today~"
Orion blushed a little, whether from nerves or something else. After a moment to compose himself, he stood in front of the crowd and looked out.
A sea of hopeful eyes looked back at Orion, like stars in the dark night. Yes, this city had been in darkness for too long.
Orion began to speak.
"Hello everyone, my name is Orion . Some of you might know me, and some of you don't, but that's okay."
Even without a microphone, Orion's voice reached everyone as if he was speaking directly into their ears.
He pointed into the distance, and everyone followed his gaze.
"I'm here to make a promise to you and to this planet."
"The victory we're celebrating today is just the beginning."
"In the past, our ancestors suffered, trapped in endless ice fields, unable to see a wider sky."
"We can only imagine what the world outside Belobog looks like from myths and stories."
"But the sky that belongs to us shouldn't be so small, and the world of Jarilo-VI shouldn't be limited to this city!"
"We want our descendants to witness a better world, so we have to fight back and take back our world. Our goal lies beyond the ice and snow—"
"To the stars!"
" To the stars!"
" To the stars!"
The crowd's voices echoed back. At this moment, the people of Belobog believed that the future was theirs.
The excitement and energy of the people soared. On this day, countless artists stayed up all night, their inspiration flowing like a vast ocean. Countless politicians lay awake, calculating how to gain power. But most importantly, countless people of Belobog could finally sleep peacefully, with "hope for tomorrow" in their hearts.
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