Honkai: Star Rail – Banner Character, Delivering Knives to the Player [22]

Lingzhou: "Enough chatter. Gepard’s returning."

March 7th glanced around, puzzled. "But I don’t see anyone."

Lingzhou said nothing.

He controlled wind—was it so surprising he could sense movement through air currents?

It might not be cold here, but even warm air was still wind.

Sure enough, half a minute later, Gepard appeared.

"Apologies for the wait. Lady Cocolia is ready to see you now. Follow me."

Another scene transition.

Gepard led the trio through a spacious corridor.
Soon, they encountered a silver-haired girl approaching from the opposite direction.

"Lady Bronya."

Gepard paused, noticing her gloomy expression.

Bronya nodded distractedly, eyes briefly resting on the trio.

"And these three are…?"

"Interstellar merchants from beyond the sky. They wish to establish trade relations with Belobog."

At this, Bronya’s gaze subtly flickered.

"I see. I have urgent matters to attend to, so I'll leave you to your audience with the Supreme Guardian."

Without giving them a chance to reply, Bronya hurried past and vanished around the corner.

March 7th: "Why does it feel like she wasn't exactly thrilled to see us?"

Gepard shook his head.

"Probably not intentional. Lady Bronya seemed in a hurry—perhaps she received urgent orders."

Stelle: "I was about to say hi, but she walked off without a glance. Awkward."

Gepard: "My apologies. Things must be urgent... The Guardian’s office is just ahead. Let's continue."

Seeing this scene, Ah Xian was thoughtful.

Bronya’s gaze had definitely been suspicious.

The writers wouldn’t arrange a pointless encounter here. Bronya’s storyline might diverge significantly later.

With a hint of anticipation, Ah Xian clicked to advance the plot.

At last, they met Cocolia.

Though Ah Xian knew her background, as a proper beta streamer, she wouldn’t spoil it for the audience.

Gepard: "Lady Cocolia, I've brought the three interstellar merchants."

Cocolia: "Thank you. You may leave us."

Only after Gepard left, closing the door, did she speak again.

"Guests from beyond the stars, welcome to Belobog. I'm Cocolia Rand. Please, join me here."

She gestured toward the tea table reserved for guests.

"Gepard mentioned you're in the clothing and beverage trade, correct?"

① “Nameless-brand clothing—so good even Hakimi endorses it!”
② “Nameless-brand milk tea—line up the cups and they'll circle Belobog twice!”
③ “Indeed, our clothing and beverages are galaxy-wide sensations.”

Hardly any player on Lingzhou’s route would choose the third option.

Cocolia frowned slightly. "Pardon, but who's Hakimi? Is that trade jargon?"

March 7th quickly laughed it off, giving Stelle a sharp look to stop further nonsense.

"What she means is… our clothing is popular among people—and even pets!"

Following her lead, Lingzhou presented genuine samples, placing them on the table.

"These are our Nameless-brand products. As new arrivals, please accept these fine beverages as gifts."

Cocolia nodded slightly, seemingly convinced.

Picking up a dress, she carefully examined its texture.

"The quality is impressive. How exactly does Nameless intend to cooperate?"

Lingzhou raised two fingers. "There are two possibilities…"

The game's camera zoomed out at this point, the characters’ dialogue fading beneath the background music.

Clearly, the writers didn’t intend to linger over the business details, instead skipping most of the discussion with a distant shot.

About ten seconds later, Lingzhou’s voice returned.

"That’s the general idea. What do you think?"

Cocolia: "It sounds reasonable enough, but a 70-30 profit split? To speak bluntly, it lacks sincerity."

Lingzhou smiled confidently, exuding the air of a seasoned businessman.

"We handle restocking and transportation entirely. Your side only needs to set up sales points. The ratio is more than fair."

Cocolia: "No room for negotiation?"

Lingzhou: "Certainly, there’s always room if you show genuine sincerity."

Cocolia pondered briefly, then smiled.

"It’s getting late, and you've traveled far. I'll arrange accommodations at our finest inn for you to rest."

"Someone will visit you tomorrow at noon. We can discuss our collaboration further. How does that sound?"

Stelle: "We'd like to explore the city first."

Cocolia: "You’re honored guests. Please, feel free. Now, I have other duties to attend to, so forgive me for not seeing you off."

The group stood and left.

The camera lingered on Cocolia’s profile.

Her gaze shifted to the elegantly packaged bottles on the table. She opened one, sniffing lightly.

Pouring herself a small amount, she sipped thoughtfully, then nodded.

Exquisite—far superior to Belobog’s local brews.

If these were sold openly, sales would surely boom.

But considering Belobog’s current situation…

Suddenly, indistinct whispers echoed around her.

Cocolia paused, listening.

"You suspect they have other motives? …No rush, I'll have someone keep watch."

[Wait, someone else is here?]
[Lingzhou’s acting seemed flawless. How did she guess their true intentions?]

Players were baffled by the cryptic ending to this exchange.

Before they could speculate further, the scene shifted to the departing crew outside Qlipoth Fort.

Lingzhou walked last, pausing briefly.

From the camera angle, he slightly turned his head sideways.

Zooming in closely, the shot caught a subtle, knowing smirk playing on his lips.

“What do you guys think Lingzhou's smile means?”

“Did he realize something was off with Cocolia, or is it because he successfully fooled her?”

[Could he have overheard what Cocolia said afterward?]
[Like enhanced hearing?]
[In a sense, maybe that’s exactly it.]
[Indeed, Lingzhou sensed Gepard approaching earlier, so heightened perception is plausible.]
[It's a clear hint. They wouldn't add this shot if it meant nothing.]

March 7th: "So, what do you think? Does Cocolia know about the Stellaron?"

Stelle: "Oh, I know—"

March 7th: "Then hurry up and tell me—"

Stelle: "—as if I'd actually know."

March 7th: "You deserve a punch for that!"

Lingzhou spoke softly. "Let's explore a bit and gather local intel."

March 7th: "Awesome! So, where to first? How about that plaza up ahead?"

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This is a fan translation of 崩铁：卡池角色，给玩家发刀 by 三十度幻. All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!