What if your Honkai Star Rail was like this?

Chapter 12: Chapter 12: Sampo, What Did You Just Say?

A small spaceship slowly descended onto a snowy plain. As the cabin door gradually opened, a biting cold wind rushed into the ship, instantly lowering the temperature inside by several degrees.

”According to the train’s positioning, the city-state of this world is still a few kilometers away from here. We’ll have to walk the rest of the way.”

Welt’s gaze swept over the three people behind him, finally settling on Stelle. After a moment of contemplation, he took off his coat and handed it to her. ”Put this on, Stelle. March 7th and Dan Heng can easily adapt to this level of cold due to their constitutions, but you’re different. Don’t catch a cold.”

To be honest, the moment the cabin door opened, the Stellaron within Stelle’s body surged with a wave of warmth, maintaining her internal temperature. She barely felt the cold wind at this level.

Stelle took the coat, thought for a moment, and then gently draped it over March 7th’s shoulders with a smile. ”Uncle Yang, I’m not cold. Let’s give it to March instead. Even with her special constitution, it’s better to be safe, right? March is wearing the least, so she should have it.”

March 7th was taken aback for a moment before explaining, ”I really don’t need it...”

”That makes sense.”

”Seconded.”

To her surprise, Welt and Dan Heng nodded in perfect sync. ”Stelle’s reasoning is sound. Let March wear it.”

March 7th swallowed the words she was about to say, tightened the coat around herself, and felt a warm current surge in her heart.

...

After trudging through the wind and snow for over half an hour, Stelle suddenly noticed a snow pile by the roadside, about half a person’s height. A sudden impulse struck her—she really wanted to step on it.

This was probably some kind of human instinct, right? Look at that perfectly smooth snow pile, that flawless surface—it was practically begging to be messed up!

With that thought, Stelle walked over to the snow pile. After taking a deep breath, she jumped onto it with force—

”Ow!”

Stelle felt her foot hit something. Whatever it was seemed to move when she stepped on it and let out a pained yelp.

”Who’s there?”

The voice immediately drew the attention of Welt and the others. In an instant, a long spear and a cane were aimed at the snow pile, while Dan Heng pulled out his bronze gourd, sending a thin water rope to yank Stelle back.

”...”

Strangely, even though Welt and the others had drawn their weapons, the person in the snow pile remained silent, as if the earlier ”ow” was just an illusion.

”Not doing well?”

A cold glint flashed in Welt’s eyes. His cane automatically transformed into a black orb. In that instant, Stelle felt her body grow heavier.

But at that moment, a hand suddenly emerged from the snow pile, waving a small white flag frantically.

Then, a blue-haired young man crawled out of the snow. One hand clutched his throat, the other waved the white flag, his expression pained as if he were enduring something.

Buddy, your entrance is still as outrageous as ever, huh?

Stelle hadn’t expected that her playful whim would flush out Sampo of all people. But judging by this Sampo’s behavior, his character had likely undergone some changes.

Otherwise, at this point, Sampo would probably be flashing a sheepish grin, saying something like, ”Sorry, big brothers and sisters, I’m a perfectly honest citizen!” Then, after some banter, he’d act like a helpful local, saying, ”Oh, you’re heading to Belobog? Come, come, this way, please!”

”Who are you? Why were you hiding in the snow?” Welt’s voice was icy, and the Star of Eden in his hand seemed ready to activate at any moment.

Sampo: ”Ugh, cough, cough, cough, cough... I cough, cough, cough, cough...”

Stelle and the others: ? ? ?

What was going on? Could this guy not speak?

After a long while, Sampo finally regained his ability to speak normally. His first move was to point at Stelle and angrily exclaim, ”You just stepped on my vocal cords!”

Stelle: ...

Shink!

A long spear mercilessly stabbed into the snow in front of Sampo. March 7th’s expression was unfriendly as she coldly said, ”She didn’t know you were hiding in the snow. Put your hand down. Don’t point at her!”

”You guys are completely unreasonable! So what if I was hiding in the snow? I was taking a snow bath, okay? It’s a tradition from my hometown—it builds cold resistance... Alright, alright, fine, I was hiding from the Silvermane Guards. Happy now?”

Sampo swallowed hard, eyeing the spear tip inches away, and answered honestly.

This Sampo didn’t seem too different from the original... Stelle thought for a moment. ”We’re heading to the nearby settlement. Can you lead the way?”

”Settlement... You guys are so formal. You mean Belobog, right?” Sampo’s eyes darted around. ”Sure, I can lead the way. Can you put your weapons away first?”

Seeing Sampo relent, Welt and March 7th exchanged a glance before slowly lowering their weapons—

Bang!

The moment they put their weapons away, Sampo flashed a triumphant grin. He pulled a canister from who-knows-where, smashed it onto the ground, and a cloud of smoke exploded. Seizing the opportunity, he bolted!

Among the four, only Stelle knew Sampo’s true nature and was prepared. The instant the smoke bomb went off, she grabbed her baseball bat and gave chase!

”Don’t run! I’ve been wanting to beat you up for ages!”

”You lot don’t look like Belobog locals with that getup. I’d be an idiot not to run!” Sampo shouted as he sprinted. ”Also, big sis, this is our first meeting, isn’t it? Why’d you say ’for ages’?”

”Mind your own business!” Stelle aimed for Sampo’s leg and swung her bat hard!

To prevent this guy from selling them out later, Stelle decided to strike first.

”Ow! That was way too harsh!”

Sampo was surprisingly resilient. Even after taking a hit to the leg, he didn’t fall but ran even faster. ”We’ve got no bad blood. Do you have to hit that hard? I’m warning you, I’m tight with the Silvermane Guard officer Serval. Keep chasing me, and you’ll regret it!”

”Bullshit! Serval sounds like a woman’s name. You’re claiming to be her buddy? You think you’re worthy?”

”So what? Can’t a woman be a good buddy? She’s a hero among women, alright?”

”? Wait, you’re a local here? Where’d you learn that phrase?”

”It’s been passed down from my ancestors, okay? And who are you to care so much?”

”...”

Seizing the moment, Stelle launched a flying kick at Sampo’s backside, sending him face-first into the snow. Before he could get up, Stelle plopped down on his lower back, resting her bat on her shoulder and growling, ”Trying to escape? Not a chance!”

”Lead us properly, and I might consider letting you off. Otherwise...”

”Otherwise what?”

At that moment, a female voice rang out. Stelle looked up and saw, not far away, a group of fully armed Silvermane Guards. Leading them was a blonde woman.

? ? ?

Serval?!

Stelle was stunned. Only then did she recall that Sampo had mentioned something about ”Silvermane Guard officer Serval,” but she’d been too focused on the wrong detail to notice the bombshell title.

”In broad daylight, chasing down a senior advisor of the Silvermane Guards...” Serval unhooked a shield larger than herself from her back. ”As an officer of the Silvermane Guards, I will arrest you in accordance with the law!”

Stelle: ”...Me?”