Griseo Side Story · Knight of Dawn

The little painter clutched a painting as she walked through the bustling crowd. Everyone wore worry and confusion about the future on their faces.

She raised her head somewhat blankly, as if searching for someone's figure among the crowd.

But people came and went, and the person she wanted to find never appeared.

The little painter first went to Aunt Mobius's laboratory, because that was where that person appeared most often. She did not know why; she only knew that he was sick, so Aunt Mobius had to treat him.

She stood at the entrance to the laboratory. The door was open, and she saw only Aunt Mobius talking to Klein's Armed Doll. After giving her instructions, Mobius quietly sat in her chair and stared blankly at somewhere in the distance, as though she had not noticed Griseo's arrival.

The little painter poked her head in and looked around the laboratory. That person was not here, so she left again.

Next, the little painter came to Sister Vill-V's Spiral Workshop. As she walked down the spiraling staircase, she happened to look up and saw the portrait she had once given Sister Vill-V. Sister Vill-V had not seemed to like it, so she had never hung it in the Spiral Workshop. Yet now, the portrait was hanging on the staircase everyone had to pass through.

Finally arriving outside Vill-V's workshop, the little painter stood outside without going in, because she heard Kosma and Vill-V talking inside.

"What? Have you decided to board the Ark after all? Didn't you think that would make you look like a deserter?"

"...Am I... not already a deserter?"

"Heh..."

"...The power of Finality and her way of existing exceeded all our expectations. Without Feng, we would already have suffered a complete defeat. As a Hero, he left before us, while we... returned from the moon like deserters."

"He wouldn't want to hear you say that. He always believed we were all Heroes."

"...Is that so... Then let me do one last thing that a Hero should do. The Ark Project's most suitable candidate was me from the beginning. Humanity has not lost yet. He and Elysia secured the final spark for us... No matter what, that final spark must continue!"

"Do you know what Griseo said when she offered to carry out the Ark Project in your place?"

"..."

"She said you were afraid of being alone. If you boarded the Ark, you would be the only one flying through the sky. But she would not be afraid, because the stars were all her friends."

"...It was my fault."

"So you're not afraid of loneliness now?"

"I... Since Feng believed I was a Hero, I should do what I must as one. And loneliness... is something a Hero must experience and face."

The little painter stood outside and listened for a while. She only understood that Kosma was going to board that ship bound for the stars, and that the person she was looking for was not here either.

Kosma and the others had also mentioned Sister Elysia. Sister Elysia seemed to have gone somewhere too. Had she hidden away with that person?

Thinking that, the little painter left the Spiral Workshop.

Sister Pardo often pulled that person along for naps too. Maybe she knew where he was?

So the little painter headed toward Pardo's room. Before she reached it, she saw Pardo in the distance, walking toward her while carrying a filthy box.

"Little Griseo? Why are you here? Isn't Amo with you?" Pardo looked at the little painter in surprise. Then, as if remembering something, she muttered softly to herself, "Right, when we came back from the moon, Amo said he was going to find Sister Vill-V and do what he was supposed to do... What was it called again... the Ark Project?"

The little painter looked up at Pardo and asked first, "Sister Pardo, have you seen Brother Yu Feng?"

"Brother Yu Feng?" Pardo froze, then her expression became deeply sorrowful. "Brother Yu Feng... he's a great Hero, so he's very busy... He... went somewhere very far away. Sister Lilith and Sister Elysia are there too... Maybe... they won't be back for a very long time..."

Sister Pardo was lying.

The little painter thought as she watched Pardo's tail swishing behind her, but she did not expose Pardo. She had always been a good, obedient child, so if Pardo did not want to say something, she would not keep asking.

The little painter looked at the box in Pardo's arms again and asked, "Then what's inside that box, Sister Pardo?"

"My box..." Pardo lowered her head and looked at it. "It's nothing much, really. Just some of my little things..."

"But why does it look so dirty?"

Pardo pursed her lips and answered, "Because I buried it in the ground before, and I just dug it up... Later, I still need to ask Sister Vill-V whether there's a way to preserve what's inside..."

"Oh." The little painter nodded. Since she had not gotten an answer from Pardo, she needed to keep looking for that person elsewhere. "Then I'll be going now. Goodbye, Sister Pardo."

"Ah, goodbye, Little Griseo..." Only then did Pardo notice the painting in the little painter's arms. Curious, she asked, "Little Griseo, who are you giving that painting to?"

The little painter answered, "Brother Yu Feng."

She should have given it to that person long ago, but... the little painter did not like this painting, and she did not want to give it to him. Sister Elysia had said that she could not casually give things she did not like to other people, because they might not like them either.

But no matter how she tried afterward, the results were even worse than this painting. So after thinking about it for a long time, the little painter finally decided to give this painting to that person. If he did not like it... what should she do then? The little painter became troubled.

After hearing the little painter's answer, Pardo fell silent once more. She watched the little painter leave, then lowered her head to look at the box in her hands and sighed softly.

The little painter continued walking through the dim corridor. She was going to find Brother Kevin. That person had been very close to Brother Kevin, though Brother Kevin always looked difficult to talk to. She wondered whether he would tell her where that person was now...

She arrived at the place everyone called the "Fire Moths Council Chamber" and saw Brother Kevin standing with Sister Mei, talking about something. The little painter softened her footsteps, hid behind the bar counter, and quietly listened to them.

"...The child's eyes... look a lot like yours."

"This isn't the time for jokes, Kevin. You know I was born nearsighted. When Mobius and the others designed this child with me, this part used your genes."

"No... that's not what I meant..."

"Kevin, you also know that in my current condition, I cannot walk toward the future with you. But... you still have a long time ahead of you. I hope this child can become your final connection to the world."

"..."

"..."

Both of them fell silent. The little painter waited for a while, but eventually slipped away quietly.

Holding the painting, she wandered aimlessly through the corridor. Everyone seemed unwilling to tell her where that person had gone, but she actually understood in her heart.

They said Sister Disaster was a Hero, and afterward, the little painter never saw Sister Disaster again. Only when Kosma occasionally played his harmonica would he tell her stories about Sister Disaster from the past.

They said Father and Mother were Heroes, and afterward, the little painter never saw her father or mother again. When Mother became a Hero, Father held her and cried for a long time. It was the first time the little painter had seen her father shed tears. When Father became a Hero, that person was the one who told her. At the time, he gently crouched down and hugged her, saying, "I'm sorry. I couldn't bring your father back. I'm sorry..."

Why did he have to apologize?

Later, that person told her that Sister Astaroth had become a Hero too. She had gone to bring her news to Father and Mother, who had also become Heroes. He said that after Father and Mother heard Sister Astaroth tell them her story, they would surely be happy for her.

When he said that, his hair and eyes had already turned the same color as Sister Lilith's hair, as beautiful as the Milky Way on a summer night.

Now...

He had become a Hero too. Everyone said he was a Hero, but just as she could not find Father and Mother, she could not find him either.

Why did he have to become a Hero? Had he gone to find Sister Lilith and the others?

Was he... also someone afraid of loneliness, like Kosma? Sister Lilith and the others had all become Heroes, leaving him alone. He was lonely, so he went to find Sister Lilith and the others...

What exactly were Heroes? Kosma had always wanted to become one, so he was preparing to board that ship that could take him to where the stars lived.

Did Heroes... go to where the stars lived?

Thinking that, the little painter unknowingly walked out of the place everyone called the "base." She looked up at the boundless night sky. The stars glittered, and her eyes reflected the starlight filling the heavens.

Come to think of it, Sister Elysia had always wanted to meet that person. They were both Heroes now, so... had they met? What would they say to each other?

Before Sister Elysia left, she had found the little painter and gently hugged her, saying that she was leaving. She also said that if she could see him again, she would tell him both the answer she had failed to give that year and her feelings. Even if there would be no response anymore, she still wanted to tell him that belated answer.

"Is Brother Yu Feng important to you?"

"Yes, very important..."

There would definitely be a response, because that person had always been gentle.

"Hey, brat, why did you run out here?" A low, hoarse voice sounded above the little painter.

The little painter followed the voice and looked over. It was that strange masked adult. He leaned against the doorway with his arms folded, looking down at her.

The little painter was a little afraid of this strange adult because he was always shouting, but his colors now seemed dim like everyone else's. Still, he had more colors that represented anger than the others.

"I'm looking for Brother Yu Feng," the little painter said. "Do you know where he is?"

"Hah?" The strange adult's voice suddenly grew louder, frightening the little painter into instinctively taking a step back.

Seeing the little painter's reaction, Qianjie looked away, and his voice returned to its normal volume. "What are you looking for him for?"

"I want to give him this painting, but everyone says Brother Yu Feng became a Hero, and no one will tell me where he is..."

"He's dead. He abandoned the world and died alone."

The little painter was confused by the strange adult's answer. "Dead... what does that mean?"

"Dead means dead. What else could it mean?" Qianjie said impatiently. "You can't give him that painting anyway. If you've got nothing else to do, hurry back. I don't want that Aponia seeing you here with me and nagging me with more pointless nonsense!"

In the little painter's eyes, this strange adult's colors became very angry whenever that person was mentioned, but he did not seem to be angry at that person...

The little painter looked up at the night sky again, then walked back to the base.

On her way back to her studio, she saw Mother Aponia. Mother Aponia saw her too and walked over, saying, "Griseo, where did you go? Everyone said you had been wandering all over the base. I was worried..."

The little painter raised her head and looked at Aponia. "Mother Aponia, what does 'dead' mean?"

Aponia froze.

"That strange masked brother said Brother Yu Feng was dead," the little painter said. "But you all said he became a Hero, so were Father and Mother 'dead' too?"

"Qianjie..." Aponia narrowed her eyes. A faint trace of red surfaced in them, but quickly disappeared. She crouched down, stroked Griseo's head, and said, "They... have all gone somewhere very, very far away. None of us can go find them now. 'Death' is still something very distant to you. One day, you will understand what it means, but for now... you do not need to understand the meaning contained in that word."

The little painter nodded, half understanding.

Although Mother Aponia had not explained it, the little painter already had a rough idea of what "death" meant. Perhaps it meant that someone had disappeared from this world, and no matter how hard one searched, they could never be found.

"Griseo, you've gone to so many places today. It's time for you to rest. I'll take you back first, and then... I'll go explain proper manners of speaking to Qianjie..." Aponia said.

The blue-haired painter stood by the window, as always gazing at the rising sun outside. She looked at the painting beside her window, completed long ago yet continually altered over the long passage of time.

The knight who walked into darkness with his back to the sun gradually came into focus. And the sunlight that had never shone upon him now fell across his body.

The Knight of Dawn brought dawn, and he would eventually return to this world that had come alive once more because of him.