In Arknights, I Became Griseo at the Start

After all, no matter how one looked at it, saving a life was more important than dealing with a Black Serpent.

"I see... If Griseo wants to protect her big sisters, then she should grow up quickly."

Hearing Griseo speak like a child, Alina did not notice anything strange. She merely helplessly rubbed her head again.

"Mm."

At that, Griseo gently nodded her little head.

However, even though she had nodded in agreement, Griseo knew very well that this body of hers could never grow up. From the moment she became a Fusion Warrior, her body had been fixed in place.

"So don't overthink things. Children should smile more."

Not long after the two returned to the tent, Talulah also came in from outside.

"So, Alina, did you call me over because there's something else?" Talulah asked with some confusion as she looked at the older girl and the younger one before her.

Before Alina could speak, Griseo looked at Talulah with her big eyes and said first, "It's not that Big Sister Alina has something to say. It's me..."

"I painted a picture using your colors, Talulah. I wanted to give it to you..."

As soon as she finished speaking, Griseo took out the painting from the system space, still covered by its canvas cloth.

After taking out the painting, she turned her gaze toward Alina beside her.

Alina instantly understood what Griseo meant. After gently nodding, she walked out of the tent, leaving the two alone.

"?"

Not understanding why Alina had deliberately avoided them, Talulah looked at the little girl before her with questioning eyes, hoping for an explanation.

"Here... Talulah, open it and take a look."

P.S.: I probably won't be staying up late tonight.

Chapter 2 should be posted before midnight. Also, do you think the protagonist's change in this chapter feels jarring? Sigh, I've revised this chapter several times already.

Little Griseo, Do You Want to Leave This Place?

"Here... Talulah, open it and take a look."

Rather than immediately answering Talulah's confusion, Griseo first handed the painting she was holding to her.

"Okay, thank you."

Although she still did not really understand what was going on, Talulah accepted the painting from Griseo and thanked her.

"The reason I asked... Big Sister Alina to leave just now was because I was afraid this painting would affect her."

Only after Talulah took the painting did Griseo slowly explain.

"So this is the magical painting Alina mentioned?"

After hearing the little girl's explanation, Talulah suddenly remembered what Alina had revealed to her and Patriot that evening.

"..."

Griseo merely nodded lightly, then continued watching Talulah's movements without saying anything.

She was not surprised in the slightest that Alina had told others about her abilities and characteristics, nor did she mind it.

Rather, if she had minded, Griseo would not have told anyone from the very beginning. Since she had told them, it meant she did not care if the information spread.

Then, beneath Griseo's serious gaze, Talulah completely lifted the canvas cloth and took in the painting beneath it.

"...It truly is an excellent painting. The technique is beyond reproach. But... I feel like you little one put quite a lot of implication into it. And besides, nothing happened."

After examining it carefully, Talulah raised her brows slightly and gave her assessment.

"So, was it Alina who told you about his existence?"

After giving her brief evaluation, Talulah fixed her gaze on the Black Serpent in the painting. She lightly pointed at it, then looked at Griseo and asked.

"...?"

Griseo tilted her head slightly, and a deep confusion flashed through her large purple eyes.

At that moment, she was not confused by Talulah's question. She was confused about why nothing had happened.

What went wrong with the painting?

"You little one, why are you looking at me so confusedly?" Seeing how adorable Griseo looked, Talulah slowly bent down and pinched her soft little cheeks, then said helplessly.

Talulah did feel a tiny bit resentful that Alina had told such a small child about her secret.

However, looking at the little cutie before her, she could not bear to scold her at all.

"Mmm... It's really so... so strange..."

With her cheeks being pinched, Griseo spoke somewhat unclearly.

"What's so strange about it? Come to think of it, can we call Alina back in now? We have some things we want to tell you." Only after rubbing Griseo's little cheeks once more did Talulah let go, speaking helplessly.

After gently rubbing her slightly reddened cheeks, Griseo said, "...Cover the painting again, then we can call Big Sister Alina back in."

Although she did not know why the painting had no effect at all, Griseo still intended to be cautious... After all, she still trusted her instincts when painting.

"Mm, then go call Alina in. I'll put the painting away."

Although Talulah had begun to doubt whether the matter was real because she had not personally witnessed the "magic of the painting," she still listened to Griseo and carefully covered the artwork in her hands before cautiously setting it aside.

To Talulah, regardless of whether the matter was true or false, the painting in her hands was still a gift. Since it was a gift, she should treat it properly.

"Big Sister Alina, Talulah is calling you inside..."

After Griseo lifted the tent flap and walked outside, she immediately saw Alina waiting there.

"So soon? Did anything happen?"

At Griseo's call, Alina turned around and asked somewhat confusedly.

"Nothing happened, but my paintings normally don't lose their effect... It's strange. What went wrong with the painting?"

Facing Alina's question, Griseo gently shook her head, her large eyes filled with confusion as well.

"You mean Talulah looked at the painting, but nothing happened at all?" Alina briefly summarized the information in the little girl's words.

"Mm... But it's also possible that something happened, and I just didn't see it." After nodding her little head, Griseo seemed to recall something and added another sentence.

"So, can I sleep with Talulah tonight?"

"For that, you'll have to ask Talulah yourself. All right, since there's nothing else for now, let's go inside quickly." As she spoke, Alina reached out and gently patted Griseo's wonderfully soft little head again.

After following Alina back into the tent, Griseo became curious about what the two of them wanted to tell her.

However, after sitting together, exchanging glances, and communicating with their eyes for a long while, neither of them spoke first.

"Ahh..."

Time passed second by second, and it was soon close to bedtime again. Griseo slowly yawned, and a faint sparkle welled up at the corners of her eyes.

Then, as if she had made up her mind, Alina suddenly said, "Little Griseo... Do you want to leave this place and return to—"

a normal life?"

"!"

After hearing Alina's sudden words, the drowsiness that had risen because bedtime was approaching instantly vanished.

The little girl raised her head and looked at the two sitting not far away with her violet eyes still glistening. "Big Sister Alina, don't you want me anymore...?"

"No... That's not it. How could I not want Little Griseo?"

Seeing Griseo's big eyes, Alina's conscience was immediately condemned. She hurriedly stood up and explained in a fluster.

Seeing her little deer panic, Talulah helplessly took over and explained, "No, that's not it. It's not that we don't want you anymore."

"It's just that Patriot talked to us tonight. We felt that what he said made a lot of sense. You aren't an Infected, after all, and staying in an Infected camp might be unsafe."

"And the nature of our organization... means we are destined not to live peacefully. So we wanted to ask what you thought."

After Talulah finished speaking, she and Alina both quietly looked at Griseo, waiting for her answer.

"I... won't leave this place."

P.S.: If the previous chapter wasn't particularly jarring, then I won't revise it anymore. I spent a long time looking for this entry point, wrote several versions, and ultimately felt none of them worked, so I deleted them. The previous chapter was also revised several times before reaching this slightly jarring state.

As for why I was looking for this entry point, it's because I felt the plot had become somewhat bland, or rather, the development was a bit slow, so I wanted to speed things up. But it couldn't be sped up too much, since Griseo's personality is what it is.

Awakened

"I... won't leave this place."

Looking at the two waiting for her answer, Griseo gently shook her little head, her eyes full of seriousness.

"But you would live better with a normal family. You could have a normal life, without going hungry or facing danger." Although Talulah had heard Griseo's answer, she still hesitantly tried to persuade her.

Talulah did not dislike this little girl who had only been here for two days. She even liked her quite a bit. After all, who would not like an adorable and well-behaved child?

But it was precisely because she liked her, and understood what they would face next, that she now wavered and had the thought of sending Griseo somewhere safe.

;;?

"Mm... Can Little Griseo tell Big Sister why?"

Seeing Griseo's serious expression, Alina slowly stood up, walked to her side, and asked in a gentle tone.

Compared to Talulah, Alina was only more reluctant to part with Griseo. Yet she could not deny at all that what Patriot had said earlier made a great deal of sense.

"Because Griseo doesn't want to leave you... I'll be good." Looking at the gentle Alina beside her, Griseo spoke seriously.

Whenever this happened, Griseo hated this overly young-looking body of hers.

Because it made her words completely unconvincing... Everyone would only see her as a child.

"I see..." Alina reached out and gently patted Griseo's little head, then looked toward Talulah.

After Alina looked at Talulah, Griseo followed her gaze, staring tightly at her with expectant eyes.

"Sigh... Since that's the case, if you don't want to leave, then stay for now. I remember you seem to have a Mister Knight. He should be able to protect you in the camp. We can talk about the rest after you grow up a little."

Seeing the anticipation in Griseo's big eyes, Talulah sighed helplessly and spoke softly.

"As for Patriot, I'll persuade him."

"...Talulah is so nice."

As Talulah finished speaking, the anticipation in Griseo's eyes instantly turned into happiness, and she cheered in her calm tone.

With Griseo's strength, even without permission from Talulah, the leader, she could safely follow behind the Reunion Movement. But secretly following behind them and traveling with them openly definitely carried very different meanings.

Besides, when it came to danger, Griseo felt that in every sense, she was much more dangerous than the Infected...

"That name again. You little one aren't even willing to call me big sister."

Seeing Griseo's eyes filled with joy, Talulah could not help reaching out again to rub and pinch her little cheeks.

"Mmm... Talulah... Big Sister Talulah." After hearing Talulah's words, Griseo thought for a moment and changed how she addressed her.

"You... Forget it. At least you called me big sister."

Griseo's changed-but-not-quite-changed form of address left Talulah even more helpless. However, the curve of her lips revealed that she was in quite a good mood.

"So... c-can I sleep with Big Sister Talulah tonight?" As if noticing that Talulah was in a good mood, Griseo asked about the matter that had been on her mind all along.

She had not forgotten that Talulah had looked at the painting and been completely unaffected.

To prevent the possibility that it had taken effect but was delayed, Griseo still planned to stay with Talulah at night and observe her properly.

"Hmm? Why do you suddenly want to sleep with me? Don't you like clinging to Alina?" Talulah released Griseo's cheeks and asked curiously.

"The painting—"

"...is strange. I want to look again. So I want to stay with Big Sister Talulah tonight."

Griseo did not hide her thoughts and simply told the truth.

"So that's why. No problem."

Although Talulah had not witnessed the painting's power and had not noticed anything unusual with her body, she did not completely believe Alina's claims about the "magic of the painting."