Alyona, who had been sitting nearby, hurriedly rose to her feet and quickly walked over to Griseo's side. Her light green eyes instinctively swept over the little girl's petite body, checking her condition.
"Um... no. There wasn't anything going on over there either, so I came back." Griseo looked up at Alina and gently shook her little head.
"It's good that you're all right. Little Griseo helped us out again this time." Alina slowly let out a sigh of relief after hearing Griseo's words.
However, before Alina could relax for long, her sharp and sensitive nature quickly picked up on the slight unease in Griseo's emotions.
Just as she was about to ask something, Griseo moved first...
Griseo took a few steps forward and threw herself straight into Alina's arms. She hugged her without moving, then closed her large eyes, her expression somewhat complicated.
"Big sister is here... Don't worry. It's all right now~"
Although Alina did not know what had just happened, that did not stop her from gently comforting the adorable "frightened" child in her arms.
As Griseo listened to Alina's gentle words and felt the warm colors around her, the influence from earlier slowly began to fade.
Alyona, who stood nearby, had already figured out Griseo's condition through her observations.
After all, she had seen her companion in this state before at the mine.
So, after understanding what was happening, Alyona gently tugged on Alina's sleeve and quietly said, "There were probably too many people outside. Griseo was affected by them..."
"...All right, I understand."
After hearing Alyona's quiet explanation, Alina was briefly stunned before she realized what she meant and nodded gently.
Then, holding the little girl in her arms, she carefully walked toward a tent not far behind them.
Although Alina was curious about how Alyona knew that, she also knew this was not the time to ask.
The most urgent matter was to move Griseo somewhere without people and let the little girl stay alone for a while to recover.
After bringing Griseo back to the tent, Alina continued to comfort her softly.
After obtaining the little girl's agreement and giving her a thorough reminder, the little deer left her alone in the quiet tent. Only then did she head back out to continue caring for the wounded.
Actually, Alina and the injured children she was caring for should have evacuated the camp earlier.
But first, they had been blocked by enemies who suddenly flanked them from behind, forcing them to retreat back into the camp.
Then, when they tried to force their way out and evacuate a second time, they had barely set off when they saw the enemies behind them all get wiped out by the Crimson Tyrant...
Afterward, seeing the immensely powerful Tyrant rush to the front to provide support, along with the overwhelmingly one-sided situation there, everyone ultimately gave up on evacuating for the time being.
After all, there were many children, elderly people, and the sick and wounded in this group. Unless absolutely necessary, no one wanted to retreat in such a rush.
In the end, with the help of the Azure Knight and the Crimson Tyrant, Talulah quickly dealt with and suppressed every enemy.
However, when the Tyrant was about to finish off the last few enemies, Talulah stopped him.
The Dragon Girl's reason was simple: she wanted to leave a few survivors behind and "kindly" ask them for information.
After all, being attacked directly at their newly relocated camp had truly caught them off guard.
This was also something Talulah had never encountered during that trial within the painting. Though she knew things were not entirely the same because Griseo was here.
Still, it served as a warning bell for her, making her more cautious. At the same time, it made her crave strength even more, urging her to work harder and become stronger sooner.
After all, no normal person liked hiding behind someone else forever. Talulah was no exception, especially since she was now one of the leaders of the Reunion Movement.
Under these circumstances, she could not, and was unwilling to, keep hiding behind a child like Griseo and receive her protection...
PS: I calculated with my fingers. Next, I'll write about some everyday life with the mercenaries, lay some groundwork for the snake's side, and then I can start a new volume. If they hurry over now, they should still make it in time to watch Old Man Patriot, the little fire dragon, and the others...
This is way too fun. Time for the stubborn "bad" woman!
Current Situation and Shadows
This sudden attack caused some casualties, but with Griseo's help, the Reunion Movement did not suffer any major losses overall.
The mercenary group was almost completely unharmed as well.
If there was one issue worth mentioning, it was that a small number of Reunion Movement infected had heard what the Elite Guard said earlier. Their resolve wavered, and they began to question Talulah.
But for the Talulah who had now transformed, this was no great problem. She naturally had ways to handle it.
She would no longer
simply let infected who wanted to leave go as she had before, or even foolishly send them off with food.
Since they had made their choice before, abandoning it now naturally required paying a price.
?
Talulah had already decided to relocate their camp again, and she had ordered the Reunion Movement personnel to rest and recover.
Once they had rested up, she intended to lead everyone into action.
The enemy had already found this place, so it had long since become unsafe. If they remained here, they would only be harassed endlessly by the enemy...
Furthermore, two Elite Guards had gone missing here. Given the importance and special nature of the Elite Guards, there was no telling whether those above would send other Elite Guards to investigate.
If the Reunion Movement encountered Elite Guards again in its current state, it would still be extremely troublesome. If they were caught off guard, even if Griseo acted, she might not be able to guarantee there would be no casualties at all.
That was why Talulah was so urgently organizing another relocation. However, she naturally needed to discuss the relocation plan, the campsite, and other matters with others.
At that moment, Talulah was discussing the arrangements ahead with Patriot, Yelena, and the others who had already returned.
"Um..."
After sitting alone in the tent for a while, Griseo finally calmed down completely.
At the same time, a trace of frustration flashed through her beautiful violet eyes.
That had already been the second time Griseo faced such a situation. Honestly, if she had not run away so quickly, she might already have been stained by someone else's colors.
Sure enough, she was simply not suited to staying among crowds. One careless moment, and she would turn into someone else's color.
Suddenly, as if she had remembered something, Griseo slowly stood up from beside the bed. Then, with a thought, a painting of a knight fighting a "monster" appeared in her little hand.
This painting was the one the little girl had drawn in the middle of the chaotic battlefield, the painting that sealed away the two Elite Guards. It had been simply and bluntly named "Elite Guard."
The situation had been too chaotic earlier, and Griseo had been somewhat affected, so she had hurried to leave. As a result, she forgot to hand this painting over to her Talulah.
As for why she wanted to hand the painting over to Talulah, it was naturally because there was no use in the little girl keeping it herself. All she could do was store it or destroy it outright.
So rather than keeping it with herself, Griseo felt it would be more useful to give it to Talulah.
Whether Talulah destroyed it to build prestige or intimidate enemies, or used it as a bargaining chip, it would be a good choice. At the very least, it would be more useful than leaving it in the little girl's hands.
However, Griseo was now conflicted over how she should give the painting in her hands to Talulah.
Honestly, the little girl did want to go outside and take a look, but she did not want to experience what had just happened again...
After all, if she accidentally got stained by some terrible color, she would surely cause trouble for Talulah, Yelena, and the others.
In the end, after struggling with it for a while, Griseo still chose to leave the tent and personally deliver the painting. She could also take a look at what was going on outside.
Um... It was absolutely not because she wanted to go see the mercenary group. Absolutely not.
"???)?"
However, when Griseo lifted the tent flap and saw the person standing outside the entrance, watching her with light green eyes filled with hidden concern, a question mark slowly appeared above her little head.
Clearly, the little girl had never expected, nor noticed, that someone had been standing outside the tent waiting for her all this time.
"Feeling better?"
Seeing the blue-haired little girl crawl out of the tent, Alyona softly asked.
"I'm all right now. Has Alyona been standing guard at the entrance the whole time?" Griseo gently shook her little head.
"No... I only just got here." As she said that, Alyona slightly turned her head away to avoid Griseo's gaze. At the same time, a faint, nearly imperceptible guilty look flashed through her light green eyes.
Griseo keenly noticed that brief flicker of guilt, but she did not intend to expose her. Instead, she asked as if nothing had happened.
"Um... I'm planning to go out for a while. Does Alyona want to come with me?"
"You only just stopped feeling bad... You're going outside already?"
After hearing Griseo's words, Alyona lightly furrowed her brows and spoke in her hoarse voice.
"Mm, I just remembered something important. I need to go find Talulah now." Seeing Alyona's disapproving expression, Griseo quietly explained.
Then, as if she had remembered something, the little girl added, "If Alyona is worried, you can come with me too. I'll protect you."
After saying that, Griseo stared without blinking at the little white bear before her with her beautiful, shining eyes, waiting for her answer.
"...All right."
Alyona had originally wanted to say something else, but after meeting the little girl's eyes, she swallowed her words and agreed.
Then Griseo happily took Alyona's hand and slipped away from the tent behind Alina's back. They went to look for Talulah while also checking on the current state of the camp.
Hedley, sitting beside a campfire near his tent, looked at his two comrades beside him and asked, "Did either of you figure out what race that little girl was?"
As a battle-hardened Sarkaz mercenary, Hedley considered himself quite knowledgeable. Yet after joining up with the Reunion Movement today, what he had seen had somewhat exceeded his expectations.
In all his life, he had never seen Originium Arts like Griseo's. The summoned creatures she called forth were not only powerful, but could even drag people into paintings...
"No. There are no racial traits visible on that child at all. And her shadow..."
After hearing Hedley's question, the female mercenary sitting nearby, with black hair and a pair of sharp horns atop her head, finally spoke after being lost in thought for so long.
But when she reached the latter part of her sentence, she paused, as if organizing her thoughts.
PS: I'm sleepy. Looks like it'll go past midnight today. I'll try to be faster. Hurry me along.
Bone-Chilling Fear and Curiosity
"No. There are no racial traits visible on that child at all. And her shadow..."
After hearing Hedley's question, Ines, who had been sitting beside him with a thoughtful expression, spoke up.
But when she reached the latter part of her sentence, she paused, as if organizing her thoughts.
"Her shadow gives me an incredibly terrifying and complex feeling. It's enough to make one's hair stand on end. And I couldn't see through her at all."
After finishing, the black-haired girl, Ines, narrowed her golden eyes. For the first time in a long while, her expression was somewhat complicated.
"She gave you that kind of feeling? Then it seems this child is even more dangerous than she appears." Hedley raised his brows slightly, his expression somewhat surprised.
He had originally thought Griseo's displayed abilities were already impressive enough, but he had not expected her to give his comrade Ines such a feeling.
Under such circumstances, Hedley could not help raising his assessment of the little girl somewhat.
After all, Ines's Originium Arts were quite special. She could observe a person's shadow and peer into their heart...
Yet this time, not only had she failed to peer inside, she had frightened herself instead.
"So, W, what do you think?"
As he spoke, Hedley turned his gaze toward the other side, toward the silver-haired, red-horned mercenary girl who had been absentmindedly staring into space, lost in thought.
Hearing Hedley's words, W slowly turned her head and said indifferently, "Oh, that kid? Talulah and the others seem to value her quite highly."
"Besides, even from a distance, that child doesn't seem to be infected... A non-infected child so young, mixed in with a group of infected. How interesting~"
As she spoke, the indifference on W's face disappeared, replaced by excitement in her golden eyes and a playful smile at the corner of her lips.
Seeing W like this, Ines did not need to think to know what her comrade was planning.
Although she knew the chances of stopping W were not high... as a friend, she still felt it was necessary to remind her, if only as a formality.
Before you continue