People in Arknights, Starting as Griseo

After washing her face and removing the paint from it, W finally sat back down by the campfire.

Thankfully, the paint was incredibly

easy to wash off. Otherwise, W would not have been able to sit here so calmly right now...

W then raised a brow at Ines, her meaning obvious.

Hedley, seated on the other side, also turned his gaze toward Ines and quietly waited for her to speak. After all, he wanted to know what his comrade had discovered as well.

"You noticed it too, didn't you, W? That child's change..."

"Mm..."

W nodded lightly at Ines's words.

Everyone present was a battle-hardened mercenary. No one was a fool, W included. After all, someone who was foolish and naive could never have survived in the lands of the Sarkaz.

And Griseo's sudden change earlier had naturally not escaped W's notice. What was more, it was not the first time W had seen the little girl undergo such a transformation.

"Then let me talk about what I saw first."

Only after glancing at W, whose expression had returned to normal, did Ines continue. "That child's shadow changed when you leaned down toward her, W... It went from something I couldn't understand or see through to something similar to you."

"In my opinion, that wasn't something mere imitation could achieve. It should have something to do with that child's abilities."

To be honest, Ines had been completely stunned when she noticed the change in Griseo's shadow.

It was the first time in her life she had seen someone's shadow undergo such a change, or give her such a feeling.

That was also why Ines had become curious about Griseo.

Of course, though she was curious, Ines would not rashly run over and offend her like W did. That would not suit either her style or her personality.

"I see~"

After hearing Ines's words, W showed no surprise and merely responded casually.

W had long since formed her own guesses about Griseo's "traits."

Whether it was what happened today or Ines's words, they only further confirmed those guesses. Naturally, she was not surprised in the slightest.

Ines was not the least bit surprised to see that W had not reacted.

After all, W had been privately dealing with Griseo for several days already. If W claimed she had discovered nothing at all, Ines would never believe her.

"There are still a few little questions, but this is getting more and more interesting." As she spoke, W narrowed her golden eyes slightly, making it impossible to tell what she was thinking.

Hedley, who had not said a word from beginning to end, could only helplessly spread his hands as he watched his two comrades.

After "escaping" from W's hands, Griseo immediately gave up on the idea of finding Mudrock.

After all, given her current state, the little girl was truly afraid that after finding the Sarkaz Big Girl, she would walk right up to her and start taunting her to her face...

She did not even intend to wander around outside anymore. She planned to head back right away. Alyona should have woken up around this time.

If the little white bear went too long without seeing one of her own, she would get worried.

What was more, in a sense, the chance to get one over on W had already been placed in Griseo's little hands.

If circumstances allowed, the little girl might have set up her easel right then and painted W's color that had stained her onto the canvas.

Although Griseo herself could not be certain of the effect every painting would have, most of the time, her paintings stirred up the deepest fears in the hearts of those who looked at them.

Under such circumstances, the little girl even felt that... it would be a shame not to give one to W.

Once she had an idea, Griseo acted quickly. On her way back, she tried her best to avoid contact with others.

After all, W's signature smile was still hanging on her face...

If she got right in Mudrock's face looking like this, at most it would lower her favorability and make things a little awkward.

But if she got in the face of someone she knew while looking like this, it would be pure social death—awkwardness coupled with a dead giveaway.

When Griseo pushed aside the tent flap and entered, she saw Alyona sitting blankly on the bed, seemingly lost in thought.

!

When Alyona heard the sound and looked up, the confusion and worry in her beautiful light-green eyes vanished the instant she saw Griseo.

However, before she could happily climb down from the bed to welcome her, the little girl's smile and words left her frozen on the spot.

"Well, let me see who's been waiting for me in the tent?"

PS: I hope I can update earlier today. Saving all my writing until nighttime really is kind of hellish. Right now, I'm sleepy, but not that sleepy.

Hurry me along.

"Forced" Recovery and a Painting

"Well, let me see who's been waiting for me in the tent?"

"...?"

Looking at Griseo, who seemed completely unfamiliar, Alyona did not recover her senses for a moment and could not help raising a hand to rub her eyes.

But no matter how much the little white bear rubbed her eyes, when she opened them again, she still saw the little girl wearing that teasing smile.

After a brief silence, Alyona quickly climbed off the bed and marched straight toward Griseo.

"What, are you

that eager to see me?" Faced with Alyona rapidly approaching, Griseo made no move to dodge and spoke with a grin.

"Mm..."

This "arrogant" Griseo was immediately pulled into Alyona's arms as she approached, and her little head was pressed into soft clothing...

At first, the little girl instinctively wanted to struggle. But when she remembered that her companion was still injured, she eased up and only made a few token movements.

That level of struggling was certainly not enough to break free, so Griseo was "restrained" by Alyona just like that.

A little while later, once Griseo felt she had more or less returned to normal, she reached out and lightly patted Alyona's shoulder, signaling for her to let go.

"Phew..."

Only after her companion released her did Griseo finally lift her little head and take a deep breath.

It was the first time the little girl had felt that the clothes she gave Alyona were such high quality... She had never felt this way before.

"Where did you go? How did you end up like this? It wasn't that person, was it...?" Alyona asked worriedly, looking at Griseo as she panted lightly.

Though she phrased it as a question, the little white bear's tone was rather certain.

After all, she did not think there was anyone in the Reunion Movement besides that annoying woman who could have turned Griseo into what she had just been like.

"Mm... W stopped me earlier." Looking into her companion's eyes, Griseo did not intend to hide it. She nodded lightly and answered.

"As expected..."

At those words, Alyona's expression remained gentle, but anger surged uncontrollably in her eyes.

Others might not know, but as someone who stayed by Griseo's side every day, she could not have known more clearly.

That Sarkaz mercenary woman was an utterly awful person... Her little tricks never stopped, and whenever she secretly wandered past the two of them, she wore that punchable expression.

It made the little white bear want to smack her right in the face with Originium Arts, but every time she tried to act, Griseo stopped her.

"It's okay. She didn't cause me too much trouble." Seeing Alyona's anger, Griseo stood on tiptoe and lightly patted her head to comfort her.

"And after I got stained with W's color, um... I gave her face a swipe with my paintbrush."

As she said this, Griseo turned her face slightly away, and a trace of guilt flickered through her large violet eyes.

After all, others might not know, but the little girl herself knew perfectly well. That earlier stroke had landed solidly.

To be honest, Griseo was even certain that if she had run any slower, she would very likely have had to face an enraged W and her "retaliation."

Especially considering that what the little girl had said at the time had been so punchable...

When Alyona noticed the guilt in Griseo's eyes, she thought the little girl was afraid and worried, so she softened her voice to comfort her.

"It's fine. You only painted one stroke, so it doesn't matter. If anything happens, I'll go find Sister Talulah with you."

After saying that, the little white bear did not forget to reach out and rub Griseo's little head.

"Mm, I'm fine, Alyona. You don't need to worry, and there's no need to find Talulah right now." As she spoke, Griseo lightly rubbed against the hand stroking her head.

"Besides, I've already figured out how to deal with W..."

"Mm?"

Alyona froze slightly at that, then looked curiously at the little girl and waited for her answer.

"Painting... Alyona, will you stay with me?"

After giving her answer, Griseo's violet eyes gleamed as she looked seriously at her companion.

"Mm. I'll stay here with you."

Understanding what Griseo meant, a smile flickered through Alyona's beautiful light-green eyes as she agreed softly.

She had spent some time with the little girl already, and she had come to understand quite a bit about Griseo's traits and abilities.

A few nights ago, Talulah and the others had even called her out to tell her and remind her of certain things.

That had deepened Alyona's understanding of Griseo even further. She might not have been the person who understood her best, but she was certainly one of them.

So the moment Griseo mentioned painting, she instantly understood what it meant.

"Mm..."

After hearing her companion agree, a smile unconsciously appeared in Griseo's eyes.

Then, before she could say anything, the azure knight silently appeared beside her and helped set up her easel and everything else.

"Alright, Alyona, sit here."

Griseo lightly patted the small stool beside the easel, then turned to Alyona and spoke.

Ever since the two little ones had grown closer and closer, an extra little stool had appeared beside Griseo's easel—a stool belonging exclusively to the little white bear.

"Mm."

Once everything was ready, Griseo began painting with W's color. The instant she put brush to paper, she immersed herself in her painting as usual.

Alyona, sitting on the little stool beside her, also tacitly stopped moving the moment the little girl began to paint and became completely quiet. She watched the person and the painting before her with rapt attention.

Second by second, time passed, and the paper on the easel gradually changed from pure white into a riot of color.

To be honest, Griseo was very much looking forward to this painting. It definitely was not because she wanted to "repay" W... She was simply looking forward to it, that was all...

PS: I'm so hungry. I'm going out to scrounge up a meal before continuing to write. Why can't drafts just multiply on their own? It would be great if the computer could type automatically. The second chapter tonight should be around ten o'clock, barring any surprises. Next, let me recommend a friend's book. Feel free to check it out if you're interested.

;}

A Missed Encounter and Ines

"..."

After adding the final stroke to the paper, Griseo slowly emerged from her immersed state and W's color.

But this time, unlike usual, the little girl did not immediately examine the painting before her. Instead, she set down her brush, lowered her little head, and gently covered her heart.

Though she had emerged from W's color, a trace of sorrow unexpectedly surfaced in Griseo's heart.

Yet for a moment, she did not know what she was sad about...

Only when the little girl raised her head and carefully examined the painting before her did she find the answer.

So that emotion came from W. It was something hidden deep within her color...