In Arknights, Becoming Griseo at the Start

This time, Griseo's painting was unlike her previous ones. The entire scene was rather gloomy, with only a warm ray of light at its center.

Beneath that gentle light stood a pink figure wearing a black crown, her footsteps gradually carrying her farther away.

Within the elongated black shadow behind that gentle figure was a demon reaching out to chase after her, yet forever unable to catch up because countless chains bound it.

"..."

Honestly, after carefully examining this painting, Griseo began reconsidering whether she should give it away at all...

Although the little girl had always wanted to find an opportunity to one-up W.

After feeling the lingering emotions in her heart and looking at the completed painting before her, she began hesitating again after so long...

After all, if it truly had the effect she imagined, then Griseo felt that she was being a little too mean, and it would also be rather cruel to W.

"What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell anywhere?"

As Griseo wrestled with her thoughts, Alyona, who was seated beside her, lightly frowned and softly asked.

"I'm not uncomfortable. There are just some lingering colors... so I took a moment to recover."

Hearing Alyona's words, Griseo quickly emerged from her thoughts, gently shook her little head, and answered.

"It's good that you don't feel bad. It's about time... Let's clean up and go eat." As she spoke, a trace of helplessness flashed through Alyona's eyes. Then, as if remembering something, she added,

"Just like you told me, Griseo, good children should eat on time."

"Mm, then I'll clean up."

Griseo had no objections to her companion's suggestion and agreed without even needing to think about it.

After all, the painting had taken quite a while... The sky was already growing dark, and it was indeed time for dinner.

Griseo then swiftly put away her painting tools and the painting itself into her space.

At the same time, she temporarily tossed the question of whether to give away the painting to the back of her mind and happily went to eat with her companion.

Yet whenever someone softened their heart, there would always be someone else to help harden it again.

For example... Griseo right now.

If the little girl had felt somewhat softhearted before because she knew W's past and had sensed sadness through the colors.

Then now, Griseo's heart was as hard as stone, and she only wanted to be a "cruel" bad child.

As for why, it was naturally because Griseo had fallen victim to another one of W's pranks during dinner. She had even accidentally knocked over her food and splattered herself with it.

What W had done completely solidified the little girl's previously wavering resolve, and Griseo decided to properly return the "gift."

But since it was already late, and Alina and the others would be keeping watch at night, Griseo decided to deliver this gift to W tomorrow instead.

The next day—

Griseo got up as usual, ate breakfast with Alyona, then sat around the campfire and chatted with Talulah and the others.

Only after everyone had gone off to handle their own affairs, with no one closely watching the little girl, did she begin her operation.

Griseo had set two goals for herself today.

The first was to give the painting to W, and the second was to make contact with Mudrock.

However, she would not be able to act alone this time.

Because Alyona knew what the paintings could do, she had been watching Griseo's every move since that morning to prevent her from sneaking off.

In the end, with no other choice and since it was not such a major matter, Griseo brought along the companion who was worried about her.

After all, she had to spoil her own companion.

This time, Griseo did not wander around like a headless fly as she had yesterday.

She led Alyona straight toward their target, heading for W's tent.

However, their operation ran into a problem from the very beginning. When Griseo and Alyona arrived, W was nowhere to be seen.

After asking Ines, they learned that W had gone out on a mission with her squad, which was known for its brutality and efficiency... The two little ones had come for nothing.

After hesitating for a while, Griseo finally turned her gaze back to Ines, who was seated by a campfire not far away.

"So, did you come to see W for something?" After noticing Griseo's gaze, Ines lightly raised her head again and calmly asked.

It was not just her. Hedley, who was sitting nearby, also looked up at Griseo and Alyona curiously.

After all, it was quite rare for someone to come looking for W.

"There is something... I want to give W..."

After organizing her thoughts slightly, Griseo explained why she had come.

"What is it?"

After hearing Griseo's answer, Ines instinctively asked.

This time, the little girl did not rush to answer. Instead, she took out the painting she had made yesterday from her space before continuing,

"This... It's a painting I made. Could I trouble you, big sister, to give it to W for me?"

"..."

Seeing Griseo suddenly take a painting out of thin air, Ines was briefly stunned. She had clearly not expected that at all.

Not only that, when Griseo said she wanted to give something to W, Ines's first thought had been explosives...

PS: An accident still happened in the end. I only wrote this much in three hours, and I did not slack off at all in between. After revising it over and over, I'm still not satisfied.

Sigh, I stayed up late again. Good night, everyone.

Another Method

"A painting...?"

;;;

Once Ines recovered, she lightly raised an eyebrow, and a strange glint flashed through her eyes.

After all, she still remembered very clearly what the little girl before her had done on the day she arrived...

She had always heard of Ursus Elite Guards. Though she had never fought them head-on, she had seen Talulah and the others battle one that day.

And yet, that kind of "monster" had been effortlessly dragged into a painting by Griseo.

So if someone said there was nothing wrong with the little girl's paintings, Ines would be the first not to believe it.

Still, Ines had more or less guessed what Griseo was thinking. She felt that the painting in the little girl's hands was probably not as powerful as the previous one, but it would still have some effect.

And the reason Griseo had come to deliver it this time was likely to get a little "revenge" on W.

Hedley, who was nearby, had roughly the same thoughts as Ines.

"You should have seen it yesterday, big sister. After I went back, I painted this." Griseo looked up at Ines and quietly explained.

The little girl did not believe that Ines, who was observant and skilled at reconnaissance, had failed to notice her interactions with W yesterday or the changes after she had been tainted by those colors.

"I did see it, but..." After hearing Griseo's explanation, Ines took on a thoughtful expression before continuing to ask,

"I have one more question."

"If you can answer it and satisfy me, little sister, I'll help you give the painting to W."

If she had been dealing with anyone else, Ines definitely would not have asked so directly. She would have chosen to probe cautiously instead.

But from their brief exchange just now, she had discovered that the little girl before her was unexpectedly honest. Thus, she decisively abandoned her usual habits and chose to ask outright.

"Mm... What question?"

Griseo tilted her little head slightly and looked at Ines with a puzzled expression.

"..."

Alyona, who had been standing beside them all this time, could barely resist covering her face. She had noticed it before, but now she was once again witnessing firsthand just how easily fooled and straightforward her companion could be...

However, she did not rush to stop her. First, she wanted to know what this woman intended to ask. Second, Griseo herself had not refused, and Alyona knew her strength.

"I want to know what special effect the painting in your hands has."

Looking at the adorable little girl with her head tilted, Ines narrowed her golden eyes and quietly spoke.

Although Ines often bickered with W, and the two were like enemies whenever they met, they were also comrades who had survived life-and-death situations together. When it mattered, she would still stand by one of her own.

Therefore, Ines still needed to confirm just how powerful this "gift" from Griseo was.

"I don't know..."

Griseo answered that question extremely decisively, without the slightest hesitation.

After all, the little girl truly did not know what effect this painting had.

The only thing she knew was that this painting would not affect anyone else.

As for how she knew that? Griseo had gained experience from painting, and Alyona had not been affected by it at all, so she had come to that conclusion.

And if it could affect other people, Griseo might not have given the painting away at all.

Even if she did, she absolutely would not have handed it over through someone else like this.

Otherwise, if it accidentally caused widespread effects, that would be truly troublesome...

"...For a moment, I don't know whether I should praise you for being honest, little one." Faced with Griseo's straightforward and candid answer, Ines finally could not help rubbing her forehead.

"Pfft." Hedley, watching their interaction from the side, finally could not hold back his laughter.

After a while, once he had finished laughing, Hedley composed himself and seriously said, "Little friend, you don't even know what the painting can do, yet you came to give it away? I remember that your paintings are quite powerful. It would be bad if someone got hurt by accident."

"Um... It won't. The power contained in this painting isn't very strong. It can't even affect other people."

Griseo tilted her little head slightly, blinked her beautiful violet eyes, and earnestly explained.

"This painting was made with W's colors... That's why I want to give it to her..."

Honestly, the little girl was beginning to regret this. Dealing with smart people was really troublesome. When she had discovered that W was not around, she should not have hesitated. She should have simply left...

However, one major reason Griseo had chosen to ask Ines to deliver the painting after some deliberation was that she did not want to face W directly again.

In the little girl's view, that would truly be a disaster...

"W's colors..."

At Griseo's words, Ines murmured softly, and a sharp glint flashed through her eyes.

She immediately caught the key phrase in Griseo's words and connected everything together.

If Ines's guess was correct, then the colors Griseo mentioned were probably the reason she had become so similar to W yesterday.

However, what exactly Griseo meant by colors still required further investigation, in Ines's view.

"Alright, Griseo. Since that person isn't here, we should leave. Gifts are best delivered in person. Besides, isn't there someone else you wanted to find?"

As both sides fell silent, Alyona gently squeezed Griseo's little hand and offered the suggestion in her hoarse but gentle voice.

After listening from the side for a while, the little white bear had roughly understood Ines and Hedley's concerns and intentions. Precisely because of that, she felt there was no need to remain any longer.

Setting aside whether the woman named W would even get to see the painting if they handed it over to them, Alyona felt that if they stayed any longer, Griseo would soon innocently reveal everything about herself.

"Mm... Alyona is right. It really should be delivered in person." Hearing her companion's words, Griseo turned her face slightly and nodded in agreement.

"However, there is another way..."

As the little girl's voice fell, the enormous Azure Knight silently appeared at her side.

At the same time, the gazes of the surrounding mercenaries immediately all focused on this spot.

Even Ines and Hedley tensed the moment the Azure Knight appeared, instinctively moving their hands toward their weapons.

After all, everyone had seen the strength of that azure knight...

PS: Ever since I started wearing these stupid braces, my mouth hasn't had a single good day. Even with orthodontic wax, it still got rubbed raw again. So annoying...

Can We Get Acquainted?

Yet under the mercenaries' watchful gazes, the Azure Knight made no movements after appearing. He merely stood silently beside his princess, awaiting her command.

"Alyona is right, so I won't trouble you, big sister." After her knight appeared, Griseo spoke to Ines.

Only after saying that did the little girl turn her gaze to the azure knight and softly request,

"Please, Mister Knight... Please wait here and help me give this painting to W."

How could the little girl have failed to consider the concerns Alyona had thought of?

She did not particularly mind Ines and Hedley probing her, but she also feared that if she entrusted the painting to them, W herself might never get to see it.