"Look what I found!"
"You must be the little child Alina brought back from outside. You really are adorable."
The shadow showed no hesitation after reaching Griseo, scooping her into her arms while shouting excitedly.
"...!?"
Caught in such a sudden embrace, Griseo instantly snapped out of her daze and reflexively looked at her "attacker" with her large violet eyes.
However, the first thing that entered Griseo's sight was not the person's face, but a huge hood ringed with a circle of white fur... Only afterward did she see the face hidden beneath it.
Although she did not know the person before her, Griseo recognized her clothes... and knew them very well.
So well that she recognized at a glance that this person was a member of FrostNova's Yeti Squad...
"Big sister... who are you?" Griseo did not struggle out of the woman's embrace. She merely looked at her in confusion before asking seriously.
"Oh my, look at me. You're just too adorable, little one. So adorable that I forgot to introduce myself."
Only after being asked did this Yeti Squad member somewhat embarrassedly release Griseo from her arms. She then straightened up and introduced herself with a bright smile.
"My name is Lois. I'm a member of the Yeti Squad led by Big Sis~ What about you, little one?"
"I... am Griseo. I'm a painter."
After silently remembering the person's name, Griseo gave her first truly formal introduction since arriving in this world.
"Griseo is such a lovely name~ But aren't you dressed a little too lightly, little one? Aren't you cold?"
After learning Griseo's name, Lois praised her without reservation. However, when she noticed the girl's skimpy clothing, her expression turned worried again.
She undid her heavy winter coat, then pulled the little girl before her into her arms and held her tightly against herself.
;?;
Wrapped in warm clothing all of a sudden, Griseo froze for a moment. Then she struggled and stood on tiptoe, finally poking her adorable little head out of Lois's coat to explain.
"Um, it's okay... Griseo isn't afraid of the cold. But why is Big Sister Lois here?"
"Not afraid of the cold... Fine, never mind. Let's leave it like this for now. As for why I'm here, it's because I was curious~"
Looking at the little head poking out from her arms, Lois could not resist reaching out to give it a pat before continuing her explanation.
"People have been saying that Alina brought her biological daughter back from outside. And Big Sis refused to tell us anything about you, so of course I had to come take a look myself."
"Big Sis...?"
"She's the one who brought you food earlier. Since you're so interested in Big Sis, let's go see her again!"
As soon as she finished speaking, before Griseo could agree, Lois used both arms to hug the little girl wrapped in her coat and dashed out.
"Eh..."
Lois's sudden move left Griseo utterly bewildered, so much so that she even forgot to struggle.
Honestly, whether before or after being transported here, this was still the first time she had met a girl as enthusiastic as Lois.
?;
Warm, energetic, and lively, with intense red surrounding her... Lois made Griseo feel both warm and fired up.
However, while the little girl was still dazed, Lois had already reached their destination.
"Big Sis, everyone, look at what treasure I brought over!"
;?
PS: This chapter's quality might be a little lacking. Something unexpected happened yesterday. I had an issue with my teeth and went to the hospital to have it dealt with today... They'll probably keep hurting for several more days, and I can't focus on writing at all.
On top of that, I still need to go practice driving, so I'm sorry. Until I sign a contract at thirty thousand words, I'll probably only be able to maintain one update a day. Please bear with me.
Yeti Squad, I Will... March Forth!
"Big Sis, everyone, look at what treasure I brought over!"
Lois's shout immediately drew the attention of everyone sitting around the campfire.
"?"
"?"
"Lois, where did you just go?"
"Treasure! Where's the treasure?!"
"Hehe! The treasure is right here!"
Seeing the curious looks from everyone in the Yeti Squad, Lois gave a smug hum and lightly patted her bulging coat.
Before anyone could continue questioning her, she gently pulled open her winter coat a little.
Then, the cutest Griseo in the world poked her little head out of Lois's arms once again.
"..."
In an instant, everyone around them fell silent...
But the silence did not last long. Once they came to their senses, they immediately crowded around her and began chattering all at once.
"Lois, you... when did you secretly have a child!"
"Where did this kid come from? Wait... Lois, you didn't steal Alina's child, did you?!"
"Damn, that's incredible! But the little one is pretty cute. Come, let big brother hold you!"
"Move aside. If anyone gets to hold her, it should be me!"
"Alright, don't scare Griseo. And what do you mean, steal? I brought the child out to play!"
Looking at her few unreliable friends, Lois covered Griseo in her arms and took a step back, speaking irritably.
"We wouldn't scare her!"
"Her name is Griseo, right? Hurry up and put the child down. You can't keep holding her all by yourself!"
While the Yeti Squad members laughed and bickered, a calm and chilly voice sounded behind them.
"Lois, put the child down."
"Fine, Big Sis..."
Hearing that voice, a trace of helplessness appeared on Lois's face. She obediently set the little girl in her arms down.
Lois could ignore what the others said, but the one who had just spoken was Yelena, the leader of their Yeti Squad.
"Um..."
Once again placing her bare feet on the soft, icy snow, Griseo lightly shook her little feet and adjusted to the temperature outside.
Sure enough, compared to the freezing cold outside, she still found it more comfortable in Lois's warm embrace, surrounded by red and warm yellow.
"Hm? Why is this little one dressed so lightly?"
"She isn't even wearing shoes. Lois, you didn't drag her straight out of bed, did you?"
The Yeti Squad members' hearts nearly melted at Griseo's adorable appearance, but once they noticed her thin clothing, they looked at Lois suspiciously.
"Shoo, shoo. Little Griseo isn't afraid of the cold. And stop crowding around here. Go back to where you were." Hearing that, Lois put her hands on her hips and spoke to the people before her irritably.
"Mm... I'm not afraid of the cold."
After hearing Lois's words, Griseo nodded cooperatively and explained earnestly.
;?;
"I see. That's amazing!"
"Yeah, yeah. She isn't afraid of the cold. Could she be like Big Sis?"
"Idiot, think about it. How could that be possible? If she were like Big Sis, how could Lois hold her in her arms?"
Watching the Yeti Squad members fool around, Griseo's eyes slowly widened... A trace of nostalgia flashed through them.
Because she saw vast swathes of warm yellow on these people... It was very warm.
Even in Griseo's memories, she had only seen such a rich warm yellow while living together with everyone in Fire Moth.
"Mm...?"
Just then, Griseo suddenly sensed a scrutinizing gaze. When she looked through the gaps between the others—
...she saw a tall Wendigo clad in pitch-black armor and a cloak: Patriot, Bodegard.
Facing Patriot's scrutiny, Griseo showed no fear. She raised her little head... and met those scarlet eyes directly.
After the two stared at each other for a short while, the aura around Griseo suddenly changed. Her pure innocence transformed into the experience, composure, and sharpness of one weathered by countless storms.
"Yeti Squad, I will... march forth!"
Griseo then took out her paintbrush and raised it high, solemnly and imposingly declaring this to the Yeti Squad members surrounding her.
"...Pfft, little Griseo, you're just too adorable. Who are you imitating? Old Man?"
Not knowing about Griseo's traits, Lois could not help laughing softly at the adorable little girl.
It was not just her. The other Yeti Squad members who heard Griseo's declaration also began laughing.
"Pfft—hahaha, the little one really does imitate him well."
"Exactly, exactly. But she's just too adorable."
"I have to admit, the presence is pretty similar."
Patriot did not feel offended by Griseo's sudden imitation of him. He merely watched her quietly, seemingly lost in thought.
This time, the colors came quickly and faded just as quickly. After ending her gaze with Patriot, Griseo swiftly withdrew from his colors.
"Um..."
After returning to her blank-paper state, Griseo first glanced at the Yetis standing beside her and laughing heartily. Then she took little steps around them and walked toward Yelena, who was sitting by the campfire not far away.
Although these Yeti Squad members gave Griseo a very good feeling, she still wanted to get to know Yelena. If possible, she also wanted to use FrostNova's colors to paint a picture.
After arriving before Yelena, Griseo stopped. Looking seriously at the woman before her with solemn eyes, she earnestly said, "My name is Griseo... I'm a painter. What about you, Big Sister?"
"...My name is Yelena, code name FrostNova. I'm the captain of the Yeti Squad." Seeing Griseo's sincerity, Yelena paused in surprise before standing up and responding just as seriously.
Looking at the earnest little darling before her, Yelena actually wanted to pat her little head. But that thought could only remain a thought. Forget patting her head—she could not even shake hands with her.
Although Yelena had confirmed through observation earlier that Griseo truly was not afraid of the cold, not being afraid of the cold did not necessarily mean she would not suffer frostbite after touching Yelena.
So without knowing the exact circumstances, she would not act on a mere impulse and do something that might harm this little darling before her.
However, at that moment, a warm and soft sensation suddenly came from Yelena's right hand hanging at her side...
PS: Two things happened today. One is good news for you all, while the other is bad news.
The good news is that after I said last night that I would switch to one update a day before signing a contract and two after signing, I got invited to sign today...
The bad news is that I did something stupid today... I forgot to sign one name while signing the contract, so it was rejected. I can only sign again tomorrow. So there is still only one update today, and there will be two after I sign tomorrow.
All my teeth hurt. I spent the entire afternoon writing this chapter, and I still think the quality is a little lacking. If there are any issues, you can point them out in the comments.
Talulah, You Are a Leader!
"!"
Before her eyes could even see it, the first thing Yelena felt was the warmth on her hand. Her first reaction was to fling it away, and she sternly said, "Don't touch me."
"Um..."
After her hand was suddenly shaken away, Griseo did not react much, nor did she seem upset. She simply continued looking quietly at Yelena with her large eyes.
Others who did not understand Yelena might not know, but Griseo knew very well. She knew that Yelena reacted so strongly only because she was afraid Griseo would get frostbite.
"Sorry... Is your hand alright?"
Yelena looked at Griseo, whose hand she had flung away. The girl neither cried nor fussed, and her expression had not even changed; she merely continued gazing quietly at Yelena. A trace of apology flashed through Yelena's eyes, and her voice could not help softening.
Hearing that, Griseo merely shook her head lightly before saying seriously, "...Is Big Sister Yelena very cold? I'm not afraid of the cold. I'll warm you up."
After she finished speaking, Griseo used the little hand that had just been flung away to hold Yelena's gloved hand again, which was still bitterly cold despite the glove.
And just as Griseo had always said, she truly was not afraid of the cold... Nor did she show any signs of frostbite.
After observing for a while and confirming that there was nothing wrong, Yelena's heart finally settled again. Even so, she did not dare move her hand carelessly and simply let the little girl hold it.
Before you continue