A Girl's Heart That Charges Ahead (Continued)

"I am not Talulah's byproduct. Even if Talulah is better than me in every way, including birth, character, talent, and skills, even if she only noticed me because she was interested in Talulah, I am not Talulah's dowry—I know I can't really help her much, and I know it's hard for me to achieve anything greater. But even so, when she looks at me, I will fight for it, and I will try my best to show my goodness."

This could perhaps be considered a provocation, a declaration of war.

However, these words did not move Persephone in the slightest.

"Having fighting spirit is a good thing, but I don't think this passive waiting is a good strategy—let me give you some advice. You may soon have a 'special' opportunity. Only once, the distance between you and her will be extremely small. And only once, you will have the chance to truly assist her, and even..."

Persephone hesitated for a moment. This was an extremely rare occurrence for her.

But she didn't just say half of what she meant.

"... Breaking free from constraints, she was no longer just an ordinary roadside wildflower."

"You mean...?" The girl with the antlers' eyes lit up. Although the other party's words were somewhat vague, she vaguely felt that this information was of great importance to her.

However, the purple-haired Maiden Doctor shook her head.

"It's still a secret, and I can't tell you right now. I'm just reminding you that if the opportunity really comes your way, then you should seize it firmly—but don't be too hasty."

Alina frowned again.

"What exactly are you trying to say? Is it something related to Surtr? Are you... perhaps telling me her secret?"

"You can understand it that way, but you can't understand it entirely that way." The Maiden Doctor's words became increasingly muddled and ambiguous. "And then, please remember one thing."

"When you go all in and fail, you often end up losing even your friends."

Time returned to normal.

Faced with the girl's fiercely determined bite, Miss Surtr sighed helplessly. Strictly speaking, a bite to that delicate body would hurt quite a bit. However, for Miss Surtr, who had suffered terribly at the hands of various gods in the dream world, if being bitten a few times could erase the previous embarrassment, then this deal was incredibly worthwhile for her!

She reached out and stroked the Little Deer's soft hair.

"I'm sorry," she said—though she herself didn't quite understand why she was apologizing now.

Then--

She saw the Little Deer glare at her intently for several seconds. It seemed to want to do something but suddenly deflated, retreated back onto the bed, pulled the blanket over itself, and covered itself completely.

And he mumbled from under the covers—

"Tell me what happened. This world, this land—please tell me everything you can tell me."

"Then, let's discuss other issues." — Her voice was muffled by the blanket, and it was impossible to tell what expression was on the face beneath it. However, this change of topic was ultimately a good way to defuse the awkward situation.

—Since Alina wants to put the previous topic aside, then that idiot will naturally let it go as well.

So, the red-haired girl, who was already being called an idiot (which would be a compliment), nodded, and after making sure that her words wouldn't be revealed to anyone else, she began to explain from the beginning.

"Well, first of all, we need to start with the concept of the dream world..."

... about ten minutes later...

"... In short, we'll have to stay in this other world for now. Talulah's whereabouts are currently unknown, but I've entrusted the singing Wind God with this task. As long as she's still within Mondstadt, she should be able to get back to me soon. And if she's not in Mondstadt, at least there will be some clues."

Miss Surtr gave a brief summary after her long narration.

"What we need to do is find her, ensure her safety, and then make a difference on this land. Once I can open the door between the two worlds again, we can return to Terra."

That's it.

She saw Miss Alina pull the blanket down a little, revealing half of her slightly flushed face.

"Do we really have to do something?" Miss Elafia asked softly.

"That would be faster." The red-haired man shook his head. "In my judgment, as long as we cause change and have an impact, then I can open that door. Theoretically speaking, even if we stay here and do nothing, just travel and explore for a few years, we can probably open that door. And the more we do, the more impact we have, the more time we save."

Are there any restrictions on the location?

"No." Surtr continued to shake his head in denial. "We can go back anywhere. In fact, I even suspect that even if we don't go to find Talulah, when we are able to go back, we should be able to passively take her with us when we set off. But I don't have conclusive evidence. So, I don't intend to take that risk."

So you're going to find her?

"Yes, I'm going to find her." The shaker nodded this time. "I have a pact with Barbatos ... Wendy. You will stay here and be under its protection. I will stay here and be under its surveillance. If Talulah's final destination is not Mondstadt, then we will set off together to find her. If her location is dangerous, then you will be quite safe staying here until I return."

The Little Deer got out of bed and folded the blankets.

"So, I'm a hostage?" She stared wide-eyed at the Flame-haired Girl before her.

This conclusion has not been refuted.

"Yes, I'm sorry." Surtr didn't avoid eye contact, but nodded directly in agreement—she had already mentally prepared for Alina's insistence on coming along and had a rough plan. Anyway, it wasn't the first time she'd taken her boss on a business trip, and she had already prepared an overtime schedule.

"Wendy is the Wind God, and he loves this land. At the same time, the owner of this Dawn Winery is also a seasoned warrior determined to protect Mondstadt —Wendy will definitely reveal my information, or has already revealed it to him. Presumably, it won't be long before we become honored guests of Dawn Winery. And as long as I don't interfere in Mondstadt's internal affairs or show hostility, we will always be distinguished guests."

"But I will respect your opinion..."

"I'll stay." Alina's voice was resolute. It contained a determination that Miss Surtr could sense but couldn't quite grasp. "I won't cause you any trouble, Surtr. Please continue your adventures in this world as you please—and bring Little Tal back."

The red-haired girl felt something was off—she noticed that Alina didn't seem to be planning to change back to how she addressed herself.

"Are you sure you really want to do this, Alina? I still have the self-confidence to protect someone."

"Yes, I'm sure." Alina rose from the bed, her posture gentle and dignified. "Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses. Rather than adventures involving knives and guns, I'm better at communicating with pen and paper, needle and thread—I'm very interested in the customs and culture of this continent called Teyvat. I doubt I'll be able to finish reading a single bookshelf by the time Little Tal returns."

She smiled at Surtr.

"Please don't hold back, Surtr." Then, after a slight hesitation, he continued, "And, um... about the sword Yelena brought back from another world that you just mentioned. Could you tell me more about it?"

She said, she asked. And she had no intention of going back on her word.

Miss Surtr left the hotel.

Her conversation with Alina left her somewhat confused—she had a feeling that Alina was plotting something. But upon further reflection, she realized that Alina had nothing to do at all.

Ah, that's right. Alina is too weak... not to belittle her, but it's a fact. This Little Deer knows nothing about combat, nor is she proficient in Originium Arts. She has very little experience in areas such as scientific research, personnel management, and organizational operations—strictly speaking, apart from having a sharper eye and a slightly more meticulous mind than the average person, this Little Deer on the snowfield is really no better than many of the infected on the Terra.

She might be a good teacher, or she might have the talent to boost team morale. But other than that, she's just an ordinary citizen of Terra.

Not excellent, not inferior, just mediocre, therefore useless.

Hmm... using the word 'useless' might be too harsh. But if we compare her to someone of unparalleled talent like Persephone, then it would be difficult to find a more fitting assessment.

But...