What are you doing here?
In the treehouse in Ursus, in the Black Forest.
While examining weapon blueprints in the forge, Gorth, whose head was throbbing from the complex lines, decided to go for a stroll.
Upon exiting, they found the once quiet treehouse now bustling with activity.
Talulah and Eno were slumped over the table, lost in thought. Upon seeing Gorth, they immediately sprang to life and moved closer.
"Professor, you're back! I have a new question I'd like to ask..."
"Etc!"
Gorth pressed down on the other person's forehead and pushed them backward, pointing with his other hand towards the room behind them.
What's going on?
The once-empty room was now filled with many decorations, and the tables and chairs were woven by the Gorth himself.
A pile of debris lay on the ground not far away: broken dolls, half-empty bottles of vodka, withered vines...
"Oh! We designed the interior decorations together!"
Talulah hands on her hips in the passageway. Gorth looked at her suspiciously, and Talulah's imposing manner quickly crumbled.
"Okay, it was Alina's design; we were just helping out."
Gorth nodded slightly and patted the heads of the little ones beside him.
"What about those odds and ends?"
"These are offerings that everyone has made for you."
Sasha stood at attention and answered, followed by Eno's reply.
"To prevent them from getting covered in snow, we moved them all inside the house."
"Sacrificial offerings?"
Gorth looked at the clutter with confusion, Talulah explained:
"We are very grateful to you, but we don't have much on us, so we can only give you what we cherish most."
"..."
Gorth silently looked at the gifts and waved his hand.
The vines picked them up and arranged them neatly on the wall.
Talulah noticed that Gorth seemed a little tired and asked in confusion:
"Professor, where have you been? You look so tired."
"Got rid of a Draco Gods' People."
Talulah: "???"
Ignoring the Dimwitted Dragon was standing there questioning his existence, Gorth turned towards the kitchen.
Although the house he designed did have a kitchen, Gorth remembered that there were no kitchen utensils.
So what is this strange fragrance?
You're back?
The young girl greeted them gently and carried the food out of the kitchen.
"Little Tal said that Yan hold banquets when building new houses, so we took the liberty of using your kitchen."
Placing the steaming hot food on the table, Alina clasped her hands together in front of her, tilted her head, and smiled:
"In short, welcome back."
Gorth quietly observed the group, and as their expressions gradually became somewhat uneasy, he whispered:
"Thanks..."
"Phew, I thought you were going to be angry, Professor."
Talulah couldn't figure out what Gorth meant, so she simply stopped thinking about it and pushed Gorth to sit down in the main seat.
"It's so late, have you said goodbye to your family?"
Gorth was a little worried, but Alina smiled and said it was alright.
"Who do you think cooked all this food? I couldn't have cooked this much by myself!"
Gorth immediately stood up and nervously looked around.
"Don't worry, Grandpa and Grandma go to bed early, so we've already taken them home."
Alina added at the opportune moment that Talulah a bit odd.
"Why are you so nervous, Professor?"
Gorth evaded the issue with silence; he couldn't very well say that he wasn't comfortable with the two's enthusiasm, could he?
Remembering something, Gorth stood up again.
"I'll go get some more food; there are still many people outside..."
"No need~"
Alina tugged at Gorth's robe and led him to the window, amidst his puzzled gaze.
Outside, in the pristine white snow night, bonfires lit up one after another, with pots of bubbling meat broth on top.
The Infected laughed and gathered around the fire; some chatted, while others clasped their hands in prayer.
Without exception, no one served food.
Everyone is waiting for you.
Alina followed along, looking out at the scenery. In this Black Forest, the cold winds of Ursus could not harm anyone.
Talulah and the other two followed, the two little ones perched on the windowsill, tiptoeing to look outside.
Talulah then ignited a flame in her hand.
The sudden flash of light drew everyone's attention, and the crowd saw Gorth standing by the window.
The crowd stood up, but stopped when Gorth raised his hand.
"Well..."
Gorth sighed, and vines sprouted from the snow, weaving tables and chairs for everyone.
"Let's eat."
"Oh--!"
Some cheered, then fell silent under the watchful eyes of their companions, whispering:
"Praise be to the Black Forest Lord..."
"Oh--!"
Another cheer rang out, and everyone looked at Gorth, who had made the sound. Gu Si immediately left the window and went into the house.
After a brief silence...
"Praise be to the Black Forest Lord --!!!"
Everyone burst into laughter, and the banquet began.
Inside the treehouse, Talulah looked at Gorth with a hint of surprise.
"I never expected my mentor to have this side to him... Hmm!"
Alina pinched her friend's mischievous mouth shut and smiled apologetically.
"Let's eat too..."
Gorth was relieved that his face was expressionless, and he walked awkwardly to his seat.
Talulah and the other girl sat down. The two little ones were still a bit reserved, so Gorth picked one up from each side of them.
"I'm starting!"
Gorth looked at Talulah with a slightly strange expression. The latter scratched the back of her head and laughed:
"It's my aunt's habit, she developed it when she was little."
As she spoke, Talulah's eyes suddenly dimmed, and she felt a warm touch on her hand.
Looking back, my friend was right beside me.
Talulah shook off her thoughts and smiled again.
The others tried shouting together.
"I'm starting!"
Everyone began their meal in a pleasant mood. Talulah tried to bring up academic issues at the table, but Alina stopped her with a disapproving look.
Everyone began to tell their own little stories, and when it was Gorth's turn, he once again brought up the all-powerful Monkey King.
The two little children and one older child listened intently, while Alina shook her head and began clearing away the dishes.
A touch came from my shoulder. I turned around in confusion and saw the vines carrying a plate to the kitchen.
Alina looked at Gorth, who had his back to the kitchen and remained motionless.
"Hmph hmph hmph~~"
Alina hummed a cheerful tune, adding accompaniment to Gorth's story.
Time passed, and the banquet finally came to an end.
The fire died down, and everyone returned to their houses.
The two little ones cuddled and fell asleep, while the Dimwitted Dragon yawned and also lay down on the bed to sleep.
"She's asleep."
"Um."
The two gently closed the door. The room was quite warm, so there was no need to worry about catching a cold.
"Would you like to stay here for the night?"
Gorth extended an invitation, and Alina accepted and expressed her gratitude.
"Could you come for a walk with me before I go to bed?"
There was no reply; the act of walking towards the door was the answer.
"There's nothing much to see in the Black Forest, don't you think it'll be a bit boring?"
The two were wandering aimlessly through the forest when Gorth asked in confusion:
"But I think this place is beautiful."
Alina hopped lightly ahead, trying to step on the footprint of the previous foot with her back foot.
"Is it beautiful...?"
Gorth looked at the bare tree bark with a puzzled expression. It wasn't even strange, let alone beautiful.
"It's true, not just me, everyone thinks so too."
Alina circled in the forest, Gorth maneuvered the branches to avoid scratching the fawn.
I'll take that as a genuine compliment.
Alina stopped moving, and her swaying figure made Gorth wonder if she would faint at any moment.
"You are truly amazing."
Alina exhaled, the white mist obscuring the figure before her, making it appear somewhat indistinct.
"So powerful, so knowledgeable, so tolerant..."
Seeing that the other person was about to continue speaking, Gorth quickly waved his hand to signal them to stop.
Alina smiled at Gorth's awkward expression, then her expression slowly faded.
Sometimes... I sense that you're lonely.
"Lonely?"
Gorth looked puzzled, but Alina quickly waved her hand.
"No, no, I didn't mean that."
Thinking of the tragic situation where only one member of the other tribe remained, Alina nervously changed the subject.
"It's just... someone as outstanding as you must be very lonely without anyone who understands you!"
No.
With a sigh, Gorth waved his hand, and the huge grandstand lifted the two of them up.
Amid Alina's exclamation, the two soared over the top of the forest.
Laying down casually, Gorth gazed up at the starry sky of this otherworldly realm.
"I am not alone, I still have three family members..."
After a moment of silence, seemingly sensing something was amiss, Gorth added:
There should be four.
"Family?"
Alina sat down beside him, somewhat pleased.
What kind of people are your family members?
After a moment of silence, Gorth replied using Alina's words.
"They are stronger than me, more knowledgeable than me, and more tolerant than me..."
"Stop! Stop! How dare you plagiarize my words!"
Seeing the girl puffing out her cheeks, Gorth sighed resignedly.
"Because it's all the truth."
Recalling the messages in the group chat, Gregor was trying to secure rights for the Infected, Vera was working hard to help them return home, and Vane had even resolved a major cataclysmic crisis.
Gorth sighed again.
"They are far more capable than me, while I... am just an ordinary person."
"If you had met them instead, perhaps you would be in a better situation..."
Why deny yourself?
The girl's hurried voice interrupted Gorth's words; her tightly furrowed face obscured the starry sky and blocked Gorth's view.
"The person standing in front of me right now is clearly you."
Alina grabbed Gorth's hand; his enormous palm was so large that even two hands couldn't fully encircle it.
Every snowflake looks the same to others, but only the one that melts in your hand is unique!
"Because you've only ever opened your arms to her, and felt the warmth of her melting in your hands."
Alina's voice was serious, like she was giving a lecture, but her pleasant tone made Gorth's mind somewhat hazy.
"You saved me! You changed the future of those Infected! No one can deny it..."
"Alina."
"Oh? I'm sorry!"
Gorth interrupted Alina, who suddenly realized what she was doing.
Gorth didn't take it to heart and sighed softly.
You will definitely become a good teacher.
"Me?"
Alina was somewhat flattered, Gorth nodded in agreement:
"Hmm... it would be very popular to be a teacher to children."
"Then... could you teach me more?"
"Good."
Gorth naturally wouldn't refuse. As the stands slowly descended, Gorth sat up and patted his cloak.
"There's one more thing."
"Um?"
Under Alina's questioning gaze, Gorth spoke solemnly.
My name is...
The girl slightly opened her eyes, then responded with a soft laugh.
"I am Alina."
As if remembering something, the girl suddenly pulled open her clothes.
Gorth was startled and quickly turned his head away, but the next sentence drew his attention back.
"This is a gift for you."
Looking closer with suspicion, I saw a familiar eye band.
"I wove it according to the pattern Little Tal described, so it might be a little different. Please forgive me..."
Alina held up her eye bandage, her ears twitching slightly.
"... No, I'm very satisfied."
Gorth reached out his hand, but Alina suddenly withdrew it.
"Let me help you tie it. Your hand must be very uncomfortable, right?"
Looking at his enormous claws, Gorth, not wanting to damage the gift, squatted down.
The girl leaned forward and fastened the eye strap to her bone.
"Alright..."
Gorth obediently stood up. The girl's warm breath entered his nostrils through his eyelids, Gorth quickly shook his head.
"What's wrong! Is it inappropriate?"
"No, nothing could be more suitable."
Comforting the anxious girl, Gorth sighed once again.
"Nothing could be more suitable..."
The snow fell heavier, and looking at the snowflakes on Alina's horn, Gorth opened his robe and tucked them into it.
Alina did not refuse, but carefully controlled her head to avoid the antlers scratching her robes.
"Are you cold? Would you like to move closer?"
"I'm fine, but you, won't my horn cut you?"
"With your tiny branch?"
The two hurried towards the hut against the wind and snow. In such harsh weather, even the strongest Rift Beast wouldn't come out to hunt for food.
Fortunately, in the Black Forest--
The winter night was not cold.