Noelle and Dess

According to Toby, the game system wasn't planning to kill him just yet. Linde hadn't figured out what to do either, so he would take things one step at a time.

"Hey, what exactly did it tell you?" Frisk asked from beside him.

"I can't say," Linde answered bluntly, leaving Frisk with nowhere to vent her frustration.

"Fine, fine, fine. Don't tell me anything. I'm not supposed to know a thing." Frisk pursed her little lips angrily.

Linde chuckled and placed his index finger against Frisk's lips.

Frisk froze for a moment, then flushed crimson and bit down on Linde's finger in a fit of anger.

"Ow-" Linde hastily pulled free and cradled his poor finger.

At Grillby's, the two were eating fries when something suddenly occurred to Linde. He looked up and asked, "Grillby, you can talk, right? Why don't you?"

Grillby's watched them in silence.

A monster sitting nearby suddenly said, "Grillby's was just trying to say he doesn't want to talk to heartless little brats like you."

Grillby's shook his head frantically at that, and Sans scolded, "Grillby's would never say that!"

Grillby's gave Sans a grateful look, only for Sans to continue, "What he wants to say is definitely, 'Since I'm made of fire, I'm afraid my words might be too hot to handle...'"

Before Sans could finish, Grillby's had already leaped up to cover his mouth.

"Heh, heh, heh." Sans kept backing away. "You can't do that, or you'll become a bone-fire expert. You know, the income in that field isn't very stable."

"Hahaha!" Linde obligingly burst out laughing.

"...That's not it..." Grillby's suddenly spoke, and the entire bar fell silent.

"...I don't talk... because... back when I lived in Hotland... I hardly ever spoke. Over time... I just... stopped liking it."

"Wow!"

"Yeah!"

"Woof!" (There were lots of dogs in Snowdin.)

"This is amazing! I actually got to hear Grillby's speak in my lifetime!"

The customers in the bar all cheered.

Once Grillby's started talking, with two such entertaining, adorable listeners as Linde and Frisk, he gradually opened up.

"...So you've always wanted a snowman, right?" Frisk lay across the table. Linde popped a fry into her mouth, and she munched away.

Linde looked at Grillby's with determination. "We can build you a snowman!"

To their surprise, Grillby's declined. "No need. It'll still melt as soon as I get close.

"Two years ago, Rudy's two adorable little daughters built me a snowman. I was very grateful, but it melted in the end..."

"It's fine. I can use magic to... wait, whose daughters?!" Linde rubbed his ears in disbelief. What had he just heard? Rudy? Noelle's dad from Deltarune?!

"Rudy. He's an entertaining deer monster. Apparently, he's an old friend of King Asgore's, too."

Huh?! Seriously?! Linde began searching his memory...

It seemed some official guidebook really had mentioned two children building Grillby's a snowman. At the time, he'd assumed they were Monster Kid and his sister, but now that he thought about it, neither of them had hands...

Linde held back his excitement and built a snowman with Frisk. Then, after casting the character for "solidify" on it, he hurriedly asked, "Grillby's, could you tell me where Rudy lives?"

As a longtime member of the fandom, his feelings for Deltarune had only deepened as he spent so long unable to play Chapter 3, so hearing that there was a Deltarune character here made him especially eager to pay a visit.

Grillby's shook his head. "In southern Snowdin, there's a little path across from the library that leads there. Come to think of it, that's actually the busiest part of Snowdin..."

Linde was almost moved to tears. Exploring a new part of the monster world that he knew nothing about was always thrilling.

As soon as he had the address, Linde couldn't sit still anymore. "Frisk! Let's go take a look!"

"Hey... why are you so excited...?" Frisk had no choice but to let Linde pull her along toward southern Snowdin.

After they passed through a small patch of woods, a huge fountain plaza appeared before the two children. Although the fountain had long since frozen over, it still looked beautiful.

A statue of Asgore stood atop the fountain. To the north was the road leading to northern Snowdin, while to the south stood a moderately sized school. Numerous shops lined the eastern and western sides, selling all kinds of magical toys, snacks, little storybooks, and other such items.

Monsters from all over the Underground came here on vacation. Ever since Snowdin had stepped up its cultural outreach, the place had gradually become the kingdom's most popular tourist attraction.

According to Grillby's, Rudy lived in a little wooden house on the eastern edge of town. Linde knocked on the wooden gate to its yard.

"Coming!" A clear voice rang out, and a little deer girl opened the gate.

She really looks like Noelle's concept art! Though she seems a little younger.

But is this Noelle or Dess?

Just then, Linde noticed another little deer girl hiding behind a nearby tree, watching them timidly. Remembering Noelle's shy personality in Deltarune, he immediately knew the answer.

He smiled and held out his hand. "Hello, Dess. I'm Linde, and this is Frisk. Can we play with you and your little sister?"

Looking at the two children around her own age, Dess smiled and held out her hand. "Of course! Just call me Scarlet. That's what my dad always calls me."

Then Dess turned around. "Noelle! They want to play with us. Come on out!"

Noelle's face lit up, and she timidly stepped forward. "Hello..."

Linde remembered how Noelle had grabbed Berdly by the throat after losing control in Deltarune. Looking at her shy demeanor now, he found it a little funny.

Just then, Linde suddenly spotted a crimson trident in the corner.

"This is..." The corner of his mouth twitched. Surely it couldn't be that much of a coincidence! Did we really happen to show up just when Asgore was visiting Rudy?!

"That's the king's weapon. Dad told me they've been good friends since they were little." Dess beamed. "They went out for a walk. They should be back soon."

The corners of Linde's and Frisk's mouths twitched. They were just about to make a quick escape when they heard two laughing voices drawing closer and closer to the gate...