I'm on the Ark, and I start out as Gretchen.

Both Alina and Talulah could see that the little girl Alyona was indifferent, distant, and even wary of them.

But neither of them seemed to care much, or rather, in their eyes, this was normal. After all, in this man-eating snowfield, it would be truly strange not to have any disguise or vigilance.

To put it more dramatically, without strength, without the ability to disguise, and without vigilance... one might have already been mercilessly devoured by this land.

……

Next, as Gretchen sat quietly eating her meal from a small bowl, Talulah and the other woman would occasionally glance at her, looking as if they wanted to say something but couldn't.

Even after a night had passed, there were still some things they were curious about, and now the only one who could answer their questions was Gretchen, a child.

However, neither of them had figured out how to bring it up yet... not to mention, there was Alyona sitting right next to them.

However, Gretchen, who had been under constant scrutiny, finally couldn't hold back and spoke first in front of the two of them: "Oh, right, there's one more thing I haven't given Tarua..."

From the very beginning, the little girl had noticed Talulah's gaze and intentions, and had been waiting for them to ask questions. But who knew that they would wait until they had finished their meal without getting a single question.

This led to Gretchen being unable to hold back and speaking first.

However, what she wanted to tell Talulah wasn't about Sakura, but something else that she had almost forgotten.

"what?"

Talulah, who had been hesitant, temporarily put aside her dilemma after hearing Gretsch's words and asked curiously.

Alina, sitting next to her, also showed a hint of curiosity in her eyes and perked up to listen quietly.

“It was… that night, the second painting I drew.” Gretchen said, blinking her large violet eyes.

"That day... oh, that night!"

Talulah didn't react at first, but after she did, she remembered not only what happened that night, but also what Sakura had said the night before, and then asked curiously:

"So, little one, why did you draw so many pictures that night?"

“Because I saw a snake… and then I sealed it in the painting.” At this point, Gretchen’s expression became serious.

"...?!"

"What did you say?! Wait, is the snake you're talking about the same thing I'm thinking of?"

This time, after hearing Gretchen's words, Talulah's pupils contracted, and she was completely no longer as calm and composed as before.

Even Alina, who was sitting to the side, covered her mouth, her face filled with undisguised surprise.

"Well……"

Seeing the excited Talulah in front of her, Gretchen did not offer any further explanation.

After gently nodding his little head,

He silently took the painting out of the space and handed it to the person beside him, then whispered:

"It's in this painting, and I'm giving it to you, Tarua."

"Wait... let me sort out the current situation a bit."

Upon hearing this, Talulah glanced at the painting in her hand, then gently rubbed her temples as she began to process the large amount of information she had just received.

Not only her, but Alina, whose surprise had not yet faded, was now trying to understand the whole thing.

Gretchen wasn't in a hurry. She looked away and then at Alyona, who was sitting to her right, taking small bites of a hard bread.

"Hmm? Do you want some... here you go."

Noticing Gretsch's gaze, Alyona stopped eating, tilted her head slightly, and handed over the food in her hand.

The little polar bear thought the little girl next to him wasn't full and wanted the food in his hand.

If it were anyone else, Alyona would never give up the food that could sustain her life, but... if it were Gretsch, there would be no problem at all.

It wasn't because I knew the little girl wouldn't actually eat my food, but rather...

Alyona felt that Gretchen was very kind to her and would protect her, which was why she was willing to give up her food.

After all, in her view, it was just a matter of missing one meal, and she was already used to it.

"..."

Gretchen was slightly taken aback when she saw the food suddenly handed to her, and she was a little dazed.

After realizing what was happening, she quickly shook her head and refused, saying, "I'm already full, and... Alyona, don't give away your food so easily."

P.S.: Something happened at home today, which put me in a bad mood, so the update is a bit late and the quality is just so-so, a bit messy.

That's all for now, my head is starting to hurt again... Also, I'll try to update earlier tomorrow, but the editor told me to update after 5 pm, so even if I try to update as early as possible tomorrow, it will still be after 5 pm.

Chapter 63 Ursus Will Kill Him

“I’m already full, and… Alyona, don’t give away your food so easily.”

After speaking, Gretchen gently pushed away Alyona's outstretched hand and the food.

"I won't give it to anyone else, um... it'll only be for you, Gretsch."

Upon hearing this, Alyona's expressionless face, which had remained blank since leaving the tent, suddenly broke into a smile, and she spoke earnestly to Gretsch.

"???) Hmm?"

Hearing Alyona's words, Gretchen tilted her head slightly, a hint of doubt flashing in her eyes, and the ahoge on her head swayed along with it.

Clearly, the little girl had no idea how the topic had suddenly shifted to her.

However, Gretchen didn't dwell on this point too much. She gently shook her head to clear her mind of the jumbled thoughts before speaking again:

"Neither can I. Alyona needs to learn to love and protect herself."

Staring at the adorable blue-haired little girl in front of her, Alyona paused for a moment, a complex look appearing in her light green eyes, but it quickly disappeared.

"Well, I see."

Alyona then nodded gently in agreement, her smile growing even brighter.

Although the little white bear agreed readily, only it knows what it will actually do next.

"Mmm, eat quickly..."

After hearing her partner agree, Gretchen said nothing more, only urging him softly.

"Good~"

……

While Gretchen and her companion were having a friendly conversation, Talulah and the others had also figured out the information the little girl had just revealed.

"Do Tarua and Alina understand?"

As she spoke, Gretchen turned to look at Talulah and Alina, whose expressions were somewhat strange at the moment.

"I understand... but how did you do that?"

Talulah gently stroked the painting in her arms before softly asking Gretchen a question.

Others might not understand, but Talulah was different; she truly understood the nature of the Black Serpent.

That's why her expression is so strange right now...

However, even though Gretchen said that the snake was sealed inside, Talulah did not think that the black snake in the painting was "complete".

In her view, the snake encased in the painting should only represent her own part...

Of course, even so, Talulah could say she was very happy.

Although she doesn't think she would agree with Black Snake's theory now, it's still very good to have one less major hidden danger, since no one can say for sure that nothing will happen.

“Hmm… because the painting I drew for you that night, Talulah, not only affected you, but also the snake on your body.” After organizing her thoughts, Gretchen explained after listening to Talulah’s question.

"..."

The little girl's explanation instantly silenced both Talulah and Alina, who was listening intently.

Well, before Gretchen explained, both of them thought the little guy must have put in a lot of effort...

The code can be quite troublesome.

Who knew that when they heard it now, they suddenly realized that the reason why the black snake was affected was so outrageous, even a little funny, and their expressions became even stranger.

"That day, I painted a total of three... paintings?"

Gretchen, who had originally intended to say something, suddenly seemed to remember something when she mentioned the number of paintings. A hint of guilt flashed in her large violet eyes, and her tone became somewhat uncertain.

Because, if you include the one she drew on Talulah's face in the middle of the night, the little girl drew four pictures that day.

"what happened?"

Talulah noticed the uncertainty in Gretsch's tone and subconsciously looked over. Then, after noticing the guilty look in those big eyes, she asked curiously.

“It’s nothing… That night, after you fell asleep in Tarua, the snake appeared, and I used its colors to paint on it and sealed it away.”

When faced with Talulah's question, Gretchen quickly concealed the guilt in her eyes, shook her head, and changed the subject.

Upon hearing this, Talulah didn't dwell on the previous issue. Instead, she smiled gratefully and said:

"I see. Thank you so much, little one. You've really been a great help."

"Um...you're welcome."

As she spoke, Greta shook her head again, and the cute ahoge (cowlick) on her head swayed gently once more.

While this was indeed a big deal for Talulah, it wasn't a major issue for Gretchen... it was just something that involved staying up all night.

She's been doing this kind of all-night drawing all the time before... so it's not a big problem.

Of course, most of the time it was done secretly behind Aponia's back; otherwise, she would have faced loving lessons from her nun mother.

Moreover, in Gretsch's view, the matter of the Black Serpent is not completely over in a certain sense. Only Talulah and those who had previously had serpent scales implanted in them have been freed.

As for why she said that, it's because she couldn't be completely sure whether an existence of the nature of the black snake... might die and rise again.

Although Gretchen indirectly influenced all the fragments of the Black Serpent with the painting that night, sealing them all inside, she still couldn't be certain.

The little girl could indeed kill the black snake sealed inside the painting by tearing it up, but that would only be the black snake's consciousness.

As long as there are people on this land who believe in the Black Serpent and who agree with and endorse his ideas and beliefs, no one can say with absolute certainty that He will not reappear.

However, Gretchen was very certain of one thing: whether He continued to be sealed or the painting was torn up, He would not cause any more trouble for at least a short period of time.

With this period of development, she believed that Talulah would become a good leader, grow stronger, and then change the country.