Vol. 6 Ch. 49

The dwarves presented Leon with several possible methods to repair Thundercloud Blade.

After considering his options, Leon made his choice.

Chieftain Yaki then personally led the top divination craftsmen of the dwarves and traveled several kilometers with Leon to a distant snowy mountain.

The damage Thundercloud Blade had sustained was so severe that even the best tools within the tribe were not sufficient for the repairs.

However, hidden deep within the mountain, there lay a set of legendary forging tools—passed down through generations of silver dwarven ancestors—the only instruments capable of restoring Thundercloud Blade.

The problem was that the snow mountain’s conditions were extremely harsh—food, shelter, and warmth were all difficult to maintain.

Building temporary housing would waste time, so Leon chose not to bring Rosvisser along.

Besides, Aju had to stay behind—the dwarves had already begun preparations to build a shrine and statue in its honor.

With Rosvisser staying behind, she could also supervise the process, ensuring that no one with ill intentions attempted anything suspicious toward Aju.

Before departing, Chieftain Yaki specifically assigned two dwarven attendants to personally assist Rosvisser.

The only issue… was the huge difference in size between them and her.

In her sanctuary, Rosvisser was accustomed to being surrounded by women who were roughly her height. Conversations were easy, interactions were natural.

But here, every time she wanted to speak to the dwarven attendants, she had to look up—way up.

It wasn’t that she expected servants to bow and kneel before her—she was a queen, not a pampered princess.

But having to constantly tilt her head back was starting to make her neck sore.

And that was just one of many inconveniences.

Everything in the dwarven settlement was designed for much larger beings—

The kitchenware, the furniture, even the houses themselves all made Rosvisser feel as if she had shrunk.

Yet the dwarves did not question her presence.

Once they realized that the Sacred Beast’s envoy was struggling to adapt, some even offered a solution.

“Lady Envoy! You’re not a dwarf, right? So why don’t you just transform into a dragon?”

Rosvisser: …

She wasn’t about to spend weeks lounging around in her dragon form, sprawling across a bed the size of a palace, daydreaming about her idiot husband.

Still, after a few days, Rosvisser gradually adjusted to this oversized world.

During the day, she accompanied Aju, watching as the craftsmen constructed its massive statue.

At night, she led Aju back to the enlarged house she had been given.

Thankfully, the house was big enough that letting Aju sleep inside didn’t seem out of place at all.

One day, she received a letter from Claudia.

The new semester at Saint Heath Academy had begun.

Noa and the others had successfully reunited with Helena at the academy.

There was nothing to worry about.

Rosvisser sent a reply, thanking Claudia and mentioning the situation with Thundercloud Blade.

She also asked Claudia to pass a message to Noa and the others—

Their mother would be back soon.

Time passed.

Day after day.

A week later, Rosvisser was strolling through the streets, leading Aju along.

She had left the two towering attendants behind—having them follow her everywhere just felt uncomfortable.

“Dad! Mom! Are we learning a new forging technique today?”

“Of course! Let’s go. I’ll take you to the workshop.”

“Yay!”

…

“Oh, it’s a letter from Dad.

“He says Sir Envoy’s sword has begun its reforging process, and everything is going smoothly.

“But the snow mountain’s conditions are awful. He’s been freezing at night.”

“Oh no. Mom, let’s prepare some thick blankets and have someone send them to Dad.”

“Good idea. I’ll help you, Mom.”

“Alright.”

…

Rosvisser walked through the bustling streets, overhearing fragments of family conversations from passing homes.

A cold gust of wind blew against her face.

She found herself staring into the vast white sky, lost in thought.

“…Do you all miss your families?”

The thought struck her unexpectedly.

The northern border academy was far from the Silver Dragon Sanctuary—there was no denying it.

She would be lying if she said she didn’t miss them.

And the previous festival…

Neither she nor Leon had been able to make it back in time.

That thought weighed on her.

A deep sense of guilt lingered in her heart.

As longing and guilt intertwined, no matter how well she tried to conceal her emotions,

They inevitably showed on her face.

As Rosvisser was lost in thought, she suddenly felt a warm sensation on the back of her hand.

She turned to the side and saw Aju gently rubbing its ear against her skin.

As if comforting her.

Rosvisser chuckled softly and reached out to rub Aju’s head.

“Clever little foal. Let’s keep walking.”

As they continued down the street, a small figure suddenly dashed out from one of the nearby ice houses.

The figure crunched across the snow, making sharp sounds with each step.

Rosvisser stopped and turned toward the noise, only to realize—

The child was running straight toward her.

Before she could even react, the small figure leaped forward and wrapped its arms tightly around her waist,

Burying its face into her chest.

Rosvisser was completely caught off guard.

She had no idea where this normally sized child had come from—

And even more so, she had no idea why the child had just hugged her out of nowhere.

Regaining her composure, she lowered her gaze.

The girl had long, snow-white hair and was even smaller than the dwarves.

Her clothes appeared to be oversized dwarven garments, hastily altered to somewhat fit her frame.

Rosvisser blinked.

She was about to ask for the girl’s name when—

“Mom… Mama!”

Rosvisser: ?

Aju: ?

Excuse me, little one—just because we have the same hair color doesn’t mean you can just start calling me ‘Mom’!

Even in her head, Rosvisser couldn’t help but comment on the absurdity of the situation.

She gently took the white-haired girl’s shoulders and eased her back a little,

Then crouched down so that her eyes were slightly lower than the girl’s.

Now, Rosvisser could clearly see her face.

She was a delicate-looking young girl, with white hair, golden eyes, and a gentle demeanor.

Judging by her appearance,

She seemed to be a few years older than Helena.

Rosvisser reached out and gently cupped her face,

Wiping away the tears at the corner of her eyes with her thumb,

Then smiled softly.

“Little one… what did you just call me?”

The girl pursed her lips.

Now that she had a clear look at Rosvisser’s face,

She seemed to realize that she had mistaken her for someone else.

She didn’t answer.

Instead, she awkwardly averted her gaze, looking embarrassed.

“Xiaoxue! What are you doing here?”

The sound of heavy footsteps echoed behind them.

Rosvisser lifted her head to see a dwarven woman approaching.

The woman quickly crouched down, bending forward slightly,

And spoke in an apologetic tone,

“I’m terribly sorry, Lady Envoy.

I hope this child didn’t trouble you?”

“Well… she kind of did.”

Rosvisser stood up and asked,

“And she is?”

The dwarven woman explained,

“Oh, her name is Xiaoxue.

Several years ago, the Chieftain found her while traveling outside the tribe—she’s a war orphan.”

“…She lost her memory?”

The woman nodded.

“Yes.”

After a brief pause, she added,

“When the chieftain found Xiaoxue,

She was buried under the snow, barely alive.

But even then, she was clutching a photograph—a family picture.”

Rosvisser was silent for a few seconds before asking,

“…Can I see the photo?”

“Of course. Please, follow me.”

Rosvisser took Aju’s reins and followed the woman and Xiaoxue into the nearby ice house.

Inside, the woman retrieved a photograph from a storage box, holding it carefully between her fingers before handing it to Rosvisser.

Rosvisser accepted it.

It was a family portrait.

Five people were in the picture—

Xiaoxue, her father, and her mother.

And her mother…

Was young, beautiful, with long golden hair cascading down her back.

At a glance, she did bear some resemblance to Rosvisser.

No wonder the girl had mistaken her.

“…Even though she’s forgotten a lot,” the dwarven woman sighed,

“Xiaoxue still remembers her parents.”

“If the chieftain hadn’t searched through the other tribes for survivors,

He wouldn’t have found anyone else—she was the only one left.”

“…That’s truly heartbreaking.”

Rosvisser had been a mother herself.

Hearing stories like this,

Even the strongest heart would be moved.

She knelt down and returned the photo to Xiaoxue.

The girl took it and clutched it tightly to her chest,

As if it were the most precious thing in the world.

Rosvisser smiled gently, reaching out to ruffle Xiaoxue’s hair.

“The chieftain entrusted Xiaoxue to me,” the woman continued.

“But as you can see, Lady Envoy, our dwarven bodies are far too large,

Which makes it difficult for her to live comfortably among us.”

“I understand.”

Rosvisser thought for a moment before standing up,

Placing both hands gently on Xiaoxue’s shoulders.

“If you don’t mind… would you allow Xiaoxue to stay with me for a few days?”

The dwarven woman’s eyes widened.

“B-but… how could we ask that of you?

“You are the Envoy of the Sacred Beast—how could we trouble you with caring for a child?”

“It’s no trouble at all,” Rosvisser replied with a soft chuckle.

“I like spending time with children.”

She looked down and lightly pinched Xiaoxue’s cheek.

“I think we’ll get along just fine… right, Xiaoxue?”

The white-haired girl stood frozen in place.

Feeling the warmth of the hand on her shoulder—

That familiar sense of security she had long forgotten.

That feeling of…

Being with her mother.