Vol. 6 Ch. 51

In the early hours of dawn, Rosvisser was awakened by the sound of faint sobbing.

She opened her eyes and, illuminated by the pale moonlight streaming through the window, turned toward the source of the sound.

Xiaoxue was curled up in the corner of the bed,

Her legs tucked against her chest, arms wrapped tightly around them, her face buried in her knees—

Her shoulders trembled as she wept silently.

Rosvisser gently moved closer and placed her hand lightly on Xiaoxue’s shoulder.

She was just about to ask what was wrong when—

To her surprise, the moment she touched Xiaoxue, the girl flinched violently,

Like a frightened kitten, her entire body shuddering uncontrollably.

“…Don’t be scared, Xiaoxue. It’s me—Auntie Rosvisser.”

Seeing her reaction, Rosvisser immediately withdrew her hand.

She didn’t try to touch Xiaoxue again.

Instead, she simply spoke gently, her voice laced with reassurance.

“…Did you have a nightmare?”

Xiaoxue clutched her own arms tightly, her small fingers digging into her skin,

Her nails pressing so hard that her fingertips had turned white.

“…Scythe… the scythe…”

Rosvisser didn’t quite catch what she said.

“…It was like… like the Grim Reaper…”

“…Holding a black scythe…”

Xiaoxue’s voice broke as she spoke, choked with emotion.

But from her tone, Rosvisser could tell—

This wasn’t just a nightmare.

It was a real, traumatic memory, manifesting in her sleep.

“…It’s alright, Xiaoxue. I’m here. Auntie will protect you.”

Rosvisser didn’t press for more details about the scythe.

What mattered right now was calming her down.

Under Rosvisser’s gentle reassurance, Xiaoxue’s rigid body slowly began to relax.

She sniffled a little, then—like a child seeking comfort—

She buried herself into Rosvisser’s embrace.

Rosvisser sat quietly, looking down at the white-haired girl curled against her,

Gently running her fingers through her soft hair.

“Don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid… No matter what happens, Auntie will always be here for you.”

“…I had that dream again…”

“What kind of dream? Can you tell Auntie about it?”

Xiaoxue lifted her head slightly from Rosvisser’s arms,

Took a deep breath to compose herself, then spoke.

“…It was… a long, long time ago.”

“There was a man with a scythe inside a cage.”

“…He killed so many dwarves.”

“…And then, my father and mother were also—”

Rosvisser didn’t let her finish.

She immediately pulled Xiaoxue back into her embrace.

“…I understand, Xiaoxue. You don’t have to say anymore.”

This was exactly why Rosvisser had thought—

Even if Xiaoxue had lost her memories, she must still be tormented by pain.

She might not remember the details,

But her heart still carried the weight of grief and fear.

And Rosvisser couldn’t erase that pain for her.

“Auntie Rosvisser.”

“Hmm?”

“…I have a really bad feeling.”

Rosvisser blinked.

“…What kind of bad feeling?”

“…Someone is chasing me.”

“No matter where I go… they always find me.”

Fragmented memories, an ominous premonition—

Xiaoxue’s background was becoming even more uncertain.

Rosvisser held her a little tighter.

She made a decision in her heart.

But before taking any action—

Her first priority was ensuring Xiaoxue’s safety.

“Believe me, Xiaoxue… As long as I’m here, no one will hurt you.”

“…Thank you, Auntie Rosvisser.”

Under the ethereal moonlight,

Xiaoxue nestled against the silver-haired woman,

Feeling, for the first time in a long while,

A sense of warmth and safety.

Aju’s statue was almost complete.

Rosvisser had to admit—these dwarven craftsmen weren’t just masters of forging.

Their sculpting skills were equally remarkable.

Under the snowfall, a majestic, life-sized Aju stood proudly—

Carved entirely from pure ice.

Rosvisser stood beside the statue, holding Aju’s reins in one hand and Xiaoxue’s hand in the other.

The three of them stared up at the sculpture.

“…Wow. It looks exactly like you, Aju.”

Even Rosvisser, who had seen plenty of impressive sights, couldn’t help but be amazed.

Aju, clearly pleased with his own statue, mimicked its posture,

Lifting his head high, his long ears standing straight up.

Xiaoxue giggled.

“…Auntie Rosvisser… didn’t you say that Uncle would come back once the statue was finished?”

For the past month, Xiaoxue had constantly asked about Leon.

She was very curious.

What kind of man could possibly win over someone like Auntie Rosvisser?

“Don’t be impatient, Xiaoxue.”

Rosvisser smiled.

“I got a letter yesterday. He said the repairs are almost done.

He’ll be back very soon.”

“…Okay~”

After admiring the statue of Aju, Rosvisser led Xiaoxue and Aju back to their residence.

By the time they arrived, the two dwarven attendants had just finished delivering lunch.

Dwarven meals were mostly composed of roasted or smoked meat.

After all, living in this frozen tundra, fresh vegetables were scarce, only available through artificial cultivation.

Because of the cold climate and high energy consumption, dwarves relied primarily on hunting for food.

Fortunately, the dwarves had a special greenhouse dedicated to growing plants for sacred beasts.

Even though no Sacred Beast had appeared for over a hundred years, they had faithfully maintained the greenhouse.

Thanks to that, Aju had been eating well every single day, without missing a meal.

During lunch, Rosvisser casually asked,

“Have you had any more nightmares?”

Xiaoxue shook her head lightly.

“No… With Auntie Rosvisser here, I feel safe.”

Rosvisser smiled and blinked.

“That’s good.”

“Mhm, mhm!”

She hesitated for a moment before testing the waters.

“…By the way, Xiaoxue, when Uncle comes back, we’ll be leaving this place.”

Xiaoxue froze mid-bite and looked up at her.

Her golden pupils widened, filled with shock and panic.

“…So soon?”

“Yes… Uncle and I have finished what we needed to do here, and our home still needs us, so we can’t stay too long.”

“…I see…”

“…Then I’ll miss you.”

Xiaoxue’s voice was tinged with undeniable sadness.

Rosvisser pursed her lips.

After a brief pause, she asked,

“Xiaoxue… would you like to come with us?”

“…What?”

Xiaoxue didn’t seem to understand at first.

Rosvisser let out a slightly nervous smile.

“I mean… come live with Uncle and me.”

“I…”

“Aah, but only if you want to.”

“If you prefer to stay with the dwarves, that’s completely fine too.

Auntie will still come visit you often.”

A month might not be a long time,

But it was enough for Rosvisser to understand Xiaoxue better.

She wanted to bring her back to the Silver Dragon Sanctuary,

To have Aurora use her memory-recall magic to uncover Xiaoxue’s past.

And if possible,

She wanted Xiaoxue to live with them.

Of course, if Xiaoxue preferred to stay with the dwarves, Rosvisser wouldn’t force her.

She looked into Xiaoxue’s golden eyes, waiting for her answer with a mix of hope and apprehension.

“Auntie, I—”

BAM!

The icehouse door burst open.

A dwarven sentry stormed in, face pale with urgency.

“Lady Envoy! You must take Xiaoxue and the Sacred Beast to safety—

We’re under attack!”

Rosvisser’s expression darkened.

She stood up immediately and strode over.

“Who’s attacking?”

“How many?”

“…It’s those same two outsiders from before! The ones looking for some kind of key!”

“There are only two of them.”

Rosvisser’s eyes narrowed.

“…I see.”

She turned to Xiaoxue and Aju, handing them over to the sentry.

“Take Xiaoxue and Aju somewhere safe.”

“I’ll handle them.”

“But… Lady Envoy, those two are strong…!”

“And this time, they aren’t just harassing us—”

Before the sentry could finish,

A deafening explosion rocked the air.

The ground trembled as dwarven villagers fled in chaos.

The sentry swallowed hard and finished his sentence.

“…They’re launching a full invasion.”

“You only need to focus on keeping Xiaoxue and Aju safe.”

“Leave the rest to me.”

Rosvisser’s voice was calm, but firm.

In times of invasion, fleeing only emboldened the attackers.

The dwarves were master craftsmen,

But their combat strength wasn’t high.

That wasn’t an issue today.

Because the Silver Dragon Queen was here.

And she wasn’t about to let some nobodies run wild in her presence.

“Th-Then… Lady Envoy, please be careful!”

“I will.”

“Auntie… be careful.”

“I will, Xiaoxue.”

After entrusting Xiaoxue and Aju to the dwarves, Rosvisser stepped out of the icehouse.

The streets were already in ruins.

Scattered weapons and armor littered the ground.

“RUN! RUN!”

“They’re slaughtering everyone!”

The panicked dwarves rushed past her.

But Rosvisser walked forward—toward the chaos.

At the far end of the street,

Two black-and-red figures rampaged freely,

Destroying everything in their path.

“Hurry up! If we can’t find the key, just kill these dwarves and be done with it!”

“No! Please! I don’t know anything about a key—my children—!”

“…You don’t know? Then die!”

One of the attackers swung his weapon down—

Aiming straight for a dwarven mother’s head.

She shut her eyes.

Bracing for death.

CLANG!

Instead of pain, she felt a sudden chill in the air.

Yet…

The weapon never struck her.

“…WHO?!”

A silver silhouette stepped through the swirling snow,

Fiery dragon flames roaring in her hands.

Her gaze icy.

Her presence overwhelming.

"The Silver Dragon Queen—Rosvisser Melkvey."