Hello, Arknights

After a long separation, upon their reunion, Drak, who had ignited a raging inferno across the tundra, remained as charismatic as ever. Even having shed her armor, the dust of her journey couldn't diminish her spirited demeanor. It seemed Talulah had first gone to Reunion's new base in Victoria, arriving with Frostnova.

I don't know why, but seeing her and the child beside her, Ling Dengxian was speechless and choked with emotion.

The two sat at a table in his room on the second floor, catching up. The white-faced owl had actually done something worthwhile; in the morning, he and Surtr went to a nearby village to pass through Karadon and bought some furniture in addition to maid outfits.

Most importantly, she didn't make Ling Dengxian pay, which made him much happier. He had never thought the white-faced owl was so cute.

“White Dove, you really should take some time to go back to Chernobog. After the toughest period, our city has truly become a decent place! You know what? Last month we finally landed our first long-term collaboration. Although the direct profits weren't much, they agreed to give us a nearly new pharmaceutical raw material processing line as a bonus. And this isn't based in Rhodes Island or Lungmen; it's our own independent collaboration!”

For the first time, Ling Dengxian saw a look of pure joy on Talulah's face. He raised an eyebrow at the genuine excitement she displayed, and recalling the hunger and cold he had endured on the tundra, he couldn't help but feel a sense of relief and pleasure.

"How are Patriot and Alina doing?" Ling Dengxian thought of those figures, and his heart stirred slightly.

He braved fire and feathers to fight against misfortune, wasn't it all so that we could sit together peacefully and look forward to the future? Watching Talulah's eyes light up as she enthusiastically shared the changes in the Reunion Movement with him like a child, he almost couldn't resist patting her head.

However, given that a certain Sarkaz girl and the white-haired Kuranta were hiding around the corner outside the door, and the little guy sitting next to him was staring at him intently with his bright, watery eyes, Ling didn't make any plans.

“Mr. Bozokastie is getting healthier and healthier, but sometimes he talks a little strangely. Although it may be offensive to say this, given his condition… it’s very unusual.” Talulah looked at him, her silver eyes filled with a hint of worry. Perhaps it was an inexplicable trust in him, but she felt that Ling Dengxian could give her an answer.

"...At least, it looks like a good thing. Just in case, I'll go and visit Mr. Patriot again when I get back. What about Alina?" Ling Dengxian knew what was going on, of course, but distant water can't quench immediate thirst. Besides, he believed that Patriot—whether psychologically or objectively—was far more familiar with demons than he was. He was just restraining himself with the white flames.

To put it bluntly, even if the situation really slips out of Wendigo's control, he will "handle it properly" himself.

"Alina was one of Chernobog's first teachers, and she was indispensable in popularizing literacy and basic learning—of course, there was also the factor that this was a long journey and not safe." Although Talulah did not receive a definite answer, she received Ling Dengxian's affirmative promise, which, though without reason, reassured her considerably.

"That's good... It's all good that everyone is alright." Ling Dengxian said sincerely, leaning back in his chair. His weight was so great that only the two legs of the chair supported him and swayed slightly. Talulah looked at him, paused for a moment, and asked, "I heard Frostnova and the others talk about it when I came here. Many newspapers have also published about that disaster... Did you do something like what Ursus did back then?"

"...It's not really a big deal. My motive this time was personal, even though it was all about finding someone."

"Looking for someone? Yes! You came to Ursus back then to look for me too." Drak recalled this incident. Given Ling's sometimes enthusiastic and sometimes lazy attitude, and the fact that she hadn't given her any specific clues, she didn't realize at first that her target was her. But upon closer examination, only Koschei and she knew that the "Black Serpent" was possessing her. How did he know about the curse hidden within her?

"How do you know... that I will be affected by the 'Undying Black Serpent'?" Talulah's gaze was intense, seemingly without ulterior motive. She had seen everything White Dove had done so far, and her trust in him was unwavering. She was just genuinely curious how someone who had never been to Ursus before could know such a secret.

“Well…” Ling Dengxian hesitated. He felt there was no need to lie to her, but how could he bring himself to say something like, “I’ve seen your story in a parallel universe…”

“A prophecy,” White Dove finally explained, “before I embarked on my journey, I foresaw through a strange—really strange, I can’t describe it to you—scene that a northern city would be engulfed in flames, the infected would go on a rampage of self-destruction, and a dark figure would envelop a dragon girl. I’ve forgotten most of the prophecy, but I remember three names:

"Koschke, Black Serpent, Talulah Atreus—"

Draco leaped up and covered his mouth across the table. Her sharp gaze quickly swept back to the door, and only after confirming that there was no one else besides the fiery red-haired Sarkaz and the white-haired Kuranta did she lower her voice and say, "You have an earl here too, don't just casually mention that surname."

“I’m sorry,” Ling Dengxian grasped her wrist, realizing he had misspoke, “I’ve been a bit too lax lately. This surname is… a sensitive one in Victoria?”

“More than that…” Talulah lowered her voice again, “Victoria’s Drak, you should know what’s going on, right?”

"Aren't you from Ursus?"

"Born in Yan, raised in Ursus, but with the surname Victoria, don't tell me you don't know what that means."

"Alright, let's not talk about that anymore. Let's talk about the child." Ling Dengxian finally got to the point, since this was the issue he was more concerned about.

“Come on, Talulah, tell me what happened to her… Wei Yanwu told me—” Ling Dengxian glanced at the quiet gray-haired little Draco beside him, and hesitated to speak, thinking about what he was about to say:

“That bastard said…this child looks like me.” Ling Dengxian didn’t dare to look Talulah in the eye.

“…” Talulah gave him an indescribable, subtle silence.

Ling slowly shifted his gaze back, finally meeting Talulah's eyes again, whose expression was subtle. Talulah gently scratched her earlobe, her silver hair soft and flowing around her fingers.

"...Actually, to be honest, I think so too."

Seeing Ling Dengxian's expression gradually losing control, Talulah quickly added, "But we only know each other, it's just a feeling! Although I am indeed still investigating Videsia's background, do you understand what I mean?"

"Then... are you sure she's yours..." Ling Dengxian hesitated, mindful of the child's presence. Silver hair, Draco, and the resemblance in appearance made her feel it was unnecessary to ask this question. But, what if...?

Talulah hesitated for a moment, then leaned closer to Vidya and said something, patting her tender shoulder. The latter responded crisply and obediently walked away, her face full of curiosity, and went to the other end of the room to lie down and play on the floor at the other end of the bed. Ling Dengxian scratched his head and said, "You can play on the bed."

Vidya responded, but then hid on the other side of the bed, out of their sight, doing something unknown.

Talulah whispered in his ear, "When Vidya was brought here, a bloodline report was attached..."

"Would you like to do a paternity test with Vidya?"

"..." Ling Dengxian chuckled dryly and shook his head. Even if the probability was low, it was still possible. Wei Yanwu had said that the child and the scepter were related, and the scepter and the scepter were inextricably linked to him.

He didn't want to gamble on that probability, at least not now. If Vidya really was his daughter... what kind of hell would his life become?

"You don't need to worry about it too much." Talulah stood up and smiled slightly. "We don't really have anything going on, and we're still friends... The Reunion Movement has been really busy lately. Could you please take care of Videsia for a while? I also hope that she won't just receive a single-parent education."

"After all, it's really hard for me to answer her question about who her father is..."

"So you subconsciously made me play the father... this role?" Ling Dengxian was both amused and exasperated. "Sister, have you considered my age?"

“My gut feeling tells me you two will get along,” Talulah winked at him, her expression brightening considerably. “Videsia is very well-behaved.”

"But I..."

“If you’ve had enough experience, what difference does it make whether you’re twenty or thirty?” Talu stretched out her finger and tapped his forehead, smiled, and affirmed his past. “After all, you’ve comforted me and supported me. Give me some proof that you’re as reliable as ever.”

“…Sigh, alright, alright, Your Excellency.” Ling Dengxian sighed, but unconsciously smiled.

“Alright, the Reunion Movement is really busy, I have to head back. Victoria can’t stay long either—Reunion Movement, when you come back, please bring Videsia back with you.” Talulah stood up. It was clear that she wasn’t just making excuses. It made sense, given the rapidly increasing number of infected in Victoria and the continuous influx of infected into Ursus. The issues of production line construction, camp construction, and operations really couldn’t be left unattended.

Ling Dengxian also got up. Vidya peeked out from behind the bed, her bright eyes looking at the two of them with a hint of unease.

"I wasn't there when Reunion was facing its most difficult time; I was in Chernobog..."

“The most difficult time was when we were in exile.” Talulah patted his shoulder, stepped forward and hugged him, resting her chin on his shoulder, and said sincerely, “Thank you so much, because a vague prophecy opened up a path for us.”

Vidya flicked her tail, seemingly less nervous.

"Videsia, Mommy's leaving now," Talulah called out. The child, who had just felt a little relieved, immediately ran over and hugged her hand tightly. Although the two had made a promise beforehand, she couldn't bring herself to smile.

Seeing the little girl's eyes slowly welling up with tears, Ling Dengxian felt a headache coming on: "No, please, I don't know how to handle this..."

“Treat her like your own daughter, but you still have to discipline her when necessary.” Talulah ruffled Vidya’s hair, squatted down and pinched her cheek: “Little Vidya, what did you tell your mother before? You said you were just staying with Uncle Ling for a while, and Uncle Ling is very reliable.”

The word "uncle" made Ling Dengxian's pupils dilate, and an indescribable sadness welled up in his heart. He wanted to find a corner to sulk.

"Mom... I know, but I miss you..." Vidya had already started to shed tears, making her all the more pitiful.

"Why don't you stay here for the night? She's just a child, and this is a bit..." Ling Dengxian advised, patting Vidya's head. Surprisingly, the latter didn't object, but looked up at him with her tearful face and wiped her tears on his sleeve.

“…Okay, but little Sia, you can’t sleep with me tonight, you have to sleep with Ling…Ling Dengxian.” Talulah nodded in agreement to the compromise, having witnessed the man’s thunderstruck expression and also taking his feelings into consideration.

“Mom, I want to sleep next door,” Vidya insisted.

"Okay, but Xiaoxia has to be good."

Vidya hummed in agreement, wiped away her tears, and mumbled something.

"What's wrong?" Ling Dengxian heard a few words clearly, as if they mentioned him.

"Ling Dengxian... will you protect me tonight?" She tugged at his sleeve.

"Yes, but there's nothing dangerous here." Ling Dengxian felt a little strange.

"Oh, maybe it's my fault. I used to scare Vidya with ghost stories when she wouldn't sleep, and she always slept next to me." Talulah smiled awkwardly.

"I see." Ling nodded casually.

“No…” Vidya raised her hand, and the two looked at her. Little Draco still had tear stains on his eyes.

"Under Ling Dengxian's bed, there is an auntie emitting purple flames."